MGF Virgin

[MonsieurDeux]

Hello to all

Some years ago a school friends father bought a yellow MGB GT. This little car close up was a revelation and total exotica when compared to my own Father's Citroen Diane Weekend in Kermit Green. No amount of persusaion could get my Father to think about trading in his muppet car and I was destined to a young life dreaming of the day when I would buy my own.

Well the years pass and the true cost of life with mortgage, wife, children takes its toll including the practicality requirements of family motoring. All this meant that the early motoring dream remained exactly that.... a dream.

Finally, however, the day has come. With a four seater saloon sat on the drive for family requirements and some free cash I took the plunge. Budget would not stretch to the beautiful red MGA I saw for sale, although maybe one day..!

The MGF had pulled on my heart strings since its launch in 95 so I decided to find a clean well cared for example. With the spend to not max £3k I was looking at earlier model VVC's from 96 and 97. After seeing almost 20 cars I came across a 99 MY2000 model for £3500. The car was the VVC in Tahiti Blue with chrome body trims (vents, handles) had a full service history for it 50k miles and a full MOT and some tax. The car had been for sale for a few weeks and the owner told me he was desperate to sell as he had already ordered his new car. A cheeky offer and negotiation resulted in me getting the car for £2600.

With the deal done I am thrilled with my purchase. It is a fantastic fun car and I believe undoubtedly that the MGF and TF will become future classics. My first toe in MG ownership and I am delighted. Club membership beckons so I can enjoy the benefits of using the car amongst others who appreciate the beauty of the car.

I like to keep cars fairly standard however I would like to change the exhaust for a stainless steel version. Can anyone recommend a suitable aftermarket version. In addition is there something I can do that will give the car a better sound?

I have a couple of other questions too if anyone can help.

Is fitting a K&N filter worthwhile?

In the Scarborough area is there anyone you would recommend for servicing my little car - I would like it to be serviced by a garage that knows the cars well.

If anyone can advise I would appreciate it.

Oh and as for the kermit green Citroen Diane...... long gone and my Dad saw the light, although his sports car fantasies lay with modern Japanese metal. Sat on his drive is an MR2. Very nice but it doesnt quite set the heart fluttering like my little MG!

[Spike]

Hiya and welcome to the freg.

To make your car sound tons better and meaty is easy......fit a stainless steel exhaust!

Two that spring to mind are the one from Mike Satur which pretty much everyone raves about,and the one from Brown and Gammons which is a higher pitch.
Mikes can be found here- http://www.mikesatur.co.uk/
And Brown and Gammons here- http://www.ukmgparts.com/

A K & N induction kit doesnt really do much apart from give you that gorgeous induction sucky noise and maybe one or two horses.
So if noise is your thing its well worth the money.

As for MG dealerships,theres on in Scarbrough I know of,and another in Whitby.But I dont know what theyre like so cant say one way or the other.

Hope that helps.

Enjoy the top down grin factor!

[colintf]

Hi and welcome MonsieurDeux!

Enjoy your F!

[andilator]

Hello to a fellow Scarborian... I too have recently taken purchase of a Tahiti Blue MGF 1.8 2000 on a W plate, have yet to get mine serviced but am looking for a suitable garage. Enhancements I am looking at making to mine are going to have to be the Gear Shift first. Quite fancying Mike Satur's slick shift and maybe even the clutch arm as my clutch is very heavy and end up suffering an aching leg when in heavy traffic.

Keep us updated of any additions and maybe need to arrange a Scarborough Coastal Meet

[MonsieurDeux]

Thanks for the welcome and advice.

First purchase has been a hard top for the cooler evenings as Andilator will vouch it can get a tad breezy up on the North Yorkshire coast come deepest darkest winter. Stainless exhaust is next on the list.

Hope there will be some Scarborough Coast meets and looking forward to miles of motoring fun

[ErikB]

Hello,

First of all, welcome to MG ownership... you'll certainly love it.

A K & N induction kit doesnt really do much apart from give you that gorgeous induction sucky noise and maybe one or two horses.
So if noise is your thing its well worth the money.

Forget it, this is about a K&N on an MGF VVC, not on a TF. The MGF will *for sure* benefit from the better breathing. Even on an MPi you could reckon a power increase of more than 5bhp. On a VVC you will see (rolling road) an increase of >10bhp.
My advice is, go for a K&N 57i .... You will only hear it when you floor the accelerator pedal but it will be quiet at constant (motorway) speeds, etc. Afterwards you could go for a more expensive exhaust, after you enjoyed the airfilter music (exhaust will be louder) and you have learned about all the different exhausts and their type of noise/music.

my 2 pence

[MonsieurDeux]

ErikB

Thank you for your advice. I am going to go for the K&N to see what effect it gives. Managed to pick up a hard top and just need the switch to wire up the heated screen.

The car is just great fun.

[mgf1690]

I can vouch for the mike satur full s/s daytona exhaust system, ive had it on one of my mgf's for about 8yrs now, it gives the car a great throaty sound

[Mike H]

Think about what you will be using the car for. If some long trips are on the cards, or a lot of motorway work, then you might want to think about something like a Scorpion, which won't becoming over bearing at sustained speed or on long journeys. I've had Scorpions on both cars - it was originally sold to me as 'an exhaust for over 50', which was said with both meanings

If that doesn't bother you, then I'm sure there will be lots more raucous recommendations