Help with Mk3 buying decision please

Help with Mk3 buying decision please

Author
Discussion

andy tims

Original Poster:

5,571 posts

245 months

Sunday 15th March 2015
quotequote all
I'm looking at getting a Mk3 for my wife as I keep nicking her Golf for both fishing trips and to tow my bike to track days. I could spend upto £7k, but less would be good.

I'm looking for advice on the various different specifications and what to look out for?

Also, is it correct that even these later cars are prone to rust and are there any preventative treatments?

Thanks in advance.






Edited by andy tims on Sunday 15th March 17:19

Rum Runner

2,338 posts

216 months

Sunday 15th March 2015
quotequote all
Go for a Sport..low miles..with AC and Bose.
They all rust so look under at rear suspension and were the sill curves round in front of the rear arch inward facing part of the sill..get a lot of stone splatter from the front wheels. Oh and they love to collect stone chips all over the front end.
Great car though I have had lots of other nice motors but I have kept this longer than all the others.


g40steve

922 posts

161 months

Monday 16th March 2015
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Andy are you on TZ-UK?

Look on nutz for info.

http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...

clarki

1,312 posts

218 months

Monday 16th March 2015
quotequote all
Rum Runner said:
Go for a Sport..low miles..with AC and Bose.
They all rust so look under at rear suspension and were the sill curves round in front of the rear arch inward facing part of the sill..get a lot of stone splatter from the front wheels. Oh and they love to collect stone chips all over the front end.
Great car though I have had lots of other nice motors but I have kept this longer than all the others.
This.

+ I had my car on the ramp last week, 5 years old, 32k miles, not a spec of rust.

Flip Martian

19,503 posts

189 months

Monday 16th March 2015
quotequote all
Don't buy a black one (like I did). The undercoat on black cars is white, stupidly. I got showered with rock salt from a gritter lorry before xmas and the front looks like it has dandruff. Getting it resprayed in a few weeks and covered in 3M.

But get a Sport, yes. Very comfy and cosy in the cabin - seats heat up in no time at all and the sound system is good too. Get a convertible and not a hard top - the latter weighs a lot and to be honest, its not a powerful car to start with, even in 2.0 form.

g40steve

922 posts

161 months

Monday 16th March 2015
quotequote all
The folding hardtop weighs 34KG, not a lot.
Better headroom, cosier in winter, quieter etc.

Oh & yes I can comment had the soft top for 5 years laugh

I have a black one & when clean looks the b@ll@ks


hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Monday 16th March 2015
quotequote all
I had a black one, was a fking nightmare to keep clean. I don't think the paint quality is great either as it's a 'flat' black. I'm no detailer but I tried to keep it well, two buckets, wash mitt, claybar etc, but I was fighting a losing battle as it had swirls when it was delivered from Mazda rolleyes

I'd go for a metallic if I was buying one again, probably the grey.

Flip Martian

19,503 posts

189 months

Monday 16th March 2015
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The black looks great when clean. Just doesn't stay clean for very long, as said. Unless you never drive it! smile The folding roof version, according to Mazda, weighs 80-odd kgs more. No doubt it will be more secure but the 2.0 convertible is NOT a quick car. Any extra weight I would say, should be avoided.

g40steve

922 posts

161 months

Monday 16th March 2015
quotequote all
Flip Martian said:
The black looks great when clean. Just doesn't stay clean for very long, as said. Unless you never drive it! smile The folding roof version, according to Mazda, weighs 80-odd kgs more. No doubt it will be more secure but the 2.0 convertible is NOT a quick car. Any extra weight I would say, should be avoided.
readit


scz4 said:
I think you could be right, as I've also seen this published in another official Mazda brochure. 37kgs is 81.5lbs smile

Flip Martian

19,503 posts

189 months

Monday 16th March 2015
quotequote all
ok - but its still heavier!

Flip Martian

19,503 posts

189 months

Monday 16th March 2015
quotequote all
...and you seem to pay a premium for the hard tops - why pay more for a heavier slower car?

sbird

325 posts

177 months

Monday 16th March 2015
quotequote all
Flip Martian said:
ok - but its still heavier!
The extra 35kg makes less than f-all difference to the performance. We put a few cars head-to-head on a drag strip, and there's nothing in it.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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Flip Martian said:
...and you seem to pay a premium for the hard tops - why pay more for a heavier slower car?
Because the hard top is ten times cooler that's why. And more solid.

Flip Martian

19,503 posts

189 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
Because the hard top is ten times cooler that's why. And more solid.
"Cooler" is subjective (to me, folding hard tops are more "hairdresser". Meganes and Peugeots and SLKs have folding hard tops too.

Solid, heavier, slower. I will say it looks nice as a hard top. But the soft top is slow (but fun to drive). I wouldn't enjoy anything slower and heavier. All stuff for the OP to use to make his own mind up anyway - he might love hard tops!

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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It's not slower unless you're measuring inches on a quarter mile dash, which is, to be fair, ridiculous.

Flip Martian

19,503 posts

189 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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hornetrider said:
It's not slower unless you're measuring inches on a quarter mile dash, which is, to be fair, ridiculous.
As is suggesting a folding hard top is "cooler". Goes without saying the lighter car will be faster and better handling - that's how it was originally designed to be. I just put those facts up there for the OP to consider. My choice was soft top. His may be a hard top, like yours was. Neither is wrong...

Charlie Michael

2,750 posts

183 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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I went soft-top over folding hardtop as I preferred the way it looks. I also agree ref the cleanliness comments - bloody difficult to keep the black looking shiny.

So I just let mine get a bit grimy, that being said, i'll always look after the fabric roof. smile

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
quotequote all
Flip Martian said:
As is suggesting a folding hard top is "cooler".
Folding hard tops are cool as fk, it's just the way it is cool

The sooner you accept this, the better wink

Flip Martian

19,503 posts

189 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
Folding hard tops are cool as fk, it's just the way it is cool

The sooner you accept this, the better wink
On a 1935 Peugeot 402 possibly, yes. Otherwise...its a convertible for lazy people. smile

g40steve

922 posts

161 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
quotequote all
Awaits the my carpets are soaking wet under the seats thread rolleyes