MX5 buying advice.

Gold Leaf Tea

As I approach a 'milestone' birthday, I have a bit of a hankering for one of these. Already have two 'sensible' newer cars and fancy something a little fun. Have been looking around at various options and admit to be a bit confused by how these cars are priced, huge price differentials between what seem to be very similar cars, and wondering whether best to buy from a dealer, privately, or import from the UK, plus any other dos and don't of MX5 purchase, or what should be looked out for, and what the actual going rate is for one of these in decent condition. Basically, I don't want to end up with a lemon for my money. It will never be a daily driver, but would perhaps have to cope with the occasional 200km round trip. Budget is negotiable for the right car, but I don't want to go too crazy, as can't really justify that for a third car, so ideally looking at models between 2002 and 2005 or near it.

All and any advice welcome

galwaytt

...howdy, and welcome to '5-Life

A good port of call is to visit MX-5 Ireland, which has a gamut of info and knowledgeable people on board, who'd only be happy to help you.

Apart from info, you'll find ads for cars as well, but importantly people who can guide you or help you pick your ideal one. They might even know some of the cars on sale that are already looking at.

As to where-to-buy - it's a buyers market, and there's loads for sale. Personally I see no point in an import, esp with Sterling being so strong atmo, and VRT etc - you'd find one cheaper, here.

From an ownership point of view, it is one of, if not The, cheapest cars to run there is. Great mechanically, and reasonable to tax & insure. A car for sale with the removable hardtop is always a +. They've made an awful lot of them, so spares are plentiful and cheap as well.

My own one is 22yrs old this year !!

ShadowHearth

mazda mx5 is a lot of fun. great choice for some fun .

you might get yourself an mk 2.5. i would personally go for 1.8 version, which has a wee bit more grunt. perfectly you would be looking at RS spec one. If you dont mind going in to lower years, then go for 10th anniversary edition. those are bit more expensive, but come with a a great list of addons as a standart: very light chrome wheels, gas koni Bilstein suspension, half leathar interior, 6 speed gearbox with short shifter, torsen LSD.
Only 10th anniversary edition and "eunos" come with LSD. all uk/irish ones come with normal open diff. Almost all jap imported eunos will be higher spec then uk/irish ones.
Check your insurance situation with mx5, surprisingly those are very nasty to get insured. 1.8 goes in to 1.9 tax bracket too as it is 1840cc.
When buying one you should check all usual bits, like panels, oil, any oil leaks. perfectly you want to have a look at seals on gearbox and diff. One thing you have to always check with roadster - roof. Best way to check it? bet a bucket of water and pour over the roof, then check if its leaking or not. never listen to seller who says: "Ah jaysus roof is as tight as nuns fanny! no leaks there!". 99% bull****.
When it comes to servicing and parts: "www.mx5parts.co.uk". thats going to be your best friend. very cheap and very good service. you can get any part in there for your 5.
hardtop roof is a bonus, but i would not turn down the car, just because it does not have one. i got my mx5 for 3.5 years and it is being used daily with no hardtop. never had any problems.
service: you got to service these every 6k miles. those are performance engines. they might not have 5 million ponies, but they can take a huge amount of abuse. they love get their service done at 6k miles.

thats just from the top of my head. i will add more when i remember more . MX5 are a very fun drivers car. It is reliable and easy to work on. cheap parts and running costs.

101sean

My son in the UK has one and I was impressed with with it when he bought it over and I did some work on it, he had an 89 1.6 Mk1. It was a UK car so most fixings etc underneath were fairly corroded making suspension swap etc a bit of a pain.

He's since bought a similar age 1.8 jap import which is like new underneath, all the nuts spin off easily! He scrapped the old one after taking all the goodies off it inc the new hood I bought him a while back.

They do have a good fan base and spares support as ShadowHearth and Galwaytt have said.

galwaytt

...well I find insurance v.reasonable.

Of course, since it went 20+ it's now on classic, but even before that I was paying less than 300 p.a.

