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Having owned a Mk 2.5 53 plate MX5 for 18 months, would have another, but a Mk 3 with the retractable metal roof. Only sold for the Cooper S experience (with panoramic roof)
My MX5 was a 1.8 sport with leather heated seats (essential in winter), and I got a hard top off ebay to make it an all year car.
Bought in March but took until November to realise previous owner had put two rubbish Chinese Infinity tyres on the back (to pass MoT) which made it twitchy in the wet and lethal on roundabouts (F grip in wet!!!). 2nd MoT after previous tyre change, cracks were deep in tread, so two more new tyres after 10kmiles made a radical improvement.
Reliability wise, no problems apart from a failed crankshaft positioning sensor which Green Flag man misdiagnosed as fuel pump failure. Cost me £85 to fix. Had one rear caliper replaced too, otherwise all good.
Last MoT before I decided to sell, the tester flagged up sill corrosion (and this does put off buyers), so along with rusty rear wing edges, were repaired, but cost £450 inc spraying. Had to take the hit, but sold for just over £3k with the roof.
Personally, far more appealing that an MGF, and less likely to be trouble.
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Forgot to add that ignition coils can fail too so check it's running on all four cylinders. Not a big worry though, they're cheap to replace.
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Think we have all got carried away with the MX 5 and maybe overlooked the BM Z 3. My partner has an R Reg from new with the 2.8 engine. No rust and just like new at 60 k .Valued at £1500 .Absolute bargain! And no worries about rust.
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Think we have all got carried away with the MX 5 and maybe overlooked the BM Z 3. My partner has an R Reg from new with the 2.8 engine. No rust and just like new at 60 k .Valued at £1500 .Absolute bargain! And no worries about rust.
I don't rate them as a drivers car at all. Quick enough in 2.8 form but more of a cruiser than fun car. The later Z4 redresses this but took a nosedive in quality and style.
I've sold a few 4cyl cars but only had experience recently with the exact same car when a good friend bought one. He offloaded it after less than three months as he found it dull to drive, replacing it (believe it or not) with a tidy 20v Fiat Coupe that's quite entertaining and surprisingly reliable to date.
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Excellent advice from SLO76 as usual.
I had a MKIII 2007 but it was a third car, pampered and kept under a custom cover and rarely driven in the wet, let alone the salt. Mint and no rot. I went down the SLK 350 route afterwards.
Your budget will get you a MkII, but as everone has said, unless you find a similarly pampered example, rust is your enemy. In particular, the front chassis rails on the MKII are a weak point, and can rot away under a tidy, shiny body.
Join the MX5 owners club forum, it's the biggest in the world, and has lots of pointers and advice before buying. Usually a selection of members cars for sale too.
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Your budget will get you a MkII, .........
......but it is far too low to get anything decent, such as my TR7 DHC which has outlasted many a specimen of rusty old here today, gone tomorrow japcrap.
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Are you offering it for the OP's £1500 budget then ;-).
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Thank you all for the excellent advice. MX5 seems like the route to take. Now begins the fun of trying to find a good one! I found a couple online yesterday, for example:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mazda-MX-5-1-6i-NEW-CAM-BELT-FI...t
,although not sure about the wheels! I was going to look at a few today but it's raining so it may have to wait until my day off next Monday (I only get Mondays off! Contrary to popular belief vicars don't just work on Sundays!).
I've also posted on the MX5 forum for buying advice, so I will keep you updated! Now I just need to tell my wife......
Edited by johnnyrev on 09/01/2017 at 11:51
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I'd personally be looking for a private sale with one of these at this price point. I see them regularly at auction riddled with rot, they're snapped up by traders (not I) and cheaply tarted up for resale.
It's better to see an honest car that's not been sourced at auction and botched. But it does mean you'll have to travel and be prepared to look at loads before you buy because there's a lot of neglected, rotten and abused MX5's around.
