My New Bella!

[MikeyRules]

Well thought I'd start a new thread now I've actually got the car home and have started doing some rebranding and modifications to track the progress and help others who fancy going down this route.

 

As bought/standard:

 

 

Rear Badge removed:

 

 

Standard head unit:

 

 

New Sat Nav / DVD / TV / WI-FI /Rear view camera head unit: (I'm still waiting on this and hope to have it installed before Xmas)

 

 

New Momo Design black grill:

 

 

 

I'm now waiting on a new Lancia Airbag, Sill plates, rear badge and 4 hub caps, ah and a set of mats...

[Rossocorsa]

Mine was a 2006 (56) 2.0L sport with the folding factory hardtop, factory body kit and heated leather, so I think quite rare for a 2006 MK3 especially in the pearl grey...

 

I thought the interior was quite good to be fair, certainly much improved over the previous versions. The seats were of good quality leather, the dash plastic's tactile and the Bose hi-fi was great even with the roof down.

 

It was a great point to point car with very direct steering. I bought it to share with my Dad, but he hardly found the time to drive it, so I sold it last September for about £1500 more than I paid for it.

Ours is a mk3.5 I find the plastics are soft and scratch really easily and the passenger leg room is just ridiculously restricted to the point where I can't travel in it as a passenger (and I'm only a short arse!). Other negatives are that the engine sounds very uninspiring rather like a washing machine and the Bose sound system is no better than average very disappointing. Plus points awesome handling and road holding plus a supple ride, great performance, superb gear change, fantastic electric roof. To drive overall tbh I preferred our previous mg TF but it wasn't built well at all.

[MikeyRules]

Was yours a 1.6, 1.8 or 2L?

 

I believe the 2L is a Ford engine (I hate Ford with a passion so this did not please me) Mine had a small induction kit fitted and allegedly a sport exhaust from the factory so had a bit of a rasp and snort to it, but wasn't out of keeping as they are a bit of a girls car ha-ha... We only had it a year and did minimal mileage in it really. We managed to do the hill climb at Shelsley Walsh last year which was fun and a couple of car shows throughout the summer before we sold it on.

 

I can't say I noticed the passenger leg room being that bad. I'm just under 6ft and with the seat all the way back and not too reclined it was ok. The drivers side was better though.

[Rossocorsa]

2 litre, I think it's ford derived rather than pure ford, it's a nice enough engine just not tuneful as I would like the k series in the tf was much nicer. I thought the 1.8 was just a smaller version of same? I think the 2.0 preferable as the 1.8 is underpowered and also doesn't have LSD fitted. I'm only 5 9 but felt really squashed in the passenger seat, drivers side is ok, for some reason mazda fit a huge plastic foot rest under the carpet once this is cut down it is better!

It is used every day rain or shine currently doing about 100 mile per day!

Edited March 4, 2015 by Rossocorsa

[MikeyRules]

Yes I quite like them for what they are... They're definitely a turn key proposition if you want something cheap and fun. I gave £5k for mine off a club member, kept it a year and sold it on £6.5k so can't complain as it didn't cost anything at all in my ownership other than some BP ultimate and a bit of spit 'n' polish!

 

There's a place in Peterborough that specialises in MGTF's and they all come with the triple layer gaskets done and a warranty from about £1500 upwards... £2k - £2.5k gets you a minter... Now that is some cheap roof down action !

 

I have them saved as a search on eBay and occasionally get email reminders so have a butchers...Quite tempting as a summer blast and sell option!

[Rossocorsa]

Our tf was beautiful, special monogram paintwork, black and blue leather seats, optional smoke stone dashboard, sport pack with 4 pot front callipers, matching hardtop, spax dampers and many other minor mods. Lovely thing to drive and more space inside than mazda plus a bigger boot too. Needed plenty of TLC though and many components look weedy compared with italian standards, drive shafts like match sticks and under specified ex metro parts! Let it go for peanuts (although still over twice what the mazda dealer offered as part ex) but I just couldn't devote time to constantly fixing what was an every day car for us, loved it though a nice one like we had is great be warned though most out there are not nice at all

[MikeyRules]

Yeah I'm aware of most of their woes... Trophy cars would be the only place I'd buy one if I did have a moment of madness.

 

Not sure I will though as I've a few other Italians on my must buy and have fun list before they get more expensive and appreciate!

 

I'm a firm believer that you can some great cars around the £5k mark both in the classic and modern classic arena.

[Rossocorsa]

Yeah I'm aware of most of their woes... Trophy cars would be the only place I'd buy one if I did have a moment of madness.

 

Not sure I will though as I've a few other Italians on my must buy and have fun list before they get more expensive and appreciate!

 

I'm a firm believer that you can some great cars around the £5k mark both in the classic and modern classic arena.

They are only OK if you can devote a lot of time to them ours was as near perfect as you could get but still took a lot of pampering. They are also very sensitive cars even using the wrong brand/spec of tyre can be a disaster

[MikeyRules]

Key covers arrived today... Have to say I'm not quite sure about the colours but at least they're not as boring as the black.

