MGF Cars Canada - frequently asked questions (FAQ's)
08.JAN.20 |
|
|
| Why is the steering wheel on the "wrong" side? |
|
|
|
MGF's were manufactured in England where they drive on the left side of the road. Whilst this is not an ideal situation in North America where one drives on the right, in reality the navigational challenges that it presents (such as extra caution required when overtaking on a two lane road) are not major. Here is a testimonial from one of our customers:
Judy really enjoys driving the car. She caught on to driving from the RHS quicker than I did and is better at shifting the car than I am as well. She does prefer her [other LBC] over the MGF but that is not because there is something wrong about the F, just prefers the [other LBC]. She has taken the F to work on several occasions and enjoys driving it in the big city of Sarnia.
From around 1997 onwards the MGF was produced with left hand steering (LHD) but under current Canadian laws we cannot import these cars from mainland Europe until at least 2012. Furthermore, they were produced in relatively small numbers, command higher prices and often have considerably more kilometres on the 'clock' than cars from Britain.
For Canadian MGF enthusiasts who are not comfortable with right hand steering (RHD) there is an alternative: The MGF was designed so that production of RHD or LHD variants required minimal changes in parts so it is possible to convert a car from RHD to LHD, and we are now making this project a high priority. Please visit our left hand drive (LHD) conversion page for details. |
|
|
| Are these cars safe? |
|
|
|
Yes. This is not your fathers MGB. The MGF incorporates numerous modern safety features. Standard on all cars is a drivers airbag, seat belt pretensioners, side impact beams, steel reinforcement tubes in the windscreen pillars (for extra safety rollbars are available) and "the MGF has passed the 55 km/h 'offset' barrier (collision) test, which is closer to real life situations than the standard EC head-on crash test". Additional safety features, optional on early cars and standard later on include: passenger airbags and antilock brakes (ABS). |
|
|
| Are these cars legal in Canada? |
|
|
|
Yes. If they are over fifteen (15) years old, they are exempt from meeting Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) with the exception of lighting. To comply with CMVSS: the headlights must be replaced or adjusted to be compatible with right hand traffic, a third brake light installed (if not already equiped). In addition some provincial inspections will require side marker lights to be installed. New tires that have DOT markings might also be required, although we have observed that tyres from England already have DOT markings. In practice these cars met the vast majority of CMVSS when they were produced and the reason they have not been imported until now had more to do with politics & protectionism than safety. |
|
|
| Where can I get parts & service? Will they be expensive? |
|
|
|
No, MGF parts prices are comparable to other cars in their class since several parts are common to many other UK domestic market cars. There are numerous online sources for MGF parts and small parts from England can be here in a couple of days. One can find tyres, batteries and wiper blades locally. Any competent service establishment with knowledge of import cars should be able to service these vehicles without difficulty and there is a wealth of repair information readily available on the Internet and on CD-ROM. |
|
|
| What about insurance? I have heard that RHD cars are hard to insure? |
|
|
|
This can be an issue. The answer depends what type of use is envisaged:
- Daily Use: Drivers with clean records and a good long term relationship with their agent or broker should not encounter too much difficulty although most companies will charge extra for a RHD car and this should be taken into account when considering the cost of a LHD conversion. If you are having difficulty finding insurance, then we can put you in touch with our broker who found us commercial insurance as he has contacts who do not discriminate against owners of right hand drive or other special interest vehicles. Finally, in Ontario one cannot be refused insurance (that would likely invalidate the compulsory requirement act) so there is always Facility but this is to be avoided as it is very expensive.
- Occasional Use: This is much easier. For Canadian MGF owners who do not plan to drive their MGF's on a daily basis their best option might be to seek coverage from a specialty company such as Haggerty.
|
|
|
| Why are there no prices shown for some cars? |
|
|
|
Until the car has arrived at our Ontario warehouse, we do not have an accurate account of all purchase, shipping & reconditioning costs involved. We try to keep our cars comparable in price to MGB's but we firmly believe that the MGF provides much more car for the money. |
|
|
| Your cars are expensive! I can buy one on Ebay for £1000. Why can't I just import one myself? |
|
|
|
You can, but be aware that the cost of shipping one car is vastly more expensive than a bulk shipment of three or more and do you really want all the hassles of paperwork & dealing with Customs? Furthermore we have relationships with parts & service suppliers in the UK that give us favourable rates based on the volume of business we do with them. All our cars will be checked over prior to leaving England and the necessary repairs made by qualified MG technicans to ensure that they pass Canadian provincial inspections and will be reliable. |
|
|
| Are you a registered dealer? |
|
|
|
Yes. We have completed OMVIC's registration process and are members of the UCDA of Ontario. |
|
|
| Can I buy one of these cars if I live in the States? |
|
|
|
It is not our intent to use Canada as a means to circumvent the 25 year rule in the USA. Therefore, our cars are only available to Canadian citizens or those with residential ties to Canada. We fully appreciate that there will be huge demand for this car south of the border and we urge prospective American MGF owners to visit our US web site then write (traditional mail is much better) and/or call their Federal congress person to make their views known! |
|
|