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MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - Honda Type 'R' first 1,000 miles

1,000 MIles.
No problems
No return to dealership
No hassle expect "Supermarket fuel" used Optoimax (Fag flush) to clean out engine.

IF only MGR could build them like this.
Mega
Mega

What cars that cannot run on English petrol - why would be want that?
Patrick Beet

I dread to think what "Optoimax (Fag flush)" is!
Dot

>>>> why would be want that?
Hey Patrick you’re making as much sense as Mega!
Cecil Kimber

MG ZS180

12375 Miles
No Problems
No return to dealership
No haasle with supermarket fuel
No gearstick poking out of the dash like a 2CV
Plenty of grunt
Sexy noise
Millions of heads going thru 180 degrees when I pass
No looking like a usual supermarket trolley with a few add ons

If only Honda built them like that

Andy (ex CRX)
Andy

Andy,

you're well tempting providence here .... betcha the thing falls apart before 200,000 miles.

BTW ... sexy noise ... what an understatement!!

Enjoy ... :o))
John McFeely

Re: If only MGR could build them like this. My recent experience has been over 50,000 miles in a 420 diesel (1997 - 2000) with only two one day visits to a dealer outside the 12,000 mile services. I should add that this car was not treated gently. I now have a ZS180 which has 8,000 miles on the clock and no visits to a dealer. I know some cars do have problems (from all manufacturers) but I do not see the above as exceptional - just normal.
PS My MG runs fine on supermarket fuel and the engine is a pleasure to use whether being driven gently or fast so it would seem to be a better bet than the Honda.
C Morris

Mr (?) Morris, Mega, despite his youth (well that's the only excuse I can think of for his ignorance) is a little behind the times.
Dot

Just come in from a night out on the piss with my mates Mega.

Bet you wish you could say the same....

hahahah
K Heaton

You this mega man are the many time talking like a goat that has the castration. I am thinking that like the goat that has this castration you are not being able to service the female. This person i buy this f*ck mercedes anus of car from, this man that has this alsation for the racing. This man he own this honda cars. This man is anus man. you are f*ck anus man. i one day want to beat on this man for this car that he sell to me. My brother he stop me.

You are knowing this man i feel. this man had this honda. you have this honda. you know this man. i see you drive you honda i beat you with the object that i find nearby. this object in the most likely even is a brick or perhaps a traffic cone. i beat you you f*ck man. i hate you many time for to be driving this car.
Yoram Shevach

At last, someone's put into words what I've long felt about Mega.

Nice one, Mr Shevach.
Mr Peebles

As usual, Yoram explains everything we all wanted to say but never knew how to say it. Blunt and straight to the point, he makes a valid point and is certainly a useful contribution to this forum.

I hope Mega 'i talk about fags alot cos i'm gay' realises that putting up such a thread to somehow annoy MG owner's is pointless. They are the smart ones as they chose the better car.
Dov



I do not know much about cars but my take on this is that it is who has the better quality metal that makes a vehicle meet top marks. For a vehicle to upstand test impacts is the key. So many of these foreign cars
fail test impacts due to poor metal quality, including the metal of the body of the vehicle. When buying foreign cars, it is often the cheap metal one pays.

And the money that Americans buy into cheap quality cars, is contributing to foreign heavy industry (military defense). Too much of American money being sent overseas to buy cheap cars and not enough dollars
being sent back.
Ronnie

What a load of tosh

No wonder other boards are doing better
Anon

Yay! Yoram's back! Go go go!
David Bainbridge

Honda Type 'R' first 1,000 miles

Like find someone who gives a toss...
David Beckham

>>>>>>Too much of American money being sent overseas to buy cheap cars
… and Ronnie has the cheek to post this sort of thing on BBS about British cars? Yes Ronnie the cars we talk about would be foreign on your shores. Duh!
I do wonder sometimes!
Cecil Kimber

Ronnies "I do not know much about cars" could easily be truncated to end after "much", including his knowlege of his whereabouts. Saloons are, after all, Old West pubs, are they not?
George B.

Even so but Ronnie, Baltimore makes a valid point.

