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Any love for MX5’s?

J

JezmondTutu

pfm Member
I realise it will rust to pieces before I get it home, but have put a deposit down on this pending checking it over today. Fancied a cheap bit of fun motoring until I buy something more exotic again. Been without a sportscar (Elise) for three years now.

Pitlane Performance Kent - Hot Hatches & Performance Cars

Used Hot Hatch and Performance Cars in Sittingbourne, Kent. Pitlane Performance have over 10 years of experience within the motor trade.
www.pitlaneperformance.co.uk www.pitlaneperformance.co.uk
 
Price seems heavy for a 15 year old car with 80k miles, but there you are.
Yes, they are great fun. I had one a few years ago, but I bought too cheap and it was a bit ratty. I used it a bit as a fun car for a couple of years, not really enough to justify its existence. It then failed the MoT on rusty sills and I got rid.

That model is a nice one, it has enough performance and isn't yet a very old car. It's in good order as far as I can see. Around 100k expect to see a bit of wear on things like the gearbox 2 and 3 synchro. Check for rust in rear arches and sills, especially by the rear arches. The Mk2 rusted on the front chassis rails, I think they fixed that for the Mk3 but check this out.

It's Japanese so it's reliable, but Mazda rust proofing isn't the best in the industry.
 
Great cars, they're no Elise, but I expect you know that.... however, as a fun sports car that also has an air of practicality they are hard to beat and are superb value for money. I have driven quite a few as friends owned them when I had my first S2000.... as much as I love the Honda (and I do as I have another one now), the MX-5 is probably the more complete car as the economies of scale allow it to sport features the S2000 did not have such as lighter alloy suspension. As there are so many of them spares and secondhand parts are relatively inexpensive. Most people lower them a little especially the model you are buying as factory fresh it does sit quite high, but the link you sent makes me think the one you are buying is already sitting down a little.
 
stevec67 said:
Price seems heavy for a 15 year old car with 80k miles, but there you are.
Yes, they are great fun. I had one a few years ago, but I bought too cheap and it was a bit ratty. I used it a bit as a fun car for a couple of years, not really enough to justify its existence. It then failed the MoT on rusty sills and I got rid.

That model is a nice one, it has enough performance and isn't yet a very old car. It's in good order as far as I can see. Around 100k expect to see a bit of wear on things like the gearbox 2 and 3 synchro. Check for rust in rear arches and sills, especially by the rear arches. The Mk2 rusted on the front chassis rails, I think they fixed that for the Mk3 but check this out.

It's Japanese so it's reliable, but Mazda rust proofing isn't the best in the industry.
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Price is probably firm Steve, but it’s from a specialist who is well rated and fussy about his cars plus comes with a fresh service, fresh MOT and a decent six months warranty.
 
tiggers said:
Great cars, they're no Elise, but I expect you know that.... however, as a fun sports car that also has an air of practicality they are hard to beat and are superb value for money. I have driven quite a few as friends owned them when I had my first S2000.... as much as I love the Honda (and I do as I have another one now), the MX-5 is probably the more complete car as the economies of scale allow it to sport features the S2000 did not have such as lighter alloy suspension. As there are so many of them spares and secondhand parts are relatively inexpensive. Most people lower them a little especially the model you are buying as factory fresh it does sit quite high, but the link you sent makes me think the one you are buying is already sitting down a little.
Click to expand...
Car is totally standard. They sorted out the issues in 2009, fitted a LSD, lowered the car using Bilsteins, installed a front strut brace and the engine has stronger internals including a forged crank which raised the redline by 500 to 7500rpm. Prior to that, the NC model got a very like warm reception.
 
Lovely cars , I had an "RF" for three years and would have bought another if I didn't need "practicality" at the time .

They are just so nicely balanced . Quick enough for the real world and once you get used to the body roll they handle well . But most of all they are fun , you always feel as though you are travelling at 20 mph faster than you really are . Makes the commute feel like Le Mans .
 
early said:
Lovely cars , I had an "RF" for three years and would have bought another if I didn't need "practicality" at the time .

They are just so nicely balanced . Quick enough for the real world and once you get used to the body roll they handle well . But most of all they are fun , you always feel as though you are travelling at 20 mph faster than you really are . Makes the commute feel like Le Mans .
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That’s what I’m hoping and I have a 54 mile each way commute when I’m in the office!

