Mazda MX5 10th Anniversary Edition
Discussion
I had been hankering after a toy for a while to inject a bit fun back into driving. I currently own a Volvo S60 D5, which is supremely comfortable and does its duties as a work horse for the 80 mile commute each day very well indeed. Whilst an excellent car on the motorway, things can get a bit wayward on slower roads, and although it can be hustled along quickly you can't glean much joy from it.
In the end after studying the classifieds for hours on end and spending many hours on the phone trying to get a semi-reasonable insurance quote on a 2nd motor (bad postcode, parked on street) I came to the conclusion many a PH'er has come to. MX5!
I looked at about 7 over the course of a weekend, there were some rotten ones, some nice but over priced ones and then there was this one, a 10th Anniversary, No. 7297 in a beautiful and rare shade of 'Innocent blue'.
Being a 10th Anniversary it has the all important options I was after, OE Bilstein suspension and a Torsen LSD. They also came with a 6 speed box, leather/alcantara seats, blue carpets, blue Nardi Torino steering wheel and gear stick and some extremely blinging polished aluminium wheels which at first I was dubious of but now I actually quite like.
The previous owner had clearly cared for the car it has a fully stamped service book, averaging 6k a year and has a lot of history, including some recent receipts for new sills, rear arches and some repairs to the chassis legs where these Mk2s are prone to rot. It will need a cambelt doing soon, as well as a full service of all the vital fluids. I intend to get a matching set of decent tyres (probably Michelin PS3) as they are so cheap in 195/50/15! Once the tyres are on I'm going to get the geo set up properly, but nothing too aggressive as it will mainly be used on the road. I hope to get some track days booked in soon and also have a trip to the Nurburgring in May booked for my 30th.
Other than that I just want to drive it and enjoy the little thing, its such a fun car to drive! The return journey across from Sheffield to Manchester was memorable, (avoiding both Snake and Woodhead!) and I even managed to get the roof down briefly.
Later in the day I met up with my mate in his S2000, it was surprising how much smaller it is than an S2000! On the B roads it was fairly well matched, the little MX5 certainly wasn't a million miles off the pace of the Honda, despite a 100bhp deficit but then again it is a full 300kg lighter. Certainly upto 60 anyway, after that the extra power from that revvy VTEC came into play and I was left in its wake but in the real world how often do you get above 60 on the type of roads these cars are to be enjoyed on...?
On the journey home enjoying some topless action!
I have a few plans for it, starting off with a proper clean and small amount of cosmetic tarting up so I will try and keep this updated.
In the end after studying the classifieds for hours on end and spending many hours on the phone trying to get a semi-reasonable insurance quote on a 2nd motor (bad postcode, parked on street) I came to the conclusion many a PH'er has come to. MX5!
I looked at about 7 over the course of a weekend, there were some rotten ones, some nice but over priced ones and then there was this one, a 10th Anniversary, No. 7297 in a beautiful and rare shade of 'Innocent blue'.
Being a 10th Anniversary it has the all important options I was after, OE Bilstein suspension and a Torsen LSD. They also came with a 6 speed box, leather/alcantara seats, blue carpets, blue Nardi Torino steering wheel and gear stick and some extremely blinging polished aluminium wheels which at first I was dubious of but now I actually quite like.
The previous owner had clearly cared for the car it has a fully stamped service book, averaging 6k a year and has a lot of history, including some recent receipts for new sills, rear arches and some repairs to the chassis legs where these Mk2s are prone to rot. It will need a cambelt doing soon, as well as a full service of all the vital fluids. I intend to get a matching set of decent tyres (probably Michelin PS3) as they are so cheap in 195/50/15! Once the tyres are on I'm going to get the geo set up properly, but nothing too aggressive as it will mainly be used on the road. I hope to get some track days booked in soon and also have a trip to the Nurburgring in May booked for my 30th.
Other than that I just want to drive it and enjoy the little thing, its such a fun car to drive! The return journey across from Sheffield to Manchester was memorable, (avoiding both Snake and Woodhead!) and I even managed to get the roof down briefly.
Later in the day I met up with my mate in his S2000, it was surprising how much smaller it is than an S2000! On the B roads it was fairly well matched, the little MX5 certainly wasn't a million miles off the pace of the Honda, despite a 100bhp deficit but then again it is a full 300kg lighter. Certainly upto 60 anyway, after that the extra power from that revvy VTEC came into play and I was left in its wake but in the real world how often do you get above 60 on the type of roads these cars are to be enjoyed on...?
On the journey home enjoying some topless action!
I have a few plans for it, starting off with a proper clean and small amount of cosmetic tarting up so I will try and keep this updated.
