The 75 and ZT Owners Club Forums - On this day back in 2010………………..

………………………… I left a £1500 deposit on a certain Yellow ZT.

I didn’t want a Yellow or a Silver ZT or a ZTT. But having been bitten by the ZT bug I wanted another one. My first had been bought on a whim and was a MK1 in Solar Red, 1.8. A troubled car that had suffered 2 HGF’s in less than a year, failed fuel pump and lost its coolant after a bottom hose let go.

I was so desperate to get rid that I chopped it in a p/x deal for a brand new Kia C’eed diesel in burnt Orange. But I still had the want for another ZT. So after 8 months of driving around in “Fused”, the Kia’s nickname. I started looking around for another MG ZT/ZTT. Saw a nice diesel ZTT in Ignition Blue. Sent the seller a pm about the service history. It had none, but I was assured that all was ok as the sellers mate had done all the servicing.

On the next page, on eBay, was this Yellow ZT. Gave it a look but carried on looking at other adverts. I had joined up to this forum but never looked on the For Sale page. But the advert for the Yellow ZT kept drawing me back to have a look. So I phoned the garage, Waterend Motors in Potton, near Sandy in Bedfordshire. A viewing was arranged.
And off I went to have a look.

As I drove around the corner there sat my new ZT. The sun was out and the colour looked stunning. I was smitten, that was my new motor. The garage had a number of newer cars on the forecourt but I wanted the Yellow ZT.
Chatted with the garage owner and he let me go for a test drive on my own. I just left him the keys for the Kia.

My first drive in the 1.8 with a turbo. It locked the doors as I drove off, I had read about the anti hijacking locks. It had something called “Trafficmaster”, not sure what that was all about. There was other bits and bob’s added that the previous 1.8 never had.
Drove back to the garage to do the deal.

The garage owner said the colour was Sunshine Yellow and was a very common colour. Advertised at £3750. Mileage was 60,000.But it wanted 4 new tyres plus a new MOT. We haggled, and ended up agreeing on £3500. So I left a £1500 deposit.
I would be back on the 24th March to collect the car.

And so started the adventures with “The Flying Banana” started. Reebs informed me that Banana was no.3 of the 4 ZT’s produced in Sunspot Yellow. And that she was a 160+.
We have had our ups and downs, many a time I wanted to walk away, but she would drag me back. And through owning this car I have made so many new friends who have helped me in keeping Banana on the road.
We have travelled all over mainland Britain.

And this is the reason that I now live in Cornwall. By attending the Mount Edgecumbe meet I was invited to stay with Allen & Val along with Ian & Jan Goldson. And so the love of Saltash began. As I drove over the Tamar bridge a thought came into my mind that one day I would be living here in Saltash.

A few modifications have been made along the way, 32 in total. There is a list available if anyone wants to see.

Thanks for reading.

History of the Sunspot ZT’s
No.1. A 190 failed it’s MOT in 2011 and was left to rot on the driveway. Was last seen 18 months ago still sitting there. The owner has refused all offers to buy.
No.2. A 160. Fate unknown.
No.3. Is mine.
No.4. A CDTi is alive and thought to be living up North somewhere. It was sold by a garage in 2020. Asking price was £7,500.

The only ZTT is a 180 and is alive and lives in the Portsmouth area. Owner not interested in selling.

Only one Rover 75. A 120. Fate unknown.

And the Kia C’eed. Sold it to a friend, and it’s still around.