Cheap MX5, possible money pit?
Discussion
Hi all, first foray into this bit of the forums, as I'm seriously considering an MX5. My girlfriend has been driven around in her friend's Megane convertible, now she wants a car with no roof... As far as I'm concerned a MK1 MX5 is the obvious option.
My budget can only stretch to about £800 though (long story), do I have any chance of finding a decent car at that budget, which won't cost the earth in running costs and repairs for the next MOT?
My budget can only stretch to about £800 though (long story), do I have any chance of finding a decent car at that budget, which won't cost the earth in running costs and repairs for the next MOT?
There are plenty of good ones for under a grand. I paid £400 for mine and apart from a wheel bearing on the whole it's been very reliable.
I have a mate who buys and sells alot of MX-5's and he always turns them around for less than £1,000.
Have a look on www.mx5nutz.com and look in the for sale section. There are a few for less than 1k
I have a mate who buys and sells alot of MX-5's and he always turns them around for less than £1,000.
Have a look on www.mx5nutz.com and look in the for sale section. There are a few for less than 1k
VladD said:
Buggles said:
Well, in my experience I'd say no. I would say a minimum 1000 for one that's not going to cost you a bit in repairs for it's next MOT.
I'd say that was true of any car in that price bracket though, not just an MX5.What's most likely to be costly, apart from the sills?
Mk1 MX5 prices are on the floor at the moment - I struggled to sell my immaculate 1989 import Mk1 with almost new hood, absolutely no rust and a year's MOT for £850. I'm sure I could find another at the moment for less.
I did however view about 10 others before finding it, the vast majority of which were rotten.
I did however view about 10 others before finding it, the vast majority of which were rotten.
Ive just had my s-special written off so are on the look out too.
I paid 1000 for it last July and it was in great condition bar the roof that leaked a bit. It just sailed through a MOT and was rust free.
The sun this week hasnt helped prices though :/
depends what spec you are after and how long you want to wait, but you should get some thing soild and fun for 1k.
I paid 1000 for it last July and it was in great condition bar the roof that leaked a bit. It just sailed through a MOT and was rust free.
The sun this week hasnt helped prices though :/
depends what spec you are after and how long you want to wait, but you should get some thing soild and fun for 1k.
Alex - I'm also on the look out. Was really liking the look/sound of this, until I realised it was near Manchester (long way from me).
Your profile suggests you might be a bit (albeit not a LOT) closer?
http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...
Your profile suggests you might be a bit (albeit not a LOT) closer?
http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...
I actually have one that might well suit you down to the ground.
It's structurally sound unlike most, had all the welding done underneath.
On top it needs a very good polish as it's had some paintwork and needs compounding down now.
Comes on steel wheels but has the original alloys as well.
Good interior, needs a new seat back fitting to the drivers side for the usual bolster wear but I have the seat back.
Mechanically it's spot on, needs a new rear caliper which I will do.
Comes with tax and test till around the end of the year. I'll do the cosmetic jobs as well.
I'm only selling as to be honest I'm bored of it, was planning to break it for bits as the hood etc. Is very good and it will break well but I'd sooner see it go to good use.
The car is a 1996 Black 1.8 IS (electric windows, ABS, Airbag etc.)
I'm only in East Yorks too.
It's structurally sound unlike most, had all the welding done underneath.
On top it needs a very good polish as it's had some paintwork and needs compounding down now.
Comes on steel wheels but has the original alloys as well.
Good interior, needs a new seat back fitting to the drivers side for the usual bolster wear but I have the seat back.
Mechanically it's spot on, needs a new rear caliper which I will do.
Comes with tax and test till around the end of the year. I'll do the cosmetic jobs as well.
I'm only selling as to be honest I'm bored of it, was planning to break it for bits as the hood etc. Is very good and it will break well but I'd sooner see it go to good use.
The car is a 1996 Black 1.8 IS (electric windows, ABS, Airbag etc.)
I'm only in East Yorks too.
there's a really really nice looking white one on nutz at the moment - £900 and it's probably got at least £800 of nice stuff on it (new wheels, roof, suspension, exhaust), plus looks to be pretty solid. if i was in the market for another car, i'd snap this one up.
http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...
http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...
skinny said:
there's a really really nice looking white one on nutz at the moment - £900 and it's probably got at least £800 of nice stuff on it (new wheels, roof, suspension, exhaust), plus looks to be pretty solid. if i was in the market for another car, i'd snap this one up.
http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...
It does look really nice but as with all these things, there are a couple of things to be aware of...MOT runs out in October, Tax runs out in August and it has "a small amount of rust around the arches".http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...
That is all taken from the vendors comments within that thread.
Doesn't look a bad motor though, and I say that as the bloke trying to sell a different one!!
But the lesson I have learnt with these cars (and this isn't me pitching my car) is cosmetics are easy it's honesty that is hard to find with these cars.
I had 2 one I bought for myself last year, just been MOTd and a bit raggy round the edges.
1 I bought a few months ago for my ex.
The one I bought was cosmetically challenged, I've slowly worked it to the state it is now which while looking as bad as it ever has because it's flatted down after having fresh paint with a few hours polishing it will look fantastic. But it's not given me any problems at all, it's solid underneath as it was welded before I got it and has been all over the country.
The one I bought for Emma was gorgeous. A Dakar edition in the twilight blue with grey leather, beautiful shiny bodywork with near perfect arches...........................
And virtually no outer floors or sills.
A good weeks worth of panel making and welding.