Edited by Garett on Monday 19th February 22:23
See James Mays review of the 10AE on old top gear... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jqmGTOz4kQ
Nice little vid that thanks, because its a limited edition and a rare colour it does feel a bit more special than the average MX5. 
A bit more info on the 10 AE for anyone interested. http://www.mx5-mazda.co.uk/10thanniversary.htm
Unfortunately mine didn't come with the watches, keyring and scale model. The last lot I can see on eBay sold for £175 which isn't bad considering, those watches must be worth a bit alone! I do have the certificate with the build number on it and an original brochure though which is a nice touch.
A bit more info on the 10 AE for anyone interested. http://www.mx5-mazda.co.uk/10thanniversary.htm
Unfortunately mine didn't come with the watches, keyring and scale model. The last lot I can see on eBay sold for £175 which isn't bad considering, those watches must be worth a bit alone! I do have the certificate with the build number on it and an original brochure though which is a nice touch.
The weekend before last we had some very nice weather for early March so I proceeded to give the car a damn good clean, and a smattering of titivation.
The underneath of the drivers seat, obviously belonged to a smoker at some point judging from the tobacco and the free Embassy No.1!
|https://thumbsnap.com/OCYZEo2h[/url]
The often neglected fuel filler cap was looking a bit grubby. The devil is in the detail.
|https://thumbsnap.com/zmf2NaOc[/url]
A set of new numberplates are usually high on my list with any new purchase, they can really freshen up the overall look. I decided I wanted a self adhesive one on the front as the bumper come numberplate holders they have as standard are really ugly.
My brother clay barring the front bumper in anticipation of the new sticky number plate. Unfortunately despite the best efforts of us both, I couldn't get the bottom edge to sit properly, possibly because it was too cold.
The rear with its new PH numberplate, also the MX-5 emblem was missing so a new one was ordered from Mazda, don't ask how much!
And finally after 5 hours of cleaning, hoovering and washing we went for a spin towards Glossop and up over Holme Moss and back down into Holmfirth, I'm quite lucky these roads which are part of the 'oopnorthring' are only 10 miles away from my front door!
The underneath of the drivers seat, obviously belonged to a smoker at some point judging from the tobacco and the free Embassy No.1!
|https://thumbsnap.com/OCYZEo2h[/url]The often neglected fuel filler cap was looking a bit grubby. The devil is in the detail.
|https://thumbsnap.com/zmf2NaOc[/url]A set of new numberplates are usually high on my list with any new purchase, they can really freshen up the overall look. I decided I wanted a self adhesive one on the front as the bumper come numberplate holders they have as standard are really ugly.
My brother clay barring the front bumper in anticipation of the new sticky number plate. Unfortunately despite the best efforts of us both, I couldn't get the bottom edge to sit properly, possibly because it was too cold.
The rear with its new PH numberplate, also the MX-5 emblem was missing so a new one was ordered from Mazda, don't ask how much!
And finally after 5 hours of cleaning, hoovering and washing we went for a spin towards Glossop and up over Holme Moss and back down into Holmfirth, I'm quite lucky these roads which are part of the 'oopnorthring' are only 10 miles away from my front door!
Edited by Garett on Monday 19th February 22:35
My wife has a 10AE which she loves dearly, its a smashing little car. The only problem we had with it was that it kept overheating and radiator flushes, new rad cap and thermostat all failed to sort the problem out.
We finally replaced the radiator, which despite looking ok was clagged up internally, and cured it.
Apart from that its been routine maintenance and a bit of bodywork for the rear wheelarches
We finally replaced the radiator, which despite looking ok was clagged up internally, and cured it.
Apart from that its been routine maintenance and a bit of bodywork for the rear wheelarches
Planet Claire said:
Looks good! I have a stick on number plate and have a few wrinkles in it too. Hot soapy water helped. I keep meaning to get a new rear one as mine is looking a little grubby now.
I used lots of cold soapy water, maybe that was my downfall and I should have used hot. I used so much at one point it was just sliding off the car under its own weight. I will get another and try again as I'm not happy with how it looks.Although I am pleased with the car overall I wasn't entirely happy with how it felt in the bends, as this is the whole point of this car that was a pretty fundamental flaw!
So I bought a new set of tyres to replace the unevenly worn Toyo T1-Rs on the front and almost new Roadstone somethingorothers on the back.
Being the size they are means they are cheaper for a set than 1 tyre on some cars!
At the same time I had the car booked in at Phoenix Motorsport for a check of the suspension and 4 wheel alignment to cure the uneasiness I was feeling through the bends. I think this shows I actually had positive camber on the front right which probably went some way towards the wayward steering!
After this the car is transformed and feels so much more sure of itself and gives you the confidence to stick it into the corners. The new tyres still need bedding in a bit but I'm very happy with the car now!
