For those interested in old cars.

[shortliner]

This morning , in the Carpark at Morrisons, Alness, there was a black Austin A40. Absolutely immaculate - I had no camera!   What caught my eye first was the rear number-plate with raised white numbers.

[Southern Steve]

I think there is a lot of psychology to it.

 

Some things are obvious. A solid think of a closing door rather than a tinny clank.

 

But reputation is a massive amount. The German cars I have had or worked on I have been quite unimpressed with. Quality hasn’t been impressive. Yet people will rave about the quality of their Audi / BMW / Mini.

 

Connected to your weight theory, people tended to assume heavy 4x4 vehicles were safer. Yet traditionally they tended to fair worse in crash tests as a solid separate chassis tended to have little shock absorption. Added to which poorer handling, braking, etc meant they were more likely to be involved in an accident. Both points probably less important these days with the proliferation of soft readers.

 

All the best

 

Katy

 

We do more repairs on VAG group vehicles and BMW's than anything else! I agree the perception of quality is there in most peoples minds, but entirely unfounded.

 

 

It's akin to MacDonalds, superb marketing, rubbish product imho.

 

 

And why folk pay the premium to own an Audi when the equivalent Skoda or Seat is miles cheaper beats me?

[russ p]

Heard a few horror stories regarding the BMW diesel engine in the Rover 75/ MG ZT anyone got any experience of them? I want a 45 diesel but can't find a decent one so thinking of the bigger car

[Hobby]

And why folk pay the premium to own an Audi when the equivalent Skoda or Seat is miles cheaper beats me?

 

Depends on what it's got as standard equipment. I have a Golf, I could have had either the Octavia or Leon but by the time I'd taken them up to the same spec as the Golf they'd have cost more! 

[peanuts]

Heard a few horror stories regarding the BMW diesel engine in the Rover 75/ MG ZT anyone got any experience of them? I want a 45 diesel but can't find a decent one so thinking of the bigger car

dont bother go for the jag S type with the 2.7ttdi V6 cracking motor and going for some stupidly cheap money 06 plate 86k full factory service history just gone for £2k on the owners club website a steal 

[stewartingram]

Heard a few horror stories regarding the BMW diesel engine in the Rover 75/ MG ZT anyone got any experience of them? I want a 45 diesel but can't find a decent one so thinking of the bigger car

Go for a KV6 2.5 petrol 75, I've had one for about 9 years, then changed it nearly 2 years ago to a slightly newer one (still Mk1 though). I was doing around 20k a year, all servicing by me.  BUT, both I converted to lpg. Same mpg and performance, but I pay around 50-55p per litre. Cost wise, that is equivalent to about 40+mpg local, or 80-90mpg on a journey. (And a Connie SE automatic at that)

Mk1 is the luxury version. Later Mk2 and especially MG, lost some of the luxury (Mk2) and sacrificed ride comfort for performance (MG). The Mk1 apparently won an award for "the most beautiful car in the world!"

Often likened to/mistaken for a Jaguar, but a number of comparisons have been made over the years, actually coming out in favour of the 75.

Fantastic Rover 75 club & forum on line to help with advice etc. No problem with spares. Nothing else on the road today for me, I'm keeping it going.

 

Stewart

[russ p]

Thanks for that Stewart.

It has to be a diesel as I'm looking for a reasonably priced economic daily driver. I have a diesel ZR which is absolutely mint and the spec very rare so too good to run in the salt season

I'm hopefully going to look at a Mk1 ZT shame it isn't a ZT-T

I understand they do about 50 mpg ,is this correct.

Would love the V6 but the would be a big temptation to run it into the ground and put the engine in my MGf as with a short exhaust would sound very like a 6R4!

[russ p]

dont bother go for the jag S type with the 2.7ttdi V6 cracking motor and going for some stupidly cheap money 06 plate 86k full factory service history just gone for £2k on the owners club website a steal

 

I have sort of thought of the jag but there are also horror stories with those.

Is that the modaeo one?

[peanuts]

I have sort of thought of the jag but there are also horror stories with those.

Is that the modaeo one?

no the mondeo in frilly knickers  is the  x type the  s type is based more on the lincoln bought an s type 2.7 diesel three months ago comfortable smooth economical 32 mpg tootling about 46-50 on a long motorway cruise leather interior aircon blue tooth all the toys wish i had took the plunge years ago 

 

on the rover front had a 220 tdi years ago was a solid little bomb proof run about happy on the local commute or long runs to scotland never let me down till some idiot pulled out on me at 60 on the A9 and wrote it off  a falsley maligned marque in my eyes 

[Southern Steve]

dont bother go for the jag S type with the 2.7ttdi V6 cracking motor and going for some stupidly cheap money 06 plate 86k full factory service history just gone for £2k on the owners club website a steal 

 

Ironically the engine is made by Peugeot, also used in the LR Discovery!

