1992 Mazda MX-5
Discussion
Since buying my Prius a year ago, things have been a bit... dull. Don't get me wrong - it is a great car for the day to day stuff. When you've got petrol and oil in your veins though, it does get boring. Quickly.
A couple of weeks ago a friend from back home bought a Mk1 MX-5 on a bit of a whim. Summer started making itself known. I started seeing people in cabrios with the roof down. The want was strong.
It didn't take long on the usual websites to get an idea of what I could get and for how much. Here in NL you need about €5-6k for a really good one whereas sub €2k things start to get ropey. More expensive than the UK but not insane, plus a no-depreciate guarantee. Unless it s
ts itself.
A couple of weeks ago I went to see my first one. I think it was a 1998, so a Mk2 in lovely metallic British Racing Green. Lowered, nice wheels, nice aftermarket exhaust. Fruity. Then I googled "Mk2 Mx5 front chassis rail rust" and became afraid. So afraid.
That's fine cos the Mk1 is cooler anyway. Less fancy bits = lighter. And popup headlights. Popup headlights!!
So the search was on for a Mk1. Preferably in red because they're always faster. Or yellow. Or that lovely rare light bright blue. With a mohair roof and glass rear screen. Oh and of course new or recently new cills. Checklist complete, can start looking now.
Never buy the first one you see, right?
Oops.
Pop. Up.
Free magic tree AND a 5 cent rebate!
Parked up outside home.
It drives nice. It has some kind of suspension kit on it, I dunno what make but it rides very well over short sharp cobbled type bumps and soaks up undulations on the motorway really well. I've been in cars with cheap spring/shock combos and they're very crashy, this isn't at all so I reckon it must be a decent setup. Power is good, exhaust is stupidly loud. This pleases my inner chav and displeases my grown up side. And probably the neighbours except the guy opposite (who owns the red 156 you can see in the photo above) who came straight over to tell me "Mooi auto!" (nice car!) and said he used to have a 1990 Miata in red back in the day.
Honestly I'm not really quite sure what I'm going to do with it yet, it needs bits and bobs doing so I suppose it will be a slow rolling project. The Prius is staying, it is too good, cheap to run, comfy, practical and reliable to sell.
Any questions? Short back and sides as usual?
A couple of weeks ago a friend from back home bought a Mk1 MX-5 on a bit of a whim. Summer started making itself known. I started seeing people in cabrios with the roof down. The want was strong.
It didn't take long on the usual websites to get an idea of what I could get and for how much. Here in NL you need about €5-6k for a really good one whereas sub €2k things start to get ropey. More expensive than the UK but not insane, plus a no-depreciate guarantee. Unless it s
ts itself.A couple of weeks ago I went to see my first one. I think it was a 1998, so a Mk2 in lovely metallic British Racing Green. Lowered, nice wheels, nice aftermarket exhaust. Fruity. Then I googled "Mk2 Mx5 front chassis rail rust" and became afraid. So afraid.
That's fine cos the Mk1 is cooler anyway. Less fancy bits = lighter. And popup headlights. Popup headlights!!
So the search was on for a Mk1. Preferably in red because they're always faster. Or yellow. Or that lovely rare light bright blue. With a mohair roof and glass rear screen. Oh and of course new or recently new cills. Checklist complete, can start looking now.
Never buy the first one you see, right?
Oops.
Pop. Up.
Free magic tree AND a 5 cent rebate!
Parked up outside home.
It drives nice. It has some kind of suspension kit on it, I dunno what make but it rides very well over short sharp cobbled type bumps and soaks up undulations on the motorway really well. I've been in cars with cheap spring/shock combos and they're very crashy, this isn't at all so I reckon it must be a decent setup. Power is good, exhaust is stupidly loud. This pleases my inner chav and displeases my grown up side. And probably the neighbours except the guy opposite (who owns the red 156 you can see in the photo above) who came straight over to tell me "Mooi auto!" (nice car!) and said he used to have a 1990 Miata in red back in the day.
