Kyle Reyner has taken a Mk1 2003 ZS180 and transformed its appearance with suicide rear doors, a flip-flop boot, a Mk2 bodykit and hard-to-miss paintwork.

Words and pictures: Rob Hawkins

Like it or loathe it, there’s no denying the work that has gone into customising this ZS. We love it, and think it is a credit to Kyle Reyner and his dad Keith, who have spent the last four years figuring out how to fit a wide selection of parts to a Mk1 ZS180. And while the custom car scene may not be to everyone’s taste, there is no denying that it has been a platform for some of the world’s most talented designers who have gained the reputation and the funding needed to make the leap from custom car to concept car. Basically, we need a custom car scene to allow talented designers to develop their ideas on a low budget.

Kyle Reyner is one such designer who should take his talents further. Despite being a fully qualified panel beater, the recession has made it difficult to find work in this field. However, he has made great use of his spare time modifying a car that is not a natural first choice in the custom car scene. Indeed, five years ago Kyle was a typical teenager, whizzing around in a Peugeot 106, which was equipped with an outrageous bodykit. After a year, though, he had lost the hot hatch bug and fancied something else. ‘I wanted something bigger than the Peugeot 106, but not the usual Astra or Focus type,’ he comments. ‘The ZS or ZR seemed to fit, but I wanted a large engine, so that ruled out the ZR. A ZS V6 was the one I wanted, but it still had to be on an affordable budget.’

During the summer of 2007, Kyle started looking for a ZS180. He had plenty of modifications in mind, so wasn’t afraid to buy a tatty example. Eventually he found a 2003 Mk1 model in London with a mere 36,000 miles on the clock, Nightfire red paintwork, but with light damage to one of the front corners. With a price tag of only £1500, this ZS was a bargain (book prices at the time were between £2500 and £4000), so Kyle had it delivered. However, there were more problems than just a damaged front corner.

‘It was supposed to be a runner, but it wouldn’t start,’ he recalls. ‘A diagnostic test said the cam sensor and crank sensor were at fault. It’s very unusual for both to go, so first I changed the crank sensor, which is the most common failure. We rechecked it, but it was still no good. Then we found the front camshafts weren’t turning, but the cam belt and pulley was.’

Thanks

MG Enthusiast would like to thank the MG ZS website and forum ZS Central (www.zscentral.com) for helping to organise this feature.

Kyle Reyner would like to thank his dad for teaching him nearly everything he knows, also Russ and his Umpa Lumpas at Wilding Auto Centre for a last-minute valet before our photoshoot.

To read more about this MG see the January 2012 issue of MG Enthusiast on sale now  

Back issues available here.