ZR interior upgrade

[ChB]

Hi, I'm from Germany and thinking about gettin' me a ZR 160. I had one for a testdrive this weekend and did like handling and exterior design very much. :D
What I didn't like was the poor interior design especially the glove box (80's japanese style) and the middle part where head unit and air con controls are located. It looked like very cheap plastic. :(

Do you have any ideas or hints how these things can be 'upgraded' to look more like a 15,000 pounds car without spending loads of money ?

Thanks.

Christian

[CJohn]

I'd like to do something about the handbrake area, that is the naffest bit out of the whole interior for me. The plastic used down there is really rough and horrible, and the handbrake itself looks dirt cheap, especially situated next to the nice leather-covered gear stick... Doesn't really seem room to stick a nice gaiter around it though, and I can't find a gaiter to match the gearstick gaiter either (perforated black leather)

I might get some alloy pedals, and look into painting some of the black plastic silver at some point...

One of the best and easiest interior mods is to get a good quality set of car mats. I got mine from Autostyle (www.autostyle.co.uk), they're really nice quality, look like fitted carpets the way they are shaped to the contours of the floorpan and extend right up behind the pedals. Can get "ZR" embroidered on each one too!

Chris

[Liamspiers]

CJohn,
Any pics of your mats mate..?

How much were they from Autostyle and how much more to get ZR embroidered on them ?

[CJohn]

Sorry, I don't have the facility to take digital photos...

I'll try and describe them though - they're made from high-density tufted material which looks really nice and is soft to the touch; 'cause of my black car, I had them done in black but with silver edging, but you can choose the colour of the mat and the binding that you want. You get four mats, all fitted to the exact floorpan of the car - the drivers side and passenger side are different shapes, very long (extending behind the peddles on the drivers side), and the rear ones are a good snug fit. The front mats have a single locking pin to fix them to the floor with, the rear mats don't need them as they won't move anywhere.

I paid extra for a carpet heelpad (classier than the 3 metal heelpads you can choose from, I feel), and extra to have "ZR" embroidered on each one in silver. Total cost was £75 including delivery, but I think the embroidering was a £20 option, and the heelpads were a £10 option or something. Sounds like a lot, but I definitely think it was worth it.

I can attest to their durability too - I had red autostyle mats on my last car, they still look great 4 years on!

And no, I don't work for autostyle or have any affiliation with them, I just love their product!

Chris

[Liamspiers]

CJohn..

Thanx for that reply...very detailed and clear mate..sound well nice..Not bad price either i`d say..

i`m sure the MG mates are about £50 quid or more and i dont think they look exceptional quality..

Quite like the idea for my red ZR105 of having red mats with black trim of black mats with red trim..and a metal heelplate and the ZR embroidered...is the ZR logo on both front mats ?
How big is the ZR logo roughly ? CAn u choose what colour u want this in ?

Cheers the noo mate

[CJohn]

No worries mate!

Definitely get the red mats with black binding if you have a red car, they looked wicked in my red Polo.

Yeah, the embroidered logo is on both front mats (you can have just on one if you want though), the logo is just a bit bigger than a matchbox, and you can choose any colour you want.

[extreme]

Hello to all!
I'm, like Chb, thinking to make modifications inner. I had thought to paint with the spray by Foliatec for Interior in "Silver Gray" color the part to the center where they are the controls of the air and the car radio. Same thing also for the mouths of the air (only the frames). I would have to obtain an effect similar to the attached pic. Problem: How are taken apart all the several parts for being able to paint them outside the car?

I'm an italian owner of ZR :)
Sorry for the bad english :( ..

[CJohn]

Hey, that looks well good! Is that a computer-generated image, or something you've actually done? Hmm, think I'll do something like that myself...

Chris

[extreme]

computer-generated image... with my best friend PaintShop Pro :D

Computer generated because I don't know how to take apart all the parts for spraying them out of the car.. :( :(

I've found the correct sprayto do this.. but i don't want to use that inside the car..

[CJohn]

Excellent work then, my friend, very useful to me too!

Has anyone got a Haynes manual for the ZR (is there one?) Doesn't it tell you how to get all the bits off in there?

BTW, if you feel like dabbling a little more, what does the little gap above the glovebox look like with silver trim? Over the top? Can you put some alloy pedals on the pic as well? I was wondering what the silver momo pedals would look like in my car...

Chris

[Sargey]

I sprayed the inside of my Nissan Micra with silver paint and it looked really good. The front of the dash (above the speedo) and the center console just unscrewed, but I think the MG's are moulded so it might be difficult.

All I used was plastic primer and a normal silver car spray can. I think it was ford "starburst silver".

A word of advice tho, when the sun shines, it reflects in the windscreen and can be distracting

I'll see if I can fish out some pictures for you lot.

[extreme]

...and this..
...................the same pic with a touch of red (the color of my car :cool: ) and momo pedals installed :)

[Steve]

Uh oh! You've crossed the line with that last one!

