Wheel Arch Rust Assessment (Prior to purchase)

Notanumber wrote:

Hi KidCreation. I would second what the others have said. Im not criticising your choice but there are some great TFs to be had for considerably less if you look around. Values are starting to rise at last but not that quickly that would warrant most forum users saying that £ 4 to £ 5k would be a reasonable figure to pay for the car you have described.

160s are top of the MG TF tree for performance and there were fewer of them made but they were still a standard part of the range rather than a low production special. They are therefor worth a bit more than an equivalent 115 or 135 but not by a massive margin. We aren't talking the value difference between a 1.1 base Mk1 Escort vs an RS Mexico here or a BMW 318 vs an M3, nothing like it..
There is a much wider gap in values for the earlier MGFs as the Trophy 160 which came along late in the MGFs product lifecycle, differed in so many respects from a standard MGF. When it came to the introduction of the TF though the 160 was a standard production model with a VVC engine and options such as spotlights as standard..

Id expect to pay around £ 1.8k to £ 2.5k for that car, from that seller, in that condition, with that provenance.   To my mind £ 4k to £ 5k would be justified for an issue free,  low mileage, single owner car offered with a full service history that had just had a service and a cam belt change, sold by a specialist dealer with a reputation.

Because values of good condition Fs and TFs fall within a lot of people's reach for a weekend car, it has made MOT failures and cars with any issues, blemishes or problems worth very little. Hence there are several of us here who have bought cars without an MOT or with various known problems for a few hundred and got them up  to scratch as viable road going cars with a few weekends spannering,  There are some very good threads here that will show what is involved, its worth investing your time to read through them to familiarise yourself with both common faults and how they are tackled by owners.
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It makes me chuckle though when I hear sellers mention in passing the front lower arms may just need replacing at some point as though it's a ten minute job.   These wishbones are a simple hollow steel pressing which routinely fill with surface water during use that has no where to exit. They inevitably rust through from the inside over time and a pinhole in a wishbone one year will turn into a proper sized hole the next, a certain MOT failure. To  replace it the front subframe has to be lowered to provide enough clearance with sheared subframe bolts being quite a common occurrence as they are smallish bolts that are unlikely to have been disturbed since the car left the factory. If in doubt, lean on the seller to change the wishbones in return for leaving them a decent sized cash deposit on the car.

Out of interest Len' on the forum is having to sell the TF he has been fastidiously restoring, you wont find any flaky pint or hidden faults on this one:   https://www.the-t-bar.com/forum/9-mgf-tf-pitstop/99251-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-is-getting-brighter

What a great post! Very well thought out and like that you broadened the picture. Brilliant.
 

Well I am glad others have chipped in too with varied views to help you find a car. I will bow out now.
This is a great Forum and in my short time here I have noticed that members don't like to see other members struggling with their cars. 
I hope you can now make a more informed decision on the car and if it isn't that one still search one out and come back here!! 
You will be made welcome.
Brian
 

None of our cars are youthful blooms, none from the early spring sunshine, however those still putting on a good show by autumn have invariably been nurtured.
The difference in worth (not great) & value, which many of us would measure highly, needs consideration. To view that comment obliquely; to you, is the value of this car worth the asking price, can you reconcile one figure with the other, could you draw one closer to the other, by, as our friend has said, getting he seller to change the control arm for you.
How hard is it pulling at your heart strings. Balance those thoughts up & measures the chance of dropping on one as well appointed as this, whilst you are open to the possibility of joining this happy breed of men & women.
King of the hill or slough of despond?
You were attracted by the car it was obviously in your budget range, as you were looking at it, if it wasn’t you would have walked past & what would you have done if you hadn’t posted here?
M

When I bought my TF 3 1/2 years ago the sill ends of my car were very similar although this issues didn't rise up the wheel arches. As it was a very good car mechanically I went ahead and bought it.

The following year I ground off all the rust and applied a rust cure and paint. Late this year I was able to put my finger through small holes that has appeared on the inside of the front sills. I've had it looked at and been advised that both can be repaired relatively easily without going down the full Mike Satur repair panel route.

Hope this helps.

I think I might be tempted to change the dower black gators for yellow & the red brake callipers look surprisingly good in yellow also.
There are some pictures a bit back of mine done in yellow. If you can’t find it I’ll post again, although they are on my wife’s workroom floor, at the moment.
She is very accommodating. Ok fairly accommodating. She puts up with my stuff.
M

And a satin black pin stripe down the side.
Just a thought, I’m reasonably proficient at that, sometimes.
M

Airportable, you make some genuinely great points there and i think its easy to ignore that sometimes these things are matters for the heart as much as they are the head.
Very much agree with you on some of the design aspects, the gators would be an instant improvement along with perhaps bringing a little yellow into the dials and possibly visors too and I was going a similar way on the wheels, gloss black alloys with yellow calipers (black detail) possibly even a black trophy spoiler, black mirrors and chrome delete on the door handles.... oh dear, this bloody car has got into my blood hasn't it?

Neilpinleeds, thanks for your perspective and based on your name i may well come to you on where to go if i need the same bodywork repairs further down the line (again, assuming i end up buying this car)

TA22GT, thanks for all your help and the friendly welcome, it's nice to know that whether i make a good decision or a bad one there will be support there.

Hiya Kid..
That car has a lot of potential and will put a smile on your face once you get the keys and drive away feeling like a million dollars!
And that is exactly how you should feel when you buy any car.
Rust is always worrysome unless it's surface rust and it is dealt with properly so as long as you are sure you can tackle it or get a local body shop on it then I am sure it can be made to look a million dollars too!

If you buy it with your head and your heart it is always the right decision..even if it turns out wrong. You were meant to tread that path and the experience it brought.
Good luck..keep us posted and if you buy it we are here..and if you don't we will point you in the direction of a good car!
All the best.

This might be helpful:
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1 similar spec to what you looked at, one at an out of this World price!

The Sprint would be worth a look at for sure.

Ouch at the price on that low mileage one, although i guess it's basically a new car, the sprint dopes seem reasonable although i'd have to have it sprayed as i don't like red cars, I know it's odd and its probably one of the most common colours in most models but yeah. Good for perspective though!

I did actually spot  this moonshine 135  just now which seems a bargain (description isn't great in terms of detail though but it has a lot of extras by the looks of things) i'm aware that colour is incredibly rare, can't quite decide if i like it personally and i'm not a fan of cream leather either but thats a heck of a car for the price tag

That looks to be a very nice car. It is amongst other MG's so suggests an enthusiast.
Under the bonnet is as clean as mine and the rest of the car looks good too.
Don't let 135 put you off..I was adamant I wanted a 160 until the Right car came along and I love how mine goes.
Just keep an open mind and you will find one.