Members jumping ship, New cars and the fate of the 75/ZT

[kbonney88]

Originally Posted by TomRS

Nice to read that you have a fleet! and see no getting rid, admire that! i dont plan on getting rid of mine.
I really do love the car, it tests my patience sometimes but for the most part is great.
The only pickle of my fleet is the 1.8t

I agree - they do test your patience - but like you, I love em...

and I have to say I can only keep my fleet going as I can work on them myself..

So - if someone isn't mechanically minded and able then they will struggle to keep them on the road

- and that goes for all cars.. not just our MG's and Rovers...

P.S - my 2000 1.8 hasn't given me any jip yet.. its 137,000 atm.. That car will be my lads when he gets there..



Kev

[murphyv310]

Hi.
MFL was sold in March. Although I no longer own a Rover I certainly don't regret owning the two main ones I had.
Ownership was interesting though with odd issues i'd never come across on other cars. In the main most things were fixable by myself, those that weren't the help of Marinabrian always effected a cure.
I got quite conversant with the T4 and Toaf and these tools and the traders were a godsend.
Without the Traders I fear the cars could die out far quicker so we need the guys and their services.

I wish all the best to those that stick with their cars.
I'll reiterate I enjoyed my Rovers and firmly stick up for them when they get slagged off by those that haven't a clue.

[murphyv310]

Originally Posted by zedhed

Still got mine after 2 years and only just got it on the road.so far it owes me £2200 with what i paid for the car(250),although im never going to see that money back,it seen me through a bad time.

Hi.
I hear so many say "it owes me this and that" I could never come to terms with how this comes about.
You buy a car for £1000, keep it for two years and spend another £1000 on servicing and parts, I'm sorry but its not worth £2000, it just doesn't work that way.

[Mickyboy]

Originally Posted by TomRS

Yes i suspected some poeple would have giant list of things done, i'll amend the post.
But its nice to read peoples genuine experience and to find out if they are indeed driven daily.
With all these members selling up lately i'm just curious where the overall marque will go.

Yes I couldn’t agree more, it’s certainly interesting to read peoples genuine experience and find out if they are driven daily, as for members selling up and where the overall Marque will end up, well I’m trying to attract younger people to the brand, the MOT tester I regularly visit is younger than myself early 30s, and he said in his experience the younger generation tend to be more interested in the MG brand probably because of the sporting pedigree behind the brand.

I think unfortunately because there are some cars on the road at the moment that are just being driven into the ground by people who are not enthusiasts,it is perhaps not giving off the brand in its best light, however once these vehicles are no longer on the road and examples left remaining are very good examples then the intrigue in the brand will grow yet again and subsequently the prices shall rise.

I also thought that Murphy 310’s first post was really interesting and great to read and his support for the traders is greatly appreciated, I certainly appreciated reading it
Mick

[Lancpudn]

My 2000 2.5 Conny is our only car, today I hitched the trailer on and took a ton of stuff down to the local tip.

I managed to pick up a puncture and already had a slow puncture so I put my Sunday best set of wheels/tyres on.






It's suffering from the dreaded rot I've already done the rear n/s jacking point, I had to cut out a big portion of rot from the inner sill and weld new steel in, Finding good steel to weld too is getting hard to find. I MOT'd it a couple of weeks ago having fitted it with new brakes/discs but got advisories for the o/s rear jacking point.

At the moment I'm feeling too old to be welding underneath cars and I haven't decided if I want to continue chasing rot on the car.

I've got 12 months to make up my mind I may feel different about it next year & do the jobs done or SORN it, I have room to keep it under cover.

At present everything hurts, just changing those wheels has knackered me.

Edit: I forgot to mention the outer sills will want repairing too, there are rust bubbles showing through around the rear n/s & o/s

[Ravinder]

I have four 75s and a 220 turbo coupe. The coupe is my no1 car and will remain with me until I’m dead.

My daily is my saloon diesel which was the first 75 I bought in May 2015. I’ve now done just over 30k since I got it over two years ago. Had it’s uos and downs but the last year and a bit it’s been driving fantastically.

The 2nd 75 I bought was a 1.8T saloon in February to save it from be8ng scrapped. It’s a very good car but it’s now currently for sale as I just don’t need four.

My 3rd I bought is a Wedgwood mk1 75 tourer which is a fantastic car and I drive this regularly too.