If you just want a fun car, and aren't pushed by the number plate on it, a Mk1 is still a very good car,and they can be had very, very cheaply. If this is car #3, maybe you don't want to sink big bucks into one.

In other words, there's a '5 out there to suit every budget.

Ahorseofaman

my wife always wanted an mx5 so we are hoping to pick up this over the weekend. http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3086380o
having done a lot of reading on them over the last few months I must say I'm really looking forward to driving it .Planning on driving it to cork from Dublin on saturday.And will report on Monday.If they are as good as most owners say I cant wait.

ShadowHearth

Ahorseofaman wrote: »

my wife always wanted an mx5 so we are hoping to pick up this over the weekend. http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3086380o
having done a lot of reading on them over the last few months I must say I'm really looking forward to driving it .Planning on driving it to cork from Dublin on saturday.And will report on Monday.If they are as good as most owners say I cant wait.

Just to tell you: mx5 is not a motorway queen, but a back road princess.

On motorways those are not fun at all, in fact nothing is fun on motorways. If you really want to see mx5 real face, then go find road with most bends!

hi5

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Just to tell you: mx5 is not a motorway queen, but a back road princess.

On motorways those are not fun at all, in fact nothing is fun on motorways. If you really want to see mx5 real face, then go find road with most bends!

Yes, They are low geared, so your way up the rev band at 120 km/h, so a bit noisy, just turn up the radio:) but actually very stable on the motorway.
One advantage of the low gears is most overtaking at about 80 km/h can be done in 5th gear.

Ahorseofaman

thanks for that advice .I think I'll stay on the m -way til Tipp and then cruise home via secondarys,should be a blast:D

Ahorseofaman

Gold Leaf Tea wrote: »

As I approach a 'milestone' birthday, I have a bit of a hankering for one of these. Already have two 'sensible' newer cars and fancy something a little fun. Have been looking around at various options and admit to be a bit confused by how these cars are priced, huge price differentials between what seem to be very similar cars, and wondering whether best to buy from a dealer, privately, or import from the UK, plus any other dos and don't of MX5 purchase, or what should be looked out for, and what the actual going rate is for one of these in decent condition. Basically, I don't want to end up with a lemon for my money. It will never be a daily driver, but would perhaps have to cope with the occasional 200km round trip. Budget is negotiable for the right car, but I don't want to go too crazy, as can't really justify that for a third car, so ideally looking at models between 2002 and 2005 or near it.

All and any advice welcome

this one is a beauty http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3760844 and seems a great price but he never answered voice mail and txt, might be worth a look

Indricotherium

What is the boot like on these..... The mrs is thinking of getting one.

Would a weeks shopping fit in one??

franksm

Boot's well big enough for most shopping, depends how good you are with packing ;-)

When I get the use of my sister's '5, I don't use bags, just turf everything into the boot as if it's one big bag.

Also, there's ways and means of carrying more:

galwaytt

Indricotherium wrote: »

What is the boot like on these..... The mrs is thinking of getting one.

Would a weeks shopping fit in one??

Depends on many you're feeding, I guess

But yes, the boot isn't that bad.

I fitted a child in one, once.............there again, he insisted in climbing into the boot of Boxster too, to see if he'd fit in that, as well

not a great pic, but it might give you an idea. The boot is fairly shallow, but full-width. Boot extends down to the line that is the top of the bumper.......

galwaytt

franksm wrote: »

Also, there's ways and means of carrying more:

Good man Frank - you're a man after my own heart - not afraid to make it earn it's keep......


[edit]: just spotted on yours: a towbar as well !! [/edit]

franksm

Oh yeah, forgot about the tow-bar. Mainly for bikes:

Stallingrad

I'd steer away from UK cars due to rust which can be a problem on early cars. Jap imports or Irish cars are a safer bet.

