Yet Another "I Want To Buy An MX-5" Thread...
Discussion
After hearing all the praise they get on here (and basically every other petrolhead website out there) I decided to try out an MX-5, and booked myself a morning with a Mk3 2.0 Sport around Thruxton last week.
Suitably impressed I'm now ready to buy one in time for the summer. Can't stretch to a Mk3 I'm afraid, and as I love pop-up lights it has to be a Mark 1.
What I can't work out by reading, searching and asking for advice of friends (3 friends have MX-5s!) is which model would be fastest. Insurance is not an issue as I'm a relatively old b
d, so is it the 1.8 Eunos?
I'd rather not have all the electric stuff, as it just goes wrong and adds weight. Seems to me that the Eunos Roadsters all have electric windows, air con, etc. etc.
I definitely want one with an LSD, and a decent motor as standard. I can afford to modify things like suspension and brakes etc. later if I have to, but want to start out with a decent base. Are there any special editions etc. to look out for? Also any other general buying tips would be appreciated. I guess the usual for a convertible of this age - hood condition, evidence of water ingress. Plus things like suspension bushes, sloppy gearchange?
Oh, and it has to be that invalid carriage blue colour. I love that.
Suitably impressed I'm now ready to buy one in time for the summer. Can't stretch to a Mk3 I'm afraid, and as I love pop-up lights it has to be a Mark 1.
What I can't work out by reading, searching and asking for advice of friends (3 friends have MX-5s!) is which model would be fastest. Insurance is not an issue as I'm a relatively old b
d, so is it the 1.8 Eunos?I'd rather not have all the electric stuff, as it just goes wrong and adds weight. Seems to me that the Eunos Roadsters all have electric windows, air con, etc. etc.
I definitely want one with an LSD, and a decent motor as standard. I can afford to modify things like suspension and brakes etc. later if I have to, but want to start out with a decent base. Are there any special editions etc. to look out for? Also any other general buying tips would be appreciated. I guess the usual for a convertible of this age - hood condition, evidence of water ingress. Plus things like suspension bushes, sloppy gearchange?
Oh, and it has to be that invalid carriage blue colour. I love that.
Mine would be the fastest, and could be yours too 
http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?car...
http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?car...
Kinky said:
Mine would be the fastest, and could be yours too
http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?car...
Sorry, I will never own another burgundy coloured car as long as I live. I was properly disappointed actually when the MX-5 I drove at Thruxton was burgundy as well!http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?car...
So is that a special edition then? There seems to be loads of different variants of these things, I can't keep up.
THE sporty one out of the (japan) factory was the RS-Limited.
In the UK you could buy an mx5 and have a BBR Turbo MX-5. This was a conversion done at specific dealers around the country and sold as a pukka model I believe.
Below the RS-Limited you have the R-Limited (and another model I can't remember). Basically the same but with a more "plush" interior.
In the UK you could buy an mx5 and have a BBR Turbo MX-5. This was a conversion done at specific dealers around the country and sold as a pukka model I believe.
Below the RS-Limited you have the R-Limited (and another model I can't remember). Basically the same but with a more "plush" interior.
Which one you go for is a matter of personal choice really. All mine were Eunos Roadsters (the one sold to the Japanese market). The were all built on the same production lines and, aside from minor spec/trim differences, all markets around the world got the same car whether it was badged MX-5, Roadster, Miata, etc.
You've got a choice of two engine sizes, 1.6 & 1.8. They look very similar so check the VIN plate. 1.6 cars will begin NA6C, 1.8 cars begin with NA8C. Some UK 1.6 cars had as little as 90bhp but other (identical) cars from a different production year had a fair bit more. The Japanese cars were never fitted with the lower powered variant of the 1.6.
I haven't owned one for a while now but from memory the Japanese 1.8 models from 1995 onwards came with a Torsen LSD etc which UK cars never had. Earler Japanese cars had viscous diffs which tend to revert to opn diffs over time. There are other features like air con (which, while hardly essential, is handy for clearing the screen in winter).
Japanese shaken tests (like our MOTs) mean that general roadworthiness standards are often better than cars from the UK. Additionally, the bodywork is generally in better condition as the Japanese don't salt their roads. The average annual mileage seems lower in Japan too. While evidence of servicing rarely accompanies the cars on their journey over here, it doesn't mean they haven't been serviced. If the car's done over 100,000kms, check that there is a silver sticker at the front of the cam cover with a kilometre figure on it - this tells you when the cambelt was changed.
Common areas where problems can occur include:
Electric windows (prone to slowing or sticking)
Noisy tappets - for a few minutes after start up this is fine, if it continues, investigate further.
Dampness in the boot (often because the plastic rail that the base of the hood sits in has perished)
Hood damage - the area above the windows can develop cracks if the hood is old.
Air con - check that the revs rise when it's switched on and that the resulting air is nice and cold. Earlier cars were filled with R12 - not sure how easy this will be to re-fill now. Later cars had R134a which is still in use today.
Bodywork - check for rust around the wheel arches/sills. Check panel gaps and look for signs of respray work.
Usually the above are neither difficult nor expensive to rectify.
There were plenty of Japanese special editions to chose from - some, like the v-special had leather & wood if you like that sort of thing, others like the RS-Ltd had kevlar bucket seats and Bilstein suspension. The S-Special is a decent package that offers better suspension and a reasonable level of equipment.
I'm not trying to put you off UK cars, I just think that because of the excellent reliability of the MX-5, the main advantage of UK cars (service history) isn't as vital as it would be if we were talking about some handbuilt Italian V12.