 

 

[Rossocorsa]

What's the plastic quality like? I'm a bit put off the ones I've seen on eBay as they don't look as good quality as oe Edited March 5, 2015 by Rossocorsa

[MikeyRules]

Not too bad to be honest, certainly better than expected. These were £2.50 each inc delivery. In black I bet you could hardly tell the difference. There were more expensive ones plus some OE.

[Rossocorsa]

The OE ones are crazy money! Did you get these on UK ebay or ebay.it?

[Nello]

I saw that Delta script logo 'fob' - Was that from Germany? Might have to get one though looks a bit dangerous in the pocket!  

Send us the link for the cases Mike - The ones I got were naff plastic TBH 

[MikeyRules]

Here you go chaps:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161509040331?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&var=460535140542&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Buy two and get 20% off...

 

I can't find the 'Delta' key ring fob in my eBay purchase history for some reason? It won't show me December when I select 2014? I was going to Dremel off the loop at the bottom of the 'D' and then stick to the dash on the passenger side like the earlier cars as I couldn't find the proper one?

 

It is a bit sharp Neil if you're not careful lol

Edited March 6, 2015 by MikeyRules

[stuartmunn]

My wife had a VX220 .. the non turbo version... it was spoiled by that lousy GM engine ... sounded like a cement mixer. I thought the Lotus Elise with the Toyota engine was light years better. The gearchange was also rotten ... but that might have just been hers.

 

I liked the styling of the VX220 more though.

[MikeyRules]

Never drove the n/a 2.2 so can't comment, but do know that engine was rubbish in both the Astra and Brera... (Although the American's did do a supercharger kit for it)The Z20LET is completely different in both delivery and power being turbo'd and highly tuneable,  mine was like being behind a Vulcan bomber at full chat.

 

One of my friends still comments 10 years on about a journey we did to Santa Pod raceway one summer where he tried to follow me down the M1 in his Courtney turbo'd VXR. (330BHP)

[Rossocorsa]

Got my new key cover in black it doesn't look bad but is inferior material (original was abs) so might not last well but at the price it'll do. The button logo from Italy looks OK but the glue he uses is no good goes soft in the pocket and the logo doesn't stay on, need to get some super glue or similar! Edited March 7, 2015 by Rossocorsa

[MikeyRules]

That's weird mine have stayed on and been fine... You must be like the ready-brek kid if your body heat is unsticking them in your pocket!

 

Where did you get the fob covers from in the end?

[Rossocorsa]

That's weird mine have stayed on and been fine... You must be like the ready-brek kid if your body heat is unsticking them in your pocket!

 

Where did you get the fob covers from in the end?

Same place as you, in black it looks fine have now ordered new rubber centre from them too as mine is getting a bit worn. The logo glue is very soft and pliable not much good at all certainly not permanent, maybe he used the wrong stuff on mine? I am going to keep looking for oe key case as they are nicer quality, missed some a while back at a good price as I was too mean to bid high enough at the end of the day though it's just a key and I am not going to spend a fortune Edited March 7, 2015 by Rossocorsa

[Rossocorsa]

Disaster after a gargantuan struggle managed to get the airbag to release only to find that the one I have doesn't fit :-( it's absolutely identical and same manufacturer except the terminals for the centre aren't the same so back to the drawing board not sure I'll change it now as can't risk another wrong part turning up its just money poured straight down the drain

Well decided to remove the horn push unit on the new wrong airbag unit three nuts and it lifts off, and guess what you can then just lift out the bomb leaving the outer cover and airbag in one piece! Assuming that the bag/ cover are identical (I imagine they must be) this means I can just swap the front and bag (when I'm feeling brave that is.....) popping the original bomb in the middle and fitting the original horn push assembly.

[MikeyRules]

Sounds easy peasy!

 

Edited March 7, 2015 by MikeyRules

[Rossocorsa]

Yes just need to check that the bag assembly is indeed identical with just a single or two stage bomb depending if it's ypsilon or delta, the beauty of this of it works is that the car will retain it's original bomb/gas generator. This also means that used bags aren't so risky as it will be possible to simply substitute the original explosive parts! Edited March 7, 2015 by Rossocorsa

[Rossocorsa]

... Edited March 7, 2015 by Rossocorsa

[Rossocorsa]

The gas generator simply lifts out. I might have a go at the one in the car tomorrow if I feel I can be bothered! However I really need to tidy the garage and get on with the volumex so maybe not will see...

Edited March 7, 2015 by Rossocorsa

[Nello]

My fob logos - one has stayed put but the other moved - one dot of superglue and its stuck rigid 

[Rossocorsa]

Few things sorted, epoxied the key logo on and did the airbag scariest job ever but easy!

 

Took the bag off removed the horn assembly (3 nuts) and gas generator which simply lifts out to find that the inner diffuser is different to the ypsilon bag so using some dinner knives to hold the edges of the cover outwards whilst I removed both diffusers with bags attached. Careful job this as if bags unfurl when you do it you'd be stuffed as they are folded in a specific sequence so that they deploy correctly. Switched the units over and as they say in Haynes manuals assembly reverse of removal!

Anyone thinking of buying a second hand airbag from Italy should note that it is really easy to take off the horn assembly and therefore as the gas generator is loose inside ( it is just held straight by a short plastic protrusion when you reassemble) you can refit your old and known to be good generator rather than risk the second hand one, you could also swap your bag over but tbh I doubt that is necessary.