ShadowHearth

transporting with mx5 you say? :pac:








:P

The Recliner

The boot will do the weekly shopping as said above and you can get good at tetris by packing stuff in, if travelling for a weekend then soft bags instead of suitcases is best

Any bulky items from your weekend shop can be put on the shelf behind the seats, you can pack a fair bit in there

You can fit a golf bag in the boot of you take the driver out and place it in the boot seperately

So it isn't that impractical

Ahorseofaman

very impressive.its now gone from being "her" mx5 to being "our" mx5,cant wait for saturday

JAMES VTI S

if you are bigger that 6ft 5 or 6 id think twice as you will need to fit a low bucket seat and getting in and out of one of them is not to be taken lightly if your either a big or old person

i have a 5 and i cant drive it as i need to fit a new seat total cost 250 + (seat plus brackets)

i dont own it long enough to comment but i can say if you dont learn what you should know about them thing could get expencive

rain drain holes need to be free
on older cars the crank is dodgy if not maintained properly
uk imports watch for rust on the sills
jap imports have less to no rust but i heard that they are not eqquiped for irish/uk winter salting

a hardtop is a big + for winter + they look good
i have a 1.6 and its good on petrol but i cant say much as i have done less that 100 miles in it scene i got it two months ago saying that driving the back roads its easy to get carried away

id tell you get one for a fun car light - agile - not much power = :-}

its not all about big power it more about how much you can use at once and on an mx5 all of it can be used most of the time

JAMES VTI S

L@@K for accident damage :eek:

Ahorseofaman

Gold Leaf Tea wrote: »

As I approach a 'milestone' birthday, I have a bit of a hankering for one of these. Already have two 'sensible' newer cars and fancy something a little fun. Have been looking around at various options and admit to be a bit confused by how these cars are priced, huge price differentials between what seem to be very similar cars, and wondering whether best to buy from a dealer, privately, or import from the UK, plus any other dos and don't of MX5 purchase, or what should be looked out for, and what the actual going rate is for one of these in decent condition. Basically, I don't want to end up with a lemon for my money. It will never be a daily driver, but would perhaps have to cope with the occasional 200km round trip. Budget is negotiable for the right car, but I don't want to go too crazy, as can't really justify that for a third car, so ideally looking at models between 2002 and 2005 or near it.

All and any advice welcome

Bring or arrange to have a mechanic with you when you buy.The original mk 2 I went to buy turned out to be not quite the car it was advertised to be so I bought this http://www.donedeal.ie/sold/cars/3760844 instead:D.Turned out to be so much fun to drive I went home to Cork via wicklow ,wexford and killkenny staying on primary and secondary roads.Added about 60/70 miles and 2/3 hours to the journey but they are just an incredible driving experience.I'm still smiling the following day.

ShadowHearth

gratz m8. welcome to the world of fun and hairdos

Ahorseofaman

ShadowHearth wrote: »

gratz m8. welcome to the world of fun and hairdos

Yeah I'm thinking of putting a huge crossed comb and scissors decal on the bonnet and doors.