And my 4th is a typhoon diesel saloon 75, one of only 6 made. That is off road until next year where I plan to use as a show car.

Without the knowledge of the forum, I too would be stuck. I’m also grateful that I have friends nearby that help me now and again to keep them on the road. I’ve made a couple of good friends through the forum, too that I meet up with regularly and talk all things Rovers.

[Ennine]

Bought my Tourer in 2012 and in the five years I had the car it never once let me down or missed a beat. Yes, it's true that I spent a lot on preventative maintenance and odd extras that were just me splashing out on my pride and joy, a daily driver. I gave just under £3000 for the car and although many may say that was a lot of money, the car was 100% sound in my ownership and I have never regretted the outlay or the extra (£2000 maybe) I spent on her. I saved MFL from the scrapyard and spent time and money on her as I started out with the intention of keeping her for my wife but it just didn't fit right for her so Trevor took over where I left off. I also saved a 1.8 after the timing belt snapped and the owner was heartbroken. Physical restrictions started to be an issue with my tourer so it was time to move on. Do I miss her ? You bet I do, sounds stupid but that car was part of me. My new car is a computer with a wheel on each corner, the Rover was simplicity in comparison and in my heart I think I will never lose the affection I have for the 75. If another one crossed my path at the right price would I be tempted, would I dive in and help a 75 owner, if a 75 needed saving would I act to save it ? Yes, no doubt about it.

Nige

[zedhed]

Originally Posted by murphyv310

Hi.
I hear so many say "it owes me this and that" I could never come to terms with how this comes about.
You buy a car for £1000, keep it for two years and spend another £1000 on servicing and parts, I'm sorry but its not worth £2000, it just doesn't work that way.

I know i wouldent get close to £2000 for it but if i were to advertise it i think there would be a fair bit of interest as its different.another thing is all this money has been spent while sitting on the drive.

[Jackstevens98]

I'm 25 and new to 75 ownership as I've only had mine for two months. I'm yet to pass my test, that's next month but at 62,000 miles and only 300 quid I couldn't resist buying one, I mean they are gorgeous quality cars. I've spent so far £200 on a full service and have done a few bits such as fixing leaking boot changing some fracked lights etc. It is said as you say people move on, some cars are being scrapped and unfortunately some good cars too but I intend to keep my 75 as my first car for as long as I can and I will buy another after that. I do think there should be a dedicated section on here for any cars that people see that can be saved. The more we can save now the better as it won't be long until they really do start dropping off more in numbers. A shame as they are a fantastic car

[reworht]

I'm no longer an MGR owner. I bought mine (75 classic SE diesel) back in April 2011 - I had retired early and needed to buy my own car for the first time in 25 years. The Rover fitted the bill for me - decent size (never happy in small cars!), able to tow my caravan (hence the purchase of a diesel), bullet-proof engine, a reasonable price at a garage, and a 'presence'
Marinabrian upgraded it from 115bhp to 135bhp (or whatever the precise X Power figure is!) - I never got around to having the 160 upgrade, as I was more than happy.
It did everything I wanted of it - towed my 1400kgs caravan as far North as the Black Isle (North of Inverness), as far South as St. Austell in Cornwall - and loads of places in between, without ever letting me down.
First (and only) major expense was a new clutch in early 2016 - it was still on its original one at 140,000 miles! A few joints replaced here and there, a couple of light bulbs and two tyres, a new MAF - that was it. There was no rust anywhere on it that I could find.
The ONLY reason I traded it in December 2015 was the fact that my wife and I were seriously struggling to get in and out of it, as it was so close to the ground.
I still check on-line now and then, and it passed its tests in May 2016 and May 2017 with no advisories, and is still taxed and insured. When the dealer who sold it on advertised it on Autotrader, he referred to "the last fastidious owner for 5 years" - dead chuffed I was
I'm now the owner of a 2008 Honda CRV 2.2 Diesel - stop booing at the back there!
Is it "better" than the Rover? Well, - it has totally solved the problem of getting in and out - it pulls the caravan as if it wasn't there - has acres of space in it and has much better forward vision due to its height.
However, it is a harsher ride than the Rover, the engine is noisier (partially due to poor under bonnet sound deadening), the fuel economy isn't as good as the Rover's - and it doesn't attract admiring glances in the supermarket car park

Oh - and it is still preserved in print - I was lucky enough to have it appear in two editions of the Club's calendar. The appropriate pages have now been carefully trimmed out and framed !