I'd advise spending a little more to get a good one if funds suit rather than having to fix a tatty one later. Seen this one not too far away Auto Trader #DrivenByMe
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20161229087...6
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Seen this at a mobile home dealer that also might be worthy.www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/2003-mazda-...l
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One thing about the MX5's which no one mentions is that even if you are a large chap, and not as nimble as you once were, they are easy enough to get in and out of.
This is something i found on car delivery, BMW Z3/4 were hell's (not advisable for a Reverend maybe :) own job to clamber in and out of but the little Mazda was fine, must be the position of the doors in relation to footwell and high inner sills on the BM's), with BMW's i'd have to literally roll out of the car, not in the same league but i found Jaguar XJS similarly difficult for this and i was much younger then and the job kept you agile.
Not sure anyone here would want JohnF's TR7, unless he's going to find and free all sump and drain plugs off, and loosen the treacle blocking all, prior to sale..:-) only pulling your leg John, that motor will be worth a tidy packet as you know, no tax to pay on its appreciation either, yet.
Edited by gordonbennet on 09/01/2017 at 11:54
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Your budget will get you a MkII, .........
......but it is far too low to get anything decent, such as my TR7 DHC which has outlasted many a specimen of rusty old here today, gone tomorrow japcrap.
Your comment is, in my opinion, gratuitously racist and unacceptable. I've reported it to moderators, I'll let them choose whether it remains or not.
Of course, the real test of how good quality something is, is how it's viewed 10, or 20, or 30, years after production.
The first generation of MX5s are still highly regarded - considering the car was released in 1989, quite an accomplishment.
The second generation of MX5, released in 1998 (so nearly 20 years old now) is also highly regarded.
The TR7, of course, is as laughed-at now as it was in the late 80s. The 'famed' BL reliability.
I know which I'd choose to have.
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Your comment is, in my opinion, gratuitously racist and unacceptable. I've reported it to moderators, I'll let them choose whether it remains or not.
Personally I don't consider the reference to "japcrap" as being racist. Back in the 70's it was commonplace to call all Datsuns and Toyotas "japcrap" basically because they were Japanese and considered to be crap, hardly racist is it. Initially it was quite justified since they rusted badly and drove badly.
However it was quickly realised that they had one redeeming feature which was reliabilty and in truth British cars of the 70's rusted badly and drove little better (Escort was an exception as was the Hillman Avenger - shock horror).
People used to call BL cars crap as well. The "B" in BL stood for British thus should that be considered racist as well?
In truth the TR7 was a joke back in the 70's/80's and it deserved the reputation. Today it has attained classic status but only those with rose tinted glasses would know why. But some claim the Allegro and Marina are classics and those people should surely be locked away.
Edited by skidpan on 09/01/2017 at 12:47
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Back in the 70s and 80s the words 'paki', 'paddy', 'wog', 'ni**er' (I refuse to even type the word, no idea if the filter would delete it or not), and various others were also commonplace.
If any of those others were used these days, the person using could expect to have their collar felt, or if not done in the presence of a police officer, to receive a good kicking.
Racism is racism. Whether it was acceptable 20, 30 or 40 years ago is irrelevant.
Edited by RobJP on 09/01/2017 at 12:55
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Back in the 70s and 80s the words 'paki', 'paddy', 'wog', 'ni**er' (I refuse to even type the word, no idea if the filter would delete it or not), and various others were also commonplace.
To call a person any of the above is without doubt racist.
To call a Mazda MX5 "japcrap" is not racist, its simply the remark of a poster who still believes that products made in the far east are inferior.
People on here constantly recommend that you do not buy French cars. By association that is being racist as well and all such posts should surely be deleted.
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Racism is racism. Whether it was acceptable 20, 30 or 40 years ago is irrelevant.
