I am running a 180 now, Aug 2005 55K one of the last produced. Had it 6 years now and love it. Stock its a good car by GTi standards and handles exceptionally for the class due to a decent Honda chassis with independent suspension. Great brakes ventilated 280mm front and 260mm back (upgrade to green stuff pads) and 17" rims complete this. The set up is stiff so ride suffers and its not for your mum BUT the value of this is apparent immediately in a sprint - in the dry its hard to unstick it in a bend just be careful in the rain when it eventually comes loose and understeers. Power wise it has 180 BHP and its light, the V6 delivers this right up the rev range. Stock, it's a bit asthmatic at low revs as MGR dumbed it down so as not to outface its bigger brother, the ZT - a decent straight through performance exhaust and a cold air induction kit (an original dealer option) are all that is needed to cure this - it adds about 10 BHP but changes the character considerably allowing the KV6 engine to breath - the onboard engine management adjusts automatically for these changes after several miles (as it does if you put high octane fuel in regularly) - no mods or fiddling to do. Some go for a chip and cams and decats are popular but they can be problematic as MGR originally discovered in their own development of the engine, and you would have to watch your MOT (it could fail). Styling is by Peter Stevens ( of ProDrive e.g. P1) which is why it looks like a Subaru Impreza STi (especially at the rear). MGR were looking to put a supercharger option on this car taking it to 220 BHP so this should indicate to you the real capability of the package. It's not an Impreza or Evo beater but on the right roads not much else can get passed it. I've done two M3's in this car (one ended in a hedge ho hum but it was raining). There are niggly Rover issues like cheap materials on the interior (seats wear easily), the paint could be better (bonnet chips easily) and I've had to replace the horn and empty the alarm box of water due to a bad seal, but nothing major if you follow the guidance on the forums like Xpower, change the oil regularly etc. An inlet manifold issue exists (oil fouling interior parts) although I put a small catch tank in the breather pipe and have never had a problem. Ditto a weak master cylinder on the clutch - mine went after 5 years and I have put an upgraded one on now. Watch the cam belts - they need replacing at 5/6 yrs or 80K and its about £750. These negative things should not phase you when you consider how much entertainment you will get for so little money.
Tom Lyth Hi Tom - the clutch is a stock Rover problem unfortunately which occurs on all ZS and ZT cars (not sure ZR) although its quite easy to get around. The seals go on the standard parts after a couple of years and it loses fluid, pressure, no clutch. There is a mod which I have on mine which is derived from the Honda Civic / Accord Type R parts which are tougher last longer - basically that is what the ZS is underneath. Mine only went recently after 8 years and on a 10 year old car. I got my replacement master cylinder from the XPowerforums board (Google it), a good guy with the moniker Sheddist who is in the trade and runs a 180 himself. Alternatively, you may be able to get the Honda parts direct through XParts. There are a couple of other niggles you will find cures for on the forum - the alarm sounder box is under the windscreen drain so it fills with water over time and the alarm fails - its easy to fix - open, clean and seal with silicone. The breather system contaminates with oil over time killing the motors which control the butterfly VIS valves for air boost (its fuel injected but the air has a convoluted control) - an oil catch tank cures this and you can take the VIS valves out to clean them up on older cars (and replace the motors if needs be). If this has got so bad that you have a bad rattle from the top end its probably a bit late and you will need a replacement the complete inlet manifold. The standard mod if it hasn't been done yet is to improve the air in and exhaust out - sounds obvious but on the 180 it is critical as MGR deliberately de-tuned it so that it didn't embarrass the bigger ZT car (same engine V6 2.5 ltr) - so yes the 180 BHP and torque are restrained. If you put a cold air induction on and a decent big bore exhaust you will get another 