How did your ZT/75 love start and do you feel the same now?

[TomRS]

So on the back of another thread i made about where my love started it got me thinking.
Whats peoples stories how did you come to get your first zt/75 and why? and then why do you buy more and more?


My MG love started about 6 months ago i needed a work car to come over to and from barrow every week as i was putting too many miles on the RS6 so the missus found a K1.8 ZT for £400 on trader, as it was just round the corner from our house and i thought ideal runabout lets go take a look its literally in walking distance and very cheap!
Never ever looked at MG's or Rovers till that day, it was a mk2 in amazing condition and only 64k on the clock.
Drove great, but it was HORRENDOUSLY slow and i ended up flat out everywhere so it was bad on fuel and i decided it had to go, i fixed a few issues on it, serviced it and cleaned it i then made my mind up that they were really easy and quite enjoyable car to work on.

off i went into the unknown looking for diesel ZT's as i had my heart set on a MG now but wanted something a bit more economical.

So found a diesel trophy blue mk1 for £750 this required much TLC including full service, master cylinder, injectors cleaning etc etc so i did all my learning on that car and it was a joy to play around with, then came all the upgrades 190 brakes, mk2 seats, braided lines, egr blank etc etc as i found out more and more by joining this very group.
Then i liked them so much i kinda went a bit mad bidding on cars on eBay, had 5 and 2 breakers at one point.
a Solar red 190 Mk1
Anthracite 190 Mk1
XPG 190 Mk2
Trophy Blue CDTi Mk1
Trophy blue Tourer CDTi Mk1
Starlight Silver Tourer CDTi Mk1
Trophy blue 190 Mk1

And now this mk2 190 SE on LPG.

This ones a keeper though as it truly has got everything.

Probably end up with a few more over the years as I really want to try a 1.8t before I throw the towel in, but I wont ever be parting with this mk2.

Few pics of them dotted around here.

[chambl01]

Originally Posted by TomRS

So on the back of another thread i made about where my love started it got me thinking.
Whats peoples stories how did you come to get your first zt/75 and why? and then why do you buy more and more?


My MG love started about 6 months ago i needed a work car to come over to and from barrow every week as i was putting too many miles on the RS6 so the missus found a K1.8 ZT for £400 on trader, as it was just round the corner from our house and i thought ideal runabout lets go take a look its literally in walking distance and very cheap!
Never ever looked at MG's or Rovers till that day, it was a mk2 in amazing condition and only 64k on the clock.
Drove great, but it was HORRENDOUSLY slow and i ended up flat out everywhere so it was bad on fuel and i decided it had to go, i fixed a few issues on it, serviced it and cleaned it i then made my mind up that they were really easy and quite enjoyable car to work on.

off i went into the unknown looking for diesel ZT's as i had my heart set on a MG now but wanted something a bit more economical.

So found a diesel trophy blue mk1 for £750 this required much TLC including full service, master cylinder, injectors cleaning etc etc so i did all my learning on that car and it was a joy to play around with, then came all the upgrades 190 brakes, mk2 seats, braided lines, egr blank etc etc as i found out more and more by joining this very group.
Then i liked them so much i kinda went a bit mad bidding on cars on eBay, had 5 and 2 breakers at one point.
a Solar red 190 Mk1
Anthracite 190 Mk1
XPG 190 Mk2
Trophy Blue CDTi Mk1
Trophy blue Tourer CDTi Mk1
Starlight Silver Tourer CDTi Mk1
Trophy blue 190 Mk1

And now this mk2 190 SE on LPG.

This ones a keeper though as it truly has got everything.

Probably end up with a few more over the years as I really want to try a 1.8t before I throw the towel in, but I wont ever be parting with this mk2.

Few pics of them dotted around here.

Great story, beautiful cars.

[TomRS]

Thanks mate,

Was hoping i'd get some really good stories but unfortunately no ones really given theres!

