How many are still nice and what are my chances.... ?

[Oddcat]

Hi all

First time poster. Have been looking for something with a nice V8 for a while. Have considered Jaguar XKR / XK8 and S-Type R but also half an eye on MG ZT 260.

Went to look at a ZT260 on Monday. 55 plate, 22k miles, and you would think reading the description, mint. Found it to have been owned by the world wheel scuffing champion (two spares scuffed plus the ones on the car scuffed), to have air con working only on the passenger side (?) and an oil slick about 8 inches wide running from the back of the gearbox all along the bottom of the car (and dripping off the bolts of the cross member thingy about halfway back). Plus the added large rear spoiler in addition to the lip spoiler (ehhh ?) was scuffed in two places to (god knows how he did that).

So, question is, what realistically are the chances of me finding a nice, well cared for, virtually unmarked example (accepting a little wear & tear) with reasonable mileage (say sub 50k) a service history, all of the known desirable upgrades a seat bolster that looks factory fresh, unscuffed wheels and nothing currently wrong with it ? Given production of circa 800 is it fair to assume that maybe 400 are trashed / thrashed / scrapped and another 200 tatty / unloved / high miles ? That leaves only 200 of which maybe less than 100 will be really nice and not a silly colour (X Power Grey or dark blue, if they did such a thing, would be my preference).

I suspect my chances are near zero but would welcome opinions....

Thanks all

[tonybubble]

Well here's one to start you off:

https://www.two-sixties.co.uk/mgoc260/html/f0rum/showthread.php?t=6725

[Oddcat]

Thanks Tony

That does look like a beauty. Would be ideal if only it were a dark colour ! Forgot to mention that silver is not my thing either.

Perhaps I'm being too picky !

[StephenL]

Went to look at a ZT260 on Monday. 55 plate, 22k miles

I'm assuming this Phil's (https://www.two-sixties.co.uk/mgoc260/html/f0rum/showthread.php?t=6415) old car. I'm surprised at the condition you describe.

There are still plenty of good condition, well looked after examples (and they come up for sale occasionally), but you may be expecting a little too much, since ultimately, they are all at least 5 years old.

You list: "virtually unmarked, all of the known desirable upgrades, a seat bolster that looks factory fresh, unscuffed wheels and nothing currently wrong with it". Most of these issues can be addressed for a reasonable cost e.g. scuffed wheels, standard upgrades, so just use that to haggle the price down and you'll end up with the car you want.

[SH4RKY]

Yeah was going to say.... Petes is probably going to be one of the best cared for examples you will find at the moment...

[colintf]

Hi and welcome

I too would be suprised if that is Phil's ex car. Unless the trader has been very unloving since he bought it from Phil.

I would say your chances are good, but may take a little time, afterall this isn't a normal Focus we are looking for here!

Good luck with your hunting

:cool:

[Oddcat]

Thanks for the responses so far chaps

Not sure who's car this was as don't know anyone on here of course. Some mention of Pete and Phil above ?

The car was reasonable bodywork wise (couple of dinks but nothing serious) and quite nice inside. I do like the alcantara seats they are lovely. But my two greatest car related irritations are oil leaks and careless scuffing of wheels. I sold an 06 plate Mondeo ST recently with 24k miles and it was, in all respects, as good as when it came out of the factory. I'd be chuffed if I could find a 260 anywhere near as good.

What I couldn't understand was why the owner hadn't sorted the wheels given that he had (apparently) bought two new wheels to replace two scuffed ones. Hence I expected a scuff free wheels car (okay - maybe I'm naive !). And as for the oil leak.....but as someone said the car may have been traded weeks ago and knocked about in the meantime. Who knows.

I would have thought these would generally be bought by enthusiasts and therefore well cared for and / or restored where a bit scabby. But with there only having ever been 800 maybe I won't ever find what I'm looking for (a bit like Bono !)

Thanks for all responses so far. Much appreciated.

OC

[black olive]

It is/was Phils old car.

The type of car you are looking for of course will be someones one owner from new, mothballed car, and the chances are slim that these cars will come up for sale.

the other thing is when looking for a car you are hypercritical and tend to pick up on every imperfection and "design feature" , for example mine has a slight diff oil leak, but for what it would cost to put right I can live with it, also from a distance mine is mint, but close up, the front bumper lets it down, being peppered with stonechips, which again, given the cost of a full respray is down on the priorities list. The majority of thes cars whilst they are loved, are still used and do suffer the odd ding, stonechip etc, and to find a ""perfect" example would be a long drawn out affair. Good luck anyway

[Oddcat]

I do take your point re the fact that pretty much all cars will have some signs of wear and tear. I could live with a weeping diff too but the leak (gearbox I assume) on the one I looked at meant it had oil dripping off the floorpan (ie would be dripping on the drive and would need to be fixed).

