Hi guys, looking for a 260.

[Customs Inc]

Hi guys, nipped over from the 75/ZT club. My name is Richard, big MG Rover enthusiast, 28y/o, GSOH, WLTM and all that jazz...

Anyway, after my black 75 Conn SE was nicked last year (bought it brand new at the age of 18) I've been struggling to find a good replacement (I'm picky). So I thought to myself if I chip in another couple of grand or so I can bag a V8 instead. So I'm on here to put the feelers out for one. Due to running my own garage/custom/classic business I'm not into stock cars, so I'll be re-panelling it as a Mk1 75, fitting Sandstone leather 75 interior trim with all the extras, sorting out wheels and suspension, and repainting it Raven black to sort of carry on the spirit of my first 75, which was my baby. I'm looking for more of a torquey cruiser than a performance machine, but rather than buy a V8 75, I'd prefer the manual box of a ZT tbh. Each to their own I suppose but I have the finished article in my mind that fits my character and way of life, which is what a car represents to me.

So, there it is, any pointers, known cars for sale etc? Seeing as I plan a fair bit of work I would even consider taking on a project car, I guess it's better to get one back on the road rather than alter one that is in fine fettle (and to not upset the purists!). I would however prefer the higher spec model with electric rear windows, Xenons etc, but I guess this means it'll have a sunroof, too, which I really don't want, so I may take on a base spec and retro fit said components.

Cheers guys, I hope to join the RWD-club very soon!

Rich

[Coasting]

Good luck with the hunt, there a few heavily modified examples on here so dont worry about doing what you want with it!

Re the sunroof, a lot of base specs cars have this as well as an option and this is where the majority of the extra weight is in regards extras.

There are quite a few black cars around, I reckon it is one of the most common colours after grey, silver and the various blues so I reckon you would be worth waiting for a black one to come along, only problem may be that the MKII s are lot more common that MK1s in the V8 world...

The V8 is the ideal car if you dont mind getting stuck in yourself and can live with the fuel (which is fairly obvious) but driven carefully it can be reasonable, I have had worse fuel economic cars with smaller engines...

As for the GSOH, I dont think that will go down well here

Performance wise they arent an out and out performance machine unless supercharged, but it is the way it does more than what it does in my opinion!

[Herman]

Welcome and good luck finding one.

Good taste on the MKI in Raven Black though

[James C]

You need a GSOH to live with the fuel use

As with any car unless you're leasing it, it's YOUR car, go wild and do what ever you want to it. Turning it from a ZT to a 75 is hardly like driving into a branch of Halfords and covering it with Ripspeed "merchandise" after all

[Customs Inc]

I guess if I end up with one that'll need a bit of work and a repaint (it WILL be Raven Black!) it won't be too bad if it's a sunroof-car as I can always put in a new roof skin, which is actually quite an easy job in a 75! I'm used to getting stuck in, I do rebuilds, restoration and custom stuff all day anyway, feckin' awesome job if I say so myself!

As for the fuel, I've read that some people get as much as 22mpg, which isn't too bad as I run various KV6'd cars at around 28/29mpg (although my KV6 Freelander does about 20!) and as it won't be in daily use in the winter it ain't all that bad. Cars are about fun, not cost to me.

With regards to modifications, I'm into the low stance look, so expect air-ride, minimum ground clearance (yes I know about the deep sumps!) and in particular wheel choice. I was looking at re-drilling the hubs to 5x120 for E46 M3 wheels, but I've done that before on my tourer, so I'm looking at 5x112 so I can run Bentley wheels, and then totally change the look of the car by swapping to some widened/smoothed and staggered Audi A5 19" spacesavers in gloss black with chrome baby-moon caps (same fitment as the Bentleys, and I built them to go on my tourer after the BMW's so just need a small amount of finishing before powdercaot.). I dunno, it's all in my head but sometimes it's hard to explain with harping on for hours and boring everyone! With the Bentleys on I imagine a sort of Brit/Euro customs look, then with the Smoothies on more of a Yank sled vibe.

Oh, I didn't mention, I trying to source a ZT-T 190 in Solar red to do a replica of the Land Speed Record car for my new shop run-around.

[Stu C]

Welcome From talking to Nick the later 75/ZT's transmission tunnel was changed to accomodate either manual or auto box depending on its destiny as a 75 or ZT. Would buying a 75 and shoving a manual box in be a better option? That was you have the refinments of the 75, and then just need the respray and E voilà

[James C]

I average around 25 on motorway runs. Best I've got so far is 27. Worst is 19

[Herman]

I average around 25 on motorway runs. Best I've got so far is 27. Worst is 19

That's either down to UK size 6 shoes or 9 points on your license already.

Never got better than 22-23 on a combined 350mls long trip (ie 300mls motorway and 50 mls urban)

[James C]

Steady 70 with overtaking of annoying middle lane Audis at less sensible speeds.

Maybe I just "know how to drive" better than some people, but it has always annoyed me when people (not picking on you here) have said "Oh, you obviously drive like an old granny then as I never get better than XYZ."

If it was Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton who said that to me, I'd just laugh and accept it.

And for those who know West Somerset you'll know the roads here are "Drivers Roads" with more twists and turns into nice straights than you know what to do with, so it's not as if I'm only doing 70MPH up the motorway all day long.

[colintf]

Hi and welcome.

I was amazed to find I got 28.2mpg sat at 70 on the motorway all the way back from Zed10 last month