[Lord of Hog]

I'd always had Mitsubishis (and still have my lovely Outlander 1). However I finally had to admit to myself that my last one (FTO Yobbomobile) just wasn't really suitable for someone in their 50s so I sold it to a local enthusiast and set about looking for something else without any real idea of what I was looking for.

I saw my X-reg 2.5 on eBay for £480. It was only a few miles down the road and I thought it looked vaguely interesting. I put down a minimum bid in the certainty that someone else would outbid me, so I didn't even bother to go and look at it.

A few days later I became the proud (and surprised) owner of a 75 with no idea what it did, how it worked, what was likely to go wrong or how to fix it. I happened upon this august forum purely by chance. On joining up my first impression was what nice people were here. A stark contrast to the cliquey FTO owners' club.

Since that point I've rediscovered the joy of spending weekends up to my elbows in engine, which I hadn't done for the last 20 years. In the 8 months that I've had the car so far I've carried out the following:

Replaced thermostat (3 times - once for duff stat, once for duff pipe, once through own stupidity), replaced rear discs, pads and sensor wire, replaced VIS motors, replaced Shannon tube, replaced headlamps (dead snail in one), carried out plenum spy-hole mod, fitted Jules plenum guard to O/S and fashioned one of my own on the N/S, replaced pollen filter, fitted a K&N air filter, replaced a window switch unit, a door rubber and the O/S cantrail trim, replaced rear light seals, re-sealed boot side vents, replaced the missing jacking point rubbers, fitted a proper smiley rear plate, fitted chrome indicator bulbs, fitted LED reversing lights, number plate lights and interior lights (including vanity mirror lights), replaced upper and lower radiator hoses along with expansion tank hose, replaced plugs, replaced broken breather hoses, replaced 2 broken injectors, replaced the O ring on the injector rail front-to-back pipe, repaired my spinning boot lock. I'm currently waiting for a wheel arch liner to arrive so I can fit that along with a brake cooling duct.

In this time I think I may have racked up all of 500 miles in it (having no covered place to work I have rather been hampered by the rain). But I've strangely fallen in love with this big lumpy blue thing that everyone else seems to hate. I've learned that they're not nearly as complicated as they look. I've also learned that there's always someone out there willing to give advice and the benefit of their experience. I'm almost wanting a wet end to the year so I don't have to struggle to choose between playing with the 75 and watching my beloved Southampton FC. In short I'm hooked and I'm loving it.

[Kennyeth]

My love of them started just a bit before 2009 when a good friend bought a connie cdt.
Every time he visited me in it I admired it and kept saying to him "it`s to good for you Gaz" one time he came he said he was selling because he wanted a BRG ZT said if I "gave him £2,250 you can have it"
Two days later it was mine, and I knew nothing about Rover group and how there were a following even then in 2009.
I searched around and joined this club but never bothered with it until a few years ago while searching for a fix to a problem, cannot remember what it was but the more I came here and read how lot`s of people "lusted" about these cars I decided that no matter what fault comes up I am going to keep and repair, something that in the past I would have moved onto another car.
I got the bug so much that I bought an identical spec but a tourer in Gold to match my saloon and here we are, two nice cars that in reality I do not need, I think both cars only do about 250 miles a year but hey, those 500 mile are very very nice
Ken.

[TomRS]

Two fantastic stories!

Its strange isnt it... how you just fall in love with them, this is what i cant get my head round.
They arent anything special in real terms... and compared to a modern car are antiquate in technology.
But for some reason i get more fun and pleasure driving the MG then i do my RS6
Can someone explain that??

Its why i asked the question, they just seem to draw you in, on first glance you wouldnt even look twice but after a day of owning the keys and having a good drive, getting your hands dirty fixing and upgrading them you really do get a really strong attachment.
The only other car that i've been this attached to is my Accord, i've had that 7yrs and i think i'll have the MG for the long haul too, it'll get parked up in my garage when it becomes too hard to maintain because of cost and will become part of my classic garage.

