Friday 5th August 2016

Shed Of The Week: Mazda MX-5

Grab a sub-£1K MX-5 MK1 while you still can!

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Shed strongly believes in the principle of recycling. He gave Mrs Shed a washer and dryer the other day. Thanks to his principled stand on waste, it cost him nothing. The washer was left over from an A35 rebuild and he found the clothes peg on the lawn.

History does not record Mrs Shed's verbal response. Suffice it to say that Shed is now spending one evening per week at the local launderette. He's bravely seeing this as a silver lining to the dark cloud of his matrimonial situation.

Hello happy chappy!

PHers of a similar salvaging bent to Shed may be interested in this UK spec MX-5. It comes with a decent registration number and a long history of enthusiastic conservation.

More importantly perhaps it's a rolling opportunity to preserve a slice of Japanese motoring heritage and have fun on the roads at the same time. Well, not at exactly the same time, but you know what we mean.

With real, fully paid-up loonies now attempting to run the asylum, it's tough to know what the future holds. One thing you can say with absolute certainty however is that the supply of early MX-5s is only going one way. The days of sound Mk 1s under £1,000 are definitely numbered.

As we know, PH padrone Dan owns a Mk1, and he's hanging on to it. Not just because he loves driving it but also because he's from Yorkshire and is expecting to make a slow but sure killing on his (considerable) investment as rival cars die off.

The ad for this one is good. It contains a plausible reason for selling and plenty of specific and reassuring information about work already carried out.

Rust doesn't look too bad just yet...

Most PHers will need no lecturing on the good and bad points of this seminal sportster. For a quick walkthrough on the commonest issues you could do a lot worse than to read the ad.

Then, for more detailed info, check yourself into PH's very own and very excellent dedicated Mazda MX5/Eunos/Miata thread - 334 pages of insider gold and contact deets for recommended service providers - and have a gange at Munter's superb buying guide, here.

As a quick glance at the wheelarches and underbonnet area will reveal, there are opportunities for further refurbishment. The vendor assures us that these jobs won't be taxing. It's a great little project for anyone who likes tinkering, safe in the knowledge that there'll always be a fix available.

Get it before Dan does, as the only refurbishment tool he'd be using on it would be a 14 pound sledgehammer.

Here's the ad.

Selling on behalf of a good friend is a great example of the Mazda MX5 MK1, UK spec. I purchased the car from a lady at work in 2010, and sold to my friend in 2013. He is now selling due to the purchase of a house and a need for more space for DIY activities (E34 Touring has already replaced it).

The car was registered in Jersey in 1993, before coming to England in 1996. In the mid 2000s it had a series of upgrades which are still present today, including adjustable shock absorbers, upgraded exhaust and the original wheels painted anthracite (receipts all present). I have had three MK1 MX5s, this was my last, and this was by far and away the best to drive. Being a early 1.6 it had the more powerful 114bhp engine compared to the later ones, and coupled with the lighter flywheel I found it much more fun than the two 1.8s which both felt tired. It sounds great, handles like a go-kart and you will be having loads of fun without breaking the speed limit whilst still doing 30mpg!

Apart from being a great little sports car it is also seriously reliable. The lady I bought it from at work also bought it from someone at work in 2006. She subsequently used it as her daily for 4 years, and whilst the commute was short, there were no issues. Same for me, 3 years, 8,000 miles with no issues, and same for the latest owner. Preventative maintenance and a good welder have helped, but this is good to go with no major concerns mechanically. The car has had regular oil changes throughout its life, with the last 3,700 miles ago and receipts to prove this. It comes with long MoT also, valid until June 22nd 2017.

For its age the paperwork that comes with the car is impressive. There are many receipts dating back to the 90s, original service book is present which is either fully stamped or nearly fully stamped. Many other receipts for various work over the last 23 years are also present.

Over the last 3 years the owner has carried out plenty of preventative maintenance.

Details below:

- New clutch slave and master cylinders and clutch fluid refreshed
- New Panasonic battery fitted in boot. This was not cheap (£140) but Panasonic made the original battery and they are far superior to the cheaper options out there
- Replacement rear light unit
- New brake lines (front to rear and cross axle)
- Welding/re-spraying on both rear wheel arches to fix rust holes
- £500 worth of welding to sills (nearside and offside) to replace rusted areas in September 2013. This was not a quick patch-up job, the guy spent 2 days rebuilding the internal structure of the sills. It was not cheap but will last much longer than a patch-up.
- New drivers side door speaker

As with all MK1 MX-5s there are quirks. Whilst the car is structurally sounds, as proved by no structural advisories on the MoT, and many £100s spent in the last few years to make it solid, there is surface rust around the rear arches and a couple of other places on the bodywork. This is cosmetic. Whilst talking about cosmetic condition, the windscreen has a couple of stone chips, and there are the scratch and dent in keeping with its age and mileage. The main one is a dent in the passenger door, which occurred when I had it, but never bothered me or the latest owner. Other issues include the electric windows which don't work. The driver's window falls opens slightly when driving so needs pulling up after every journey or so.

Also including in the sale are:

- Tonneau cover
- Waterproofing spray for hood
- Space saver spare tyre

This is a great little car that is mechanically and structurally sound, ready to be used for what is left of the summer. It isn't perfect and a little rough around the edges, but it is an honest example that will not let you down. I suspect it will sell quickly, the owner wants to sell quickly due to space constraints and I am hoping it will make SOTW!

Any questions contact me on 07789 774266, and I will pass you onto Paul, the owner, if you are seriously interested.

Thanks

Matt

 

[grumpy52]

Yawn.

[grumpy52]

MX51ROD said:

grumpy52 said:

Yawn.

Typical of someone who is not interested in a particular car , but still has to post a silly comment .
If you are not interested in MX5s why did you even bother to read the thread .


Your comment sums up your comment

PS just looked at your garage ,pipe and slippers

Edited by MX51ROD on Friday 5th August 10:07

[/quote
Each to their own .
My posted garage is only a very small percentage of the cars that I have owned .The yawn was a reflection on the lack of imagination on this weeks shed .
I look for something that was expensive when new (mx5 was never expensive)
Unusual or qwerky the MX5 is none of these .
Also the hidden Q cars overlooked or forgotten.