My First Car - Mazda MX5 1.8
Discussion
Hi all,
Well after 2 and a bit years of driving around in the now departed Micra I collected this morning my first car. A 2003 Mazda MX5 1.8.
Now I know it’s the MK2 and to some they think it’s crap in comparison to the Mk1 (which I prefer looks wise), but for my first car I’m pretty darn happy! Please do read on!
I considered all sorts of cars when choosing my first. Of course, being a petrol head it wasn’t just going to be a dull hatchback. First and foremost on my list was a Volvo 850 T5. I went in one belonging to good friend/PH’er Geekman and was smittened, but potentially high running costs put me off. Again a Jaguar XJ 3.2 was considered, but bork factor/ running costs were scary.
Next was the Toyota MR2 . Again a cracking car, and I had the pleasure of doing a track day/ tour of the Brecon Beacons in my other good friend/PH’er Synchromesh’s one (which now belongs to Geekman
). I loved it, and was actually due to see one today (A 1993 model with 39k on the clock!) – Had this Mazda been a bit of a dog I’d probably have gone for the MR2, it looked that good!
Then we come to the MX5. I love the conventional ‘sports car’ layout, engine at the front, and rear wheel drive. And despite not being the biggest fan of oversteer (on the road), I still liked the idea of a ‘traditional’ roadster. It’s not a massively fast car by any means, but the driving experience is sublime.
The car has just over 45,000 miles, making it a fairly low mileage example for its age. I was being very cautious about which MX5 to go for as they seemed to be getting to the age where rusty sills made themselves known and the cambelt/ chains needed replacing. Well this car is perfect underneath and the belts/ chains were replaced by the previous owner just a few months ago.
I went to view the car yesterday at a small independent dealer and took it out on some fantastic driving roads. Even in damp conditions this thing was an absolute hoot to drive. I just knew I HAD to have this car.
When we got back a deal was struck – two new tyres and an MOT, all for £2900. Insurance, thankfully should be reasonable too (multicar policy will be renewed in the new year).
We picked up the car bright and early today and made the journey back from Essex to Kent in good time – One thing I have noticed is at higher speeds is that there is a slight wheel wobble. I’m going to get this investigated. I’m hoping it’s just a wheel balancing/ alignment issue.
Otherwise for the rest of the day I’ve been hooning this about on some local country roads and I’ve had so much fun. The engine is perky and revvy, and very good progress is possible when in the right gear/ revvs and speed. I even met someone out of their Sunday hoon in a Lotus Elise going in the opposite direction. We must have passed one another 3 or 4 times!
Anyway, I’m boring myself with my writing (and you no doubt
) so I hope you enjoy the photos , and I’m hoping to continue updating this thread with my time with the little MX5.
Well after 2 and a bit years of driving around in the now departed Micra I collected this morning my first car. A 2003 Mazda MX5 1.8.
Now I know it’s the MK2 and to some they think it’s crap in comparison to the Mk1 (which I prefer looks wise), but for my first car I’m pretty darn happy! Please do read on!
I considered all sorts of cars when choosing my first. Of course, being a petrol head it wasn’t just going to be a dull hatchback. First and foremost on my list was a Volvo 850 T5. I went in one belonging to good friend/PH’er Geekman and was smittened, but potentially high running costs put me off. Again a Jaguar XJ 3.2 was considered, but bork factor/ running costs were scary.
Next was the Toyota MR2 . Again a cracking car, and I had the pleasure of doing a track day/ tour of the Brecon Beacons in my other good friend/PH’er Synchromesh’s one (which now belongs to Geekman
). I loved it, and was actually due to see one today (A 1993 model with 39k on the clock!) – Had this Mazda been a bit of a dog I’d probably have gone for the MR2, it looked that good!Then we come to the MX5. I love the conventional ‘sports car’ layout, engine at the front, and rear wheel drive. And despite not being the biggest fan of oversteer (on the road), I still liked the idea of a ‘traditional’ roadster. It’s not a massively fast car by any means, but the driving experience is sublime.
The car has just over 45,000 miles, making it a fairly low mileage example for its age. I was being very cautious about which MX5 to go for as they seemed to be getting to the age where rusty sills made themselves known and the cambelt/ chains needed replacing. Well this car is perfect underneath and the belts/ chains were replaced by the previous owner just a few months ago.
I went to view the car yesterday at a small independent dealer and took it out on some fantastic driving roads. Even in damp conditions this thing was an absolute hoot to drive. I just knew I HAD to have this car.
When we got back a deal was struck – two new tyres and an MOT, all for £2900. Insurance, thankfully should be reasonable too (multicar policy will be renewed in the new year).
We picked up the car bright and early today and made the journey back from Essex to Kent in good time – One thing I have noticed is at higher speeds is that there is a slight wheel wobble. I’m going to get this investigated. I’m hoping it’s just a wheel balancing/ alignment issue.
