Should I(t) stay or should I(t) go. (In the words of The Clash)

I have a dilemma. I have a 54 plate 260 which I bought for £18,000 in June 2005. It's the most I have ever paid for a car and probably ever will again. I had an LPG conversion fitted in April 2006 and intended to keep this car for many years and not waste any more money on changing cars every year or so like I had done in the past.
It has also been the most disappointing car I have owned. In the first week the fuel filter came apart, then it went back for SRS faults, gearbox oil seal, fuel pump fuse kept blowing, the tyres wear out in 5000 miles, it only does 15 mpg (Thank god for the lpg), most recently I was off the road for 11 days trying to source a starter motor (luckily "scooter" came to the rescue).
I still love the car but have started asking myself whether I can live with such an exclusive car on a daily basis. I know a lot of you have 260's as weekend or hobby cars but I run mine as my daily transport and being an HGV lorry driver have to leave home at 4 or 5 in the morning when there is no alternative transport if my car won't start or get me to work.
My dilemma is this: Do I get rid of the 260 whilst I can still get between 3 and 5 grand for it as a trade in or do I run it until I can't get a part for it and then scrap it?

It would be a shame to let it go! I had to let a MG ZT go about 3 years ago when my business partner screwed me over - and i missed it dearly and still do as it was my first new car - and it wasn't even a V8!. The other problem is you'd be selling it at the worse ever time, the market is so depressed! And if like me you notice a big hole when its gone, you will probably be buying one again at the worse time... when the prices go back up - which they eventually will (hopefully).

You could just do what i did - i brought a rover 75 with 80,000 on it for £1500 (about 8 months ago) and use it as your daily driver (or some other car of your choice). The car hasn't missed a beat, it looks good, drives like its only done 20,000 and makes the 260 feel so special every i drive it.

Driving a car daily does make you lose your passion for it over time, especially when they need constant attention as the 260 sometimes does.

I would try and keep it for a while longer Ian. All cars go through patches like this and I would not be bothered by worries about parts as they are around. Perhaps you can keep replacements under your bed like the rest of us. ;)

Perhaps other daily drivers can comment as mine is a fair weather car.

Mine is a daily driver of the worst possible sort - quite often less than 10 miles a day. So, I should get hacked off with the fact that the screen takes an age to clear and I still haven't sorted the issue with only one side getting heat. However, I can't think what I'd swap it for. Granted, I've had it less than a year, but I still think I'll keep it long term.

I guess that if I had the space I might buy a runabout for the short trips, but I'd probably still end up using the 260 most of the time, so the runabout idea seems a waste of the money I can spend on keeping the 260 going.

I should make a note to re-read this thread in a year or so... :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by baldybloke

Mine is a daily driver of the worst possible sort - quite often less than 10 miles a day. So, I should get hacked off with the fact that the screen takes an age to clear and I still haven't sorted the issue with only one side getting heat. However, I can't think what I'd swap it for. Granted, I've had it less than a year, but I still think I'll keep it long term.

I guess that if I had the space I might buy a runabout for the short trips, but I'd probably still end up using the 260 most of the time, so the runabout idea seems a waste of the money I can spend on keeping the 260 going.

I should make a note to re-read this thread in a year or so... :)

---

A Monaro?:D

Mine is a daily driver, not every day as i work shift but is my only form of transport other than my bicycle, your tyre wear is either your driving style or they need adjusting as even on a pair of continentals i get good mileage. your other problems are unfortunate and happen with cars, i had a brand new car which broke down 2 weeks after buying it and had to wait 2 weeks for its repair, being so young i couldn't get a hire car and had to use the bus.

Ian,

Mine isn't a daily drive but nevertheless a few comments:

You're quoting 15mpg without the LPG- I think there's a problem because I've not heard anyone else quote so low a figure

You've had the car three and a half years so hopefully most of the problems are behind you.

The next two or three years are when your financial strategy starts to pay off and you end up spending a lot less on cars than regular changes would have cost you.

