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MG MGF Technical - Sports car?

Hi you fellow "F" drivers,
When I purchased my NEW 1.8 vvc car, I tried 2nd-hand ones "FIRST" to see what rattled, fell off, sounded noisey, didn't like, and build quality (poor) etc.
Road tested the handling, gear change, brakes (poor) and general drivability. Enjoyed the car and could live with it and it's faults, so bought one.
However, I have never owned a car in which you can't lock the back wheels when applying the hand brake. Sports car without hand-brake turns???????????
Since then I have road tested other MGF'S like mine, same year, same model, with the same result.
Cars I have owned range from an 850cc mini, Capris 1600 cc to 3 litre V6, MG 1300 Mk 2 saloon and at least 15 more. All do hand-brake turns with ease.
Just what were MGR thinking of in this area when designing this car?
Comments welcome,
Chris

Chris Jones

>>850cc mini, Capris 1600 cc to 3 litre V6, MG 1300 Mk 2 saloon <<
All with rear drum brakes - which typically provide a more effective handbrake.
>>Just what were MGR thinking of in this area when designing this car?<<
Providing decent rear brakes with discs - with ABS potential. The handbrake is effective as a parking brake. I think you'd be hard pushed to find any modern cars that can perform handbrake turns as effectively as a midget or mini.

I suggest 'J' turns instead :-)
Steve

I found the F to do quite good hand brake turns but this was on a slippery snowy/wet/cold surface at north weald as part the MGOT and this was with out really doing hand brake turns ever before.

I would not however attempt this on normal roads.

Tom
Tom Randell

I think the fact all the other cars in your list are front engined and therefore lighter at the rear than the front could also explain it. You have to remember the MGF is mid engined, so the weight is more evenly distributed front to rear, and due to the increase in rear loading over a FWD car, its has more rear end grip, which makes it harder to loose rear end traction.
It will also depend on what tyres you have fitted. On my old MGF with GY NTC3's fitted on the rear it was easy to pull harndbreak turns or get the back end out under cornering. That’s one reason I got rid of them tyres, and later the car.
Steve White

Chris
if you want to see handbrake turns in an F watch the master at work Russ Swift
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/ppark.mpg

David
david

Now Thats DRIVING
John Dickson

Ah, but didn't Russ have a hydraulic handbrake?

Ralph
Ralph

It's all a matter of balance !, lift off the accelerator touch the foot brake to get the weight forward, twist the steering wheeel and a pull on the ol'handbrake and the back end should come round.
only where it's safe to do so of course.
mike :-)
Mike (London Office)

This thread was discussed between 01/07/2004 and 02/07/2004

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.