Mg maestro turbo

[F189JCATURBO]

Right picked this up a whole ago been stood over 12 years but seeing as they getting quite rare now thought it's defo worth sorting



Started stripping her down and was expecting the worse but it actually not bad

Rear valance and boot floor gone



So all cut out new stiffeners welding in new boot floor and new valance panel made and welded in

Boot now save to sit in without flexing



Inside panel made and welded in just needs holes drilling and rear bumper mounts taking into square cutout



Next jobs both rear archs and passenger sill

Archs are easy to do but anyone got any advice with the sill??

Bit dubious about getting stuck in with the grinder

Andy

 

[F189JCATURBO]

Passenger arch




The rot follows it all the way down onto the sill and about a foot or more into the sill

Is it worth putting a whole sill on or just rebuild what's there???

3/4 of the remaining sill is rock solid and has loads of brackets for the turbo skirts fastened on

Drivers side is not as bad



And the bit I'm really unsure of is the front of the roof has gone from a badly bonded screen

What's the easiest solution???



odd couple of other spots but nothing serious.

 

[Spark plug]

The back valance looks like a good job, I would replace the whole sill if you want to make a good job out the car.

Looks like your going to need some Austin repair compound......

 

[armalites]

Another car that could have made a difference to Austin/BL had they marketed them well. In an era of hot hatches they produced a car that was very quick off the line(sub 7 sec 0-60 which would leave a GTI for dead) and handled well. Don't think they ever lost the image/stigma gained in the 70s with strikes, reliability etc.

Weirdly there was a place near us who were importing them back from Russia, not MGs just regular ones and selling them new.

 

[blenkie1]

Great cars. Cut my teeth on them when I worked as an apprentice on them. The basic EFI models were quick but the turbo was in a different league. Even the EFI would leave a GTI or XR3i for dead. Handling I though was it downfall. Torque steer was a major problem. Austin Rover had some great motors and ideas just rushed out and not really refined. It was badly let down by the first MG maestro the 1600 with twin Webbers. No one had ever worked with Webber carbs before on austin rover cars before it was all SU gear. So badly set up and poor starting cars were the norm which give them a bad reputation. The EFI changed that. I think one of the first to get electronic injection working as it should. The turbo was one of the first to get the turbo spinning upto 150,000rpm instead of half that for the Escort turbo.

I think there was a place in Ledbury importing them back as kits from Bulgaria and rebuilding them for the UK market. All the tooling ended up in China and they were still making them one had a maestro back end with the front end from a montego!

Good luck with the project!

 

[F189JCATURBO]

I've brought it as had fond memories of most of my family having maestro/montegos

Hardest bit is actually finding parts there is nothing about at all. Panels are non existent

How bad are the sills on these to do????

 

[blenkie1]

Never had to do any welding on them I left the dealer not long after I finished my time a couple of years after they became Rover from Austin Rover so they were still fairly new cars. I know later on they had problems around the windscreen, sills and rear arches. Would of thought someone might still be doing them or have something in stock still. They are a simple sill so someone might be able to fold them for you. The best bet would maybe be the the last people to import them. Sure it was someone in Ledbury. Plenty of Austin/Rover shows around as well might be worth a look and get some advice.

I will have to have a look and see if I can find any stuff about the turbo when I served my time. I know I still have some stuff but a lot got skipped. I can remember getting the MG banners from the showroom when the new EFi came out and hanging them in my garage. They will be landfill now.

What are your plans for the engine? Nothing major wrong? Gearboxes are Honda units so are really nice gearchange

 

[F189JCATURBO]

Never had to do any welding on them I left the dealer not long after I finished my time a couple of years after they became Rover from Austin Rover so they were still fairly new cars. I know later on they had problems around the windscreen, sills and rear arches. Would of thought someone might still be doing them or have something in stock still. They are a simple sill so someone might be able to fold them for you. The best bet would maybe be the the last people to import them. Sure it was someone in Ledbury. Plenty of Austin/Rover shows around as well might be worth a look and get some advice.

I will have to have a look and see if I can find any stuff about the turbo when I served my time. I know I still have some stuff but a lot got skipped. I can remember getting the MG banners from the showroom when the new EFi came out and hanging them in my garage. They will be landfill now.

