I want an MX-5!
Discussion
I have been thinking about getting an MX-5 MK1, In 1.8 S Guise.
First things first
I cannot insure a Eunos(Import) so thats a no go, the car will be a second car and im not fussy on colour, I will be doing all the work on the car myself(im no mechanic but im hoping I will be able to teach myself a lot, im mechanically minded however).
The 1.6 is more expensive on insurance for me but still bareable, so thats an option, The car will be a weekend car, and I will be hopefully going to take it on the occaisional trackday.
What sort of a budget do I need for a decent MK1 MX-5 UK car thats not rusty, and will be abused, if I crash it on a trackday im not going to cry myself to sleep at the though of losing a lot of money, I will get tuition before heading on track though.
I Was thinking around £1000 for the car(again im expecting a tatty mess, but I want it relativly rust free) then £600 for everything else, (Tyres, LSD, Bucket, Harness) things like coilovers will come later on.
Am I mad, do I need a bigger budget?
First things first
I cannot insure a Eunos(Import) so thats a no go, the car will be a second car and im not fussy on colour, I will be doing all the work on the car myself(im no mechanic but im hoping I will be able to teach myself a lot, im mechanically minded however).
The 1.6 is more expensive on insurance for me but still bareable, so thats an option, The car will be a weekend car, and I will be hopefully going to take it on the occaisional trackday.
What sort of a budget do I need for a decent MK1 MX-5 UK car thats not rusty, and will be abused, if I crash it on a trackday im not going to cry myself to sleep at the though of losing a lot of money, I will get tuition before heading on track though.
I Was thinking around £1000 for the car(again im expecting a tatty mess, but I want it relativly rust free) then £600 for everything else, (Tyres, LSD, Bucket, Harness) things like coilovers will come later on.
Am I mad, do I need a bigger budget?
Edited by LukeR94 on Thursday 4th September 10:42
1st thing - Rust. Its gonna be very hard to find a decent car for that price.
What i would do is try and find a car with the parts fitted. I have recently bought a Mk2 1.8s with BC coilovers and a few other bits for £1150. The car has a tiny bit of rust but other than that its solid.
Try mx5 forums and theres also an MX5 buy and sell facebook group, pretty useful to find a car with good base mods
What i would do is try and find a car with the parts fitted. I have recently bought a Mk2 1.8s with BC coilovers and a few other bits for £1150. The car has a tiny bit of rust but other than that its solid.
Try mx5 forums and theres also an MX5 buy and sell facebook group, pretty useful to find a car with good base mods
Why can't you insure a Eunos? Would recommend greenlight as they don't charge extra for mods. Admiral charged me £200 for adding a rollbar when I was 22. Greenlight require you to be over 25 I think though.
The main difference is the LSD (ignoring all the fancy electric switches/AC if it's going to be a track car). Changing the diff over is a big job, particularly if you've only got axle stands.
However, with a Eunos it's much easier to find a less rusty car. Every single bolt on my UK 10AE was rusted on and snapped before coming out. An oxy torch was even required to loosen some parts.
Difference between the 1.6 and 1.8 is personal preference. I prefer the locking diff on the 1.8. Some prefer the reviness of the 1.6.
The main difference is the LSD (ignoring all the fancy electric switches/AC if it's going to be a track car). Changing the diff over is a big job, particularly if you've only got axle stands.
However, with a Eunos it's much easier to find a less rusty car. Every single bolt on my UK 10AE was rusted on and snapped before coming out. An oxy torch was even required to loosen some parts.
Difference between the 1.6 and 1.8 is personal preference. I prefer the locking diff on the 1.8. Some prefer the reviness of the 1.6.
I did exactly this in August 2012.
Don't.
Like you, I couldn't get insurance on a Eunos (I was only 18) so I went for a 1995 1.8 iS UK car. It cost me £1125, and it looked rust free. I'd read everything I could find on where to check for rust, duly checked, and came away happy.
The roof started leaking in the winter (it had a receipt for a recently fitted new one from Mazda). The airbag light came on and would not go off no matter what was done. I just lived with it.
