[Closed] Mazda MX5

ski, plus what he saves he could have hi-lights added to his hair along with a soft perm. If you get a really good price on the Micra you could buy a few good neck scarves.

I am not going to bite Hora, but I heard the heaters are top notch, so the neck scarf might not be needed 😉

I still struggling to get a decent quote on a Jap Mazda Enous I want to buy.

Lowest quote so far for the Enous is £380 (41 year old, full no claims, no convictions, etc...)

If it was a UK version, simular age and build, I can get it insured for £190!

😆

I had a long look at a new MX5 today as I was picnicking nearby. I have to say that they are far more attractive and look a lot cooler than the older ones.

I look at my mk1 every day. It's easily the best looking.

Disagree completely. Mk1 was the purest and best looking, mk2 (for me) horrible), mk2.5 very nice but not as balanced aesthetically.

Lets face it, its a Japanease Lotus Elan 😉

I was going to say - my insurance on a '5 (27, no no claims (I have 6 years but its on the bike car), and gf, 26, 1 year since her test, parked on the road) is only £310 🙂

if you can, garage it and claim its a classic car. ~£150

ski - Member
Lets face it, its a Japanease Lotus Elan

I prefer the Elans TBF, schmexier styling, boot is mahoosive and they are 50% quicker.

WANTS!

Disagree completely. Mk1 was the purest and best looking, mk2 (for me) horrible), mk2.5 very nice but not as balanced aesthetically.

being tall mk1 has the most leg room, mk2.5 has the worst and is also narrower in the cockpit, plus seats are higher both due to changes to improve crash worthyness over mk2

but lots of mk1 are no becoming rot boxes

missus has a mk2.5 but reckon mk2 1.8litre is the best all round in terms of value, space etc. 6 speed RS version is good if you can find one and has LSD etc

and a hardtop is ace in the winter plus stiffens the car up as well removing scuttle shake

of course mk3 is really nice! slightly bigger car allround

all in all, great cars, simple, easy to work on, reliable main dealer prices for service etc are low. fun to drive

BUT is you have a slaphead get a hat lol!

My wife had 1 for 6 years and about 80,000 miles, no major problems apart from replacing hood which became a bit leaky, brake calipers on front did bind on and have to fixed a couple of times.

There are lots of independent specialists who can service it etc.

Fantastic fun to drive, my wife drove her through all the snow that stopped everybody but needs a careful right foot!

Only got rid as a sprog is on the way and apparently as Mr North said you aren't allowed to put babies in the boot!

If I had garage space I would be buying a cheapo one for fun.

Personally I like the mk2 version's looks over the mk1 and the mk3 my friend has seems too soft and civilised.

Worst thing is looking up at the top of the lorry wheels when stuck in traffic on the motorway. Scary low.

I remember me and some mates having a good look round a blue mk1 in a showroom in Bristol when they first came out. Late 80s (had a Spec Stumpy Rock Combo at the time, so 88??) Wanted one ever since.

Twenty-odd years later, and just got a mk3. Fantastic car. GF uses it during the week, and I blat around the lanes at the weekend. Love it.

[img] [/img]

Fun in the snow too...

[img] [/img]

True what somebody said about the slightly soft ride - does lean a bit. Not sure if it's true, but been told that Euro spec ones have longer springs than they should to meet our safety specs - a common mod is to get them fitted with what the car was designed for. Supposed to totally sort the handling.

Also definitely don't part-ex. We we're offered £1.5k part-ex for ours, just sold for double that privately.

I was offered stupid money for my Forester to traders 'mate there isnt a market for Foresters due to the low mpg/high VED' (funnily they wanted drove the phone calls). Sold within 2days privately.

They'll tell you anything why the car should get less than trade in value as well- then whack them up on the forecourt and spin the same merry tale to customers.

Mk3. Its not as raw, connected or as involving for me. Apperently there is a shock-fix for circa £300? That transforms the car to its true state. I remember a Jap test driver did a back to back in all three MX5's then retested the mk3 with the shock upgrade and rated it with them.

Jamze - The UK spec car comes with the 4x4 look as standard.

I had my 2.0 sport lowered with the Eibach springs, which does improve handling a little, but then you have the problem of bottoming out on every speed bump!