Based on my PERSONAL experience of both Japanese cars and motorcycles since the 1960s, it's obvious to this observer that in MANY instances, the Japanese often use poorer quality base materials for the motoring products. The better quality base stuff went elsewhere apparently. This meant that the standard of finish had to be of high quality to disguise this, and this the japanese industry did successfully. To illustrate my point, my Triumph Motor Cycle bought new in 1961, had many engine parts of high grade polished alloy WITHOUT any varnish or protective coating at all. Even years later, a quick rub over with a rag and a little metal polish ... better than new. Cant do that with older Japanese motorcycles. As anyone who's restored motorcycles will tell you, yhey need to be refinished and re-coated with protective agents.

My 1964 and 1975 Hondas were well finished but closer inspection of the alloys used show many flaws in the base metals disguised cleverly with a high level of clear varnish like protective coating. Once that coating was disturbed, by weathering or simple wear and tear, the deterioration of the exposed base metals was VERY rapid. I could quote many similar instances involving cars from Japan.

The quality of alloy on my O series MG Montego engine's camshaft and cylinder head housing appears of higher grade alloy than found on several well known German cars, and many more Japanese ones. The longevity of the O series is now legendary but this maybe partially due to a little over-engineering as some other manufacturers approach similar levels of longevity using apparently lower grade materials, all other things being equal.

I do not know the current situation with recent cars and motorcycles from Japan manufactured say over the past five years or so, but maybe now the Japanese have access to and can afford the better base materials now and use them. If this is so, then things may have changed.

That the Japanese perfected the art of making a "silk purse out of a sow's ear" from lower grade materilas is highly commendable and the punters like it. Your average car or bike buying punter would not look that closely at their purchase when new.

Finally, those K series Motors, both 4 and 6 cylinder versions used in the current MG-R range: I have only limited experience of them but would be interested to know if the base metals used are of similar quality to that used in those old O series engines.

It's a vast subject and I for one find it of great interest. Anyone with direct experience of base metal quality with the latest Japanese product please provide feedback.

John McFeely
John McFeely

Maybe a lot depends on the circumstances, John. I don't believe anything could have been of a lower quality base material than the original crankshafts and rear axles of the MGTD's I have owned, two broken crankshafts and four broken halfshafts. The U.K. had more pressing issues at the time. The most recent experience I have on Nissans is a 1984 that achieved 360,000 miles without a rebuild and a 1991 that passed tough California smog test at 340,000 miles without a rebuild. Maybe they're overengineered, but do I care?
George B.

Lots of mainstream Nissan engines reach these spaceship miles only by being so spectaclarly detuned. I dunno what you have, but I bet it ain't a 280Z.
My old Rover 820 is still banging around the streets of Stoke as a taxi with some 220K up (last time i looked!)
Dave

Excuse my ignorance, Dave; but is your old Rover one of the Honda engined Rovers?
George B.

No. One of the old 2 litre DOHC's originally derived from the O series, which first saw the light of day back in '78.
Dave

Many O series Montegos/Rovers used as Taxis get extremely high mileages on original components. Ten years ago, most of the taxis which operated from Gloucester Main Line Railway Station were white Montego 2 litre cars. When waiting for relatives to arrive, I often talked to their drivers. Recently, ten years on, only one or two of those Taxi Montegos remain in service. Some of their mileages are/were huge, a third of a million miles is not unknown. All mostly short runs to/from the station, not many longer runs which benefit engine longevity. Several of the 2 litre Montegos in my family have 140-150,000 plus on their clocks - all on original components - and still going strong with little oil used.

Even the more highly stressed, and often abused O series 8 valve turbo can reach these levels of longevity. Originally earmarked as a replacement power unit for the MGB back in the 1970s, the O series is a great 'ordinary' engine and in it's latest and most developed form, as the T16 Turbo, much valued and sought after by enthusiasts.

Pity BMW brought about its termination ....

JMcF
John McFeely

George B,

Most of the Rover 800 sold in the UK had the 2 litre T series engines (hence the name 820). The more expensive ones and all those sold in the States with the Sterling lable had Honda's rice burner V6 engine.

I thought the old T series was a solid lump but not hugely refined. It was past its sell-by date. The sad thing is that the replacement KV6 (or even the missing V8) were not available sooner!

