65 replies to this topic

[mbes2]

A late night ebay session.... I had an idea for something cheap and fun while 

the VX was in hibernation for the winter..

 

I bought a Red MGF 1.8 with 69k on the clock for the grand total of £250

 

The owner kept the car dry stored for 8 months, so it had no tax and the MOT not 

long run out, so off I went and collected it on the trailer.

 

 

 

Set to work on the hardtop, re lining it and polishing it with power tools!

 

After I had finished it looked like new again.

 

Sold that on ebay for £390

 

 

This made me £140 profit and money to play with...

 

 

I went to work and started to strip all the parts I didnt think were needed..

 

Also sold these on ebay..for £50.

 

 

This left the car looking like this...

 

 

 

Back on ebay I set about finding the cheapest bits I could which built 

my list of parts needed.

 

M8 Bolts £7.45

Alu Plates (harness bar rise) £9.00

10w40 L5 Oil & filter - £16.49

3" harness belts £39.90

Longer harness bar 1200mm £10.00

Bucket seats £110.00

Rover Mgf 1.8 Alternator From 95-02 used £30.00

7/16" UNF 3 1/2" bolts £4.35

M12 100mm bolts £7.80

Harness pads £3.70

Steel pates £10.00

 

 

We found that the std MGF seat frames were not a normal seat base fitting... 

So out came the drill and longer bolts, with the chassis plate removed gave better access

to fit the 6mm metal plates for each each mount.

 

 

 

Drilled and fitted DIY harness bar...

 

 

Found a few meters of carbon wrap in my garage... went to work covering the bonnet and boot lids.

 

 

(yep, another silly ebay late night item won)

 

Booked a Brands track day for £139, split 3 ways with 2 mates..

Found the cars grandad, who offered us to share his garage..

 

 

Had a fantastic day (rain, snow & sunsine) on track, spinning about and being the slowest thing on track.

 

 

Overall a great fun, cheap track toy which lasted the whole day and is now set for the next track day which Im 

looking to book hopefully in March.

 

 

 

[rob999]

Carbon wrap ruining a modern classic

[G-Bob]

Get the geo done and then just drive it for a while.

[Nev]

Awesome, I can see you presenting Wheeler Dealers on TV soon

[mbes2]

Car is not road legal and will never be... more cost savings :-)

[Rickwoo118]

Bargain.....who said tracking a car is expensive!

[scw02102]

You forgot to mention the tyres were older than me cheap and fun cant go wrong especially when you stick new rubber on

[hairy]

 

 

 

Set to work on the hardtop, re lining it and polishing it with power tools!

 

After I had finished it looked like new again.

 

Sold that on ebay for £390

 

 

This made me £140 profit and money to play with...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hang on, what is this magic power tool that changes a soft top into a hard top ??
 

[mbes2]

MG designed the MGF so that the soft top would stay fitted (down position) when the hardtop was fitted... 

I can't fit with the hard top while wearing a helmet... so it had to go... 

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

I hope you re did your harnesses after that pic...

[mbes2]

I hope you re did your harnesses after that pic...

 

... yes dad.

 

 

u can just about see here ... 

 

 

It now has 4 newish (all less than 2 years old) tyres..... the 14 year tyres have been saved for a dry track day..

 

 

Edited by mbes2, 11 February 2015 - 06:53 AM.

[siztenboots]

get some proper wheel bolts

 

and sort out that front left hub

[mbes2]

get some proper wheel bolts

 

and sort out that front left hub

 

 

x12 new wheel bolts already sorted...

 

Whats up with the front left hub ?  it was the fecked tyre on that hub that was the problem

[siztenboots]

binding badly , get that corner jacked up and see if its freed up.

[mbes2]

binding badly , get that corner jacked up and see if its freed up.

This has now been resolved, I found that the disc was missing it's retaining screw meaning the disc was floating and not lined up correctly once the alloy was fitted. All wheels spin fine now.. pads have lots of meat left. Found a gasket leak from the dip stick which reading up is common problem.. Once that's changed I will get booking for another track day. (New rear tyres also fitted)

[mbes2]

get some proper wheel bolts   and sort out that front left hub

Std replacement wheel nuts fitted... gotta love ebay

[mbes2]

Found a oil leak from the dipstick mound where it joins the block. .. 49p gasket later = fixed 2nd track test 16th may

[TazN]

Woodbridge Mark?

 

Could be tempted, weekend, promising weather currently ... first dry day there?

[mbes2]

RIP RED MGF

 

[Graeme Lambert]

White smoke... MGF = HGF?