Personally I'd get a post 1995 1.8 Eunos Roadster but whichever model you go for, you'll get a reliable, simple to maintain, fun, cheap, great handling car!
EDIT: You'll probably pay more insurance for an import but ringing around for quotes should reduce this to a negligible amount.
There's avery basic guide to the Japanese limeted editions here.
There's a similar thing for the UK special editions here
You've got a choice of two engine sizes, 1.6 & 1.8. They look very similar so check the VIN plate. 1.6 cars will begin NA6C, 1.8 cars begin with NA8C. Some UK 1.6 cars had as little as 90bhp but other (identical) cars from a different production year had a fair bit more. The Japanese cars were never fitted with the lower powered variant of the 1.6.
I haven't owned one for a while now but from memory the Japanese 1.8 models from 1995 onwards came with a Torsen LSD etc which UK cars never had. Earler Japanese cars had viscous diffs which tend to revert to opn diffs over time. There are other features like air con (which, while hardly essential, is handy for clearing the screen in winter).
Japanese shaken tests (like our MOTs) mean that general roadworthiness standards are often better than cars from the UK. Additionally, the bodywork is generally in better condition as the Japanese don't salt their roads. The average annual mileage seems lower in Japan too. While evidence of servicing rarely accompanies the cars on their journey over here, it doesn't mean they haven't been serviced. If the car's done over 100,000kms, check that there is a silver sticker at the front of the cam cover with a kilometre figure on it - this tells you when the cambelt was changed.
Common areas where problems can occur include:
Electric windows (prone to slowing or sticking)
Noisy tappets - for a few minutes after start up this is fine, if it continues, investigate further.
Dampness in the boot (often because the plastic rail that the base of the hood sits in has perished)
Hood damage - the area above the windows can develop cracks if the hood is old.
Air con - check that the revs rise when it's switched on and that the resulting air is nice and cold. Earlier cars were filled with R12 - not sure how easy this will be to re-fill now. Later cars had R134a which is still in use today.
Bodywork - check for rust around the wheel arches/sills. Check panel gaps and look for signs of respray work.
Usually the above are neither difficult nor expensive to rectify.
There were plenty of Japanese special editions to chose from - some, like the v-special had leather & wood if you like that sort of thing, others like the RS-Ltd had kevlar bucket seats and Bilstein suspension. The S-Special is a decent package that offers better suspension and a reasonable level of equipment.
I'm not trying to put you off UK cars, I just think that because of the excellent reliability of the MX-5, the main advantage of UK cars (service history) isn't as vital as it would be if we were talking about some handbuilt Italian V12.
Personally I'd get a post 1995 1.8 Eunos Roadster but whichever model you go for, you'll get a reliable, simple to maintain, fun, cheap, great handling car!
EDIT: You'll probably pay more insurance for an import but ringing around for quotes should reduce this to a negligible amount.
There's avery basic guide to the Japanese limeted editions here.
There's a similar thing for the UK special editions here
Edited by Risotto on Monday 4th May 20:40
Thanks for the links - Who'd have thought there was a forum that loved MX5s more than here!
I did think that a Eunos would be a better prospect, as I said insurance isn't really an issue as I have full no claims. I think it's going to be cheaper to insure than my 205 anyway.
Anyway, looking forward to having a look at a few of these. Mate has offered me a drive in his early 1.6 Eunos, so will give that a go. There are a few importers down this way as well, so should have some stock in hopefully.
I did think that a Eunos would be a better prospect, as I said insurance isn't really an issue as I have full no claims. I think it's going to be cheaper to insure than my 205 anyway.
Anyway, looking forward to having a look at a few of these. Mate has offered me a drive in his early 1.6 Eunos, so will give that a go. There are a few importers down this way as well, so should have some stock in hopefully.
Munter said:
THE sporty one out of the (japan) factory was the RS-Limited.
In the UK you could buy an mx5 and have a BBR Turbo MX-5. This was a conversion done at specific dealers around the country and sold as a pukka model I believe.
Below the RS-Limited you have the R-Limited (and another model I can't remember). Basically the same but with a more "plush" interior.
Below? Philistine! They are mechanically identical. If you want oversized race seats in your svelte '5 that look like a blot on the lanscape then go for the RS. If you want a classy pimp style interior then go for the R.In the UK you could buy an mx5 and have a BBR Turbo MX-5. This was a conversion done at specific dealers around the country and sold as a pukka model I believe.
Below the RS-Limited you have the R-Limited (and another model I can't remember). Basically the same but with a more "plush" interior.
Alternatives are the VR-Ltd in burgundy and metallic green. Or any car with the S-Special package.
ApexJimi said:
maz8062 said:
'kin ell - that's cheap for an RS!It's only £100 short of the price I bought and sold my lower-mileage Mk1 RS for a few years ago, before these recesssion hit times, so probably about the going rate now.
maz8062 said:
HereBeMonsters said:
hornetrider said:
If you want oversized race seats in your svelte '5 that look like a blot on the lanscape then go for the RS.
Oh I do!Alas, it's about double my budget.
Good luck
I am thinking what I might do is dip into the Elise/Elan fund and finance an RS-Limited. Seems to be a good halfway house, and the missus won't get too upset. I hope.
HereBeMonsters said:
I am thinking what I might do is dip into the Elise/Elan fund and finance an RS-Limited. Seems to be a good halfway house, and the missus won't get too upset. I hope.
That RS advertised above seems a good deal as it has the seats, the BBS wheels and a hardtop. If that can be had for less than £2500 it'll be a bargain.Gassing Station | Mazda MX5/Roadster/Miata | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff