Potential owner 260

Hi everyone, having owned your typical mix of German and swedish performance cars over the years I have recently 'found' the 260 and find its case difficicult to resist.

Some say that the overall technical dynamics can't compete with the audi/bmw offerings whether it be chassis, gearbox,economy etc but in my opinion this completely misses the point, the character and sheer personality of these cars leaves the others looking very bland to say the least. So I am seriously interested in buying one, some initial advice please on the following

1. Is the mpg as seriously bad as I have heard? what is the best and worst case scenario?
2. The parts/service situation worries me, am I right in saying that a lot of the ex franchise garages still service the cars using the company x part?
3. What is the cambelt interval for the 260?
4. Is depreciation a major concern? they seem remarkably good value at the mopment but I don't want it going the same way as a vitesse turbo coupe I had which I couldn't giveaway!
5. I read a lot of debate about the standard exhaust and aftermarket versions, having heard both on you tube it really is difficult to hear the differance, is this the case?

Many thanks to all!

Hi trh,

You are right, the 260 is a fabulous car. I have owned mine for over 2 years now with no trouble at all. I have had the fuel filter clip fitted and the replacement heater hose, but as a precaution, not due to failures.

To try to answer your queries:

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Originally Posted by trh1511

1. Is the mpg as seriously bad as I have heard? what is the best and worst case scenario?

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On a run I get 300 miles from the 14.25 gallons eg 22 mpg. Round town you can expect to be down to 200. Some say less!

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2. The parts/service situation worries me, am I right in saying that a lot of the ex franchise garages still service the cars using the company x part?

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As far as body parts are concerned, the fact that Nanjing are making the car again is a bonus, and should help. The engine is pretty much bombproof but is a Ford. Lots of other parts are BMW and can be obtained through them /salvage/ebay. There are lots of specialists throughout the country and are posted on here when someone finds a good one. My local ex-MGR dealer still has a 260 trained mechanic and does indeed service the car using XPart.

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3. What is the cambelt interval for the 260?

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The 260 uses chain cam drive which is good for 150,000 miles before it needs any attention.

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4. Is depreciation a major concern? they seem remarkably good value at the mopment but I don't want it going the same way as a vitesse turbo coupe I had which I couldn't giveaway!

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With prices the way they are at present, it has probably done its depreciating before you buy it, and should steady up or even rise slightly if you look after it over the next few years.

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5. I read a lot of debate about the standard exhaust and aftermarket versions, having heard both on you tube it really is difficult to hear the differance, is this the case?

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There are four options: Standard, X-Power, Zero, or custom made. There are differences. Standard are quite quiet, the others vary.

I hope that helps,

Phil

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Originally Posted by trh1511

Hi everyone, having owned your typical mix of German and swedish performance cars over the years I have recently 'found' the 260 and find its case difficicult to resist.

Some say that the overall technical dynamics can't compete with the audi/bmw offerings whether it be chassis, gearbox,economy etc but in my opinion this completely misses the point, the character and sheer personality of these cars leaves the others looking very bland to say the least. So I am seriously interested in buying one, some initial advice please on the following

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Well I've just got one, I think they are such good value for what you get.
I had an Alfa 156 and a Chimaera 450, it was costing to much to run those 2 so I got the MG instead.
The chassis is suberb, the suspension is very firm on mine, on par with the alfa (with sports pack suspension) and the TVR.
The gearbox is fine if you take your time, economy is what I expected, it uses a lot of petrol.
I'd say its handles much better than the E34 520i I had, but its still a heavy car, although the chassis does a good job of hiding it.
The 156 was the best handling car I've ever driven, trully amazing, I feared the MG would be like a barge in comparison, but it doesn't at all.
Its different but still a great drive.
If your used to powerful rear wheel drive cars then you will love it, if your not be careful, especially if you don't get one with traction control.


1. Is the mpg as seriously bad as I have heard? what is the best and worst case scenario?

I havn't worked it out yet but I'd expect it to be simmilar to the tvr (20ish)


2. The parts/service situation worries me, am I right in saying that a lot of the ex franchise garages still service the cars using the company x part?

Not had experience yet but there seem to be a lot out there, its an easy car to maintain, service costs even at a ex main dealer look very cheap compared to what I'm used to paying.

3. What is the cambelt interval for the 260?

It's got a timing chain.

4. Is depreciation a major concern? they seem remarkably good value at the mopment but I don't want it going the same way as a vitesse turbo coupe I had which I couldn't giveaway!

I dont think so, the good ones were selling quickly when I was buying.
There were only 880 odd made so they are rare, potential classic I'd say.

5. I read a lot of debate about the standard exhaust and aftermarket versions, having heard both on you tube it really is difficult to hear the differance, is this the case?

I fitted the xpowers, they are standard TVR loud, lots of pops and bangs, love em, although onlookers are going to think its a bit boy racer I would imagine. The vid on utube doesn't do them justice.
The standards were pretty quiet, depends what you want.

Standard exhuasts are quite quiet. If in traffic etc people wont know its a v8 as it will be drowned out by the diesels. But open it up a bit and there is no doubt what it is.

So, quiet when you need to be but still a tell tale V8 burble and bellow, much more so than the audi / bmw equvilents etc. However im thinking about a pair of Zeroes for a more refined and obvious V8 sound :)


Parts shouldnt be too much of a worry, the engine and gearbox are just ford stuff, rear diff from a holden, shell is a normal ZT etc. Ok somethings may be difficult to find or get hold off, but I've also heard there is still lots locked up in longbridge...
and whos to say NJ wont bring the V8 back or another company wont use the V8 chasis etc.


MPG = Bad, obviously haha :) I've been getting 17-20s. Thats without motorways and mostly stop start town driving or short country roads etc, so not crippling, but I only do sub 8k a year or something. Then again none of my cars so far has done more than 25mpg so im used to it.

Just do it, you'll love it;)

I have had mine for about two months now, and am well pleased with it. Its a mark 1 with 47K on the clock, but it came with a file full of receipts and History, and was maintain by a fanatic. It is immaculate, and picked it up for song. As has been said before, they are fast becoming classics, and carn`t see them depreciating much further. It is a huge amount of motor for the money.
Mine has been professionally converted to run on LPG, which nearly put me off buying it to be honest, but have no regrets at all. In fact, if ever i do buy another one, i would now have no hesitation in paying out to get it converted. Cannot tell any difference at all in performance. Only get about 17mpg, but then at 50 per litre effectively give the equivalent of 34mpg in petrol terms.
It also has a pair of Cobra exhausts fitted, which make a noise to die for:D
My colleagues at work run Mercs/BMW`s/Audi etc, and to be honest I would not swap with any of them. Sure, they are lovely motors, but they just lack that WOW factor and buzz that you get in the ZT. At current prices, you could pay between two and three time the money for a so called exec motor, and blend in with all the other bland looking and characterless boxes. But whenever, you go anywhere in the ZT, you always feel good when you Arrive at your destination.
I would have no hesitation in saying, go out and do the deed, you know you really want to:)

Thanks very much gents! Great info!:)

go for it - you wont regret it!

:cool: