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You are doing the right thing - it's these "ordinary" cars which most people want to see. It's a car they remember, car which nearly all of us could have afforded. Sadly, the attrition rate of such cars is common so saving this is a worthy thing.
For an exhaust I would personally recommend an X-Power stainless steel exhaust. It is period correct and was a dealer fit option. They were a joint co development between MG-Rover and Janspeed. They make the car sound nice and throaty but not at all excessive, they can be pretty refined when driving normally but sound good when giving it some beans. In my opinion these cars sounded boring as stock. A hot hatch needs to be fun but not OTT sounding. I’m a ZR owner of almost 21 years, I’ve owned mine from new I had my X-Power exhaust fitted by my main dealer in 2004 and it’s one of the best additions I’ve made to the car. Nice to see one having real work done to it. Mine never sees the rain or gritted roads and people think I’m mad, but I don’t care. The ZR is a tremulously fun car that always punched above its weight. The masses missed out on it as far as I’m concerned. I’ve got the last of the ST-3 Fiestas and although it would leave the ZR for dead, in terms of driver engagement, steering feel and pure joy the ZR holds its own.
I would rather watch videos on bargain bin cars like this than showing off willy waving supercars that I have zero interest in. Stick an old sierra or Nissan bluebird beside a supercar and i wouldn't give the 'supercar' a second glance.
As much as i love, and do watch Harry's Garage , I have no connection with the stuff he reviews, Interesting yes, but zero chance of ever owning, or tbh, even wanting to own such stuff. Give us a good ole car that I can actually relate to, such as this.
They were always ULTRA cool cars in my eyes! Road testers always loved them stating that they were pure Old School Hot Hatch fun. They just lagged behind in terms of modernity but they looked awesome and the 160 version was rapid and that ultra lightweight K series is a cool sporty engine. Thank you for saving it!
Glad to see an update on the MG. These are the kind of “normal” cars that will one day be as desirable as any supercar of the day, for the reasons James talks about. And the fact the garage that will have suffered through all that rust and welding are so enthused they want to go even further shows how much appeal the ‘ordinary’ car can have. Although forget showroom condition, from the sounds of it, this is going to be in better condition than the day it rolled out of the factory!!
these videos are vastly more expensive than a piece to camera in front of the latest supercar/toy but for me way more entertaining. I'm impressed at jays level of technical knowlage, even if he doesnt know which way to turn a spanner himself! 🤣...only joking Jay!
Well done for saving this. I ran one for a while, it's some of the best steering I've had on any car and it just felt like people that care had set the geometry up. My girlfriend hated it as the ride was harsh and felt every bump and she had a good rack, which compounded the issue !
I worked at Longbridge when the 200 first rolled off the line. I have a photo of a large group of us that decided to work on this line. In that photo is the very first 200 on the line. We were also given a memorial coin with the 200 on it. Constructed in the enormous "cab 1" it was next to the original Mini & Metro line, & down at floor level was the 400 line. The line ran 24 hours a day on 3 shifts, starting at 6AM on Monday & stopping at 2PM on Friday. Quality was not its finest attribute, certain cost cutting measures were actually encouraged for which you'd get a prize polo shirt or similar. One example was before the dash, heater & other parts were added, part of the wiring loom attachments were swapped from a small but secure screw to a piece of black sticky tape. Which of course lost adhesion over time so you had the wiring loom swinginging about beneath the dash. But it's so nice to see that people still love this car & want to restore them to a better build quality than Longbridge would manage. Blame the time & motion team for the quality that left Longbridge, or should I say lack of. Quantity over quality.
Bloody hell that,s tragic, the cars don't stand a chance with that going on! They should have been looking to be more efficiant rather than blatant cost cutting. Was this under the Phoenix 4 ownership?
@@hbhmhbhm Yes, unfortunately John Towers & the Phoenix consortium promised so much when Rover collapsed. But it was all lies. Every inch of ground, body in white, the paint shop & the assembly lines were sold off for the building of houses etc. And Phoenix didn't give a penny to those that lost their jobs. Plus all local parts suppliers folded, this had a huge knock on effect on the sheer amount that had to almost fight for jobs. Very worthy of note were those young employees that had new mortgages & small children. That's nightmare fuel. Because Rover did pay a good wage for what was fairly simple work & other industrial companies paid about half of that. The job everyone sought out was factory / site maintenance because they were virtually self governing, not even senior management questioned their working schedules. On one occasion, a few of this crew were asked to change a couple of simple strip lights. They said they were busy but could do this during the weekend. So that was green lit & the crew spent all day Saturday & Sunday replacing maybe half a dozen strip lights. Time & a third plus double time. Being that their basic pay was over £400 / week net, they were earning at least £750 plus for these little jobs. Net. It was plain to see why Longbridge collapsed, one hand didn't know what the other hand was doing. And waiting in the wings were Towers & co, letting this happen. When it had happened, Towers & Phoenix needed to hire security at their own homes, the threats were so menacing. But now that has all been forgotten, ex employees moved into other work, training was given to help those who chose new paths & JT is so wealthy, he never has to work again. Oh, & BMW became the new owners of Land Rover, the jewel in the Rover crown.
Legend! Of course, finding rust-free items for these cars is going to be tricky, but they did sell it for a VERY short time here in Australia. If you thought they were rare in the UK to find now.... 😀
Great to see you showing such passion for all types of cars, one video you're in a GT3, the next a ZR160. You're just like us James, maybe just with a bit more spare cash in your pocket, and it's fantastic to watch your adventures in the motor vehicle obsession.
Great work Mr Emm! To a 10 year old petrolhead growing up in Birmingham at the time when these came out, the Zeds were the coolest things in the world and were a shining beacon of hope… sadly, not to last, but they made an impression! You hold a fond place in the heart MGR!
This is an amazing restoration James. Thanks for sharing and my long term plan is to own a MG ZR in Australia. In a few years every mature boy racer will be looking for a ZR160...
I had a silver 160, only car I ever bought new. Sure there were other cars available at the time, and many would argue, better, but it was a lovely little screamer! Glad to see one getting the love it deserves!
Absolute quality content and respect for you investing in these old ‘cheap’ cars. This is the embodiment of passion for cars. This MG would always catch my eye tenfold over a new shiny supercar. Keep up the good work JayEmm!
I worked at an MG Rover dealer when these were new, takes me back! Always preferred the 200 Vi myself, not quite so Max Power as the later MGs, but they were a hoot and tended to be more reliable if thrashed ( but well serviced ).
And the Rover 200 BRM, with it's orange lipstick ...... which nobody bought. I was never interested in Rover's tbh, although the 220 Tomcat Coupe was quite a cool car.
@@johnmitchell2269 I only saw one BRM go through the dealership back in the day. Apart from the orange bit I though it was quite a nice thing, good colour. I think the nicest Rover I ever drove was a 620 diesel. Not fast but comfortable and just felt well sorted.
Hello James, I applaud you for doing this and I went more or less the same route. About 2 years ago I bought a Rover 200 BRM, the spiritual predecessor of the ZR 160. It was in far better nick, but started to get some rust on the gutter of the roof and the hinges of the tailgate. Also the front wings started to crumble a bit. It also needed new brakes, an APK (Dutch MOT) and a service. The roof was welded, hinged repaired and strengthened, new wings made and the parts were resprayed. New rear shocks fitted. In the end it was pulled apart by my Jaguar specialist and sent off to various places to get mended. Meanwhile a new lining was installed on the roof, a new windscreen fitted, wires to the tailgate mended and so on. I payed €5400 for the car when I bought it. The final bill for al the work was €8000,-! SO within half a year of ownership the car owed me €13.400,-. And I don’t have a successful youtube channel with lots of financial revenue. And next year the sills need some work, the offside starts to bubble and I want to get it done before it gets worse. Alas I don’t have any of the stuff you need, but I hope someone else does. And for a nice show, I am sure you will get a very good spot on the stand of the Dutch Austin Morris Riley Wolseley Register, where I am a member of and is actually a club for all British makes. In the beginning of May there always is the Dutch version of the Festival of the Unexceptional, called EMWalhalla. Ask your friend Ian of HubNut, he has been there. You will love it! And we will love to see you there.
I'm looking forward to watching this. I recently had put back on the Road a MK2 2004 ZS180. It had been stood for 11 years in my garage. All in it cost me at a specialist 3k to get back on the road with a full MOT., it does need more though, Alloys to refurb, ideally it'll need a bit of paint, speakers are absolutely awful so a full but small ICE set up, headlining is sagging, and door cards will need doing in the near future.
Love what your doing with this car James they’re great little cars from a once iconic British company which was asset stripped and left to die, I have a 25Gti a very limited run of less than 2000 we’re built it was the predecessor to the ZR160 and it does draw a surprisingly lot of interest at car meets.
James....Me and Steve Darbey have raced these,they are very very underrated cars. The easiest way to get power is a K-Maps ECU which raises the revs to 7850,there are big gains with a race air filter with cold air induction from the front lower grill,Three angles valve seats,and a skimmed block that raises the compression a bit will and a decent exhaust,see the car good for 175-180 bhp. Black poly bushes with good quality struts and a proper set up with aid handling. In its day the car would hit 100 mph in just under 20 seconds,and that was quick back in 2001.me and steve have loads of spares should you need them and also the guy who sets our car up as well. Immaculate examples are making 10-12k now so a good solid investment.
Rustival 3, when Ian announces the venue and date. Meanwhile, cars. Next to dogs, they are our best friend, and like you are doing, they should be treated as such. Bravo
My wife had one of these around 2005 - mk1 zr 160 brilliant little car. By chance I was googling for photos of mg zr’s for reasons I can’t remember and it brought up the cover of EVO magazine along with her number plate on it. Turns out it was originally a press car when it first came out.
I've owned an MG TF 160 for 14 years now (it's only used in the summer months). I keep saying to myself every year that I'm going to sell it, but I never do. I've got other rarer and faster toys, but for the money a good MG TF 160 is a massive and underrated bargain, as is the MG ZR 160.
Nice to see this being restored. If it's all ready for next years car show season, my two standouts are Harpenden's Classics on the Common and the annual classic meet at Knebworth House.
Well done, this car needs to be displayed at the next NEC Classic Car Restoration Show, regardless of what stage its at. Everyone would love to spend time looking over it!👍🏾
I hope these eventually get the same kind of respect as the hot Hondas of the same era, as they become more rare I'm sure this will eventually be worthwhile! Well done JayEmm and your bags of TH-cam money for spending it well.
Great to see this Rover being brought back from the brink. Looking forward to the next update. About 25 years ago I had a Rover 75 estate in British Racing Green, It wasn't fast, it didn't handle particularly well, had the most inaccurate speedo I've ever seen. BUT,,,, it had character and so much charm, was beautiful inside and we took it on some great European road trips. As far as the south of Croatia and back. Its the only car I've ever shed a tear over when it had to go.
Love the video! I love the little ZRs! I had a 1.4 as my first car and loved it. Owned it for around 5 years, the longest I’ve ever kept a car. Last month I bought a perfect example mk2 160! Identical spec to my first car but the all important 160 variant. I hope that one day that will be recognised for what they are.
Well done jay for saving the ZR looking forward to seeing the next video.I had several of these cars and never had any problems great cars to drive should never have closed the factory.
Back in the day I was involved with the designer Oliver Le Grice doing the first concept model of the Rover 200 Nice to see your project coming back to life. It’s not about the cost it’s the journey your on and smiles it brings when your out about enjoying the drive.
Commenting so I come back to watch this. I bought a brand new ZS180 when I was 22, after running an MGF VVC for a while. It was a peach of a car. Also had another ZS180 for a short while about 15 years later. Obviously didn’t feel anywhere near as quick with the arrival of very hot hatches like Golf R and M140 which I had in between! MG knew how to set up suspension and steering for the British roads. Test drove the ZR160 and ZT190 when they were new as well, they were also great.
