New MGF TF owner losing his Jap car bias, maybe, possibly, definitely maybe.

Hi everyone,
As you can see from the title I am finally starting to lose my Rover bias after owning Japanese cars for almost 50 years...and mostly Toyota!

I'm an old school ex Toyota mechanic and because of this I have mainly bought various Toyota's throughout my life. I've been heavily involved in Motorsport since the 70's both competing and servicing Toyota's all over the world so I am sure you can appreciate my one sided bias! Until very recently.
I am currently selling a totally pristine MX5 that I have owned for 8 years that is mint but I use it less and less and it has become a noose around my neck in some ways. I spend more time cleaning it after a run than I do driving it and so it has to go. I like to drive my cars! 
So I came to a deal with my good lady, I will sell the MX5 and put the money in to a another van for our cycle trips, our last one was written off by a chap falling asleep on the A9, and the extra funds will buy a better van.
I also said that I would spend some of the money on a project car to keep myself busy...and hence the interest in a "cheap, rusty and unreliable MG"...don't hate me...yet.

Like all good plans they don't always go to plan! I was researching MG's so that I was prepared in finding the right car and the right car came along before I sold the Mazda and so with a bit of grovelling and digging deep I bought a Silver 2002 plate TF 135. Here is where the story gets complicated and there may be a slight taste of umbrage ahead.

I seem to be blessed with a sixth sense with cars and when I spotted this one and called the seller I had good vibes about it. I spoke with him at 6:15 Sunday night from Aberdeen and before 6:15 Monday night I was in Basildon paying for the car. The paintwork is excellent, underneath looks really solid, no rust on sill corners and the interior is very good. 34k miles, HG was done at 32k with a head skim, sold and serviced by the same garage until 2019 so I feel it is a good car.

My test drive was a 620 mile road trip home in horrendous rain through the night and here's the scary bit, I loved every mile. I set off in dread of it breaking down. I even considered adding full breakdown cover as I insured it on my phone but resisted. By the time I got home I was shattered, tired but absolutely grinning!

The MX5 is in the garage under blankets and won't come out again until it sells which could be next spring now so my poor TF has to sit outside enduring the weather. It hurts. Seems like my bias is cracking. 
I absolutely love driving the TF, there is just something about it I was not expecting. I joined the TF Register to learn more about it and indeed I have. There are a lot of good people on there but I find the traffic is a bit slow and hence me joining other Forums. When you are keen to Know you have to Know now! 

I'm not going to go full on gushing about the TF as I do need to retain some bias and sanity, but I am loving this car!  
Did I tell you I love it?! 
So guys...give me your best shots with the Hairdresser jokes...I can handle it.

Regards, 

Brian

Already found a great topic on upgrading the brakes.  https://www.the-t-bar.com/forum/54-how-tos/91589-240-to-280mm-front-brake-disc-upgrade#144946

The car has 15 inch wheels and right now I can't afford 4 new 16inch wheels and tyres plus the calipers so this is the way I will be going with some decent pads. 
Thanks!

Good choice. The 280mm brake upgrade is a proven and popular one here. As youve said it nicely avoids the need of going to 16 inch wheels that would be impossible to avoid with the factory upgrade AP 4 pot calipers and 304mm discs. It should be pretty much fit and forget whereas the 4 pots do need a tad more maintenance than the standard sliding calipers.

Is the upgrade you are looking at by MGB281? If it’s the mod that uses the Mini R53 front calliper I may be able to help.
I seem to attract some very useful parts from time to time at embarrassingly attractive prices & whilst preparing to fit this modification I ended up with a set of larger wheels & shortly after a set of Four pots & accoutrements.
I thus have some refurbished parts including the callipers in a startling yellow. If these might be of interest let me know.
M

Hiya Airportable.....no it is the mod that goes from 240 to 280mm discs using the same calipers.

Right now I am financially bereft after buying the TF without yet selling the car that was going to pay for it!!

I note MGB281 has fitted Bilsteins and I too will almost certainly be going down that route once my bank account recovers as I have them on my MX5.
Many thanks for your post.

Hi TA22GT, Reading your first post was so close to my own thought process (bias pr-Japenese cars, especially Toyotas), plus I ended-up buying a low-mileage, (almost) rust free, Silver 2002TF! Also, I have fitted the 280mm disc conversion, for exactly the same reasons as you!