Otherwise for the rest of the day I’ve been hooning this about on some local country roads and I’ve had so much fun. The engine is perky and revvy, and very good progress is possible when in the right gear/ revvs and speed. I even met someone out of their Sunday hoon in a Lotus Elise going in the opposite direction. We must have passed one another 3 or 4 times!
Anyway, I’m boring myself with my writing (and you no doubt
) so I hope you enjoy the photos , and I’m hoping to continue updating this thread with my time with the little MX5.Edited by Dalto123 on Sunday 8th December 18:17
Dalto123 said:
I love the conventional ‘sports car’ layout, engine at the front, gearbox at the back.
Errrr, did you mean "driven wheels at the back"? I'm fairly sure the 'box is just behind the engine on these.Anyway nice car (etc etc), and I look forward to seeing it at Goodwood next week
james_gt3rs said:
Very nice! My MR2 cost about the same as that, has about the same performance etc. If I hadn't wanted the mid engined handling I'd have definitely bought an MX5 just like that one.
PS - be careful drifting
Thanks very much! PS - be careful drifting
They are close competitors for one another I think. As for the drifting, I'm not a massive fan, but have an idea when the back wants to break loose
(I'm trying to this of excuses not to take it for another drive tonight, even feeling quite ill isn't working lol!)
Geekman said:
Looks like a very nice example, look forward to seeing it next weekend. Some good roads around Eynesford, I took a picture of my old Mazda last year in the same location.
Yeah, some of the roads - Eynsford to Shoreham and beyond are a right laugh, were great in the 335i and 924s...just a shame that the E39 is a little too lardy to throw around properly
Thanks all for the comments, still in honeymoon mode with it at the moment getting used to how everything works. Completely unintentionally (yes, really!) I had to apply a "dab of oppo" 
when pulling into the supermarket car park this evening, much to the entertainment of the Mercedes driver behind me!
this isn't filling me with much confidence! But I'll listen and keep an eye on these things. I may well get it booked in at a specialist and have them go over it for peace of mind.
when pulling into the supermarket car park this evening, much to the entertainment of the Mercedes driver behind me!C.A.R. said:
Prefer the earlier models but I do like the 'plush' cabin in these. Somehow the MK2 / 2.5 manages to feel more cramped than the original MK1.
Any plans for it?
I do agree, the interior is nice. I couldn't see the difference between the two inside space wise? (test drove a MK1 a few weeks ago)Any plans for it?
akaRob said:
Looks like a lovely example you have there.
I know what you mean about not being able to stop driving it. I spent 3 years in an old Fiesta before I got mine. I was out as often as I could!
Things to keep an eye one would be rear calipers and rust. I just had mine replaced at a small fortune and my arches look like s
t. Mines an 05, but lives outside.
I have a real love/hate relationship with mine. So far it's been the most unreliable car I've owned. It's currently booked in for leaking brake fluid
When it's not annoying me however, I'm driving it
Enjoy your car!
I know what you mean about not being able to stop driving it. I spent 3 years in an old Fiesta before I got mine. I was out as often as I could!
Things to keep an eye one would be rear calipers and rust. I just had mine replaced at a small fortune and my arches look like s
t. Mines an 05, but lives outside. I have a real love/hate relationship with mine. So far it's been the most unreliable car I've owned. It's currently booked in for leaking brake fluid
When it's not annoying me however, I'm driving it
Enjoy your car!
this isn't filling me with much confidence! But I'll listen and keep an eye on these things. I may well get it booked in at a specialist and have them go over it for peace of mind.Right, time a little update.
This is a little belated – I was intending to update this last Sunday as a 1 week report, but as is the way with life/ work, I’ve left it until nearly 2 weeks after collecting the car! Just as well I have because I have some more news to report.
I’m loving every moment with the car – I did approximately 300 miles or so last weekend hooning around some roads whilst going to Goodwood on Saturday, and then on Sunday took part in a charity drive to Chestnut Tree House called ‘The Teddy Bear Run’ . Naturally, this was completed roof down despite the crap weather. I think it raised a few smiles on the way See pictures below courtesy of fellow PH'er countzero:
Sadly though the Teddy Bear Run wasn’t quite that simple. Whilst in the middle of overtaking a lovely Aston Martin DB6 on the drive, the pick-up truck in front of him decided to almost stop in the carriageway (needlessly I hasten to add, my parents were in the Boxster in front of it and there was no reason to slow!)
