I you're really rich, the very last one built [black; I think] is being desperately hawked about by a SE-based ex-dealer.
Not Trident in Ottershaw? They're still advertising 'new' MG's! Hmmm where do I sign...
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IIRC only about 50-60 or so were built in the end, and only a handfull of 75's with the same engine (and legendery 'Rover V8' badge). Very few parts would be car specific, obviously engine and drivetrain are mustang bits, very understressed and should give years of reliable service and getting service and tuning parts very cheap and easy available. I've heard of gains up to 50bhp with just an exhaust, air filter and remap, with much better spread of of power and torque. Hot cams would be easily available mail order too.
Cars like this (Thema 8.32, Passat W8...) are'nt everyone's cup of tea, hence they sold in such small numbers. But you can bet your arse that in a few years they will be appearing in classic car magazines. Values have already taken the biggest hit they ever will. Although most are around 1-2 years old they are already being priced as classics, with the bottom line being what people are willing to pay.
If you settled for a V6 you would always be wondering what if. There are probably more V6's in my town alone than there are V8'S in the whole country.
You're only on this planet once. Do it.
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And once you add a supercharger to the V8 experience aka Jaguar and MB you can pretend you are in a Spitfire! The best bit of the XKR cabrio experience was the sound when I floored it going up a motorway sliproad (everything else about the drive was instantly forgettable).
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Wow, that generated a bit of response!
Sorry if my post was mis-leading, I'm not actually intending buying one, yet...
I was juyst doing my usual pottering around the Auto Trader site when I came across them and they caught my eye, was curious as to what other people think.
If I had the mone NOW then I think I would be tempted with a beast such as this, but seeing as it'll be next year at least before I'm looking to burn that much money on something with four wheels I think the market will have changed by then.
Here's hoping they give them away for £5K in a year. :-)
Blue
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Yeah yeah, the V8 makes a nice noise yada yada yada. The fact is buying and running one of these is financial suicide. The depreciation, petrol costs, warranty issues (its an MG so it will go wrong), whats there to think about?
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Utter rubbish. I has a V6 ZT for two years and it didn't have a single squeak or rattle. It was a damn sight better built than many cars I've driven.
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The point is that it's already depreciated to such a level that it CAN'T depreciate as much as the competitors you might consider.
The problem is that you've allowed yourself to believe everything the media tells you. I'm sure you'll go on to tell us that Alfa's are terrible and BMW's never break down.
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and also that lada"s are now a collectable car (yes i know they were:)ie the exhaust the rear trim etc etc)
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BazzaBear, at some point in the not too distant you´ll have to tell me about your Coupé because (as mentioned in another thread) the Barchie has one seat too few, with the arrival of BabyBarchettta last month... we´re thinking of alternatives.
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Fair enough, fire away with questions whenever you're ready.
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I´ll put it on a new thread when we´re nearer to deciding on a replacement. Cheers in the meantime!
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Just don't do it Blue - like i said the other night i have to drive these things at work and the V6 Auto 75 that i've got is like a barge. I don't fancy the idea of whacking a V8 in the front combined with RWD.
In the not too distant future there will be approx 50 one year old 75's and MG ZT's going through BCA and they won't be going for much.
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>Yeah yeah, the V8 makes a nice noise yada yada yada.
Wrong!
An American V8 makes a noise that reverberates through your body. If you've never felt it you wouldn't understand. They have low-down torque that just keeps coming. If you've never felt it you wouldn't understand. You turn the key and a smile lights up your face. If you've never felt it you wouldn't understand.
>The fact is buying and running one of these is financial suicide.
>The depreciation, petrol costs, warranty issues (its an MG so it will go wrong)
Fact? A well equipped 2yo V8 saloon for £low-teens is financial suicide?
The engine and transmission are well proven and virtually unburstable. Spares and upgrades are a US phonecall away. It will depreciate, but I'll bet you that in 5 years time it will still be worth more than any new car you can buy for £13K. I'll also bet that you won't want to sell it. Petrol consumption will be around 24mpg and MG build quality was pretty damn good.
Kevin...
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>>The engine and transmission are well proven and virtually unburstable. Spares and upgrades are a US phonecall away.
We're not in the 1960s now, cars don't break down because they need new big end bearings or a water pump. More likely to go wrong is the air conditioning control unit, electric windows or a broken bumper. Where do they come from?
I've run a couple of low-volume cars (lovely V8s too) and there's always the problem of sourcing parts - either finding where else the part was used or trying to source it from some contacts you have to build up. Luckily I knew a development engineer who could tell me the throttle potentiometer and lambda sensors were from a Range Rover etc...
If you need the car tomorrow, you'd better have put it in for a service a month ago!
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If these cars are so cheap it's almost worth renting a self-storage unit and stocking up with cheap spares!
Cheers, SS
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If the boys at Xparts are to be believed then there are plenty of spares available for these cars.
But then they would say that wouldn't they.
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Rimmer Bros at Lincoln are dealing in spares for MG Rover now. www.rimmerbros.co.uk
I doubt spares will be a problem, most parts are generic, maybe a few trim bits may be a problem.
