MX5 Ownership costs
Discussion
Hi all,
I am hoping to view a mk1 on the weekend - 1997 Dakar, 66k miles, £4,200.
It has not had a cambelt change and has a couple of small holes in the roof. How much would I need to budget to sort these bits out when they need it?
Plus, how much are parts typically e.g. brakes etc?
Thinking if I bought it, might get it serviced thoroughly so everything is tip-top.
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/193933.htm
Cheers,
Ed
I am hoping to view a mk1 on the weekend - 1997 Dakar, 66k miles, £4,200.
It has not had a cambelt change and has a couple of small holes in the roof. How much would I need to budget to sort these bits out when they need it?
Plus, how much are parts typically e.g. brakes etc?
Thinking if I bought it, might get it serviced thoroughly so everything is tip-top.
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/193933.htm
Cheers,
Ed
Edited by Legend83 on Thursday 5th July 11:41
Los Angeles said:
or a new one might cost a £1,000 including fitting.
i paid £250 for a mohair (with plastic back screen) fitted myself in 3 or 4 hours from carhooddirect
service yourself and save a packet... tho a garage will do a cambelt change for around £100-150 (at least thats the rate round here)
check for rust round the back wheels as thats a couple of hundred per side to get fixed.
I would argue it's a bit expensive.
But then again - with it being summer (alledgedly) - prices in theory will be at their peak.
There's plenty around for much cheaper.
And a new hood will cost between £250 to £400 depending where you go. There's a place in Wales that everyone recommends and at a good price too.
K
But then again - with it being summer (alledgedly) - prices in theory will be at their peak.
There's plenty around for much cheaper.
And a new hood will cost between £250 to £400 depending where you go. There's a place in Wales that everyone recommends and at a good price too.
K
Los Angeles said:
Hi LS - I may be out of date, (I'll modify my advice) costs may have dropped on new hoods, assuming sunfast is the same quality as mohair. £250 is a bargain price.
aye... the mohair of mine probly isnt to the same quality as the sunfast... & is one of the cheapest options...other than going for the same hood in vinyl.
but the going rate seems to be £180-£400 for a plastic rear screen depending on quality of material (vinyl/mohair etc.), add at least £100 for a heated glass rear screen version and £100-200 for someone to fit for you.
but the £250 i paid got a good hood, and lets face it, when your old hood leaks like a seive, anythings better!
I think what has brought prices down is theres alot of companies offering hoods, so its driven prices down alot.
They are cheap enough to run, front pads are £50 for good uns, £100 for good front disks.
My 1.8 used to get 30mpg if i was being nice and 12mpg when it was thrashed, now its supercharged i aint even bothered looking at the mpg...
New hood is £400 fitted for a mohair one.
Cambelt service is £100 + VAT
Oil filter is £4 from mazda
Oil is about £30.
Dead easy to service yourself.
Not much more than that tbh, just makesure you get a good un!
My 1.8 used to get 30mpg if i was being nice and 12mpg when it was thrashed, now its supercharged i aint even bothered looking at the mpg...
New hood is £400 fitted for a mohair one.
Cambelt service is £100 + VAT
Oil filter is £4 from mazda
Oil is about £30.
Dead easy to service yourself.
Not much more than that tbh, just makesure you get a good un!
Cheers for the advice people! I am going to see it on Sunday so will report back. I guess at 10 years old, that is a sign that the roof is deteriorating so might have to haggle on that
This brings me to another small point - I have no garage so the car will be kept outside. Can you get roof covers to protect it from this nasty British summer weather?
This brings me to another small point - I have no garage so the car will be kept outside. Can you get roof covers to protect it from this nasty British summer weather?
Remember though there there are loads of MX-5s for sale and many of them are in very good condition.
Unless you can get this car for a very good price my advice would be to walk away. If the roof is in a poor state and the cam-belt hasn't been changed then there is a very good chance that the owner has skimped on servicing which could be hiding any number of potential problems.