Wow, James, that looks awesome. I'm happy that you are finally filming some of your rebuilds. This and the Hartech engine rebuild are great. Hopefully, you got some footage of the s2000 also. Have a great Christmas and another fantastic year
A lovely video, and I wouldn't say you were mad, your one of the good ones, a gentleman, an auto enthusiast, stand tall and stand proud of what you're doing.
I love that you're saving this car regardless of cost, these cars matter, the hatchbacks. I almost bought a ZR in 2018 but fell for a beautiful, exotic looking red Alfa 147 T Spark for well under a grand.
I had a 25 within the last 15 years. It was my daily for a little while when I had my F355. Chalk and Cheese but both fun to drive. It’s good people save them. I love it people cherish Allegros and Marinas despite me not liking them.
This is the best thing in my opinion that TH-cam does. Many years from now people will wonder why are these weird like new old cars . They will eventually figure it out and they be called “those TH-camr cars”. I think it is great. TH-cam and cars just go together.
If you want to get an exhaust that is OEM (or very close to it) then try Klarius in Stoke-on-Trent. Part numbers will likely be RR340V for the back box and RR339W for the mid-section.
I had a Klarius front and mid section for my 200. Good quality, and fitted straight on unlike some manufacturers that require hours of fiddling. The prices seem very fair too.
You’re doing a good thing, old MGs like this need saving. They are good cars. It’s the new ones that are dreadful. Same goes for any car of this era (with a few exceptions). I drive a 2006 Volvo V70 with the 5cyl 2.4l engine - and even though the govt want it taxed off the road - I won’t let them take it from me that easy. It’s a fantastic car, and I’ll do whatever to keep it in tip top and running.
Great stuff, well done for doing that, its going to look great. We have a ZT 190 at Lakeland Motor Museum and its a very popular exhibit and was given lots of tlc by its previous owner who donated it.
I'm 19 and have owned a 05 Rover 45 2.0TD hatchback for nearly 2 years. Personally think it is a great car plus unlike the Golf I owned prior I don't have any regrets owning a Rover and is something I'd definitely do again, and yes my car is a little modified.
Jay, you are honestly a legend for doing this. These cars were and still are awesome. People with some influential clout like yourself bringing more attention to cars like this will hopefully inspire more people to save them. I'm very jealous, as I think I may have said before 😂
Amazing. Really appreciate what you are doing with this car. I don’t think any other channel would spend what you are. I love your broad brush that you are willing to spend on all of your various cars. Thanks
Another +1 for DMGRS, a guy I met through the Mersyside MG/Rover club originally started it. From memory he bought a whole load of stock from MG/Rover when they went bust.
I never got into this era of MG-badged Rovers, but i have a huge amount of respect for you, James, for saving a generally unloved blue collar hero like this. I'd say most people who own multiple Ferraris etc, wouldn't give cars like this a second glance, but i guess that's what makes this channel gold 👌
I loved my little ZR, with its factory fitted LPG, sadly destroyed by sabotage, which we suspected was from a disgruntled former learner who couldn’t accept he was thrown off the course for generally being a… well, let’s just leave it at that shall we? Loved its handling, the look (for me the 5 door always looked better, but each to their own), and the comfort as it took me all over the country when I was contracting for Network Rail. The LPG meant it cost pennies to run and while the K-Series has its reputation, if you looked after it, it was a solid engine. A great mod is not just the MLS gasket, but also the enlarged head from the Chinese N-Series as the extra coolant flow helps no end! Hard to find but they are out there!
I had a brand new ZR, not the 160 but the diesel; and one of the most fun cars I've ever had..lovely steering and had a really old skool throw it around feel.. i loved it; 40k miles in 2 years and never gave me any issues...
British Motor Show James, great event we attended this year. Fantasic family day out and cost effective to get into. Plenty static displays of all sorts of cars
Hi James, if a project is tenable, as this is, for you, it is a deserving challenge. If only to keep a vehicle alive, and limited among its peers. It is additionally pleasing that you are not tackling the usual fare, of BMW and the like.
This is totally worth doing for all the reasons explained in this video. The situation isn't too dissimilar to that of my MK1 Mégane Coupe which could have done with visiting a body shop four years ago when I bought it. The problem is that this sub £500 car has probably already cost me ten times that already and I was quoted £5k for body work over three years ago. Sadly I don't have the resources to cover that in one go. Some people are now starting to restore the 16v but not a 1.6 8v like mine but I do feel a strong obligation to ensure the cars survival.
Loving our ZR105: the kids are learning to drive on it and I loved the ZR back in period. We owned the “sensible” ZT-T CDTi for years until ULEZ forced a very reluctant sale… glad that we still have a Zed-car in the family now ❤
You’re not alone Jay. I’ve spent over 5x what I paid for my bmw e36 resto project in 3 yrs & it’s probably worth 2x right now. But once you start, it never ends + something breaks every 3 mnths or so. That’s love!!
James you've surpassed yourself. Hit the nail on the head when you revealed your passion for saving "ordinary" (in other words ones we could afford) cars. Looking forward to finished product. We need more of this as we move into the soul less age of white goods electric cars. Thank you and happy Christmas. 😀
No wierd mirrors for James ZR. Agree in full. Take care into 2025. Love the Channel as ever. Just seams to be getting better without going away from good honest good-old-car channel ethos. Even with multi Ferrari ownership. Only a breath fresh air about car ownership highs lows and reality. Brilliant.
Astonishing to see this far from economic repair being done! Not my sort of car, but still so pleasing to see something so unexceptional being restored to what will probably better than new, and one of the very best of the type still existing. I doubt that there are any left in good original condition. What a pleasure to see this! Best wishes from George
Respect that you are invested so much into a restoration of a car like this. Shows that you more than the guy that mentions he has 3 Ferrari's in the first 5 minutes of every video;)
Can't wait to see it in its full glory. I had one of these in about 2002 very briefly while my company car was being fixed. Didn't want to hand it back !!
Reminds me of an early 90's Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup I saw at a car show recently. It was pretty much just a mid range single cab model with no mods or anything, but it had very low miles on it and was super clean. Even the underside was in amazingly factory fresh condition. It was surrounded by all kinds of remarkable muscle cars, classic sports cars, custom hotrods, etc...but seeing that particular time capsule which had been such a common sight in my childhood was what put the biggest smile on my face that day
I have done the same thing with my 1997 SAAB 9000 Aero 2.3T. Thrown way too much cash at it and restored it (im an ex Saab master tech) and its now pretty much the best in the UK. I know of 2 others which are equally or better. I had lots of new ex Saab stock so was able to use much of this in the restoration and the result is a joy to drive. Im also an engine tuner now and so ive remapped the "standard engine" to 317 bhp so it goes like the clappers. You can see it on the Number 27 channel. Yes i will never get the money back but it brings joy to me, and yes its great when so many people take pictures of it at shows. Paul @ The SAAB Clinic.
I love this, it's so nice to see one being properly saved and given some love. They're underrated cars and I have a suspicion people will only realise how great they were when they're all gone. I'm far happier seeing these than any super car thats for sure.
Good on you James for committing to this the proper, the passionate way. Been through a quite similar experience with a plain stock - Marmite, I know - 2007 MB CLS 320 CDI.
One of the problems mg rover cars had was they didn’t seam seal a lot of the body seams so the water got in between all the joints. I’ve got a rust free rover 114 it hasn’t seen much rain in its life.i was amazed at how many joints were left open underneath the first thing I did was clean off the whole underside treated any small bits of surface rust zinc primed then seam sealed every joint I could find. Then a good coating of stone chip then base coat and lacquered the whole underneath
@@TroyGoodacre I’ve got a 114 SLi I keep meaning to get around to fixing, you’re right about the lack of seam sealing and overall rust protection. I’ll pour more money into it getting it back on the road than it’ll ever be worth but I don’t care, it means too much to me to scrap
I ran a Mk1 yellow ZR Diesel until I hit a wall with it and even though it was rebuilt it didn't have the same balance in my opinion. I traded it in fairly soon after that for a Mk2 ZS180 in Xpower grey. I got the ZR early on after it was released and I was working on the Isle of Skye that week and arrived on the Sunday night and parked it on the street outside my hotel only to find another two yellow ZR's already parked on that street. Whilst driving that car anyone in a yellow ZR always flashed as they passed. Of all the hot hatches I owned from Ford, Vauxhall, Mini, Peugot I still think the ZR was just balanced right and I knew the point where it was going to let go it was an awesome car. The ZR just took it up a notch but in modern terms so under powered 180bhp from a 2.5l V6. I am looking forward to the finished car and the process to get there.
Brilliant. This is the stuff. Some things are worth more than money. Not a lot of people understand that. But i do. Nice one mate, all the best for 2025.
Good on you for doing this, I worked for mg rover in the early 2000s and pdi many zr160s. They were rusty underneath from the factory. That said they are fantastic cars and the vvc k series if properly worked on and taken care of is a top engine. My 200vi I have driven on the recline for over ten years after saving it from the scrap yard with 76k on the clock, it now has 140k and still screams to 7500k no fuss no smoke. I've only just retired it as I finally got too old for the bucket seats and roll cage.
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You are doing the right thing - it's these "ordinary" cars which most people want to see. It's a car they remember, car which nearly all of us could have afforded. Sadly, the attrition rate of such cars is common so saving this is a worthy thing.
I agree with this, rare but ordinary cars tend to interest a lot of people.
For an exhaust I would personally recommend an X-Power stainless steel exhaust. It is period correct and was a dealer fit option. They were a joint co development between MG-Rover and Janspeed.
They make the car sound nice and throaty but not at all excessive, they can be pretty refined when driving normally but sound good when giving it some beans. In my opinion these cars sounded boring as stock. A hot hatch needs to be fun but not OTT sounding.
I’m a ZR owner of almost 21 years, I’ve owned mine from new I had my X-Power exhaust fitted by my main dealer in 2004 and it’s one of the best additions I’ve made to the car.
Nice to see one having real work done to it. Mine never sees the rain or gritted roads and people think I’m mad, but I don’t care. The ZR is a tremulously fun car that always punched above its weight. The masses missed out on it as far as I’m concerned. I’ve got the last of the ST-3 Fiestas and although it would leave the ZR for dead, in terms of driver engagement, steering feel and pure joy the ZR holds its own.
Thanks for keeping this on road🎉🎉🎉
Good call.
Cool story Bro. Yawn.
@@polopowered 🤣 stick to your mints.
You still read it though 🤷♂️ @@polopowered
I would rather watch videos on bargain bin cars like this than showing off willy waving supercars that I have zero interest in. Stick an old sierra or Nissan bluebird beside a supercar and i wouldn't give the 'supercar' a second glance.
As much as i love, and do watch Harry's Garage , I have no connection with the stuff he reviews, Interesting yes, but zero chance of ever owning, or tbh, even wanting to own such stuff. Give us a good ole car that I can actually relate to, such as this.
I’m the opposite find cars like this old rover boring as hell never wanted one then and even less so now
@@2702simmo Life would be SO boring if we all liked the same stuff
The great thing about Jayemm is there is something for everyone
Absolutely spot on. Cars for the people are much more interesting. Although McLaren-bashing is also great craic.
There’s noting better than seeing a well sorted old car in standard trim
I'd hardly call this 'standard trim'
They were always ULTRA cool cars in my eyes! Road testers always loved them stating that they were pure Old School Hot Hatch fun. They just lagged behind in terms of modernity but they looked awesome and the 160 version was rapid and that ultra lightweight K series is a cool sporty engine. Thank you for saving it!
