New victim to the Course?

It's a twink. Did not stay pristine for long. Thanks anyway.

Many thanks for the kind responses people.  I'll ask opinions of some of the available possibilities in a new post.  Apologies if they belong to members!

Can I offer a note on site etiquette; when dealing with our antipodean friends. You kindly refers to your Australian friend as a “Chap”, unfortunately Cobber informs us & quite forcefully, they are not chaps but Blokes.
It is a mistake I have made on any number of times & he won’t let me get away with it.
However if you wish to use “chap” please go ahead, it’ll take the pressure off me.
Oh, welcome aboard. 
M

ToadKeeper post=210611 userid=26232Many thanks Cobber. Chap who is a Twink race engine expert on Elan.net was (is) an Aussie. We had many a chat. (Even if a bit one way!)
Where do I find the online manual? 
Any idea what the vehicle 2nd in the 2nd image is?   
Wonder what a sparkly Lotus 11 is worth these days.   One of my favourite articles - https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a28512925/the-legend-of-the-lotus-eleven/
  

I'm not sure about the car rolling about like a labrador on a fresh cut lawn, is in the background of the 2nd pic, possibly and old Simca from what I can make out of the grille shape, but the track is Winton Raceway in rural Victoria, and given that the race had a mixed field of touring and sports cars in was probably the Winton 6 Hour which was a relay race of 3 car teams, the Lotus was a DNF as per usual.
I seem to recall a small stone managed to get sucked into one of the Weber carburetors and as the saying goes "That knackered that sketch!"

VinceR wrote:

Where do I find the online manual? 

David Aiketgate replied:-
Have a look in the  Library, Downloads section. Technical manuals.  Click here.  You'll find the MGF, MGTF, and MGTF (09 on) workshop manuals.

 

I understand your choice (LOL). Color combinations are very subjective and can make a huge difference in personal appeal. The nice thing about these cars is that they came in a wide assortment of color combinations. The choice of MGF vs MG TF is also personal. MGFs were somewhat better built but lack some of the technical improvements of the MGFs. Trophy models are probably the best compromise but they did not come in the color combinations you want. Keep in mind there were Mk1 and Mk2 MGFs if that is what you want. The Abingdon and 75th anniversary special editions came in the color combinations that you like (although I think the shade of green might be a bit darker).

Rebuilt hydragas spheres for MGFs are available, they are just expensive, although it is probably not that much worse than any other suspension refurbishment.

Take your time in finding the right car. The issues are overblown. This site has invaluable 'how to guides' that will explain how to do it yourself. A lot of the smaller stuff is easy to do. These cars are well understood by now, so most 'issues' are easy to identify and prevent. They are sort of modern and vintage at the same time. If you look after them, they are quite reliable. Most parts are easy to find (except a few) and inexpensive. There is a lot of great advice on this site on how to improve the original design as well (in terms of handling, comfort, reliability etc.).

I would strongly recommend asking here when inspecting any potential car, You will get a lot of experienced advice and useful pointers! Just be sure to share photos as it is easier to understand. 

I would also recommend the Restoration Guide by Roger Parker. It is a great resource. The Buyer Guide book by comparison is useless.  

Noce Lotus BTW. the 2+2 is one of my favorite models!

As it happens an "anniversary" is one that I am interested in.   -  https://www.gumtree.com/p/mg/mg-mgtf-convertible-2004-manual-1796-cc-2-doors/1487487981
Looks very like yours - same car?
You would be just the man to ask -  does the light tan /beige covered dashboard top reflect in the screen?  It looks like it here or is that just the camera angle? 
     

What do you think of the car on offer?

Vince

Thats a well presented interior. Good colours, decent alcantara inlay seats plus the relatively rare wood effect dash and steering wheel.
 

The lighter interiors are more pleasing to my eye than the “limestone quarry floor”, “testicular black” range, even the “hand granade red” is a bit off, in my opinion.
Had I been aware of interiors other than “mudstone” I might have looked further.
But I didn’t; I recon that would serve nicely.
M

"testicular black"? surely that would depend on the dermatological hue of the barer of the testicles in question.

That is so, however I couldn’t summon up another suitable & frivolous substitute for “technical”, certainly not within the timescale.
M

Yes, it is an 80th anniversary car and I have the same interior.
The tan dash definitely does not reflect light at all.
The car looks good from the photos but you will need to have a closer look at the  wheel wells and underside for corrosion.
The color matched hardtop is a nice to have. Some people do not care for them but personally I find it really transforms the car in the winter. The liner, if original, is almost certainly sagging but is an easy fix.
Overall the car looks to be well kept and original. 
The lighter color convertible top shows dirt and stains much more than a darker color top.
The color is an aquamarine that looks either green or blue depending on the light.
The faded badges front and rear are very typical for the MG TF. The wind blocker is a nice little extra, 
Personally, I am not a huge fan of the alcantra seats and changed mine out for leather. I did however save the original seats as they are specific to this model.
The carpet is pulling away from the door openings - this is very normal and can be easily rectified by putting some dense foam padding under the footwell carpet.
If you plan on checking it out in person please advise and we can give you a few pointers of things to check.
Personally, it was the color scheme of this particular model that attracted me to the car.