An MGF at last!
Moderator: Committee Members
An MGF at last!
Hi All,
My name is Gordon and I've recently become the latest custodian of a Flame Red 1997 VVC. Meg, as she had been christened, was delivered in Melbourne in 1998 and has covered just over 85000km since then. I've wanted an MGF ever since going along to the Brisbane motor show in 1997 to see the just released 'New MG'. I was a student then and the chance of ever owing one seemed very remote. Over the years I've watched the prices falling on the second hand market till at last they were within reach.
I bought her about 2 months ago now through EBay after a fairly long and fruitless search through the Carsales website. Apparently the previous owner got her as a drunken EBay purchase one night from someone up in Cairns in far north Queensland. She had been laid up for about the last 2 years and was in need of some TLC. At some point the seats and door card inserts have been replaced with red leather (a nice upgrade) and she has a fairly complete service history going back to the original owner.
Once I got her home on the back of a flat bed I set about cleaning her up and sorting out a few items like a new battery and some non working tail lights. As she was unregistered the next thing to do was get her mechanically checked over and RWC done. I had her transported to Greg Tunstall Mechanical, a trusted local specialist for a full service including cambelts and water pump change. Apart from needing a stone chip fixed in the windscreen, a new rear window and four ball joints she sailed through roadworthy and got her new rego plates. The brakes are still a little spongy and this has been diagnosed as a faulty ABS pump so I have a working second hand unit ready to be plumbed in soon. I've also had the rear displacers regassed and I've started the search for new tyres. This last item seems to be a bit more difficult than I thought but it looks like I should be able to get a set of Falken ZE912 that will do the job.
Since registration I've been taking her out for Sunday drives and working on a few more small fixes. Quite a few of the plastic clips for things like the screen washer hoses and the bonnet stay have needed replacing. I've also added a bit of bling including an alloy gear knob and brushed alloy gauge rings. The biggest missing piece of the interior is the top of the instrument binnacle. Not only was the one in Meg cracked, it was in about 20 pieces having been dropped at some point I would imagine. I've managed to find a good one with no cracks which is currently in bound from Portugal. I'll attach that with Silastic rather than screw it down to avoid it cracking (fingers crossed).
Anyway I'll finish off with a photo of Meg in the bright Queensland sun. Thanks for reading!
My name is Gordon and I've recently become the latest custodian of a Flame Red 1997 VVC. Meg, as she had been christened, was delivered in Melbourne in 1998 and has covered just over 85000km since then. I've wanted an MGF ever since going along to the Brisbane motor show in 1997 to see the just released 'New MG'. I was a student then and the chance of ever owing one seemed very remote. Over the years I've watched the prices falling on the second hand market till at last they were within reach.
I bought her about 2 months ago now through EBay after a fairly long and fruitless search through the Carsales website. Apparently the previous owner got her as a drunken EBay purchase one night from someone up in Cairns in far north Queensland. She had been laid up for about the last 2 years and was in need of some TLC. At some point the seats and door card inserts have been replaced with red leather (a nice upgrade) and she has a fairly complete service history going back to the original owner.
Once I got her home on the back of a flat bed I set about cleaning her up and sorting out a few items like a new battery and some non working tail lights. As she was unregistered the next thing to do was get her mechanically checked over and RWC done. I had her transported to Greg Tunstall Mechanical, a trusted local specialist for a full service including cambelts and water pump change. Apart from needing a stone chip fixed in the windscreen, a new rear window and four ball joints she sailed through roadworthy and got her new rego plates. The brakes are still a little spongy and this has been diagnosed as a faulty ABS pump so I have a working second hand unit ready to be plumbed in soon. I've also had the rear displacers regassed and I've started the search for new tyres. This last item seems to be a bit more difficult than I thought but it looks like I should be able to get a set of Falken ZE912 that will do the job.
Since registration I've been taking her out for Sunday drives and working on a few more small fixes. Quite a few of the plastic clips for things like the screen washer hoses and the bonnet stay have needed replacing. I've also added a bit of bling including an alloy gear knob and brushed alloy gauge rings. The biggest missing piece of the interior is the top of the instrument binnacle. Not only was the one in Meg cracked, it was in about 20 pieces having been dropped at some point I would imagine. I've managed to find a good one with no cracks which is currently in bound from Portugal. I'll attach that with Silastic rather than screw it down to avoid it cracking (fingers crossed).