My Toyota bias probably comes from selling the Burnaston Factory testing equipment for the sheet metal used for the body pressings. I was very impressed by the professionalism of everyone there, having spent a lot of time training them to use the kit.

Hope you continue to enjoy your new "toy". Is you TA22 "handle" your postcode perchance? The SW F owners in the MGCC have some meetings near that Postcode.

I'll wager TA22GT refers to the Toyota model designation code for the car in his avatar.
T = engine family
A = Celica
22 = series
GT = well...the obvious model name for a high end sports variant

I'm an ex-Toyota mechanic too!

Hi @ EllisJo
Wow we have very similar experiences and choice of cars!
My "bias" goes back to 74 when I saw a friends Celica arrive in a car park we were gathering at to go scuba diving. I had a Hillman Hunter at the time and as we waited this red spaceship drove towards us. The vision blew me away! It had a rev counter! An oil pressure gauge and a 5 speed box. 5 speeds! Lol.
2 months later I bought a 1972 one in white and there was no going back.
Incidentally, on the 200 mile trip back from the diving exhibition to St.Abbs the Hunter blew up trying to keep up with the Celica and the Celica towed me home!
I am genuinely loving the MG, I have plans to improve the brakes, a re map and perhaps the suspension. 
I may be a bit long in the tooth but I have not lost one inch of enthusiasm for driving and enjoying cars.
Thanks for the welcome!

Welcome to the T Bar from a fellow scuba diver and former frequent visitor to St Abbs...😉

No experience with Hillman Hunters, but a big "me too" on Scuba: Most memorable dive was in the Maldives, where I had the privilege of seeing a HUGE Whale Shark cruise by me. I COULD have reached-out and touched it, but did not. One idiot in our group DID, and received the most humungous bollocking afterwards from the dive supervisor. We HAD been told do not touch, apparently it can damage the mucous layer on their scales or some such.

Enjoy the TF!

Cobber wrote:

I'll wager TA22GT refers to the Toyota model designation code for the car in his avatar.
T = engine family
A = Celica
22 = series
GT = well...the obvious model name for a high end sports variant

I'm an ex-Toyota mechanic too!

As ever, your information is an EDUCATION!
 

Hi Cobber...spot on!  That chassis designation is burnt in to my heart.

It's amazing to find another ex Toyota mechanic on an MG forum but you will get my tongue in cheek introduction. lol

I worked for John Midgley in the 70's and we were the 6th Toyota appointed dealership in the country back then. I was a kid and just enthralled with everything car and especially Motorsport. John Has been rallying Toyota's for over 50 years and he won Group A in 1985 driving his Corolla for Toyota in the British Championships. Working for him and starting to rally a Celica myself I got all his s/h tyres and suspension etc so I got to do relatively cheap rallying!
Our friendship continued long after I left and moved to Scotland and I have serviced for him on many rallies. I got to go to AUS to do the classic Outback in 2016 and New Zealand to do the Silver Fern in 2018. I'm not bragging I have just been blessed with very good friends and I appreciate it.

It is through John that I got to drive his £45k Celica at Goodwood FOS on the rally stage that my all time hero Hannu Mikkola designed. He signed my helmet that day and I treasure it.

I restored the car in my avatar in 2010. It was two scrap cars that made one good one. I sold it in 2020.They are exceedingly rare these days. It was very hard to let it go!

I had never been in a MG TF never mind driven one but I started to hanker after one as a project because they are relatively cheap to buy and they are a good looking car. I read all about the HG and the subframes and the sills and thought it might be hard to find a solid car but it wasn't. My welding and painting days are over so as long as the car is solid I can do the rest. The car I went to see blew me away in how solid it was. With no ramp I had a quick look underneath and was surprised at how good it looked. The paintwork has zero rust spots anywhere. So even before I paid for it I was falling for the car!
It has to sit outside the garage at the moment until I sell my MX5 and it pains me to see rain on the soft top. I have waterproofed it already and it is sound but I want it inside so I can work on it!!
A pic of my own car at a Hillclimb and me driving John's at Goodwood. 
  

 

I am really looking forward to doing some upgrades on the TF and am devouring the info on this site!