The gearbox started making a whining/bearing-y type noise of death, so I took it to a Mazda specialist who told me it was the clutch release bearing, and that it would be fine until I got the clutch replaced.
About 2 months later, the gearbox destroyed itself and left me with only 2 gears, 4th and reverse. That was a fun drive home! So I sold it as spares and bought my current car. To add insult to financial injury, the guy I sold it to uncovered a load of badly repaired, lazily undersealed rust in the floor!
Would I have another mk1 MX-5? Oh yes. When it worked, I loved it. Utterly brilliant fun to drive. Cannot recommend it enough.
Would I have another mk1 MX-5 at this price point? Nope. Too much aggro and too much possibility of getting a moneypit.
My advice is save your money (and generate some NCB) in whatever you drive now, and buy a mk1 in a year or two years' time when you've got more cash to throw at it.
Hope this helps
Don't.
Like you, I couldn't get insurance on a Eunos (I was only 18) so I went for a 1995 1.8 iS UK car. It cost me £1125, and it looked rust free. I'd read everything I could find on where to check for rust, duly checked, and came away happy.
The roof started leaking in the winter (it had a receipt for a recently fitted new one from Mazda). The airbag light came on and would not go off no matter what was done. I just lived with it.
The gearbox started making a whining/bearing-y type noise of death, so I took it to a Mazda specialist who told me it was the clutch release bearing, and that it would be fine until I got the clutch replaced.
About 2 months later, the gearbox destroyed itself and left me with only 2 gears, 4th and reverse. That was a fun drive home! So I sold it as spares and bought my current car. To add insult to financial injury, the guy I sold it to uncovered a load of badly repaired, lazily undersealed rust in the floor!
Would I have another mk1 MX-5? Oh yes. When it worked, I loved it. Utterly brilliant fun to drive. Cannot recommend it enough.
Would I have another mk1 MX-5 at this price point? Nope. Too much aggro and too much possibility of getting a moneypit.
My advice is save your money (and generate some NCB) in whatever you drive now, and buy a mk1 in a year or two years' time when you've got more cash to throw at it.
Hope this helps
I bought my MX5 for £1500 with coil-overs, hydraulic handbrake and a cage.
Just 7 years later, having only managed three seasons of various drifting championships and another 4 years of autotests and drift practice days, it totally fell to bits. Maybe it would have lasted longer without the turbo, or not being driven all winter.
Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.
Just 7 years later, having only managed three seasons of various drifting championships and another 4 years of autotests and drift practice days, it totally fell to bits. Maybe it would have lasted longer without the turbo, or not being driven all winter.
Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.
My Eunos is really showing it's age at the moment. In 2 years from a relatively tidy example it's turned into a money pit, and I'm quite fastidious with my maintenance too.
I think a lot of them are now becoming enthusiasts cars to tinker with and drive when the sun is shining. Mine is going off the road and into my garage where I can restore it in my own time.
I think a lot of them are now becoming enthusiasts cars to tinker with and drive when the sun is shining. Mine is going off the road and into my garage where I can restore it in my own time.
bicycleshorts said:
LukeR94 said:
Due to my age mainly.
Its a shame because I would rather have a Eunos.
Really? The likes of Admiral etc. insured me at 22 on one. Admittedly it was more expensive, but only a couple of hundred quid (i.e. less than the cost of a Torsen LSD).Its a shame because I would rather have a Eunos.
LukeR94 said:
bicycleshorts said:
LukeR94 said:
Due to my age mainly.
Its a shame because I would rather have a Eunos.
Really? The likes of Admiral etc. insured me at 22 on one. Admittedly it was more expensive, but only a couple of hundred quid (i.e. less than the cost of a Torsen LSD).Its a shame because I would rather have a Eunos.
Osinjak said:
You can have my Mk1 for a bag of sand, it's got to go in the next four weeks or so. I was going to track it but not sure if I can be arsed to be honest as it means having 3 cars and I really don't need the expense!
PM details please.Edited by Osinjak on Friday 5th September 00:31
Is it rust free?
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