wifes had an MX5 for 3 years mk3 its brilliant fun only 130bhp but its quick agile and so much fun haved use it all through the year even had the top down through last winter superb fun take one for a test drive you will love it (go to aberystwith via the elan valley you will take weeks to get the grin of your face and it wont break the bank with service bills or repair. you know it makes sense

I had a Mk3 MX5 2.0 sport and found it lacking. The handling was spot on after getting the geometry sorted, and the car lowered to the height it should be, but Mazda have tried to make the car grow up too much and its now characterless and having an identity crisis. It’s not a bad car, but no longer a great sports car IMO. A Mk2 feels alive the Mk3 feels dull.

All you guys talking about the Mazda RX7 being bulbous and having the flooding problem – are you not thinking of the RX8? The RX7 finished its production run in 2002 and certainly couldn’t be described as bulbous!

Specialknees,
It was exactly this thinking which lead me to buy a 12 year old one with a 2.7 engine a few weeks ago,
can’t keep out of it and every chance I get the hoods down, even when its not that warm its snug in there.
Wife loves it, got a tiptronic so she would drive it and it works great.
Might not be for everyone and some big bills are bound to happen but you only live once and the howl it makes when you’re chasing down the red line… 😉

All you guys talking about the Mazda RX7 being bulbous and having the flooding problem – are you not thinking of the RX8? The RX7 finished its production run in 2002 and certainly couldn’t be described as bulbous!

Yes I am.

Sorry.

I know diddly about the RX-7

I’m certainly talking about the RX7

*swoon*

I’m also talking about RX7’s, I wouldn’t touch one as lovely as they are. BIG bills all the time, rubbish fuel/oil consumption and a rebuild at 60k.

This on the other hand….

…is probably full of rot but it doesn’t stop me wanting to sell a kidney for it. Words cannot express how much I want a S30…

I like the Boxter but ‘getting one cheap’ rings alarm bells for me.

They aint cheap to run when cheap ones go wrong.

Why not a S2000 or a MX5?

I’d love a RX8 but it has waaaaaay too many negs sadly. No not the oil consumption or mpg. Worse.

Anyone had a Z4?

Yep, well, for about 3 weeks.

The one I had was on run-flats which ruined the ride. Other than that it was ok, not exciting, just….nice. Pretty similar to every other BMW I’ve driven/owned to be honest.

Thanks – just fancied RWD, 6-cylinders and soft top but without Porsche bills

Yeah I had one for 3mths whilst waiting for a new car to arrive (delay after delay on that one) SO they gave me a 3ltr sport version. It was excellent, bit bumpy (runflats again..urgh) and I found commuting in it to That London up the A3 a teeny bit tiresome every day.. Great witht he roof down, buffetting not that bad as you sit quite low in it, I had a wind deflector inbetween the seats and the windows up, air con on hot and drove it through the early stages of winter no problem at all, in fact once the road surface smoothed out it was a hoot to drive.

Couldn’t get the bike in it though, nor my windsurfing gear..hahaha, but I’ve since seen bike racks on them and you can pick the big engined ones up cheep(ish) with those luverly big alloys on.. Black, stealthy…

Edit:

And despite what the chattering classes think, I never went to any swingers parties in it. boomtish!

TrevH
You put a very good case forward for the MX5
Im looking at them now.!

Heart still cry’s Porsche though.

Love the 911 with bikes on top. Too expensive these days though.

If you want a Porsche, just get a Porsche and take everyone else’s advice with a pinch of salt. You get any other car and you’ll spend at least some of the time wondering “what would it be like if I had gone for the Porsche?”

Agrees with The Flying Ox.

markrh.
You are my kind of guy.!

You went for it, think I will end-up going the same route.
Did you test drive many? How are you and wife getting-on with the Tip box?

Flying Ox.
Im not normally the sort of person to weigh up the options. I normally go with my heart.
BUT..The Mrs is involved in this and couldnt bear the grief if it all goes wrong.

My plan is…take her to see and drive one this W/E she will fall in love with it and the deal will be done.

Well, thats the plan.!

Specialknees – what is your wife’s favourite colour?

Just ensure you go to look at one that is her favourite colour and all will be good.

ive just shot my load….

sorry just get the boxter mate, if you dont like it just sell it on again, otherwise it will alwyas be “what if”!

Im not normally the sort of person to weigh up the options. I normally go with my heart.
BUT..The Mrs is involved in this and couldnt bear the grief if it all goes wrong.

Ahhhhh…..
See, the trick here is take her to see 2 cars. One Boxster, preferably in her favourite colour, and one piece of junk. Think American, so not only will it be ugly, it will also be crap on fuel, crap on corners, crap automatic gearbox and steering wheel on the wrong side. Something like a C4 Corvette. Take her to see the crap one first.

If you want a Porsche, just get a Porsche and take everyone else’s advice with a pinch of salt. You get any other car and you’ll spend at least some of the time wondering “what would it be like if I had gone for the Porsche?”

He’s got a point you know.

I more or less bought the Lotus to get it out of my system before marriage, children, MPVs, drudgery etc.

fancy a Peyote sweatlodge trip sometime?

aaaaah fuggit.. why not..!
It’s been aaaaages since I took any mescaline..

