Description

2004 MG ZT SE 260

Four owner Mustang-engined variant that's been in storage for the last 3 years and showing just 43,700 miles - ideal for some recommissioning!

Dating from October 2004, this rather super creation is akin to a love-child between the Rover 75/MG ZT and the Ford Mustang in an odd kind of way, Rover completely re-engineered the 75 to become rear wheel drive and then dropping a 4.6-litre 260bhp Ford Mustang V8 into the hole usually filled with a diesel or V6 petrol engine.

The result -  a rather raucous and fast family saloon with attitude – a little like the Vauxhall VXR8 – a rather humdrum family saloon with an injection of brute attitude – fab.

This particular car has been sitting in storage for the last few years and was pulled out ahead of the sale and put through an MOT, which it looks to have passed with two advisories.  The ZT looks to be in relatively good order bodily, bar some evidence of a push on the off-side front corner where the bumper corner doesn’t quite line up with the wing and the lower spot lamp has become dislodged.

Under the bonnet, the airbox is missing, the air being taken directly in through the air flow meter, and there seems to be a few connections/plugs hanging free or unplugged (see images) and a pipe blocked up.  In the boot we find a spare/new(?) intake manifold and throttle body – perhaps relating to the car once being equipped with LPG judging by the filler flap adjacent to the fuel filler cap on the rear quarter.

The car shows just 43,653 miles which have been covered by its four owners, the current since May 2016.  Sitting well on its attractive on its 10-spoke 18” alloy wheels, it is finished in silver and boasts a rorty sports exhaust (back box only we think) which sounds the business.  Inside, we find five-speed manual transmission, lovely black sports leather seats with electric operation, digital climate control with AC, an after-market air/fuel mixture gauge and after-market in-car entertainment centre that shows a BMW/Android logo on start-up.

Its clear the car would benefit from some recommissioning given its period in storage and somewhat confusing under-bonnet status, which becomes apparent when running. It started and ran well enough, but did become a little rough on idle and has thrown an engine management light on as well as a bulb failure so this is worth considering.

That aside, the car looks well and sounds good when one blips the throttle.  The history file includes the V5C, three old MOTs, the current MOT and few bills including installation of LPG in 2008 at a cost of £2267 by AAG, purchase receipt for the ‘Ultra power’ intake manifold and throttle body from China dated 2021 plus some Tracker docs.

An interesting use and improve V8 muscle car with low miles and an attractive estimate?

For more information contact - will.daniels@brightwells.com