I agree, I made horrible losses on my much-loved Turbo a few years ago that somebody else later enjoyed huge profit on.

Sold it for £2,500. Watched it move from dealer to dealer with a higher price each time. Eventually sold to a private owner for £10,500.

Someone made a killing. Just not me.

You can get the hydro suspension refurbed and the spheres recharged/re-valved.

One of the criticisms of the TF is it's 'awful' suspension, retrofitting that to an F has been undertaken but some of the kits have caused chassis/suspension mount damage as the F is not made to take the TF type suspension.

There is a chap Russ who will redo the HG for £325 on your drive, he is very well regarded.

Someone has said that the 216 is a K series engine as far as I am aware it is not it is a Honda, I had it in a 200 series SLi fantastic bombproof engine. Oh and a well cared for F does not suffer badly from tinworm. Poster before stated all are lemons because of two of his own bad purchases...like any secondhand buy...be wary; but they are obviously not all lemons.

Just like the 'marmite' nature of the Coupe and it's status as a modern classic, the MGF (not the TF) is on many of the future classic lists.

I think with any old car your going to have to expect a bill at some point or refresh of suspension etc

I have owned two MGF's back when they were relatively new. Both were the VVC which is the 145bhp model. I sold my first 16v Turbo Coupe and bought a MGF VVC. Was great fun specially with the top down and they do handle well. Maybe not as good as the Mazda. But I preferred the looks of the MG plus its mid engined. Its easy to get the back out and easy to control.

I had no trouble with the head gasket with either of them. The first VVC was around 4 years old with 70kish when I bought it. I got a high mileage as I had heard stories of the head gasket issue effecting the low mileage cars. Lack of use etc.

The second one was a year old exdemo and had no issues either.

Like the Fiat they are underrated. If you've never owned a 2 door sports convertible I'd get the MGF. Not in that colour though!

Actually the 216 used 3 different engines. K series and Honda D16A6 and A8.

How do they refurb them? It's the nitrogen leaking from the membrane that causes the sag. What usually happens is that people add more fluid to compensate.

Does the damage occur with the kits, or retrofitting the TF suspension?

Apologies for the off topic.

Perhaps before as the 200 series used the Honda manufactured 1.6 only in the Honda Concerto/Rover era.

I love my TF 160 (and the wife even more so)

It only comes out on a sunny day, but I wouldn't want it as a daily driver.

A full belt change,service and head gasket change (to one that won't fail again) can be done on your drive by a specialist for £450. So the HGF issue so commonly talked about is no big deal!

The HGF issue is a bit like the belt change on the coupe, everyone ill-informed makes more of it than they should.

Again like a coupe, a badly maintained one can have issues, but a well looked after one is very reliable.
Rust is an issue for the daily drivers, but as these cars are often second cars for summer use only for many, getting a good one is important.
Mine is a one owner from new garaged every night and is in surprisingly good condition.

Future classic - I don't think so they made 60,000 of them and that is not including all of the Chinese made ones from 2007 onwards.

Good website here for buying guide with lots of useful info MG buying guide

My daughter has an MG TF which she bought off my Dad. It is only the 1.6 so not particularly fast but a nice, fun car to drive. It had a head gasket failure last year which turned out not to be the first time, it went again a couple of months ago so I swapped the engine for one bought off eBay for £200 - goes much better now and the car is probably a keeper. I'd be very happy with a VVC 160 for myself.

Blimey, if you are in Porsche territory and you would like a convertible you could do a lot worse than a TT roadster, which would be newer and which are also tipped as future classics.

Mrs BB said she wanted a soft top after her Grande Punto, she has always loved the Barchetta but LHD and the rust horror stories sadly ruled them out

We looked at the MX5 as everyone says how great they are. A colleague, who recently sold his MX5, which he had owned from new, did tell us that whilst his MX5 was brilliant in the summer it quickly became tiresome in bad weather and especially winter.

After looking at many convertibles Trish chose a 2010 TT roadster. I honestly preferred the look of the Mercedes SLK's but she liked the TT more, and the MK2 over the MK1, which again I preferred Whilst I'm not a soft top fan, and tried to steer her towards a hard top convertible, the top on the TT is of much better fit and quality than almost all the other cars we looked at. Trish absolutely loves it and it has grown on me too

So if you do want a soft top, and a car that almost anyone can work on, then take a look and go for a spin in a Mk1 TT roadster.

Are you sure? They all had a Rover k series in them as far as I ever experienced (bubble shape) with a Honda derived bottom end and a Rover designed head, free flow equal length manifold and a crap headgasket with poor cooling resulting in the death of many. Great engine until it decides it wants an early retirement.

If you're thinking porsche then grab a bargain boxter while they're still cheap. Now porsche are all turbo and putting 4 pots in cars the na 6's will soon be very desirable.

Earlier 216 had Hondas also.
One of my 216 tomcats had a 1.6 litre Honda engine installed.
Also a 216 gti. By the bubble 200/216 I believe the Honda engines had been phased out leaving just a k series in its place

I was referring to the 89 to 94 cars.

Ah, the rover wedge... I was only thinking bubble onwards as the wedge is long dead!

Did you ever test drive an Mgf Annie?
I only ask as there's lots around and despite what I wrote above, I'd like to take one on a long drive to see what they are really like to drive

No Huw, I decided to keep my coupe after I got over the shock of paying £250 for a new fuel pump that probably wasn't needed.

.................................................................bugger, should have listened to my own advice ! 2003 mgtf 135, 71000 miles, new ss coolant pipes, uprated head gasket, water pump, clutch , brakes, excellant bodywork, roof no leaks, 12 months MOT, FSH !!! 1200 QUID.

Thought you were making a large hardstanding area for more Coupes?!
Can't say I blame you though. They are a bargain at the mo.
You going to jazz it up with a fruity exhaust?

The new garage can only be 29ft long without planning permission, so 2 coupes would be pushing it ! But luckily one coupe and one mgtf will fit in nicely . Putting garage up monday [ finally] ,then drive will be tarmacced tues or wed hopefully, so plenty of room for the other coupe on there !

it has a new ss exhaust, so probably not .

What colour is your MG? I like the light blue ones.

x power grey apparently' fancied brg one, but this one has had all the main jobs doneand its getting stored in the garage anyway til next summer . [ when its finally built ! Roll on monday.]

Let us know how it drives, I still have a yen to get one!

being delivered up here on saturday 20th, will let you know Annie ........hopefully !

looks a nice one for sale in essex for $975, not too far from you !

Been away did I miss something? Are you buying one, from the start of this thread I thought you were talking the OP out of a prospective purchase?

.........always wanted one, the heart is ruling the head on this one........time will tell !

mgtf delivered today , nice and snug in the new garage . The 16v coop has been left at the garage for a full respray [ 1500 quid ] , got to wait 2 weeks before i see it again

does this mean i have to grow a beard, wear a cap and put leather patches on my jumpers ? [ mg owners club ]

Probably not think those type stick there noses up at the TF well the mid engine ones