[pessling]

Shame you don't like silver as my one is one of the best examples you'd see. I would be willing to drop the price on the removal of some of the sellable modifications?

[Oddcat]

Peter

It is a shame. Your car looks amazing and I'm sure we could do a deal....but I really hate silver. I know that sounds gurlie and colour is the least of the worries when buying used but...... I can't help it....honest I can't.

Get it resprayed grey and we might be in business ! Will be fascinated to see how you get on selling. Presumably this forum is a must for anyone interested in this model so it will be odd if you can't find a buyer either. Have seen one or to on Autortrader that seem to be advertised for a long time then reduced then disappear (presumably sold but who knows for how much)

Actually, is there a thread on here showing numbers built in the different colours ?

And is there any record of age, condition, mileage and sale price on here ? A thread maybe ? Would be good to see what trades have occurred. These are so rare that no official guides etc will be useful (Parkers Guide has ZT260 on 05 plate with 50k miles at £3,900 private sale good condition !). So would be good to have something that folks added to after selling ??

OC

[greeners]

. Plus the added large rear spoiler in addition to the lip spoiler (ehhh ?) was scuffed in two places to (god knows how he did that).



Phils car had the facelift spoiler only, not the boomerang one as well..

http://www.two-sixties.com/cotm0908/cotm0908_06.jpg

[colintf]

This is one of those cars that Parkers guide prices bare no relation to reality prices!!

:cool:

[colintf]

Thanks for the responses so far chaps

Not sure who's car this was as don't know anyone on here of course. Some mention of Pete and Phil above ?

The car was reasonable bodywork wise (couple of dinks but nothing serious) and quite nice inside. I do like the alcantara seats they are lovely. But my two greatest car related irritations are oil leaks and careless scuffing of wheels. I sold an 06 plate Mondeo ST recently with 24k miles and it was, in all respects, as good as when it came out of the factory. I'd be chuffed if I could find a 260 anywhere near as good.

What I couldn't understand was why the owner hadn't sorted the wheels given that he had (apparently) bought two new wheels to replace two scuffed ones. Hence I expected a scuff free wheels car (okay - maybe I'm naive !). And as for the oil leak.....but as someone said the car may have been traded weeks ago and knocked about in the meantime. Who knows.

I would have thought these would generally be bought by enthusiasts and therefore well cared for and / or restored where a bit scabby. But with there only having ever been 800 maybe I won't ever find what I'm looking for (a bit like Bono !)

Thanks for all responses so far. Much appreciated.

OC

what colour was the Alcantara trim OC ????

:cool:

[StephenL]

Phils car had the facelift spoiler only, not the boomerang one as well..
I think Phil fitted the boomerang spoiler later:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6htcTXitAHE/TEcR6t9-n8I/AAAAAAAAAjE/VVu1ZQwmAGM/260.jpg

[Oddcat]

Hi Col

It's definitely that same PO55 car. Since that photo has has the large boomerang spoiler added.

[greeners]

I think he fitted the boomerang spoiler later:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6htcTXitAHE/TEcR6t9-n8I/AAAAAAAAAjE/VVu1ZQwmAGM/260.jpg

Well spotted...........

[colintf]

must admit I loved Phils car with thoe wood trim, double spoiler and green alcantara.

Coming from a dealer, you would expect the car to be spot on / or movement on price to sort matters out.

had the same leak on mine, and AE Wilcox sorted it out at a service they did for me

again, good luck in finding the right car for you OC. Shame you don't like silver as Pete's is a great specimen of a V8 ZT :thumb

[bigkeeko]

Air con worked on passenger side but not on drivers side. Wierd. Bit noisy too (the air con I mean) like something loose. Maybe just a pipe adrift.

The oil underneath was a mess.

I kinda wondered why that car hadn`t sold. I was on the verge of viewing it but my spidey sense told me otherwise. A few things spooked me.
A bit like yourself oddcat , I sold my last car (by all accounts mint) so I`m replacing it with similar.

[black olive]

phil did have a prototype heater valve fitted, but didnt bother doing the final tweaking, this is sortable.
wheels wise, I think it has the 11 spokes fitted, the Apex alloys are a nicer looking wheel, rimmers had some in, they do look good, but the paint finish is a bit thin.

gearbox oil seal sortable at a price.

spoiler- well not to my taste on a mark 2 and would leave holes if taken off

[Goose]

Phil's old car would be at the top of my list if I was looking to buy one today.* It may not be in perfect condition at the moment, but it wouldn't take a lot of work to sort it out, as discussed above.
This car's history is 'known' by Two-Sixties members, which would count heavily in its favour for me. £7,500 isn't a lot for what it is, prices don't seem to have fallen much in the last couple of years as far as I'm aware.
*so would Peter's, but not if silver wasn't a possibility!