The Aston locked his brakes up and dove into my lane to avoid rear ending the truck. Seeing this happen I aborted my overtake and braked as hard as I could without locking up myself given the very greasy conditions (also downhill). Some contact was made between the Aston’s off side rear bumper and my front near side arch. There appears to be no body damage my end weirdly/ thankfully - a part of the lining on the wheel arch came undone, but that was popped back in and it seems to have stuck! An incredibly lucky escape for the both of us. Turns out the Aston owner was a big MX5 fan, had one himself and had nothing but positive comments to give about it.
Yesterday I took the car to Kent MX5 because I wanted to make absolutely sure that there was no hidden damage (it was quite a whack – the Aston’s bumper was a mess). There is a tiny wobble in the wheel at higher speeds.
The great news is I couldn’t detect the wobble as much on the way. It’s basically been confirmed it may be a slight balancing issue from when the tyres were changed. It was fantastic getting underneath car and having a nose around. Even better was that they said it’s one of the cleanest MK2 MX5’s they’ve seen! I’m a very proud owner!
Possible future changes have been discussed. I’m not after dramatic changes.
1. Amber side repeaters – I prefer the clear lenses on the side instead of coloured ones.
2. Looking at changes wheels to the ones off the Euphonic special edition. They look much meaner. See picture below:
3. A set of Eibach coilovers to fill the wheel arches a bit more. These came highly recommended from Kent MX5.
4. Possibly (although I’m not sold on it yet) decat - £60 for the part, and apparently very easy to change.
This is a little belated – I was intending to update this last Sunday as a 1 week report, but as is the way with life/ work, I’ve left it until nearly 2 weeks after collecting the car! Just as well I have because I have some more news to report.
I’m loving every moment with the car – I did approximately 300 miles or so last weekend hooning around some roads whilst going to Goodwood on Saturday, and then on Sunday took part in a charity drive to Chestnut Tree House called ‘The Teddy Bear Run’ . Naturally, this was completed roof down despite the crap weather. I think it raised a few smiles on the way
See pictures below courtesy of fellow PH'er countzero:Sadly though the Teddy Bear Run wasn’t quite that simple. Whilst in the middle of overtaking a lovely Aston Martin DB6 on the drive, the pick-up truck in front of him decided to almost stop in the carriageway (needlessly I hasten to add, my parents were in the Boxster in front of it and there was no reason to slow!)
The Aston locked his brakes up and dove into my lane to avoid rear ending the truck. Seeing this happen I aborted my overtake and braked as hard as I could without locking up myself given the very greasy conditions (also downhill). Some contact was made between the Aston’s off side rear bumper and my front near side arch. There appears to be no body damage my end weirdly/ thankfully - a part of the lining on the wheel arch came undone, but that was popped back in and it seems to have stuck! An incredibly lucky escape for the both of us. Turns out the Aston owner was a big MX5 fan, had one himself and had nothing but positive comments to give about it.
Yesterday I took the car to Kent MX5 because I wanted to make absolutely sure that there was no hidden damage (it was quite a whack – the Aston’s bumper was a mess). There is a tiny wobble in the wheel at higher speeds.
The great news is I couldn’t detect the wobble as much on the way. It’s basically been confirmed it may be a slight balancing issue from when the tyres were changed. It was fantastic getting underneath car and having a nose around. Even better was that they said it’s one of the cleanest MK2 MX5’s they’ve seen! I’m a very proud owner!
Possible future changes have been discussed. I’m not after dramatic changes.
1. Amber side repeaters – I prefer the clear lenses on the side instead of coloured ones.
2. Looking at changes wheels to the ones off the Euphonic special edition. They look much meaner. See picture below:
3. A set of Eibach coilovers to fill the wheel arches a bit more. These came highly recommended from Kent MX5.
4. Possibly (although I’m not sold on it yet) decat - £60 for the part, and apparently very easy to change.
I had a Euphonic, the wheels look nice yes but I yearned for different ones because:
A) they weigh, in scientific terms, a metric fkload and you don't want this on a light roadster.
B) the offset is crap, and they are 16" so tyres are more expensive and ride comfort is reduced.
C) as with most Mazda wheels they corrode and flake.
When I get another MX5 (most likely a mk1) i'm going for small lightweight wheels with a fair bit of tyrewall.
A) they weigh, in scientific terms, a metric f
kload and you don't want this on a light roadster.B) the offset is crap, and they are 16" so tyres are more expensive and ride comfort is reduced.
C) as with most Mazda wheels they corrode and flake.
When I get another MX5 (most likely a mk1) i'm going for small lightweight wheels with a fair bit of tyrewall.
Hi mate nice car.
A good setup on your suspension and lighter wheels with good tyres would be perfect but being your first rear driver it would be a great idea to get yourself on handling course. So when you go from grip to slip you won't crap yourself. Sorry if this sounds like I'm telling you how to suck eggs, just a bit of friendly advice
A good setup on your suspension and lighter wheels with good tyres would be perfect but being your first rear driver it would be a great idea to get yourself on handling course. So when you go from grip to slip you won't crap yourself. Sorry if this sounds like I'm telling you how to suck eggs, just a bit of friendly advice
`Hi guys. Thanks for the replies, my apologies for not picking up on them earlier.
Interesting news about the wheels. Annoying that they seem to corrode and weigh a lot, I think they look really good. The plan was to only put them on if I put a set of coilovers on the car. That way they'd fill the arches a bit more.
What wheels (preferably the same size - 15" - or slightly larger) would you recommend in which case?
Also I'm thinking of track day ideas. Preferably I'd like to go to an airfield (Abingdon is one I think?) where I can safely push the car to it's limits. On the road I don't think I've touched the surface yet.
Interesting news about the wheels. Annoying that they seem to corrode and weigh a lot, I think they look really good. The plan was to only put them on if I put a set of coilovers on the car. That way they'd fill the arches a bit more.
What wheels (preferably the same size - 15" - or slightly larger) would you recommend in which case?
M4CK 1 said:
Hi mate nice car.
A good setup on your suspension and lighter wheels with good tyres would be perfect but being your first rear driver it would be a great idea to get yourself on handling course. So when you go from grip to slip you won't crap yourself. Sorry if this sounds like I'm telling you how to suck eggs, just a bit of friendly advice
I did a skid pan day at Oulton Park a few months ago with a mate on here in his MR2. Whilst I was there I had a go in 2 MK2's and they were brilliant. Quite easy to control at the limit. That said I'd love to go back to another one with mine to have a go.A good setup on your suspension and lighter wheels with good tyres would be perfect but being your first rear driver it would be a great idea to get yourself on handling course. So when you go from grip to slip you won't crap yourself. Sorry if this sounds like I'm telling you how to suck eggs, just a bit of friendly advice
Also I'm thinking of track day ideas. Preferably I'd like to go to an airfield (Abingdon is one I think?) where I can safely push the car to it's limits. On the road I don't think I've touched the surface yet.
Like the others said, this is a great car and you'll love it as a first car.
I sold mine just before summer last year (It was exactly like yours), and the one thing I regret most is not taking it to a track!! So if you have the chance I'd highly recommend it.
The wheels can be an issue, which is prone to a lot of MX5's as mine started to corrode away around the edges, and the sills are a sure thing to look out for, along with the bootlid. If you keep the car cleaned and waxed regularly it shouldn't be a problem and apart from these small issues you've got yourself a great first car! You'll love it.
I sold mine just before summer last year (It was exactly like yours), and the one thing I regret most is not taking it to a track!! So if you have the chance I'd highly recommend it.
The wheels can be an issue, which is prone to a lot of MX5's as mine started to corrode away around the edges, and the sills are a sure thing to look out for, along with the bootlid. If you keep the car cleaned and waxed regularly it shouldn't be a problem and apart from these small issues you've got yourself a great first car! You'll love it.
Well aware of the issues that surround the sills rust wise. It's a very straight car - and took it to Kent MX5 shortly after I bought it. I was given a clean bill of health and told it's in very good shape. There is literally the tiniest piece of bubbling, but only in it's earliest stage. It shouldn't cost too much to rectify.
Wheel wise I'd always planned to get minilites if I bought a MK1 (having seen it on a fellow PH'ers car I thought they looked fantastic). Can anyone photoshop, or even find a picture of a standard looking MK2 with these? That said if I do get them I'd prefer them to be like this in colour:
Wheel wise I'd always planned to get minilites if I bought a MK1 (having seen it on a fellow PH'ers car I thought they looked fantastic). Can anyone photoshop, or even find a picture of a standard looking MK2 with these? That said if I do get them I'd prefer them to be like this in colour:
Edited by Dalto123 on Wednesday 8th January 19:28
Dalto123 said:
Well aware of the issues that surround the sills rust wise. It's a very straight car - and took it to Kent MX5 shortly after I bought it. I was given a clean bill of health and told it's in very good shape. There is literally the tiniest piece of bubbling, but only in it's earliest stage. It shouldn't cost too much to rectify.
Wheel wise I'd always planned to get minilites if I bought a MK1 (having seen it on a fellow PH'ers car I thought they looked fantastic). Can anyone photoshop, or even find a picture of a standard looking MK2 with these? That said if I do get them I'd prefer them to be like this in colour:
There are quite a few Mk2s with Minilites I think. Worth an ask on MX5 Nutz or in the MX5 forum here.Wheel wise I'd always planned to get minilites if I bought a MK1 (having seen it on a fellow PH'ers car I thought they looked fantastic). Can anyone photoshop, or even find a picture of a standard looking MK2 with these? That said if I do get them I'd prefer them to be like this in colour:
Edited by Dalto123 on Wednesday 8th January 19:28
Personally I like that idea a lot more!
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