This is very true and I would never condone racist comments or behaviour. I do though feel that this country has been ruined for ever by the PC brigade over the past 30 years or so. People get 'offended' at the slightest things these days. You only have to look at Youtube and all the videos of young things in American threatening to kill themselves simply because Trump won and their beloved Hillary didn't. What's wrong with people?
Edited by csgmart on 12/01/2017 at 08:00
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I'm ashamed to admit it but I have an unhealthy fondness for old BL metal too. All no doubt linked to my gaffers tendency to fill our sales yard full of 80's/90's Rovers when I was a young impressionable saleslad.
I get the anti-fashion statement owning an Allaggro or Marina makes but later Honda based cars and K series Metros were genuinely great class leading cars in their day. I cut my teeth selling them and ran plenty as company cars over the years without much going wrong aside from the odd shonky electric window on Rover 800's and rot on Montegos.
I never got the appeal of the TR7 however. Never liked the look and while I've never driven a 2.0 7, I have taken a quick blast in one that had been converted to a V8 when it was presented to me for a valuation against a used Mk V Escort XR3i in 1997.
Car was 20yrs old but had been restored when the conversion had been done 5yrs or so before and it was Rotten everywhere! Gearchange was horrible compared to a modern Japanese motor especially the MX5, the handling nothing to write home about even compared to cars of similar vintage with poor floaty body control even with the upgraded suspension on this one. But you can't beat the sound of a V8.
Owner was almost physically sick when I told him what it was worth though. At the time they were next to worthless even in standard unmolested form but this rot box V8 was worthless despite the owner being amazed I wouldn't give him £4K for it! Bid it £700 if memory serves and only because the XR was due to be reduced by £500. The only reason there's money in them today is because so few survived and certainly not because it was a great motor. We all like different things, that doesn't make us wrong though.
But then who am I to comment I'm the idiot who was recently saved a heap of grief by being outbid on a Montego I fancied for a big of retro cool?
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In my school and university holidays I also worked in a large BL and Jaguar/Rover/Triumph dealership - but as a new/used car valeter!
This was before the nanny state and we were allowed to drive the cars around the compound to move them, and on the local roads (within reason).
The EFi Maestro and Montego models wearing the MG badge were not bad cars, the carburettor equipped 1.6 models were horrible (plenty of tales about new cars not starting before the PDI !)
The Acclaim came out while I was working there, and it was a breath of fresh air compared to the Maxis and Itals knocking around.
The Princess and Ambassador even drove quite well in a lazy floaty kind of way but perceived quality and QC was appalling.
The car which most impressed me at the time came in as a trade-in against (I think) an XJ6. It was an Audi 200 Turbo. Unusual then (1982/3) and very rare now. Couldn't resist a little spin round the block. Absolute rocket ship. Seemed very cool and modern compared to the SD1 Rover!
Edited by 72 dudes on 09/01/2017 at 20:24
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The Honda/BL alliance was a great combination. Honda reliability combined with a bit of British class worked well, just a shame BMW killed that when they bought Rover and Honda walked away.
If only Honda had bought Rover and Land Rover instead of BMW. They could've benefited hugely from Land Rovers 4wd know how and image to rise into the premium market and Rover could've carried on making excellent rebranded Honda's with a bit more style and Rover's ability to milk a design for all it was worth.
Joint effort R8 for example was a 3 & 5dr hatch, a 4dr saloon, an estate, a convertible and a sports coupe whereas Honda made far less of it with the Civic hatch and estate. 600 had far more in the way of spec or engine options than the Accord as did the 800 v the Legend.
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comment is, in my opinion, gratuitously racist
As a matter of fact it's not, it's merely insulting. Although Japan was historically a sequestered area for a long time their inhabitants, although pretty homogeneous compared to heterogeneous European countries, are not really a separate 'race'.
Modern genetics continues to surprise and disturb those who think they they are in a particular special, or even 'chosen', racial group.
And those who espoused the 'japcrap' had the last laugh when their Datsuns actually started on cold winter mornings!
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