[MG mad]

For reference, we paid 9500GBP for an 11.5k miles, XPG ZT-T SE. Leather is like new apart from small amount of wear on drivers bolster - you can't avoid that really. All the alcantara seats I've seen have been worse. Gearbox oil leaked, had it sorted by local garage (much to my shame I didn't have the time to do it myself, first time I've ever paid for work to be done on a car of ours). Cracked output shaft, repairs cost just over $400 NZ (less than 200GBP) including replacing diff oil. We were looking for a a year or so, about 4 months seriously (ie cash burning a hole in bank a/c).

To me, it sounds like you want a new car with a new car warranty for s/h money. I've never yet bought a car that has been 100% as described, it's what you do when you buy a car - spend more money on it.

These cars are rare and quite a niche car, hence why they take longer than most to sell.

Can fully understand not wanting a silver car though, not our cup of tea.

[Phil]

It's not wood effect. It's burr walnut laid on metal.
The rear spoiler is nice I think and a V8 should stand out a little from the crowd, but I accept it's personal choice.
The dealer lives down a long track which could have hurt the wheels, but they weren't perfect. Less than £200 for a full refurb of the set.
I asked Scooter about a weep from the gearbox a while ago and he said to leave it, but it sounds like it's got worse. Hey Ho!

£7500 is peanuts though, isn't it.

[Oddcat]

Hi Phil

I stand corrected re the burr walnut. Yes, it is personal taste. Same with the spolier.

[Phil]

The simple answer is this.
As I was putting the ad on Autotrader, I saw an advert for a DB7 which looked like exactly what I wanted. I phoned the dealer, viewed and bought the car the same day.
So, the ad was not on long enough for anyone to come and see it.
I always have this problem as I live in Cumbria and no one wants to make the trip up here to view.
Two people on here expressed an interest, but one needed to sell his house and the other wasn't interested when he discovered that it wasn't registered as an SE. That again is personal preference.

Good luck in your search for a Jag.

[Will.S]

Hi Phil

I stand corrected re the burr walnut. Yes, it is personal taste. Same with the spolier.

Would be interested as to why, given your status on this site and that your 260 seems to be considered by folks on here as amongst the best, you were not beating buyers off with a stick ? Did anyone actually come and see it ? If they didn't then, as it appeared in your old Pistonheads ad (that I've now seen after the event) to be a minter, presumably there just isn't a market for these above £7k ? Or did people come and see it and walk away ?

The trader said he'd pre sold it to a company (Elite ?) at £7,500 but that they had "changed their minds" and offered him a lot less without yet having even seen it which is odd too (as an aside, if they did do that, and backed out on an agreement, then they deserve to be put out of business but then I am an idealist who believes in honour etc which I think puts me in a minority these days !). I would expect the car to retail at £7,995 max with all faults corrected. Given the cost of repairs and the need for the usual £1,500 dealer profit, and a bit of "knocking down" margin I'd expect trade value to be maybe £6,000. So why Ellite would offer £7,500 trade is beyond me unless they expected to retail it for £9,450.

Crikey - it's complicated all this. At the end of the day I just want to pay fair money for a nice clean, fault free, sorted and well loved car. Doesn't seem likely though so I guess I'll be back to scouring the UK for a decent XKR / S-Type R after all.

Oh well there you go. Thanks all for contributing here. Much appreciated.

OC
The XKR is a good car and not something I would put up against the ZT, but the S-type? it's based on a lincoln, a yank chassis, the ZT has it's origins with BMW owned Rover and was set up by pro-drive, I have driven both and preferred the ZT, I have to say the reason for the low price is badge snobbery and spineless press. If you want the S-type crack on, but the ZT has more character and a far better chassis.

[bigkeeko]

This thread seems to revolve round `one` car. Ok, it wasn`t what was expected and maybe the car was `overhyped` but I have a sneaking suspicion that the original poster only joined for a rant as he felt he had a bit of a wasted journey.
I can half understand the frustration there because one persons idea of `immaculate` and anothers can be miles apart.

[Oddcat]

bigkeeko - "a bit of a wasted journey". Is that like being "a bit pregnant" !

Yes - I was a tad disappointed that the car that I'd (sort of) expected to be as nice as I thought I'd find was not anywhere near as good. I understand that cars age, and things go wrong, but I thought that maybe this one, having been owned by a proper enthusiast, would have been kept immaculate (you know like those 30 year old cars you see in concourse competitions that are unmarked). To find scuffed wheels faulty air con and a significant oil leak was a surprise I admit. I guess that's the difference between an ehthusiast and an obsessive !