I have nut and bolt restored 3 classics. It's not about the money. Your doing the right thing!
Glad to see an update on the MG. These are the kind of “normal” cars that will one day be as desirable as any supercar of the day, for the reasons James talks about. And the fact the garage that will have suffered through all that rust and welding are so enthused they want to go even further shows how much appeal the ‘ordinary’ car can have.
Although forget showroom condition, from the sounds of it, this is going to be in better condition than the day it rolled out of the factory!!
Agree a future classic.
these videos are vastly more expensive than a piece to camera in front of the latest supercar/toy but for me way more entertaining. I'm impressed at jays level of technical knowlage, even if he doesnt know which way to turn a spanner himself! 🤣...only joking Jay!
I'm glad you spent the money on saving this. Good cars deserve to be kept alive!
It's a Huuuuite People thing😃
Agree.
Well done for saving this. I ran one for a while, it's some of the best steering I've had on any car and it just felt like people that care had set the geometry up. My girlfriend hated it as the ride was harsh and felt every bump and she had a good rack, which compounded the issue !
Ah yes the well endowed ladies don't enjoy a bumpy ride
@@JayEmmOnCars she has the same gripe in my GR Yaris.
Rack and pinion.
My mrs is very well blessed. And she loves all my fast fleet !
@@JayEmmOnCars Behave! 😂
Hi James, I’m now the owner of the ignition blue zs180 you bought! It’s a lovely car now it’s been recommissioned
It’s a great story whoever restored it and gave it some appreciation.
I worked at Longbridge when the 200 first rolled off the line. I have a photo of a large group of us that decided to work on this line. In that photo is the very first 200 on the line. We were also given a memorial coin with the 200 on it. Constructed in the enormous "cab 1" it was next to the original Mini & Metro line, & down at floor level was the 400 line. The line ran 24 hours a day on 3 shifts, starting at 6AM on Monday & stopping at 2PM on Friday. Quality was not its finest attribute, certain cost cutting measures were actually encouraged for which you'd get a prize polo shirt or similar. One example was before the dash, heater & other parts were added, part of the wiring loom attachments were swapped from a small but secure screw to a piece of black sticky tape. Which of course lost adhesion over time so you had the wiring loom swinginging about beneath the dash.
But it's so nice to see that people still love this car & want to restore them to a better build quality than Longbridge would manage. Blame the time & motion team for the quality that left Longbridge, or should I say lack of. Quantity over quality.
Bloody hell that,s tragic, the cars don't stand a chance with that going on! They should have been looking to be more efficiant rather than blatant cost cutting. Was this under the Phoenix 4 ownership?
@@hbhmhbhm Yes, unfortunately John Towers & the Phoenix consortium promised so much when Rover collapsed. But it was all lies. Every inch of ground, body in white, the paint shop & the assembly lines were sold off for the building of houses etc. And Phoenix didn't give a penny to those that lost their jobs. Plus all local parts suppliers folded, this had a huge knock on effect on the sheer amount that had to almost fight for jobs. Very worthy of note were those young employees that had new mortgages & small children. That's nightmare fuel. Because Rover did pay a good wage for what was fairly simple work & other industrial companies paid about half of that. The job everyone sought out was factory / site maintenance because they were virtually self governing, not even senior management questioned their working schedules. On one occasion, a few of this crew were asked to change a couple of simple strip lights. They said they were busy but could do this during the weekend. So that was green lit & the crew spent all day Saturday & Sunday replacing maybe half a dozen strip lights. Time & a third plus double time. Being that their basic pay was over £400 / week net, they were earning at least £750 plus for these little jobs. Net.
It was plain to see why Longbridge collapsed, one hand didn't know what the other hand was doing. And waiting in the wings were Towers & co, letting this happen. When it had happened, Towers & Phoenix needed to hire security at their own homes, the threats were so menacing. But now that has all been forgotten, ex employees moved into other work, training was given to help those who chose new paths & JT is so wealthy, he never has to work again. Oh, & BMW became the new owners of Land Rover, the jewel in the Rover crown.
Hello James,
I believe I have the front subframe, and a ppd dashboard too.
Legend! Of course, finding rust-free items for these cars is going to be tricky, but they did sell it for a VERY short time here in Australia. If you thought they were rare in the UK to find now.... 😀
You're doing this for one reason. Love. Which is probably the best reason for doing almost anything.
Best comment.
Always tune in - Top Gear quality entertainment. TH-cam changed the world so much.
Sadly, Top gear / TGT turned into a bad comedy show with some car content since many many years now.
Best wishes.
@@Antheon-v9r like the old school top gear only better
Great to see you showing such passion for all types of cars, one video you're in a GT3, the next a ZR160.
You're just like us James, maybe just with a bit more spare cash in your pocket, and it's fantastic to watch your adventures in the motor vehicle obsession.
Great work Mr Emm! To a 10 year old petrolhead growing up in Birmingham at the time when these came out, the Zeds were the coolest things in the world and were a shining beacon of hope… sadly, not to last, but they made an impression! You hold a fond place in the heart MGR!
This is an amazing restoration James. Thanks for sharing and my long term plan is to own a MG ZR in Australia. In a few years every mature boy racer will be looking for a ZR160...
I’d go for a ZS180. Much better car
ZT is best
No other "car youtuber" would do this - which is what makes JayEmm 100% awesome!
Hubnut and Furious Driving would do it on a smaller budget
I totally would with my old car, well if I could afford to but I live in hope.
I had a silver 160, only car I ever bought new. Sure there were other cars available at the time, and many would argue, better, but it was a lovely little screamer! Glad to see one getting the love it deserves!
Absolute quality content and respect for you investing in these old ‘cheap’ cars. This is the embodiment of passion for cars. This MG would always catch my eye tenfold over a new shiny supercar. Keep up the good work JayEmm!
I worked at an MG Rover dealer when these were new, takes me back! Always preferred the 200 Vi myself, not quite so Max Power as the later MGs, but they were a hoot and tended to be more reliable if thrashed ( but well serviced ).
