Fitting a Mk1 MG ZT front bumper to a Mk 1 Rover 75

I'm sure this topic has been covered before but as I have just gone through the process I thought my notes may be useful to others attempting this task.

What you will need:

- MG ZT front bumper complete with fog lights and indicators (around £50 to £80 from ebay)
- MG ZT front bumper wiring loom (around £10 to £20 from ebay) Note: Rover 75 wiring loom indicator connectors are different
- Ideally, MG ZT front bumper foam infills as they are different
- Ideally, also left and right wheel arch liners as the MG ZT bumper is wider
- Ideally, an MG ZT engine under tray as the MG ZT’s bumper protrudes more than a Rover 75’s

Tools

- Crosshead screw driver
- 20mm star shaped torx screwdriver or bit
- Thin nose pliers
- Hack saw

Removing the existing front bumper

- Open the bonnet and remove the chrome grill by unscrewing the two cross-head screws and prise out the retaining clips. Pull the top of the grille forward, unclip and remove it
- Remove eight of the nine cross headed black bolts, leaving the centre one in place, which secure the top edge of the bumper to the car body – four behind the grille and two more above each headlight. Loosen the middle, the ninth bolt, but leave it in place as it will hold the bumper while you pull out the sides of the bumper away from the car body
- Inside the wheel arch (both sides) remove a bumper to wheel arch liner screw using a 20mm star shaped torx screwdriver or bit
- Underneath the bumper remove the three cross headed screws at the front of each wheel arch which secure the bumper to the front brake air ducts
- Underneath the middle of the bumper remove four quick release screw fasteners which should be securing the bumper lower edge to the engine under tray (mine were missing)
- Mask the body work with tape/card just above the end sides of the bumper to prevent scratches when you pull the bumper ends outwards
- Lift and firmly pull the bumper ends outwards. This may take some effort
- The bumper is now secured by a single yellow fir tree clip each side and the central bolt on top
- Remove this last of the nine cross headed black bolts and pull the bumper forwards detaching it from the two yellow fir tree clips
- Disconnect the bumper wiring harness multi-plug which should be clipped under the left hand head light and remove the bumper completely
- Finally, remove the two yellow fir tree clips which have remained in the wings each side using the thin nose pliers and push them back onto the sockets of the MG ZT bumper. If the circular retainers are missing you will need to remove these from the bumper you have just taken off. But, unless you are lucky, you will damage them and will need to obtain two more. I found a set online at Genuine, discounted, Ford, Renault, Nissan, MG, Rover and Tata parts shipped Worldwide The part number is DYC101530

Fitting the MG ZT bumper

- Insert the MG ZT foam infills into the bumper if you have them, or cable tie them to the metal crash bar to prevent them falling out when you offer up the bumper. Not having them I have done without and the bumper seems fine
- What about the bonnet release lever which protrudes through the grill of the Rover 75 but will be impeded by the mesh grille of the new bumper I hear you ask. If you are a purist you could fit the later Rover 75 internal release lever. I decided on a work around using the existing mechanism. Taking the hack saw I sawed off the first inch of the lever. With new bumper and grille in place it is easy to push a screw driver, or something similar, through the mesh grille and push the lever up releasing the bonnet
- Now place the new bumper close to the front of the car and connect the bumper wiring harness to the multi-plug socket
- Check that the fog lights and indicators work before proceeding! The external temperature sensor may also display -30 degrees C but don’t worry as it will return to normal once everything is done
- Offer up the bumper and secure it to the body with the nine cross headed black screws
- You may wish to check the shut line before proceeding. Mine was quite large so using some plastic slide binders (available in Rymans) I packed short lengths under the leading edge of the new bumper and tightened the nine screws. I now have a perfect shut line but time will tell whether this will cause any distortion or damage. You may be lucky and the shut line will be acceptable without resorting to this
- Push the bumper ends firmly inwards and push the fir tree clips home
- If you have replaced the wheel arch liners and engine under tray replace the three cross headed screws at the front of each wheel arch and the four quick release screw fasteners securing the bumper lower edge to the engine under tray
- Not having wheel arch liners or a new engine under tray I found the holes in the new bumper didn’t marry up so I resorted to securing the bumper with two black cable ties each side to the to the front brake air ducts. If you don’t these will flap down and rub along the road at any speed above 30mph. I dispensed with securing the bumper to the engine under tray. This won’t please the purists but with dark blue paint work the ties are all but invisible. Yes, there is a gap at the bottom of each bumper between it and the wheel arch liner and I’m working on how I can seal this
- Wash and leather off your hand marks and stand back with a well earned cup of tea admiring your new look Rover 75

Finally, having run the car along the motorway at 70mph it all seems to be holding together so far.

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Fitting a Mk1 MG ZT front bumper to a Mk 1 Rover 75