Convincing parents into trading first car for an Mk1 MX-5?
Discussion
Hi everyone. Confession time!
I've had my driver's license for a year now (19 years old), and I've been driving a '04 SEAT Ibiza (1.4L diesel, 75bhp). It's in good condition, and it's a very good car as it is (probably because it's basically a VW Polo with the great 1.4L engine first seen on the revolutionary Audi A2).
Here in Portugal this car is worth €5k to €6k in the classifieds, which is the same as the value of a used Mk1 MX-5.
Why would I want an Mk1 MX-5? It's the perfect car! Cheap, light, economical, beautiful, and more importantly - a lot of fun to drive (or so they say...). Oh and it's also a convertible so that could be a bonus during summer. And it's becoming a classic so it'll hold its value pretty well.
My dad has a Volvo S60 D3 (170bhp) and while it's much more powerful than my Ibiza it ends up feeling big and heavy. Same thing with my brother's Mk1 Audi TT (225bhp Quattro model). Powerful, but heavy. That's why I think I'd love an MX-5 so much.
I've talked about this with my brother, in a sort of serious way, but I've only joked about this with my parents. Deep down I know they're not going to trade my car for an MX-5, it's just a dream I have. The backseats in the Ibiza aren't used very often, but from time to time they're useful... And an MX-5 is an old car that would demand much more maintenance than any supermini. And then there's the fuel, which isn't too expensive as the MX-5 doesn't drink that much, but then again every car would drink more than the Ibiza.
As you can see this is just me talking about my dreams, not me asking you for help to convince my parents.
I'd really want to know what you guys think about this! And did you have similar dreams of a not-so-irrational sporty car when you were my age, while driving your first cars?
I've had my driver's license for a year now (19 years old), and I've been driving a '04 SEAT Ibiza (1.4L diesel, 75bhp). It's in good condition, and it's a very good car as it is (probably because it's basically a VW Polo with the great 1.4L engine first seen on the revolutionary Audi A2).
Here in Portugal this car is worth €5k to €6k in the classifieds, which is the same as the value of a used Mk1 MX-5.
Why would I want an Mk1 MX-5? It's the perfect car! Cheap, light, economical, beautiful, and more importantly - a lot of fun to drive (or so they say...). Oh and it's also a convertible so that could be a bonus during summer. And it's becoming a classic so it'll hold its value pretty well.
My dad has a Volvo S60 D3 (170bhp) and while it's much more powerful than my Ibiza it ends up feeling big and heavy. Same thing with my brother's Mk1 Audi TT (225bhp Quattro model). Powerful, but heavy. That's why I think I'd love an MX-5 so much.
I've talked about this with my brother, in a sort of serious way, but I've only joked about this with my parents. Deep down I know they're not going to trade my car for an MX-5, it's just a dream I have. The backseats in the Ibiza aren't used very often, but from time to time they're useful... And an MX-5 is an old car that would demand much more maintenance than any supermini. And then there's the fuel, which isn't too expensive as the MX-5 doesn't drink that much, but then again every car would drink more than the Ibiza.
As you can see this is just me talking about my dreams, not me asking you for help to convince my parents.
I'd really want to know what you guys think about this! And did you have similar dreams of a not-so-irrational sporty car when you were my age, while driving your first cars?
northwest monkey said:
Insurance in the UK can be expensive for "youngsters" on an MX5 - dunno what it's like in Portugal but worth checking first. Cover all your bases before presenting your case;)
I know, insurance, maintenance and fuel would all be an extra... But like I said, I'm not trying to convince them anyway, I just thought I'd share it with the community. elephantstone said:
Stop being a lazy student and get a job over the summer before you start studying again and buy one. You'll get more fanny if you have a soft top. Dont listen to the whole "its a girls car" argument.. girls just see a sportscar with no roof.
I honestly think the "girl car" argument is non-sense. Mr. Harris can drive it with a bag over his head but I'm ok with it haha!And over here (Portugal) you don't see many on the road so it feels more special than in the UK.
Either of your parents remotely petrol head-y? That'd help.
I patiently drove my first car, a 1.2 Clio, for two years during which time I stopped working part-time at a Supermarket and started an apprenticeship with an oil and gas company. As such I had a full time income, and by the time I wanted to trade up I had about four grand saved up. I quizzed my Dad (who is a petrol head) on which car I might buy if I wanted to 'learn to drive', with the hope of ending up with something like an mx-5 or an old Beemer and trackday prepping it. His response was "why don't you buy a Caterham, you could probably come racing in the graduates racing club with me eventually"... He lent me the last few grand and the rest is history. Almost exactly a year from buying it, having paid my debt and tried some trackdays, I was lining up on the grid for my first motor race.
