Buyers Guide / Checklist Sticky or wiki?
Discussion
Seeing as we're getting the same questions 2 or 3 times a week, and as we go into spring no doubt the forum will get busier...
Should we try and compile and collate some info into a 'Start here if you want to buy an MX-5' type thread?
Rather than a Wiki, which I think are a pain in the ass, if we all try and create something on here, then try and collate it all and we can get Neil to create a new, stickied topic, which we can add to as we need to...?
To begin with we would have to stick with Mk1 and Mk2s.
I'm thinking -
Intro/blurb
-Identifying a Mk1
-Identifying a Mk2
-Identifying a Mk2.5
-Difference between UK and import cars
-Checklist - rusty sills, HLA clatter, stuck handbrakes etc, all our favourite things
- Maintenance - typical parts costs, common jobs.
- List of regional specialists
- List of owners clubs/forums
- List of parts suppliers
- Basic Supercharging/Turbocharging info
- Tracking your MX5
Feel free to copy and paste, and add your suggestions.
Also, that looks like a lot of info. BUT we needn't have our own prose on everything, often just a link to or quote from another site where its already been done could suffice.
Thoughts?
Should we try and compile and collate some info into a 'Start here if you want to buy an MX-5' type thread?
Rather than a Wiki, which I think are a pain in the ass, if we all try and create something on here, then try and collate it all and we can get Neil to create a new, stickied topic, which we can add to as we need to...?
To begin with we would have to stick with Mk1 and Mk2s.
I'm thinking -
Intro/blurb
-Identifying a Mk1
-Identifying a Mk2
-Identifying a Mk2.5
-Difference between UK and import cars
-Checklist - rusty sills, HLA clatter, stuck handbrakes etc, all our favourite things
- Maintenance - typical parts costs, common jobs.
- List of regional specialists
- List of owners clubs/forums
- List of parts suppliers
- Basic Supercharging/Turbocharging info
- Tracking your MX5
Feel free to copy and paste, and add your suggestions.
Also, that looks like a lot of info. BUT we needn't have our own prose on everything, often just a link to or quote from another site where its already been done could suffice.
Thoughts?
Risotto in another similar thread 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
Link to original thread here.... http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...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
My standard (Courtesy of Risotto) response okay?
Edited by j44esd on Wednesday 20th January 18:28
I'm happy to sort any stickies/Faqs out needed, however don't forget that you can see Faqs by clicking on 'This Forum' above and clicking on Faqs 
ETA: Of which I see there aren't any
Get it done chaps, and I'll ckick the appropriate buttons
ETA: Of which I see there aren't any
Get it done chaps, and I'll ckick the appropriate buttons
Edited by neil_bolton on Wednesday 20th January 20:05
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