MGF Users Quality Database

Compiled by Tony Thompson
All the views expressed here are submitted by MGF owners and are their personal unaltered opinions.
They represent the views so often expressed across a variety of BBS boards.

If you would like to contribute to this data base go to the data entry form  Data Entry Form

or
and include your name, model, car registration number, the item or part, the supplier, cost, quality,
purchase date, supplier's response if you complained, and a % rating.


The more opinions that are received for a specific item, the more accurate the overal rating will be.

Last updated 27 May 2006

CONTENTS:

Engine Bay
      Engine
      Filters
      Coolant
      Other
Brakes
      Calipers
      Discs
      Pads
Clutch
Suspension & Steering
Tyres

Exhausts
Body Interior
      Hoops & Windstops
      Interior Trim
      Storage
      Other
Body Exterior
      Boot racks & Luggage
      Splitters
      Other
Dealers and Service
Used Parts

 

Engine Bay

MGF Owner

Model

Item

Supplier

Cost

Date bought

Quality

Supplier response

% Rating

Overall % Rating

Engine

Paul Nothard

MGF VVC 1999

Gas flowed head and "popped" spark plug repair.

Peter Burgess

Reasonable.

 

Mixed. Head work seemed good. Spark plug repair was agreed to be done using method#1 but found out (during service) that cheaper method#2 was used instead. Talked to Peter about this and apologies were forthcoming stating miscommunication. Possible, but I have a good memory of events! Overall, I feel a bit misled with some of the work - although technically he delivered.

 

Only 60 Could have been much, much higher if it had gone well.

60

Paul Nothard

MGF VVC 1999

Sabre Heads gas flowing

Sabre Heads

£500+fitting

Jan 2004

Very high. Full gas flowing, repair to stripped plug socket and post HGF 'strengthening' all done. Roger has vast experience and it shows with healthy honest advice combined with some very skilled work. At least on a par with DVA work

 

95

95

Alan Dunstan

MGF 18.i 1996

Head gas flowed & ported. Larger inlet valves

Mike Satur

lots

2002

Excellent. Work done on time & to cost. Subsequently had leaking inlet manifold gasket & surprised original gasket type was still there as it must have separated.

 

90

90

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8

PTP lightened flywheel

Private purchase

£ 100

2003

 

Terrific. Should have had one of these fitted ages ago. :o) Engine speed/ throttle response much sharper now. No problem in town traffic - no problem with stalling as some horror mongers might have you believe

 

90

90

Erik Baekelant

MGF 1998

PTP Ltd. RT-Sport 165 kit

Power Train Projects

 

£ 2042.44 GBP inc. VAT & shipping

March 2004

VVC-ish above 4000rpm. All parts included. Fitted by MG-Rover, but problems with MAP hose/sensor and engine bay cooling. Great service but didn't really help with engine bay fan

 

80

80

Gerry Hiorns

MGF 1997

 

Honda ivtec 2.0 ltl conversion with 6speed box

Mike Satur

£ 9.5k+

Nov 2004

As this was the first 'f' ivtec conversion (as far as I know) a lot had to be done to achieve it. Commitment was of a high standard, tech ability was also high giving a very reliable result.

98% is above the benchmark. Only if the supercharger was fitted at the same time would 100% be granted.

 

98

98

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8 1996

Ported Cylinder head

 

DVA Power

£ 300

Aug 2005

MGF Centre provided the cylinder head (TF135), which was in excellent order to start with. Dave then took my head on in short order following a cylinder head failure. The quality of work is astonishing and his attentiveness to detail first rate. A pleasurable experience doing business with him.

 

 

99

99

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filters

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8

K&N 57i

Kinnor Services / FilterPower.com

£ 95

1999

Kit quality is good: all parts supplied. Instructions were a bit basic when I purchased the kit though!

Easy to install & sounded great. When the filter was 4 years old (after 40+k miles), the silver end cap came off the filter. I contacted the supplier (Lesley Smith at Kinnor) & had a replacement by return of post.