Honestly I'm not really quite sure what I'm going to do with it yet, it needs bits and bobs doing so I suppose it will be a slow rolling project. The Prius is staying, it is too good, cheap to run, comfy, practical and reliable to sell.
Any questions? Short back and sides as usual?
Bedankt! It looks better in the photos than in real life, but is good enough 
Plans? At first just to drive and enjoy. Later, the left cill (dorpel) will need replacing. It needs an oil change for sure, probably air filter and other things but I am yet to check that. I only realised earlier today that I haven't looked in the boot yet, not even when I went to look over it before buying! Stupid. There might be a dead body in there.
It won't be a daily, the Prius is great for that job and will stay with me as a main car
Plans? At first just to drive and enjoy. Later, the left cill (dorpel) will need replacing. It needs an oil change for sure, probably air filter and other things but I am yet to check that. I only realised earlier today that I haven't looked in the boot yet, not even when I went to look over it before buying! Stupid. There might be a dead body in there.
It won't be a daily, the Prius is great for that job and will stay with me as a main car
Edited by LeoZwalf on Tuesday 31st May 14:57
Thanks Chimp It rained the cats and dogs last night but this afternoon everything had dried out and it was lovely and warm. Went for a spin in it when I got home from work, it was fun. I haven't had fun driving for too long, it was great to have that feeling again.
Some more photographic pixels for you.
1.6 litres of 16 valve revvyness
This car has had 9 previous owners since it was imported into NL in 2003. Goodness knows how many it had before that, or from where it was imported (educated guess says Germany). One of those crazy mofos fitted the funky Sparco steering wheel, moved the horn button and added very beautiful horn wiring. Nnnnggg...
Centre console area. Tried the stereo on the way home from picking it up yesterday. Couldn't hear a damn thing over the exhaust.
Free screwdriver. Quite what the pull-out knob switch is, I don't know. Perhaps an override for the electric antenna? Something to play with tomorrow.
Free oil. Doing well for free stuff! Also spare wheel, not secured at all. Added to "should fix soon" list.
OMGFreestuffz. Melted protein bar of unknown age and a box which appears to have contained many of said bars. Did not taste. Did wonder if someone somewhere is trying to tell me something about my own bodywork?!
Rear suspension. Appears to be adjustable, certainly isn't OE. Does anyone reading this know what it is? Let me know. It certainly rides nice, very firm but compliant and no crashyness at all.
Tyres. Boots. Rubber.
195/50/15 all round.
Nice looking Bridgestones on the back. Note bluey brake disc, yes - caliper is binding a bit.
"Interstate" tyres on the front. WHUT? Never heard of. You?
Had a bit of a throw-around on the roads earlier, it does handle nice. There is a hint of understeer but having now noted "Interstate" tyres on the front, perhaps that isn't surprising. The exhaust is so bloody loud - I had a look underneath the car earlier and there's only the cat and rear box, it needs a centre section adding, I suppose.
It rained the cats and dogs last night but this afternoon everything had dried out and it was lovely and warm. Went for a spin in it when I got home from work, it was fun. I haven't had fun driving for too long, it was great to have that feeling again.Some more photographic pixels for you.
1.6 litres of 16 valve revvyness
This car has had 9 previous owners since it was imported into NL in 2003. Goodness knows how many it had before that, or from where it was imported (educated guess says Germany). One of those crazy mofos fitted the funky Sparco steering wheel, moved the horn button and added very beautiful horn wiring. Nnnnggg...
Centre console area. Tried the stereo on the way home from picking it up yesterday. Couldn't hear a damn thing over the exhaust.
Free screwdriver. Quite what the pull-out knob switch is, I don't know. Perhaps an override for the electric antenna? Something to play with tomorrow.
Free oil. Doing well for free stuff! Also spare wheel, not secured at all. Added to "should fix soon" list.
OMGFreestuffz. Melted protein bar of unknown age and a box which appears to have contained many of said bars. Did not taste. Did wonder if someone somewhere is trying to tell me something about my own bodywork?!
Rear suspension. Appears to be adjustable, certainly isn't OE. Does anyone reading this know what it is? Let me know. It certainly rides nice, very firm but compliant and no crashyness at all.
