MX5 2.5 Pre Sale Advice

[Biker 1]

I have a 2003 MX5 2.5 Indiana special addition gathering dust in a barn & wondering what to do with it.
Sills welded up/painted in 2018, has been in dry storage apart from May to December 2020 when it was used as a commuter/daily drive. MOT expired last month, but I have done a fair bit of work over the last year, including tyres, new coil pack, battery, plugs, HT leads, recent oil change to Mobil 1 fully synthetic, air/oil filters & new door speakers for stereo. Rag top in reasonable condition, detachable hard top, leather seats, chrome aftermarket roll hoops (not track spec roll cage....), electrics all functional, mileage c. 68k; cam belt done at c. 35k miles. Brakes & clutch all work, but a bit spongey - I guess the fluids need changing....
I like the car, but it is sadly totally impractical for my use & I can't afford to run 2 cars!
Before going the whole hog with advertising, any pointers? Is it worth getting it MOTd? Its a bit of a project car for an enthusiast, but given the running order/condition, may well suit someone from these hallowed pages(??)

[Orcadian]

I always feel that any car without MOT is at rock bottom price wise. Why not book it in for a pretest at somewhere they can give you an honest opinion of what might be fail points. You can then decide if it's worth spending money on. Of course there's no point in spending £500 to get an extra £400 on the price. It's a shame that these NBs are yet to climb in price and looked on as disposable - time will tell.

Ian

[RonnieHotdogs]

Orcadian said:

It's a shame that these NBs are yet to climb in price and looked on as disposable - time will tell.

Ian

It's because they're all bloody rusty. I've been trying to find a "good" one for a month now, and having no luck.

I don't mind something that needs a little work, but any I've gone to see which are described as "good" end up having at minimum surface rust under the bonnet / boot lid and suspension components rusted through. I wasted a day going to see one yesterday that had been completely caked underneath in underseal without any pre-treatment, and corroded alloys that have been painted over ... As well as some significant cosmetic issues and leaking fluids, yet still up for strong money.

OP - definitely get it MOT'd and see where you go with it. Good condition parts are still in demand if it's not worth making roadworthy.

[Biker 1]

I'm pretty sure it'll pass MOT & aim to do that shortly.
Definitely a project car for the right person. Boot is rust free as are the important bits under the bonnet, including the double skinned metal around front suspension mounts.
I think I'll advertise it on PH when ready - I have access to a ramp & will take multiple photos of underside etc.
I think an honest appraisal/description is always the correct thing to do....

[RonnieHotdogs]

Biker 1 said:

I'm pretty sure it'll pass MOT & aim to do that shortly.
Definitely a project car for the right person. Boot is rust free as are the important bits under the bonnet, including the double skinned metal around front suspension mounts.
I think I'll advertise it on PH when ready - I have access to a ramp & will take multiple photos of underside etc.
I think an honest appraisal/description is always the correct thing to do....

100%. Went to look at an Indiana yesterday fairly locally. It was described as "ok", and it was, apart from one thing they failed to mention .... The previous owner of 9 years or so appeared to be a heavy smoker.

You can imagine what state the beige interior was in

Post a link on here when you're done - I could be interested if I've not found anything by then.

Good ones are almost non existent at the moment. Even some of the higher priced (£5k+) cars are disappearing quickly.