Faulty 4 yr / 40+k mile old part replaced FOC by return of post. K&N seem to take their 1 million mile warranty very seriously!

99

99

 

Emma Jackman

MGF 1.8i 1998

K&N 57i Induction Kit

www.DCDezign.com

£81 inc P&P

Sept 05

Complete kit, easy to fit. Instructions were quite basic, however Rob Bell has detailed instructions on his site. Car felt slightly sharper but it's worth it just for the induction roar. Sounds fantastic under
acceleration.

 

99

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

ITG foam filter

Mike Satur

 

1998

Exposed foam air filter, from the Roversport catalogue.  Easy to fit, sounds great, felt like the car had more power

 

90

90

Alan Dunstan

MGF 18.i 1996

Pipercross air filter system. 52mm body

Mike Satur

Part of other work

2002

Throttle body exceptionally good. Transforms car. Pipercross filter very good & sounds great. Has lately developed a mounting squeak at idle

 

90

90

Chaz

MGF 1996

Vader enclosed air filter

Mike Satur

Cannot remember but worth it

2004

Fantastic, easy to fit. Gives a much better throttle response and a nice bark, like the ITG particularly when combined with 52mm throttle body

 

95

95

David Clelland

MGF 1.8Mpi 2001

ITG Maxogen Enclosed Air Induction Kit

Mike Satur

Second hand

2003

Gives much better throttle response, particularly when combined with 52mm throttle body

 

95

95

Johan Slagter

MGF VVC 1997

Enclosed air filter Green Twister, UNIV-TW70A, i.d. 70mm, with cold air hose UNIV-KFDTW01

Green

€  225

June 2004

To connect the filter to the throttle body I used a Gates 90 degree angle hose, internal diameter 70 mm, part number G4278-17042.   So far so good, far better throttle response, especially from standstill. No need to remove resonance box for the cold air pipe, bit difficult to install.

 

90

90

Coolant

Tony Thompson

MGF 1.8i 1996

Under floor Coolant pipes + clips

Mike Satur

£ 93.15 inc VAT + dly

 

Excellent – very easy to fit, except for usual system bleeding hassle.

 

95

93.3

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8

Alloy under floor coolant pipes

Mike Satur

£ 65

Oct 2003

Excellent – great finish, fits perfectly  :o)

 

90

Andrew Phillips

 

Aluminum under body coolant pipes

Mike Satur

 

2002

Replacement pipes in aluminum to cure rust problem.

 

95

Tony Thompson

MGF 1.8i 1996

Up rated radiator & ss hose clips

Mike Satur

£ 157 inc VAT & P&P

Feb 2004

Good, but a very, very tight fit. – hose connections could be better angled.

 

85

85

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

Aluminum high capacity radiator

Mike Satur

 

2002

Higher capacity aluminum radiator – fit backwards and rivet fans on – not really a DIY job

 

95

95

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8 1996

Coolant level sensor

B & G

£ 90

Aug 2005

A very well thought out bit of kit. The alarm ECU is contained within a small robust black plastic box. The buzzer is good - and loud enough to be audible when driving. The warning light looks very aftermarket though - so I've connected this instead to the unused catalyst warning lamp in the main instrument binnacle. The instructions are extremely clear. Excellent

 

90

90

Kelvin Fay

MGF VVC 1997

Replacement Radiator

E-Car Parts Ltd., via eBay

£ 99.95

March 2006

Old rad was shot with a minor leak. New one excellent, brand new, good price, fast delivery. http://stores.ebay.co.uk/E-CAR-PARTS-LTD Fitted by Beech Hill Garage, see separate entry.

 

100

100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BACK TO CONTENTS

Brakes

MGF Owner

Model

Item

Supplier

Cost

Date bought

Quality

Supplier response

% Rating

Overall % Rating

Calipers

Paul Nothard

MGF VVC 1999

HiSpec front brakes (Billet 4)

 

HiSpec

Reasonable

 

High - but with fitting and communication problems. Small problem with fitting - cured by shims - and it's very hard to get hold of them to talk through problems and/or questions.

