# My 12 Year old car owned from new.



## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

Hello, I thought I'd post up my car in it's current condition after more than 12 years of ownership since new.

It's nothing exotic, but I really enjoy the car.

These were taken on Sunday after nothing more than a wash with Sour Power and freshen up with FK 425 detailing spray...
































































Thanks for looking


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## SPARTAN (Nov 20, 2014)

Your car looks extremely well cared for, it's a credit to you.


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## Tuddie (Aug 14, 2010)

I really like that. Looks in fantastic condition too,cant be many left like that nowadays.


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Lovely car mate, you don't see them often not it that condition and colour. Nice.


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## Stu Mac (Aug 18, 2014)

Superb mate, your cars a credit to you


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## scottk (Apr 1, 2014)

Love the colour. Car looks brilliant! The fog lights are so big though.


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## DJBAILEY (May 7, 2011)

That is a cool little car. Interesting color and still looks brand new. You have good photography skills.


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

The paint on this car is just epic :argie:...obviously that must have something to do with you taking good care of it :thumb:


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## GSD (Feb 6, 2011)

Like already said its a credit to you I don't think I've seen a nicer one of those and for 12 years old it looks better than new.


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## TonyH38 (Apr 7, 2013)

Hats off to you looks superb, lovely colour.


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## DrH (Oct 25, 2015)

Looks fantastic, a credit to you keeping it in such stunning condition


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

*Stunner and i love British Racing Green...:thumb:*


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Very nice finish :thumb:


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## bazz (May 15, 2007)

wow 12 year old it looks fresh out of the factory hats off to you


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## JB052 (Mar 22, 2008)

very tidy


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## Perry (Apr 22, 2006)

Still in awe of this car when ever I see a picture of it. 

Can only hope mine will be the same one day, although red not green  the laquer on mine has peeled from the door handle and part of the bonnet.


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## sgllan89 (Apr 7, 2014)

that looks beautiful, Always had a soft spot for the mg ZR


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

james_death said:


> *Stunner and i love British Racing Green...:thumb:*


Not sure is it British racing green looks like one of the monogram colours they had.
Heres a photo of my ZR back in 2004


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## liav24 (Oct 28, 2014)

WOO
Amazing paint, looks wonderful!


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## donfresh (Feb 23, 2016)

Great car. good old proper k-series lump! that front bumper isn't stock though is it?


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

That's a credit to you.


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## Perry (Apr 22, 2006)

donfresh said:


> Great car. good old proper k-series lump! that front bumper isn't stock though is it?


It's the MG ZR Rally Bumper as far as I know


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## rob267 (Nov 27, 2015)

Wow. That looks great. Looks better than new. Well done to you 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


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## sshooie (May 15, 2007)

Fantastic condition.


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## Kiashuma (May 4, 2011)

Very nice indeed.


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

Thank you all very much for your kind comments! I've been very meticulous with this car. It's the only new car I've owned and having a new car turned me very OCD.

The car isn't a daily driver anymore and goes away every winter. The colour is called Le Mans green. It's a pearlescent paint which was an option along with the likes of Trophy Blue. It's not a monogram paint, they were a very expensive option at the time.



donfresh said:


> Great car. good old proper k-series lump! that front bumper isn't stock though is it?


There are many details which are not stock on the car, most of the modifications are genuine MG-Rover or MG X-Power. Anything else is custom made.

The bumper is a genuine MG X-Power Rally Bumper ( as per the S1600 rally ZR). It was supplied and fitted by my main dealer in 2004, along with the PIAA spot lights which were also dealer supplied from the X-Power catalogue.


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

BillyT said:


> Not sure is it British racing green looks like one of the monogram colours they had.
> Heres a photo of my ZR back in 2004


Lovely! I've always liked Orange Grove on the ZR 

You're right mine is not British Racing Grenn, it's actually Le Mans Green. :thumb:

Thanks again everyone for your kind words


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## dandam (Apr 10, 2011)

Stunning condition, but those foggies are something else - are they the same units from new as you would have expected them to be magnets for stones given how low they are / their size


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## DrH (Oct 25, 2015)

Please would like to know what products you use to keep it in such stunning condition.


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## C7 JFW (Jul 29, 2007)

It's so refreshing to see an MG that's so beautifully cared for.


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## 66Rob (Sep 25, 2007)

Great looking car always liked these, lovely colour too..


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

dandam said:


> Stunning condition, but those foggies are something else - are they the same units from new as you would have expected them to be magnets for stones given how low they are / their size


The spot lights are the same lights as fitted by the dealer in 2004, they've covered a little less than 60000 miles on the car. Never had any issues with stones, though a rabbit did crack the bumper once and I had to have it repaired.



DrH said:


> Please would like to know what products you use to keep it in such stunning condition.


The main products the car sees are Sonus SFX polishes in various grades applied by hand. Sometimes I use a Finish Kare hand glaze.

For wax I use R222 concourse, or Dodo Juice Rainforest Rub.

I regularly freshen the finish up after a wash with Finish Kare #425 Detailing Spray (It's my favourite detailing product). I use it on the paint, wheels, engine bay and sometimes the glass.

Engine bay and under arches are treated with Sonus Trim & Motorkote, sometimes freshened up occasionally with FK #425 or Auto Glym Instant Show Shine.

Wheels get Turtle Wax Nano Tech Wheel Wax and just a regular wash with shampoo and wheel woolies. Meguiars Endurance on the tyres.

I use various shampoos or wash & wax washing products. Sheep skin mitts, Sonus cloths and many buckets/grit guards. Always used plush soft microfibre drying towels for drying the car.

I think that pretty much covers it all! :buffer:



C7 JFW said:


> It's so refreshing to see an MG that's so beautifully cared for.


Thank you, there are very few around like this these days. There are still some really nice examples around owned by enthusiasts, but sadly many now are very poor and tatty or scrapped. That's the way it goes as cars age I guess!

Thanks all for your comments :thumb:


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## Chuck_25 (Apr 2, 2016)

Such a beauty, and in the best colour too :argie:


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## transtek (Mar 2, 2007)

What a stunning car! An absolute credit to you and a gorgeous colour. I still remember the old Metro and Maestro MG's back in the 80's, and this is just so much better.


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## Perry (Apr 22, 2006)

[/URL]MG ZR by Perry Giffin, on Flickr[/IMG]

Here's mine I bought nearly 4 years ago for £750!! Paint has started to flack on the bonnet now though :-(


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## recarouk (May 5, 2006)

how weird i was thinking about this car yesterday, i remember you and Thumpjunkie (TJ) from the MGrover.org good old days, always wanted one of those bumpers on a ZR never happened for me though.

still looks as good now as it did 12 years ago, beauty


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

Perry said:


> Here's mine I bought nearly 4 years ago for £750!! Paint has started to flack on the bonnet now though :-([/quote]
> 
> That looks like an incredible example specially for that kind of price! Really very nice, it's great to see nice ones as it's not common these days!
> 
> ...


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## HEADPHONES (Jan 1, 2008)

I'd rarely use the word perfection but I'm genuinely lost for words.
Car
Colour, body kit, engine bay, wheels and calipers.......couldn't imagine anything to improve it.

Location, interesting and a great backdrop.

Photography. I'm no expert but the shots look great.
The reflections of the grass.
Just the right amount of graffiti bouncing off the paint.
I even love the shot where the double yellow lines reflect off the rear end like colour coded highlights:thumb:

MESMERIZING pics more so than many other pics of more exotic metal :thumb:


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

HEADPHONES said:


> I'd rarely use the word perfection but I'm genuinely lost for words.
> Car
> Colour, body kit, engine bay, wheels and calipers.......couldn't imagine anything to improve it.
> 
> ...


All I can say to that is 'Wow thank you very much!'

I really don't know what to say, that's an incredible compliment of both the car and my photos. Thanks a lot I really appreciate it


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## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Thats an amazing example.

Always had a soft spot for these and the monogram paints are awesome. Ive owned 2 MG ZR 120+ with 2 different flip paint colours.


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## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Thats an amazing example.

Always had a soft spot for these and the monogram paints are awesome. Ive owned 2 MG ZR 120+ with 2 different flip paint colours.


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

Bod42 said:


> Thats an amazing example.
> 
> Always had a soft spot for these and the monogram paints are awesome. Ive owned 2 MG ZR 120+ with 2 different flip paint colours.


Thanks!

The MG-Rover paint colours were very nice! They seemed to offer more choice than the other mainstream brands and they had very eye catching finishes.

Mine is a 120+ too :thumb:


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## P.A.D (Jun 26, 2008)

Factory fresh dude, in fact better than that..:buffer:

Big kudos for keeping it for 12 years, I don't seem to keep a car longer than 6 months, Have 3 at the moment and wondering what to get rid of, or should I get rid of one of the bikes lol.

Russ


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## Jimmy The Saint (Sep 19, 2010)

That's absolutely stunning pal. Without doubt, the best example of its kind I've seen.


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## ActionTracked (Mar 15, 2016)

Nice touches the car looks very well cared for, a credit to you my friend.

I'm sure we'd all agree there's a car we wished we'd kept in past for this amount of time....then again there's probably some we've kept tooo long.

Main thing is you still enjoy the car, massive respect to you.


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## SimTaylor (May 28, 2015)

Amazing car mate you should be proud of that.


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## distracted (Oct 30, 2010)

Wow, an absolute credit to you. I always had a soft spot for these cars. Yours looks amazing. Many more years of driving to you.


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## Liam-R32 (Feb 13, 2016)

Amazing colour and looks like new still. Goid to see the care taken.


