Looking Into a Mk1 MX-5/Eunos
Discussion
Never posted in here before, and am not that knowledgeable on the MX-5 yet, so forgive any errors
Recently I have been looking into buying a 2nd car that i can get stuck into and do some work on, I currently drive a Peugeot 306 HDi (i'm only 19, insurance is cheapish) which is very nice as a practical, decent looking/handling car thats cheap to run
so I am looking for a car that is impractical, fun and easy to work on, I am a student so cant splash money out everywhere, but i have enough to make a go of a project.
....i was thinking of a 205 Mi16 but have gone off that idea, and then came across the MX-5
Admittedly i have always discounted them, but having read up on them, i am converted, they have a huge following, and will most likely not lose me too much money in residuals
it would be a 2nd car, it would be used for weekends, occasional track days and also a eurotrip i am planning.
not looking at getting one right now, i have to sort a few things out first, but I was thinking sometime early next year, it would then be taken off the road for a while whist i do a mild restoration on it, and fettle it a bit
having looked on Ebay/autotrader .etc it seems that £2000 is a good starting point for one.
I Was looking at the 1.8, in silver or red...and there seems to be a few around that price
the reason I want the 1.8 is that I may decide to Supercharge it a few years down the line, and have heard that the 1.8 is much better for this...can anyone enlighten me a bit more about this?
also i have heard it comes as standard with a LSD. is this true of both the MX-5 and Eunos Roadster?
to my eyes it seems like the best option, so thats the one i will look for
also i like the fact that there are so many companies making bits for the car, and that you can upgrade it quite easily (add electric windows/central locking .etc)
because i am taking it off the road for a few months i am not particularly worried about minor mechanical problems, i will probably strip the car a fair bit anyway as one of the reasons i am looking for a 2nd car is so i can have a go at dismantling and rebuliding, changing clutches .etc without having to worry about getting the car together for the next day. so i was budgeting in £1000 to renew/upgrade the running gear, and a few other bits and pieces
one thing is that the engine is strong and will last and last providing they are maintained well....all in all the car fits perfectly what i had in mind
Phew....so basically my main questions were:
The 1.8 has more power, and seems like the best one to go for, Do they all have LSD's?
Any advice for and against is welcome
I am limited to early 90's cars obviously....did they make any significant changes in the car over this period, and therefore is there a certain year of production i should look for, i am talking about spec changes, improved structure that sort of stuff
Is it feasable to get a solid car, and then do some essential upgrades for a budget of around about £3000 - £3500?
Would a Hardtop provide enough rollover protection so I can track the car, not keen on a rollbar or are they reasonably safe to track without any other precautions?
Eunos/MX-5 is one better than the other, i know that they are basically the same, but what about brakes/undersealing/specifications, do they differ greatly?
sorry to waffle on, but i am quite keen to learn a bit more about the car so that i can choose the right one.
Any advice is very welcome....
Thanks
Matt
Recently I have been looking into buying a 2nd car that i can get stuck into and do some work on, I currently drive a Peugeot 306 HDi (i'm only 19, insurance is cheapish) which is very nice as a practical, decent looking/handling car thats cheap to run
so I am looking for a car that is impractical, fun and easy to work on, I am a student so cant splash money out everywhere, but i have enough to make a go of a project.
....i was thinking of a 205 Mi16 but have gone off that idea, and then came across the MX-5
Admittedly i have always discounted them, but having read up on them, i am converted, they have a huge following, and will most likely not lose me too much money in residuals
it would be a 2nd car, it would be used for weekends, occasional track days and also a eurotrip i am planning.
not looking at getting one right now, i have to sort a few things out first, but I was thinking sometime early next year, it would then be taken off the road for a while whist i do a mild restoration on it, and fettle it a bit
having looked on Ebay/autotrader .etc it seems that £2000 is a good starting point for one.
I Was looking at the 1.8, in silver or red...and there seems to be a few around that price
the reason I want the 1.8 is that I may decide to Supercharge it a few years down the line, and have heard that the 1.8 is much better for this...can anyone enlighten me a bit more about this?
also i have heard it comes as standard with a LSD. is this true of both the MX-5 and Eunos Roadster?
to my eyes it seems like the best option, so thats the one i will look for
also i like the fact that there are so many companies making bits for the car, and that you can upgrade it quite easily (add electric windows/central locking .etc)
because i am taking it off the road for a few months i am not particularly worried about minor mechanical problems, i will probably strip the car a fair bit anyway as one of the reasons i am looking for a 2nd car is so i can have a go at dismantling and rebuliding, changing clutches .etc without having to worry about getting the car together for the next day. so i was budgeting in £1000 to renew/upgrade the running gear, and a few other bits and pieces
one thing is that the engine is strong and will last and last providing they are maintained well....all in all the car fits perfectly what i had in mind
Phew....so basically my main questions were:
The 1.8 has more power, and seems like the best one to go for, Do they all have LSD's?