The thread was not intended as a rant (honest) but I had to set the scene I guess as to why I was asking the "are there any nice ones left" which, in isolation, might have seemed odd to anyone who thought there were loads. It occurred to me that with only 800 built and me having seen a very late one owned by an enthusiast with low miles that was as disappointing as that was, then maybe I'm barking up a tree that doesn't exist.

[Zeb]

When I was looking for a V8 ZT 18 months or so ago I saw some lovely ones....but they were all owned by people intent on not selling:o...the ones I saw in dealers were all what I would class as well used but averagely looked after.

That said, the one I ended up with hasn't even ever been in a car wash as previous owners have valued her paintwork. Two blemishes on her, one I will sort when I get the right 'zipper' for the rear seat, the other even I didn't notice for three months. She now needs a new air con compressor after 37k miles but 'they all do that sir'. Short of that, she is kept in a garage, used for high days and holidays - yes, including in the rain! But she is what I would consider a very nice example...and I am picky! But then, my 'picky' and yours might not match?!

Ultimately, being in a car club for a particular car, or even being an 'enthusiast' does not mean that your car is necessarily going to be immaculate....yes, it might be...but equally, you may just love driving your car hard, have no mechanical eptitude and no interest in cleaning out your Apex wheels with a toothbrush...it takes all sorts.:)

There ARE nice examples out there...it just depends how much you want one and how hard you are prepared to look....and a nice version of one of these will be harder to find than a nice Jag for example.

[robert.jamieson]

I've been reading the string of posts with interest.

Personally I've been interested in the 260 ever since it came out, but was only recently in a position to buy one following job progression and the sale of my Audi Quattro in Jan 2010. It then took me until June 2010 to find the right one for me, which I can describe as show room condition, v. near concourse, and I know what concourse means! However, at only 4 K on the clock, you'd expect it to be in that condition. That said, I had to pay a premium for it - £10,350.

I think six months to find the right car isn't too bad, especially given the rarity of these cars. It's a case of how long you're willing to wait, how much you're willing to compromise and what you're willing to pay! I know of others who have waited much longer and been to look at many more than I did!

In my opinion there are all sorts of 'enthusiasts' including those that like to drive their cars hard, and those that like to drive on a Sunday, clean, polish and then put away ready for the next sunny day. Many are in between. I fit into the later, and that's why I was willing to wait for a near concourse car, and to pay that bit extra for it.

As for the Jag, a great car I'm sure, but where's the character and the rarity! I also like the BMW M5 but I wouldn't buy one as their pretty ubiquitous and cold! Each to their own.

Cheers

Rob

[bigkeeko]

bigkeeko - "a bit of a wasted journey". Is that like being "a bit pregnant" !




Scraping the barrel with that one. Hit a nerve have I?
Bottom line is don`t vent your anger out on a forum because you`ve thrown your toys out of the pram. You`ve not exactly endeared yourself to the forum anyway, which by all accounts is friendly and helpful as far as motoring forums go. You don`t strike me as the kind of person that would be happy with anything, let alone an MG with a couple of faults. So what? you travelled to look at a car that didn`t suit you. We`ve all done it. Instead of whining about it and belittling forum members take it on the chin like a man and move on.

No doubt you`ll be back with a long winded essay but I won`t rise to it.

[stevemiller]

I can say that when I went looking of the 14 cars viewed only two were good uns, one of which became Mr Bountyfull. As for site members and the expectation of top notch cars, well my car is looked after but driven hard when the hand brake (Wife) is not on board.
Again it will not be for sale for the same reason so many hold on to them long term.
I hope you find the car that can make you smile with the turn of a key every time be it the MG or other.

Steve

[Martin]

Don't think you would like mine used every day for work (I'm a painter) bought last year and then had gearbox clutch spigot bearing alternator aircon pump replaced and she looked great and drove well but deep inside not a well girl. The point is the cover of a book like the looks of a girl can hide some nasty things. But even so still love driving her and would not swap even for a Jag try looking for another 260 when you go for a drive;)

Best of Luck

Martin

[ColinE]

Don't think you would like mine used every day for work (I'm a painter) bought last year and then had gearbox clutch spigot bearing alternator aircon pump replaced and she looked great and drove well but deep inside not a well girl. The point is the cover of a book like the looks of a girl can hide some nasty things. But even so still love driving her and would not swap even for a Jag try looking for another 260 when you go for a drive;)

Best of Luck

Martin


Agree - wasn't till mine spent a two week stint up at Austins that some of her history became clear, but I'll get it all sorted - wouldn't swap it now

[BigA]

There is a member on here who was trying to sell a very low mileage, top spec saloon. Not for me to intervene but you might try searching the site thoroughly
Hi all



So, question is, what realistically are the chances of me finding a nice, well cared for, virtually unmarked example (accepting a little wear & tear) with reasonable mileage (say sub 50k) a service history, all of the known desirable upgrades a seat bolster that looks factory fresh, unscuffed wheels and nothing currently wrong with it ?