[peanuts]

this has just popped up in my face book feed 

 

PLEASE HELP US FIND "TIM" THE MGB

I'm sure you will all be saddened to hear that (MGOC member) Kay Pinnock's beloved 1971 MGB "Tim", registration number 55 TMM, was stolen on Thursday morning from right outside her house in London.

Although the two men who carried out the theft were captured on CCTV (see photo), and the police now have a warrant to bring the older of the two men in for questioning, no more has since been heard of the car.

The CCTV footage shows the thieves to have been loitering in the area for 10 minutes prior to taking the MGB.

It is now known that they had a yellow car loader waiting down the road for them, and so this crime has all the hallmarks of having been a commissioned theft.

If you are offered or see this car for sale, or if you come into contact with the men in the photos please contact the police and the owner (on 07412 679 331) immediately.

Detailed photos of "Tim" prior to the theft can be viewed on this link https://bit.ly/2SKMH7g

It is likely the number plates would have been changed by now.

Kay and "Tim" the MGB have been together for 45 years, and were regulars at MGOC and MGCC runs, and at Brooklands and Goodwood etc.

So please let's as a community do all we can to bring "Tim" the MGB back home.

Please share this post widely in the classic car community, and please ask all your trade contacts to display the attached poster in motor trade premises. (Download the poster from this link https://bit.ly/2P8x8YQ)

This was a brazen theft on a busy street in broad daylight, right outside the owner's home. It is likely that someone in the classic car community knows the identity and whereabouts of the men in the photos.

Let's get them caught and brought to justice before they do it again to someone else in our community. Thank you in advance for whatever help you can provide.

[russ p]

no the mondeo in frilly knickers  is the  x type the  s type is based more on the lincoln bought an s type 2.7 diesel three months ago comfortable smooth economical 32 mpg tootling about 46-50 on a long motorway cruise leather interior aircon blue tooth all the toys wish i had took the plunge years ago 

 

on the rover front had a 220 tdi years ago was a solid little bomb proof run about happy on the local commute or long runs to scotland never let me down till some idiot pulled out on me at 60 on the A9 and wrote it off  a falsley maligned marque in my eyes

 

My ZR is virtually the same animal but it has been remapped and is producing 170 bhp and 283Nm of torque I intend to alter this as it is very fast but can smoke like a 47 it needs the MAF sensor put back in the MAP and power down to about 145-150 bhp but I want to keep it long term hence the search for another car

[peanuts]

My ZR is virtually the same animal but it has been remapped and is producing 170 bhp and 283Nm of torque I intend to alter this as it is very fast but can smoke like a 47 it needs the MAF sensor put back in the MAP and power down to about 145-150 bhp but I want to keep it long term hence the search for another car

the S type is 204 out of the box and an easy re map gets it to 240 easily not that you need to what the 4.2 v8 s go like is a scary thought 

[Kickstart]

I have sort of thought of the jag but there are also horror stories with those.

Is that the modaeo one?

The Mondeo based one is the X Type.

 

The diesel and smaller petrol engines are just fwd. The 2.5 and 3L are both 4wd. We had a 2.5. It was a pretty good car, not badly made (better than the BMW that replaced it). Drank petrol, especially on short journeys, but 40mpg could be obtained with a lot of care. Comfy seats. But very much a motorway cruiser, and handling round bends not really fun (great in snow though). The 4wd transfer box can fail expensively; they use a bit of oil, but the oil filler hole in the casing us below the oil level! It is meant to be filled with the box removed from the car

 

All the best

 

Katy

[BernardTPM]

This morning , in the Carpark at Morrisons, Alness, there was a black Austin A40. Absolutely immaculate - I had no camera!   What caught my eye first was the rear number-plate with raised white numbers.

We've got a regular one of those round here too (and often seen in Morrisons car park), a Somerset. Maybe not quite immaculate, but very tidy and used most of the year round.

Edited November 5, 2018 by BernardTPM

[brianthesnail96]

I had a BMW engined 75 a few years back. Went fairly well and I had no issues with the BMW bits, although I didn't have it very long because it was very dull. I don't think I saw 50mpg but it was well into the 40s from memory, and my journeys were mostly a/b roads. I suspect most of the negativity is from that particular breed of Rover enthusiast who won't accept anything not built in Britain could be any good (despite overwhelming evidence on to the contrary). The Triumph Acclaim suffers similar derision...

[runs as required]

This morning , in the Carpark at Morrisons, Alness, there was a black Austin A40. Absolutely immaculate - I had no camera!   What caught my eye first was the rear number-plate with raised white numbers.

So black with raised white numbers! Do I take this to be the 1940s post-war A40 Devon ? One of the first post war Hornby/Meccano onepiece dyecast "Dinky" toys, not the 1960s  Farina Austin A40 hatchback.

This IIRC was the first Farina styled Austin (and most successful of the BMC commissioned Farina styling exercises). Detailing on the Peugot 404 version of the Cambridge was more refined .