Tyres. Boots. Rubber.
195/50/15 all round.
Nice looking Bridgestones on the back. Note bluey brake disc, yes - caliper is binding a bit.
"Interstate" tyres on the front. WHUT? Never heard of. You?
Had a bit of a throw-around on the roads earlier, it does handle nice. There is a hint of understeer but having now noted "Interstate" tyres on the front, perhaps that isn't surprising. The exhaust is so bloody loud - I had a look underneath the car earlier and there's only the cat and rear box, it needs a centre section adding, I suppose.
227bhp said:
Suspension looks like Tein.
That button though, do you ever have any passengers you really don't like?
Someone else said that to me too, so I think you may be right. As for the question about the passengers, an ejector seat hadn't crossed my mind! Best be careful...That button though, do you ever have any passengers you really don't like?
Medic-one said:
Mooi! Alleen de PH sticker ontbreekt nog 
Dank je wel Not sure if I'll get a sticker.Evanivitch said:
If it's like my car then the hidden switch will be for a "sleepy eye" effect on the headlights.
Nice suggestion. I gave it a try yesterday evening, it doesn't do anything with the headlights. Which reminds me - the headlights do not pop up when you switch them on. They do pop up when you press the button under the hazard light switch, but not automatically. From what I've read, this is caused by a relay somewhere? Went shopping this morning for some mild servicing bits. The seller told he it had had a large service including cambelt 20,000 km ago. By the looks of the oil, it hasn't been changed since
Also gonna give this a try to fix the non popup headlights:
http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2...
http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2...
Feeding time this morning, first one I've done.
This afternoon she went up on the ramps. Dad gave me these ramps many years ago, they've lifted almost all of my cars - he had had them since before I was born and I remember him driving his XR3 up onto them when I was little.
Oil change done - old stuff came out blacker than yer hat! Wasn't thick or too stinky so don't think it had been in the TOO long, but obviously overdue.
The air filter was a fun one. There are 5 screws holding the airbox together. On this car, they're all different! Curse previous owners. All part of the fun of having an old car which loadsa folks have had their mits on:
Old filter came out. Wasn't very dirty at all and when I saw the red colour I immediately thought it must have been an eBay K&N special ripoff jobby. Don't want none of that nasty red oil going into my engine so that'll go in the bin.
Then I opened the new filter.... oh!
Erm, they are the same. Still put the new one in, I'd bought it after all.
Having a poke, peer and ponder around the engine bay and found this little pipe which I assume is/was a vacuum line which has, for reasons unfathomable, been disconnected. And cut off. And blocked. Eh? Why?!
One nice thing I did find today was this - nice battery cutoff switch. When doing oil changes I like to disconnect the battery battery just in case I have a senior moment and try to start the engine with no oil in it. We can all a be a bit absent minded sometimes right? Right?!
After the oil a and filter change, I told Mrs Leo we were going out for a drive. She isn't a car girl, far from it, but to my surprise she is already warming to the MX-5. We were out for over an hour, unfortunately the roads around here are pretty boring so there was a lot of 30 mph, speed bumped straight line dullness but still - it was fun to go out together, roof down on a warm (ish) summer (ish) Friday evening
I have to say, I'm enjoying this car even more than I thought I would. Well chuffed.
This afternoon she went up on the ramps. Dad gave me these ramps many years ago, they've lifted almost all of my cars - he had had them since before I was born and I remember him driving his XR3 up onto them when I was little.
Oil change done - old stuff came out blacker than yer hat! Wasn't thick or too stinky so don't think it had been in the TOO long, but obviously overdue.
The air filter was a fun one. There are 5 screws holding the airbox together. On this car, they're all different! Curse previous owners. All part of the fun of having an old car which loadsa folks have had their mits on:
Old filter came out. Wasn't very dirty at all and when I saw the red colour I immediately thought it must have been an eBay K&N special ripoff jobby. Don't want none of that nasty red oil going into my engine so that'll go in the bin.
Then I opened the new filter.... oh!