And the Rover 200 BRM, with it's orange lipstick ...... which nobody bought.
I was never interested in Rover's tbh, although the 220 Tomcat Coupe was quite a cool car.
@@johnmitchell2269 I only saw one BRM go through the dealership back in the day. Apart from the orange bit I though it was quite a nice thing, good colour.
I think the nicest Rover I ever drove was a 620 diesel. Not fast but comfortable and just felt well sorted.
I completely forgot about this until Mike fernie mentioned you’re car. Im so glad you didn’t give up on it.
Mike mentioned it? Bless him
This is a great thing you are doing for the car community.. Thank You.
Hello James, I applaud you for doing this and I went more or less the same route.
About 2 years ago I bought a Rover 200 BRM, the spiritual predecessor of the ZR 160. It was in far better nick, but started to get some rust on the gutter of the roof and the hinges of the tailgate. Also the front wings started to crumble a bit.
It also needed new brakes, an APK (Dutch MOT) and a service. The roof was welded, hinged repaired and strengthened, new wings made and the parts were resprayed. New rear shocks fitted.
In the end it was pulled apart by my Jaguar specialist and sent off to various places to get mended. Meanwhile a new lining was installed on the roof, a new windscreen fitted, wires to the tailgate mended and so on. I payed €5400 for the car when I bought it.
The final bill for al the work was €8000,-! SO within half a year of ownership the car owed me €13.400,-. And I don’t have a successful youtube channel with lots of financial revenue. And next year the sills need some work, the offside starts to bubble and I want to get it done before it gets worse.
Alas I don’t have any of the stuff you need, but I hope someone else does.
And for a nice show, I am sure you will get a very good spot on the stand of the Dutch Austin Morris Riley Wolseley Register, where I am a member of and is actually a club for all British makes. In the beginning of May there always is the Dutch version of the Festival of the Unexceptional, called EMWalhalla. Ask your friend Ian of HubNut, he has been there. You will love it! And we will love to see you there.
Good job. I've been looking for a ZR 160. 6k budget, thought I'd be able to find a good one. Nope. It appears good ones are a rare beast.
I'm looking forward to watching this.
I recently had put back on the Road a MK2 2004 ZS180. It had been stood for 11 years in my garage.
All in it cost me at a specialist 3k to get back on the road with a full MOT., it does need more though, Alloys to refurb, ideally it'll need a bit of paint, speakers are absolutely awful so a full but small ICE set up, headlining is sagging, and door cards will need doing in the near future.
Love what your doing with this car James they’re great little cars from a once iconic British company which was asset stripped and left to die, I have a 25Gti a very limited run of less than 2000 we’re built it was the predecessor to the ZR160 and it does draw a surprisingly lot of interest at car meets.
I was just thinking about those, so rare - I think I only ever saw one in a dealership around the time!
5:18 those holes are there from factory, it’s just that they don’t use them to wax inside.
James....Me and Steve Darbey have raced these,they are very very underrated cars. The easiest way to get power is a K-Maps ECU which raises the revs to 7850,there are big gains with a race air filter with cold air induction from the front lower grill,Three angles valve seats,and a skimmed block that raises the compression a bit will and a decent exhaust,see the car good for 175-180 bhp. Black poly bushes with good quality struts and a proper set up with aid handling. In its day the car would hit 100 mph in just under 20 seconds,and that was quick back in 2001.me and steve have loads of spares should you need them and also the guy who sets our car up as well. Immaculate examples are making 10-12k now so a good solid investment.
Good on you James. These are literally my favourite videos that you do. Superb.
Rustival 3, when Ian announces the venue and date. Meanwhile, cars. Next to dogs, they are our best friend, and like you are doing, they should be treated as such. Bravo
Thank you for doing this I had 2 red ones back in the day
My son learnt how to drive in it
Great to see one Back on the road
My wife had one of these around 2005 - mk1 zr 160 brilliant little car. By chance I was googling for photos of mg zr’s for reasons I can’t remember and it brought up the cover of EVO magazine along with her number plate on it. Turns out it was originally a press car when it first came out.
I had a 1.4 ZR and I adored it. Besides my current car it was my favourite. I'm glad to see you are saving one 👍
I've owned an MG TF 160 for 14 years now (it's only used in the summer months). I keep saying to myself every year that I'm going to sell it, but I never do. I've got other rarer and faster toys, but for the money a good MG TF 160 is a massive and underrated bargain, as is the MG ZR 160.
Nice to see this being restored. If it's all ready for next years car show season, my two standouts are Harpenden's Classics on the Common and the annual classic meet at Knebworth House.
You are right, Harpenden's 'Classics on the Common' when complete, and the NEC Restoration Show when nearing the end of its restoration!👍🏽
Well done, this car needs to be displayed at the next NEC Classic Car Restoration Show, regardless of what stage its at. Everyone would love to spend time looking over it!👍🏾
I hope these eventually get the same kind of respect as the hot Hondas of the same era, as they become more rare I'm sure this will eventually be worthwhile! Well done JayEmm and your bags of TH-cam money for spending it well.
Great to see this Rover being brought back from the brink. Looking forward to the next update. About 25 years ago I had a Rover 75 estate in British Racing Green, It wasn't fast, it didn't handle particularly well, had the most inaccurate speedo I've ever seen. BUT,,,, it had character and so much charm, was beautiful inside and we took it on some great European road trips. As far as the south of Croatia and back. Its the only car I've ever shed a tear over when it had to go.
Love the video! I love the little ZRs! I had a 1.4 as my first car and loved it. Owned it for around 5 years, the longest I’ve ever kept a car.
Last month I bought a perfect example mk2 160! Identical spec to my first car but the all important 160 variant.
I hope that one day that will be recognised for what they are.
Well done jay for saving the ZR looking forward to seeing the next video.I had several of these cars and never had any problems great cars to drive should never have closed the factory.
Back in the day I was involved with the designer Oliver Le Grice doing the first concept model of the Rover 200 Nice to see your project coming back to life. It’s not about the cost it’s the journey your on and smiles it brings when your out about enjoying the drive.
Commenting so I come back to watch this. I bought a brand new ZS180 when I was 22, after running an MGF VVC for a while. It was a peach of a car. Also had another ZS180 for a short while about 15 years later. Obviously didn’t feel anywhere near as quick with the arrival of very hot hatches like Golf R and M140 which I had in between!
MG knew how to set up suspension and steering for the British roads. Test drove the ZR160 and ZT190 when they were new as well, they were also great.
More of this JayEmm please, great video. And perhaps a few restorative videos in the future as side projects? Great to see you saving this.
Wow, James, that looks awesome. I'm happy that you are finally filming some of your rebuilds. This and the Hartech engine rebuild are great. Hopefully, you got some footage of the s2000 also. Have a great Christmas and another fantastic year
So glad this is getting saved and done properly. Never had one but I've always had a soft spot for this era of MG
A lovely video, and I wouldn't say you were mad, your one of the good ones, a gentleman, an auto enthusiast, stand tall and stand proud of what you're doing.
Performing a public service at another level 😊 Good man
Love it! Glad you’re doing this and not just focused on the high end! 🙌
Absolutely worth it, these cars need saving. My pal had one when I were 18, the coolest thing at the time. Glad your are saving this one.
I love that you're saving this car regardless of cost, these cars matter, the hatchbacks. I almost bought a ZR in 2018 but fell for a beautiful, exotic looking red Alfa 147 T Spark for well under a grand.
I had a 25 within the last 15 years. It was my daily for a little while when I had my F355. Chalk and Cheese but both fun to drive.
It’s good people save them. I love it people cherish Allegros and Marinas despite me not liking them.
Awesome man! I have an MG ZR as well that I have spent a good amount on.
This is the best thing in my opinion that TH-cam does. Many years from now people will wonder why are these weird like new old cars . They will eventually figure it out and they be called “those TH-camr cars”. I think it is great. TH-cam and cars just go together.
If you want to get an exhaust that is OEM (or very close to it) then try Klarius in Stoke-on-Trent. Part numbers will likely be RR340V for the back box and RR339W for the mid-section.
I had a Klarius front and mid section for my 200.
Good quality, and fitted straight on unlike some manufacturers that require hours of fiddling.
The prices seem very fair too.
You’re doing a good thing, old MGs like this need saving. They are good cars. It’s the new ones that are dreadful. Same goes for any car of this era (with a few exceptions). I drive a 2006 Volvo V70 with the 5cyl 2.4l engine - and even though the govt want it taxed off the road - I won’t let them take it from me that easy. It’s a fantastic car, and I’ll do whatever to keep it in tip top and running.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Mirrors under "all original" cars are rather enjoyable
Great video sir. A refreshing change to the super/hypercar stuff that floods channels
Great stuff, well done for doing that, its going to look great.
We have a ZT 190 at Lakeland Motor Museum and its a very popular exhibit and was given lots of tlc by its previous owner who donated it.
I'm 19 and have owned a 05 Rover 45 2.0TD hatchback for nearly 2 years. Personally think it is a great car plus unlike the Golf I owned prior I don't have any regrets owning a Rover and is something I'd definitely do again, and yes my car is a little modified.
Looks great James, what a transformation. Congrats on 400K btw and all the best for the new year
Jay, you are honestly a legend for doing this. These cars were and still are awesome. People with some influential clout like yourself bringing more attention to cars like this will hopefully inspire more people to save them. I'm very jealous, as I think I may have said before 😂
Amazing. Really appreciate what you are doing with this car. I don’t think any other channel would spend what you are. I love your broad brush that you are willing to spend on all of your various cars. Thanks
Another +1 for DMGRS, a guy I met through the Mersyside MG/Rover club originally started it. From memory he bought a whole load of stock from MG/Rover when they went bust.
Good on ya Jay, wonderful video. John
I never got into this era of MG-badged Rovers, but i have a huge amount of respect for you, James, for saving a generally unloved blue collar hero like this. I'd say most people who own multiple Ferraris etc, wouldn't give cars like this a second glance, but i guess that's what makes this channel gold 👌
I loved my little ZR, with its factory fitted LPG, sadly destroyed by sabotage, which we suspected was from a disgruntled former learner who couldn’t accept he was thrown off the course for generally being a… well, let’s just leave it at that shall we?
Loved its handling, the look (for me the 5 door always looked better, but each to their own), and the comfort as it took me all over the country when I was contracting for Network Rail. The LPG meant it cost pennies to run and while the K-Series has its reputation, if you looked after it, it was a solid engine. A great mod is not just the MLS gasket, but also the enlarged head from the Chinese N-Series as the extra coolant flow helps no end! Hard to find but they are out there!
The first time that is out in public, I’ll be there!
I had a brand new ZR, not the 160 but the diesel; and one of the most fun cars I've ever had..lovely steering and had a really old skool throw it around feel.. i loved it; 40k miles in 2 years and never gave me any issues...
British Motor Show James, great event we attended this year. Fantasic family day out and cost effective to get into. Plenty static displays of all sorts of cars
I understand, your passion is your passion...
Hi James, if a project is tenable, as this is, for you, it is a deserving challenge. If only to keep a vehicle alive, and limited among its peers. It is additionally pleasing that you are not tackling the usual fare, of BMW and the like.
This is totally worth doing for all the reasons explained in this video.
The situation isn't too dissimilar to that of my MK1 Mégane Coupe which could have done with visiting a body shop four years ago when I bought it. The problem is that this sub £500 car has probably already cost me ten times that already and I was quoted £5k for body work over three years ago. Sadly I don't have the resources to cover that in one go. Some people are now starting to restore the 16v but not a 1.6 8v like mine but I do feel a strong obligation to ensure the cars survival.