I always wished BMC had got Farina to style the landcrabs - and the Maxi.

dh

[MJI]

 

this has just popped up in my face book feed 

 

PLEASE HELP US FIND "TIM" THE MGB

I'm sure you will all be saddened to hear that (MGOC member) Kay Pinnock's beloved 1971 MGB "Tim", registration number 55 TMM, was stolen on Thursday morning from right outside her house in London.

Although the two men who carried out the theft were captured on CCTV (see photo), and the police now have a warrant to bring the older of the two men in for questioning, no more has since been heard of the car.

The CCTV footage shows the thieves to have been loitering in the area for 10 minutes prior to taking the MGB.

It is now known that they had a yellow car loader waiting down the road for them, and so this crime has all the hallmarks of having been a commissioned theft.

If you are offered or see this car for sale, or if you come into contact with the men in the photos please contact the police and the owner (on 07412 679 331) immediately.

Detailed photos of "Tim" prior to the theft can be viewed on this link https://bit.ly/2SKMH7g

It is likely the number plates would have been changed by now.

Kay and "Tim" the MGB have been together for 45 years, and were regulars at MGOC and MGCC runs, and at Brooklands and Goodwood etc.

So please let's as a community do all we can to bring "Tim" the MGB back home.

Please share this post widely in the classic car community, and please ask all your trade contacts to display the attached poster in motor trade premises. (Download the poster from this link https://bit.ly/2P8x8YQ)

This was a brazen theft on a busy street in broad daylight, right outside the owner's home. It is likely that someone in the classic car community knows the identity and whereabouts of the men in the photos.

Let's get them caught and brought to justice before they do it again to someone else in our community. Thank you in advance for whatever help you can provide.

 

 

If they have the thief just hand him to some owners, show some bolt croppers and say 21 chances to say where it is.

 

Yes my opinion of car thieves it that low.

 

[MJI]

I think there is a lot of psychology to it.

 

Some things are obvious. A solid think of a closing door rather than a tinny clank.

 

But reputation is a massive amount. The German cars I have had or worked on I have been quite unimpressed with. Quality hasn’t been impressive. Yet people will rave about the quality of their Audi / BMW / Mini.

 

Connected to your weight theory, people tended to assume heavy 4x4 vehicles were safer. Yet traditionally they tended to fair worse in crash tests as a solid separate chassis tended to have little shock absorption. Added to which poorer handling, braking, etc meant they were more likely to be involved in an accident. Both points probably less important these days with the proliferation of soft readers.

 

All the best

 

Katy

 

German cars can be good, 1970s Mercs, 1980s BMWs, seem to be good.

 

Opel USED to make good cars. (Senator & Monza)

4x4 safety almost all comes down to particular model, quite often not going fast due to roll and low power to weight, or some actually handle OK, mine has active anti roll. But I do get the feeling if I hit something my car will go over the top rather than crumple

[Fat Controller]

So black with raised white numbers! Do I take this to be the 1940s post-war A40 Devon ? One of the first post war Hornby/Meccano onepiece dyecast "Dinky" toys, not the 1960s  Farina Austin A40 hatchback.

This IIRC was the first Farina styled Austin (and most successful of the BMC commissioned Farina styling exercises). Detailing on the Peugot 404 version of the Cambridge was more refined .

I always wished BMC had got Farina to style the landcrabs - and the Maxi.

dh

The late-1940s A40 designation also covered the Somerset, and possibly the Dorset; not sure what the difference was between them.

[alastairq]

The late-1940s A40 designation also covered the Somerset, and possibly the Dorset; not sure what the difference was between them.

 The Dorset was , simply put, a 2 door Devon.

The Somerset followed on, production-wise.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_A40_Devon

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_A40_Somerset

[RedgateModels]

Bad news for anyone in the East Midlands needing a carburettor sorting

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-46094570

 

I bought my twin choke weber conversion for my mk3 escort from DB ...

[MJI]

Skills loss

 

One thing people are forgetting about is the loss of skills from older people retiring, and one such thing is already happening is the loss of carburettor skills, rejetting and balancing.

 

I could see the possibility in 10 years of classics needing to convert to injection due to skill loss

[shortliner]

The late-1940s A40 designation also covered the Somerset, and possibly the Dorset; not sure what the difference was between them.

Looking at the photos on the wiki - it looked very like the sports model shown , but had a hard top - I wish I 'd had a camera with me - I'd have put the pic on here - if only to get a definite answer!

[Ryde-on-time]

Heard a few horror stories regarding the BMW diesel engine in the Rover 75/ MG ZT anyone got any experience of them? I want a 45 diesel but can't find a decent one so thinking of the bigger car

I ran an MG ZTT cdti from new up to 100K miles and was totally reliable (only changes it because I got a cheap ZT260 after they went bust)

 

The BMW engines got a bad reputation because the swirl flaps in the inlet manifold would disintegrate with the parts getting drawn into the engine causing serious damage.

 

They are not fitted in the Rover / MG engines 

 

https://forums.mg-rover.org/mg-zt-rover-75-sponsored-rimmer-bros-90/cdt-cdti-swirl-flaps-475976/

Edited November 5, 2018 by Ryde-on-time