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	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.` N`o 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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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	87.5
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	90
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

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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...`

MGF Users Quality Database

Engine Bay

Sabre Heads

www.DCDezign.com

Mike Satur

Brakes

HiSpec

B+G

Secondhand from eBay, hoses from B&G

Discs

Pads

B+G

Other

Clutch

`Secondhand from eBay, hoses from B&G`