It's getting expensive now

[Salgar]

1300 for a mk1 1.8
800 for new roof + door and rear wing respray (+ some dents fixed)
350 for new radiator, water pump, cam belt change, thermostat + housing + new pipes all round(did this myself)
and today being it's first MOT with me, 2x new sills, rebuilt completely 630 + 30 MOT

I should have bought a better one. I'm stupid. I would do it now, but i'll never sell it with rusty sills and no MOT. And now that all the problems have 'hopefully' been fixed, I might as well keep it.

[Horrocks]

Sometimes you get unfortunate with these things, if it makes you feel better, I have known many others in a similar situation.

I bought a 1990 Vauxhall Corsa; it passed every MOT for 2 years and never skipped a beat and cost me £600.

My mate at the time bought a 2007 Vauxhall Corsa with a similar non abused service background (lady owners the lot) and spent over £2000 in repairs and mine had double the mileage.

I would do the same if I were you, no point selling up now having spent that amount, take one on the chin and try and enjoy your time with it!

[xyyman]

On the bright side you have a really good car now, enjoy.

[Menguin]

Similar story here... Trying to choose between 3 cars:

£2200 budget MX5 turbo, looked like something could go wrong fast.
£3200 turbo MX5 - well sorted, looked good, just a few things.
£4000 turbo MX5 - really nice looking, loads spent, wants for nothing..

Due to finances at the time, I went for the middle road - 1 fooked turbo and new manifold later, I should've gone for the £4k one

You live and learn, and at least you know all the work you've done has been done well, and will last

[nicky.mattsson]

In a similar situation myself.
£1270 for a Mk1 1.8
Looked good when picking it up

£200 service including new hoses to sort coolant leak
£400 Hard top

Paint seems to have gone horribly flat in 2/3 weeks - hoping a good going over will sort it though
Needs a new soft top
1 rear arch is starting to bubble
Still leaking coolant (waterpump i think)

Mrs has said if its not the pump, im not spending anymore money on it

[Salgar]

The pump is the hardest part of the coolant system to replace, so you're okay there, as if it's anything else it'll be a lot cheaper.

[NiceCupOfTea]

pump shouldn't be expensive if you go to the right place.

[LukeBird]

xyyman said:

On the bright side you have a really good car now, enjoy.

Definitely.

A bit of a nightmare now, but post-work it will feel right when you head off for a blast!

[JFReturns]

Bit of a trip from London but Freelance Mazda are a good quality / reasonable.

[CaptainSlow]

I think it's always worth budgeting a bit extra when buying a car to get all the bits sorted.

I've had mine a month and a half and I've just spent out on belts/tensioners and new water pump. Will need a new hood to make perfect and some stage.

[NiceCupOfTea]

JFReturns said:

Bit of a trip from London but Freelance Mazda are a good quality / reasonable.

I get all my work done there - he's brilliant and cheap. Did my water pump very cheaply.

[NeoVR]

Similar here... car cost 1200 quid, and ive spent that again on top (the main one being a disintergrated sill) on bits and bobs.. but at least i know the car is sound and ive made it my-own along the way...

[CaptainSlow]

NiceCupOfTea said:

JFReturns said:

Bit of a trip from London but Freelance Mazda are a good quality / reasonable.

I get all my work done there - he's brilliant and cheap. Did my water pump very cheaply.

The prices do look good, do they include VAT? The hood offer looks very tempting.

[NiceCupOfTea]

CaptainSlow said:

NiceCupOfTea said:

JFReturns said:

Bit of a trip from London but Freelance Mazda are a good quality / reasonable.

I get all my work done there - he's brilliant and cheap. Did my water pump very cheaply.

The prices do look good, do they include VAT? The hood offer looks very tempting.

Can't remember about VAT - best bet is to give Mark a call and have a chat. The hood stuff is slightly out of date, I was going for a black vinyl one but he has just changed supplier as a lot of the other ones were coming back with split seams. Mine is BAS or BAR or something and seems very good. Decent quality black vinyl for £300 inc VAT and fitting I think.

Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 17th August 14:55

Edited a million times to sort broken quoting

Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 17th August 14:57

[Acquah]

Don't mean to gloat - I only say this to try and inject a bit of positivity to the proceedings, but I spent £1300 on mine and it's been faultless over the last 9 months or so. Sometimes it's just luck of the draw (and I should know as I've had my fair share of money pits over the years).

[JFReturns]

CaptainSlow said:

NiceCupOfTea said:

JFReturns said:

Bit of a trip from London but Freelance Mazda are a good quality / reasonable.

I get all my work done there - he's brilliant and cheap. Did my water pump very cheaply.

The prices do look good, do they include VAT? The hood offer looks very tempting.

Ah - the internet prices for the hood are wrong. Mine was £300 fitted, as the cheaper ones that they sold for the internet price were very poor quality and they had a lot of returns.

I might offer to take over the Freelance website, it is c**p!

EDIT: Cuppa beat me to it, but in a weird quote kinda way

Edited by JFReturns on Tuesday 17th August 14:51

[trace1967]

Keep it, mines a cat c - see my postings on mx5nutz (mazdamad). I just got some new mirrors for it as I dont really like the mx5 ones and they seem to be a very hefty price new or secondhand. I have spent a fortune on my car.

http://www.classic-car-accessories.co.uk/acatalog/...

also changed my spark plugs today. Next thing oil filter but a nice man can change that for me as I dont have the strength or nerve to get under the car and shift the sump nut.

air filter never needs changing now as I got a free k and n from a fellow mx5 owner.

[Office_Monkey]

Paid 1600 for mine a month and a bit ago. Serviced it myself a week after purchase, need a new head unit

Will get a garage to do:

New suspension - shocks seem ok but springs def need doing (one cracked)
Brakes - Discs and pads on F and R (might do this myself if I get time)
Exhaust - started blowing this week
Sills - rust is now starting to show on passenger side

Not cheap at all

[JFReturns]

What did you all expect - it is an old car after all, and consumables are called that for a reason. However, the parts are cheap compared to other cars.

I got discs and pads fitted all round for £180 - well under half what my 206 GTi cost.. I got a cat back SS exhaust brand new for £165 - again well under half what the GTi would cost. A brand new hood fitted for £300, brand new coilovers for £180 (I could carry on).

[covmutley]

Will these cars be future classics? You may claw some back? Either way you will have a great car. Me, I went for the £50 sill weld. Rest of the body work is a little shabby anyway and I just use it for fun and odd track day. May even get turned into a kit car in year or so. How many good condition Mx5's will be left in 5 years?