The whole75/ZT range is fond of tyres but for our car, the alignment seems to be soooo critical. I took Peter's advice and had a check at SMC (for approx half the cost of a single new tyre) and I can detect only minimum wear after 2500 miles on Toyo PX 4's.

If you're really thinking of as low as 3k to trade in then:
1: You'd probably be able to dismantle it and make more
2: I might buy it, can I have some more details please:)?


and..............

You'd miss it!

Guy here had a new alfa 156. needed a new engine the first month and a new gearbox the 2nd. :)

Oh and I get about 16mpg :)

I'm obviously not driving fast enough - must do better!

Well my thoughts as someone after buying one is to keep it, most of the faults you have worked through and as an ex car salesman I have seen so many ppl trade in their cars for something else only to have the new car have more problems and spend even more money on than what they were and the person who brought their car have no problems with it.

I cant really think of another car like the 260 you can get for that sort of money unless u want to spend double for a Monaro.... or get a left hand drive US Car that will be a nightmare for parts at times....

I currently run a 75 cdt thats running at about 165-170bhp and I am in 2 minds about running it as a second car or sell it once I have the 260 as the extra money I will spend on insurance, tax servicing etc will pay for fuel and repairs for the 260.. Unless you went for true bangernomics and get a little 1ltr or 1.5d or something but even then a car is a car and it can be just as expensive with problems...

With the LPG you are effectivly getting 30-40mpg which the way I drive my 75 is not much less (41mpg) but that depends what the government do with LPG as its due for an announcment I think soon from what I have been told....

Martin

Im also a HGV driver and mine is also used as my daily drive leaving home at 4am most mornings. I have owned mine approx 18 months and have put nearly 22000 miles on it in that time. I get an average 21-22mpg and have managed 29mpg on a motorway run so 15mpg seems pretty awful. Tyres wise I have had the fronts on since buying the car and believe I will get 25k out of the fronts, is that a record?? Rears I have got between 8k-10k before having to replace. Touch would starts first time every time and has never let me down so I think you have just been unlucky. Its entrely up to you at the end of the day but to take such a loss if it were me I would keep running it until as you say you would have to scrap it.:(

I intend to keep this car until I am no longer fit to drive. This my son hopes will tie in with his new driving licence in the not to distant future, hopefully not he is 13. I am coming up on 1 year of ownership and 8k of mileage,touch wood no problems as such maybe you have been very unlucky.

I know that when a car gives problems its hard to not think about a change and I would think there are some folks out there who would pay slighty more than 5k but right now not many but yours would be one of the few up for sale. In a few years there will only be exotica brands with a V8 as Ford/GM are to replace there V8 models with V6 models. I see the time coming when this sorted 4 door will be the most reasonable way to the ever diminishing V8 club, so prices will harden.

If you have another car in mind put the car up for sale and see what offers are out there. If they are none keep the car, at least you tried.

Wish you all the best whatever you do.

Steve.

Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement. I feel much better now.
I too only do very short runs, probably why I only get about 15mpg. I never have problems with the screen clearing infact its the best car I have had for that. I have never got more than 20MPG even on a couple of 80 -85 mph dual carriageway trips to Alnwick. 29 mpg is fantastic are you sure someone isn't filling it up for you when parked? I have considered the second car option as well but I think taxing and insuring two cars and then being faced with the choice of which one to use would be another dilemma.
I had my rear wheel alignment checked and adjusted at 5000 miles when the first set wore out and it made no difference. They wear quite evenly although the inside is very slightly worse. Have tried several different makes of tyres too. Still get 5000 out of cheapo Federals so I use them now at £70 rather than Contis at £130+.
I take the point about being unlucky but it's the parts situation that bothers me. Although several people have said that the parts are available they are not "off the shelf" like a more mainstream car's would be.
I test drove a Focus ST today, nearly as nice to drive, exhaust note under power sounds great, acceleration etc and with the parts and service backup. Still haven't made my mind up though.

