Are NBs even worth considering now?

[rotaryjam]

Hi all

I recently had an NC, great car, only sold it as at the time I was planning to get an Elise but had a change of mind, so I'm back to wanting an MX5 again.

Previously I had an NB and thoroughly enjoyed it so I'm tempted by one as I feel it was a little more raw than the NC.

However every single one I find has issues with bubbling and rust. Went to see one today with only 55k miles with exceptional Bodywork except... dodgey looking sills and arches.

I'm starting to think that unless someone has specifically had remedial work done, any NB I find is going to be a mess! That's leading me back to an NC.

So basically, is it worth searching for an NB? I'm starting to feel it is not

[Sbloxxy]

Yes its worth persisting. I specialise in the sale of MX5s and have done for the last 20 years or so (not touting to sell you a car - I don't have any NBs in stock). At the moment the market is all about Mk1s but the Mk2 is a terrific car and is nicer to drive than the Mk2. And yes, the big problem is that most NBs are rusty as anything but just occasionally, you'll find a good reasonably rust-free one. Or you'll find one that someone else has already had the pain and expense of repairing (properly).

And don't forget that an NC can still be very rusty indeed plus the added bombshell of an engine that doesn't take the abuse that an NA or NB will.

Your best chance of finding a good NB is either to find an imported car or ignore all the bells and whistles on the Mk2.5 models (leather, heated seats, etc) and look for an earlier Mk2. These seem to have been built to a better standard and don't rust quite as badly as a Mk2.5.

[Belle427]

They do pop up now and again but that’s very rare tbh.
Any reason not to go for an NA as there seem to be quite a few good ones about, some are priced stupidly but they are not selling so I’m sure there are some deals to be had.

[Dave.]

IMO, it’s better to get one needing work and having it done properly by a trusted/recommended company, than buying a “mint” one that has sills stuffed with coke cans and an inch of filler.

[Volant]

Yeah. Just find a good one.

Either from our friend earlier on the thread. Or via the owners club.

I had £3500 of welding and bodywork done to mine at a very well known specialist near Eastbourne. I have all the photos and invoices to prove it, and dry use only since. To be fair, I wish I spent the small extra and had a full respray rather than just the rust areas/rear of the car, but another time.

I’m not selling mine, but if I did it would be with all of the paperwork to show. And while it’s be a bit more than a rusty one, it wouldn’t be the £3500 I spent on it.

The well known restorer also sells cars.

I love my nb, even more so knowing it’s the ‘unloved’ one.

Edited by Volant on Sunday 16th October 11:56

[TVRees]

Volant said:

Yeah. Just find a good one.

I totally agree.

My 2001 NBFL has equivalent of 120k miles and still going very strong. Its the sport with 6 speed, big brakes sperr diff., etc. and I wouldn't recommend anything else.

Got the rusty bits looked after and saved some money with some DIY welding
Working on the car is quite straightforward, lots of help out there on the www, parts are really not expensive and readily available, etc., etc.

[lobster940]

We love our NB.

Shame this wretched ULEZ (we live in outer, semi-rural SE Greater London) might consign it to the scrapheap soon...

[Chainsaw Rebuild]

Just budget for a proper repair op, look at it as a brilliant car that’s a bit of a bargain for what it is really… and at some point you will need to get the usual areas done as a cost of ownership.

[TheLoraxxZeus]

It took me 3 months to find one that wasn't awful or overpriced.

I managed to buy a one with a full history, 3 owners (2 of those are the same person, they missed it so much they bought it back after they sold!) and only 41k miles. No rust, clean interior.

The downside? Clearcoat failure which is quite common with Classic Red MX5s.

I paid £1200 for it 4 months ago.

[MXRod]

lobster940 said:

We love our NB.

Shame this wretched ULEZ (we live in outer, semi-rural SE Greater London) might consign it to the scrapheap soon...

Acording to TFL my 2002 NB ( owned from new ) is ULEZ compliant , at 20 years old and 59k miles ,it has passed yet another MOT , no advisories . missed the walk under this year , but every previous year , the tester has let me walk under and inspect cills etc no problem there , and no serious rusting on front chassis members .
Perhaps I am just lucky.

[Neil1323bolts]

MXRod said:

lobster940 said:

We love our NB.

Shame this wretched ULEZ (we live in outer, semi-rural SE Greater London) might consign it to the scrapheap soon...

Acording to TFL my 2002 NB ( owned from new ) is ULEZ compliant , at 20 years old and 59k miles ,it has passed yet another MOT , no advisories . missed the walk under this year , but every previous year , the tester has let me walk under and inspect cills etc no problem there , and no serious rusting on front chassis members .
Perhaps I am just lucky.

Garaged from day one ? Has to be , low miles for 20 years old less than 3k a year average, that’s not normal usage, but fair play for keeping your car in good shape .

[Chimune]

I just spent 1k on sills to get clean mot. Still needs another 1200 on it to get rear arches, front wings and respray. Dont know if i will do it or just keep patching until it can be patched no more. Or sell it for 2k in the spring.
Thing is i really do like it and used parts can keep them going fir ages. I just replaced the original vinyl room for a used mohair one today for 200 quid and a few hours in the garage.

[MXRod]

Neil1323bolts said:

MXRod said:

lobster940 said:

We love our NB.

Shame this wretched ULEZ (we live in outer, semi-rural SE Greater London) might consign it to the scrapheap soon...

Acording to TFL my 2002 NB ( owned from new ) is ULEZ compliant , at 20 years old and 59k miles ,it has passed yet another MOT , no advisories . missed the walk under this year , but every previous year , the tester has let me walk under and inspect cills etc no problem there , and no serious rusting on front chassis members .
Perhaps I am just lucky.

Garaged from day one ? Has to be , low miles for 20 years old less than 3k a year average, that’s not normal usage, but fair play for keeping your car in good shape .

The car has never been garaged , when a long period of non use is anticipated , the car is covered , and battery maintainer connected ,otherwise
being out in fresh air keeps the dampness at bay .
The low miles? well this my toy and second car ,so gets most use in the summer months , and with the hard top on less use over winter months,also owning a medium size dog makes outings with OH difficult if we want to be out all day .

Edited by MXRod on Wednesday 14th December 06:45

[griffdude]

Having owned an NA, NB2 & driven a few NCs, a good NB/2 is worth seeking out or budgeting for a repair.
Have owned my NB2 since 2016, had a couple of sill bubbles which led to welding repairs both sides. But now I know it’s done properly & has lived in a garage ever since.
A couple of goes over a year with ACF50/waxoil keeps the rot away on this giant killer of a car 😁