Purchasing advice and help needed please!
Discussion
Hi all. 
I haven't posted on the MG forums before so please be gentle!!!
Am going to have a look at a secondhand MGF 1.8 for my wife. 04 registration.
I have absolutely no idea what to look out for on these that, if not noticed when it is bought, might end up costing ££££'s a few weeks or months down the road.
Any buying advice really would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Scrubbie
I haven't posted on the MG forums before so please be gentle!!!
Am going to have a look at a secondhand MGF 1.8 for my wife. 04 registration.
I have absolutely no idea what to look out for on these that, if not noticed when it is bought, might end up costing ££££'s a few weeks or months down the road.
Any buying advice really would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Scrubbie
Main Common Areas where you should see service / workshop invoices for are as follows:
- Replacement Head Gasket with Upgraded Gasket and Top Bolts Set
- Cambelt and Tensioner Change
- Check 3-way cooling hose for chaffe as these can split and all the water drops out in seconds and Bang!
- Underfloor Coolant Pipes from Engine to Radiator in the Front (standard one's corrode and back up)
- Front Wishbones for excessive play
- Twitchy back end, then normally bushes (poly ones recommended)
- All x4 tyres to be same brand / model i.e. Toyo Proxes TR1's are very good (very sensitive to correct tyres)
- Check clutch for high bite point - would need replacing - massive job if so
LOOK HERE http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/
Take your time, do the research - loads of choice, look at a few before you decided. Also try an MGF as well as the newer TF... I would take a properly sorted MGF over the TF any day - mine was brilliant whilst I had it and I lavished £3k on it over 18 months to have it properly sorted.
Good luck!
- Replacement Head Gasket with Upgraded Gasket and Top Bolts Set
- Cambelt and Tensioner Change
- Check 3-way cooling hose for chaffe as these can split and all the water drops out in seconds and Bang!
- Underfloor Coolant Pipes from Engine to Radiator in the Front (standard one's corrode and back up)
- Front Wishbones for excessive play
- Twitchy back end, then normally bushes (poly ones recommended)
- All x4 tyres to be same brand / model i.e. Toyo Proxes TR1's are very good (very sensitive to correct tyres)
- Check clutch for high bite point - would need replacing - massive job if so
LOOK HERE http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/
Take your time, do the research - loads of choice, look at a few before you decided. Also try an MGF as well as the newer TF... I would take a properly sorted MGF over the TF any day - mine was brilliant whilst I had it and I lavished £3k on it over 18 months to have it properly sorted.
Good luck!
Hi PJ3074
Thanks for taking the time to post up some important pointers for me.
Are all of the points you mention relative to an 04 reg MGTF? - or just the earlier MGF models?
Would 70,000 on an 04 reg be an acceptable mileage?
The one we are looking at has an asking price of £2,500 but interestingly its road tax ran out at the end of June last year and hasn't been taxed or declared SORN - should this be a problem???
Thanks again for your help.
Thanks for taking the time to post up some important pointers for me.
Are all of the points you mention relative to an 04 reg MGTF? - or just the earlier MGF models?
Would 70,000 on an 04 reg be an acceptable mileage?
The one we are looking at has an asking price of £2,500 but interestingly its road tax ran out at the end of June last year and hasn't been taxed or declared SORN - should this be a problem???
Thanks again for your help.
According to the DVLA an automatic £80 fine applies if a vehicle is not taxed or declared SORN. So I would insist on the seller taxing it before sale, so any fines dont become your responsibility to pay.
Obviously no tax will also prevent you from test driving the car, something I would highly recommend when buying any car.
Service history is an important factor, and an area a lot of owners skimp on. It doesn't have to have a main dealer service history, but it is important that the service schedule has been adhered to. The 4 year/60K service which is particularity important as this is when the cam belt(s) are renewed. If the seller has no hard evidence of this service having been done, you can knock £5-600 of your offer as that's around what it will cost you to have it done.
Most of the points above will also relate to the TF.
I would recommend taking any potential purchase for a good drive, making sure the water and oil get up to temperature. I would also check the oil and coolant levels before and after the drive to ensure there is no change.
Check the roof and plastic rear window for damage. There shouldn't be any rust on a car of that age, but its worth double checking. Weak areas are around the front wing indicators, the seam line on the windscreen surround and end of the sills, just behind the front wheels.
The tyres should be worn evenly across the width, and should be a reputable brand and matched across each axle. Replacements are around £80-100 a corner.
You may find the TF's suspension quite hard, depending on what your used to. This isn't the end of the world and can be much improved by fitting after market dampers.
May also be worth trying an example of each on the different engine options. The TF was available with a 1.6 (Tf115) a 1.8 (Tf135) or a 1.8VVC (TF160). They all drive slightly differently so your wife may prefer one to the others.