Erm, they are the same. Still put the new one in, I'd bought it after all.
Having a poke, peer and ponder around the engine bay and found this little pipe which I assume is/was a vacuum line which has, for reasons unfathomable, been disconnected. And cut off. And blocked. Eh? Why?!
One nice thing I did find today was this - nice battery cutoff switch. When doing oil changes I like to disconnect the battery battery just in case I have a senior moment and try to start the engine with no oil in it. We can all a be a bit absent minded sometimes right? Right?!
After the oil a and filter change, I told Mrs Leo we were going out for a drive. She isn't a car girl, far from it, but to my surprise she is already warming to the MX-5. We were out for over an hour, unfortunately the roads around here are pretty boring so there was a lot of 30 mph, speed bumped straight line dullness but still - it was fun to go out together, roof down on a warm (ish) summer (ish) Friday evening
I have to say, I'm enjoying this car even more than I thought I would. Well chuffed.
Evanivitch said:
Haha I've just taken the generic conefilter off my car and retrofitting the airbox the old owner provided. I too had mismatched, and some broken bolts on the box. Planning to measure them up and get Allen sockets on them all.
This is one of those cars which really doesn't lend itself well to an open air filter in the engine bay. It sits at the back, right above the exhaust - why anyone would think that's a good idea I don't know.Did some tinkering today and feeling pretty chuffed. The headlights didn't auto popup when switching on dipped beam.
Under the steering column there's some wiring and relays.
Find and remove this one:
Prepare your high tech workbench and warm up your soldering iron:
Carefully open it up and extract the circuit board.
The photos are taken with a well used iPhone 5 so aren't the best but I think you can just about make out the cracked solder on the joints on the top right of this pic (actually no, you can't. Photobucket took all the detail away):
After:
Put it all back together and huurah! Headlights came right open when I turned them on.
Also removed the radio. It was a very well used early/mid 2000's JVC:
Considering the huge number of previous owners and total lack of history, I was very surprised to not find a nest of scotchlocked, badly crimped cables held together with a sticky mound of electrical tape:
There is one random cut wire, as yet unidentified:
If you're removing one thing, might as well remove more, right? Cubby hole under radio. Useful but cracked and broken, looks s
te:
Cup holders, seems rather silly in a car like this. I think it might be aftermarket??
American?
That's all for now. Dead chuffed fixing that headlight relay
LeoZwalf said:
This is one of those cars which really doesn't lend itself well to an open air filter in the engine bay. It sits at the back, right above the exhaust - why anyone would think that's a good idea I don't know.
yep, it's a common complaint. A Jackson CAI would be great but so expensive for a bit of plastic. DIY cooler boxes, or sucking through the bulk head are all options. Evanivitch said:
yep, it's a common complaint. A Jackson CAI would be great but so expensive for a bit of plastic. DIY cooler boxes, or sucking through the bulk head are all options.
Don't look at the price of a carbon airbox for an E46 M3 in that case . They make the Jackson Racing CAI look cheap! Mine you, they do sound the tits and give a good 15BHP on top of a standard airbox...Welcome to the world of MX-5s. I bought mine on a whim as I fancied some hassle free retro motoring with the wind in your hair feel, and I fancied scratching the NA MX-5 itch. Like you I am really enjoying mine. I best update the thread
.P.S, I see you changed the engine oil. How did you remove the oil filter without the oil going everywhere? I have taken a look but it seems it will decorate the crossmember with oil!
Hard to tell from your photo, but check the battery area carefully. The correct battery is an expensive gel one and it sits in a plastic tray. Over the course of time, some plank will get a standard wet battery and shove it in, without the tray. You'll then get a nice rusty boot floor thanks to the battery acid 🤔
SebringMan said:
P.S, I see you changed the engine oil. How did you remove the oil filter without the oil going everywhere? I have taken a look but it seems it will decorate the crossmember with oil!
I didn't. Had to put plenty of rags on the ground after I realised how much oil had dribbled down 
GordonL said:
Hard to tell from your photo, but check the battery area carefully. The correct battery is an expensive gel one and it sits in a plastic tray. Over the course of time, some plank will get a standard wet battery and shove it in, without the tray. You'll then get a nice rusty boot floor thanks to the battery acid ??
