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MG MGF Technical - Refitting the bits MG removed
| How easy is it to fit a 2nd horn and bonnet light to a new TF, all the holes seem to be there just the actual parts missing. Mark |
| Mark Brunt |
| They aslo removed the protective armourflex on later F/TF's from front and rear wheel arches,the seat map pockets,on the TF the illuminated ignition light. Most car companies add extras as continual improvemts,MGR take stuff off. |
| Joe |
| Joe, By armourflex do you mean the black plastic sheald in the wheel arch, I've just checked mine (TF) and there there on the front as the F and not on the back as the F. Have MG put somethings back? I found the missing seat map pocket when I went to put my maps back, which are now on the floor behind the seat. The illuminated ignition light is also mised. Big question is, can any of these missing bits be retro fitted. Mark |
| Mark |
| Ok so there's another thing missing as well, the net in the boot for holding the hood cover (or thats what I used it for). So let review our list of removed items. - Bonnet light - 2nd horn - Boot net - Hood cover - Illuminated ignition light - Seat map pockets - Wheel arch liners (?) Any thing else that I sould know about? I know that all of the really improtant things are there, the things I really got the car for. Mark TF160 - T70 MAB |
| Mark |
| There's the missing door shut plates that the hood clip fits on. Also the cheapened items, like the silver painted trims on the body, aside and ahead of the bootlid. These were chrome on the 'F. I believe the engine bay cover has now disappeared. And am I the only one who thinks the mesh now used on the air intakes looks like chicken wire? It used to be that lovely woven stuff or plain stainless like the Abingdon. Very sad. IMHO, of course. I wonder about the bits not so easily seen.... |
| Chris |
| Hi Mark,no not the wheelarch liner,but on F's until about mid 2001 the return lip on both front and rear arches used to have armour flex fitted. Its like a finishing strip of plastic coated metal that pushes on the metal lip and seperates it from the archliner. If you do not have it and feel it gives more protection from stone chips in this area,it can be bought from motorfactors. |
| Joe |
| Most companies try to save money by removing parts. reducing the quantity of a product or reducing the amount of added parts. Its proven fact that even £0.005 saved on a single item over many thousands or tens of thousands adds up. Take for example airlines reducing passengers legroom by just one inch. Think how much that has made them financially ? or how much money they saved by reducing the padded foam in the seats by millimeters. All very small reductions but hugely sucessful. Going by Mark from Surreys list of "missing" items i wonder how many millions of £'s MGR saved in executing this strategy ?? Maybe this is why they can afford to slash the prices on new TF's. Everytime I pass the dealer or pick up a newspaper they are costing less and less. |
| D Jamieson |
| It is a fine line between saving cost and cheapening the product in the eyes of the consumer! The F is no cheap car and is in the same price bracket as he 75. I don't mind cost savings on the bottom of the range 25 but looking at the TF cost cutting and the 75 just makes me determined to hang onto the F! Cheers Patrick |
| Patrick Beet |
| List so far... - Under bonnet courtesy light (and associated wiring/plunger switch etc). - Illuminated ignition switch - Wheel arch liners (all 4?) - Weldmesh / woven grills changed for EML (according to SF, expanded metal lath - used mainly in plastering, available from DIY stores!) - Wheelarch weather strip (Armour-flex) - Seat pockets (phased out for MY2K?) - Upper door jamb finishers - 2nd horn (wiring is still there though?) - Boot net (i assume the square one on the engine compartment wall, not the rectangular one that is/was an optional accessory) - Rear scuttle finishers in 'ali' finish rather than chrome :) |
| Smiley |
| >Under bonnet courtesy light (and associated wiring/plunger switch etc). just the light, the plunger is still there for the alarm (wireing?) >Illuminated ignition switch went in mk2? >Wheel arch liners (all 4?) nope, still there (2 not 4 -as on F) >Weldmesh / woven grills changed for EML on the F they are naff square mesh covered in black plastic, woven grills were an option >Rear scuttle finishers in 'ali' finish rather than chrome to match the filler cap and interior, rather than the 'option' others. Will |
| Will Munns |
| I have an MY2000 car (2001 Steptronic) and it has an illuminated ignition switch and map pockets on the seats (full leather ones). |
| David Clelland |
| >> Weldmesh / woven grills changed for EML on the F they are naff square mesh covered in black plastic, woven grills were an option << Err, isn't that weldmesh then? A set of parallel wires spot welded at 45 degress to another set of parallel wires to form a rectangular meshwork. Also I thought the bright pack woven mesh was standard on some limited edition models (like the 75th LE and Abingdon). Revised list... - Under bonnet courtesy light. - Illuminated ignition switch (may have been deleted with Mk2) - Weldmesh changed for EML (according to SF, expanded metal lath - used mainly in plastering, available from DIY stores!) - Wheelarch weather strip (Armour-flex) - Seat pockets (phased out for MY2K?) - Upper door jamb finishers - 2nd horn (wiring is still there though?) - Boot net (i assume the square one on the engine compartment wall, not the rectangular one that is/was an optional accessory) - Rear scuttle finishers in 'ali' finish rather than chrome (to match) :) |
| Smiley |
| Oh, i assume Mk2 = MY2000 = MY2K? :) |
| Smiley |
| >> Oh, i assume Mk2 = MY2000 = MY2K? << Yup! :o) |
| Rob Bell |
| David, If you have the Rover leather seats then the backs of the seats and the map pockets are made of deep rich plastic. Only the seat facings are leather! Cheers Patrick |
| Patrick Beet |
| Looks like I've started something now! The real question for me is can things like the horn, bonnet light etc be put back, did the wireing loom change or are the conectors still there waiting for someone to wire them up again? Mark |
| Mark |
| Patrick My MGR Oxford Leather seats are all leather, including the pockets. Neil |
| Neil Stothert |
| ... they also 'slashed' the styling ... i'll go now ... |
| Gaz R |
| Mark, no idea whether the wiring remains for the additional horn and bonnet light. I suspect that there IS wiring there for the second horn, as it appears that early TFs were delivered with the full compliment of two. The bonnet lamp harness I suspect is not there (it would take some effort to feed the wires into the space between the pressings which would be wasted if a lamp weren't connected. Best way to tell is to peer inside and fish about a bit. But I'd say that the smart money was against it. Nothing to say that you couldn't put the wiring back, ofcourse. ;o) Other deletions would be harder to reverse. I can imagine that the igntion light ring would be a right pain to do. And there is not much point in putting the seatback pockets, unless your upholstery skills are excellent! But the boot net could be done quite easily with parts from an F - should be cheap from a breakers too. And if you fancy lightening up the interior, you could swap the black windscreen frame trim for the light grey MGF trim - much nicer IMO. :o) |
| Rob Bell |
| And whilst you are at it, you could wire up the illuminated ring on the cigarette lighter too. Last TF i drove still had the lamp, bulb etc, but no wiring (exactly the same crazy situation as the F). Dead easy job to do (Dieter did mine in a car park on the Treffen last year!) Just a short length of wire, a spade connector and a 'scotch lock' connector to attach the wire to the loom. SF |
| Scarlet Fever |
| Thanks for your input Rob, I think i'm going to have a good look around under the bonnet at the weekend, if it comes to it I will wire up the bonnet light myself. Some thing else to add to our list of missing parts is the plastic cover for the front passenger side fan grill (bad description I know, its the grill between the top of the bonnet and the windscreen) which you may have seen my ask about on Monday. I was standing in the showroom of my local dealers this lunch time and was able to look at an 02 and 52 TF, one with the cover (02) and one with out (52). Chatting to the sales guy, he told me that this issue of missing parts is causing them real problems with customers (75 and TF) who have found bits missing from their new cars or offered as options which were shown in the sale material as included. MRG's answer to this is to read the small print which says that it has the right to change the spec of cars without prior notification. What crap, so much for rewarding loyal customers ( or Mugs as we should be known) While I'm having a rant, I was quoted £8 each for the Wheelarch weather strips (Armour-flex) and £160 of a hood cover..... Feel like a trip / call to MGF centre coming on. Mark |
| Mark |
| Patrick / Neil, Must check tonight when I get home to see if all or part of my seats are leather. David |
| David Clelland |
| Mike's ones are leather (except for the frame and foams etc!) ;-) SF N926 FEV - MGF (wreck) :-( EF52 DXY - ZS 180 (new) :-) |
| Scarlet Fever |
| Patrick, You're right, my MGR full leather seats have plastic rears and map pockets. Oh well I suppose I can save on leather conditioner now. David |
| David Clelland |
| I'm feeling much happy now in the knowledge that the extra money I paid for Oxford leather means I get leather map pockets. How exactly are you supposed to use them anyway as the seats don't drop forward? Neil |
| Neil Stothert |
| My wife likes the passenger seat well forward and this allows me to use the pocket in the back of her seat - and if I am alone then I dont need it. Ted |
| Ted Newman |
| >and if I am alone then I dont need it. What - you know where your going, and the Map only serves to settle arguments? |
| Will Munns |
| Bitching Betsie tells me where to go! Ted |
| Ted Newman |
| ...but my TF (Sept '02) has an elasticated net pocket on the engine compartment wall....(?????) |
| SimonKE |
| <<...but my TF (Sept '02) has an elasticated net pocket on the engine compartment wall....(?????)>> Mine too (OCT 02) and has 2 horns. |
| Norman |
| I've just looked under the bonnet of my new TF. The wiring for the bonnet light and second horn is not there. I moaned to my dealer about buying a 21.5K value car (not that I paid that for it) and getting features left out that were on a previous and cheaper model. He muttered about "manufacturer right to amend specifications...". I tactfully pointed out that having previously owned an F, I had an expectation of what to find on a higher specification, and much higher cost model, and these changes were not made known to me at the time of sale. I covered issues such as "cheapening of the brand", and he sympathised - "dealers were also often unaware of changes until vehicles were delivered" he said. I remained unsympathetic, and informed him that neither was I impressed that the hood cover was now a chargeable option, which somewhat considerably p****d me off. It was suggested, finally, that I contact MGR Customer Services directly, and offered to see what could be done about the bonnet light if I