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MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - Answers req'd please

Are we the first people to have exchanged a ZS180 for a new ZS180 ?
The new car was puchased with the MGOC discount scheme, which was advertiseing a free video camera with cars purchased before the end of June, why are the dealers telling us that the offer was not available on our car ?
Has there been a specification down grade ? I ask this because we collected the car today and the doors do not have the 'technical' trim along the inside panels that our old one had (the new doors look very plain), and the door cills are black plastic on the new car where they were chrome on the old car.
Not major problems any of them but it would be nice to know the reason for the downgrade. We had sold the video camera to cover the cost of the CD player, these schemes always seem to backfire don't they ?
Anyway, 12 miles of problem free motoring is a promising start.
Nik & Anita

At least you got the VC, we are still waiting for ours.
Mike.
mike

Now don't tell me you bought a car just for the VC.
Dot

Picked up my ZS180 on may 10th and was told there were NO offers on the 180 but they were all available on the other models. (free insurance or camera)

Seems like a strange thing to try not to push the current top of a range unless they've found that the growing cult status of the car helping it sell itself?

Mark
DarkMark

We havn't got the video camera. But we do have the forms from MGR that tell us we should get one.
Dark Mark, have you got chrome door cills and technical inserts in your door panels?
Nik & Anita

Hi Nik&Anita
So you got it. 500 miles in the type "R". Only problem was when i put in some "supermarket" petrol. It "pinked" all over the place. I have topped up with shell Opto max. Alls fine now good car, the tyres don't like wet weather.
Regards.
Mike
Mike MEGA

I have had my 180 now for 2 weeks and have no fancy chrome inserts...

Come on N & A there is no way you could be fussy about the cabin of a 180 for the simple reason that there is nothing to get fussy about!. With or without the chromework it still is generaly boring and dated.

There will be no come back with regards your query as with MG, and any companys product they can change the spec at anytime, they put it down to continued improvement!. All small print!!

Get on with driving it!!

Kev.
K Heaton

New tyres need to be run in - just like a new car engine.
Dot

Kev, we do plenty of driving in our ZS's, 21k in 8 months in the last one,(that was about 12 ltrs of oil).
We won't be querying the interior with MGR, we are just asking people on the BBS if their cars are the same.
Maybe we are strange, but we quite like the interior of the ZS, it's not state of the art but it is better than a lot of cars, and it's not so good that we worry about the kids dropping the odd crumb or two in it.
MEGA, it is nearly football season, so we will check out your CTR when we come up to Everton. This ZS feels much more solid than the last, lets hope it stays that way. Just so that we don't agree on too many things my (Nik's) MGF is going superb still, 18k and not a single problem, and fairly rapid. I have driven 3 TF's and I would not swap any of them. The suspension is awful at best.
Does anybody with a ZS have plain doors like ours?
Nik & Anita

All the inserts are plain....black, black and more black....got black plate with white lettering on order (D4RKM probably no surprise)....Looks great, drives great, feels solid and attracts more than a fair few second looks...

It's great being a midlife tart.....roflmao!

DarkMark

Having just driven down to Euro Disney (what a rip off) with the kids(8-()I must say the ZS performed quite well, OK it is no tarmac scorcher but for 11k it was a bargain(still no VC). The ride was pretty good and predictable with no real worries perhaps a tad lower would help but this would probably not suit Trish as she uses it every day. The big valve head and some higher lift cams I have on my bench might find their way under the bonnet, this would help the breathing a bit:-].With only 5k on the speedo I have got to find a reason to get it in the shop, any suggestions?
Mike.
mike

Nick&Anita,

Bought mine from Carnelian end of March, no tech finish on doors and placky strips the same.

Oil ? I ran mine in under 3K for first 500 miles then 1000 RPM for each 100 mile from then, upto max power !!!

I used from max to min mark on dipstick in first 2K miles, now it uses no Oil at all.

I do drive quite hard and I think a good push once run in helps to bed the rings into the bores finally.

What colour have you gone for I'll keep an eye out for you when I'm in town.

See you around.

Mike

P.S. you ought to have a look on the xpower-mg.com forum.
mikeh

>>>>12 miles of problem free motoring

LOL!

