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MG MGF Technical - Thinking of buying '98 MGF - Problems??

Hi all,

I have been looking at a 1998 MGF, and am very keen to buy. However, a mechanic contact who worked for the Rover main dealer here is warning me away from the car. Apparently there have been issues with the gearbox and engine gasket apart from the fact that the soft-top leaks. I did notice that the seat was wet yesterday when I test-drove it, and that the runner under the front seat was rusted at the front which would indicate that water was getting in for quite a time. I went to see the car in the rain, which was probably a good thing as I could see where the water was getting in. Is it possible to seal the leaks, and should I invest in the car or will it cost a lot to maintain?

Thanks,

Michelle
Michelle

Hi Michelle,

The leaks are common, and the fixes easy & cheap for anyone to do themselves - £4 usually is enough!

The car is young enough for you to buy a parts & labour warranty for it, which would cover most mechanical failures.

Now is certainly a good time to buy value-wise, but you're right to question buying a leaky car with winter approaching...
Mike Hankin

Hi Michelle, welcome to the BBS :o)

Regarding the car, I agree completely with Mike. My MGF is a 1996 model which has been brilliantly reliable. Unfortunately, a split hose caused the most serious problem a couple of months ago - and even then I was able to drive the car home...

The gearbox is nearly indestructable BTW. It's designed to cope with 200+ bhp turbo engines, so a 1.8 litre normally aspirated K-series poses little trouble for it. The commonest fault are snapped or dislocated selector cables - which are pretty cheap, and as Valter will tell us, are reasonably easy to DIY replace.

K-series engines are robust. The problem that you'll have heard about concerns the head gasket (head gasket failure, HGF). This is most commonly due to the way that the cooling system has been designed, and there is a fix: a remote thermostat fitted to late model TFs. This can be retro-fitted to the MGF (a similar programme exists for the Freelander too).

Basically, I would say go for it. There is enough knowledge on these forums to help with most problems reasonably cheaply, and if not we'll point you in the direction of the most trusted experts.

Go on, buy it. You know it makes sense! :o)
Rob Bell

Hi Michelle,

Really depends what other cars you are looking at to make a fair comparison... the MGF is great value for money at the minute. It may not have the reliability reputation of an Mx5 or MR2 Roadster or the build quality of an SLK or Z3 .. but it is a great all round car with plenty of character.

I haven't had mine for that long, but haven't had any leaks – there are a few niggles - but no more than any other car and I’m a perfectionist when it comes to cars.

Why not look at buying a hardtop for winter – not a fan of them myself, but might give peace of mind.

Regarding maintenance I've a £30K coal burning Jeep which costs more to maintain than the MGF (…. bloody £350 first service … grumble grumble….).

If you have your doubts about the car you drove, maybe isn’t not the right one you – there are plenty out there and it’s a buyers market now!

I was concerned too when looking at the MGF that I would be buying a nightmare and have no dedicated dealer support .. but the wealth of information from enthusiasts on this forum and with websites like Rob’s MGF Gallery and Dieter’s – you can’t go far wrong.

Don't forget mechanics are like docotrs - the majority of their client base comes to them when there is a problem.

Good luck, Neal
N McNamara

Michelle.

If you realy like the car then an AA/RAC inspection should pick up any problems!.

As said, roof leaks (unless the top iteslf is holed), are a cheap, if a little time consuming fix!.

One thing worth mentioning though, this car is pushing 8 years old, ANY car of this age will require money spending on it every year to keep it reliable and well maintained!, as well as the usual MOT and service costs.

If you are the sort of owner who justs put petrol in and never lifts the bonnet (well!, boot in this case), then is buying ANY car of this vintage a wise move??.

Mark.L

>> Dont forget mechanics are like doctors <<

Not so Neal!!..

Mechanics charge you for their mistakes!!.... Doctors bury theirs!!... :o)
Mark.L

>> Doctors bury theirs!!... <<

:op
Rob Bell

Thanks for all your submissions! I must say that I am quite taken with the car, and would plan on looking after it if I buy. There is a hard top with it, and it is fitted at the moment which is why I was concerned that water was still getting in.

I think I have been hankering after a car with character since buying my very first car some years back (a special edition Mini Picadilly) which I was very sad to eventually trade in. I would hope that, if the MGF wasn't the bag of problems I'm led to believe, I would hang on to it for quite a while.

M
Michelle

Michelle,
It will be a little bit of a journey for you but why don't you make your way over to the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire for MGF10 to be held on the 16th of October. It is a celebration of 10 years of MGF's , you will be able to meet most of the people who write on here, I'm sure if you have your car by then, there will be a number of willing hands to look it over for you.

Adrian
Adrian Clifford

Welcome Michelle,

I own a 1998 MGF mpi, don't be panicked by looking through these threads, especially on the technial section. You could be fooled into thinking that the F has a lot of problems, but people only post here if they have a problem. Don't forget all of the happy owners!

With regards to reliability, my F (my daily runaround) only had the one problem, the legendary HGF. This was only caused by a split hose which dispensed by coolant over the road, causing the engine to overheat and the HG to fail. Apart from this it's been problem free. As Mark said, a 7 year old car may need a bit more looking after.

It has been reported that the hardtops can be ill-fitting, which would explain your leaky hood problem. I'm sure there is a simple solution, someone more knowledgable than me will let you know. It you go to look at the car again, make sure you get the hardtop off and have a good look at the soft top. As I mentioned by F is the same year as the one you were looking at, and I can say that my hood keeps the rain out really well. The only time it leaked was when it was left outside in constant torrential rain for a couple of hours. Even then it was only a minor leak.

Character-wise the MGF has bags of it. And because of this you can forgive it's little niggles. If that MGF isn't the right one for you, keep looking. They are fantasic little cars, you won't regaret buying one!

Emma <--- Seriously miffed that my PC refreshed the page and just had to rewrite that whole post twice! Sore fingertips!
http://EmGeeEff.tk
Emma Jackman

Michelle,

I was going to say there are a lot of MGF's for sale and so I would look for one that doesn't leak. I have a 10 year old MGF I bought and it doesn't leak, its been great very relaible and no real problems.

However I do have it serviced each year by rover dealer.

Having said all this the old hardtops do leak. I had terrible trouble with my hardtop, but the standard roof is ok even with 10 years old. I found a bit of insulation tape over the roof and the rubber seal cured the hardtop leak. In addition when you opne the door on the old hardtops the rain has no gutter so it runs straight onto seat.

Prices are depressed, and even more so in winter so don't pay too much and don't worry too much about hardtop leak I'd say the standrad roof will be fine
Brian

This thread was discussed on 27/09/2005

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