[Phil]

for some reason the dash had been changed for the wood effect. Forgot to check the glove box for optional pipe and flat cap. At least the original grey plain trim was provided too.

PS No offence intended for those who like max power spoilers and / or wood effect dashboards
Bentley, Aston Martin and Jaguar all provide burr walnut dashboards you f***ing creep.

[Oddcat]

That's a bit harsh !

Having said that, I guess maybe I deserve it. I came on here for help and it wasn't smart of me to say anything that could cause offence so please accept my unreserved apologies.

I'm just a petrolhead and car fan at heart like everyone else on here.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread and for the advice etc.

[Will.S]

That's a bit harsh !

Having said that, I guess maybe I deserve it. I came on here for help and it wasn't smart of me to say anything that could cause offence so please accept my unreserved apologies.

I'm just a petrolhead and car fan at heart like everyone else on here.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread and for the advice etc.

Hopefully I'm picking up my first 260 at the end of this week, I'm looking forward to it for myself, not for anyone else, It looks much like the 160 Zt I'm replacing it with so people that aren't in the know will have to look closely, but that's their problem, I've been after one for years and I know what's under the car, it's origins, it's capabilities and people at work will say "It's still only a Rover" and that's because so many people who think they know about cars don't and so many people buy a car for what it makes other people think of them. No one would be seen dead in a skoda until they could say "It's a VW really" even though skoda had heaps of rally wins etc. My brother drives an Alfa, lovely looking car, but how many people know it's just a Fiat? The service manager at a local Fiat/Alfa garage said to me all the Alfas are just "a fiat in a dress and a bloody expensive dress at that"
When Rolls Royce and Bentley were the same company people said "When I win the lottery I'm gona buy a Rolls" Car enthusiasts said " I'm gona buy a Bentley!"
So if you want an S-type (Ford Lincoln) then pay more money, people will look and say lovely Jag coz that's all they know, but the ZT will handle better, be more responsive and have more character etc etc

I'm sure you didn't mean to upset people and I'm sure everyone accepts the 260 isn't perfect!

[colintf]

Hopefully I'm picking up my first 260 at the end of this week, I'm looking forward to it for myself, not for anyone else, It looks much like the 160 Zt I'm replacing it with so people that aren't in the know will have to look closely, but that's their problem, I've been after one for years and I know what's under the car, it's origins, it's capabilities and people at work will say "It's still only a Rover" and that's because so many people who think they know about cars don't and so many people buy a car for what it makes other people think of them. No one would be seen dead in a skoda until they could say "It's a VW really" even though skoda had heaps of rally wins etc. My brother drives an Alfa, lovely looking car, but how many people know it's just a Fiat? The service manager at a local Fiat/Alfa garage said to me all the Alfas are just "a fiat in a dress and a bloody expensive dress at that"
When Rolls Royce and Bentley were the same company people said "When I win the lottery I'm gona buy a Rolls" Car enthusiasts said " I'm gona buy a Bentley!"
So if you want an S-type (Ford Lincoln) then pay more money, people will look and say lovely Jag coz that's all they know, but the ZT will handle better, be more responsive and have more character etc etc

I'm sure you didn't mean to upset people and I'm sure everyone accepts the 260 isn't perfect!

enjoy your 260 when you pick it up later this week :thumb

[StephenL]

Hopefully I'm picking up my first 260 at the end of this week

Congratulations! (from another new owner).

Which one are you getting? (just being nosey!)

[Zeb]

Bentley, Aston Martin and Jaguar all provide burr walnut dashboards you f***ing creep.


Phil, just for you:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d51/Zebedeedooday/001-4.jpg

However, at the same time, having a mod being abusive to a new member / potential owner can't be good.:confused:

[Will.S]

Congratulations! (from another new owner).

Which one are you getting? (just being nosey!)

Spunagains Royal blue 05, can't wait, I wanted it before he'd even started it up! Guessing it's the easiest sale he's ever had! :)
Looked at it yesterday after getting stuck on the M25, Maidstone to Newbury in over 4hrs!
He couldn't have been more accommodating, v.happy to buy from a member and not a dealer

[colintf]

thats a great looking car - well done :thumb

[StephenL]

Spunagains Royal blue 05...

Given the famous Spunagain website (http://www.spunagain.co.uk/ZT260page.html), you would expect it to have very little wrong with it!

