RE: Mazda Eunos Roadster - too cheap not to?

RE: Mazda Eunos Roadster - too cheap not to?

Author
Discussion

Rjhorsman

1 posts

162 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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I picked up a 1.8L eunos for a grand. best fun iv had in a car yet! Unfortunately it fell victim to the dreaded rust problem after a year or so, wouldn't hesitate to have another one though, great car!

Killer2005

19,595 posts

227 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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TdM-GTV said:
Killer2005 said:
TdM-GTV said:
*Heads off to the classifieds...
I've been looking for some time, there's some quite nice ones about. I can't bring myself to selling my Alfa though at the moment redface
Sell the Alfa... Nooooooo never! The 5 can be my second car. It's got no roof therefore it's better at carrying trees than the Alfa. Perfect excuse - practicality!
Unfortunately where I shall be moving to, I won't be able to keep 2 cars, and most certainly won't be able to afford it.

Howevere there is the possibility of keeping the Alfa for winter, MX5 for summer scratchchin

_Al_

5,550 posts

257 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2011
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I paid £900 for mine in July so I could 'see what all the fuss is about'. Absolute image of the OP's car. The bodywork is pretty dire but mechanically it seemed A-ok.

I honestly expected it to last a month, either before I got bored or a big bill arrived. Neither has happened.

I've now treated it to a hard top (used far too often to put up with the rivers from the softtop) and changed every fluid and filter.

It really is the most involving car to drive, it's telepathic in the way it reacts to you. Can't wait to get it up to the lake district in summer.

A friend drove it down a local lane near me and 'overcooked it' into a corner. He was very impressed with the way the MX5 stuck to the road and declared that his BMW would have really struggled. That surprised me as I'd have been perfectly happy if he'd been going 20mph faster. The '5 was nowhere near its limits.

Great car, cheap as chips to own. I have no idea how I'll replace it.

matt-ITR

892 posts

188 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2011
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I owned a Mk1 Eunos for a year and thought it was the most over-rated car I have ever had.
It wasn't rubbish, but it was no where near as great as everyone makes out.

Give me back the ITR any day over any form of MX5, new or old.

heebeegeetee

28,601 posts

247 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2011
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matt-ITR said:
I owned a Mk1 Eunos for a year and thought it was the most over-rated car I have ever had.
It wasn't rubbish, but it was no where near as great as everyone makes out.

Give me back the ITR any day over any form of MX5, new or old.
But whenever I see a post like this i always think 'didn't get the geo done'.

Am I right?

_Al_

5,550 posts

257 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2011
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heebeegeetee said:
But whenever I see a post like this i always think 'didn't get the geo done'.

Am I right?
Some people just don't 'get' this type of car. I know a lot of guys who aren't really 'driving enthusiasts' more 'car enthusiasts'.

In my experience people in the second category tend to go for;

1) Looks/styling
2) Straight line performance
3) Comfort/quality
4) Bragging rights (e.g massive bhp, loony rpm, clever traction systems)

MX5 fan though I am, I can't claim it scores remarkably well on any of those criteria..

Xenocide

4,286 posts

207 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2011
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matt-ITR said:
I owned a Mk1 Eunos for a year and thought it was the most over-rated car I have ever had.
It wasn't rubbish, but it was no where near as great as everyone makes out.

Give me back the ITR any day over any form of MX5, new or old.
Interesting. I've had a DC2 and the teg was undoubtedly more of an event to drive, much faster but there's a certain charm with a '5 that the teg just didn't have. I'd have both again in a heartbeat (if I sold my 5..) but for the money it's the 5 every time.

Besides, over steer is fun.

carreauchompeur

17,830 posts

203 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2011
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It's so chuckable. I use mine everyday for getting to work and it's utterly brilliant snicking through the traffic. Visibility is a bit ste with the roof up/dark/rainy though.

matt-ITR

892 posts

188 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2011
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Xenocide said:
Interesting. I've had a DC2 and the teg was undoubtedly more of an event to drive, much faster but there's a certain charm with a '5 that the teg just didn't have. I'd have both again in a heartbeat (if I sold my 5..) but for the money it's the 5 every time.

Besides, over steer is fun.
I guess everyone is different! Personally I didn't think it had much charm at all. I didn't get any sort of buzz from driving it, despite having some of the best driving roads in the UK on my doorstep.

It was enjoyable to drive at times, but I never really connected with the car in the same way I did in the DC2.
I think the car is over-hyped and I bought it expecting it to be the best car I'd driven, so it was a little bit of a let down. Perhaps if I had lower expectations to start with...

heebeegeetee

28,601 posts

247 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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matt-ITR said:
I think the car is over-hyped and I bought it expecting it to be the best car I'd driven, so it was a little bit of a let down. Perhaps if I had lower expectations to start with...
I guess I'm starting to sound like an evangelist about this but... It's not that the car is over-rated or that everyone who raves about these cars is wrong, it's that you didn't get your geometry done.

The car has wishbone suspension all round and nigh on fully adjustable suspension (except for ride height and castor on the rear IIRC), but if the geo is out it becomes just another ordinary car to drive.

suffolk009

5,344 posts

164 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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I'm in south Suffolk on the Essex border. does anyone have first hand experience of a good place (near-ish) to get the geometry setup properly?