Anyway I'll finish off with a photo of Meg in the bright Queensland sun. Thanks for reading!
- colintf
- Committee Member & Regional Rep
- Posts: 12489
- Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:49 pm
- MGF Register Region: Devon & Cornwall
- Model of Car: MG PA TF160 ZTV8
- Location: Bristol / Cornwall (back home!)
- Contact:
Re: An MGF at last!
Hi and welcome Gordo!
Enjoy your F
Enjoy your F
Colin Murrell
MGF Register International Liaison Rep
MGF Register Regional Rep for Devon & Cornwall and Cotswold Regions
MGCC Z and V8 Registers Reps for V8 ZT'/ZTTs
http://www.two-sixties.com/main.htm http://www.triple-mracing.com/
Re: An MGF at last!
Thanks for the welcome Colin. I'll certainly be driving her at every opportunity
- Bigfootmgf
- Posts: 1281
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- MGF Register Region: South East
- Model of Car: MGF 1.8
- Location: Egham Surrey
- Contact:
Re: An MGF at last!
Hi & welcome nice looking car!
Paul
Mod's cost money that you don't have or you could have if you did not have mods!
Bigfootmgf youtube Channel
SE MGF Facebook page
Mod's cost money that you don't have or you could have if you did not have mods!
Bigfootmgf youtube Channel
SE MGF Facebook page
- talkingcars
- Posts: 5766
- Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:44 pm
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- Model of Car: mk1 VVC
- Location: West Sussex
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Re: An MGF at last!
Hi and welcome to the forum.
I hope she lives up to your expectations of 21 years.
James
I hope she lives up to your expectations of 21 years.
James
Home to black Alfa 159 3.2 V6 Q4, blue MGZR160, green MGF VVC and grey MGF 1.8i, and red MG Maestro T16.
MGF chatting on the Register and at http://www.the-t-bar.com
MGF chatting on the Register and at http://www.the-t-bar.com
- Dallas
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Thu May 17, 2018 8:42 am
- MGF Register Region: Somerset & Dorset
- Model of Car: MG TF 1.8i 135 BRG
Re: An MGF at last!
Good-day Nice looking F, congratulations.
Born on 8th January 2002 @ 09:02:26
38th MG TF in BRG Pearlescent (code: HFF) to be made out of 3,353 BRG Pearlescent TFs
123rd MG TF 135 to be made out of 19,475
145th MG TF to run off the production line out of 41,656
Re: An MGF at last!
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Just returned from having four new tyres fitted and a four wheel balance and alignment. Amazingly different to drive now!
Re: An MGF at last!
Like me picked up Y 707 DAH 2001 STEPSPEED looking forwards to driving .a bit of body work it's red and the usual bits of lawyer peel .any advice .
Re: An MGF at last!
Lawyer peel that is
Re: An MGF at last!
Laquer
- talkingcars
- Posts: 5766
- Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:44 pm
- MGF Register Region: South East
- Model of Car: mk1 VVC
- Location: West Sussex
- Contact:
Re: An MGF at last!
Hi and welcome Fiddler
probably worth starting your own thread.
James
probably worth starting your own thread.
James
Home to black Alfa 159 3.2 V6 Q4, blue MGZR160, green MGF VVC and grey MGF 1.8i, and red MG Maestro T16.
MGF chatting on the Register and at http://www.the-t-bar.com
MGF chatting on the Register and at http://www.the-t-bar.com
- Bazzajay
- Posts: 257
- Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:29 pm
- MGF Register Region: South Coast
- Model of Car: Wedgwood SE 1800i
- Location: Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Re: An MGF at last!
G'day Gordo, well done for realising your dream, and, from reading the thread it seems the wait was well worth it. I can't think of a better vehicle to drive around Queensland, I certainly enjoyed it in a rented camper van. Coming to think of it, that was in 1996 the year the MGF was introduced.
Barrie
2000 MGF Wedgwood SE 1800i
2002 Peugeot Partner Quiksilver
2000 MGF Wedgwood SE 1800i
2002 Peugeot Partner Quiksilver