I had a Mk1 which was a lot of fun, drove
it everywhere with the roof off.
 
JezmondTutu said:
Car is totally standard. They sorted out the issues in 2009, fitted a LSD, lowered the car using Bilsteins, installed a front strut brace and the engine has stronger internals including a forged crank which raised the redline by 500 to 7500rpm. Prior to that, the NC model got a very like warm reception.
Click to expand...
Ah, didn't know that... makes sense. Looks a lovely example.
 
stevec67 said:
It's Japanese so it's reliable, but Mazda rust proofing isn't the best in the industry.
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Do people still import them from Japan where there's no salt on the road to rust them?

If I was a driver I'd love one. But it would have to be the mk1 with pop-up lights obviously : )
 
paulfromcamden said:
Do people still import them from Japan where there's no salt on the road to rust them?

If I was a driver I'd love one. But it would have to be the mk1 with pop-up lights obviously : )
Click to expand...
Not so much now. I had a mk1 but I need a car that is ULEZ compliant and also something a bit more usable, The one I am looking at has a folding metal roof, climate control, heated seats, bluetooth and mpg is also much better on later cars. Despite my mk1 being a 1.6, I never saw more than 30mpg out of it!
 
IMG_2258.jpeg
 
Back in early 2006, after being married for 19 years, and realising that the 'family' thing was not going to happen, we just blew £20k on a brand spanking MX5 2.0 sport. It was great (the odd time I got to drive it, as it was Mrs Jamie's main car). I loved just unclipping the roof and throwing it back, down in a couple of seconds.

Then after only 18 months of it.....Mrs Jamie 'fell pregnant'.....bit of a shocker (was the break in Chicago that did it, apparently). So back to 'family' cars by summer 2008. Still look back fondly on the MX5, but wouldn't swap it for the 15 year old lad!
 
JezmondTutu said:
I realise it will rust to pieces before I get it home, but have put a deposit down on this pending checking it over today. Fancied a cheap bit of fun motoring until I buy something more exotic again. Been without a sportscar (Elise) for three years now.

Pitlane Performance Kent - Hot Hatches & Performance Cars

Used Hot Hatch and Performance Cars in Sittingbourne, Kent. Pitlane Performance have over 10 years of experience within the motor trade.
www.pitlaneperformance.co.uk www.pitlaneperformance.co.uk
Click to expand...

I don't know if that's good value or not but sometimes you see the right thing at the right time and you just have to stump up and live, don't you? It's never that long before it's water under the bridge, and it still retains some value, plus of course the fun you've had with it.

It's car I've never driven and often thought about buying a cheap one to have some fun with. Sadly I think my head would be about 2 inches above the screen and I've achieved the indignity of finding it easier to get into a normal car bum-first. I reckon an Mx-5 is a no-no for me these days!

Bilsteins and an LSD? Sounds ripe for some tuning. BBR turbo?
 
I like them but recently went for an MR2 with the MX5 a contender. I see too many of them, that's the only reason I went for the MR2. No doubt this generation of MX5 is a better car, but I love the look of the MR2.

Oh, and I did have a 1990 BBR turbo, so the MX5 box is ticked really.
 
stevec67 said:
That looks great, but at £10k for the conversion, plus a decent sum for the base car, can't you get a better Boxster?
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Yes - but a MX5 is going to be fun at any speed ( a demented* one, maybe not-so) - whereas any Boxster doesn't really get into the 'fun zone' until way past practical speed limits (traffic, as much as, legal).

The MX5 joy comes from a light car, that is fun from deliberately-being a hair soft-centred in an accessible way: comfy chassis, free-revving engine paired with splendid, light precise gearchange, in fact nice controls and fine feedback - but not, lots of grip, lots of power, and the tedium that too-often follows.

- oh - and utter-Mazda dependability. Use it just for everything everyday, and it will take it, and take it, and take it, and never hand you a big service bill. And then you still drive it for fun at the weekend.

And the MX5 roof -drop is a thing of joy, stay strapped-in, 1 hand, 10 seconds, done. A simple pleasure. Ditto to reverse when it starts raining.


Shit, now I want an MX5....

[edits for clarity]

* as in enough power, like the Rocketeer etc for 'demented clockwork toy on Lino' abilities. I had a go in c 250hp of turbo'd mk2. Utterly daft. and - Not actually that much fun, the turbo ruined the gestalt.
 
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