The MGF Register Forums

Err mods top 10! Not in any particular order!
Milltek exhaust
421 Manifold
Performance air filter
Alloy throttle body
Brake servo bracket
Braided brake hoses
Yellow stuff pads
Polybushed suspension
Better Dampers
Low coolant alarm
And number 11 if you want to drive at night get the best bulbs you can find or HID kit (bit of a grey area if legal) or eat lots of carrots
You can change all sorts of other things but that's just personal choice!

Kasper wrote:The funny thing is that only the polybushes are focussed on handling the car, all other are about improving performance or add nice to have things. Improving the handling of the car is most important in my point of view as this releases the engine from the need to do that extra bit. As for the brakes too. Going faster and safer without a lot of investment. OR have the opportunity to use the extra power a lot better.
Am I in the wrong type of car? Switch over to a Lotus?
I really would go for a well handling car before improving other items, I thing Colin Chapman would agree.y

I changed all the suspension bushes to orange polybushes, uprated the ARB's and changed to Bilstein shocks and yes, a big difference and improvement in the handling of my TF.

Kasper wrote:The funny thing is that only the polybushes are focussed on handling the car, all other are about improving performance or add nice to have things. Improving the handling of the car is most important in my point of view as this releases the engine from the need to do that extra bit. As for the brakes too. Going faster and safer without a lot of investment. OR have the opportunity to use the extra power a lot better.


Am I in the wrong type of car? Switch over to a Lotus?
I really would go for a well handling car before improving other items, I thing Colin Chapman would agree.y

Hi Kasper,

I owned a Lotus Europa for many years and I must say the MGF is a better car. The Europa was quite tail happy, once you got the back sliding it had an awful tendency to just keep going around. My nickname in the club sprint ranks was 'spinner'. The F is a much more balanced and stable car that slides beautifully and can be caught with the flick of the steering wheel.

My view is that people haven't listed handling mods because they are happy with the handling as it is. I certainly am.
Colin Chapman's cars tended to never be lacking in power or handling, except perhaps the original Europa that was declared a sheep in wolf's clothing by the motoring press of the era.

I find on the road it's rarely that safe to use ALL of the handling the F can offer, we have a little winding circuit near home and the F will run around the bends at ridiculous speed and we aren't even squealing the tyres. More handling might be a waste of time, whereas more power is always nice.

Hi Robbo,

Thank you for the reply on my views, absolutely I would not part from my F, for no money in the world. Comparing to a Lotus was just to put a sort-alike car to the MG(T)F where the designer has put focus on different aspects of the car. Being aware my F is a 20 years old car no-one can deny the ongoing decline of the rubbers in the suspension and the loss on road handling resulting. Just for that you'll need to change the suspension.

Be aware my F is driven at speeds above 100 miles/hour on the nearby German motorways frequently. I'm looking for a safe and stable drive, the gain you'll find in a solution like polybushes is immense.

BTW, I dare not to drive my original 2005 MGTF at these speeds, partly due to the lack of braking power (heavily modified on the F). Compared to the F, the TF's the drive is wobbly, less stable and the steering needs minor corrections constantly.

For just over £300 a KMAPS ECU will bag you a nicer feeling engine that will pull better throughout the entire range and allow you to pull 7.5k revs.

takes less than 5 minutes to fit.

I don't think many mods can compare for ease of installation and increase in smiles as just a single quick hit tbh.

More of a "Go-To" list - insert you favourite brands as necessary

1. Stainless Steel Coolant Pipes
2. SS Exhaust
3. KMaps Remap
4. TF160 Airbox and sports cat
5. AP Racing calipers (4-pot)
6. Coloured Seat Belts
7. Polybush kit
8. Uprated Clutch Release Arm
9. Slickshift kit
10. Uprated ARB (85th)

Let's have a few more 'top 10' lists and then I'll summarise the voting!