Justify it thusly; it's like the old cars they learned to drive in. It'll make you a better driver. It's what you really want. It'll cost little more if anything, and you'll fund the extra.
Okay I was very lucky and had an income and understanding parents, but how can they shoot you down for wanting an mx-5? It's practical. It's not too fast. It'll be reliable. It won't depreciate.
I patiently drove my first car, a 1.2 Clio, for two years during which time I stopped working part-time at a Supermarket and started an apprenticeship with an oil and gas company. As such I had a full time income, and by the time I wanted to trade up I had about four grand saved up. I quizzed my Dad (who is a petrol head) on which car I might buy if I wanted to 'learn to drive', with the hope of ending up with something like an mx-5 or an old Beemer and trackday prepping it. His response was "why don't you buy a Caterham, you could probably come racing in the graduates racing club with me eventually"... He lent me the last few grand and the rest is history. Almost exactly a year from buying it, having paid my debt and tried some trackdays, I was lining up on the grid for my first motor race.
Justify it thusly; it's like the old cars they learned to drive in. It'll make you a better driver. It's what you really want. It'll cost little more if anything, and you'll fund the extra.
Okay I was very lucky and had an income and understanding parents, but how can they shoot you down for wanting an mx-5? It's practical. It's not too fast. It'll be reliable. It won't depreciate.
BritishRacinGrin said:
Either of your parents remotely petrol head-y? That'd help.
I patiently drove my first car, a 1.2 Clio, for two years during which time I stopped working part-time at a Supermarket and started an apprenticeship with an oil and gas company. As such I had a full time income, and by the time I wanted to trade up I had about four grand saved up. I quizzed my Dad (who is a petrol head) on which car I might buy if I wanted to 'learn to drive', with the hope of ending up with something like an mx-5 or an old Beemer and trackday prepping it. His response was "why don't you buy a Caterham, you could probably come racing in the graduates racing club with me eventually"... He lent me the last few grand and the rest is history. Almost exactly a year from buying it, having paid my debt and tried some trackdays, I was lining up on the grid for my first motor race.
Justify it thusly; it's like the old cars they learned to drive in. It'll make you a better driver. It's what you really want. It'll cost little more if anything, and you'll fund the extra.
Okay I was very lucky and had an income and understanding parents, but how can they shoot you down for wanting an mx-5? It's practical. It's not too fast. It'll be reliable. It won't depreciate.
That's a great story! Thanks for understanding I patiently drove my first car, a 1.2 Clio, for two years during which time I stopped working part-time at a Supermarket and started an apprenticeship with an oil and gas company. As such I had a full time income, and by the time I wanted to trade up I had about four grand saved up. I quizzed my Dad (who is a petrol head) on which car I might buy if I wanted to 'learn to drive', with the hope of ending up with something like an mx-5 or an old Beemer and trackday prepping it. His response was "why don't you buy a Caterham, you could probably come racing in the graduates racing club with me eventually"... He lent me the last few grand and the rest is history. Almost exactly a year from buying it, having paid my debt and tried some trackdays, I was lining up on the grid for my first motor race.
Justify it thusly; it's like the old cars they learned to drive in. It'll make you a better driver. It's what you really want. It'll cost little more if anything, and you'll fund the extra.
Okay I was very lucky and had an income and understanding parents, but how can they shoot you down for wanting an mx-5? It's practical. It's not too fast. It'll be reliable. It won't depreciate.
"It'll cost little more if anything" - according to the classifieds it might even cost a little less. It really is just a question of extra running costs (fuel, insurance, maintenance... as mentioned before). And the lack of back seats, but like I said, they're not used very often.
By the way, don't whatever you do, buy the cheapest one on the market because you think you can scrape together enough cash on the day. It'll be s
t and your parents will think you're a moron. Be patient, wait , and buy a reasonable one. That way you won't be faced with some uphill struggle rolling restoration project which'll see you using your bicycle or *shudder* public transport more than you might like.
t and your parents will think you're a moron. Be patient, wait , and buy a reasonable one. That way you won't be faced with some uphill struggle rolling restoration project which'll see you using your bicycle or *shudder* public transport more than you might like. BritishRacinGrin said:
By the way, don't whatever you do, buy the cheapest one on the market because you think you can scrape together enough cash on the day. It'll be st and your parents will think your a moron. Be patient, wait , and buy a reasonable one. That way you won't be faced with some uphill struggle rolling restoration project which'll see you using your bicycle or *shudder* public transport more than you might like.