 

Due to communication problems and the fact that these are best fitted by a mechanic and not a diy job, only 60%.

60

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

FX aluminum and titanium 4 pot calipers

Mike Satur

 

2002

Look superb, stop the car really well, very well made.  Highly recommended

 

95

95

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

EBC Turbo Grooved discs

B+G

 

2000

Standard sized front discs, but drilled and grooved.  Not much better than OE, but equivalently priced.

 

75

75

Mike Hankin

MGF Mpi 1996

AP Racing 4 pot calipers & 304mm discs, braided hoses

Secondhand from eBay, hoses from B&G

£185

April 05

Truly awesome stopping power, pedal response very reassuring, essential track-day kit

 

100

100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

Drilled and grooved rear discs

Mike Satur

 

2002

OE spec rear discs, but drilled and grooved, work slightly better than normal

 

75

75

Tony Thompson

MGF 1.8i 1996

Rear disks

TDC, Fareham

£ 40 + VAT

Sep 02

Good

 

90

90

Paul Nothard

MGF VVC 1999

Discs & pads.

Mike Satur

Reasonable

 

Good

 

80

80

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

280mm Black diamond drilled front discs

Mike Satur

 

2002

Part of the FX 4 pot kit – look and work well, highly recommended

 

95

93.3

Alan Dunstan

MGF 18.i 1996

Black Diamond brake discs

Mike Satur

Part of other costs

2002

Excellent. Drilled & grooved. Don’t rust & wearing well. Better braking than standard or EBC disks

 

90

Kelvin Fay

MGF VVC
1997

Black Diamond 280mm drilled & vented front brake disc

Mike Satur

£195 + vat

July 2004

Part of my "brake improvement package": Servo bracket, braided hoses, bigger front disks and drilled/grooved rear disks with kevlar pads. The car now stops when you ask it to! Seriously, harder pedal, far less travel, more responsive braking.

 

95

Kelvin Fay

MGF VVC
1997

Black Diamond drilled & grooved rear brake disc

Mike Satur

£138 + vat

July 2004

 

95

95

Alan Dunstan

MGF 18.i 1996

EBC Turbo discs, green pads & SS pipes

B + G / EBC

£ 350

2000

Good. Better braking than standard. No dust & plenty of feel. Not as good braking as I wanted. Looked good.

 

70

70

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8

MG Sport and Racing grooved discs

MG S'n'R

£40 / pair (approx

2002 - 3

Standard discs machined with grooves. Work brilliantly well to prevent glazing of pads and best still, good consistent brake performance on track days

 

85

85

David Clelland

MGF 1.8Mpi 2001

Big Brake Kit

Mike Satur

Part of other work carried

2004

280mm drilled front and 240mm drilled + grooved rear discs + stainless steel hoses + Mintex 1144 pads fitted - BIG improvement over standard.  No front/rear imbalance (even on track)

 

90

90

Pads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

EBC Red Stuff brake pads

B+G

 

2001

Not recommended for road use

 

50

50

Tony Thompson

MGF 1.8i 1996

MINTEX rear pads MDB1673

TDC, Fareham

£ 21.70 +VAT

Sep 02

Good

 

90

90

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

Mintex 1155 rear pads

Mike Satur

 

2002

Better frictional coefficient pads, but at a downside of increased brake dust and disc wear.

 

85

85

Mike Nunn

Trophy

Mintex 1144 front pads

Mike Satur

£ 80

1 March 04

Excellent, but noisier than oem’s, but work better without the black residue. The extra squeaks maybe annoying to some.

 

99

94.3

Alan Dunstan

MGF 18.i 1996

Mintex 1144 pads

Mike Satur

Part of other costs

2002

Very Good. Much better braking than standard or EBC greens. Lots of dust. Can resonate. Not a lot of feel until warm & quite noisy.