Then rear shocks that wouldn't come out of the wishbones as the captives span - horrible job.
Knackered brakes all round.
Then after fitting the fan belt that was ominously missing (horrible job) I had to take it all apart again to fit a new alternator as it was knacked (even more horrible job) It then turned out that the Alternator supplied was the wrong type so I had to do it all again swapping the alternator off mine (now become a soul destroying job).
To top it all off I now need to swap the new alternator back on to my old car. While I am now very good at mx5 alternators I can honestly say I never want to do another one ever again.
So pretty isn't always good.
But the lesson I have learnt with these cars (and this isn't me pitching my car) is cosmetics are easy it's honesty that is hard to find with these cars.
I had 2 one I bought for myself last year, just been MOTd and a bit raggy round the edges.
1 I bought a few months ago for my ex.
The one I bought was cosmetically challenged, I've slowly worked it to the state it is now which while looking as bad as it ever has because it's flatted down after having fresh paint with a few hours polishing it will look fantastic. But it's not given me any problems at all, it's solid underneath as it was welded before I got it and has been all over the country.
The one I bought for Emma was gorgeous. A Dakar edition in the twilight blue with grey leather, beautiful shiny bodywork with near perfect arches...........................
And virtually no outer floors or sills.
A good weeks worth of panel making and welding.
Then rear shocks that wouldn't come out of the wishbones as the captives span - horrible job.
Knackered brakes all round.
Then after fitting the fan belt that was ominously missing (horrible job) I had to take it all apart again to fit a new alternator as it was knacked (even more horrible job) It then turned out that the Alternator supplied was the wrong type so I had to do it all again swapping the alternator off mine (now become a soul destroying job).
To top it all off I now need to swap the new alternator back on to my old car. While I am now very good at mx5 alternators I can honestly say I never want to do another one ever again.
So pretty isn't always good.
Hello All,
Have just joined the forum and been reading through old threads to try an build my knowledge about all things MX5.
Came across this thread and discussions of what you can get for less than £800...and there is a link to white car on mx5 nutz that looked spookily familiar !
I bought the white car in the advert linked for £600 in the summer - it has full history from day 1 in 2 huge binders of paperwork, has all original panels and as the advert stated lots of new parts. It,s never been advised on an MOT.
Bad bits - the paint work was really flat, headlamps were powered by candles, the wiper blades shot - in all nothing that a few gallons of t-cut and a few quid couldn't sort. The rust around the arches is there', but is not significant and will be sorted this summer (crossing fingers here - would settle for drier :-) )
Have had a huge amount of fun driving it, fettling it and just grinning that for such a small amount of cash you really can have a very big smile.
I realize that there are probably lots of bad cars / sellers, but I,d say low cost mx5's /eunos make a lot of sense.
Rich
Have just joined the forum and been reading through old threads to try an build my knowledge about all things MX5.
Came across this thread and discussions of what you can get for less than £800...and there is a link to white car on mx5 nutz that looked spookily familiar !
I bought the white car in the advert linked for £600 in the summer - it has full history from day 1 in 2 huge binders of paperwork, has all original panels and as the advert stated lots of new parts. It,s never been advised on an MOT.
Bad bits - the paint work was really flat, headlamps were powered by candles, the wiper blades shot - in all nothing that a few gallons of t-cut and a few quid couldn't sort. The rust around the arches is there', but is not significant and will be sorted this summer (crossing fingers here - would settle for drier :-) )
Have had a huge amount of fun driving it, fettling it and just grinning that for such a small amount of cash you really can have a very big smile.
I realize that there are probably lots of bad cars / sellers, but I,d say low cost mx5's /eunos make a lot of sense.
Rich
Hello All,
Have just joined the forum and been reading through old threads to try an build my knowledge about all things MX5.
Came across this thread and discussions of what you can get for less than £800...and there is a link to white car on mx5 nutz that looked spookily familiar !
I bought the white car in the advert linked for £600 in the summer - it has full history from day 1 in 2 huge binders of paperwork, has all original panels and as the advert stated lots of new parts. It,s never been advised on an MOT.
Bad bits - the paint work was really flat, headlamps were powered by candles, the wiper blades shot - in all nothing that a few gallons of t-cut and a few quid couldn't sort. The rust around the arches is there', but is not significant and will be sorted this summer (crossing fingers here - would settle for drier :-) )
Have had a huge amount of fun driving it, fettling it and just grinning that for such a small amount of cash you really can have a very big smile.
I realize that there are probably lots of bad cars / sellers, but I,d say low cost mx5's /eunos make a lot of sense.
Rich
Have just joined the forum and been reading through old threads to try an build my knowledge about all things MX5.
Came across this thread and discussions of what you can get for less than £800...and there is a link to white car on mx5 nutz that looked spookily familiar !
I bought the white car in the advert linked for £600 in the summer - it has full history from day 1 in 2 huge binders of paperwork, has all original panels and as the advert stated lots of new parts. It,s never been advised on an MOT.
Bad bits - the paint work was really flat, headlamps were powered by candles, the wiper blades shot - in all nothing that a few gallons of t-cut and a few quid couldn't sort. The rust around the arches is there', but is not significant and will be sorted this summer (crossing fingers here - would settle for drier :-) )
Have had a huge amount of fun driving it, fettling it and just grinning that for such a small amount of cash you really can have a very big smile.
I realize that there are probably lots of bad cars / sellers, but I,d say low cost mx5's /eunos make a lot of sense.
Rich
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