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>Yeah yeah, the V8 makes a nice noise yada yada yada. Wrong! An American V8 makes a noise that reverberates through your body. If you've never felt it you wouldn't understand. They have low-down torque that just keeps coming. If you've never felt it you wouldn't understand. You turn the key and a smile lights up your face. If you've never felt it you wouldn't understand. >The fact is buying and running one of these is financial suicide. >The depreciation, petrol costs, warranty issues (its an MG so it will go wrong) Fact? A well equipped 2yo V8 saloon for £low-teens is financial suicide? The engine and transmission are well proven and virtually unburstable. Spares and upgrades are a US phonecall away. It will depreciate, but I'll bet you that in 5 years time it will still be worth more than any new car you can buy for £13K. I'll also bet that you won't want to sell it. Petrol consumption will be around 24mpg and MG build quality was pretty damn good. Kevin...
Kevin,
You were making quite a credible and convincing argument until you blew it with your last sentence... "MG build quality was pretty damn good." !!!
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MoneyMart
Current car: 55-reg Audi A4 2.5 V6TDi Quattro flappy-paddle
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Kevin is right, build quality on the MG ZT was extremely good.
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Kevin is right, build quality on the MG ZT was extremely good.
Agree 100% i have a Rover 75 diesel tourer, i was very weary buying it but it's been faultless over the past 12 months very well screwed together
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Hmm... this has the potential to descend in to a 'you destroyed Rover with your negative comments the cars were great' thread.
I have seen 6 MG ZT's, build quality was poor on all of them. Just my experience maybe they were the only 6 poor ones in the country but I wouldn't touch one with a bargepole.
Also on the X part issue. They hold the stocks they hold the rights to re-manufacture. When your part runs out X part will decide if it wishes to re-manufacture and if so what it will cost you. Do you want this?
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Youv'e got to remember that the 75/ZT is essencially a BMW, as they were designed and developed during their ownership. I worked on a large fleet (100 or so) 75's getting them ready for their launch in 99. The build quality of them was as good as anyone elses, but cetainly not poor.
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Also on the X part issue. They hold the stocks they hold the rights to re-manufacture. When your part runs out X part will decide if it wishes to re-manufacture and if so what it will cost you. Do you want this?
How is this different to other marques where the model concerned has gone out of production? In each case, presumably there is a stock of spares, and someone owns the rights to make more and charge what they like for them. The only difference I can see in this case is that the "someone" is not the car maker.
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NW,
1. An ongoing manufacturer has a reputation to uphold, immediately cutting off parts availability does that no good.
2. An ongoing manufacture will evolve a model rather than replace it with a new one plus use common parts in several models, plus sell licences for some parts to other manufacturers. Thus lots of cars on the road with the same parts means they will be manufactured for a long time and third party parts made under licence or otherwise may be available.
The crunch with Rover parts will likely come not with expensive items but cheaper ones such as trims and fittings. X part may just decide that given the user base and the cost to produce such an item the consumer would rather leave it broken than pay a high price, thus the car deteriorates quickly.
Not a scenario I would step in to unless the car is priced such that it can be thrown away in say 3 years time. Mind you prices do seem to be going that way. The mass auction of the ZT's mentioned will be interesting.
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Thanks for the explanation, Thommo -- that makes sense!
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I suspect the crunch with Rover parts will not be trim or cheap parts but parts which fail infrequently so demand is low. No commercial sense in making those and holding in stock. So I suggest windsreen wiper mechanisms or more likely other unique parts like rubber moulded engine or gearbox mountings. If those fail.. and they eventually do, car is undriveable without a replacement.
Of course if you are willing to spend £150 on a £25 part no doubt one can be sourced. For daily use that is impractical. Were they that good a car for that hassle?
Anwers on a postcard to: The Rover Millionaires Club aka the Phoenix Four.
madf
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So when prices have dropped a bit further they may be worth it as a classic purchase then.
I'd still have one, the worst possible situation is that after 3 years it's worth peanuts and has to be scrapped.
Again, should add that I'm not thinking of buying one yet, I'll take another look at the market when I'm ready to buy a second car, I just thought it would be interesting to hear other people's views on this fine looking car.
Blue
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If you scrap it the kit car/transplaters would clamour for the engine & box!
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I suspect the crunch with Rover parts will not be trim or cheap parts but parts which fail infrequently so demand is low. No commercial sense in making those and holding in stock. So I suggest windsreen wiper mechanisms or more likely other unique parts like rubber moulded engine or gearbox mountings. If those fail.. and they eventually do, car is undriveable without a replacement. Of course if you are willing to spend £150 on a £25 part no doubt one can be sourced. For daily use that is impractical. Were they that good a car for that hassle? Anwers on a postcard to: The Rover Millionaires Club aka the Phoenix Four. madf
Yeah but, corporate villainy/idiocy aside, where are the motor engineers these days? Why do we clamour like this for the exact part out of stock? Even something like a bonded rubber engine mounting can be adapted or constructed, and I wd have thought wipers would be a doddle to an ingenious cobbler. What a nation of spoilt babies we have become.
