Help me!

[V6]

In direct opposition to PH tradition, rather than starting a 'what car' thread only to have all my needs ignored and an MX-5 suggested, I actually WANT an MX-5!

I have suffered FWD for too long and yearn to learn the ways of RWD. I also am going bald and so am running out of time for appreciating the wind in my hair

I am not rich at the moment - far from it. I would appreciate some advice on the lower end of the market - how much should I spend to ensure I don't get a moneypit (bearing in mind my last two cars were Alfas)? What are the common problems/work that I should check has been done? What sort of yearly maintenance spend can I expect?

Any advice much appreciated

[bluetone]

The good news is that (IMHO) some of the cheapest are the best ie. Mk1's (designated NA as opposed to the Mk2 (NB) and the latest Mk3's (NC)) - you should be able to pick up a sub 100k mile example for about a grand if bought privately, though I have seen some nice looking examples go on fleabay for less than this. Apart from usual signs of decent/regular servicing, not necessarily main dealer at this end of the market, you should check the sill area ahead of the rear wheels - prone to rusting. If the oil needs changing (mine needs doing every 3500 miles), the engine can sound quite tappety; this is the Hydraulic Lash Adjusters complaining about needing fresh oil and is part of the car's character The unlikely named Dandy Cars are in your neck of the woods; they often have new 2nd-hand imports from Japan in-stock and the differences between these and UK cars are negligable (less rust perhaps!) but you may need to shop around for insurance on a grey import.

For reliability and performance I went for the no-frills 1.8i = no electric windows, wing mirrors, aircon etc = less to go wrong. Be aware that late 1.6 cars are to be avoided as they had a neutered (90bhp) engine to differentiate from the 1.8. Early 1.6 cars also worth considering, esp. if they were 1st registered before the more stringent MOT emissions check applies I don't recall teh date I'm afraid (pre- '94 perhaps?).

http://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/forums/t/425.aspx

Have fun looking, there are loads out there and I would suggest the OC and MX5Nutz as decent resources for well cared-for examples. Be aware that you may have a hard time convincing ppl there car's really are worth very little nowadays as some have unrealistic expectations of their value..

I would budget £300 p.a. for maintenance; parts supply is very good for these cars - MX5PARTS is a well-respected supplier I have used loads and their website will give you an idea of parts prices. You will find a fair few 5s in Breakers yards these days also.

Edited by bluetone on Tuesday 24th February 05:37

[OnlyMX5ives]

I'd suggest that you'd have to be very lucky to find a decent car below £1500.

Main problem is rust on the rear sills - relatively cheap and easy to fix and rust on the rear arches - find another car IMO.

Go and look at a few is the best option.