10 to 12 BHP easily and the car will come alive - this was actually a dealer fix at one stage - a stock option to go to 192 BHP before your car was delivered. I converted an Audi TT 3.2 ltr BMC kit for mine which I got off eBay for less than £80 (new £400) - the air pipe sizes and convertors are on the forum and you can run the pipe open end out of the engine bay and through the wing to the front air dam quite easily. BMC sealed filter is proven better than an open cone and will draw in less heat and dirt. The engine management is clever and will adjust automatically timing etc for the air and exhaust mods well past 200 BHP without any chips or expensive remaps - to force it to do this immediately you disconnect the battery which resets it - re-connect and then run the car - it then picks up the difference in air flow etc. It will also do this for super octane fuel although you have to use it regularly to get that boost as there is protection on the system for low grade fuel (i.e. it de-tunes down to some extent on cheap low octane fuel). The car is a lot of fun if you can get passed these few niggles and many cars will have them done by now. Even though it is not rear wheel drive (I had a Mk2 RS 2000 back in the day), the car feels old school to me and I like that - its kind of basic, no thrills and yet the important stuff is there - great brakes, grip and handling, lowered double wishbone suspension, good feel through the steering - just be careful in the wet as you can get complacent it is so good in the dry - go mental in the wet and you will reach a point where you turn in and it under steers straight on - no steering - we lost a car like that at a Donnington open day one time but that's another story.
These cars are fantastic, but have absolutely nothing to do with an Accord Type R chassis whatsoever. Ran a mk1 2003 180 for 6 and half years with very few issues. Stock car is very good but have weak hydraulic clutch set up and restrictive air box. Mine had uprated induction, X-Power springs, Janspeed manifolds, Piper cat-back exhaust, 100-cell high-flow cat, uprated brake pads and a few more bits n' pieces. Was a seriously rapid car that sounded like pretty much nothing else on the road. Miss it a lot!
doesnt have the head issues mate but watch out for the inlet manifold.loud ticking on idle and a v tec jump in the rev range.should be nice and smooth all the way up revs.had one for four years and loved it bags of character.go to xpower forums for more info,some good guys on there and know their stuff.
@guitar&jam Cambelts cambelts cambelts!! There's 3 off them in total best to make sure all 3 have been changed it's not a cheap job at about £500+ my main belt snapped on my old one causing £3k of damage so not worth risk needs to be done on age or mileage which ever is first besides that just usuall wear and tear to look for
4 belts its a quad cam I have one . 9 years or 90,000 miles then it was changed to 6 years or 60,000 miles. biggest problem is the vis variable intake system , replace with an induction kit and the inlet manifold is weak. for the belts you have to change 2 for the engine ,the timing belt and the water pump
john allison sorry to correct you but there are only 3 cambelts, one main one that drives one set of cams and the waterpump and two more at the rear of the engine that drive the second set of cams, you may be counting the auxilary belt (fanbelt) the drives the alternator, A/C pump and power steering pump so yes 4 belts but only 3 are cambelts, your correct about it being quad cam and the duff inlet system with the vis valves playing up there not cheap either at £150 for the pair.
I miss my 180, i had the saloon in blue (face lift) looked an sounded lovely - I do have a couple of videos on here but not sure how to show the links??
I am running a 180 now, Aug 2005 55K one of the last produced. Had it 6 years now and love it. Stock its a good car by GTi standards and handles exceptionally for the class due to a decent Honda chassis with independent suspension. Great brakes ventilated 280mm front and 260mm back (upgrade to green stuff pads) and 17" rims complete this. The set up is stiff so ride suffers and its not for your mum BUT the value of this is apparent immediately in a sprint - in the dry its hard to unstick it in a bend just be careful in the rain when it eventually comes loose and understeers.