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Funnily enough, I have thought "Old Yank Tanks" and "Cuba" several times throughout this thread!
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What about that nutty coupe thing based on the Qvale Mangusta? Did any of those get made in the end? It looked great, if about 30k too expensive at 75k. Think it had the Mustang engine too, albeit in a higher level of tune.
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MG XPower SV, according to Google, was its name....Any sold?
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"Yeah but, corporate villainy/idiocy aside, where are the motor engineers these days? Why do we clamour like this for the exact part out of stock? Even something like a bonded rubber engine mounting can be adapted or constructed, and I wd have thought wipers would be a doddle to an ingenious cobbler. What a nation of spoilt babies we have become. "
With modern tuned engine mounts, I would imagine cobbling a replacement would possibly lead to all sorts of NVH.
And I assume there will lots of key plastic bits which could be unobtainable: or need remanufacture:
Of course anything is possible.. given time money and resources.
As for a classic? Joke.
A classic failure like the Edsel on a smaller scale perhaps.
Like Rover 800s they will be unwanted and unloved..
madf
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MG XPower SV, according to Google, was its name....Any sold?
According to sales figures on the excellent www.austin-rover.co.uk website, they sold a grand total of 26 SVs in 2004 and 10 in 2005. Don't know how many of those went to private buyers...
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So when prices have dropped a bit further they may be worth it as a classic purchase then. I'd still have one, the worst possible situation is that after 3 years it's worth peanuts and has to be scrapped. Again, should add that I'm not thinking of buying one yet, I'll take another look at the market when I'm ready to buy a second car, I just thought it would be interesting to hear other people's views on this fine looking car. Blue
Classic? No, not a chance. Is an Austin Maxi worth anything today? Not really, no. OK, so a mint example might be worth a few hundred quid as a quirky nostalgic car, but not in the same league as iconic cars like the Capri, Escort Mk I & II, Opel Manta, etc.
That said, it will last more than 3 years, and will be worth much much more than scrap value when sold in 3 years time.
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MoneyMart
Current car: 55-reg Audi A4 2.5 V6TDi Quattro flappy-paddle
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OK, so a mint example might beworth a few hundred quid as a quirky nostalgic car, but not in the same league as iconic cars like the Capri, Escort Mk I & II, Opel Manta, etc.
These are classics? Do me a favour.
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Escort Mk1 and 2 are definately classics.
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As is the Capri.
Keep the Opel Manta though.
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Oh Dear! here we go i think someone beter start a thread on what consitiutes a classic car!
Some escorts and some capris maybe would not call a 1100 popular a classic
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A classic, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Even the Allegro and Marina have owners' clubs.
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I am sure broadmoor has a club and renunion as well but it dont make them sane.
ADAM you foolish young man. Do your homework, check out Opel Manta's and then come back and tell me they are not classics.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Mu uncle had one.
The only thing I liked about it was the Alternator gauge and all that stuff. Wasn't a fan to be honest. Capri would win every time.
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Capri wouldn't win every time, Mmy manta GTE 1985 used to leave Capris for dead on the corners, especially fast sweeping ones. Got overtaken one night coming back from Stock car racing in Aldershot by a 2.8i, coming into Basingstoke by the VW dealers at the back of Old Basing, he slowed I overtook him & he bottled it! Yet the Manta felt dead stable @ 100ish. Damn quick car used to cruise at around the 125 mark which was flat out. Did 42,000 miles in the year my company owned it. & like all Vauxhalls it was dead reliable until the dealers started tinkering when it all went pete tong.
Jim
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The Capri wouuld win every time looks-wise. In my opinion of course. I'm sure the Manta was a very capable car. Sadly, it looks like a horrible combination between an old Cavalier, Senator and some other things.
Glad you liked yours though!
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I am sure broadmoor has a club and renunion as well but it dont make them sane.
They might be sane and us all mad.
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I have to agree with TVM, Manta is the nearest thing to a classic on the list. Escort Mk I Mexico or RS1800, just about OK I suppose if that is what was meant. Mk II was an ugly piece of kit at best of times, although it too had a couple of rapid variants. Could never stand the Capri myself although of course the V6 ones were said to be good fun in a crude sort of way. Indeed that's all that can be said for any of these wagons. Classic ought to mean something a bit better than a tweaked Eurobox or hairdresser machine.
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Right that does it i'm starting a new thread!
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>> I am sure broadmoor has a club and renunion as well >> but it dont make them sane. >> >> They might be sane and us all mad.
This is undoubtedly the case in a real if rather narrow sense.
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Please tell me the headlights on the SV are not from the old model Fiat Punto.
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Please tell me the headlights on the SV are not from the old model Fiat Punto.
No, I can't, because they are.
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Nice SV on ebay cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4604...1
Current bid £36,200 and to me worth every penny (if one had the bread of course).
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I´d seen that - it´ll be a brave man who bids.
Not only are the front headlights from a Punto, it looks like the back end is from a Fiat Coupé - Bazzabear, take note!
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They've stolen my rear end to make an SV? No wonder the bodyshop are keeping it longer than I expected!
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£40000 depriciation in 2 years, that's the same as my first house cost me!
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