With the availability of good MX-5s for sale there is no reason why would shouldn't buy based on price AND condition.
Sorry if that isn't the sort of answer you were looking for but I don't want to see a fellow PHer buying a "dog".
Unless you can get this car for a very good price my advice would be to walk away. If the roof is in a poor state and the cam-belt hasn't been changed then there is a very good chance that the owner has skimped on servicing which could be hiding any number of potential problems.
With the availability of good MX-5s for sale there is no reason why would shouldn't buy based on price AND condition.
Sorry if that isn't the sort of answer you were looking for but I don't want to see a fellow PHer buying a "dog".
MX-5 Lazza said:
Remember though there there are loads of MX-5s for sale and many of them are in very good condition.
Unless you can get this car for a very good price my advice would be to walk away. If the roof is in a poor state and the cam-belt hasn't been changed then there is a very good chance that the owner has skimped on servicing which could be hiding any number of potential problems.
With the availability of good MX-5s for sale there is no reason why would shouldn't buy based on price AND condition.
Sorry if that isn't the sort of answer you were looking for but I don't want to see a fellow PHer buying a "dog".
I don't understand owners skimping on servicing. I do my own and it comes to around £50 which at self-imposed service intervals of 9,000 miles is hardly excessive. Unless you can get this car for a very good price my advice would be to walk away. If the roof is in a poor state and the cam-belt hasn't been changed then there is a very good chance that the owner has skimped on servicing which could be hiding any number of potential problems.
With the availability of good MX-5s for sale there is no reason why would shouldn't buy based on price AND condition.
Sorry if that isn't the sort of answer you were looking for but I don't want to see a fellow PHer buying a "dog".
If the car needs anything then it gets it.
I service mine myself too - it's so modified that a full Mazda service history wouldn't mean a lot anyway.
I don't have set service intervals, I just monitor everything constantly and do the jobs as and when they are required, for example I change the oil after every track-day which generally means about 3 oil changes a year or otherwise whenever I'm under the car. I use Mobil 1 oil so that's getting on for £45 a go! Hopefully when I have my oil-cooler fitted I won't feel the need to change the oil quite as often
I also get through about 2 sets of front and one set of rear pads a year and when I change them I make sure everything is greased up and working properly and inspect all the suspension components while I'm under there.
Of course there is more to servicing than this, cooling & fuelling systems, emissions control, general inspection and lubrication etc...
I don't have set service intervals, I just monitor everything constantly and do the jobs as and when they are required, for example I change the oil after every track-day which generally means about 3 oil changes a year or otherwise whenever I'm under the car. I use Mobil 1 oil so that's getting on for £45 a go! Hopefully when I have my oil-cooler fitted I won't feel the need to change the oil quite as often
I also get through about 2 sets of front and one set of rear pads a year and when I change them I make sure everything is greased up and working properly and inspect all the suspension components while I'm under there.
Of course there is more to servicing than this, cooling & fuelling systems, emissions control, general inspection and lubrication etc...
Well people, the test drive went well. The car was in good nick for 10 years old. It drove straight and true and pulled strongly in every gear. There were no major noises, no squealy brakes, oil was clean, no mayo in the filler cap.
The owners were very decent and the guys driving procedure seemed to be sensible - warmed up, no ragging.
Few problems - hood will need replacing soon, slight surface bubbling at bottom of wheel arches, cambelt service due. But nothing to get particularly worried about straight away.
My mate who knows his way around these cars said he would have bought it there and then! He felt the mechanics and bodywork were excellent and that all it needed was a bit of TLC to get it to condition 1.
Watch this space
The owners were very decent and the guys driving procedure seemed to be sensible - warmed up, no ragging.
Few problems - hood will need replacing soon, slight surface bubbling at bottom of wheel arches, cambelt service due. But nothing to get particularly worried about straight away.
My mate who knows his way around these cars said he would have bought it there and then! He felt the mechanics and bodywork were excellent and that all it needed was a bit of TLC to get it to condition 1.
Watch this space
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