Wheel Arch Rust Assessment (Prior to purchase)

Trying to give some balance here...they both need paintwork so they are equal in that respect...so go for the one that pulls on your heart strings.
If both sell whilst you are thinking about it  there will be others...and you are good company so you better by an MG of some variant!!

KidCreation wrote:

David Aiketgate, thanks for that, i had suspected that the more complicated colours would be harder to treat, and you can see from the photos above that's definitely been an issue with the rear arches of this moonshine example which also requires work to the bumper and boot lid. Would i be right in thinking that while neither is "easy" to deal with the sunspot would be marginally easier because the shades within it are all yellows whereas the moonshine has silvers, greens and pinkypurple? Similarly would the fact that the sunspot (currently) only requires paintwork on the inner arches make it easier to hide than the moonshine which has the issues in the photos above?



David Aiketgate replied:-
All paint codes beginning 'I' are difficult to match. You are right that the sunspot yellow, only needing inner arches done, would be easier than the moonshine's issues.
Incidentally, I also agree with the idea that the Sunspot is overpriced for its condition.




 

TA22GT Don't worry mate, I'm definitely getting one.
I actually first wanted one about 16/17 years ago when i was looking for my second car but i ended up going with a Mk1 Focus ST170 which arguably at that point was the right choice but the itch has always been there, and now i have a solid daily driver with room for a toy this feels like the time.
As for the battle between these 2 the power roof, heated seats, rarity and overall condition (its 3 years younger afterall) are the big strengths of the Moonshine, meanwhile the Sunspot is a 160 with X-Power extras and the visible paintwork is better, it likely does need more work than the Moonshine but it also has more room to add a personal touch. Swings and roundabouts.

David Aiketgate, I do agree that the Moonshine is better value for money, and the Sunspot is overpriced, though i think the Sunspot could be had for around the £4k mark which is a little better at least.

Tip: wear a face visor for protection when using wire wheels bits of wire can come adrift and stick into your face or worse your eyes!

When buying rotary wire brushes its worth noting the difference between a normal type and the 'knotted wire' one. The latter are much more fierce, for heavier duty work, than the normal ones. If in doubt start with a normal one.

In case you (or anyone else) is still in the market: The MGCC magazine Christmas edition has just appeared online.

Screen dumps of the relevant Cars for Sale section might be of interest. I do not think these pages are visible to non-members yet.

Notanumber wrote:

When buying rotary wire brushes its worth noting the difference between a normal type and the 'knotted wire' one. The latter are much more fierce, for heavier duty work, than the normal ones. If in doubt start with a normal one.
Screwfix sell a very nice 6" wire wheel that fits a 9" angle grinder, these are particularly good in that the wires are soft but the far greater control of the larger angle grinder  make it far safer to use.
 

Hello again everyone and apolgoies for the radio silence, its been an absolutely manic few weeks here with lots of different things happening, but lets get caught up..

I did go to see that moonshine 135 and it was a lovely car with some good bits and pieces done to it, however in the end i had to pass as the paintwork needed way way more than i felt comfortable with, i even spoke to a reliable local painter who i've seen do amazing work on shoestring budgets and even he felt that certain areas needed that much work that by the time you've tried blending you'd be better off just respraying the whole thing which would be the cost of the car again. On top of this a person who i know this community respects told me that having worked on the car himself he felt it had too many issues to be worth it so with both of these things i walked away.

The benefit of walking away though was it gave me perspective, i quickly realised i only liked that one because it was rare and that i wouldn't be able to do the same level of customisation i'd been planning because it just wouldn't go, so i'd never be able to really make it mine. This brought me back to the sunspot 160, a car which for better or worse had crept under my skin and i'd already made countless plans for and so, after much negotiating and as you can see from my profile image, i got her (as yet unnamed). 

The weather isn't right for me to take on the external work yet but the interior has started undergoing a few changes with more to come and honestly i'm loving every minute. Everyone who has seen her so far is amazed that shes a 22 year old car which is testament to the timeless design, though she's currently been nicknamed the little yellow dickhead, which i'm hoping is meant with affection. Thanks for all your help everyone and no doubt for the help still to come (in fact i'm literally about to post a wiring query) i'm thrilled to now be a more justified member of this fantastic community.

Well done and welcome to MG ownership..I'm sure it's a good thing 😁

You did your homework and from it learned what you can and can't do yourself and you made an informed choice.
Get to know it, drive it and experience it. They are fun cars!
There are a lot of well informed enthusiasts who are willing to pass on their knowledge freely and encouragingly..some are even nice...😁😁😁😁
Leave paintwork until spring and focus on getting Dickhead..I'm sure it's the car they are talking about...to your own liking and putting your mark on her..although the term Dickhead might imply some other gender.
Looking forward to reading your progress.
Brian

Thanks mate, you've been hugely helpful and supportive during the process. Think she's earned the moniker through the exhaust being a little on the loud side (and of course being small and yellow)
Yeah i'm focussing on the interior for now, ripped out the Alpine flip up head unit, cd changer and DVD player, put all the wiring back to standard before installing my own system with a floating display adding all the modern conveniences, swapped out the cracking gaitors for some yellow ones, nice new set of mats, seat belt guides and white LED interior lighting think that's it for now but more planned for the new year to make her feel like mine.

Sounds like you are getting a lot done and in turn seeing where things are routed etc.
I got my 135 in September and I really enjoy driving it and thru the forum found out what to keep an eye on.
Enjoy!

Yeah, i know when driving temperatures are the main thing to watch (though with the mechanical work it shouldn't be as big a risk) but on the 2 hour+ drive home from collecting the car the temps never went above half way so that's a good test (and i was likely over revving most of the time too due to getting used to it) I do want to add one of the low coolant alarms at some point as that just seems like a great idea for protecting against this issue even more.