could bring the car in for the workshop to look at. So, how do you get these bits re-instated? The scuttle finishers are easy, but the bonnet light wiring looks a bit more complicated. The bonnet light switch is still there: if I read the wiring diagram properly, it's connected to the alarm system. But how and where do you tap into the wiring loom for the light? I assume you could just split the horn feed and return into two to add the second horn? My wife also expressed her opinion (if I can put it that way) of the "technical" finish to parts of the interior and the feel of the ventilation knobs, which was not complimentary, and had anyone considered that suede (i.e. alcantara) will rapidly become worn and smooth, and, anyway, you can't slide your bum across the seat on suede when you get in, like you can on leather. The problem now is two-fold. What to replace the "technical" finished stuff with, and can my wallet afford it? She (who is always right (but refused to meet the salesman at the dealer's)) already wants boxer hoops with leather pads and the glass windstop! |
| David Dewick |
| >> The problem now is two-fold. What to replace the "technical" finished stuff with, and can my wallet afford it? She (who is always right (but refused to meet the salesman at the dealer's)) already wants boxer hoops with leather pads and the glass windstop! << LOL, she is going to be very sorely tempted then when she sees Mike's catalogue... ;-) SF N926 FEV - MGF (wreck) :-( EF52 DXY - ZS 180 (new) :-) |
| Scarlet Fever |
| For a £21,500 motor car, I was a little surprised to find all the wiring et cetera exposed on the rear light clusters inside the boot. Has THIS always been the case with the F/TF??? I can't remember the last car I (or my wife) have "owned" that didn't have some kind of protective cover. |
| SimonKE |
| >>For a £21,500 motor car, I was a little surprised to find all the wiring et cetera exposed on the rear light clusters inside the boot. Has THIS always been the case with the F/TF??? I'm afraid so. The plastic locking tab on one of the rear light clusters on my 1998 VVC has just broken for the second time, probably because I do occasionally carry boxes that only just fit the boot. The first time was whilst under warranty. I'll have to pay for this one myself - yet to check how much it's going to be. Anyone know? Dave |
| Dave |
| >> What to replace the "technical" finished stuff with, and can my wallet afford it? << Well, that bit at least is easy. The centre console, instrument binnacle and the door 'strake' trims are all interchangeable with MGF MY2000 items - so a good choice of alloy silver, wood or even, good old plain black plastic, that frankly, IMO, looks better than the naff 'technical' finish. Available from a scrap yard near you ;o) Or, indeed, Mike! |
| Rob Bell |
| The MGF TF brochure describes the seats as : "Leather Black Black leather on the whole of seat" |
| Art Jacks |
Hi all, how is it on the silencer front? In the old "F" leaflet it was mentioned at 2 places thar the exthaust "is stainless steel" but to my knowledge it has to be a very low grade then as the silencers DO rot away... What is the situation on the "TF" ? BR, Carl. |
| Carl Blom |
| I'm opening the champagne, my MGF bought new last summer was built in Nov 2001, brought back into the UK from Germany by a car supermarket and appears to have all the bells and whistles inc full leather for a tad over £13,000, not so sure about the boot 'net', I'll make that Carva! |
| John H |
| Just picked up a set of Wheelarch weather strip (Armour-flex) from the MGF Centre to replace the ones removed by MGR, £10 for a whole set, MGR wanted almost £10 each. I decided to get these after cutting myself on the sharp edges under the wheel arch while cleaning the car at the weekend. If we were in the US i'm sure I could sue MGR for the pain and suffering caused. Now to work out how to fit that second horn and bonnet light. Mark |
| Mark |
| Mark If you find out, please let me know!! Judging by the F wiring diagrams from Dieter's site, the second horn shouldn't be a problem. Both horns were wired in parallel from a common live feed, and back to a common earth. So, splitting the existing live feed and return into two for each horn looks fairly straightforward using either bullet or crimp connectors to make the connections. As to the bonnet light, the bonnet switch connects to both the bonnet light and the alarm circuit on the F. So, on the assumption that the bonnet switch on the TF now only connects to the alarn ECU, I don't see why it shouldn't be possible to take a feed from the same power distribution that feeds the footwell lamps up to the bonnet bulb assembly then across the bonnet to the bonnet switch back to earth via the switch fixing. If perchance you're going to fit heated washer jets at the same time, then all the cables can be fixed using the same flexible plastic trunking. The question is, where to tap into the power distribution? The footwell lights, boot and bonnet lamps and miroor lights all come from a common source fed by fuse 12, but can anyone locate that point in the actual wiring? Or perhaps, as heated washer jets also need a live feed, use that for the bonnet light too? |
| David Dewick |
| >Or perhaps, as heated washer jets also need a live feed, use that for the bonnet light too? Any purple wire, look in the footwell lights or the radio. The heated washer jets should only come on with the ignition though! Note you might get a tidier instaliation by inline fusing seperatly and running wires to the under bonnet fusebox. |
| Will Munns |
This thread was discussed between 04/03/2003 and 11/03/2003
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