I don't think there's anything wrong with mine, but you never know....

snotrag

14,446 posts

210 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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suffolk009 said:
I don't think there's anything wrong with mine, but you never know....
Nobody does really, till they've had it fixed!

irvined

6 posts

215 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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IMO its a very practical sportscar, with a torsen it will push itself through most snow up to the level of the headlights.



And the boot has enough space for: 3 crates of beer, 2 ford crossflow long blocks, or a couple of medium sized suit cases which means you can use it as your daily driver pretty much all year round. When correctly set up, its pretty good fun on track or when you give it the beans on your favorite back road.

I bought my Eunos about 6 years ago for 1500GBP, i've done over 150000km since then, i check the oil occasionally, and service it when required, its had a few faults, but parts are cheap, and smiles for $$ spent, I don't think i'd be able to get anything better.

Currently debating what to do with mine, always fancied a Tuscan, but will that stand up to 30,000km a year and pretty much nonstop abuse?

chris7676

2,685 posts

219 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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Baryonyx said:
I often wonder where I'll go from owning an MX-5. I don't think there is any car that will entertain like an MX-5 will for the same money.
I found the MR2 being more entertaining and special wink
Both very good sports cars.

_Al_

5,550 posts

257 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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chris7676 said:
I found the MR2 being more entertaining and special wink
Both very good sports cars.
I loved my (mildly modified) MRT with a passion, but now I've owned an MX5 I do think I'd find the '2 to be a bit of an understeer monster.

The MRT had Koni adjustable suspension, GAB strut braces front & rear and an LSD but still wasn't in the same handling league as my bog standard 5.

As drivers cars they're very good, just for different reasons.

Digby

8,230 posts

245 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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heebeegeetee said:
I guess I'm starting to sound like an evangelist about this but... It's not that the car is over-rated or that everyone who raves about these cars is wrong, it's that you didn't get your geometry done.

The car has wishbone suspension all round and nigh on fully adjustable suspension (except for ride height and castor on the rear IIRC), but if the geo is out it becomes just another ordinary car to drive.
Or he simply had a doggy one? Mine borders on the fun levels my Westfield offered and it sat with far more expensive and quicker machines on a run a while back.If you can't fall in love with a decent MX-5, you may aswell give up driving and take the bus! hehe

There are plenty of people who have had things like Caterhams and atoms and will still agree they are a massive hoot!
I would like more straight line performance I must admit, but it doesn't take anything away from the car and if the roads are right, it's bonkers fast at covering ground.


heebeegeetee

28,601 posts

247 months

Friday 4th February 2011
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Digby said:
heebeegeetee said:
I guess I'm starting to sound like an evangelist about this but... It's not that the car is over-rated or that everyone who raves about these cars is wrong, it's that you didn't get your geometry done.

The car has wishbone suspension all round and nigh on fully adjustable suspension (except for ride height and castor on the rear IIRC), but if the geo is out it becomes just another ordinary car to drive.
Or he simply had a doggy one? Mine borders on the fun levels my Westfield offered and it sat with far more expensive and quicker machines on a run a while back.If you can't fall in love with a decent MX-5, you may aswell give up driving and take the bus! hehe

There are plenty of people who have had things like Caterhams and atoms and will still agree they are a massive hoot!
I would like more straight line performance I must admit, but it doesn't take anything away from the car and if the roads are right, it's bonkers fast at covering ground.
Agreed. Thing is though, my car was 7 years old and had had 4 owners when i bought it, but it (and many other MX5s) had had the wrong wheels fitted to it by the uk importer and i honestly don't think the geo had ever been done.

So there's seven years of ownership experience by people who had not enjoyed anything at all of what makes a 5 special, but they will of course, still to this day, offer their view of MX5 ownership based on their experience.

Which is why i don't necessarily think it's a good thing that cars like the MX5 have adjustable suspension, i would rather they didn't and that the cars were set right from when they leave the factory.

This especially applies to the UK where it can be very difficult to have things done properly.

GravelBen

15,656 posts

229 months

Friday 4th February 2011
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heebeegeetee said:
Which is why i don't necessarily think it's a good thing that cars like the MX5 have adjustable suspension, i would rather they didn't and that the cars were set right from when they leave the factory.
The thing is that every time it takes a good bump from a pothole things can get knocked a bit out of kilter regardless, but having the adjustability lets you return it to the way it should be.

I love the adjustability personally, for the cost of an alignment you can significantly change the feel and behaviour of the car to suit your driving style and intended use - being set from the factory they would have to go for a more conservative, understeery setup than many of us like.

Dift

1,620 posts

226 months

Friday 4th February 2011
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I came from a Honda powered Elise which had every box ticked. Massively fast, extremely capable... But needs meant it had to go. Bought a "cheap" mk2 mx5, threw some coilovers on, with a decent geo... And Im really enjoy it. I'm not really missing the speed/power of the Elise at the moment. I've even started on the slippy slope of modifying it too. frown

Very enjoyable car, and for me, right now, perfect.

bozzy101

506 posts

138 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
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I paid £2000 for my K reg V spec, kept it for 18 months and then sold it for £2000. Happy days!