F180 SEU - MG Maestro 2.0 Turbo

Having owned MG Maestros since they were introduced (our first one was a "B" reg., which we bought second-hand in 1985) my wife and I had quickly become aware of their comfort, economy and vastly underrated performance. We became increasingly aware of their load-carrying abilities as family holiday transport after our son was born in 1990!

I had always admired the limited edition MG Maestro Turbo but we'd always owned Efis, and the price of a second hand Turbo didn't make it a feasible proposition as an extra "toy" back in the '90s!

Even though we still have two Efis, I couldn't resist going to look at a Turbo advertised locally last summer. It was being sold by its second owner, who wanted £500 for it. When I saw it on the driveway, I knew immediately I was going to buy it! Despite a cracked windscreen, three rusty doors and a thoroughly rusted tailgate, the car still looked good to me!

£450 changed hands and I drove Tickford Turbo no. 67 home on July 1st., 2000.

Of course there were hidden problems. Inside the boot had rusted through at the rear because of that rusty tailgate, later causing me to graft on the whole back apron from a scrapped car, for example. I also replaced every door except the driver's with scrapyard panels. The tailgate was sorted out in the same way.( this turned out to be the easiest and cheapest part of the restoration - by taking my time and visiting the local scrapyards frequently, I was able to obtain all the necessary rust-free panels in the correct colour for the grand sum of £5-10 each!)

The old tailgate came in handy, as I practised with my new MIG welder. I decided to learn to weld and try to do it all myself for the sense of achievement and satisfaction - as well as to save money!

Three of the sills needed welding at their ends, and there were some holes in the front inner wings. I had to weld in a new scuttle panel below the windscreen, imitating the old spot welds. The rear wheelarches were saveable with some patching. I put on some Montego 6" alloys which I had previously refurbished myself and bought Avon tyres. I also swapped the Motobuild lowered suspension kit from one of the other cars, which I think suits the Turbo well.

When I bought the car the previous owner warned me that it was smoking, and I quckly found out what he meant - large clouds of white smoke every so often. Naturally, I expected some expensive Turbo work, if not replacement. I was delighted to discover that all it needed was a thorough cleaning of the breather system, which had clogged up with"mayonnaise" over the years. It now goes like a rocket and never smokes!

I've now added an electric sunroof motor from a Montego and a boost gauge, and I've been enjoying driving no. 67 in the recent sunshine! I intend to bring it to MGM 2001, which, oddly enough, will be exactly one year to the day since I bought it!

Phil Pope (email)