 

85

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8

Mintex 1144 pads

Techspeed

£74 set front: £60 set rear (approx)

2002, 2003

Absolutely awesome pads. You never ever feel that the brakes are going to let you down: they just reliably haul your speed down under any conditions.  Only downside is that they eat discs for breakfast - and some may take a while to get used to their aggressive performance

 

99

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

EBC Green Stuff brake pads

B+G

 

2000

Replacement pads, marginally better stopping, but a lot less brake dust

 

85

87.5

Dieter Koennecke

MGF

EBC GREEN Stuff Front Brake Pads

JRT

£ 25

2001

Wear earlier than standard. Less brake dust to the rims. No fading if you go sometimes to track-days

 

90

Kelvin Fay

MGF VVC
1997

Black Diamond kevlar pads. Front & rear

Mike Satur

£34 + vat per axle

July 2004

Part of my "brake improvement package": Servo bracket, braided hoses, bigger front disks and drilled/grooved rear disks with kevlar pads. The car now stops when you ask it to! Seriously, harder pedal, far less travel, more responsive braking

 

95

95

Bob Millar

MGF 1.8Mpi 1997

TruPart Brake Pads

Local automotive parts shop

£15 - £20

1st July 2005

Woeful. Funds were tight so had to go for budget option. No feel or response. Will be replaced again ASAP

 

0

0

Other

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Phillips

MGF 18.i 1996

Stainless steel braided brake hoses

Mike Satur

 

2002

Improve pedal feel, transmits more force to the calipers

 

85

90

Kelvin Fay

MGF VVC
1997

Stainless steel braided brake hoses

Mike Satur

£36 + vat

July 2004

Part of my "brake improvement package": Servo bracket, braided hoses, bigger front disks and drilled/grooved rear disks with kevlar pads. The car now stops when you ask it to! Seriously, harder pedal, far less travel, more responsive braking

 

95

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8

Braided brake hoses

H J W

£ 20

2001

Aeroquip style braided hoses. Purchased to sharpen up brake response. Actual benefits of fitting these were minor: cause of 'sponge' is elsewhere in the braking system and wasn't cured by these hoses

 

70

70

Neil Batts

MGF VVC 1998

Copper brake pipes in engine bay

Local garage

£ 300

Sept 05

Rear rigid brake hoses corroded in engine bay leading to failure. Occurred 2 weeks after passing MOT, garages comments “worker on test day could not see all of pipes”. Resultant bill for replacement with copper pipes in engine bay

 

 

 

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8

Servo steady bar

B&G

£20 (approx)

2002

I was staggered to discover how much movement there was at the brake servo - and this simple servo support brace makes a significant difference to this - and to brake feel. Highly recommended to any F owner with a spongy-feeling middle pedal

 

90

90

Kelvin Fay

MGF VVC
1997

Servo steady bar

B&G

£22 (approx)

July 2004

Part of my "brake improvement package": Servo bracket, braided hoses, bigger front disks and drilled/grooved rear disks with kevlar pads. The car now stops when you ask it to! Seriously, harder pedal, far less travel, more responsive braking

 

95

Tony Thompson

MGF 1.8i 1996

Servo steady bracket or bar

B&G

£ 23.50

Mar 2005

Very effective at reducing servo movement and improving pedal firmness. Disappointing that bracket had to be modified to ensure clearance, considering this is a part specific to the MGF – see page on www.apttony.co.uk

 

85

BACK TO CONTENTS

Clutch

MGF Owner

Model

Item

Supplier

Cost

Date bought

Quality

Supplier response

% Rating

Overall % Rating

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8

Clutch lowering kit

Mike Satur

£ 25

2000

Good – the linkage requires adjusting before installation, but is straightforward to install (space restrictions in the foot well permitting of course!)

 

80

80

Rob Bell

MGF 1.8

AP Racing Clutch

Techspeed

£ 180

2003

Tidy pick up: not too aggressive. Purchased to replace the standard clutch that was starting to feel the strain of several seasons of Sprint championships and track days! Hopefully replacement should be better able to cope with the abuse. But early days...