The RS6 will go next year for something else a bit silly, probably an R8 but the Beautiful grey Zed will stay.

[Colin P]

Originally Posted by TomRS

So on the back of another thread i made about where my love started it got me thinking.
Whats peoples stories how did you come to get your first zt/75 and why? and then why do you buy more and more?


My MG love started about 6 months ago i needed a work car to come over to and from barrow every week as i was putting too many miles on the RS6 so the missus found a K1.8 ZT for £400 on trader, as it was just round the corner from our house and i thought ideal runabout lets go take a look its literally in walking distance and very cheap!
Never ever looked at MG's or Rovers till that day, it was a mk2 in amazing condition and only 64k on the clock.
Drove great, but it was HORRENDOUSLY slow and i ended up flat out everywhere so it was bad on fuel and i decided it had to go, i fixed a few issues on it, serviced it and cleaned it i then made my mind up that they were really easy and quite enjoyable car to work on.

off i went into the unknown looking for diesel ZT's as i had my heart set on a MG now but wanted something a bit more economical.

So found a diesel trophy blue mk1 for £750 this required much TLC including full service, master cylinder, injectors cleaning etc etc so i did all my learning on that car and it was a joy to play around with, then came all the upgrades 190 brakes, mk2 seats, braided lines, egr blank etc etc as i found out more and more by joining this very group.
Then i liked them so much i kinda went a bit mad bidding on cars on eBay, had 5 and 2 breakers at one point.
a Solar red 190 Mk1
Anthracite 190 Mk1
XPG 190 Mk2
Trophy Blue CDTi Mk1
Trophy blue Tourer CDTi Mk1
Starlight Silver Tourer CDTi Mk1
Trophy blue 190 Mk1

And now this mk2 190 SE on LPG.

This ones a keeper though as it truly has got everything.

Probably end up with a few more over the years as I really want to try a 1.8t before I throw the towel in, but I wont ever be parting with this mk2.

Few pics of them dotted around here.

Hi i had always had hatchbacks nissan micras and a 59 plate corsa. I had never really noticed the 75/zt before but when i took notice of them and had a look inside one i knew i had to own one. I began my search for a 75 diesel in British Racing Green ( my fav colour) but couldnt find one but then i noticed a club se cdt saloon in wedgewood blue for sale at a dealer in nottingham. After viewing the car i struck up a deal and traded a 59 corsa for a 03 Rover 75. Best thing i ever done i love the car and have upgraded it with modified handbrake compensator extra walnut etc. I intend to keep it for many years.

[GRC]

I always liked the Rovers having owned a P5B a couple of P6 and several SD1 not forgetting my 820si fastback over the years. I really liked the 75 when it came out and by chance the company I worked for in about 2001 had one as a pool car. I got the chance to drive it one day and totally fell in love. Gave me memories of my P5b for some reason. Could never afford new or newish cars so when I needed a replacement for my 820si a search began and I found a nice 75 2.0 v6 Connie SE which I cherished, when that sadly became too tired I bought a nice low miles Club SE 2.0 v6 which I transferred most of my Connie SE bits into. Love it and hope to keep it for many years

[TomRS]

Originally Posted by Colin P

Hi i had always had hatchbacks nissan micras and a 59 plate corsa. I had never really noticed the 75/zt before but when i took notice of them and had a look inside one i knew i had to own one. I began my search for a 75 diesel in British Racing Green ( my fav colour) but couldnt find one but then i noticed a club se cdt saloon in wedgewood blue for sale at a dealer in nottingham. After viewing the car i struck up a deal and traded a 59 corsa for a 03 Rover 75. Best thing i ever done i love the car and have upgraded it with modified handbrake compensator extra walnut etc. I intend to keep it for many years.

Crazy... a newer car for a 13yr old 75... now thats cool! i can completely relate

[Colin P]

Originally Posted by TomRS

Crazy... a newer car for a 13yr old 75... now thats cool! i can completely relate

Best thing i ever done i have never looked back.