Topic

I stumbled into MG ownership completely by accident. I had never intended buying an MGF, never wanted one really, not something I had longed for, not something that had ever really appeared on my radar.

On a cold, wet, autumnal evening at a car auction, whilst looking for an estate or 4x4 the Tahiti blue F drove towards the auctioneers podium.
Smitten and for the princely sum of £800, many years ago, I became the custodian of a MkII F.

What a journey it has been. I have, hand on heart, enjoyed every mile and more from that little F.

I have met some fantastic people, enjoyed banter, battles of opinion and learnt a lot about cars. I'm positive that someday I may buy another MG but for now my MG ownership is nearing an end. With heavy heart I am tomorrow breaking the F and will be searching in earnest for a replacement toy.







I guess I'm doing you all a favour, the fewer F's around there are, the rarer they become and the more valuable they'll be.

Parts of my F will undoubtedly go to good homes and enhance a few F's or TF's, so like an organ donor will live on in a way.

Jerry McGovern and all those that worked on the F, I salute you, you made something special, that made people feel special.

I've enjoyed following your journey with the MGF on the forums for some time now and I wish you well with your next challenge.
Have you wrecked the car or has the rust finally gotten the better of it, or are you just breaking it to recover costs?
It really confuses me how some Brits will work so hard on a car only to scrap it when they lose interest. I read about it time and again on the UK forums but It is something that is seldom done over here.
It is far more common to sell a loved much-modified car at a loss rather than scrap it to recoup a bit of cash. I've done it myself more than once and I find this parting out confusing. It must be a difference in our car culture vs yours.
No offence meant of course, and all the best to you.

I agree with Rich on this one.

The decision to break rather than sell is often driven by the fact that the parts are worth more than the whole, I suspect. The low prices that cars achieve is baffling when compared to the price of individual parts.
In other countries I am sure the retail value of the car would be much higher.

I will start at the begining.
When I lived in England I loved to work on cars like most of you, we seem to get a buzz from fixing some thing and getting it working again, especially if it's not your full time job so we call it a hobby !!!!!!.
Now the problem's start if you need some welding doing or you need some one who's understanding and feels the way you do about your car ( far and few between)
or need some thing pressing out then in, you get the general idear.
Then the next thing is the weather and how much room you have in side your garage.
Then paint work same applies.
I never thought at the age of 47 I would be stripping bits down and fixing them, Mrs Tommy away for two weeks and as I noticed a couple of creaks and brake sticking thought I would dedicate today have a look the out come is one seized brake slider front now unseized and re grease front roller bearings as need renewing parts ordered.
Now the bit about scraping, if I lived in England I would Not have bought a 10 year old car, but because I don't I did as I have very little rain and no problem with neighbours. so I can weld bang spray to my harts content this seems to make a diffrence from keeping on the road or not.
So all Mg owners should sell up bring there cars and move to the sun and a larger garage then there would be no scrap mg's so mg people would be green .
My thought of the day.
Tommy.

So long Paul I'm sure you'll be back in the seat of an MG.I lasted less than a year before I had to get another one.

As regards to breaking, no matter how much you've done to an F or TF in this country you will still get chuff all for it when it's time to sell,so I guess it makes sense as you will get more money for the parts than selling it as a car. Pauls car would be up against other F's that will be priced at five or six hundred pounds,so hardly anyone will pay what the car is truly worth.A lot of people out there just buy them to break anyway.It's your car to do with as you wish.

Hope we meet up again someday Paul, stay on the forum and keep us posted on your new car. Good luck

It is a difficult one, I put my ZS up for sale and gradually reduced the price over 6 months until I would have given it away, MOT and tax ran out so I parked it at my dads and broke it for £900.

Don't sit on the fence, which is it the above or..

talkingcars wrote: wrote:

I agree with Rich on this one.

The simple matter is that as after repairing damage caused by tin worm plus the cost of a respray/partial respray I will still have a car which is worth less than the costs involved. It simply makes no sense. I can sell a few bits make a bit of money and move on.

I understand peoples feelings. I remember feeling exactly the same way when phil-hex announced he was going to be breaking his silver stealth stripped TF a few years back. It is way too easy to become very emotionally attached to something you've treasured, worked on and has given you so much pleasure.
Guess it's a bit like on of those old Alsations with crippling arthritis in the back legs ... do you watch it slowly die a long unsightly, painful death or take it to the vet and let it go with it's dignity intact.

If a half decent F was worth over £3000 and an appreciating asset the story would be different.

It was nice meeting you and I enjoyed your input into the forum.

I wish you all the best in your new car adventure.

I haven't seen the thread where you are trying to sell the car.
As I said, I would have given the mk1 ZS away, i.e. at a loss as per Rich's post but after 6 months I was left with the choice of giving it to the scrap man or breaking it myself.