Does that mean you're now also responsible for updating the website? ;)

[colintf]

here's another V8 ZT interior I love (no its not mine)

https://www.two-sixties.co.uk/mgoc260/html/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=765

https://www.two-sixties.co.uk/mgoc260/html/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=764

see, wood does look good :thumb

[Will.S]

here's another V8 ZT interior I love (no its not mine)

https://www.two-sixties.co.uk/mgoc260/html/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=765

https://www.two-sixties.co.uk/mgoc260/html/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=764

see, wood does look good :thumb

Love the seats the most to be honest :)

[colintf]

Love the seats the most to be honest :)


They look fantastic!

I have similar in my TF - they are not easy to keep clean though.

:cool:

[Tim]

Phil's retired and missing his car. :)


However, at the same time, having a mod being abusive to a new member / potential owner can't be good.:confused:

[Oddcat]

Hi Will

Your new car looks fab (spunagain profile picture). Real understated in dark blue. Very cool.

I didn't see this car advertised so maybe I'm missing someting and not looking in the right places ? Not sure if it's bad form on here to talk about numbers but, if not, could you please give an indication of the price you paid and any mods included (and mileage) ? I understand that Spunagain is a 260 guru and will have done all necessary upgrades etc so that's got to be worth a premium I would think to buy from someone with such a reputation.

Just noticed a really lovely looking bright red one (BX55 UZK) on Pistonheads. Just 26k miles and was asking £6,995. Now sold.

So, in answer to my original question, it appears there are nice ones out there if you're prepared to wait and know where to look (I'll get there eventually !)

Enjoy your new car....

OC

[StephenL]

I didn't see this car advertised so maybe I'm missing someting and not looking in the right places?
I don't think spunagain's car was advertised. Will made a post (https://www.two-sixties.co.uk/mgoc260/html/f0rum/showthread.php?t=6677) about wanting an Ignition or Royal Blue car and spunagain got in touch with him. Same happened to me - I mentioned I was looking for a red car and an owner of a red car got in touch with me. Matching a buyer & seller via this forum can obviously be to both parties benefit. Much better than the "unknown" ones on Pistonheads / Autotrader (the main places to look, although ebay also has an occasional one).



Just noticed a really lovely looking bright red one (BX55 UZK) on Pistonheads. Just 26k miles and was asking £6,995. Now sold.

I went to see this car and although it was a very tidy example, it was a non-SE (which is missing a lot of nice toys (http://forums.mg-rover.org/showpost.php?p=3552483&postcount=18) if you like that sort of thing), didn't have all the standard mods and needed a major service. I decided to leave it, but if you hadn't been wanting an SE model (some see the SE kit as unnecessary weight :p), it would have been a great buy.

There are 3 new ones which have recently appeared on autotrader, but they all appear to be non-SE and as such are all around £1-1.5K too expensive IMHO (based on recent sales like the red one you mention). They make pessling's SE with all the mods look like the bargain of the year :-)

Good hunting and try making a clear statement of what you're looking for and maybe you'll entice an owner to sell up.

[spunagain]

B**ger I thought Will would say something once he had the car and I would get the chance post first!

But it has been a fab car and I have loved it to bits, but now is time to rationalise the fleet, and get a car which does the job of at least 2 or even 3.

I've had the 260 for 5 years and enjoyed every minute, it has also massively appealed to my Jingoistic side as I have been very proud to drive a British designed and built car that is such a credit to its creators.

So the 260 and Mrs Spunagain?s Midget are going to be replaced with an open top that all the family can use in safety - (the midget '60's safety measures or lack of - scare me!).

So, confident in my sexuality we are going for a 09 onwards Mini cooper S convertible. Not found one yet, will look when cash is in the bank.

If it is as fun as the test drive at a dealer suggests i may even sell the Elise too.

Anyhow, next job is to get the engine out of the Midget and fix the crankshaft oil seal ready for sale. Also anyone know of a cheap (un-ripped) midget drivers side seat base?


The spunagain website will remain, and I will try to keep it up to date, but it will be more likely to be updated if I am prodded and fed with new info.


All the best Spunagain

[Oddcat]

Blimey - everyone seems to be selling (Peter, Spunagain, my mate Phil and now some bloke in Scotland selling an 06 etc) !

2005 and 2006 registered models don't have some sort of self destruct programming set to 5 years do they that no-one had told me about....?

Just kidding. I guess people like a change and that is good news for those of us looking to own to have the chance of buying nice, looked after, and sorted ones 5 years down the line. And those selling should hopefully be able to get an equally good deal on whatever they are buying (except for the bloke on Scotland who's getting a V8 company car lucky so and so !). So everyone is happy.

Would be nice for all these cherished cars to remain in hands of people who will continue to love them and enjoy them.

OC

[philthetorque]

OC, hi and welcolme to club - have you seen any of these (http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/msn/cars_search.jsp?modelexact=1&partner=msn&lid=search_used_cars_full&make=MG&model=ZT&variant=&keywords=260&min_pr=75&max_pr=&mileage=&agerange=&photo=1&postcode=sw1e+5jl&miles=1500&max_records=200&source=0&sort=3&ukcarsearch_full=FIND+IT+NOW%21) yet?