JAMES VTI S

any pictures plz

Ahorseofaman

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

any pictures plz

http://www.donedeal.ie/sold/cars/3760844
this is it:D

dr.fuzzenstein

When buying an MX5, look out for: 1.8, electric roof, aircon, anything electric, big stereo, driver aids, all and any toy and fripperies, etc...
Then give those cars a wide berth.
To me an MX5 is about simplicity. MKI and MKII would be the best, the less you get, the better.
An MX5 is basically a Go Cart with some extra body work, the fatter, heavier and stuffed with toys they are, the more they are going to handle like a river barge full of wet sponges.
The only toys ours has is the electric aerial that goes up and down when you turn the radio on/off (useless, but most car came with it) and alarm/central locking.
They are not about speed, but about cruising backroads with the roof off.
One test you'd want to do is to start the car, take it for a test drive and when you come back, start it up again after 15-20 minutes.
If you're missing a cylinder and have a misfire that goes away when you blip the throttle, the coil pack is on the way out. If it's really bad, it could already have taken the cat with it and you're looking at quite a bill to replace both.
The coil pack on it's own is not too bad, I think I paid £60 for mine on http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/index.php and it's an easy DIY job to fit yourself.
When test driving, listen out for sloshing water noises, the water channels that drain water from the roof and let it run out from under the car can detach and are a massive pain in the hole to re-attach. I had to do it via wire coathangers bent into weird shapes, some silicon and a lot of patience. It was pure keyhole surgery.
To find out, lower the hood and pour water down the drainage holes behind the upper seatbelt mounting points. The water should drip out the bottom of the car. If it doesn't, it's going under the seats and into the sills. Not good.
Check the brake discs for grooves, the rear ones can suffer for some reason and will need replacing, not a huge job, thank god. But you will need a good rubber mallet to disuade them off the hub.;)
Check the electrical aerial goes all the way up and down, if it doesn't, it can drain your battery, leaving you stranded.
Check the hood for splits and tears, of course.
Check out the sills, there is some rust already bubbling up on ours, just ahead of the rear wheel arches.
Check out the underside of the car, the jacking points are very specific and the rest of the underside is very soft, incorrect jacking will do a lot of damage.
Check out the battery in the boot, just to make sure there's no corrosion or green gunge around the terminals.
Do the usual check for mayonnaise in the oil filler cap and dipstick.
Undo the cap of the radiator and make sure the coolant is a nice, bright color.
If it's brown and the openings of the radiator have started to block up with limescale, the rad is on it's way out and overheating problem are not far off.
While checking the rad, look into the lower air intake, a lot of crud flies onto that, check to see the rad isn't cruddy.
Those are some of the most important points off the top of my head.
The engine is brilliant, ours has done 115k miles and sounds as sweet as the day it was built. Other than that, they are easy to run and maintain and costwise about the same as any other 1.6 petrol car.
You'll never find open top motoring as cheap and cheerful as the MX5.

dr.fuzzenstein

Stallingrad wrote: »

I'd steer away from UK cars due to rust which can be a problem on early cars. Jap imports or Irish cars are a safer bet.

I can't see Irish cars being any better, since 99% of all cars in Ireland are left to rot in the drive and in the UK people would largely garage their cars.
Don't say salt, we have that on the roads here too.
And I have never seen a single Irish person say "Oh, it's spring, let's wash the underside of the car and get rid of the salt".
In fact I have never seen that feature work in any car wash I have ever been in in nearly 20 years. If I enquire, I get "Jaysus, wha' ya wanna wash dat for?"
When it comes to car care, I would put the Japanese and the Brits miles ahead of the Irish.
In fact, an Irish car is most likely to have been driven through every pothole at full speed, never serviced, sat in the drive for it's entire life, hasn't got a scrap of service history and then it gets the one wash and service (quick oil change with the cheapest stuff in the shop) of it's life and is sold as "Mint Condition", "One Lady Owner" and "Drives As New" at a vastly inflated price.
I hate buying cars in Ireland, people here see them as a fridge, start it, drive the shoite out of it and sell it. And if it breaks, complain that it's a lemon.

JAMES VTI S

Ahorseofaman wrote: »

http://www.donedeal.ie/sold/cars/3760844
this is it:D

you lucky ************ i hate you now :P

galwaytt

Btw OP, sorry you couldn't make it yesterday, there were 3 '5s at the Coffee & Cars meet - a silver Auto MkII, a fabulous Merlot edition Mk1, and of course mad Steve's turbo'd Mk1.

I still think the Mk1 is a nicer car. And lot more reliable than my TT, as well :mad:

JAMES VTI S

galwaytt wrote: »

I still think the Mk1 is a nicer car.

much more califonia style than the safey mk2 styling

i have a mk2 :rolleyes: and i want a mk1 pop up lights and more pointed styling is a winner, see the mk1 is an old car and putting one right is $$$

Ahorseofaman

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

you lucky ************ i hate you now :P

hate my wife, its her car but after driving it for a couple of days I think I hate her too
If I could afford it I would buy one for myself in the morning.
what a drivers car.had it out on the Mallow to Mitchelstown road today and cruising on those sweeping bends at 100kph was just magical.It drives like a go-cart.

ShadowHearth

Ahorseofaman wrote: »

hate my wife, its her car but after driving it for a couple of days I think I hate her too
If I could afford it I would buy one for myself in the morning.
what a drivers car.had it out on the Mallow to Mitchelstown road today and cruising on those sweeping bends at 100kph was just magical.It drives like a go-cart.