Loving our ZR105: the kids are learning to drive on it and I loved the ZR back in period. We owned the “sensible” ZT-T CDTi for years until ULEZ forced a very reluctant sale… glad that we still have a Zed-car in the family now ❤
Fantastic power to weight on the old k series. Love them
You’re not alone Jay. I’ve spent over 5x what I paid for my bmw e36 resto project in 3 yrs & it’s probably worth 2x right now. But once you start, it never ends + something breaks every 3 mnths or so. That’s love!!
Great work, James. I'm glad there are enthusiasts like you out there giving these older, maybe less glamorous, cars some love.
Well done for rescuing this one. As drivers cars they will probably always be under valued but you'll get your money's worth if you use it.
Omg I had one of these back in the day, one of best cars I ever had simply because it made me smile each and every time I drove it.
James you've surpassed yourself. Hit the nail on the head when you revealed your passion for saving "ordinary" (in other words ones we could afford) cars. Looking forward to finished product. We need more of this as we move into the soul less age of white goods electric cars. Thank you and happy Christmas. 😀
No wierd mirrors for James ZR. Agree in full. Take care into 2025. Love the Channel as ever. Just seams to be getting better without going away from good honest good-old-car channel ethos. Even with multi Ferrari ownership. Only a breath fresh air about car ownership highs lows and reality. Brilliant.
Me: yup...mirrors are for bathrooms...if you need one. (Haha)
Astonishing to see this far from economic repair being done!
Not my sort of car, but still so pleasing to see something so unexceptional being restored to what will probably better than new, and one of the very best of the type still existing.
I doubt that there are any left in good original condition.
What a pleasure to see this!
Best wishes from George
Respect that you are invested so much into a restoration of a car like this. Shows that you more than the guy that mentions he has 3 Ferrari's in the first 5 minutes of every video;)
Can't wait to see it in its full glory. I had one of these in about 2002 very briefly while my company car was being fixed. Didn't want to hand it back !!
Reminds me of an early 90's Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup I saw at a car show recently. It was pretty much just a mid range single cab model with no mods or anything, but it had very low miles on it and was super clean. Even the underside was in amazingly factory fresh condition. It was surrounded by all kinds of remarkable muscle cars, classic sports cars, custom hotrods, etc...but seeing that particular time capsule which had been such a common sight in my childhood was what put the biggest smile on my face that day
I have done the same thing with my 1997 SAAB 9000 Aero 2.3T. Thrown way too much cash at it and restored it (im an ex Saab master tech) and its now pretty much the best in the UK. I know of 2 others which are equally or better. I had lots of new ex Saab stock so was able to use much of this in the restoration and the result is a joy to drive. Im also an engine tuner now and so ive remapped the "standard engine" to 317 bhp so it goes like the clappers. You can see it on the Number 27 channel. Yes i will never get the money back but it brings joy to me, and yes its great when so many people take pictures of it at shows. Paul @ The SAAB Clinic.
I love this, it's so nice to see one being properly saved and given some love. They're underrated cars and I have a suspicion people will only realise how great they were when they're all gone. I'm far happier seeing these than any super car thats for sure.
Love it James. Please keep going and get the yellow pocket rocket back to her best.
Good on you James for committing to this the proper, the passionate way. Been through a quite similar experience with a plain stock - Marmite, I know - 2007 MB CLS 320 CDI.
I love seeing old hot hatchbacks restored and get a new life
One of the problems mg rover cars had was they didn’t seam seal a lot of the body seams so the water got in between all the joints. I’ve got a rust free rover 114 it hasn’t seen much rain in its life.i was amazed at how many joints were left open underneath the first thing I did was clean off the whole underside treated any small bits of surface rust zinc primed then seam sealed every joint I could find. Then a good coating of stone chip then base coat and lacquered the whole underneath
@@TroyGoodacre I’ve got a 114 SLi I keep meaning to get around to fixing, you’re right about the lack of seam sealing and overall rust protection. I’ll pour more money into it getting it back on the road than it’ll ever be worth but I don’t care, it means too much to me to scrap
@ I was very lucky with mine it’s almost as good as a nearly new one
I had a Zero exhaust & sports cat made for my Mk3 MR2. Beautifully made, sounds just right. Kevin who is Zero exhausts is based near Ashford in Kent.
Awesome. Definitely worth saving 👌
X-power exhaust would be good. It was an option back in the day.
Wonderful, James. This is great to see. I have precisely the same feelings about my Alfasud and 147 2L Twin Spark…both bought new.
It will superb once done. Better than new as you alluded to. Remember, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. How can anyone argue with that?
I ran a Mk1 yellow ZR Diesel until I hit a wall with it and even though it was rebuilt it didn't have the same balance in my opinion. I traded it in fairly soon after that for a Mk2 ZS180 in Xpower grey. I got the ZR early on after it was released and I was working on the Isle of Skye that week and arrived on the Sunday night and parked it on the street outside my hotel only to find another two yellow ZR's already parked on that street. Whilst driving that car anyone in a yellow ZR always flashed as they passed. Of all the hot hatches I owned from Ford, Vauxhall, Mini, Peugot I still think the ZR was just balanced right and I knew the point where it was going to let go it was an awesome car. The ZR just took it up a notch but in modern terms so under powered 180bhp from a 2.5l V6. I am looking forward to the finished car and the process to get there.
Brilliant. This is the stuff. Some things are worth more than money. Not a lot of people understand that. But i do. Nice one mate, all the best for 2025.
Good on you for doing this, I worked for mg rover in the early 2000s and pdi many zr160s. They were rusty underneath from the factory.
That said they are fantastic cars and the vvc k series if properly worked on and taken care of is a top engine.
My 200vi I have driven on the recline for over ten years after saving it from the scrap yard with 76k on the clock, it now has 140k and still screams to 7500k no fuss no smoke.
I've only just retired it as I finally got too old for the bucket seats and roll cage.
Fantastic journey. Loving the direction with this, its be in a similar mind set 😊