My 260 is my only car so short, long, any trips it has to do. Another lorry driver here :D and mine does some short trips too, usualy when i want an extra 10 minutes in bed....2am is so early :(

I think from owning Mg-Rover cars since i started driving has taught me that with the rough comes the smooth. You fix one problem and another arrives and you think what the hell am i doing? Well, once its all sorted you have the satisfaction of knowing its fixed.

One of my big moments of "i f-ing want to get shot of this car" was my trusty 620SDi. Had to have the clutch replaced, then not a few months later the box went. And then the slave cylinder. Cost a fair bit, but as i needed the car for long distance stuff for travelling between uni and home, i knew once it was all sorted it would be great. Yep, another 100,000 miles great without a hitch.

When i bought my 260, i was really panicked by reading the problems with the cars. BUT, ask yourself why, apart from the fun/social side, do we go on the forums like this? To search for advice and help on problems, so the more info on here the better.

My car is pants on fuel consumption round town i can get 15mpg, but thats because i dont drive like a lunatic, but enthusiasticaly, i.e when i see a gap to overtake i down a gear and go as i love the roar of the car!. But when i want, or my wallet dictates i sit at a nice 70, proper gear changes at islands etc.. and even with my cams i can get a nice 25mpg which my V6 ZT would only manage tops 30mpg.

Sounds like your on a downer because the problems have all come to a head, its a confusing time as you start looking at other cars etc.. and think well what if?...

If those problems are fixed, i shouldnt see a reason why you cant rely on it going to work, in fact thats the best time to go ;)

Chin up, go for a nice long drive on a favorite bit of road, crank the tunes up and see why you love the car :)

Edit- Ian/Lowey who do you drive for?

Currently drive for city-link just off J10 M6 Black country route, Inter-depot parcel delivery. Previously car-delivery thats where I 1st got to drive the 260 as I loaded them onto the truck. Always said I would own one, one day. Probably drove a few belonging to members on here as well!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lowey260

Currently drive for city-link just off J10 M6 Black country route, Inter-depot parcel delivery. Previously car-delivery thats where I 1st got to drive the 260 as I loaded them onto the truck. Always said I would own one, one day. Probably drove a few belonging to members on here as well!!

---

Ah right probably seen you then when im going down the M6 myself in a morning, hauling tractor wheels :) (i drive for Arcese)

Thats got to be one of the best bits of being on the transporters though having a drive of some of the nice cars ;)

Interesting you mention a Focus ST, my wife has one and it is insanely quick. But, for me, the ZT is far more special and quirky and I love the q-carness of it, there is something hilariously wonderful about the fact that it looks like any other ZT from the front, but is anything but ordinary. It is cracking me up at work too, everyone now knows when I leave or arrive. Just today I had one colleague (who has no interest in cars) say to me, his face lit up, "It sounds like a NASCAR!" Another colleague offered to show me where second gear was, as I like to let the V8 be heard as a I arrive :D Not that this helps your decision making process any, I realise. Although I would suggest that if you can get a Focus ST cheap enough, it probably would give you less hassle than your ZT. Those quirks and that uniqueness are not such a laugh when you are totally dependent on the car. Oh, and the Focus is pretty bad on petrol too - 22mpg is our average. But it's almost as much fun as burning through fuel with a V8 :)

No need to remove the st being faster there are a lot faster cars out there but few with the same amount of spunk as our american friends would say. Can I say that in these times, oh as I've said before **** them all.

Steve.

:) .

I drive a 75 cdti most days and find that the combined cost isn't too bad. The 75 is pretty bullet proof and running costs are very low. Standard parts are dead easy to get- the last time I was in SMC they'd just had one in with 200k on it - for a routine service

Overall that allows me to indulge in the 260 with very low insurance costs and have a lot of fun!

I'm convinced that for me this is better than having a single car and replacing every 2 or 3 years

If the 75 was totalled tomorrow I'd buy another one 'cos they're ridiculously cheap as well

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BigA

I drive a 75 cdti most days and find that the combined cost isn't too bad. The 75 is pretty bullet proof and running costs are very low. Standard parts are dead easy to get- the last time I was in SMC they'd just had one in with 200k on it - for a routine service

Overall that allows me to indulge in the 260 with very low insurance costs and have a lot of fun!

I'm convinced that for me this is better than having a single car and replacing every 2 or 3 years

If the 75 was totalled tomorrow I'd buy another one 'cos they're ridiculously cheap as well

---

Same for me too... i totally agree. My 75 is fantastic (although the 2.0 V6 gives the old V8 a run for its money at the fuel pumps!) its a top quality bullet proof daily runaround and its stupidly cheap to ensure and run.

It definitely allows you to enjoy and appreciate the V8 more too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Merl

Well my thoughts as someone after buying one is to keep it, most of the faults you have worked through and as an ex car salesman I have seen so many ppl trade in their cars for something else only to have the new car have more problems and spend even more money on than what they were and the person who brought their car have no problems with it.

I cant really think of another car like the 260 you can get for that sort of money unless u want to spend double for a Monaro.... or get a left hand drive US Car that will be a nightmare for parts at times....

I currently run a 75 cdt thats running at about 165-170bhp and I am in 2 minds about running it as a second car or sell it once I have the 260 as the extra money I will spend on insurance, tax servicing etc will pay for fuel and repairs for the 260.. Unless you went for true bangernomics and get a little 1ltr or 1.5d or something but even then a car is a car and it can be just as expensive with problems...

With the LPG you are effectivly getting 30-40mpg which the way I drive my 75 is not much less (41mpg) but that depends what the government do with LPG as its due for an announcment I think soon from what I have been told....

Martin

---

I find getting parts for American cars very easy. And they are often quicker on delivery even if coming from the States, and they are cheaper too.
I have a 21 year old Mustang, and virtually every part has been re-manufactured, with lots of different performance option too.


SJR

Ive had some large bills in nearly 5 years of ownership,S/C,master cylinder and clutch(which was an engine out jobby),tyres:eek:,.... and I dread to think how much juice its supped :eek:.....but I tell you what I wouldn't swop it for the world,nothing quite like the feeling of driving with the masses and knowing that your the only "Blue in the Village" being unique does have its advantages!! suffice to say it even got me some discount from wilco motor factors today on some oil in return that I opened up the bonnet for the lad behind the counter to have a peek!....can live with that!,keep it mate you'll be glad you did!!;).

Opinions is opinions and I've got mine:)! Gotta say that my ZT 260(now400)-even with it's quirks is the best car I've ever owned. I'd probably only swap it for another one. I've had my share of problems(fan pack,fuel clip,heater hose.radiator,tyre wear,poor air con etc), however I've found that now I've sorted them, then (touch wood:)) things have been hunky dory!! I'll always remember starting the engine in Bridgnorth High Street and a bloke almost dropping his pint as he exclaimed "f@%k me" (must be the x-powers) and I seriously can't think of another car that comes close for the money. It's upto you, but I just know I'd rather be one of "us":) than one of "them":(

Our family car before the 260 was a Vauxhall Zafira. We bought this car as a pre registered ex demo car. I thought that as we had just started a family, I should for the first time in my life buy a sensible car. Also as I had my Mustang for summer use, I could just about cope with driving such a dull car.
I always really look after my cars well, including the Zafira, and over four years of ownership it still looked immaculate. However it was a complete piece of junk. The Main ECU packed up in the first month, and we had lots of problems with it for the first two years, it then did'nt cause major problems until the warranty run out. When it had major electrical problems it took trips to two Vauxhall dealers and one independent garage to fix.
This took around three weeks and with a few other problems cost us £2200.

It did seem to have a sense of humor though, When we were at the Safari park it decided to lower one of the rear windows and then keep it open. And of course we were in the Lion enclosure.:D

I know this may have been a "Rogue" car but it has put me of sensible cars for a while.

Good luck,

SJR

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John Newey

Opinions is opinions and I've got mine:)! Gotta say that my ZT 260(now400)-even with it's quirks is the best car I've ever owned. I'd probably only swap it for another one

---

Couldn't agree more... the ZT thing gets in your blood!

I'd keep it and buy a "mule" for daily use, absorbing trolley dings etc..

I run a 1.2 clio mon-thursday, and Blak Olive for the weekend- it makes driving it even better, and takes pressure off you if you do have a problem with the car

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by black olive

I'd keep it and buy a "mule" for daily use, absorbing trolley dings etc..

I run a 1.2 clio mon-thursday, and Blak Olive for the weekend- it makes driving it even better, and takes pressure off you if you do have a problem with the car

---

I bet you love getting back into the MG though, i know i do after sharing dads vectra all week! :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stu C

I bet you love getting back into the MG though, i know i do after sharing dads vectra all week! :)

---

I go from a LWB merc sprinter to the 260 - interesting change, though while the 260 is off for repair have alfa 159 (not nice)

Oh yes- always grinning like a loon, and really look forward to Fridays

Can only repeat the above , I reckon if you mothball the car it may, in 15 years make you a happy bear!

I think u ought to consider we are a rare bunch and pretty soon will likely be extinct...... love the motor and take advice. this is not your daily ration. ;)

I have had my 260 for 17 months now, is LPG converted. I also brought an MGF for the summer months to keep the miles off the 260. Result, I have put over 20,000 on the 260 and only 3,000 on the f. They are addictive for sure. With LPG my pence per mile is actually less than the F. Servicing is more expensive for sure, I have kept mine on the button which dosen`t come cheap. I am also considering selling, the trouble is when sitting at home it makes sense to sell (I need to reduce the number of cars i have, currently 5, 3 of which are MG`s) however, as soon as you drive it, well, ther doubts creep in again. As the saying goes, if in doubt, do nothing. don`t act and then regret it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nigel Lewis

I have had my 260 for 17 months now, is LPG converted. I also brought an MGF for the summer months to keep the miles off the 260. Result, I have put over 20,000 on the 260 and only 3,000 on the f. They are addictive for sure. With LPG my pence per mile is actually less than the F. Servicing is more expensive for sure, I have kept mine on the button which dosen`t come cheap. I am also considering selling, the trouble is when sitting at home it makes sense to sell (I need to reduce the number of cars i have, currently 5, 3 of which are MG`s) however, as soon as you drive it, well, ther doubts creep in again. As the saying goes, if in doubt, do nothing. don`t act and then regret it.

---

I currently have 2 cars on the driveway 75 cdt conn se and a mx5 for the clear days and like Nigel I have hardly touched the convertible... I know the 75 aint a 260 but its such a nice drive and as its been suped up its very responsive. So I decide to get rid of the mx5 and go for a 260 (Thankfully the mx5 is staying in the family so I will still get some use in the summer) Hmm I should not talk you out of selling the 260 especially Nigel as I am after buying one......

Worse case scenario is you sell it you discover you miss it and then go out and buy another one in a few months when they are slightly cheaper (cant see them going up but you never know)

I done exactly that a few years ago. Back in 1998, I brought a TVR Griffith. Had it four 4 years, got itchy feet and sold it. Regretted it big time, and within a couple of years had gone out and brought another one. Needless to say i spent out more to replace than i got when i sold. Need to get that qualification in hindsight:D

Thanks for all your input, but all things considered it's going to have to go. I don't have a garage to mothball the 260 and I don't have the space for another car to use as a runabout. I have enjoyed nearly 4 years of ownership and it is the longest I have ever owned a car. (A testament to its appeal) So if anyone is interested the details are as follows:

2004 54 MG ZT Starlight Silver. 34,600 miles with professional LPG conversion (Certificate supplied) Purchased as a pre-registered car in June 2005. Serviced every 5,000 miles. Have done the fuel clip, bonnet catch mod, diff oil, and have a top heater hose to fit. The alloys will need refurbing as the silver has started peeling off. Tyres have probably got about 1000 miles left on them and it will need another oil change at 35,000. Just had a new starter motor fitted. Interior and body work is immacculate. I have been offered £5,000 for it against a new Golf R32 or Focus ST
email me on ian.sandom@talktalk.net