Power wise it has 180 BHP and its light, the V6 delivers this right up the rev range. Stock, it's a bit asthmatic at low revs as MGR dumbed it down so as not to outface its bigger brother, the ZT - a decent straight through performance exhaust and a cold air induction kit (an original dealer option) are all that is needed to cure this - it adds about 10 BHP but changes the character considerably allowing the KV6 engine to breath - the onboard engine management adjusts automatically for these changes after several miles (as it does if you put high octane fuel in regularly) - no mods or fiddling to do. Some go for a chip and cams and decats are popular but they can be problematic as MGR originally discovered in their own development of the engine, and you would have to watch your MOT (it could fail).
Styling is by Peter Stevens ( of ProDrive e.g. P1) which is why it looks like a Subaru Impreza STi (especially at the rear).
MGR were looking to put a supercharger option on this car taking it to 220 BHP so this should indicate to you the real capability of the package. It's not an Impreza or Evo beater but on the right roads not much else can get passed it. I've done two M3's in this car (one ended in a hedge ho hum but it was raining).
There are niggly Rover issues like cheap materials on the interior (seats wear easily), the paint could be better (bonnet chips easily) and I've had to replace the horn and empty the alarm box of water due to a bad seal, but nothing major if you follow the guidance on the forums like Xpower, change the oil regularly etc. An inlet manifold issue exists (oil fouling interior parts) although I put a small catch tank in the breather pipe and have never had a problem. Ditto a weak master cylinder on the clutch - mine went after 5 years and I have put an upgraded one on now. Watch the cam belts - they need replacing at 5/6 yrs or 80K and its about £750.
These negative things should not phase you when you consider how much entertainment you will get for so little money.
Great bit off road know it well and a cup off tea hardwick hall. I have a as 180 love it but having problems with clutch.
Tom Lyth Hi Tom - the clutch is a stock Rover problem unfortunately which occurs on all ZS and ZT
cars (not sure ZR) although its quite easy to get around. The seals go on the standard parts after a couple of years and it loses fluid, pressure, no clutch. There is a mod which I have on mine which is derived from the Honda Civic / Accord Type R parts which are tougher last longer - basically that is what the ZS is underneath. Mine only went recently after 8 years and on a 10 year old car. I got my replacement master cylinder from the XPowerforums board (Google it), a good guy with the moniker Sheddist who is in the trade and runs a 180 himself. Alternatively, you may be able to get the Honda parts direct through XParts.
There are a couple of other niggles you will find cures for on the forum - the alarm sounder box is under the windscreen drain so it fills with water over time and the alarm fails - its easy to fix - open, clean and seal with silicone. The breather system contaminates with oil over time killing the motors which control the butterfly VIS valves for air boost (its fuel injected but the air has a convoluted control) - an oil catch tank cures this and you can take the VIS valves out to clean them up on older cars (and replace the motors if needs be). If this has got so bad that you have a bad rattle from the top end its probably a bit late and you will need a replacement the complete inlet manifold.
The standard mod if it hasn't been done yet is to improve the air in and exhaust out - sounds obvious but on the 180 it is critical as MGR deliberately de-tuned it so that it didn't embarrass the bigger ZT car (same engine V6 2.5 ltr) - so yes the 180 BHP and torque are restrained. If you put a cold air induction on and a decent big bore exhaust you will get another 10 to 12 BHP easily and the car will come alive - this was actually a dealer fix at one stage - a stock option to go to 192 BHP before your car was delivered. I converted an Audi TT 3.2 ltr BMC kit for mine which I got off eBay for less than £80 (new £400) - the air pipe sizes and convertors are on the forum and you can run the pipe open end out of the engine bay and through the wing to the front air dam quite easily. BMC sealed filter is proven better than an open cone and will draw in less heat and dirt.
The engine management is clever and will adjust automatically timing etc for the air and exhaust mods well past 200 BHP without any chips or expensive remaps - to force it to do this immediately you disconnect the battery which resets it - re-connect and then run the car - it then picks up the difference in air flow etc. It will also do this for super octane fuel although you have to use it regularly to get that boost as there is protection on the system for low grade fuel (i.e. it de-tunes down to some extent on cheap low octane fuel).