[Oddcat]

Thanks Phil

Yes - I have seen these ones now on a combi of Pistonheads and Autotrader. Except for the silver 46k miler. Went to see the grey one (but I'll get told off if I mention my experience with that again). Useful link to have them all in the same place though - thanks for that.

At least there are a few becoming available. Would still rather buy from an enthusiast on here though.........;)

OC

[colintf]

guess if you buy from someone on here you can trace its past history and any problems (by the owners posts that he / she has made!)

:)

[Johnboy]

Read your PMs Oddcat.

John.

[Johnboy]

Read your PMs recently, Oddcat?

John.

[Will.S]

Finally got one!!!! Picked Spunagain's 260 up at 19.15 yesterday evening, can't quite believe it, 5yrs I've been waiting, absolutely love it.
As previously stated it was an absolute pleasure to do business with Phil, thoroughly decent bloke and a lovely family too.
I did feel for you Phil when I pulled off the drive, I know I'm gona be gutted to see my 160 go.
Jon, the copper (I prefer 'Babylon' much to his annoyance) that drove the 160 back after dropping me, had a go in the 260 and was v.impressed, he recently had a 350z and has driven a lot of high spec police vehicles, so Knows what he is talking about. He much preferred the 260's gear box to the 160's and just felt the whole car was a lot more responsive.

Oddcat re price can't say, not a gentlemanly thing to do :) That said I did pay a little over the market value as I was buying from a forum member that has looked after the car and done all the updates etc and above all I trusted him, that's also why I went non SE, buying from anywhere else I wouldn't have. Do miss non cruise and rear e/w......until I put my foot down and hear it!!

[colintf]

Finally got one!!!! Picked Spunagain's 260 up at 19.15 yesterday evening, can't quite believe it, 5yrs I've been waiting, absolutely love it.
As previously stated it was an absolute pleasure to do business with Phil, thoroughly decent bloke and a lovely family too.
I did feel for you Phil when I pulled off the drive, I know I'm gona be gutted to see my 160 go.
Jon, the copper (I prefer 'Babylon' much to his annoyance) that drove the 160 back after dropping me, had a go in the 260 and was v.impressed, he recently had a 350z and has driven a lot of high spec police vehicles, so Knows what he is talking about. He much preferred the 260's gear box to the 160's and just felt the whole car was a lot more responsive.

Oddcat re price can't say, not a gentlemanly thing to do :) That said I did pay a little over the market value as I was buying from a forum member that has looked after the car and done all the updates etc and above all I trusted him, that's also why I went non SE, buying from anywhere else I wouldn't have. Do miss non cruise and rear e/w......until I put my foot down and hear it!!

hey well done, you could always bring it to MGF15 at Gaydon tomorrow :thumb (and make it 21 of our V8's on display)

[Will.S]

Alcohol content of blood too high to drive until late today, friends stag night last night. Will try and make future meetings money/work permitting!:)

[ColinE]

Get your questionnaire into Tim and go green - whole new world will open up, then take a look in the club shop and let me know if you want anything

[Oddcat]

I went to MGF15 and saw quite a few 260's there.

I love them but it does seem that there are lots of variations of spec, spoiler, sill extensions, interior trim changes, exhausts, wheels, mileages etc. This all helped me to clarify, in my own head, my ideal car and, realistically, I don't think what I want exists.

My ideal car is a cherished non-SE Mark 2 with the 11 spoke alloys (in plain standard silver finish - they look great) in simple grey, blue, red or black (or anthracite or any other dark colour) with single lip spoiler half leather / half cloth, circa 30k miles with quality history and pretty much unmarked wheels / paint. With the basic upgrades done (heater hose, heater valve, fuel clip etc) and no obvious faults or leaks.

No body additions, no dash trim changes and, preferably, standard exhausts. Essentially, pretty much as it came out of the factory.

I know it's boring but I can't help it !

There was the red one recently on Pistonheads (BX55 UZX) that looks like it would have fitted the bill a treat and, aside from the upgrades was pretty much on spec, but my timing was hopeless and it was sold before I saw it.

So I guess it's not going to happen for me but thanks to all who contributed here in response to my original question and especially to Peter who showed me his lovely car yesterday and which, although not right for me, will surely find a new home very quickly.

OC

[AndyG]

I went to MGF15 and saw quite a few 260's there.

I love them but it does seem that there are lots of variations of spec, spoiler, sill extensions, interior trim changes, exhausts, wheels, OC

There are no two cars the same. ;)

That is the excitement.:D:D

You buy a car and modify it to your personality.:kiss

Like a house, buy it and make it yours.