So I bought a new set of tyres to replace the unevenly worn Toyo T1-Rs on the front and almost new Roadstone somethingorothers on the back.
Being the size they are means they are cheaper for a set than 1 tyre on some cars!
At the same time I had the car booked in at Phoenix Motorsport for a check of the suspension and 4 wheel alignment to cure the uneasiness I was feeling through the bends. I think this shows I actually had positive camber on the front right which probably went some way towards the wayward steering!
After this the car is transformed and feels so much more sure of itself and gives you the confidence to stick it into the corners. The new tyres still need bedding in a bit but I'm very happy with the car now!
I fitted an IL Motorsport carbon Fibre airbox last weekend, it gives the engine a bit more bark but is not intrusive in any way. Only downer is the bonnet stay has nowhere to live now so is in the boot! I will have to pick up some gas bonnet struts as that could prove to be a bit of a PITA.
Next on the list is a service with Carl at CBS Autos in Nelson and new discs and pads all round and braided hoses front and back!
Next on the list is a service with Carl at CBS Autos in Nelson and new discs and pads all round and braided hoses front and back!
Hi Gareth, it's Steve (who you bought the car off). Glad you're enjoying it, you've given it a damned good clean I have to say. With the road re-surfacing around sheffield it had got so many tiny bits of tar stuck to it, was really annoying. Have you "come to terms" with the polished wheels yet? I wasn't sure myself when I first bought it, but they do suit it I think. The standard front number plate mount looks dreadful. You might have noticed that I did get rid of that, and found that there were already 2 holes behind for mounting the plate directly to the bumper. I was tempted to get a vinyl reg printed but its one of many things I never got round to. Did you manage to work the creases out of the edge?
I really regret never having the geometry sorted as I was never 100% sure of the handling myself. It was fine for most of the time but it did become a little bit more vague over time. As it was essentially a daily commuting car for the wife though, I could never find the time to get a proper geometry set-up (and she didn't like me "meddling" with it, hence I had to remove the airbox as she didn't like it!). On the odd occasion I did out into the peaks when the airbox was fitted and the handling was more a bit more precise I was amazed how you can attack windy roads. I particularly remember one drive over coming from Macclesfield toward Buxton over the cat and fiddle (the bit before the cameras) at around 1am one sunday morning. It was awesome, just a shame I didnt get enough chances to enjoy it a Mazda intended.
I'd agree with the chap above who recommended Paul Roddison, he's a bit of a wizard with MX-5s (he fitted a new coilpack and catalytic converter, and serviced the car as well) although he does most of his work on Mk3's now I think.
I have to say I'm a bit embarassed to see how much dust and little bits of tobacco were under the drivers seat (my wife is the smoker - filthy habit). I could never get under there as I could never get to bolts undone to take the seats out, otherwise I would've.
I've not been able to find that other mounting bolt for the airbox. I've had nearly everything out from where it should have been but I can't see it. I'm convinced it should still be somewhere there though. If I ever do find it I'll post it on to you and you can have it as a spare. With the bonnet stay, you're right it doesn't fit with the IL airbox installed, but I just kept it in the boot. You can get gas struts from MX5parts.co.uk. A lot of the other MX5s I've seen have them, I'm not sure how easy they are to fit, but I changed it back to standard so never needed to fit the struts.
It's good to see the car getting looked after, I did a lot of work to try and keep in decent nick, but I hadn't really had the time to do much over last winter. Even better to see it staying mostly standard. I'd have been disappointed if it had ended up 50mm lower with massively cambered wheels and stretched tires, but it's your car now so I'll just watch with interest.
Got any other plans for it, or just going to keep it relatively standard? I'll keep an eye on it, look forward to seeing how it goes.
Steve
I really regret never having the geometry sorted as I was never 100% sure of the handling myself. It was fine for most of the time but it did become a little bit more vague over time. As it was essentially a daily commuting car for the wife though, I could never find the time to get a proper geometry set-up (and she didn't like me "meddling" with it, hence I had to remove the airbox as she didn't like it!). On the odd occasion I did out into the peaks when the airbox was fitted and the handling was more a bit more precise I was amazed how you can attack windy roads. I particularly remember one drive over coming from Macclesfield toward Buxton over the cat and fiddle (the bit before the cameras) at around 1am one sunday morning. It was awesome, just a shame I didnt get enough chances to enjoy it a Mazda intended.
I'd agree with the chap above who recommended Paul Roddison, he's a bit of a wizard with MX-5s (he fitted a new coilpack and catalytic converter, and serviced the car as well) although he does most of his work on Mk3's now I think.
