Ebay MX5 1.6, need advice
Discussion
Anybody know this car:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...
My friend says he can drive them and immediately know if their mileage is legit but I wonder can anyone here knowledgeable help in assessing whether this car is worth buying.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...
My friend says he can drive them and immediately know if their mileage is legit but I wonder can anyone here knowledgeable help in assessing whether this car is worth buying.
Looks like a good car if a 1.6 Mk2 is what you want.
I'd be very impressed if your mate could really tell mileage just by driving the car! I've driven an 18 year old Mk1 with 150k miles that felt as good as new and a 2000 Mk2 with about 45k miles that sounded like a bag of spanners.
To check the mileage you'll need to see the import papers. The owner claims to be the person who imported the car so should have all the papers. The original speedo will have been in kms and seems to have been replaced with a UK mph speedo so it's quite posible that the new speedo won't have the correct mileage.
I'd be very impressed if your mate could really tell mileage just by driving the car! I've driven an 18 year old Mk1 with 150k miles that felt as good as new and a 2000 Mk2 with about 45k miles that sounded like a bag of spanners.
To check the mileage you'll need to see the import papers. The owner claims to be the person who imported the car so should have all the papers. The original speedo will have been in kms and seems to have been replaced with a UK mph speedo so it's quite posible that the new speedo won't have the correct mileage.
hornetrider said:
Hmmm, I don't consider that a great price for a Mk2 1.6 - probably the least desireable of all MX5's, imo.
Damn, my friend was saying the same thing, valuing it at around 3k. What kind of value would you place on it? It's low mileage and has a few nice upgrades, to me it looks like good value.If you haven't driven any yet, then do so. Before I bought my Mk1 (which runs Bilsteins) I drove a couple of Mk2's and they were quite 'baggy' is all I can say.
This one does seem to have uprated suspension, but being a 1.6 it won't pull the skin off a rice pudding - and MX5's aren't known for straight line performance anyway.
This one does seem to have uprated suspension, but being a 1.6 it won't pull the skin off a rice pudding - and MX5's aren't known for straight line performance anyway.
kevham said:
I'm pretty sure the Mazda Roadster wasn't produced in that yellow until 2000. Also, the seats are not original - they look like they might be out of a post 2001 model.
Good point! And it looks like grey under the bonnet which suggests it might have originally been silver...
MX-5 Lazza said:
kevham said:
I'm pretty sure the Mazda Roadster wasn't produced in that yellow until 2000. Also, the seats are not original - they look like they might be out of a post 2001 model.
Good point! And it looks like grey under the bonnet which suggests it might have originally been silver...Hey!
So the car has a high cam, roll bar, performance clutch (and come on, anyone who knows anything knows that you dont uprate the clutch just becasue it is worn out, thats the difference between a prat in a 105 and someone a little older who maybe has some spending money!), so its worth the price. It was never advertised anywhere for less, if you have evidence otherwise put your balls on the table! Only one knowledgeable person noted that yellow was not produced till 2000 this car was white originally and painted in mazda yellow as soon as the colour came out and that was done by a mazda garage. Many thousands have been spent on this car and without seeing it please dont judge!
So the car has a high cam, roll bar, performance clutch (and come on, anyone who knows anything knows that you dont uprate the clutch just becasue it is worn out, thats the difference between a prat in a 105 and someone a little older who maybe has some spending money!), so its worth the price. It was never advertised anywhere for less, if you have evidence otherwise put your balls on the table! Only one knowledgeable person noted that yellow was not produced till 2000 this car was white originally and painted in mazda yellow as soon as the colour came out and that was done by a mazda garage. Many thousands have been spent on this car and without seeing it please dont judge!
Many many posts I agree, but I fear most of them simply engaging fingers before brain. Just irritates me that you guys can go around commenting on somethign you know nothing about, or worse making up things which are pure fantasy! For Mr "Ive seen it on pistonheads for a lot less money" here is a link to the ad in question
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/584393.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/584393.htm
rhughes said:
Many many posts I agree, but I fear most of them simply engaging fingers before brain. Just irritates me that you guys can go around commenting on somethign you know nothing about, or worse making up things which are pure fantasy! For Mr "Ive seen it on pistonheads for a lot less money" here is a link to the ad in question
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/584393.htm
Well lets put it this way I know Ali and I dont know you so who's opinion would I take ?http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/584393.htm
MrV said:
rhughes said:
Many many posts I agree, but I fear most of them simply engaging fingers before brain. Just irritates me that you guys can go around commenting on somethign you know nothing about, or worse making up things which are pure fantasy! For Mr "Ive seen it on pistonheads for a lot less money" here is a link to the ad in question
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/584393.htm
Well lets put it this way I know Ali and I dont know you so who's opinion would I take ?http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/584393.htm
If I'd have kept the bookmarks to the Ads I'd looked at when I was looking, I'd have double checked, but I sure as hell wasn't going to waste my time searching that far back!
