Cable or Hydraulic Clutch?

[Rich in Vancouver]

Hello All,
I am a long time MG owner, currently driving a ZT-T190. I am looking for a ZT260 and hope to have one by the summer.
A couple of cars that I am looking at are pre-production cars and have cable clutches.
Are the cable clutch cars any better/worse to drive than the Hydraulic clutch cars?
I am overseas and unable to test drive before buying so information from someone who has driven both would be helpful.

[jeff turbo]

Clutches on 260s are hydraulic and easy to live with. In later life some get a heavy pedal but that's normally fixed by either changing the fluid or replacing the flexy pipe
I'm not sure about early cable clutch cars though

[colintf]

Hi Rich and welcome.
really look into what you are getting with a pre production car. There may be other differences and each one could be different.
a later non pre prod car may be easier to live with ?

[David]

MGR didn't switch away from the cable after less than 20 cars had been built for no good reason.

David

[Rich in Vancouver]

David, I have given that some thought but there may have been another reason that MGR went with a hydraulic clutch. It could have been due to ease of production, cost or availability. My main question is if you need a hugely muscled left leg to operate the clutch pedal.
Being in Canada I am after a LHD car and there are some very nice ones available on the continent. A couple on my short list are pre-prod cars.
As far as ease of ownership, unless there are severe issues with the cable clutch it shouldn't make a 260 more difficult to live with here, as pretty much everything other than the Ford components has to be ordered from the UK. I have been driving ZT190's for the past 5 years (And MGFs for 10 tears before that) so I am used to dealing with UK suppliers so no worries there.

[David]

I would say that of the cable-clutch cars produced, at least 2 have been converted to hydraulic clutches, obviously for a reason, since that is not cheap!
I think a bit of PROBABLY accurate history is called for...
You talk about pre-prod cars, but all of the cars from #001 to #026 are type-approved production vehicles carrying VINs starting SARRX, but precede the volume series production and often have some rather quirky design features, including one 4WD car (albeit equipped with a V6 engine). They were produced by the Special Vehicle development SVO department, and include the crash test and Pave "Shaken to bits" cars. Thereafter are the series production vehicles up to and including #883. The few cars carrying the SPL VINs are true PRODRIVE pre-production chassia development cars, and should certainly be avoided, some even deemed to be down right unsafe! Of the early pre-027 cars, only 6 were LHD, and one is known to have been scrapped by the factory ,#013 aptly naving been used for extreme condition testing in Australia. One of those was a Tourer (#015) the rest PROBABLY Saloons. One, #014, was a Roush supercharged car. #012 in copperleaf red is currently for sale in France.

[Rich in Vancouver]

Thanks David for the details on the pre-027 cars. I suppose early production is the best way to describe them. #012 is one of the cars I am looking at. It has very low mileage and looks to be in very good condition. I know a bit of the history of the car having spoken to members of the French Rover club. It ticks most of the boxes, although as you know it has been for sale off and on for a long time. Although the price has been reduced almost 50% it is still very expensive compared to a home market car. Unfortunately it seems that is the case with all LHD examples. With the cost of shipping to Canada it makes sense to buy the best car available, and I would think that a 260 will hold it's value very well.

[David]

I know that cars as late as #018, owned by Nick at Austin's garage, had a cable clutch, now converted, but exactly when the factory switch to hydraulic occurred I do not know. I did read here from the owner of #001 after having his car converted from cable by Retro Sports Cars:
"whilst there Chris invited me to check out the clutch conversion and what a difference, an absolute unbelievable transformation!! a total smooth operation with immediate response and feel and with less leg force needed than my old 260 and the 16 plate citroen C3 that I had travelled over in, I still cannot believe the difference ..."

Apparently the original hydraulic conversion had been lesss than good. Maybe even by the factory?

It could well be sensible to have whatever 260 you buy, taken over to Chris Flanagan to give it a decent going over before shipping to a land of 'no 260 parts and experiece' !

David

[Rich in Vancouver]

That would make a lot of sense but unfortunately I will be buying in Europe in order to find a LHD car.
It is difficult enough to buy a car on the continent and have it shipped to Canada without adding a trip to the UK on the way.
I have thought I would like to do what you suggested, buy in Europe and ship the car to Retro for any needed work, and maybe a Zero exhaust
and some other bits and bobs, then get it shipped ro-ro from Southampton to Halifax in Canada.(Much cheaper than shipping by container from Rotterdam)
Logistically that would really complicate things, particularly post-Brexit so I think I will just ship whatever car I buy from the continent.
Mechanically I am not too worried as I have experience, and of course Ford parts are very common here. As long as I get a car with a good body I should be ok. Of course the electrics are an issue with a car like the 260. I will have to cross my fingers that I get a good one.
I may be biting off more than I can chew as I have just inherited a 1972 Porsche 911 which I will start on restoring this summer and that will fill my garage for the next year or two but I have caught the 260 bug so may as well go with it. I also have a friend who is looking at getting a 260 but he is looking for either LHD or RHD so he has more options. In a perfect world we could share a container to keep costs down but it's unlikely we will both find cars at the same time.
For fun I will attach a couple of pictures of my ZT-T190 being shipped from Germany.

Pick up in Germany
Shipping 6 500x375.jpg

Delivery on the West Coast of Canada
ZTT Arrival 2.jpg

[Nich]

..............I also have a friend who is looking at getting a 260 but he is looking for either LHD or RHD so he has more options. In a perfect world we could share a container to keep costs down but it's unlikely we will both find cars at the same time.

My ZT-T is for sale if your friend is interested. RHD though.

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1854155

Nich.