You might want to look into getting silver heater control knobs (and I don't mean the obviously plastic ones in the TF).

[extreme]

..and now... :)

The same pic with a blue touch, a good-looking car-stereo and silver air control knobs..

What's the best solution for the sterring wheel? Blu button, blu button+chrome or nothing?

.. and what's the best result? the first.. second... or the last? :)

[Mickeyblu]

already done it a about a month ago! eactly the same apart from the centre bit...carbon fiber soon!

£2.99 paint halfords!

dont the clock surround too! looks a treat....also coded the grad handles on the door!

[ChB]

Anything that can be done about the glovebox ???

Cheers,
ChB

[Kevin Davis]

This is how it should be done, original factory interior on the 200 BRM.

[Rab Anderson]

Spot on, Kevin. They really got it right. Could do with nice mats myself, mind you.

[ChB]

That red leather looks the nuts. :D

Are there any websites selling interior and exterior tuning parts for the ZR ?

Thanks.

[Kevin Davis]

Another view of the BRM interior........

[GSC]

Hello Fellow Mg ZR Modders!

I bought my ZR 6 months ago. Its a 105 in red. Since then I have added the current mods, and I think the car looks pretty good - it certainly stands out against other, non-modded, ZR's.

Whenever I mod, I follow the simple rule that it should be tasteful, so nothing OTT!

Mods so far:

1) Pedal Extensions - Sparco

- note the clutch pedal has some pretty heaftly metal behind it as the calpier swoops around. You'll need a strong drill to get through and maybe some different screws.

2) Gear Knob - Momo

- I am a nob for doing it, but I think the standard one is a bit boring. Sadly I've not been able to get a gaiter that fits, but I reckon something from a car fo equivalent size, eg: Golf would fit with some work.

3) Exhaust Gaiter - aka ZR 160.

- You can get your dealer to order the gaiter as a separate part, then simply drill some holes or silicone it on. Real easy. Looks good and I've noticed a few others have had this done!

4) Tinted Windows - "Privacy Glass"

- Done by a proffesional and not your jobbie from Halfords. Not completly blacked out, like the bad boys in Civics, but works a treat as the ZR lacks Air Con.

5) ICE - 10 Disc & 12" Sub

- The ZR's boot doesnt exaclty lend itself to having a sub inside. I think am gonna have to rearrange things and fit it properly. Probably re-upholster the back of the rear seat in red leather and do something with the boot floor. Good strong brackets to keep that bad boy in place.

6) Private Plates - Letter Number Letter Letter Letter

- Done in 3D lettering, makes the car stand out, and now its 6 months old it looks like new again.

Future Modding Projects Include ( if anybody has any advice/ideas let me know ):

1) Replacement of front speaks,
2) Xenon bulbs
3) Fogs ( I know I should have done this a while ago )
4) Electric Window Kit
5) Central Locking Kit
6) Replacement of brake discs and pads
7) K&N Induction Kit
8) New Embroided Mats
9) Re-upholster of central cloth seat section in red leather
10) Re-upholster of door panels in leather ( aka BRM )
11) Re-upholster of front dash in leather
12) DVD!

[extreme]

What do you think about my planned interior mods for the ZR? (the same of you.. 105 in solar red).
I've attached the last computer generated pics..
Have you some suggestions?

[yool]

i like the silver bits...(especially the edging around the instrument binnacle) - it contrasts really well with the main part of the dash - which itself looks good in the pic - kinda matt-look - leather or soft-touch plastic lookin...nice.

[SteveChilds]

I like it!! I'd leave the steering wheel alone though, unless you get coloured leather, the paint will flake off, not to mention it'll be a bit slippy, not really what you want on a steering wheel! ;)

I think the Red ash tray is spoiling it though, its a bit too much red, the rest of it balances quite nicely, that just unbalances the look (IMO).

One thing to watch out for is the paint reflecting in the windscreen, the standard bit above the passenger airbag area does that as standard, which is quite distracting. Not as much as when the sun reflects into your eyes though. :(

[extreme]

Originally posted by SteveChilds
I like it!! I'd leave the steering wheel alone though, unless you get coloured leather, the paint will flake off, not to mention it'll be a bit slippy, not really what you want on a steering wheel! ;)

I think the Red ash tray is spoiling it though, its a bit too much red, the rest of it balances quite nicely, that just unbalances the look (IMO).

One thing to watch out for is the paint reflecting in the windscreen, the standard bit above the passenger airbag area does that as standard, which is quite distracting. Not as much as when the sun reflects into your eyes though. :(

For the steering wheel 'iv found a coloured leather cover.. in Inox colour by SimoniRacing (www.simoniracing.it)
MMM... yes the tray not looking-good in red.. ok :)
For paint reflecting.. ummm.. i can leave the part behind the steering wheel in the original color..

[S4RK1]

there are some BRM interior parts availible cheaply on this site... http://www.roverbrm.co.uk/wwwmsre/mhome.htm
some of it might look ok in a red or green ZR, I think I'll keep the inside of mine black though!