Of course. If I had a go-ahead from my parents I'd start reading through all the forums to know what to expect and look for. Gather all the information I could and then start looking for the right one. t and your parents will think your a moron. Be patient, wait , and buy a reasonable one. That way you won't be faced with some uphill struggle rolling restoration project which'll see you using your bicycle or *shudder* public transport more than you might like. Sampaio said:
BritishRacinGrin said:
By the way, don't whatever you do, buy the cheapest one on the market because you think you can scrape together enough cash on the day. It'll be st and your parents will think your a moron. Be patient, wait , and buy a reasonable one. That way you won't be faced with some uphill struggle rolling restoration project which'll see you using your bicycle or *shudder* public transport more than you might like.
Of course. If I had a go-ahead from my parents I'd start reading through all the forums to know what to expect and look for. Gather all the information I could and then start looking for the right one. t and your parents will think your a moron. Be patient, wait , and buy a reasonable one. That way you won't be faced with some uphill struggle rolling restoration project which'll see you using your bicycle or *shudder* public transport more than you might like. A list of things to look out for..
1. Rust
2. Rust
3. Rust
elephantstone said:
Sampaio said:
BritishRacinGrin said:
By the way, don't whatever you do, buy the cheapest one on the market because you think you can scrape together enough cash on the day. It'll be st and your parents will think your a moron. Be patient, wait , and buy a reasonable one. That way you won't be faced with some uphill struggle rolling restoration project which'll see you using your bicycle or *shudder* public transport more than you might like.
Of course. If I had a go-ahead from my parents I'd start reading through all the forums to know what to expect and look for. Gather all the information I could and then start looking for the right one. t and your parents will think your a moron. Be patient, wait , and buy a reasonable one. That way you won't be faced with some uphill struggle rolling restoration project which'll see you using your bicycle or *shudder* public transport more than you might like. A list of things to look out for..
1. Rust
2. Rust
3. Rust
Does it help that it rains a lot less over here than it does in the UK? Also, the temperature is generally higher and it never EVER snows.
We also have a garage where I could keep the car.
My last car was a mk1 mx5. Great wee car for the money. Rust is the biggest issue in Britain due to salt on the roads. They rot from the inside out.
Great cars for learning rwd car control at lower speeds and are good fun on trackdays and back roads. Read up on the forums for common issues before you go look at any. And try look at some others to get a feel
. You won't regret getting one.
Great cars for learning rwd car control at lower speeds and are good fun on trackdays and back roads. Read up on the forums for common issues before you go look at any. And try look at some others to get a feel
. You won't regret getting one. I struggled to get my mum to agree to me buying an MX5 (i was 20 years old)
In the end she was much more excepting of the 400hp v8 Jag that i bought instead.
It cost me a fortune, whereas i assume the mx5 would have been as fruggle as a mouse.
The mx5 was too old and wont stop breaking down, she said.
In the end she was much more excepting of the 400hp v8 Jag that i bought instead.
It cost me a fortune, whereas i assume the mx5 would have been as fruggle as a mouse.
The mx5 was too old and wont stop breaking down, she said.
Okay, I have a daughter aged 18 and a son who is 21 very soon.
They are currently insured on my wife's 51 reg cooper as named drivers, at a cost of erm £1800 extra.
If we'd put them as named drivers on the Monza Spec mk1 Mx5 (as in UK poverty spec 1.6 90 bhp) it would have been cheaper by £500.
There were too reasons we as responsible parents choose not to save our money.
1) The car has no crash protection, no airbags, no roll over bars, and it's a bit dodgy in the rain and given youthful enthusiasm it will swap ends (ask me how I as a mature 47 year old know this, and you'll realise that I've explored the handling and found it no worse that the 1983 1.6 sierra I learnt to drive in)
2) If I want one or other of the kids to give me a lift to the pub, it might be nice if we could take my wife.
What I would say though is that when they pay the bills they can choose whatever car they want. (I will of course give them the benefit of my misguided opinions even if they don't ask for it)
They are currently insured on my wife's 51 reg cooper as named drivers, at a cost of erm £1800 extra.
If we'd put them as named drivers on the Monza Spec mk1 Mx5 (as in UK poverty spec 1.6 90 bhp) it would have been cheaper by £500.
There were too reasons we as responsible parents choose not to save our money.
1) The car has no crash protection, no airbags, no roll over bars, and it's a bit dodgy in the rain and given youthful enthusiasm it will swap ends (ask me how I as a mature 47 year old know this, and you'll realise that I've explored the handling and found it no worse that the 1983 1.6 sierra I learnt to drive in)
2) If I want one or other of the kids to give me a lift to the pub, it might be nice if we could take my wife.
What I would say though is that when they pay the bills they can choose whatever car they want. (I will of course give them the benefit of my misguided opinions even if they don't ask for it)
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