My new MX-5!

[ktm301p]

Hi all,

Following on from the forum where members made some great contributions to help me find the right car. I finally took some pictures of the new MX thanks to some decent weather at the weekend. Apologies from the off for the iphone quality.

(http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=185&t=1364114&mid=134648&nmt=Clean%2C+Sub%2D80k+Mk2+for+%2D%A31600%3F%3F)

It's a '98 1.8i S in Grace Green, with a black leather interior. One of the first things I noticed when getting into the car was that it has a 'Nardi Torino' badge on the steering wheel. From the little research I've done, I know it's an Italian styling company that originally made steering wheels for Ferrari. Does this mean that this MX is some sort of special edition?!



Fortunately the bodywork is in good condition. The sills and chassis rails are rust free, and the drainage holes are clear. Given this, I forgave the car when viewing it for it's minor scuffs and blemishes. The only thing niggling me is that there is the very beginnings of bubbling on rear quarter panel. It's something I will be keeping a close eye on.



It has been great fun to drive so far, the car feels planted on the road when being pushed round corners. It has stepped out on me once or twice which put a smile on my face on each occasion! The gearbox has to be my favourite feature on the car though, really tight and a short travel makes for satisfying and quick shifts.



One thing I've noticed is that the roof is quite awkward to make it sit nicely when putting it down. I'm not sure whether I need to just be a bit firmer with putting it down into place. But currently I have to actually push it down to get it to sit fully back. Am I just being dense or is there some special technique to this?

[Gilhooligan]

Is the soft top a vinyl one? If so then with the cold weather they tend to be quite stiff hence the problems folding it down.

Nice car. Any plans for the future?

[AndyMk2]

All of the 1.8iS grade Mk2 cars had a Nardi steering wheel, it's part of the upgraded trim that differentiates it from the lower spec 1.8i and 1.6i which were fitted with a rather ugly 4-spoke wheel.

[ktm301p]

Gilhooligan said:

Is the soft top a vinyl one? If so then with the cold weather they tend to be quite stiff hence the problems folding it down.

Nice car. Any plans for the future?

Thanks, it is indeed the vinyl soft top but with the glass rear screen. This weekend the sun was out again and I managed to get the roof down okay for a Sunday drive.

In terms of plans with the car - aside from taking it for a road trip to the alps this year I haven't set any plans as yet to improve / modify the car from what it is now, aside from keeping it as clean as possible.

I have looked on forums for performance upgrades but it seems unless you go down the route of either fitting a turbo or supercharger, it is hard to get gains through NA tuning. I was surprised to read that the engine can't be remapped!

[NRS]

ktm301p said:

Gilhooligan said:

Is the soft top a vinyl one? If so then with the cold weather they tend to be quite stiff hence the problems folding it down.

Nice car. Any plans for the future?

Thanks, it is indeed the vinyl soft top but with the glass rear screen. This weekend the sun was out again and I managed to get the roof down okay for a Sunday drive.

I think there's a recommendation somewhere not to lower the vinyl roof in lower than 5C or so temperatures. You can do it, but it will make cracking more likely. One option is to leave it up with the heaters on in the car. Once it's warmed up it will go down a lot easier. The other issue could be if it has not really been used much it could take a little time to become more flexible again. I think if you treat the roof it's also supposed to help the flexibility.

[Howrare]

As mentioned you've got an 1.8iS so it has the better wheel, central locking, and drum roll please, a limited slip diff as standard.

Go get all your drain holes unblocked, and make sure the rain rail pipes at the back of the hood are clear. Then go have your front chassis rails checked as well as the rest of the metal work underneath. Get it Dintrinol treated, and enjoy.

Oh and join MX5nutz, been spending a bit of time there recently while I plan my next MX5 purchase.

[ktm301p]

NRS said:

I think there's a recommendation somewhere not to lower the vinyl roof in lower than 5C or so temperatures. You can do it, but it will make cracking more likely. One option is to leave it up with the heaters on in the car. Once it's warmed up it will go down a lot easier. The other issue could be if it has not really been used much it could take a little time to become more flexible again. I think if you treat the roof it's also supposed to help the flexibility.

Thanks for the tip. I winced the first time I put it down as I was sure I was pressing to hard, but then again it was cold. Once it's become flexible and is used in warm weather, should it fall back into place with very little effort whatsoever?

[ktm301p]

Howrare said:

As mentioned you've got an 1.8iS so it has the better wheel, central locking, and drum roll please, a limited slip diff as standard.

Go get all your drain holes unblocked, and make sure the rain rail pipes at the back of the hood are clear. Then go have your front chassis rails checked as well as the rest of the metal work underneath. Get it Dintrinol treated, and enjoy.

Oh and join MX5nutz, been spending a bit of time there recently while I plan my next MX5 purchase.

Oh really? Mine hasn't got central locking and I'm still not sure if it's got an LSD. I haven't had a proper look underneath and although I know that the function of the l-s diff is to shift power to the wheel with better grip. I'm not really sure of how to feel for that, say when doing a fast start from stationary.

I do have electric windows however, one of which gets stuck halfway down. I've looked on the common mx-5 faults thread. Is there a way to resolve this issue without taking the door apart??

[AndyMk2]

unlocking/locking the driver's door with the key should also unlock/lock the passenger door - but not vice versa.

as for the window, it's likely the cables are rusted or the motor drum is chewed up. you'll need to remove the interior door panel to inspect it.

[NRS]

AndyMk2 said:

as for the window, it's likely the cables are rusted or the motor drum is chewed up. you'll need to remove the interior door panel to inspect it.

Probably far easier than that! All it involves is a cable tie too! I am a terrible mechanic and was able to do it. To be honest it's a great start to learning to do something by yourself - the only other things I have done are the aerial mast and the shift seals (under the centre console - worth checking on your car actually). Plus you have the added benefit of saving lots! I did mange to put the cable tie in the wrong hole first time round though - discovered when the door handle hole was blocked as I reassembled it! Worth also greasing the sliders at the same time - generally the grease is old and solid and this puts a lot of stress on the motor. The guide the the cable tie job is here:

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=479201&...

The only thing to watch out for is the black glue to hold the plastic seal. There are a few warnings about it being impossible to get off, and it is pretty difficult!

ktm301p said:

Thanks for the tip. I winced the first time I put it down as I was sure I was pressing to hard, but then again it was cold. Once it's become flexible and is used in warm weather, should it fall back into place with very little effort whatsoever?

A bit, but if cold it will still be stiff. I find what works best is getting out of the car, pushing at the top of the glass towards the front of the car and lifting up and down a few times to help it settle right. Perhaps that doesn't make sense, but hopefully helps!

Edited by NRS on Wednesday 22 January 21:09