What are your plans for the engine? Nothing major wrong? Gearboxes are Honda units so are really nice gearchange

 

[F189JCATURBO]

Not doing a lot to the engine tbh. Got a guide from the turbo register that shows how to easily tweak them.to around the magical 200 horse mark and that's gotta be plenty I'm sure

I was hoping seeing as one of the first cad designed cars that there would actually be some files floating around . We have a laser and press brake at work so would be easily reproduced

Rear archs I just happen to have a couple of spare from wings and the arch cuts straight out and fits but makes it about 10 mm wider but that's always a good thing

Next job when I get back from hols is to start on the shell with a strip disc and see if any surprises are lurking underneath

Shame you didn't keep all the mg stuff the prices have gone through the roof.

I actually reckon within next few years these will become pretty collectable as they are disappearing fast

 

[blenkie1]

Think the turbo was pushing about 150bhp at the time which was pretty good for the age. It was a good old motor.

Think you will be right about them. They pushed the turbo out when the maestro was coming to an end, I know we never sold many. Sold a few more of the Montego turbos. Not a well liked/loved car. I thought they were great cars

Yes should of kept all that stuff, I had loads of files, service stuff, leaflets. I can remember getting a load of stuff about the turbo for my collage work from one of the service reps that used to come. When you are young you don't think about keeping stuff its junk and thats it. Its good to see someone willing to keep these cars on the road. It looks not too bad apart from the usual bits. Keep us posted on the project would like to see how it turns out

 

[F189JCATURBO]

It's not bad at all the front underneath still has the dodgy rubbery protection and it's spotless

Was only 505 made and according to how many left there's on 20 odd on the the road and 56 sorn

Its mad but only got 88k on the clocks too
Just sourced 2 arch panels and a sill panel so after hols it's get cutter out

Already had a few prices for paint too. And might need to do a bit of saving pmsl

 

[octo0072000]

I've brought it as had fond memories of most of my family having maestro/montegos

Hardest bit is actually finding parts there is nothing about at all. Panels are non existent

How bad are the sills on these to do????

sills here just google
http://autopanels-castleford.co.uk/webpages/Austin/Austin_Maestro.htm

 

[F189JCATURBO]

Will.give them a bell tomorrow. Lots of company's show it on thier system but haven't actually got any stock of it

 

[doubleboost]

Never had to do any welding on them I left the dealer not long after I finished my time a couple of years after they became Rover from Austin Rover so they were still fairly new cars. I know later on they had problems around the windscreen, sills and rear arches. Would of thought someone might still be doing them or have something in stock still. They are a simple sill so someone might be able to fold them for you. The best bet would maybe be the the last people to import them. Sure it was someone in Ledbury. Plenty of Austin/Rover shows around as well might be worth a look and get some advice.

I will have to have a look and see if I can find any stuff about the turbo when I served my time. I know I still have some stuff but a lot got skipped. I can remember getting the MG banners from the showroom when the new EFi came out and hanging them in my garage. They will be landfill now.

What are your plans for the engine? Nothing major wrong? Gearboxes are Honda units so are really nice gearchange

I did a course on the gearboxes I am sure they were VW units

 

[Robotstar5]

I did a course on the gearboxes I am sure they were VW units

They were Honda boxes on the EFI

 

[doubleboost]

They were Honda boxes on the EFI

VW on the carb versions

 

[Robotstar5]

They obviously weren't very good at gearboxes, they fitted Peugeot boxes to the K series

 

[Epicyclic]

Great to see this unusual motor being saved, well done.
As some others, I had a 2.0 Efi MG Maestro (on a B plate) and loved it, Had Aldon Automotive put it on their Dyno after a few mods and it was making almost 130bhp at the wheels if I remember correctly. I bought it 2nd hand off an old couple in Malvern and it was as flat as the proverbial - took it up the M'way and the exhaust box blew out after a bit of wellie, didn't half make me jump....
My Rover 200vi reminds me so much of it....

 

[F189JCATURBO]

I'm amazed at the response my little maestros getting tbh. Was expecting a lot of abuse and why bother lol

Just sorted sill and arch repair panels too so well happy

Anyone recommend a decent painter nottingham/derby area. Doesn't need to be amazing just a decent job

 

[Angusdog]

Was expecting a lot of abuse and why bother lol

Perhaps the response if it had been on a boy racer forum, whereas here we like welding

You'll have read You are awful but I like you (Travels around unloved Britain), where the author buys a Maestro (named Craig) and travels around the UK? Very readable and funny.