The One and Only MX-5
Discussion
Write OK guys, I started an article on what car I should get to last me two years until I look to myself a new one.
Now, after a great suggestion, I think I may go for the MX-5. I think I may be on to a winner here.
I have read a bit about them now and noticed that people either love them or hate them. Most following the former. Even more impressively, I don't think I need to spend as much money as I first budgeted (7-10k) and I think it would be fun getting one for under 2k and using it and selling it on for a not too hefty loss.
Well what I am asking PH followers is what is the best one to go for? Anything from age, colour, engine, leather? What are they like to own? Etc, etc?
Fill me with your wisdom folks...
Now, after a great suggestion, I think I may go for the MX-5. I think I may be on to a winner here.
I have read a bit about them now and noticed that people either love them or hate them. Most following the former. Even more impressively, I don't think I need to spend as much money as I first budgeted (7-10k) and I think it would be fun getting one for under 2k and using it and selling it on for a not too hefty loss.
Well what I am asking PH followers is what is the best one to go for? Anything from age, colour, engine, leather? What are they like to own? Etc, etc?
Fill me with your wisdom folks...
Snoggledog said:
Try the Eunos / MX-5 forums under Jap chat. You'll get a better response.
I've got a s
tty Mk1 with improved suspension. Underpowered but good fun for under 2k
eta. Pretty reliable. Reasonbaly bomb proof and very tuneable.
Ok. Sounds good. I want a car I can enjoy and it just seems to tick all the boxes. I've got a s
tty Mk1 with improved suspension. Underpowered but good fun for under 2keta. Pretty reliable. Reasonbaly bomb proof and very tuneable.
Edited by Snoggledog on Saturday 24th October 15:48
I had one for 2 years before the TVR. Dont go for a 1.6, the bigger engines are just about acceptable , the 1.6 isnt.
I had a mk1.5 with pop up headlamps and had bags of fun. It had no power steering and I can recommend it having driven a 1.6 with PAS the non pas is better IMHO.
I suspect the later models all had PAS so you may not have a choice of course.
The MX5 in my experience handles perfectly well on its standard wheels/tyres. Many of them have bigger wheels on, I drove a few and preferred the originals.
Check on the MX5 forum for weaknesses, I had mine from new so cant comment on the issues with older cars.
ETA: My car is now owned by a PH'er, still going strong 14 years later, even though I wrung its neck for 2 years and drove it with no mechanical sympathy for 30k miles !
I had a mk1.5 with pop up headlamps and had bags of fun. It had no power steering and I can recommend it having driven a 1.6 with PAS the non pas is better IMHO.
I suspect the later models all had PAS so you may not have a choice of course.
The MX5 in my experience handles perfectly well on its standard wheels/tyres. Many of them have bigger wheels on, I drove a few and preferred the originals.
Check on the MX5 forum for weaknesses, I had mine from new so cant comment on the issues with older cars.
ETA: My car is now owned by a PH'er, still going strong 14 years later, even though I wrung its neck for 2 years and drove it with no mechanical sympathy for 30k miles !
Edited by bigdods on Saturday 24th October 16:26
I know that I have quoted this before when the question rears it's head, but I found this advice really useful!
OP - Hope you find a good one, get out there, drive it and enjoy it!
Risotto said:
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
So for the second time Risotto, should I ever meet you I owe you a pint! :-) I utilised this to buy mine and haven't been impressed by a car as much as this in a while! So buy one and enjoy! And for a bit of shameless picture whoring, here is mine! ;-)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
OP - Hope you find a good one, get out there, drive it and enjoy it!
jezzashair said:
Thanks j44esd. That was a great little summary of the MX-5. I like the look of yours. What is the spec of yours?
No problem - but thank the original poster (Risotto) not me 
I just found it really useful, so thought you might!Mine is a 1996 Eunos S-Special with a Cusco half-cage, Bilstein suspension, LSD, Janspeed Manifold, Greddy induction kit, KG Works dash and more strut braces than you can shake a stick at, and some, in my opinion (
) stunning BBS wheels!(But I am partial to BBS wheels, so may be biased...)
It looks better in the photo than it does in real life, but it was bought as a weekend/track car so I can live with that, it was also round-about your budget, albeit purchased through a friend in the trade who took it as a PX.
Did my first track day the other week (Curborough) and it was absolutely fantastic!
As you stated in your original post people either love or hate them, and that's true, so make sure you test drive one (or four)
to check it's for you!Happy Hunting!
Risotto said:
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.
Except the Mk2(NB) 1.8S, 10th Anniversary, Sport, Icon, Jasper Conran and others. [/geek]To add the posts above, the original 1.6 in the Mk1 (NA)(whilst hardly what you'd call fast) is supposed to be a better engine than the 1.8. That's the 114bhp one before they restricted it to 88bhp to increase the difference between the 1. and 1.8.
Edited by stemll on Saturday 24th October 18:51
jezzashair said:
MazDave said:
Funny you say that. I stumbled across that earlier. Very nice example. How does it run?Dave
bigdods said:
I had one for 2 years before the TVR. Dont go for a 1.6, the bigger engines are just about acceptable , the 1.6 isnt.
I had a mk1.5 with pop up headlamps and had bags of fun. It had no power steering and I can recommend it having driven a 1.6 with PAS the non pas is better IMHO.
I suspect the later models all had PAS so you may not have a choice of course.
The MX5 in my experience handles perfectly well on its standard wheels/tyres. Many of them have bigger wheels on, I drove a few and preferred the originals.
Check on the MX5 forum for weaknesses, I had mine from new so cant comment on the issues with older cars.
ETA: My car is now owned by a PH'er, still going strong 14 years later, even though I wrung its neck for 2 years and drove it with no mechanical sympathy for 30k miles !
yep its still going !I had a mk1.5 with pop up headlamps and had bags of fun. It had no power steering and I can recommend it having driven a 1.6 with PAS the non pas is better IMHO.
I suspect the later models all had PAS so you may not have a choice of course.
The MX5 in my experience handles perfectly well on its standard wheels/tyres. Many of them have bigger wheels on, I drove a few and preferred the originals.
Check on the MX5 forum for weaknesses, I had mine from new so cant comment on the issues with older cars.
ETA: My car is now owned by a PH'er, still going strong 14 years later, even though I wrung its neck for 2 years and drove it with no mechanical sympathy for 30k miles !
Edited by bigdods on Saturday 24th October 16:26
bigdods said:
I had one for 2 years before the TVR. Dont go for a 1.6, the bigger engines are just about acceptable , the 1.6 isnt.
I had a mk1.5 with pop up headlamps and had bags of fun. It had no power steering and I can recommend it having driven a 1.6 with PAS the non pas is better IMHO.
Guess you had the 88hp insurance special then, I've got a 1.6 (90 Eunos) and it's a pretty revvy unit (I think it's fair to crudely characterise the 1.6's in this guise as being a bit free-er revving but the 1.8's a more torquey, and ultimately, quicker engined car)I had a mk1.5 with pop up headlamps and had bags of fun. It had no power steering and I can recommend it having driven a 1.6 with PAS the non pas is better IMHO.
Edited by bigdods on Saturday 24th October 16:26
PAS cars have faster racks, (different ratio), I like the feel, it's not like some saloon cars where PAS can make the front wheels feel like they're connected by telegraph, but fair play, for the ultimate in feel maybe a manual rack has some fans. I do run a lowered car with wider rubber.
The 'other motor' has a lot more go, and ultimately will pull more 'g' and speed through a corner, but the fun of an MX5 is about trying to preserve the patiently gained momentum, it'll reward you more with that than outright acceleration (although some have upgraded past 250hp which I guess means straight line performance comes more to the fore...)
Take one for a test drive if you're thinking of a 1.6, make sure you work out which model it is, but it'll need plenty of revs to get it moving, at least the perfect gear lever action makes the more frequent cog swapping a joy, if you like it then great, if you prefer a 1.8, in terms of purchase price I don't believe there'd be much difference on a Mk 1 now.
DennisTheMenace said:
bigdods said:
I had one for 2 years before the TVR. Dont go for a 1.6, the bigger engines are just about acceptable , the 1.6 isnt.
I had a mk1.5 with pop up headlamps and had bags of fun. It had no power steering and I can recommend it having driven a 1.6 with PAS the non pas is better IMHO.
I suspect the later models all had PAS so you may not have a choice of course.
The MX5 in my experience handles perfectly well on its standard wheels/tyres. Many of them have bigger wheels on, I drove a few and preferred the originals.
Check on the MX5 forum for weaknesses, I had mine from new so cant comment on the issues with older cars.
ETA: My car is now owned by a PH'er, still going strong 14 years later, even though I wrung its neck for 2 years and drove it with no mechanical sympathy for 30k miles !
yep its still going !I had a mk1.5 with pop up headlamps and had bags of fun. It had no power steering and I can recommend it having driven a 1.6 with PAS the non pas is better IMHO.
I suspect the later models all had PAS so you may not have a choice of course.
The MX5 in my experience handles perfectly well on its standard wheels/tyres. Many of them have bigger wheels on, I drove a few and preferred the originals.
Check on the MX5 forum for weaknesses, I had mine from new so cant comment on the issues with older cars.
ETA: My car is now owned by a PH'er, still going strong 14 years later, even though I wrung its neck for 2 years and drove it with no mechanical sympathy for 30k miles !
Edited by bigdods on Saturday 24th October 16:26
Snoggledog said:
skinny said:
those are the stock eunos 14's - nice light wheels
I've got the stock Eunos ones on mine and they're not at all like that. The ones below are what I know of as being the stock wheels.
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