I've got an S-reg MGF 1.8 MPI. Love it to bits. Photo not mine, but my car looks very similar.
Unbeatable value for money, a specimen in good nick will run you no more than £1,500 at the moment. Now is the time to buy one, as prices can only rise in the next few years.
And parts can be had for a song, as many people are breaking theirs right now. They're quite easy to work on, unlike most modern cars, because even in the mid-90s, they weren't state of the art technology. They were developed by Rover on a shoestring budget, meaning you have many Rover and Austin stock parts in them that weren't latest generation.
Provided you've really got a car that's been well taken care of, they drive like a dream. The mid-engine layout makes tight cornering loads of fun. The 120hp, 1.8-litre Rover K series MPI engine can feel a little doughy above 3500 rpm, but gives you enough thrust to zip up and down curvy country lanes, which are definitely the car's natural habitat. Although they have a top speed of 120 mph, you won't be comfortable at much more than 70 mph.
One mod that really made a difference was throwing out the factory 48mm plastic throttle body and installing the 52mm aluminium throttle body that later MG TFs had as standard. It didn't turn it into a race car, but the engine definitely feels much more alive and responsive.
My car had head gasket failure a year before I bought it, and the previous owner had it done at a place that specialised in Rover engines. Apparently, they used to be a licenced garage and kept it up after Rover went tits up. They did a top job, because while they were fixing the damage done by the head gasket, they pretty much stripped down the whole engine and did everything from new crankshaft bearings to new piston rings. The result being that despite its now 80,000 miles, the engine drives like a new car.
But yes, I agree with you, K series engines were notorious for their head gasket problems.
What they also don't like is when you pull the exhaust manifold bolts too tight. The aluminium of the cylinder heads can be brittle like chocolate. I had to cut a whole new thread into the side of the head for one bolt.
Other than that, it's a problem free engine that never gives you much trouble. I've had my MGF for four years now and the only time it broke down was when the fuel pump failed in mid-traffic, so not really an engine problem.
I've had a few MX-5's so I'm duty bound to take the piss out of MG owners, but there's definitely something really fucking enjoyable about a cheap, simple sporty car.
How fast a car does means nothing at all on UK roads - cornering is all of the fun.
Yes, I've heard jokes aplenty. One of my mates said to me right after I bought it, "When did you become a gay hairdresser!". And all that. I'm also not sure what to make of the fact that several women have applauded my car telling me it "has such a cute baby face with its big round eyes".
What you do notice is that two types of people turn their heads at you in the street when you go by on a summer day with the hood down... middle aged dad types and twentysomething women. I guess for middle aged men it's a manifestation of midlife crisis that they wish they had a convertible like mine, or really any convertible, but women really give you that look like their initial interest in you is sparked.
I was never quite sure how to turn the latter into a way of pulling birds with my car, but then I've always been more the shy type.
>>4132 I used to have a 323f, Which was a fine car. Nothing overly special, but being Japanese it was well built and never had any major mechanical problems.
I had an RX8 for a while, loved it, but they're proper money sinks. Not as expensive as keeping an old Porsche or something, but basically any engine trouble means you need to rebuild the thing, and the apex seals eventually go. I spent about two grand on the car then another three on the rebuild and various other stuff within the year. Again, not huge money, but expect to spend it again in 60k miles even if you look after it.
I'd not recommend owning an RX7 or 8 unless you're really, truly psychologically prepared to have to pay a niche specialist to look after your car. I'd say it's not even practical to own one unless you live within towing distance of a rotary garage.
They don't actually break as much as people say they do, but when they do, they really do.
Use a fuck load of oil too, by design. I'm very glad I had one, but I'm also very glad I didn't have to rely on it to take me to work.
RX7s are even better and they're mad little bastards. I do love a rotary, revving up to 12k is something very special in a car.
I used to have a VW Golf IV cabriolet. Decent car, the Germans know their stuff when it comes to build quality. Not something that exuded a lot of style, but a dependable convertible by all means.
But an older chap crashed into it with his Land Rover at an intersection and it was a complete writeoff. I was going to get another convertible of some kind, but then I ended up buying a Ford Focus instead. Still miss having an open-top car. I can definitely recommend owning one at some point in your life.