In which part of cork are you m8?

Ahorseofaman

ShadowHearth wrote: »

In which part of cork are you m8?

near Mallow.that would'nt be your 5 parked up shoulder lane today by any chance?

ShadowHearth

Ahorseofaman wrote: »

near Mallow.that would'nt be your 5 parked up shoulder lane today by any chance?

I am from mallow m8. Needed to say it, I would give you a go in my one, before you went off to buy.
Shoulder lane? You mean behind lucies butchers? My misses works at lucies, so she parks mx5 there.

We will need to get our 5 together for a small foto shoot

Ahorseofaman

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

much more califonia style than the safey mk2 styling

i have a mk2 :rolleyes: and i want a mk1 pop up lights and more pointed styling is a winner, see the mk1 is an old car and putting one right is $$$

I was looking for a mk 2 but this mk 1 was waaay nicer than any mk2 I've looked at.I'm now a mk1 convert for life.hopefully we will be lucky with it.

Reesy

Had my 1991 Mk 1 Jap import for ten years now, have to say the fun of driving it completely outweighs the leaks and the small cabin. I bring our 8' Christmas tree home in the passenger seat every year - just need dry weather for it. Also carry beehives around on the passenger seat. Still makes me smile most times I drive it - why? Because of the awesome handling & its gorgeous looks.

Ahorseofaman

I forgot to mention the top was down,the sun was shining and the wind was blowing through what's left of my hair.

Lollers

Ahorseofaman wrote: »

hate my wife, its her car but after driving it for a couple of days I think I hate her too
If I could afford it I would buy one for myself in the morning.
what a drivers car.had it out on the Mallow to Mitchelstown road today and cruising on those sweeping bends at 100kph was just magical.It drives like a go-cart.

I bought one myself nearly 2 years ago and love it to bits. Just one word of advice if you are using a softop, I have found that even with the hinges snapped back in place after you have had the roof down, the car can be prone to letting a small bit of water in. Not a bother in the summer, but a bit more annoying in the winter. Anyway, years of happy driving to you and your wife

Ahorseofaman

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Id go for a Mk1 purely for pop-up headlights! I`m a sucker for them!

And thats the only thing I don't like about them.

Ardennes1944

are all mx5 roofs until the mk3 manual? how much of a job is it to put up? surely there must be some feckin way of sealing it from water?

Ahorseofaman

Ardennes1944 wrote: »

are all mx5 roofs until the mk3 manual? how much of a job is it to put up? surely there must be some feckin way of sealing it from water?

You would pop it up and lock it in in less than 30 seconds.Dont know about leaks yet but I have a hard top as well for bad weather/winter.

dr.fuzzenstein

If it leaks there's something amiss.
Drove ours through torrential downpours and not a drop got in.
Or leave the roof down all the time. If you get wet, you're not going fast enough.

Ardennes1944

the 1.8 gets to 60mph in 7.7 parkers says, thats nifty enough!

galwaytt

.....mine doesnt leak.......but I think the key to it is having a garage, tbh. If it's out 24/7/365.......I wouldn't blame it on the odd drop..........besides, on my one, all the carpet/seats are Scotchguarded or something, so it doesn't matter....

dr.fuzzenstein

^^^
Just open a door to let the water out every now and then...:p
Hang on I wrong that read. Your's doesn't.

Ahorseofaman

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Really? As that's proper quick!

and in third gear

hi5

Best of luck with your MX5, (my roof dosen't leak either )
I use it as a third car, tax it for the summer only, its great fun, part of the family now:D

[IMG][/img]

dharn

hi5 wrote: »

Best of luck with your MX5, (my roof dosen't leak either )
I use it as a third car, tax it for the summer only, its great fun, part of the family now:D

[IMG][/img]

that is a lovely looking mx5

Ardennes1944

yes it is!

ShadowHearth

Well if we are showing off, then feck it, let's engage!!!

Thats my mx5 with a fierce guard sausage!!!