Class leading Euro NCAP scores for occupant and pedestrian safety no doubt contributed to the MG's sales success

In the UK, the MGF and its TF successor have both proven to be extremely successful sports car, being successively the top selling roadster in its class since 1995 for practically every year that these cars were on sale. This means that there are plenty of cars to choose from, from the very earliest to the very latest.

• Should you buy the latest car possible? Broadly speaking, yes you should. Later MGFs (especially those made from 2000 on) had a vast array of small detail changes to improve build quality, water resistance and reliability. Later TFs (from late 2003 on) also benefited from re-designed cooling systems that have largely solved the MG's bug-bear gasket problems. But given that the earliest cars are as reliable as any other European built car of the same vintage, buying an older car can be done with some confidence.

So you want to buy an MGF. What should you look for?

General car buying tips apply…

… including ensuring that all previous finance on the vehicle has been paid off, ensure that the vehicle has never been written off and that you have access to the vehicle's full service history (which should ideally be all MG or MG specialist stamped).

Also make sure that all electrical equipment fitted to the car works correctly and smoothly. Are the tools, wheel locking key, radio security code and spare wheel still with the car? Also check that the central locking remotes (there should be two) and immobiliser codes are supplied with the car.

Look for evidence of earlier accident damage:

1. All panel gaps should be equal and even. If there are huge variances, the chances are that the car has been driven into a hedge or some such (see images below)!
2. Look for signs of over-sprayed paint on plastic and rubber trim- a potential sign of poor repair.
3. Are the alloy wheels all the same age-or is one suspiciously new? Similarly, look at the condition of the tyres.

Look for subtle variations of panel lines. Not much wrong in this image, until you notice how the bonnet doesn't quite match the profile of the head lamp below it. There are also variations in the gap between the bonnet and the wing... Suspect previous accident damage.

Similar to picture on the left, but this time looking at the boot lid: again the gap between the bootlid and wing is not consistent, particularly at the trailing edge of the bootlid.

Also worth is looking at the side of the car from varying angles so that the light catches the body work in different directions and look for small dings. Unfortunately, the MGF has no protective mouldings to protect it from the careless supermarket car door opener, so many small dents may be obvious… should be rectifiable cheaply from a company such as 'Dentmaster'- but certainly a price negotiating point!

On the topic of door glass sealing on very early cars, you might also want to see whether the early soft top rubber seal has been replaced with the later, wider seal that provides far better weather insulation. Not essential- but certainly useful!

Make sure that all recall work has been performed…

If the seat belt Eustachian on your MGF looks like this, get it replaced - your car missed the recall...

Also check to see if recall rectification work has been carried out properly. This is particularly relevant to imported MGFs from Japan; Japanese cars often covered small mileages and as a consequence often missed annual services. For reference, Japanese specification MGFs all came with air-conditioning as standard, and were fitted with a catalyst over-heat lamp.

1. The seat belt trim on the T-bar behind the seats should have been replaced with an item that has two screws in it. If it does not have these screws, get it replaced by your MGR dealership (see also image opposite, right).
2. The cam belt pulley bolt. On VVC cars, the torque setting needed checking on early cars- make sure that this work has been done, or catastrophic failure of the cam can occur.

Is that a VVC or an MPi … a 1.6 or 1.8?

Middle letter a T or a G? Important information on VIN to identify a VVC or MPi.

Given that there is a premium on the higher performance 1.8 VVC model, it makes sense to ensure that your prospective purchase is what it claims to be!

Unhelpfully, the unscrupulous vendor is helped by the fact that there are very few external distinguishing features between the two models.

The clues include the wheel style, the presence of a VVC plenum visible through the grille in the boot, an ABS actuator in the bonnet compartment and the VIN number- for more details, click here.

Just a few, these are listed below:

1. Suspension:

Measuring ride height is simple enough, and can provide useful information into the condition of an MGFs suspension

• The MGF, unlike the later TF, uses Hydragas suspension. This novel suspension system is largely reliable in service, but by its nature (pneumatic and hydraulic components), it requires a few more checks than conventional steel suspension. Check the suspension ride height (tape measure required for a crude on the spot check it should be about 368 ± 10 mm at 17C measured from the centre of the wheel to the wheel arch lip vertically above it). Too high or too low may upset the suspension balance, and lead to premature tyre wear. Also, whilst performing this check, does the car sit level? The suspension units are coupled front to rear, and separate from side to side - thus a leak on one side will result in one side being somewhat lower than the other. There is nothing more irritating than a lop-sided car.
  More information on Hydragas suspension here...

• Check too for evidence of leaking dampers - oil seeping out is an MoT failure - faulty dampers are potentially very dangerous

• It is worth test driving a prospective TF purchase - later (particularly MY2005) cars rode more smoothly than earlier versions thanks to damper, spring rate and roll-bar revisions. You may not necessarily find an early TF entirely to your taste, particularly those cars fitted with Sport Pack 2 lowered suspension. Then again, you might... The best riding MGs are the earlier Fs - and arguably the best handling the later TFs.

2. Hard and soft tops:

• If the car comes supplied with a hard top, check its condition- in storage they can become scratched and chipped, or worse, the head lining stained or ripped. They are a valuable asset in the cold winter months: they keep the interior snug and warm and the rear screen is heated- much better for rearward visibility.
  The cost of a second hand hard top is about £500 to £700 - which is worth bearing in mind.
  If an older hardtop, see if the seals have been upgraded under warranty. Also make sure that it sits correctly with equal gaps around the window glass, and does not rattle on the move.

• Check the condition of the canvass roof. Careless closure of the soft top can lead to the material getting trapped in the hood frame. Over time, holes can be worn into the fabric. Replacement is very expensive from an MG Rover dealer, so it makes good sense to ensure that the one you are buying is in tip-top condition.

A cracked rear screen is unsightly, and may be expensive to fix - so haggle hard.

• Another important check of the soft top is to ensure that the plastic rear screen is in good condition. If it is badly scratched, distorted or even cracked, it is an expensive replacement -£380 to replace by Rover dealer, £180 if you do it yourself from a kit by Mike Satur. A mildly scratched or milky rear screen can be restored to full health by polishing with either Greygate plastic polish or Autoglym SuperResin body polish- so a bargaining point rather than a deal wrecker.

3. Electrical:

• With the engine running do the brake lights work OK? This is not as daft as it sounds; the brake lights can stick ON due to a maladjusted brake light switch. (It is easy to fix but a bit of a pain to do).

• Does the SRS warning light on the instrument panel go out when started? It should do! Failure to extinguish (it should come on when the ignition is switched to the accessory position) indicates a problem with the airbag/seat belt pre-tensioners. As essential safety equipment, this needs to be attended to. This is not a common fault however.

4. Mechanical: 

• Is there any evidence of oil leaks? The MGF, unlike its forebears, are oil tight- and therefore any evidence of oil loss should be viewed with some concern. A particular problem with very early cars is failure of the drive-shaft oil seals. Oil leaks can also occur from the cam covers- but this oil is burnt off on the exhaust manifold, and therefore is rarely seen. So DO check both the oil level, and the colour of the oil, as this may give vital clues as to how the car has been used and maintained.

• Coolant should be clear and either green or orange, depending on type of antifreeze. Creamy residues of the quantity shown here screams head gasket failure.

  As with the oil checks, have a look at the car's coolant. Look at the colour of the coolant (it should be a nice green colour), and check the level (should be at the level of the moulding seam around the coolant reservoir). This should again provide vital clues as to whether the car has been looked after and is mechanically fit.

• The gear change should be light and smooth, and select gears easily. If vague and difficult, the mechanism has too much wear and/or is poorly adjusted. Difficulty in selecting gears (usually first) may indicate that the gearbox oil level is low. Some resistance to reverse gear is a characteristic of the gearbox, and is not a cause of concern.

• Has the car had any performance modifications? If so what, by whom and when? Most bolt-on items, such as exhausts or filters should have no impact upon reliability. They shouldn't add value to a vehicle, but nor should they detract either. If these modifications have been performed, what else has been done- is the catalyst still on the car for example. Work on the cylinder head should move the car into a specialist category- don't buy unless you know what you are getting!

5. General Interior and exterior checks: 

Unfortunately, red cars are generally more susceptible to the ravages of day light, leading to oxidised paint and varying colours over the car. This ought to respond to a good cutting polish, Otherwise, differing colours over the body work - particularly on metallic or pearlescent paints can suggest previous accident damage. Be wary.

• Check the paintwork. Unfortunately, the water-based paint used on the MGF is prone to chipping, and appears worse with certain paint colours. As the base coat is a pale grey any chipping becomes immediately obvious on cars with dark coach work!!! This is particularly noticeable on British Racing Green coloured cars. Equally, if the stone chipping appears suspiciously little given the mileage, consider the possibility that the car has been re-sprayed. This might be down to a proud owner - but equally, the re-spray could be hiding accident damage...

• Checking the Interior, these wear pretty well, but make sure that wear on rubber foot pedals tallies with the mileage showing on the car's odometer (it's unusual to find significant wear on these rubbers at anything under 80k miles). Finding a low mileage F is easy; if you are suspicious, walk way.

• Whilst looking in the interior, have a smell. This is not as daft as it sounds: a musty damp smell is a dead give away of prior water leaks, even if there aren't any evident when you are looking. Also, on some early MGFs, there are problems with sealing of the fuel tanks leading to a petrol smell in the interior. Not a terribly common problem, but immensely irritating if it occurs in your car! More details on Dieter's site

• MGFs in general do not rust - although cars in more salt-exposed areas are more susceptible than those in the warmer, south of the country. If present, the rust is most likely to present around the side indicators - although I have seen rust around the boot lid seams - particularly on Amaranth-coloured cars. If there is extensive rust, particularly penetrating rust, then suspect previous accident damage and imperfect repair work. Suspension almost always shows evidence of surface rust - particularly subframes.

Rust around the indicator is the most likely area of corrosion on the MGF's body work. I don't have the data to back this up, but I get the impression that certain colours are more affected than others.

...particularly cars with red pigments. Here's a close up of the damage - paint is often damaged by the side indicator movement - either during installation or through vibration.

Perforating rust, such has shown here is not normal. Rust protection on the MGF is generally excellent, so this rust suggests that this panel has either been repaired or replaced - be wary of other, hidden damage.

What Road Fund Licence Bracket is this car in?

With the 2006 budget, we have moved from an engine capacity-based to a CO2 emissions-based system. Depending on the model that you are interested in, that can mean up to £35 per annum difference in your running costs. Click here for a break down of how the road tax system applies to MGFs and TFs.
 

And finally…

Well, that is pretty much more or less that, other than to take your prospective purchase for a test drive. On the test drive ensure that the car drives and handles well, does not wander or veer off under braking. Also listen out for excessive trim rattles (a few are to be expected- we are talking about a soft top car after all, but scuttle shake is not really a problem on the MGF as it is with a few of its competitors ... read more...).

If the car passes all the checks, is cleared by an AA check and is cleared by HPI, then excellent: go forth and buy with confidence! All the very best of luck.