Regretfully I have decided to part with my GTM Libra. It is a red Libra, factory-built in 2007. It has been my main car since this time and has been used as my regular transport and was driven every week until this July. After much heart-searching I've decided I can't find the time to rebuild, nor afford to pay for someone else to do it for me. It was my daily use car for 8 years.
• Mileage: 64,000
• Engine: Honda 1.6 VTEC DOHC B16A2 This is a wonderful engine. I had the car on a dyno after about 12 months of ownership and it produced 184bhp at 8,300 rpm The VTEC cuts in around 5000rpm. However, it happily trundles around and pulls away at 30mph in 5th gear - it is very driveable in all road conditions. I averaged around 39mpg overall. Timing belt replaced at around 60,000 miles
• Gear change: MGF cables Have been replaced a couple of years ago - working fine
• Bodywork: Red (RAL codes 3003 25082 )
• Wheels: Monza R Silver - 16 inch (x 5 - including spare) - plus one damaged wheel available if wanted - needs refurb as caught a kerb
• Tyres: Toyo Proxies 215/40/16 - (Rear) 195/45R16 (Front) also 1 spare 195/45R 16 on Monza wheel
• Seats: Recaro Sport Trendlines - centre panels in red alcantera, side bolsters grey leather
• Interior and carpets: dark grey
• Front discs: MGF Trophy/MG TF 160 Front Brake Discs ORIGINAL MG A20 305mm
• Rear discs: (EBCGD849) EBC BRAKES GD849 Rear Turbo Groove Discs for MG MGF/TF
• Shock absorbers: Front GAZ GPG 1076 Rear GAZ GPG 1077 Front have been replaced a couple of years ago - rear old and maybe need replacing soon.
• Anti-roll bars are fitted. New adjustable Whiteline Universal 10mm Ball joint drop links from Demon Tweeks were fitted this year on the front to replace old rattling ones.
The main issue with the car is that the mounting on the driver's side rear suspension has corroded badly and the lower mounting has moved slightly. This needs replacing before it can be driven properly as it will undoubtedly fail eventually. At present it will drive, but this wheel alignment is out and I wouldn't want to hit a big pothole in it. I've contacted Westfield about original parts, but had no response. If I were keeping the car I'd be fitting the Zcars replacement suspension - I had a quote of £1495 plus VAT for supplying this.
I have never had any accidents in the car. The fibreglass cracked over 4 years ago on the rear clamshell where it hinges to the body. I fitted some metal braces to this to fix it. These will probably need replacing eventually as they corrode.
The bodywork isn't perfect, having covered a fair mileage, but there are no major damaged areas. The most noticeable are scratches to the rear, nearside wheel arch where it scraped a garage wall and repaired cracking on the lower front where car-park kerbs were bumped. Some small crazing cracks in one or two places on the bonnet. The rear perspex screen/engine cover also has some minor cracks at the lower edge, but these have been there unchanged for over 6 years! I was supposed to get a replacement from GTM but it never materialised!
The door hinges have seized and will need removing and freeing up, and maybe replacing. The doors open fine, but the hinges are turning in the fibreglass. The doors drop slightly on opening, worst on the driver's side due to heaviest use. The last time I removed them to free them up they were still sound, but I had to replace/strengthen the fibreglass on the lower part of the driver's door as the twisting of the hinge had worn it down. This has probably recurred.
I have fitted a low-profile radiator fan on a manual switch. This has always kept the engine cool enough in all weather and traffic conditions - in winter you never need it. The original was larger and fouled the spare tyre and was set as always on when originally built!
New handbrake cables were fitted 1000 miles ago; New radiator fitted about 2 years ago; New alternator fitted a year ago; New catalytic converter fitted at MOT 2 years ago; All brake discs and pads (green stuff) replaced 2 years ago; Taxed until March 2016 and MOT'd in April 2015 - I can upload more photos if required.
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Price - open to offers, but would look at anything over £1k as just really want to find a good home for it... I'm based near Lancaster.
Steve