>>>>got black plate with white lettering on order

Er, that's illegal isn't it? I wanted one for my anthracite MGF...
David Bainbridge

>>With only 5k on the speedo I have got to find a reason to get it in the shop, any suggestions? <<

An oil change Mike, that 'accidently' happened to include a few other sundries that were found necessary along the way. Afterall, we all know you need to take the head off to check for cam wear at the first oil change now don't we? ;o) ;o)
Rob Bell

Yeah right Rob but she ain't gonna swallow that, got to be a bit better reason. ?? Keep thinking...maybe a MG World feature ha ha ;-)
BTW phoned MG re the VC and they said the dealer had phoned and asked for it to be sent to them??? What's going on??? Looks like a call to FOXFIELD to see whose is Videoing their hols with my VC.
Mike.
Mike

MikeH,
Trophy Blue, for the 2nd time. What colour are you ? (the car that is). Also give a wave to the black MGF with a red roof.
Nik & Anita

>>Yeah right Rob but she ain't gonna swallow that, got to be a bit better reason. ?? Keep thinking...maybe a MG World feature ha ha ;-)<<

Nuts! LOL

Joking aside, an MG World feature would certainly be a possibility mate - it's been a while since there's been a good article on the Z saloons...
Rob Bell

Yeah Rob get Phil Raby to OK it and we could do a comparison with a standard car and a V6(Kelvin ?)
Going home now!mike
mike

Nik & Anita,

Le Mans Green 180 with Extreme Spoiler.

I work in Montford Bridge, and travel in and out on the A49 from Hawkstone most days. I have seen a Trophy Blue ZS around Bomere Heath, but that is the only one.

Will keep an eye open for the Zed & F, so if you see some nutter waving madly you'll know who it is. :)

Mike
mikeh

>>get Phil Raby to OK it and we could do a comparison with a standard car and a V6(Kelvin ?)<<

Wilco. I'll ask Phil if he can pull a standard 120 off the Press fleet to provide the base line - or else a 180 if Kelvin can't make it.
Rob Bell

Mike H, Bomere Heath, that'll be us. We live in Baschurch and the family live in Bomere. Where is there to work in Montford Bridge other than the pub and post office ? We travel through there regularly.
We will keep an eye out for you in future.
Nik & Anita

Nik & Anita

Mytton Mill.

Was it Nik I saw tonight about 5:45 ?
Flashed and waved to blank expression on back road from mytton to bomere.
Or is there another Trophy Blue Zed we've yet to meet.

Mike
mikeh

MikeH
No it wasn't us. We would have waved for certain.
We guess that the car you saw was our old one which Carnelian are useing as we sent it back with the road tax on. Mytton Mill, of course. Look forward to seeing you, maye a meet of the Z cars one evening.
Nik & Anita
Nik & Anita

MikeH
My wife used to work with someone at Enviros in Baschurch who drove a Trophy Blue ZS. He'd have been driving through at about that time but he hasn't got the MG bug so wouldn't have waved.

Mytton Mill - SLR?
Neil
Neil Stothert

Mike, we have an OK from Phil - so ready when ever you are ;o)

PS Difficult to get you rather than you-know-who when I phone... ;o) ;o)
Rob Bell

>>>I do drive quite hard and I think a good push once run in helps to bed the rings into the bores finally.<<<

Most definitely. A couple of rolling road sessions with mine and the engine hit a sweet spot which has continued for several thousand miles now. What is more the fuel consumption has improved by around 10% and the previous measurable oil consumption is not now measurable.

Rog
Roger Parker

Rog,

glad you agree, just coming up to 5K and likewise have noticed an improvement in MPG, and I drive it quicker now than earlier on. Averaging about 27-28 mpg, with foot down most of the time and no oil loss.

be interested in the figures off the rolling road, max BHP ?? and speed.

The only gauge I have for improvement is the ease at which I can hit a good speed.
Early on I would struggle to clear 115 -120 always running out of road, but now it comes straight up with little effort, still haven't had space to get her fully going tho' , max to date is 133 down the M40 8.30 on a Sunday morning, only backed off cause a rather brightly decal'd white range rover was coming into view ahead.

Have also noticed an improvement if a tankfull of Super is purchased, picks up quicker mid range.

Mike H
mikeh

Roger is probably not the best person to explain about maximum speeds to on Her Majesty’s highways.

However the M54 is always a good road in the evening as long as you watch for unmarked Omegas and BMWs. At 133 on the M54 you will not get close to catching up with a police car - they make you feel you're standing still at 100.

Neil Stothert

>>be interested in the figures off the rolling road, max BHP ?? <<

Not a Zed car, but MGF 1.8is - one car had done 30k, the other only a couple of thousand...
http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/exhaust_results/old_versus_new.htm

Okay, we are not looking at exactly the same car, but there are small differences in the power/ torque curves. No huge differences, but small gains here and there seem to make big differences in drivability... as anyone who's fitted a panel replacement airfilter will testify.
Rob Bell

MG World: 'it's been a while since there's been a good article on the Z saloons...'. Just like the buses, for ages there aren't any, and then two come along at the same time ... ;)
Ann MG Writer who will remain anonymous

This thread was discussed between 14/06/2002 and 09/07/2002

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical index

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