Maestro Montego Club

[Guest]

well it looks as if the club keeps attracting new memebers as it is doing there wont be enough montegs and maestros to go round and maybe they will have to start remanufactureing them mikemaestro

[Maria]

They do ... well, in China anyway! All the tooling went over there, where the Chinese are remanufacturing them. Do a forum search for Etsong.

[Guest]

etsong maestro

we could import them from china and then every one could have one but would they be eligable for club membership, just in case any one did rgds mike maestro

[tony]

i think one of our forum member is sorting bodyshells out , to get them imported.
you dont even need to own a maestro or a montego for that matter.to join the club , but be careful , one is never enough.

[Guest]

but be careful , one is never enough.

Don't I know it!

Mal.

[Guest]

Well i'm considering coming across from Mini's, and they've started running out, look at the prices they fetch on ebay?!?! So much so i've got a very dead one in my garage which i'm making an attempt to restore!

Its the same with my mini thats on the road, am considering buying a heratige shell to re-shell it... maybe you should pester heratige to start knocking out pannels and body shells? you can buy a whole mini body shell for £3k.

[Maria]

I spoke to someone from Heritage at the Historic Motorsport Show on Saturday. Maestros are too new for them, and there's also the slight problem of the tooling being in China.

[Guest]

yes its a fact maestro's are very addictive should be available on N H S just get a prescription and if you get it really bad you can ask for a repeat perscription and have one a month

[e692wtt]

yes its a fact maestro's are very addictive should be available on N H S just get a prescription and if you get it really bad you can ask for a repeat perscription and have one a month

I'm more of a Montego man meself, but nonetheless they are very addictive .

Thing is, the way the NHS is going - best go Private now :laugh: . Oh, errm, um....

[MaestroTurbo]

Well i'm considering coming across from Mini's, and they've started running out, look at the prices they fetch on ebay?!?! So much so i've got a very dead one in my garage which i'm making an attempt to restore!

Its the same with my mini thats on the road, am considering buying a heratige shell to re-shell it... maybe you should pester heratige to start knocking out pannels and body shells? you can buy a whole mini body shell for £3k.

No maestro owner would pay 3k for a shell, they shudder at the though of paying more than 50 quid for most things. Some people will pay out and they will reap the joys of owning an under apprieciated classic car whilst everyone else drives tatty old bangers that will end up in the scrapyard in a year or two.

Yes i tell it how it is, as many dont put their hands in their pockets, i am fortunate, i have no money but i know how to restore a car so maybe i'm biased but ALOT more should be done, it's not happening though..

Gareth

[D87SMW]

Some people can't afford to shell out on things they need let alone items that others want them to buy. That's the idea of having a Maestro or Montego anyway - cheap motoring.

[Guest]

i think we have missed the point wether people have or haven't paid a fortune for there car or spares. its the pleasure and satisfaction of owning the last cars built as truely british and knowing that no matter how under rated they were they were actually bloody good cars . also remember i bet austin rover wish they could tiurn the clock back to when thet were manufacturing them. no doubt as we all do and spares were found any where. lets enjoy them

[C191JOE]

Maestro enjoyment

I thoroughly agree with Maestro Mike. Let's just enjoy them. My car is easy to maintain and I have no worries about depreciation; twenty three years on it's probably gaining in value, if that's possible!

What sweeter sound is there to a real enthusiast than the gentle tickover of a well-tuned R series engine. It will blast along the A14 towards Girton on a quiet Sunday morning at well in excess of the legal limit, or tootle gently around Cambridge, attracting admiring glances from the discerning few.

And at the end of the day ,when all's said and done, in the final analysis, etc., what have I lost - a car that cost very little to buy and one that will have served me well. Just keep the secret and there'll be enough to go round!

[Guest]

For them to be around in another 5 years the cars will need constant attention. To some people they are a cheap runabout, these cars will be in the crusher 5 years from now. To others who have restored or have low mileage well maintained examples, these cars wil be around in around in 5 years but to do that parts are needed, as parts become harder to find prices increase. More and more parts that were readily available from Rover are now NLA. Group buys on parts for a decent discount never work as people dont look to the future and dont want to pay the cash. a couple of years from now most panels will be not available and even with the likes of Hadrian, stocks are running low.
The idea of the Maestro and Montego as cheap motoring is a bit outdated

[e692wtt]

My current Maestro and two Montegos are, to me, cheap motoring. End of.

I've kept Monty on the road for 9 years now, for loose change if I am honest but with money spent where needed. No sign of the crusher despite recent visits by opportunistic scrapmen to where my cars are kept when off road (see my last blog of 23/2/06 for an example). He's not especially pretty at the moment, due to surface rust (especially round the rear arch area), but is extremely solid underneath.

I've had no problems with service items at all, but agree body panels for major renovation are a major issue.

Essentially, my secret is to get a "good un", especially bodywork-wise, and it will last the course with minimal but regular attention.

My 3 cars also get quite a bit of attention when out and about - and it's always positive attention rather than the negative attention that a more extroverted car would sometimes draw.

Bottom line, for me, is cheap motoring in a car that's a pleasure to drive . Why should I drive a newer car that will depreciate (I can get an interest free loan from work, should I wish...) when a year's MoT, at worst, will cost me about 6 weeks of payments on a new car - and then the rest of the year is 'free'? Because I am expected to by Society? No thanks...