Finally have my own...

[RobDickinson]

Wanted an MX5 for a long time, finally this month bought one!



Its a Grey with tan interior 2005 NC 2.0 6 speed, bose stereo and xenon HID's and some 3rd party muffler ( pro-speed?)

Began life in Japan, imported to NZ 18 months ago, sold to a bloke as a present for his wife who didn't drive it at all..

Overall really tidy condition and drives nice. Hoods a bit tired looking but not too bad.

Exhaust is fun but has a drone 2-3k, makes longer trips a pain so I'll try and sort somewhat.

Also a buzz/rattle behind the seats I've got some good ideas what it is so I'll strip that all down and get it sorted.

No service history so I'll get it done, also swap the coolant header tank? Anything else to do?

[RobDickinson]

When I get a chance I'll get some decent shots of it too lol

[SmilerFTM]

Buzz/rattle is likely to be the parcel shelf if it has an aftermarket exhaust that's got a bit of volume to it. Cheap way to fix it is to get some insulation foam for a pipe and wrap that round the bottom of the bit of plastic that stands vertical above the shelf. If I find a picture somewhere I'll post it to show what I mean

[SmilerFTM]

Found a link, was easier than I thought

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

Some people have done this and found the rattle came back after a while so stuffed even more foam into the gap.

[HorneyMX5]

The best colour combo. :-)

[RobDickinson]

SmilerFTM said:

Found a link, was easier than I thought

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

Some people have done this and found the rattle came back after a while so stuffed even more foam into the gap.

Cheers thats awesome will give it a try before stripping down that area!

[RobDickinson]

HorneyMX5 said:

The best colour combo. :-)

Same grey as my rx8 was, I wouldnt have minded another colour but this will do

[gforceg]

RobDickinson said:

When I get a chance I'll get some decent shots of it too lol

Yes, I would expect decent shots from you, of anything.

[Darryl247W]

If no history, get the basic service items sorted. Gearbox and diff oil are due every 25,000 miles and make a great difference if they've been missed by PO. Not tricky either if you're doing your own spannering.

Good choice though. Our 2007 has easily been the most trouble-free car we've owned, and we've had it 8 years.

[RobDickinson]

I'll do some of my own spannering but might just take it to a garage to do a first service.

Worth going to mazda? Will a 3rd party use the right oil/coolant etc?

[Darryl247W]

It might be worth getting on the MX-5 specific forums e.g. MX5nutz and the MX5OC for recommendations of MX-5 specialists local to you.

[RobDickinson]

yeah I'm on there. know a few locals I can talk to, the garage i use for my main car is on but rather go to a specialist if possible.

In other news since buying it we've had far more grey and wet days than typical.. :/

[GravelBen]

Looks good

I miss my Mk1 MX5s, Mk3 prices are starting to tempt me too.

There is an NZ MX5 forum which may be able to give mechanic recommendations, I know there is a bloke in Dunedin who specialises in them a bit.

Edited by GravelBen on Sunday 25th September 05:40

[HorneyMX5]

There's also Mighty5s.com which is a small bit friendly forum.

[Beati Dogu]

Congrats on the car, it looks very nice. Loving the tan seats especially.

[RobDickinson]

GravelBen said:

Looks good

I miss my Mk1 MX5s, Mk3 prices are starting to tempt me too.

There is an NZ MX5 forum which may be able to give mechanic recommendations, I know there is a bloke in Dunedin who specialises in them a bit.

Cheers everyone, seems purchasing a convertible triggers the poorest weather all year

Ben had a look at the NZ mx5 forums and said hello but its a very quiet place! I work with a guy who has a mk2.5 and also races a 7 so he'll know whats around I think

[RobDickinson]

So first 2 minor jobs..


Used some pipe insulation as per GravelBens link and fixed the buzz/rattle behind the rear console!

Fixed my driver side indicator repeater, bulb, connector and wire had disconnected from the outer lens bit and fallen into the wing, lighting the inside of the wing up nicely but not doing a great job of indicating.. hooked it with some wire and put it back together again. little steps

Checked the header tank for the cooling system and it looks quite old and discoloured so thats on the list for replacement now.

OBD2 blutooth device ordered so I can get at the data/codes, mainly to check on my thermometer make sure its working, or if not replace it.


Quite keen on doing all the servicing myself, just need to find some supplies and time. And quite probably mechanical know how lol. none of it looks too hard...

[RobDickinson]

Headed out last night for a few photos, somehow managed to park the car in the way of most of them..

MX5 by Rob Dickinson, on Flickr

Vroom Vroom by Rob Dickinson, on Flickr

[aka_kerrly]

RobDickinson said:

Vroom Vroom by Rob Dickinson, on Flickr

That road was designed for a mx5

[RobDickinson]

Yep, and its just down the road from home