I have to say I'm a bit embarassed to see how much dust and little bits of tobacco were under the drivers seat (my wife is the smoker - filthy habit). I could never get under there as I could never get to bolts undone to take the seats out, otherwise I would've.
I've not been able to find that other mounting bolt for the airbox. I've had nearly everything out from where it should have been but I can't see it. I'm convinced it should still be somewhere there though. If I ever do find it I'll post it on to you and you can have it as a spare. With the bonnet stay, you're right it doesn't fit with the IL airbox installed, but I just kept it in the boot. You can get gas struts from MX5parts.co.uk. A lot of the other MX5s I've seen have them, I'm not sure how easy they are to fit, but I changed it back to standard so never needed to fit the struts.
It's good to see the car getting looked after, I did a lot of work to try and keep in decent nick, but I hadn't really had the time to do much over last winter. Even better to see it staying mostly standard. I'd have been disappointed if it had ended up 50mm lower with massively cambered wheels and stretched tires, but it's your car now so I'll just watch with interest.
Got any other plans for it, or just going to keep it relatively standard? I'll keep an eye on it, look forward to seeing how it goes.
Steve
GC8 said:
I realise that you've already looked at the geo, but I would suggest/recommend taking it to Paul Roddison Motorsport near Meadowhall for a set-up.
I can also recommend a specialist to deal with the inevitable rust, in Doncaster(ish). Too many 10AEs have already been sold for parts...
Thanks for the heads up, Steve who I bought the car off was in Sheffield and recommended Roddisons too. I've noticed a few 10AEs being broken on MX5-Nutz, sacrilege really.I can also recommend a specialist to deal with the inevitable rust, in Doncaster(ish). Too many 10AEs have already been sold for parts...
carguy88 said:
Get a new radiator, IL makes a very good one too 
What makes you say that? Are they prone to getting sludged up? OE ones are cheap enough, might be worth doing when I get round to the cambelt/waterpump.Hi Steve, great to hear from you. Have you found a replacement for the MX5 yet?
Yes, I have come to terms with the wheels, and I actually quite like them now! If it was a more usual MX5 I would probably get rid but because they are OE for the 10AE they will be staying. In regards to the number plate, I keep meaning to borrow a heat gun from work and gently try and iron the creases out but I think I will just have to get a new plate, and maybe sand down the holes in the bumper a bit to get it flat.
As I mentioned above the geo set up has transformed the car and it feels so much better, combined with some very good tyres the car has bags of grip now. Weaving it through Via Gellia near Matlock at the weekend was the most fun I've had in it yet, such great fun. I Need to be careful with the mileage though, I've got a limited mileage policy and I've done 750 miles in it already in 1 month!
Don't worry about the mounting bolt, a mate of mine gave me some fuel pump mounts which are basically the same so I adapted those to fit and it works a treat. The airbox went together really easily and probably took me an hour to remove the old and fit the new. I will probably get some bonnet struts they require a bit of drilling to the bonnet hinge but look quite straight forward to fit.
The little Mazda is in safe hands, I certainly won't be butchering it for its more valuable, rarer parts nor will I be 'stancing' it. The only mods I will be making will be to enhance the performance or my enjoyment of the car. I would quite like a stainless backbox but at the moment its non-essential so its dropped down the list. There is a bit of vibration through the brake pedal so that will be sorted soon, new discs and pads all round and braided hoses will replace the standard ones.
Gareth
Yes, I have come to terms with the wheels, and I actually quite like them now! If it was a more usual MX5 I would probably get rid but because they are OE for the 10AE they will be staying. In regards to the number plate, I keep meaning to borrow a heat gun from work and gently try and iron the creases out but I think I will just have to get a new plate, and maybe sand down the holes in the bumper a bit to get it flat.
As I mentioned above the geo set up has transformed the car and it feels so much better, combined with some very good tyres the car has bags of grip now. Weaving it through Via Gellia near Matlock at the weekend was the most fun I've had in it yet, such great fun. I Need to be careful with the mileage though, I've got a limited mileage policy and I've done 750 miles in it already in 1 month!
Don't worry about the mounting bolt, a mate of mine gave me some fuel pump mounts which are basically the same so I adapted those to fit and it works a treat. The airbox went together really easily and probably took me an hour to remove the old and fit the new. I will probably get some bonnet struts they require a bit of drilling to the bonnet hinge but look quite straight forward to fit.
The little Mazda is in safe hands, I certainly won't be butchering it for its more valuable, rarer parts nor will I be 'stancing' it. The only mods I will be making will be to enhance the performance or my enjoyment of the car. I would quite like a stainless backbox but at the moment its non-essential so its dropped down the list. There is a bit of vibration through the brake pedal so that will be sorted soon, new discs and pads all round and braided hoses will replace the standard ones.
Gareth
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