Cheers

Patrick
Patrick Beet

http://members.cox.net/marklein/rtype/toilet.htm

:o)
Dot

No one can build cars better than GM. THe problem is GM isn't so good at designing them. Even toyota knows this, that is why toyota has GM build their corollas for them here in the US. A toyota corolla and a geo
prism/chevy prism are the same thing.

However, the new chevy impala is an excellent car. It beats everything in its class(going by the specs). On paper, nothing can touch it. I've never actually drove one so I can't say firsthand.

Go online and compare specs. Compare vehicle size, weight, fuel economy, engine power, sticker price..... the chevy has more power, a bigger engine, more room, more standard equipment...and still gets better gas
mileage and costs the same or less than everything else.
Ronnie


SNIP
<<No one can build cars better than GM>>

eh?

What about Audi/VW/Mercedes/and dare I say B*W?

Surely the above (regardless of if you like the cars) have at least similar/comparable build quality??

dave m

David Morris


Who gives a flying F..k how good GM builds cars.
In this country they are/have shut a plant transferring production to Germany (1000s of jobs lost).
Just another American company screwing the British. The British who are the most loyal customers and allies of the USA out of the whole of Europe if not the world.

Massey Ferguson plant in Coventry to close. Massey was a distant ancestor (brother I think of my late Grandmother). 1000 jobs lost, production being transferred to France & Brazil.

Besides Ronnie, look at the top of this page and tell me where it says 'The GM Enthusiasts BBS' or are you reading this via a mirror? Do you suffer from word blindness? or is it that your just a moron (my deepest apologies to all morons reading this who happen to love MG's).

Had a bad day.........
M P Nash

So Dot, what do you do all day? Find these excellent obscure sites and let us know about them?
So it is true Honda build crap cars!!!
Cecil Kimber

Dot
He's an American who is pissed off with the fact that Honda build a better car than Ford USA. The first (and proberly last time) he trys to match one though a fast bumpy conner he is going to be discussing the matter with GOD!

Just to day i "Leathed" an Audi TT, and Roys TVR 350i.

CTR RULE baby!
Mega
Mega

I would consider buying a foreign car if they could make interiors that didn't suck. Cramped leg space, either no cup holders or poorly designed ones, unconfortable seats, poor layout. It is the little things that make a car usable. If I have to take my eyes off the road to use any of the controls there is a real problem (hello europe with your flat indestingushable buttons. brail == good)

I refuse to buy a VW, even if it was the most perfict and desired car in the world. The VW bug would not have existed if it wasn't for Adolf Hitler!

Americans trucks are the only trucks if you are going to use it as a truck - yuppies need not apply.
Ronnie

Ronnie is surely someone taking the piss. No one can really believe than nonsense.

Cheers

Patrick

PS Schools arn't on holiday in the States yet are they?
Patrick

Mega,

Can you please find a Civic Type 'R' website to air your unwanted views, us (I'm sure I speak for all) MG drivers are fed up with your narow minded "Honda" views, Yes Honda make good cars, but we don't visit this site to talk about them. If we want to read 1000 mile reviews of the latest civic, we will visit the honda sites for a laugh. Thanks & all the best in your new Honda surroundings,

Giga. X
Giga (x1000)

Mega

There are people running around in 8v and 16v O series turbos that would leave your Honda Type R in the dust

Bet youd be really proud of your car after being overtaken by a maestro.

Gary
Gary

You can't be too mad at this Honda owner... I sold my midget and bought a honda cause my MG was always breaking down and I was starting college. Incidentally I am here cause I am writing an essay on internet communities. When I thought of online communities I came here, cause it's the best one I know of. I've been to Honda boards in search of technical advice.. even simple questions, all anyone talks about is fart-tip mufflers, neon lights, vibrator amps and other obnoxious things surely to get them auspicious notice. I like my '89 Prelude, not as much as I would have liked to own a Midget in good condition. You can't blame this guy for wanting higher intelligence than you find in Honda chat...
people don't wave back to me from their MG's anymore.
Saul

This thread was discussed between 22/06/2002 and 15/07/2002

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG ZR ZS ZT Technical BBS is active now.