Thinking of joining the ranks of MX-5 Owners
Discussion
Well, after inadvertantly selling my 3MPS over the weekend, im now carless and yearning for something cheap and fun to drive.
practicality isnt really an issue now i dont use the car for work.
I started off by thinking a E36 328i would be the car for me.. pretty muscular, reliable, RWD and nice to drive, but ive realised that i wont get a good car for the 2k limit ive set myself.
Ive also been considering the MX-5 after having one that cost under a grand come over to the 'ring with us.. but ive always been worried coming from a car with almost 3 times the power.. guess you could say that ive been corrupted by modern high power cars.
So few questions..
Does anyone have any experience of both 328 and mx5 care to comment?..
Im in manchester (where there never seems to be any cheap+interesting cars for sale) - is there a mx-5 specialist nearby if i ever need things done?
What are the most important things i should look for when looking at these?
Does this seem any good: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1316444.htm
I will no doubt have more questions as time goes on
Cheers
Col G
practicality isnt really an issue now i dont use the car for work.
I started off by thinking a E36 328i would be the car for me.. pretty muscular, reliable, RWD and nice to drive, but ive realised that i wont get a good car for the 2k limit ive set myself.
Ive also been considering the MX-5 after having one that cost under a grand come over to the 'ring with us.. but ive always been worried coming from a car with almost 3 times the power.. guess you could say that ive been corrupted by modern high power cars.
So few questions..
Does anyone have any experience of both 328 and mx5 care to comment?..
Im in manchester (where there never seems to be any cheap+interesting cars for sale) - is there a mx-5 specialist nearby if i ever need things done?
What are the most important things i should look for when looking at these?
Does this seem any good: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1316444.htm
I will no doubt have more questions as time goes on
Cheers
Col G
Can't comment on 328 vs MX-5....
But, that place has a fantastic reputation for selling cars... I spoke to the owner before I bought mine (although not from him as it was impractical!) and he sent me detailed lists on the cars he had for sale. Any problems, detailed condition report etc.
I'd have have been happy to buy from him!
But, that place has a fantastic reputation for selling cars... I spoke to the owner before I bought mine (although not from him as it was impractical!) and he sent me detailed lists on the cars he had for sale. Any problems, detailed condition report etc.
I'd have have been happy to buy from him!
LukeBird said:
Can't comment on 328 vs MX-5....
But, that place has a fantastic reputation for selling cars... I spoke to the owner before I bought mine (although not from him as it was impractical!) and he sent me detailed lists on the cars he had for sale. Any problems, detailed condition report etc.
I'd have have been happy to buy from him!
I can.But, that place has a fantastic reputation for selling cars... I spoke to the owner before I bought mine (although not from him as it was impractical!) and he sent me detailed lists on the cars he had for sale. Any problems, detailed condition report etc.
I'd have have been happy to buy from him!
Seeing as I own both...
The 328 is a majestic car. However it's heavy (compared to an MX5 certainly but lighter than it's newer counterparts) and isn't as fun as an MX5. Thats not to say it isn't fun, nor can it not dance, but it's harder to make it go.
However, 328 is incredibly good at cruising, with a 325 mod, very quick, and grips like a bastid when set up with the Sport suspension. And of course, you have THAT engine.
You have to take your pick essentially from how I choose to drive to work in the morning:
1. If I drive the MX5, it will be exciting, loud and generally sideways with a large smattering of sideways. Oh, and with the top down
2. If I drive the 328 I can mooch quietly, leave it in any gear and calmly get to work. It's lift its skirt if you need to, but it's not as exciting as the MX5.
Put another way:
If I have a hangover or need to arrive somewhere unruffled and with luggage I take the 328
for everything else, I take the MX5Edited by neil_bolton on Tuesday 12th January 12:58
Either that dealer has a large supply of very similar cars or that was one was for sale when I got mine a few months back... too far away for me so I didn't look at it too closely though.
Just saw this in the classifieds - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1428267.htm - looks very clean, nice alloys, suspension freshened up, new hood, not bad value.
Just saw this in the classifieds - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1428267.htm - looks very clean, nice alloys, suspension freshened up, new hood, not bad value.
Do it!
Although I wrote my last one off, I'd have another in a heartbeat, even though I have a tiny car history. I was going to buy one over winter, but the weather and an impending 12 week sea trip ahead has delayed my plans slightly.
If you look on the MX5OC website there's loads of info about buying - the main thing to check for is rusty sills. Mechanically, there's not a huge amount to go wrong and you don't need a specialist to look after them. If you're handy with a spanner you can attempt a lot of the work yourself!
The car you've linked to does look tidy - I think that seller only deals in MX5s, so it is possible that a similar looking car was sold by him a while ago. He's also got a tasty BRG example at just under £2k.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1388907.htm
NeoVR said:
Thanks for the replies so far..
Neil.. thanks for the comments.. i was actually looking at the ad for your old 328i earlier!.
Right then looks like i need to get on the hunt!!.
Paul Sheard in Cheshire have a good reputation if you want to go one place and see a few. But their prices reflect that.Neil.. thanks for the comments.. i was actually looking at the ad for your old 328i earlier!.
Right then looks like i need to get on the hunt!!.
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/CARS_search_s...
Regarding the power thing, I've just gone from a 197 bhp / 1090 kg ITR (180 bhp / tonne) to my Eunos RS-Ltd, 130 bhp / 960 kg (135 bhp / tonne), and I dont miss the extra power as much as I thought - in fact, the Eunos feels just as quick the majority of the time.
Of course turbo torque is a different kettle fish, but again, I've driven a few modern turbo hatches, and most of them feel boring and very ordinary compared to the Eunos.
As said, the MX5 is a light car, loud, nimble, and feels a lot faster than it is. Sure, its not particularly quick compared with modern stuff, and if winning drag races is important to you, then you might wish to look elsewhere. Saying that, a 118 bhp Elise isn't that quick either (despite its quick 0-60 time) but I dont see that many people complaining about that. However it certainly doesnt feel that slow either and I doubt most people will care once the roof is down on a nice day, and murdering the twisties. The good thing about the '5 is that it can be thrashed mercilessly without anything breaking
Of course turbo torque is a different kettle fish, but again, I've driven a few modern turbo hatches, and most of them feel boring and very ordinary compared to the Eunos.
As said, the MX5 is a light car, loud, nimble, and feels a lot faster than it is. Sure, its not particularly quick compared with modern stuff, and if winning drag races is important to you, then you might wish to look elsewhere. Saying that, a 118 bhp Elise isn't that quick either (despite its quick 0-60 time) but I dont see that many people complaining about that. However it certainly doesnt feel that slow either and I doubt most people will care once the roof is down on a nice day, and murdering the twisties. The good thing about the '5 is that it can be thrashed mercilessly without anything breaking
and it can be balanced on the throttle beautifully!
Oh Jesus lighten up, whatever badge it has on the back it's still an mx5/eunos/miata, and it's not like there's a seperate section for each on the pistonheads site. It's best to just call it what it's best known as here because a lot more people than the forum-posting car geeks look on there. As long as he says it's imported it really doesn't matter!
I also spoke to a certain specialist in the North East about a Mazda MX5, or was it a Eunos Roadster, seemed a very nice bloke to chat to, but many of the cars advertised don't seem to be available for sale anymore (then for some reason the pistonheads for sale ads are relisted anyway), and those that are are never quite ready for viewing yet, I got fed up waiting for return phone calls and bought privately - don't pay a premium for a car because the seller is a supposed enthusiast or specialist, remember, at the end of the day they're in it to make money.
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