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

Thank you all for the kind comments regarding the car! :wave:


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## Cy-Zuki (Feb 9, 2015)

WOW! The car looks immaculate! Full credit to you for both your detailing and photography skills.


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## Itstony (Jan 19, 2018)

Right decision. It's not always just about money, you won't regret it I'm sure.:thumb:


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## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

this is a bit of a revival................you still got the car?


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

grunty-motor said:


> this is a bit of a revival................you still got the car?


Oh yes indeed! Now sixteen years of ownership and the car still looks the same today.

You may notice another thread of mine in the Detailing Chat section. It will explain the thread revival. I threw a bit of an emotional wobbler and had a bit of a debate with myself and came here to mull things over.


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## Robbles (May 4, 2011)

lovely colour - looks great


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## joe456 (Mar 16, 2010)

Lovely car!

I am wondering if you have had any dents or other damaged caused in the time you had it? 

I bought a nearly new car last year that I really like, first time ever spending that much money on the car. But after the first few months I started getting door dings no matter how careful I was.. 

The car was spotless when I bought it, but the latest damage has chipped the paintwork and will probably be noticeable without a respray. I am really gutted as I already have quite a long list of stuff that needs fixing, and now I am really starting to loose enthusiasm with the car. 

The car is great, hasn't missed a beat since I got it, has every manufacturer optional extra fitted, I look forward to driving it everytime it just seems everyone is out destroy it!

I think you made the right decision to keep your car, I reckon if you sold it you would regret it at some point.


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

joe456 said:


> Lovely car!
> 
> I am wondering if you have had any dents or other damaged caused in the time you had it?
> 
> ...


Hi yes, the car has had one door ding to the passenger side door and one to the drivers side door. Both of which I had fixed at the time they occurred by paint less dent removal companies.

One of the dents was caused in my own garage by a bike stand falling over with a bike in it. No paint damage was caused so the dents were repaired perfectly by the PDR people.

On a car that you want to keep pristine dents will annoy the hell out of you. My car currently has no dents at all. In its earlier life I used to park at the furthest end of the car park and park in end spaces. Now it doesn't go to shops, it only gets driven for fun or to work where I know I can park it safely.

The only defects are a few minor stone chips to the front bumper and bonnet due to covering 65000 miles. No scratches or dings at all. I've just been totally OCD and haven't ever parked it anywhere I'm not happy with.

Over the top on a MG? Probably, but I've still got the pleasure of a car which looks like it has just rolled out of the showroom.

I also curbed a wheel once and had it re furbished with the same week.

The sad reality is if you want perfect car, it can't be your everyday car.

Thank you for your comments.


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## andys320 (May 3, 2011)

Sadly you are right, no everyday car will remain "dent" free due to the masses careless approach, heartbreaking when you hae clearly cherished it.

Fantastic condition, great car and nice to see an owner so proud of their car.

Enjoy!


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## joe456 (Mar 16, 2010)

Mean & clean said:


> Hi yes, the car has had one door ding to the passenger side door and one to the drivers side door. Both of which I had fixed at the time they occurred by paint less dent removal companies.
> 
> One of the dents was caused in my own garage by a bike stand falling over with a bike in it. No paint damage was caused so the dents were repaired perfectly by the PDR people.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I've been pretty OCD about my car, just really unluckly.
The dent that chipped the paint I was parked far away, nothing around me, in a private carpark. Once again a car decided to park right next to me.

Back about 10 years ago I used park on the end of a row, with my wheels over the line so I would have an extra couple of foot on one side, still didn't stop a woman slamming her door into mine (I saw it happen!)

I've parked right next to the railing, then some school kids would walk in the 3 inch gap between the car and the railing scratching it.

TBH, even if you only ever parked the car in a garage, you might be enjoying a nice drive and massive rock might fall off a truck or something might topple over in the garage (both has also happened to me) :lol:

If it was just a PDR job I wouldn't feel so gutted, as those guy can do some amazing stuff these days


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## Ravinder (Jul 24, 2009)

Stunning car. I sent you a wee message earlier in the year. Hope you got it.


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Very nice. My green Rover didn't shine like that.


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## Smanderson117 (Jan 19, 2015)

looks lovely fella! Love the front bumper on that as well with the huge fog lights, stunning!


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## VenomUK (Oct 13, 2011)

That front bumper is worth as much as the car, proper rare MG Sn'R bumper from the rally car. Did it come with the car or did you happen to pick it up way back when Sn'R closed and they auctioned off everything?


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## boba fett (Jun 3, 2017)

Must be one of the best available.


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## 66Rob (Sep 25, 2007)

Absolutely stunning a credit to you, and love the colour.


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## woodycivic (Jun 4, 2015)

Great car, a credit to you.

Always had a soft spot for these during my younger days. Never bought one but they always turned my head.


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

71 of the ZR 120+ still registered and 94 sorn'd- I bet this is one of the best out there.


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