2.0 Sport NC - struggling to like it!
Discussion
Bought a cheap ‘08 NC last year as a runaround mostly for my wife. 70k miles and , whilst I do usually enjoy an MX5, this one seems a bit rubbish. It’s cosmetically good, little rust and has a good history.
There is constant vibration, worse under braking, feels like it needs the geometry sorting, the tyres are not great, and could do with replacing (cheap Evergreen brand I think) and the engine feels slightly hesitant, and uses rather a lot of fuel. MAF sensor maybe, spark plugs?
I’d personally sell it and buy a better one, but the wife loves it!
What do I look to first to sort this car out?
Also don’t like the spring rates, feels very wobbly!
Any thoughts? Not keen on spending big as it’s a cheap and fairly disposable car, but would like to get a more enjoyable car to drive round the local lanes.
There is constant vibration, worse under braking, feels like it needs the geometry sorting, the tyres are not great, and could do with replacing (cheap Evergreen brand I think) and the engine feels slightly hesitant, and uses rather a lot of fuel. MAF sensor maybe, spark plugs?
I’d personally sell it and buy a better one, but the wife loves it!
What do I look to first to sort this car out?
Also don’t like the spring rates, feels very wobbly!
Any thoughts? Not keen on spending big as it’s a cheap and fairly disposable car, but would like to get a more enjoyable car to drive round the local lanes.
AdamR83 said:
Sounds like you would need to go down the route of...
New tyres and balancing
Alignment
Some less tired dampers
New thermostat (common to stick on these and causes all the symptoms you mention)
Probably not much change from a grand. Whether it's worth it is up to you!
Thanks for your response. Could you elaborate on the thermostat issue please? Does it stick? Open or closed? What are the symptoms? New tyres and balancing
Alignment
Some less tired dampers
New thermostat (common to stick on these and causes all the symptoms you mention)
Probably not much change from a grand. Whether it's worth it is up to you!
Also, can you point me to where I could get your list done for under 4 figures? Seems very cheap!
Thermostat sticks open - meaning the car never warms up fully and is in enrichment cycle all the time. More fuel used, reduced power / response.
Apologies for not being clear - I'm a DIYer and forget labour costs sometimes. And I'm up North, haha.
Alignment £120
2nd hand full set of Bilsteins with springs £150
Thermostat £30 (easy DIY)
Might as well change coolant too £15
Decent tyres £400
Labour if you want someone else to do the work... perhaps a couple of hundred?
Apologies for not being clear - I'm a DIYer and forget labour costs sometimes. And I'm up North, haha.
Alignment £120
2nd hand full set of Bilsteins with springs £150
Thermostat £30 (easy DIY)
Might as well change coolant too £15
Decent tyres £400
Labour if you want someone else to do the work... perhaps a couple of hundred?
AdamR83 said:
Thermostat sticks open - meaning the car never warms up fully and is in enrichment cycle all the time. More fuel used, reduced power / response.
Apologies for not being clear - I'm a DIYer and forget labour costs sometimes. And I'm up North, haha.
Alignment £120
2nd hand full set of Bilsteins with springs £150
Thermostat £30 (easy DIY)
Might as well change coolant too £15
Decent tyres £400
Labour if you want someone else to do the work... perhaps a couple of hundred?
I’m not averse to getting the spanners out, but only have outdoor space and my wife needs the car for work, so there’s pressure to get it all back together in time for Monday morning, which can make more involved jobs rather stressful. Apologies for not being clear - I'm a DIYer and forget labour costs sometimes. And I'm up North, haha.
Alignment £120
2nd hand full set of Bilsteins with springs £150
Thermostat £30 (easy DIY)
Might as well change coolant too £15
Decent tyres £400
Labour if you want someone else to do the work... perhaps a couple of hundred?
What’s to say that second hand Bilsteins are any better than the ones that are on it? Are they easy to test off the car?
Also, without wanting to open a can of worms, what would constitute decent tyres? I usually use Michelin tyres, PS4S are good, but most people don’t seem to recommend them for Mx5? Often see Toyo and Kumho mentioned as good options - any thoughts?
I’ll have a look at the thermostat - thanks for your help!
Belle427 said:
Personally I'd always stick to premium if available such as Michelin, Goodyear.
You know exactly what your getting, the only reason people fit toyo etc in my opinion is cost which is fair enough.
Tbf though I put 4 toyo TR1 on an NA due to cost and availability and they felt ok.
Never really got on with any Goodyear tyres I’ve had, always seems to have a rather vague feel. Any specific suggestions as to particular tyres? As I said, I rate Pilot Sports but they are rarely mentioned in the threads I’ve looked at regarding MX5s - is there a reason why? You know exactly what your getting, the only reason people fit toyo etc in my opinion is cost which is fair enough.
Tbf though I put 4 toyo TR1 on an NA due to cost and availability and they felt ok.
v9 said:
I’m not averse to getting the spanners out, but only have outdoor space and my wife needs the car for work, so there’s pressure to get it all back together in time for Monday morning, which can make more involved jobs rather stressful.
What’s to say that second hand Bilsteins are any better than the ones that are on it? Are they easy to test off the car?
Also, without wanting to open a can of worms, what would constitute decent tyres? I usually use Michelin tyres, PS4S are good, but most people don’t seem to recommend them for Mx5? Often see Toyo and Kumho mentioned as good options - any thoughts?
I’ll have a look at the thermostat - thanks for your help!
Understood completely!What’s to say that second hand Bilsteins are any better than the ones that are on it? Are they easy to test off the car?
