The MGF Register Forums

I have a couple of questions before I go ahead with this. I've had a 1996 reg 1.8i since 1998, and after a coolant hose failure and a brief overheat i'm getting the head gasket replaced as a precaution. I've acquired an overhauled TF135 head complete with valves and camshafts which I hope will add a...

Sorry, I've only just spotted this! I've got 16inch Abingdons and I've used 280mm discs on the front with Mintex 1144 pads front and rear for a number of years, and now have 280 discs all round with Yellow Stuff pads. I doubt whether any other combination would be any better - the only problem I had...

It may have a TF boot lid as well, but the other 90-odd percent is still 1996 F original. Various other improvements, but they're not specific to the TF

Just taken the plunge and got a set of Nankang NS-2R 205/45x16 87w 180s track day road legal tyres - £300 from Demon Tweeks. I've had 205/40 ZZ3 fronts, now 9 years old and no longer available, and Falken 914s 215/40 on the back, 6 years old. As I had to get four tyres at once I decided to go for th...

I'm still thinking, now it's about Nankang NS2R which are also only available as 205/45 16 - has anyone had experience of track day/road tyres in this size?

Sounds very interesting - that's what I'll look for to begin with. Ta very much!

I'll take a closer look next time the engine cover's off, which on average won't be very far in the future!

For some time now I've been getting whiffs of what seems to be unburnt engine oil, which seems to happen after I've slowed down or been going downhill, i.e. on a trailing throttle. I can't see any sign of smoke from the exhaust, and my oil consumption is low. Any typical cause for this such as valve...

I'm thinking about going that way, as the Avon ZZ3s I've had on the front for some time are getting on a bit in calendar time, and in any case are unavailable now. Shame, as they've been very good. I had them on the back as well, but had to get the recommended Falkens which I believe are also now no...

I'm aiming to join - Mike Cunningham, in 1996 MGF M2DYK, navigation by my bro-in-law John Evans.

My Bilsteins went on with the mid-height setting, but the car looked definitely 'nose up' like that. I dropped the fronts to the lowest setting, and the car's very happy round Silverstone, but requires care over speed bumps!

I've had the Mike Satur big brake set along with the grooved rears, Mintex 1144 and braided hoses. Works a treat, and totally happy at the Silverstone track days. If I'm approaching a 30 limit at the national speed limit (60) I can hit the brakes at the last countdown marker and easily remain legal ...

Year before last, I had to get my then 15-year-old rear jacking points sorted as they were starting to collapse. I was recommended to go to Gerry Smith in Cumbernauld - not cheap but a craftsman - and he had to cut quite large holes in the rear sill area to get access. We tried to find front sill se...

Nice to see a thoroughly engineered conversion, and clearly seriously quick on track. Amazing how it still sounds very MG TF albeit with more revs! Definitely a real Q car.

I reckon I've got about as far as I can with simple performance mods, and after the last couple of efforts I've been quite surprised at how energetic the car feels now. So roughly in order of application, this is what I've now got on my '96 1.8i (now at 68k miles) - Piper 4-2-1 exhaust manifold, MGO...

215s are or have been a listed option, and shouldn't present a problem. You would shift the handling balance rearwards a bit - less understeer, but not by much. I've got 205s on the front which seem to suit OK.

I'm a bit doubtful that the fan not working is the cause of the overheating. For the last few years I've been wondering if my fan had seized or was otherwise not working, as I never heard it come on. Nevertheless, the car ran at normal temperature all the year round. Just recently, the cooling syste...

Things are looking better - I bled the master cylinder pipe, and briefly got normal operation. Went and bled the slave cylinder as well, and it's back to its old tricks, so I'm pretty confident that the 16-year-old master cylinder seals have thrown in the towel. I've got a repair kit ordered, so wil...

Just got the car back with its new gearbox, but the clutch isn't disengaging fully. I can't persuade it into gear with the engine running. and it bites as soon as the pedal starts to come up. I'm told it's been thoroughly bled, and there appears to be only a single position for the slave cylinder on...

Thanks for those reassuring words! As far as I know, the original mounts were transferred to the TF subframe nearly six years ago when I had the big conversion, since when I've done not quite 10k miles. The attachment to the engine block is probably undisturbed, so hopefully it's OK. I'll be spendin...