[Oddcat]

....well I do accept that it (my preference) is at the boring end of the spectrum.

Was trying to think if I'd ever had a car that was "enhanced" and the answer is....not really ! As a brief selection, in 1998 I had a mint totally original '85 Audi Quattro Turbo then a really lovely standard original K plate TVR Chimaera 4.0 and various cars after that including an MG ZS 180, a Nissan 200SX, a Fiat Stilo Abarth 5 cylinder (for the quattro soundtrack), Mondeo ST220 etc and all were completely stock and unmodified.

Must be my thing. Maybe all this means I'm just dull. I do agree that this means I might be looking for a needle in a haystack hence my acceptance of the unlikliness of finding what I'm looking for.

Would be interesting to see if many folks on here have completely original cars. Maybe 1 in 10 ?

OC

[SH4RKY]

Why non SE?

Oh and even non SEs are often a little SE. e.g, mine had a sunroof and apex alloys.

But yeah, i doubt you will find the car you are after. Not to belittle others or whatever, but often the cherished ones with full service history etc are nearly always tweaked by the owners to take them above and beyond what they were. Even if its a subtle upgrade like going from the rusty standard exhausts to proper stainless zeroes etc...

As for the whole unmarked wheels thing? I think thats really irrelevant. There are tons of places that will do a full refurb for 50 quid a wheel. And the fact is, if the wheels havent been refurbed then i doubt they will be factory fresh after 6 years of road grime and brakedust, even if they have been regularly cleaned. Apexes are famous for the finish coming off due to washing the damn things! haha

So yeah, i doubt you will find the car you are searching for... Well, unless someone down specs their car, sells off the bits and refurbs the wheels... ;)

[AndyG]

Non Sum Qualis Eram


:D

[Oddcat]

Hi Sharky

Non SE pref was because most of the things that come with that I don't need (sat nav, heated seats etc) and less to go wrong. And I really like the seats with the cloth centres (or alcantara). And I honestly prefer the 11 spokes. The Apex wheels are great but not keen on the smoked finsh that most have so thought non SE with pure silver 11 spokes would be absolutely fine and maybe slightly cheaper (given the £5k list price difference for what that is worth this far down the line - probably not a lot in reality).

Am absolutely fine with sunroof too that would be good (factory fitted of course !). And with nice burbly after market exhausts. So long as the car looks "stock".

There was a 'flip flap' paint (or whatever it's called sort of blue / green / purple) one at Gayden y'day with Apex wheels painted standard bright silver and they looked fab so no problem there.

I take your point re alloys being refurbishable but better to buy one where are mint from new or where the owner has already sorted (good sign of a well loved car either way)

Andy - I couldn't agree more !

PS None of this is about price. Am more than happy to pay good money for the right car. Would be happy to pay up to £8k for a really nice 2005 non SE for example so not looking for a ridiculous bargain as such (given that such things seem to ask £6,995 privately and then maybe sell for £6,500). Would expect an SE to be at least £1k more than that. And that is private with no dealer margin......

[Merl]

good luck in the search, don't give in though or buy one that's not quite right as you will kick yourself as you will bet as soon you do the one you want will come up...

Quite a few SE models had half leather seats like mine and well still need to refurbed my wheels as the original coating was so poor but been spending my money on making sure non cosmetic
stuff is put right and on upgrade projects. Seen plenty of cars where the wheels have been done to draw attention away from some major faults.

Thing with these cars is seats, wheels etc can all be changed, plenty of 190 that had half leather and the same for the wheels too so you can always make it the car you want if one comes very close as not sure if there are many with 11 spoke but they are nice wheels. Depends on the car and how much want to do...

[colintf]

just keep looking.

It's a waiting game, meanwhile, you may change your mind during the wait

:coo:

[SH4RKY]

I agree with the seats, i have the half leather (its actually vinyl i think) and cloth and really quite like them. They wear very very well (no bobbles/ creases etc).


Oh... one thing i noticed while playing around with insurance quotes this year... i found a site that gives you the insurance group of cars. Interestingly the Non SE was coming up as a 19 and the SE was a 20...? Not sure if this was just incorrect data on the website as i hadnt heard of it before, but I guess it may have been using data from the insurance data base too so it might be correct??

[colintf]

I agree with the seats, i have the half leather (its actually vinyl i think) and cloth and really quite like them. They wear very very well (no bobbles/ creases etc).


Oh... one thing i noticed while playing around with insurance quotes this year... i found a site that gives you the insurance group of cars. Interestingly the Non SE was coming up as a 19 and the SE was a 20...? Not sure if this was just incorrect data on the website as i hadnt heard of it before, but I guess it may have been using data from the insurance data base too so it might be correct??

I've seen that ref the insurance groups somewhere before, but can't think where - sorry

:cool: