O/T MG TF

[Mid life crisis]

Jamie our son was 17 in December and is learning to drive, and having provided a car for our daughter, we are now looking for a car for him.

We have done the mandatory tour of Punto, Corsa, Fiesta, Clio etc over the past few weeks. The only car he has fancied to date was a 54 reg Golf 1.4 CL @ £5495.  

A friend of SWMBO was over at the weekend and mentioned that since having been given a company car she has hardley used her MG TF and is thinking about selling it.

The car is an 04 reg 1.8 in silver with a hardly used factory hardtop, and has been garaged over the last 2 years.

The car has done 31000 miles with a dealer history up to 27000 but has not been serviced since. She is asking about £3K for it.

We were wondering if anyone has had any experience of these cars from a reliability point of view and the availability of parts?

Thanks.

   

[SteveD]

i would try for insurance for him first especially on a 1.8 sports car?, there ok reliability wise its just the poxy k series is the week link ,parts wise they are good apart from panels, loads have been wrote off recently due to lack of panels

[wacomuk]

dont think getting parts are a major problem, there is a firm somewhere in the UK that started making the MGF again. My dad has a rover 75 and he has no problems with parts

The big problem with the 1.8 K series engines is the head gaskets going this is very very common,

[John Fisher]

Steve,

Sue has had 3 MG F/TF's in the past. They were all fine - no problems at all.    

I know there are the usual scare stories about the engine (head gaskets/overheating etc) - but perhaps we were just lucky    

As Stevie D says, it might be worth checking insurance first??

Fish    

[chippo]

yep head gasket trouble starts about 25k -30k.this is because of plastic dowels in head .

insurance high

[Mid life crisis]

i would try for insurance for him first especially on a 1.8 sports car?, there ok reliability wise its just the poxy k series is the week link ,parts wise they are good apart from panels, loads have been wrote off recently due to lack of panels

Amazingly Steve, we have been quoted by Quinn Direct £876.25 fully comp for a 17 year old provisional licence holder.

Which is a sight cheaper than the Golf

     

[SteveD]

dont think getting parts are a major problem, there is a firm somewhere in the UK that started making the MGF again. My dad has a rover 75 and he has no problems with parts

The big problem with the 1.8 K series engines is the head gaskets going this is very very common,

local salvage yard has about five in stripped ready for repairs two minus door , quarter panel ,and wing they  were wrote off because there was no supply of panels they found out after work had started other rovers dont seem to have the panel supply problem the f,s and tf,s have for some reason   we had one in a few years ago we had to wait 6 months for an o/s door  

i thought they were being made in japan now

[SteveD]

i would try for insurance for him first especially on a 1.8 sports car?, there ok reliability wise its just the poxy k series is the week link ,parts wise they are good apart from panels, loads have been wrote off recently due to lack of panels

Amazingly Steve, we have been quoted by Quinn Direct £876.25 fully comp for a 17 year old provisional licence holder.

Which is a sight cheaper than the Golf

     

is that as a named driver or own policy neighbours daughter is paying over 1k on a 1.0 x reg clio   and that was the cheapest they could get

[Mid life crisis]

i would try for insurance for him first especially on a 1.8 sports car?, there ok reliability wise its just the poxy k series is the week link ,parts wise they are good apart from panels, loads have been wrote off recently due to lack of panels

Amazingly Steve, we have been quoted by Quinn Direct £876.25 fully comp for a 17 year old provisional licence holder.

Which is a sight cheaper than the Golf

     

is that as a named driver or own policy neighbours daughter is paying over 1k on a 1.0 x reg clio   and that was the cheapest they could get

That is on new policy in his own name    

My daughter's first car 3 years ago was a Clio 1.2 Dynamique.

It cost us about £800 as a named driver through Tesco on my wifes policy, which was the cheapest we could find.

 

[SteveD]

does sound cheap, to cheap ! are they sure they aint quoted you for a 1959 mgtf  

[Mark (smokey mow)]

so how much does it go up by after he's past his test and no longer a provisional

[Mid life crisis]

yep head gasket trouble starts about 25k -30k.this is because of plastic dowels in head .

insurance high

Chippo thanks for your input  

Any ideas what cost would need to be factored in if the worst happens and the head gasket goes, string piece I know!  but ball park          

[SteveD]

bank on £1500 thats what it usually costs in the elise ,depending on how bad

[Mid life crisis]

does sound cheap, to cheap ! are they sure they aint quoted you for a 1959 mgtf  

That is what I thought, but you input the reg number at quote stage Steve and the details of the car just pop up !!!!!

[Mid life crisis]

so how much does it go up by after he's past his test and no longer a provisional

Not a clue Smokey, but the rule in our house is, we will buy the car and insure it for a year by which time you will be 18, then its over to you! But at least if he is sensible he will have a years no claims and the opportunity to shop around.