MG ZR 105 plus

ecoli

Considering this as an option for a new car? anyone have any feed back on them or Rovers as a whole?

EPM

do a quick search. It will give you all you need

L1011

Frequently discussed here. Potential for head gasket problems and most of the ones for sale here have been driven ragged... very nearly bought one myself, though.

Webmonkey

MYOB wrote: »

Frequently discussed here. Potential for head gasket problems and most of the ones for sale here have been driven ragged... very nearly bought one myself, though.

What do you mean by ragged?

They a lovely car. HG failure on the new plus models isn't as common with the uprated gasket. I've the ZS, handling is second to none.
No parts ever go wrong on these cars bare the HG which really isn't all that a problem if you just change it before it actually fully goes and overheats. Do your weekly check ups like you should and you'll catch it on time if it ever were to occur - plus install the new landrover gasket and you shouldn't see it a problem anymore.

johndaman66

Perhaps getting off the topic a bit and apologies but have being told by a number of people down through the years (many of whom would claim to be experts or even be in a position where they probably should be an expert for that matter) that a headgasket should not fail full stop if car was always maintained as it should have being and coolant/ waterpump etc. changed per manufacturers intervals. Now while I cant dispute this outright as I never owned a car from new I would certainly beg to differ all the same. I have owned a number of cars down through the years with low mileage on them when I bought them drove them for years, put up considerable mileage on them and maintained them to the nth degree yet the headgasket eventually croaked it on many of them...I never drive the nuts of a car or carry serious weight or strain one either I'll add.

OP if you do go ahead and buy I'd tend to avoid the yellow if possible as find em a bit garish looking but thats obviously my own personal taste and no doubt it will depend on whats out there and suitable if you do decide to buy.

Webmonkey

I personally don't think it is avoidable with regular maintainence either but it will help spot it in time before you get the oil mixing with the coolant and have a mess plus over heating There is clearly a problem wiht the K-Series, but the newer ones seem less prone as they don't have the beeded gasket that the earlier models had plus the MLS gasket from landrover is a lot stronger and seems do better job.

Besides HGF, the car is lovely and should not give you any other problems.

L1011

Webmonkey wrote: »

What do you mean by ragged?

Redlined constantly, poorly maintained (if maintained at all), etc. Standard thing that happens to Irish cars but seems to happen even moreso to cars favoured by young, suburban men... (of which I am one!).

Webmonkey

True that about maintenance.

Funnily enough the K-Series is a rev happy engine and has no problems being red lined

L1011

Webmonkey wrote: »

True that about maintenance.

Funnily enough the K-Series is a rev happy engine and has no problems being red lined

Might just have been 5 year old oil and rotting filters that made every nice one I test drove in the Republic feel like a tractor then! The only ones that drove well seemed to be 5 door models where a middle aged woman had intended to get a Rover 25 and decided she wanted a part leather interior or something, or were yellow...

Nearly bought a very nice 3 door 2005 in anthracite grey from the north when I decided to get my current car instead. It drove properly!

Webmonkey

That's fair enough. Even though the K-series is a loud enough power plant. They can sound bad if they aren't maintained though. Mine is still going good now, well the ZS, coming towards 80,000. Use that Castrol Magnatec stuff, very good but also expensive

bazz26

105bhp from a 1.4 litre engine puts some other marques to shame even these days. Just make sure the head gasket is not on it's way out, the car has not had a hard life or has any complicated modifications done.

Webmonkey

bazz26 wrote: »

105bhp from a 1.4 litre engine puts some other marques to shame even these days. Just make sure the head gasket is not on it's way out, the car has not had a hard life or has any complicated modifications done.

They nippy alright but must be revved to 4.5 - 5k to get the real power out of them
103bhp actually, the 105 is miss leading Not bad though for an engine that came from the 1980s

knifey_spoonie

Webmonkey wrote: »

Not bad though for an engine that came from the 1980s

Where it should have stayed.;)


I would rather a herd of wild cows dancing on my man bits than touching one of them.


Dont do it.