Keep an eye out for limited and special editions. They have a higher trim spec as standard and hold there value a little better then the mainstream cars.
There are plenty of TF's around for sale, so its worth shopping around and having a look at a few before deciding.
You may also want to register over at www.mgf-register.org and have a look at their forum. It will give you an idea on common problems and ease,costs to fix. Despite being part of the MGCC, You dont need to be a member to join and use the free F Register forum.
Obviously no tax will also prevent you from test driving the car, something I would highly recommend when buying any car.
Service history is an important factor, and an area a lot of owners skimp on. It doesn't have to have a main dealer service history, but it is important that the service schedule has been adhered to. The 4 year/60K service which is particularity important as this is when the cam belt(s) are renewed. If the seller has no hard evidence of this service having been done, you can knock £5-600 of your offer as that's around what it will cost you to have it done.
Most of the points above will also relate to the TF.
I would recommend taking any potential purchase for a good drive, making sure the water and oil get up to temperature. I would also check the oil and coolant levels before and after the drive to ensure there is no change.
Check the roof and plastic rear window for damage. There shouldn't be any rust on a car of that age, but its worth double checking. Weak areas are around the front wing indicators, the seam line on the windscreen surround and end of the sills, just behind the front wheels.
The tyres should be worn evenly across the width, and should be a reputable brand and matched across each axle. Replacements are around £80-100 a corner.
You may find the TF's suspension quite hard, depending on what your used to. This isn't the end of the world and can be much improved by fitting after market dampers.
May also be worth trying an example of each on the different engine options. The TF was available with a 1.6 (Tf115) a 1.8 (Tf135) or a 1.8VVC (TF160). They all drive slightly differently so your wife may prefer one to the others.
Keep an eye out for limited and special editions. They have a higher trim spec as standard and hold there value a little better then the mainstream cars.
There are plenty of TF's around for sale, so its worth shopping around and having a look at a few before deciding.
You may also want to register over at www.mgf-register.org and have a look at their forum. It will give you an idea on common problems and ease,costs to fix. Despite being part of the MGCC, You dont need to be a member to join and use the free F Register forum.
Hi Steve and Graham
Many thanks to both of your for your excellent and valued advice.
We went and had a look at the 04 one mentioned above on Saturday and weren't impressed really.
When we arrived at the agreed time the chap wasn't even there so we had to wait around for him to turn up. Once we'd had a chance to see the car I asked about the road tax situation and the response was simply that I would have to tax the vehicle myself with him offering no explanation why it hadn't been taxed or SORN. When I asked about the evhicle's history the guy said something along the lines of "Yeah, I think it's got some history somewhere?" We weren't impressed.
Regarding a test drive I had assumed that as the chap selling the car was a trader he would have trade plates we could have used. I didn't find out as I didn't bother even asking for a test drive as we were that disappointed with the whole approach the guy was giving off. Also, the car was "boxed in" by a couple of other cars that would have had to have been moved so it all seemed a hassle really.
I also spotted that the "TF" badge on the rear was on the right hand side of the vehicle instead of the left like all the other TF's we've looked at on-line or happened to see whilst out and about. Wondered if it had been in a rear end shunt??? Or maybe someone just couldn't be bothered to actually put the badge back on in the correct place!
It may have nothing wrong with it and be a brilliant car but we decided to walk away from that one. There seems to be plenty about.
Thanks again to both of you.
As an aside, and slightly off topic, do you miss your Tiv Graham? I think I used to see you posting on the TVR side of this site and also TVRCC?
Cheers.
Many thanks to both of your for your excellent and valued advice.
We went and had a look at the 04 one mentioned above on Saturday and weren't impressed really.
When we arrived at the agreed time the chap wasn't even there so we had to wait around for him to turn up. Once we'd had a chance to see the car I asked about the road tax situation and the response was simply that I would have to tax the vehicle myself with him offering no explanation why it hadn't been taxed or SORN. When I asked about the evhicle's history the guy said something along the lines of "Yeah, I think it's got some history somewhere?" We weren't impressed.
Regarding a test drive I had assumed that as the chap selling the car was a trader he would have trade plates we could have used. I didn't find out as I didn't bother even asking for a test drive as we were that disappointed with the whole approach the guy was giving off. Also, the car was "boxed in" by a couple of other cars that would have had to have been moved so it all seemed a hassle really.
I also spotted that the "TF" badge on the rear was on the right hand side of the vehicle instead of the left like all the other TF's we've looked at on-line or happened to see whilst out and about. Wondered if it had been in a rear end shunt??? Or maybe someone just couldn't be bothered to actually put the badge back on in the correct place!
