Faults:

Automatic transmission needed a service.

Carburettor needed to be re-built.

Usual wear and tear stuff like brakes and the like.

General Comments:

What fun to drive!!

The fuel gauge was more a G-force indicator. Turn left and it swung to the right, turn right and it swung to the left. So you always kept in mind how many km to a tank and sorta relied more on the empty light coming on solid.

Not the gutsiest car on the streets, but on the country roads it took on more than its fair share of better competition. Turning into corners and things, it would just stick to the most unbelievable lines without getting disturbed. My partner and I both discovered this independently and would take turns to take the car out on long drives for this very reason! On the straights it just kept up speed, but in the twisties you didn't have to shed a lot of that speed to get around.

The transmission was close to the end of its life and the carburetter was a demon of a bygone era, so had to look at EFI 405s. Had a 405 SRi. It had the same great chassis, but too many electrical issues to count and an oil leak, so returned it to the dealer.

My partner and I still look longingly at 405s when we come across one.

Faults:

* Cooling system leaks, caused breakdown as the small leak turned out to be a cracked elbow joint coming from under the radiator.

* Noisy interior.

* Water pump leak, needs replacing. This small problem actually ended up turning into a complete engine replacement for me) Don't ask!

* Stubborn door hinges.

* Seats have faded.

* Gearstick is very stubborn.

All in all, I could write a laundry list of problems, but the engine is "strong like bull" so in all fairness I won't.

General Comments:

First Impressions:

I fell in love with this car the minute I laid eyes on it, for a 12 year old car it sure looks stylish. It has "touring car" written all over it. Initial gripes with its looks in my opinion are the fog lights & the towing attachment, which protrudes out the front of the car. Interior gripes were that there are only power windows in the front not rear doors.. very tacky.

When I took it for a test drive I didn't really know a lot about it. I was still learning manual at the time so I held back from giving it some stick in-case I made a bad gear change and blew the gearbox. The thing that really stood out to me was the handling and suspension, the car really hugs the road and gives fun handling. After the test drive I was hooked and bought it.

Performance:

I generally thought it was a bit of a slug at first as I didn't rev it over 4000 rpm (It has a red-line of 7500 & I'm told it peaks at 6500).

But wow, didn't that opinion change fast, give this French rocket some juice and it goes faster than snails on a platter. Unless you're willing to rev it to over 5500 Rpm you won't get much power out of it, but once in the high revs the engine really roars. I was traveling at 60 kph, dropped into 3rd gear and put my foot down, & the car reached 150 kph in under 7 seconds. I'd estimate it has a 0-100 kph time of around 8.5 seconds & the highest speed I've had it up to was 210 clicks without pushing it.. I could have got at-least another 20 kph out of it. I wish I could say the car handles all situations with grace, but it has a few drawbacks due to its relatively small engine displacement, e.g. When you've got a full load of passengers it really struggles, or when going flat out up a hill the engine just goes flat and doesn't continue to hit the high notes.. but this could be due to my timing of gear changes so don't quote me on that one. Another thing is when taking off from traffic lights at normal pace you'll find it hard to keep up.. but of course if you rev it a bit they'll find it hard to keep up.

The fuel tank holds 70 liters, I find it's really efficient when you don't drive sporty, but when you do it really drinks.

My Mods:

I had a 2 & 1/4" exhaust system & a high flow air filter fitted. The engine really has a nice sound to it once fitted, I also think it gave it a tad more power.

Faults:

Auto transmission required full overhaul, perhaps due to little service from other owners.

Sun roof frame rusting.

Radio had a bad earth and shorted out.

General Comments:

Now we have sorted out the problems we bought, the car is good. The auto makes it a bit on the slow side on pickup and overtaking, the MG Montego would leave it for dead. The level of comfort is OK and best of all my wife loves the car.