I’ll probably get a bit shouty and emotional.. my chi is pretty stagnant after a sustained period of conformity and repression.. come to think of it I’ll probably get a bit mystic and rhythmic and tribal too.. possibly even fecal..
If you can put up with all that then I’m in.. 😀

Always amazed at the number of people who can’t spell Boxster 😕

I more or less bought the Lotus to get it out of my system before marriage, children, MPVs, drudgery etc.

I did something similar in 1990 – jacked everything in to go travelling before getting married in September 1991 and the expectation of a life of drudgery. She dumped me for our mortgage adviser in June 1991.

Result.

The only car in that ‘range’ I’d look at if I was buying modern would be one of these…

But for now…my S30 can sleep happily in the garage 😀

Flange and Monkey – here’s mine sleeping in the garage

Build thread here 🙂 – http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=86608&page=7

mrgibbons – just read the whole thread on that car! Amazing patience!

Mr Gibbons.
I love the S30 but the BMW really doesnt do it for me, unlike the two girls although they probably ‘wouldnt’ do it for me.!

Good luck with the car, It sure did need liberating from those huge bumpers (fenders)?, they where huge. Dont remember UK cars having them so big.
looks 100x better already.

Flying ox
Knowing my other half she woukld like the Corvette. When we met she drove a 1974 VW Beetle. I had a 911 (993) then, one car had to go. She honestly believed the VW was a better car. It wasnt even a good one.!
She still blames me for MAKING her sell it.

Build thread here – http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=86608&page=7

F*** ME!! 😯

I SALUTE YOU!

one day, one day………

specialknees – is it as a daily driver or as a toy?

Fortunatly it will be a toy.
Wife has a car for daily duties and I have a company car.
So week ends and Holidays is about the only time it will be used.

Hunting about for a Porsche I came across this. A hell of a lot of car for 15K.

http://www.portiacraft.com/cardetail.asp?make=03_MERCEDES_TAKEN IN PART EXCHANGE&id=1734

MERCEDES 500SL. 03/53 Silver Grey Hide Superb Spec Includes Panoramic Roof Sat Nav (Command) Front Rear Parking Sensors Fully Electric And Heated Seating Plus All The Other Refinements These Cars Come With IN STUNNING CONDITION WITH FULL SERVICE HISTORY, THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY SPORTS CAR IN THE WORLD AT THE MOMENT.
51000 miles £14995

If my other half see that it will be a done deal.!

A bit too ‘girly’ for me.?

Wasn’t there a Clarkson segment on Top Gear where the dirty cheap merc he bought went wrong and was horrendously expensive to fix? Coil packs I think it was??

If I was to get buy another car, and couldn’t cycle/walk to work like I do now, it’d be an estate with some welly. The S30 when it’s finished/I get tired of it will be sold (after having added value and made a tidy profit) to build a beastie like that below.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never ‘got’ Porsches, nor understood spending much money on a car, that said I admire that you’ve got the balls to do it!

mrgibbons – Member
Build thread here – http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=86608&page=7

Another Retro-Rides member eh 😀

Mines on there too….
http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=36727

Although I have considered selling it and buying a 996 911 😳

Hopefully going to crack on and finish it soon.

As for RX7`s go and see Craig Taylor at Dynotorque…..
Do away with the Rotary and fit 7 Litres of LS7 V8 and a supercharger !!
He reckons it handles better and is still cheaper to run than the Rotary ever was 😈

It’s a bit boy racerish and slightly off topic but if you want a Porsche beating track toy buy an 05 plate Fiesta ST and take it to these boys,

http://www.jam-sport.co.uk/

They just stick a supercharger in and a cosworth inlet, uprate the brakes job done.

Nothing better than overtaking a Porsche 911 GT3 at Bedford Autodrome in a ford fiesta albeit 350bhp+ fiesta 🙂 certainly upsets a few people when they discover you only spent £12k all in and its faster than there £90k. Although driver skill does come into play.

smile or cringe its one of those things you have to sit in before you die 😆

Personally I’d love a mustang one day 🙂

satchm00
Love that Fiesta, a real wolf in sheep’s clothing.

350+ BHP Through the front wheels, now that has got to be fun.!

Mustangs…OH YES PLEASE. My dad had one when I was young, in fact it was our family car for 13 yrs. It was a 1966 V8. Can still hear the sound of the engine even now, happy memories.

Sadly they have gained popularity now and a good one is way out of my league.

£12k would get a new shape V8 Mustang…

cr500dom
Wow, that really is a project.
I admire people with the time and skill to do such a thing.

Its funny you see cars like that for sale, often at a really good price. Im sure nobody realizes the work that goes into a project like that.

Feel a bit silly now asking people what they think of buying a car when people out there are investing so much time and effort into projects like that and Mr Gibbons S30.

Keep going, good luck.

Specialknees,
Test drove four and the other really good one (well in the way it drove, steered, braked and rode) was a 2.5.
Wife felt really comfortable driving it having the tip box and I don’t find it spoils the experience for me as I quite like the uninterupted surge of acceleration you get with autos, also it works great in in manual mode.
So my advice is don’t get to hung up on engine size, go for what feels good to drive. Yes its a bit of a lottery so have some money set aside and it wont be to painful if something does let you down.
Good Luck!

Hachi roku