The most important thing to do with the Mk 3 is get the geometry sorted properly (costs about £100-£120. It will make a huge difference to how the car handles, makes it much less skittish, but the handling is still no way as good as some thing like an Elise, Catherham. Make sure you go some where recommended though.

going off the info from Wheels-in-motion - the mk3 with its taller suspension due to EU bonnet height rules is a problem, because they just jacked up the suspension, and didnt alter the geo - upsetting the camber settings. fitting the Eibach springs gets things back to how they should have been, but if you havent got them fitted, then get a 4 wheel alignment done by a '5 specalist and it'll improve things.

Just revisited this. Miss that little silver bullet even more now. 😥

Though the Mazda 3 (2.0 Sport) we replaced it with is a nice enough car, it really isn't as engaging in any way as the 5. And the brakes on the 5 were so much better - firm pedal, stop on a sixpence.

Might have to start a secret Mr North's Cheeky MX5 Fund....

Will do FunkyDunc. Just might take a trip out to Wheels in Motion (not too far away) and get the alignment sorted first, and then think about the springs.

Our old Golf had a VW lowering kit installed, which as you say, made it a bit impractical with speed bumps and steep driveways. One of the things I love about the mx5 is it's happy being used as a daily driver - wouldn't want it like a track car (Elise etc.) TBH...

Might have to start a secret Mr North's Cheeky MX5 Fund....

Mines already started (hence the Toyota 'taxi' for family duties 😆 )... ready for a dark and dreary 2010 winter purchase when the suns gone and certain MX5 owners think 'sod this, its cramped, noisy and unpractical in the winter...

If (when) we get one it'll have to be a comfy touring car rather than a sporty racing machine, so a softer ride might be better.

Actally who the hell am I kidding? We have a kid. Oh well, VW Scirocco it is then... also available in TDi 🙂

Jamze - Yep wheels in motion are fantastic (so all the forums say) and indeed the owner gave me advice on my car for free !

The geometry will make a bigger difference than the springs. However Im sure Tony @ WIM will talk to you about it.

Anyone do their own servicing?

How easy are they to work on?

Dead easy ski - register yourself on mx5nutz.com (but try and ignore all the 'JDM posers').

We've had 3 now - two minters and an absolute dog I bought blind off ebay for £500. Turned out ok though, despite it failing its MOT dramatically, I split it up and make a load more than £500 back on it!

Last one we had was stunning - hardtop, BBS RS rims, blah blah. Had to sell as the missus needed something with 4 seats to carry our little lad around in. Replaced it with a 6N2 Polo GTI which although is a cracking little car, its no 5.

Definately planning to get another and would definately get another mk1 Eunos over a UK spec car. After owning 3 NA ones though, the next one HAS to be supercharged/turbo'd!

i agree with DaveyBoy. I do pretty much all my own servicing.

the only difficult thing with the oil/filter change is to get to the filter is a bit awkward due to its location: you have to take the drivers side wheel off, and get your hand through a little gap to get to the filter.

Another Mk3 owner here. I can def. recommend the Eibach (Mazda lowering kit). However, if you are having it fitted by a dealer, make sure they don't do the final torque up of the bolts until all 4 wheels are bearing the full weight of the car (in fairness to the dealers, the instructions that come with the springs are, or were, pretty useless). I've also fitted the matching stiffer Eibach anti-roll bars and they bring the handling back to the sort of thing you'd expect in a Mk1 (cornering is mega!). The lowering etc. doesn't come at the expense of ride comfort.

Whatever model MX5 you get and whether or not you go down the Eibach route, the suspension alignment is essential. If you're in the Midlands, I can recommend Chris Franklin at Center Gravity near Tamworth. He's done a lot of MX5's, along with loads of more exotic sportscars and his attention to detail is A1.

FWIW, one of the lads in the local MX5 club changed his Mk1 for an Elise and he reckons he prefers the handling balance of the MX5, as it's a bit more forgiving for road use and/or at the limit (build quality is also generally a lot less shonky on the MX5's - the roof on his Lotus is very comical!).

p.s. DIY servicing is generally a doddle, but there are quite a few decent specialists around if you need.