Thanks for the tip - I will take a look.Last night was another lovely warm evening. To my surprise, Mrs Leo was enthusiastic to join me for a spin. We were out for well over an hour, enjoying the very very ohhhh so flat scenery. The roads here aren't much fun, long straight stretches with 60-80 km/h limits. There's the odd roundabout though - very little slowing down required
The car loves being thrown around, it feels great.
By the time we got home, we both had ringing ears. The exhaust is loud. I SAID THE EXHAUST IS LOUD!!!
Not much to update but want to make a bit of a To Do list which I will very very slowly work through.
Also would like some advice regarding slightly poor running:
- Engine starts and idles perfectly from cold
- Gets up to temp quickly but during this period, feels a bit flat and will hesitate badly if you use lots of loud pedal (I know you shouldn't do this when it's not up to temp, of course. But it is clearly indicative of an issue)
- Once up to temp, the flatspots are gone and it revs cleanly all the way to 7000 rpm, BUT the idle is lumpy. It isn't misfiring but is lumpy.
Spark plugs are all as clean as you'd expect and are gapped correctly at 1.0 - 1.1 mm. I suppose this could be caused by
:
- Bad coolant temp sensor
- Bad lambda sensor
- Bad air flow meter
Or something else. Or a multi combo bonus of the above. Or it's a characteristic of this engine?
To do list:
- Cills and rear arch, this will need a bodyshop, I won't do this myself
- Fix lumpy idle as shown above
- Remove, dismantle and clean up LHR caliper; it sticks on a bit sometimes
- Get an extra silencer welded into the stupid loud exhaust. Make it sound nice instead of like a total hooliganchav
- Might have to replace clutch master and/or slave cylinders. Idle drops when in gear and stationary, suspect clutch is dragging a bit
- Replace gearbox and diff oil; no idea when they were last done
- Polish it. There are insane swirl marks especially on the bootlid. I'm not a bodywork show/shine guy but this is too bad even for me.
Not related directly to the car but I really need to find some semi decent driving roads around here. There are of course NO hills in NL so that part of the fun is denied, but their love of dremples (speed bumps) and long straight roads with 90 degree turns at each end makes things incredibly boring and not at all suited to this car. Maybe I need a track day at Zandvoort?
Also would like some advice regarding slightly poor running:
- Engine starts and idles perfectly from cold
- Gets up to temp quickly but during this period, feels a bit flat and will hesitate badly if you use lots of loud pedal (I know you shouldn't do this when it's not up to temp, of course. But it is clearly indicative of an issue)
- Once up to temp, the flatspots are gone and it revs cleanly all the way to 7000 rpm, BUT the idle is lumpy. It isn't misfiring but is lumpy.
Spark plugs are all as clean as you'd expect and are gapped correctly at 1.0 - 1.1 mm. I suppose this could be caused by
:
- Bad coolant temp sensor
- Bad lambda sensor
- Bad air flow meter
Or something else. Or a multi combo bonus of the above. Or it's a characteristic of this engine?
To do list:
- Cills and rear arch, this will need a bodyshop, I won't do this myself
- Fix lumpy idle as shown above
- Remove, dismantle and clean up LHR caliper; it sticks on a bit sometimes
- Get an extra silencer welded into the stupid loud exhaust. Make it sound nice instead of like a total hooliganchav
- Might have to replace clutch master and/or slave cylinders. Idle drops when in gear and stationary, suspect clutch is dragging a bit
- Replace gearbox and diff oil; no idea when they were last done
- Polish it. There are insane swirl marks especially on the bootlid. I'm not a bodywork show/shine guy but this is too bad even for me.
Not related directly to the car but I really need to find some semi decent driving roads around here. There are of course NO hills in NL so that part of the fun is denied, but their love of dremples (speed bumps) and long straight roads with 90 degree turns at each end makes things incredibly boring and not at all suited to this car. Maybe I need a track day at Zandvoort?
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff