Is this MX-5 NC worth buying? Look at the sills!
Discussion
So I've just been to see a MX-5 NC 2.0 Sport in Stormy Blue, exactly what I'm after. However, the sills are completely knackered.
Take a look:
https://imgur.com/a/LklTP4N
And a video:
https://youtu.be/L4XoGqA_HxM
The seller was gutted that I found this when I viewed it, and has now dropped the price dramatically to compensate.
The question is, is it worth buying and can it actually be repaired?
The car is gorgeous, and I'm happy to buy the car and then spend what I've saved on the repairs, but I want to make sure it actually CAN be repaired.
Is this too far gone, or can these sills be repaired? The last thing I want is to buy it and a garage tell me that it's scrap.
Thanks everyone!
Take a look:
https://imgur.com/a/LklTP4N
And a video:
https://youtu.be/L4XoGqA_HxM
The seller was gutted that I found this when I viewed it, and has now dropped the price dramatically to compensate.
The question is, is it worth buying and can it actually be repaired?
The car is gorgeous, and I'm happy to buy the car and then spend what I've saved on the repairs, but I want to make sure it actually CAN be repaired.
Is this too far gone, or can these sills be repaired? The last thing I want is to buy it and a garage tell me that it's scrap.
Thanks everyone!
Anything can be repaired, but I wouldn't touch something that young with tinworm so advanced - you'll either be chasing it for ever more, or doing a major strip-down job to find and sort it all in one go.
If it was something rare, it might be worth it (if the price was right), but why bother with such a comparatively common car? Plenty more available surely?
If it was something rare, it might be worth it (if the price was right), but why bother with such a comparatively common car? Plenty more available surely?
You're right in saying there's more, but these all go bad eventually, and I thought that with the price we've agreed on it'll be an example that's newly repaired as opposed to buying another which 'looks' good for the full price only for me to repair it in the future anyway. If that makes sense?
You do have a very valid point though. Hmm...
You do have a very valid point though. Hmm...
My concern when buying rotty cars is always 'if the bit I can see is that bad, what else is lurking where I can't see'?
I'm sure they do all go rotten (it's an MX-5 after all
), but why not start with something a little less far gone?
That would have to be very cheap to tempt me I'm afraid.
How are you with a sparkly stick? (I seem to recall you did some pretty involved work on a Celica and a Boxster?)
I'm sure they do all go rotten (it's an MX-5 after all
), but why not start with something a little less far gone? That would have to be very cheap to tempt me I'm afraid.
How are you with a sparkly stick? (I seem to recall you did some pretty involved work on a Celica and a Boxster?)
Crikey, that’s a young car to have tinworm to that extent.
I had an NA and I had the skills repaired every 3-4 years. So I wouldn’t be afraid to buy if the price factors it in.
Perhaps speak to a body shop to get their take on the cost and longer term prospects? If they’re confident they can repair, go for it.
If it’s anything like the NA the water drains out the sills so they rust inside out.
I had an NA and I had the skills repaired every 3-4 years. So I wouldn’t be afraid to buy if the price factors it in.
Perhaps speak to a body shop to get their take on the cost and longer term prospects? If they’re confident they can repair, go for it.
If it’s anything like the NA the water drains out the sills so they rust inside out.
mrtwisty said:
My concern when buying rotty cars is always 'if the bit I can see is that bad, what else is lurking where I can't see'?
I'm sure they do all go rotten (it's an MX-5 after all ), but why not start with something a little less far gone?
That would have to be very cheap to tempt me I'm afraid.
How are you with a sparkly stick? (I seem to recall you did some pretty involved work on a Celica and a Boxster?)
Good point. Thing is, it is very cheap. He's knocked almost £1,000 off...I'm sure they do all go rotten (it's an MX-5 after all
), but why not start with something a little less far gone? That would have to be very cheap to tempt me I'm afraid.
How are you with a sparkly stick? (I seem to recall you did some pretty involved work on a Celica and a Boxster?)
That looks like it's been stood for some time.
Interested in a silver one?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2267085716942589/p...
Interested in a silver one?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2267085716942589/p...
mrtwisty said:
Care to share the link to the blue one Geraint?
(Just out of curiosity - I've far too many jobs on hand to realistically consider buying it!)
I'd rather not out of respect of the owner, wouldn't want to be spreading around that his car is rusty as he may have another buyer who's handy with welding that would take it off his hands for more than what I'm willing to pay for it. I would of course email you the link privately though if you were interested.(Just out of curiosity - I've far too many jobs on hand to realistically consider buying it!)
geraintthomas said:
mrtwisty said:
Care to share the link to the blue one Geraint?
(Just out of curiosity - I've far too many jobs on hand to realistically consider buying it!)
I'd rather not out of respect of the owner, wouldn't want to be spreading around that his car is rusty as he may have another buyer who's handy with welding that would take it off his hands for more than what I'm willing to pay for it. I would of course email you the link privately though if you were interested.(Just out of curiosity - I've far too many jobs on hand to realistically consider buying it!)
Would appreciate the pm, just cus I'm a nosy bugger :-)
Thanks for the PM. I can see why you would be tempted for that price minus 1k.
Any chance the owner might allow you to get it up on stands for a more in depth look?
If you can't weld, I wouldn't recommend the risk at all. If you can (or are willing to learn), and can get a proper look underneath it...
Any chance the owner might allow you to get it up on stands for a more in depth look?
If you can't weld, I wouldn't recommend the risk at all. If you can (or are willing to learn), and can get a proper look underneath it...
You'd have to be careful where you put the stands 
There are much better out there as Mazdas build quality is strangely haphazard and they've all been used differently over the years.
I'm about to start a rebuild and engine swap on a cheap stormy blue and I do like the colour too. It came from N.Yorks and looks like it was used to cross a ploughed field every day with the amount of soil built up underneath. Whilst one of the rear arches is not good, surprisingly it's solid underneath. A fair bit of surface rust, but nothing too bad.
You could get hold of big clods of soil and pull them off when it came in, I had to spend half an hour under it with the power washer before i'd even let it in the workshop it was that bad. I couldn't see some of the nuts and bolts and could have grown vegetables in it.
That's actually flush with the wheelarch lip
There are much better out there as Mazdas build quality is strangely haphazard and they've all been used differently over the years.
I'm about to start a rebuild and engine swap on a cheap stormy blue and I do like the colour too. It came from N.Yorks and looks like it was used to cross a ploughed field every day with the amount of soil built up underneath. Whilst one of the rear arches is not good, surprisingly it's solid underneath. A fair bit of surface rust, but nothing too bad.
You could get hold of big clods of soil and pull them off when it came in, I had to spend half an hour under it with the power washer before i'd even let it in the workshop it was that bad. I couldn't see some of the nuts and bolts and could have grown vegetables in it.
That's actually flush with the wheelarch lip
Edited by Evoluzione on Sunday 16th August 15:32
I’ve recently bought an NC Sport, there’s plenty about and whilst they certainly can rot there are plenty of decent ones out there so definitely keep looking. Might be worth joining a couple of the Facebook NC groups (NC Europe is a good one). There’s been a few nice examples for sale on there recently. I just went on to get you a link for a lovely low mileage launch edition in red that was listed a few days ago but looks like it’s sold today!
Gassing Station | Mazda MX5/Roadster/Miata | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff