I CANT BELEIVE IT!!!!

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I was only searching for imformation on putting radweld in my citreon van and I came across this site.
I used to own an MG meastro and I loved that car it was so much fun to drive.
I am really impressed to find that you people are working so hard to keep these classics alive. Both the MG meastro and the mg montego were very under rated. Back then I was stupid enough and young enough to put it through its paces. These days I drive like a nun
Keep up the the good work I will pay regular visits to this site and who knows I may even buy one again!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a courier operation so another vehicle on the fleet wont matter!!!!!

JEREMY

[G51 NAV]

Yep Metros, Maestros and Montegos have got themselves a nice little niche of enthusiasts, scattered between a number of clubs and forums, of which this is one. And as you say virtually everyone who remembers owning one of these cars has only fond memories of it. Welcome to the forum :D

[SimonR]

Hey, welcome Jeremy!

You know, there are two schools of thought about Maestros and Montegos - those who have never owned one always say that they're terrible, unreliable, boring cars but everyone who has owned one knows the opposite!

I hope you enjoy the site and also perhaps bag yourself a Maestro / Montego of your choice. There are still some good ones out there to be had and I guarantee you'lll have some fun with it!

All the best

Simon R.

[karlos]

It's great to see that there is an enthusiastic following of these vehicles! My dad's Maestro is the 2.0l diesel Clubman which he has had from nearly new and which has never given him an ounce of grief. The only problem now is that, at 76, he's finding the steering a bit heavy (and has even contemplated changing cars!) so I'm hoping there's somebody on the list that can offer advice (or preferably do the work!) of adding power steering so that my dad can carry on driving the car and maybe, one day, even reach the 30,000 mile mark!
So, if anybody fancies a challenge/laugh/payment (delete as appropriate) please don't hesitate to contact me!

All the best for the New Year....

Karl

[MG MAL]

Karlos,

Power steering can be fitted to your dads car without too much trouble.

You just need to find a complete kit from either a scrapped car or through the classified section / ebay / Triple-m / MG'M' web sites.

Many owners on here have converted to PS and can give valuable tips on making the conversion trouble free.

Mal.

[A.M. Azed]

I can't believe there is an owners club/forum for the Maestro/Montego. They are surely two of the worst cars ever built. My dad had an '85 Montego 1.6L and it was a s**tbox of the highest order. Went through five clutches in five years, rusted from day one and had endless other problems. They are a prefect example of why the UK no longer has a car industry worth speaking of. While BL/Rover was churning out underdeveloped sheds like these two, the Japanese, Germans and French were making (or at least starting to make) cars that people actually wanted to buy and own. Why can't people just accept that they were embarrasingly awful? I can just about see the point of an Allegro owners club as that car was so bad it has become a cult, but the Montego and Maestro? Let's just try to forget they ever existed.

[Ed]

I can't believe there is an owners club/forum for the Maestro/Montego. They are surely two of the worst cars ever built. My dad had an '85 Montego 1.6L and it was a s**tbox of the highest order. Went through five clutches in five years, rusted from day one and had endless other problems. They are a prefect example of why the UK no longer has a car industry worth speaking of. While BL/Rover was churning out underdeveloped sheds like these two, the Japanese, Germans and French were making (or at least starting to make) cars that people actually wanted to buy and own. Why can't people just accept that they were embarrasingly awful? I can just about see the point of an Allegro owners club as that car was so bad it has become a cult, but the Montego and Maestro? Let's just try to forget they ever existed.

I am A.M-Azed that this guy even took the trouble of registering! :laugh:

[D87 SMW]

Ohdear, a troll. Not much to say to him other than:

Went through five clutches in five years, rusted from day one and had endless other problems.

Learn to drive properly; and:

Why can't people just accept that they were embarrasingly awful?

Perhaps you should just accept that some people actually like them, because we don't all think alike, thankfully.

[Ricky]

Well, the fact that it went through 5 clutches in as many years isn't the fault of the car, the part in question is a Volkswagen one, so obviously the Germans, at least, whilst designing a car that someone reputedly wanted to buy, skimped a little on other areas, and hence you have 5 clutches in as many years. However, even in light of that, I'm going with the esteemed Mr. Worsley - learn to drive..... :banghead:

[G51 NAV]

Don't waste your breath. At least we haven't joined an owners' forum for cars we don't like. That's the saddest part of all. In fact, why make such a totally pointless post?

[ben rawlings]

indeed, quite clearly a prize prat.





(Sorry, I totally agree, but.... family site!)

[maestroman]

What a sad person!:rolleyes:

Anyhow I still put up with all the comments from people who can't believe that I still run a works Maestro Van for a living! Whilst their vans are depreciating my is just ticking over!Other vans in the fleet have long gone or are not quite up to the reliability of my diesel Maestro and these vans come from a German background!:eek:

[SimonR]

I can't believe there is an owners club/forum for the Maestro/Montego..... They are a prefect example of... cars that people actually wanted to buy and own.

I think it's always funny when we get positive criticism from people such as Mr. Azed here. I like the way these cars divide opinion so well.

And yet for nearly ten years my 'underdeveloped sheds' have faithfully conveyed me from A to B and pretty much converted non-believers into followers on numerous occasions, after a short ride or drive. I also have a lot more friends and pounds in the bank as a result!!

I guess the point is that, just as with the Allegro, most people in the UK have their own Maestro/Montego stories. These cars are part of our national identity and you have no idea how many times I've heard people say whistfully 'that was the best car I've had'.

So you're welcome to your opinion Mr. Azed but we will beg to differ.

[ben rawlings]

well said simon, and i do apologise Dave for my foul language :)

[Speckled wood]

I can't believe there is an owners club/forum for the Maestro/Montego. They are surely two of the worst cars ever built. My dad had an '85 Montego 1.6L and it was a s**tbox of the highest order. but the Montego and Maestro? Let's just try to forget they ever existed.

In my time I have owned a Triumph 1500, 2 Maxis, a Wedge Princess, a Marina, a Nissan Cherry, Fiat 128, Renault 11, Citroen GSA, 4 Minis, 3 fiestas, a Escort, 2 Metros, 1 Rover 100 (metro) a Montego and Xophie the Maestro.

The only really bad British car was the Marina, true the Maxis suffered rusted sills. All the foreign cars suffered excentric faults of the rest the Princess the Montego and Maestro (now 22 years old) were the best and all good solid reliable cars. The the Fiat and the first Fiesta were rot boxes and the Renault 11 was nothing special and very boring, as far as I am concerned all the Fords had one problem, I have short legs and this resulted in me having to sit so far forwards that I had my head against the roof and this made driving them a nigtmare.

The Montego sat in my garden abandoned for five years and then was sold to someone who got it back on the road for less than £200.

Truthfully BL cars were no worse than most and were better than many, their real problem has been the brainless spiel of the likes of Jeremy Clarkson, Quentin Wilson and Richard Hammond what I find amazing is that the BBC and the rest of the media actually pay these people and people like A.M.azing are so gullable that they get taken in by them.

Something else worth reflecting is that the modern VW range owes more to the original mini conceprt that it does to the "beloved" rear engined air cooled beetle also I do believe that some of the development work on the engines used on the original VW Golf and Polo was actually done by BL!