The car is a lot of fun if you can get passed these few niggles and many cars will have them done by now. Even though it is not rear wheel drive (I had a Mk2 RS 2000 back in the day), the car feels old school to me and I like that - its kind of basic, no thrills and yet the important stuff is there - great brakes, grip and handling, lowered double wishbone suspension, good feel through the steering - just be careful in the wet as you can get complacent it is so good in the dry - go mental in the wet and you will reach a point where you turn in and it under steers straight on - no steering - we lost a car like that at a Donnington open day one time but that's another story.
Spartanm333
Hi and thank you for all this information car is getting a gearbox oil change on Friday to see if it helps the gear change.
My mums 45 with a 1.6 comes unstuck at anything much past brisk cornering
Just purchased a 2004 face lift model in silver, with 56,000 moles from new, totally rust free with full service history - still looks new.
These cars are fantastic, but have absolutely nothing to do with an Accord Type R chassis whatsoever. Ran a mk1 2003 180 for 6 and half years with very few issues. Stock car is very good but have weak hydraulic clutch set up and restrictive air box. Mine had uprated induction, X-Power springs, Janspeed manifolds, Piper cat-back exhaust, 100-cell high-flow cat, uprated brake pads and a few more bits n' pieces. Was a seriously rapid car that sounded like pretty much nothing else on the road. Miss it a lot!
Bringing fame to the North East, I know these roads very well! Nice vid, the MG sounds lush!
Lovely car I have the zs180 love it Hardwick hall park nice spot for a cuppa.
Snap😀
Sounds gorgeous!
doesnt have the head issues mate but watch out for the inlet manifold.loud ticking on idle and a v tec jump in the rev range.should be nice and smooth all the way up revs.had one for four years and loved it bags of character.go to xpower forums for more info,some good guys on there and know their stuff.
Just bought my second mgzs180 mk2 wot a car
Sounds nice, mk2 looks better.👍
Sounds so good!
Love love love my zs 1.8, but she has just died, going to see if I can get a little from my pension for a zs 2.5 v6 fingers crossed.
They are crap lets face it but charming. I want a yellow one 🤣
@guitar&jam
Cambelts cambelts cambelts!! There's 3 off them in total best to make sure all 3 have been changed it's not a cheap job at about £500+ my main belt snapped on my old one causing £3k of damage so not worth risk needs to be done on age or mileage which ever is first besides that just usuall wear and tear to look for
4 belts its a quad cam I have one . 9 years or 90,000 miles then it was changed to 6 years or 60,000 miles. biggest problem is the vis variable intake system , replace with an induction kit and the inlet manifold is weak. for the belts you have to change 2 for the engine ,the timing belt and the water pump
john allison sorry to correct you but there are only 3 cambelts, one main one that drives one set of cams and the waterpump and two more at the rear of the engine that drive the second set of cams, you may be counting the auxilary belt (fanbelt) the drives the alternator, A/C pump and power steering pump so yes 4 belts but only 3 are cambelts, your correct about it being quad cam and the duff inlet system with the vis valves playing up there not cheap either at £150 for the pair.
I have an mg ZS 2.5 v6 and it goes ALOT quicker then yours, why is that?
very cool. I have one also
Is this all standard including exhaust? Sounds lovely.
what kinda MPG you getting? :)
hi , im lookin for one of these.. is there anythin i should be aware of in terms of maintaince or their downs ? thx in advance..
I'm selling a very nice example mg zs180 54 reg in metalic grey mot,d till august 2014 88k miles
looking at buying one the is a red kight on it saying srs i think what does it mean
Fallsy83 You probably know the answer by now, but it's " supplemental restraint system" aka airbag light.
Yeah mate got myself I mk 1 in blue great exhaust fitted gives it a nice deep sound
I miss my 180, i had the saloon in blue (face lift) looked an sounded lovely - I do have a couple of videos on here but not sure how to show the links??