It may have nothing wrong with it and be a brilliant car but we decided to walk away from that one. There seems to be plenty about.
Thanks again to both of you.
As an aside, and slightly off topic, do you miss your Tiv Graham? I think I used to see you posting on the TVR side of this site and also TVRCC?
Cheers.
All of those points relate to both F and TF as they are basically the same, i.e. K-Series Engine. The main difference is the F rides on Shocks with Gas Sphere's instead of Springs. The TF has coil springs and is a harder ride by comparison.
When you go looking.. my top tip to save you wasting your time is to phone the owner and run through basic service / repair works undertaken as a given on these cars.. plus ask what tyres are you running? If they are like Err, dunno.. some specials by Kwik-
s then don't bother going to view. If they have proper one's like Toyo, Yokohamma, Goodyear, Bridgestone and they are all the same then you know this person has a clue about their car and is interested in what its all about. AVOID the chinless wonders.
- Check Oil Sump Pan for speed bump damage. These are Aluminium and new one's are not cheap!
- Check front and rear sub frames for corrosion, potential weak spot!
- Check for water leaks with the roof, if possible hose pipe test
- Ensure the heater works to very hot, new heater matrix is a costly repair, mainly labour!
- At all costs avoid 1.6 - too slow and hard to sell on as no one will want it
- At all costs avoid the crappy Steptronic Auto - problematic system and you want a manual - period!
- At all costs avoid the electric roof option - too heavy and problematic
- Look for corrosion on lower front wing lips where it meets lower sill
- Look for corrosion around boot / rear light custers as it can bubble up here and side intakes too
- Ensure both front and rear fans are operational
- Check coolant level: must be either Orange, Green or Blue (if its water - walk away)
- Check Oil Cap for signs of Mayo - HGF sign - again walk away
Test Drive
- Oil Temp should NOT Exceed 120C during your drive (can move a bit when giving it the beans)
- Engine Temp should NOT Exceed Mid-Point
- If it's running hot then this soon to be a blown Head Gasket Job (upto £700)
- The front and back ends should feel tight, direct and planted (like a go kart)
- If it's sloppy and light then suspension works, bushes, wishbones etc will have excessive play
You want to ideally buy from a club member, who knows their car and sorted it out properly.
Check over service invoices for work and call the garage to validate - I did. If the owner has nothing to hide they have no problem with it.
Look on PH Classifieds, MGF Owners Club - personally avoid Autotrader, most cars there will be poor by comparisons. Grab a copy of MGF magazine too for information and classified.
Spend the time, do your home work and you will avoid a potential Sh-itt-er !
When you go looking.. my top tip to save you wasting your time is to phone the owner and run through basic service / repair works undertaken as a given on these cars.. plus ask what tyres are you running? If they are like Err, dunno.. some specials by Kwik-
s then don't bother going to view. If they have proper one's like Toyo, Yokohamma, Goodyear, Bridgestone and they are all the same then you know this person has a clue about their car and is interested in what its all about. AVOID the chinless wonders.- Check Oil Sump Pan for speed bump damage. These are Aluminium and new one's are not cheap!
- Check front and rear sub frames for corrosion, potential weak spot!
- Check for water leaks with the roof, if possible hose pipe test
- Ensure the heater works to very hot, new heater matrix is a costly repair, mainly labour!
- At all costs avoid 1.6 - too slow and hard to sell on as no one will want it
- At all costs avoid the crappy Steptronic Auto - problematic system and you want a manual - period!
- At all costs avoid the electric roof option - too heavy and problematic
- Look for corrosion on lower front wing lips where it meets lower sill
- Look for corrosion around boot / rear light custers as it can bubble up here and side intakes too
- Ensure both front and rear fans are operational
- Check coolant level: must be either Orange, Green or Blue (if its water - walk away)
- Check Oil Cap for signs of Mayo - HGF sign - again walk away
Test Drive
- Oil Temp should NOT Exceed 120C during your drive (can move a bit when giving it the beans)
- Engine Temp should NOT Exceed Mid-Point
- If it's running hot then this soon to be a blown Head Gasket Job (upto £700)
- The front and back ends should feel tight, direct and planted (like a go kart)
- If it's sloppy and light then suspension works, bushes, wishbones etc will have excessive play
You want to ideally buy from a club member, who knows their car and sorted it out properly.
Check over service invoices for work and call the garage to validate - I did. If the owner has nothing to hide they have no problem with it.
Look on PH Classifieds, MGF Owners Club - personally avoid Autotrader, most cars there will be poor by comparisons. Grab a copy of MGF magazine too for information and classified.
Spend the time, do your home work and you will avoid a potential Sh-itt-er !
Edited by PJ3074 on Monday 21st March 12:12
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