Maybe I was mistaken, if so, I apologise, but as that price there is WELL out of my £3k price range, how else would I have seen it? I didn't look ay higher than that price so as not to end up crying!
Fact is, I saw it, it rang bells in my head, so I avoided it like the plague.
Still not cause for you to call me an idiot (BTW - insultinng members a banning offence
) or for me to be banned 
ETA paragraphs, am on moobile
Edited by ali_kat on Saturday 30th August 10:12
I can only imagine the kind of bells ringing inside your head!
Its a very straight car, I have owned many of these and still have a heavily modified NA6 which is my track car. The car had a full resprey in 2000 with all doors / glass removed. Simply because yellow was not available at the time the car was bought. The job alone cost around the same price the car is being advertised for now.
I change oil every 3000 miles on all my cars, most people do not and this will prolong the life of the engine more than almost anything else. I did work in the automotive industry for 8 years after university and I do know a fair bit about what I am talking about.
So, what’s a good price for the car?! (Incidentally the chap who is looking at it has already negotiated a significant discount over the asking price) If you pay 2500 for an old shape of the same age with over 90 thousand miles on it then we must be close....? The new shape (NB) is such a different car from the old shape (NA) particularly in terms of driver comfort and the interior went from something that really was very dated (but I have to say I like it) to a much more modern one with proper door covers, speakers etc.
Having built a track car from the bottom up and knowing every nut and bolt on the NA the NB was always supposed to be a regular everyday car, however by building a track car you do notice the small things that make a big difference on these cars. So I added a few bits to improve handling and make it that bit more fun. I have spent over 30 thousand on the parts for my track car...
At the end of the day, the engine is very smooth with no tappet noise (am I boring you? do you know what tappets are? - well tappet noise is a very common problem with the mx5 especially where oil is not changed regularly) I have owned the car for a LONG time and know it very well along with all its history. Yes, I have done a few bits to it, but nothing which takes away form the car. Sure yellow may not be everyones cup of tea, but I like it and there are not any other 98 yellow cars around in the new shape.. so its rare, special, odd, whatever you want to call it.
To be honest having all these people poke around at what is still my car, while it is up for sale makes me regret ever advertising it, wish I had just kept it and then crushed it in another 10 years... But I have a lot of cars, and with a baby due in November 2 seaters are no longer practical. I will keep the modified NA but would like to sell this and my SL.
The most irritating thing about this forum is no one has actually given the potential buyer the actually useful advise in what to look for in buying an early NB mx5. I will talk him over those points though if he comes to see the car after all you cyber tyre kickers have finished with him!
Its a very straight car, I have owned many of these and still have a heavily modified NA6 which is my track car. The car had a full resprey in 2000 with all doors / glass removed. Simply because yellow was not available at the time the car was bought. The job alone cost around the same price the car is being advertised for now.
I change oil every 3000 miles on all my cars, most people do not and this will prolong the life of the engine more than almost anything else. I did work in the automotive industry for 8 years after university and I do know a fair bit about what I am talking about.
So, what’s a good price for the car?! (Incidentally the chap who is looking at it has already negotiated a significant discount over the asking price) If you pay 2500 for an old shape of the same age with over 90 thousand miles on it then we must be close....? The new shape (NB) is such a different car from the old shape (NA) particularly in terms of driver comfort and the interior went from something that really was very dated (but I have to say I like it) to a much more modern one with proper door covers, speakers etc.
Having built a track car from the bottom up and knowing every nut and bolt on the NA the NB was always supposed to be a regular everyday car, however by building a track car you do notice the small things that make a big difference on these cars. So I added a few bits to improve handling and make it that bit more fun. I have spent over 30 thousand on the parts for my track car...
At the end of the day, the engine is very smooth with no tappet noise (am I boring you? do you know what tappets are? - well tappet noise is a very common problem with the mx5 especially where oil is not changed regularly) I have owned the car for a LONG time and know it very well along with all its history. Yes, I have done a few bits to it, but nothing which takes away form the car. Sure yellow may not be everyones cup of tea, but I like it and there are not any other 98 yellow cars around in the new shape.. so its rare, special, odd, whatever you want to call it.
To be honest having all these people poke around at what is still my car, while it is up for sale makes me regret ever advertising it, wish I had just kept it and then crushed it in another 10 years... But I have a lot of cars, and with a baby due in November 2 seaters are no longer practical. I will keep the modified NA but would like to sell this and my SL.
The most irritating thing about this forum is no one has actually given the potential buyer the actually useful advise in what to look for in buying an early NB mx5. I will talk him over those points though if he comes to see the car after all you cyber tyre kickers have finished with him!
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