Also, without wanting to open a can of worms, what would constitute decent tyres? I usually use Michelin tyres, PS4S are good, but most people don’t seem to recommend them for Mx5? Often see Toyo and Kumho mentioned as good options - any thoughts?
I’ll have a look at the thermostat - thanks for your help!
You can test dampers fairly well by hand, yes, at least to make sure they aren't dead. They should be smooth and firm both ways, return to full extended length under their own steam, and have no free play near the top. If you take a knackered one off and have a play with it, you'll get an idea and can compare.
I've used Kumho, Falken etc ('branded' but mid range) on various MX5s in the past with no dramas. The more expensive ones (Michelin, Conti, etc) are technically better, but as long as they aren't WhoPhlung Dung DitchFinder Pro 3s then you'll be reet IMO. £60-80 a corner sort of money.
Stat is about £30 IIRC and a pretty easy job. Well worth doing, you'll save that in fuel pretty sharpish.
No worries, enjoy the tinkering!
This sounds like my 2005 NC when I first had it. Tyres looked good, pressures ok but the handling felt dangerous and so disappointing.
The tyres were a mix of Pirelli and a make I had not heard of before but all with good tread.
Changed all 4 for Kumho ecsta-PS71 215/45 17 and the difference was incredible. Instantly the handling was transformed
The tyres were a mix of Pirelli and a make I had not heard of before but all with good tread.
Changed all 4 for Kumho ecsta-PS71 215/45 17 and the difference was incredible. Instantly the handling was transformed
All my opinion, but:
1. Don't buy used Bilsteins - they have a shorter life than the standard Febi/Showa/whatever on the non-Sport versions. Anything used will be goosed (my rears lasted less than 50k miles). I stuck a set of Bilstein B6s on mine (slightly firmer than std.) and it is a proper B-road blaster but still quite compliant. If you're anywhere near N. Yorks I'll happily take you out in it
2. Having had 3 MX-5s, the best tyres I've ever had on them was Goodyear Assy 5s (although, admittedly, the only Michelins I've tried were at the end of their life). Don't be tempted into Firestone rainmaster-whatevers - they're far too soggy.
3. Alignment is crucial - my current steed was properly aligned just before I bought it and it is absolutely pin-sharp - the difference between this one and my last one is night and day.
1. Don't buy used Bilsteins - they have a shorter life than the standard Febi/Showa/whatever on the non-Sport versions. Anything used will be goosed (my rears lasted less than 50k miles). I stuck a set of Bilstein B6s on mine (slightly firmer than std.) and it is a proper B-road blaster but still quite compliant. If you're anywhere near N. Yorks I'll happily take you out in it
2. Having had 3 MX-5s, the best tyres I've ever had on them was Goodyear Assy 5s (although, admittedly, the only Michelins I've tried were at the end of their life). Don't be tempted into Firestone rainmaster-whatevers - they're far too soggy.
3. Alignment is crucial - my current steed was properly aligned just before I bought it and it is absolutely pin-sharp - the difference between this one and my last one is night and day.
Interesting. I drove a NC Sport NC owned by a family member a while back and had a similar initial response to OP.
Handling felt unpredictable and engine lethargic.
They changed tyres and got wheels balanced and aligned which transformed the handling and feel.
I borrowed it for a bit and noticed engine still not strong, terrible fuel economy etc.
Changed the thermostat and the engine is transformed! Its now fun, smooth and revvy - and using half the fuel it used to.
Handling felt unpredictable and engine lethargic.
They changed tyres and got wheels balanced and aligned which transformed the handling and feel.
I borrowed it for a bit and noticed engine still not strong, terrible fuel economy etc.
Changed the thermostat and the engine is transformed! Its now fun, smooth and revvy - and using half the fuel it used to.
I owned a 2008 NC 2.0 and had a similar experience.
Sorted tyres and alignment, transformed the handling but the engine never felt "urgent".
It was a huge amount of fun on an empty road where you could use the great handling to maintain momentum, however it wasn't torquey or particularly keen to rev.
I never really gelled with it so it didn't last long in my ownership. I've driven 1.6 NA, 1.5 ND, and since owned 2.0 ND2 and 1.8 (but turbocharged) NA, and I'm afraid that NC, whilst I enjoyed driving it, was my least favourite MX5.
That doesn't make it a bad car, but would mirror your comments about "struggling to like it".
Sorted tyres and alignment, transformed the handling but the engine never felt "urgent".
It was a huge amount of fun on an empty road where you could use the great handling to maintain momentum, however it wasn't torquey or particularly keen to rev.
I never really gelled with it so it didn't last long in my ownership. I've driven 1.6 NA, 1.5 ND, and since owned 2.0 ND2 and 1.8 (but turbocharged) NA, and I'm afraid that NC, whilst I enjoyed driving it, was my least favourite MX5.
That doesn't make it a bad car, but would mirror your comments about "struggling to like it".
W12GT said:
If vibrating under braking then I’d be looking at disc and pad condition. I had this on my first 911 and it was a horrible experience.
Yep, almost certainly a warped disc or two on it. Going to MOT it before any big spending to see what that throws up. Haven’t had time to look over it properly but some decent rubber and a geo set up are also in order when I get a minute. Interesting what folks have said about the thermostat. Temp doesn’t seem to vary once up to running temp so not sure that’s a problem, but worthy of further investigation. Does feel like something is not quite right in the engine dept. Can’t quite put my finger on it.
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