Any advice for and against is welcome
I am limited to early 90's cars obviously....did they make any significant changes in the car over this period, and therefore is there a certain year of production i should look for, i am talking about spec changes, improved structure that sort of stuff
Is it feasable to get a solid car, and then do some essential upgrades for a budget of around about £3000 - £3500?
Would a Hardtop provide enough rollover protection so I can track the car, not keen on a rollbar or are they reasonably safe to track without any other precautions?
Eunos/MX-5 is one better than the other, i know that they are basically the same, but what about brakes/undersealing/specifications, do they differ greatly?
sorry to waffle on, but i am quite keen to learn a bit more about the car so that i can choose the right one.
Any advice is very welcome....
Thanks
Matt
While the 1.8 has about 15bhp more than the 1.6 it also carries a bit more weight so there is actually little difference in performance and the lighter early 1.6 is a sweeter handling car.
The only reason a 1.8 is better for supercharging is because the MP62 is only available for the 1.8 and only the M45 is available for the 1.6 (though I believe there are a couple of companies working on a 1.6 MP62 kit).
If you wanted to go turbo rather than SC then there is little difference between the engines.
I wouldn't trust a hard-top in a roll-over. I've only seen one picture of a hard-top equipped MX-5 after a roll-over and the top came off as soon as it hit the floor. A roll-bar would be much safer. However, roll-overs are very rare so I wouldn't bother unless you had the spare cash.
Before you buy a car though, get an insurance quote. They aren't cheap to insure for a 19 year old - and the 1.8 will cost more than the 1.6!
The only reason a 1.8 is better for supercharging is because the MP62 is only available for the 1.8 and only the M45 is available for the 1.6 (though I believe there are a couple of companies working on a 1.6 MP62 kit).
If you wanted to go turbo rather than SC then there is little difference between the engines.
I wouldn't trust a hard-top in a roll-over. I've only seen one picture of a hard-top equipped MX-5 after a roll-over and the top came off as soon as it hit the floor. A roll-bar would be much safer. However, roll-overs are very rare so I wouldn't bother unless you had the spare cash.
Before you buy a car though, get an insurance quote. They aren't cheap to insure for a 19 year old - and the 1.8 will cost more than the 1.6!
you're best off looking for a 1.8 import, tho if you find a uk car without torsen they are easy enough to fit. brakes are identical between imports and uk cars, aircon is normally standard but some choose to remove it especially for track work. in terms of condition, imports *tend* to be less rusty but of course it varies.
i'm more familiar with turbos than superchargers but i think both the 1.8 and 1.6 have decent availability in terms of upgrade path, for s/c's. for turbo's, 1.6's have more available to them.
early 1.6's have less chassis bracing and are lighter than the 1.8's, and it's generally considered that they are actually not that different in terms of performance as the 1.6 is more revvy and in a lighter car. it will also be cheaper on insurance (probably). you can fit brakes and diff / clutch from a 1.8 to a 1.6 no probs.
not sure a hardtop would do much for rollover protection but better than nothing i guess, if you really want protection you will need roll bars - there are a fair few designs out there
i'm more familiar with turbos than superchargers but i think both the 1.8 and 1.6 have decent availability in terms of upgrade path, for s/c's. for turbo's, 1.6's have more available to them.
early 1.6's have less chassis bracing and are lighter than the 1.8's, and it's generally considered that they are actually not that different in terms of performance as the 1.6 is more revvy and in a lighter car. it will also be cheaper on insurance (probably). you can fit brakes and diff / clutch from a 1.8 to a 1.6 no probs.
not sure a hardtop would do much for rollover protection but better than nothing i guess, if you really want protection you will need roll bars - there are a fair few designs out there
some useful info, thanks guys
on the insurance front, i am 20 in a 4 months...but the car will not be put onto the road (or atleast I wont go on the insurance) until i am 21 and can get on a classic policy and then it will be limited mileage (probably 3k per year) i have been told that sub £500 is possible
I plan on getting the car next year sometime, but am not that bothered if i cant insure it until i am 21, it will give me time to work on it.
certainly interesting about the 1.6/1.8 argument, i presume the engines are the same but the stroke is different, hence the 1.6 is more revvy....i think the best thing to do is to seek out some at dealers and have a test drive next year, and compare the 1.6 and 1.8 myself. though i am leaning towards a 1.8 Eunos as it has a bit more potential
also what sort of improvements will you see from a decent cold air feed, and exhaust (do they have CAT's) is it worth doing some breathing mods or not bothering?
P.S
Is there a removable roll cage you can fit? something where the hoops are removable, but the rest stays in situ?
on the insurance front, i am 20 in a 4 months...but the car will not be put onto the road (or atleast I wont go on the insurance) until i am 21 and can get on a classic policy and then it will be limited mileage (probably 3k per year) i have been told that sub £500 is possible
I plan on getting the car next year sometime, but am not that bothered if i cant insure it until i am 21, it will give me time to work on it.
certainly interesting about the 1.6/1.8 argument, i presume the engines are the same but the stroke is different, hence the 1.6 is more revvy....i think the best thing to do is to seek out some at dealers and have a test drive next year, and compare the 1.6 and 1.8 myself. though i am leaning towards a 1.8 Eunos as it has a bit more potential
also what sort of improvements will you see from a decent cold air feed, and exhaust (do they have CAT's) is it worth doing some breathing mods or not bothering?
P.S
Is there a removable roll cage you can fit? something where the hoops are removable, but the rest stays in situ?
some people say that they have felt an improvement with a proper cold air induction kit, although it's unproven, and as for stuff like filtercharger kits and exhausts, they won't do an awful lot (if anything) in terms of outright power or torque, but they do make it sound a *lot* better (stock 5's sound a bit crap)
and yeah, test drive / passenger ride is the best way to see what you fancy
and yeah, test drive / passenger ride is the best way to see what you fancy
Matthew_Eames said:
some useful info, thanks guys
on the insurance front, i am 20 in a 4 months...but the car will not be put onto the road (or atleast I wont go on the insurance) until i am 21 and can get on a classic policy and then it will be limited mileage (probably 3k per year) i have been told that sub £500 is possible
I plan on getting the car next year sometime, but am not that bothered if i cant insure it until i am 21, it will give me time to work on it.
Not wanting to burst any bubbles here but I recently bought a 1.8 mk1 and I am 24 - I rang around lots of classic insurers who basically told me to come back when I turn 25! My quote is £589 from Elephant.co.uk but that was £200 better than anywhere else. I would budget £1k for insurance, especially if you plan to modify the car.on the insurance front, i am 20 in a 4 months...but the car will not be put onto the road (or atleast I wont go on the insurance) until i am 21 and can get on a classic policy and then it will be limited mileage (probably 3k per year) i have been told that sub £500 is possible
I plan on getting the car next year sometime, but am not that bothered if i cant insure it until i am 21, it will give me time to work on it.
Just thought you should be aware, but other than that go for it! You won't look back.
I have seen a few cars with cold-air kits on dynos and none of them made the full manufacturer claimed power. Whether that was due to the cold-air kit of other problems I don't know. The only na cars I've seen hit the manufacturers claimed power were completely stock cars.
You can release a bit of power with a free-flowing exhaust but it would really need to be everything from manifold all the way back and ideally with a cat-replacement pipe in which case you are talking about an early 1.6 (and a loud exhaust note). With this the cold-air feed might help a little.
But all of this is academic if you can't get insurance though and I agree that insurance for a 21 year old at under £500, even if it is limited to 3000 miles is very unlikely, especially if the car is modified at all (even changing the alloys will increase the premium).
You can release a bit of power with a free-flowing exhaust but it would really need to be everything from manifold all the way back and ideally with a cat-replacement pipe in which case you are talking about an early 1.6 (and a loud exhaust note). With this the cold-air feed might help a little.
But all of this is academic if you can't get insurance though and I agree that insurance for a 21 year old at under £500, even if it is limited to 3000 miles is very unlikely, especially if the car is modified at all (even changing the alloys will increase the premium).
MX-5 Lazza said:
I have seen a few cars with cold-air kits on dynos and none of them made the full manufacturer claimed power. Whether that was due to the cold-air kit of other problems I don't know. The only na cars I've seen hit the manufacturers claimed power were completely stock cars.
You can release a bit of power with a free-flowing exhaust but it would really need to be everything from manifold all the way back and ideally with a cat-replacement pipe in which case you are talking about an early 1.6 (and a loud exhaust note). With this the cold-air feed might help a little.
But all of this is academic if you can't get insurance though and I agree that insurance for a 21 year old at under £500, even if it is limited to 3000 miles is very unlikely, especially if the car is modified at all (even changing the alloys will increase the premium).
problem with the CAI kit on a dyno is that the intake is designed to take air from the bonnet line with the bonnet shut, and the theory is that this is better than from the stock location - but on a dyno you'll have the bonnet open, so if it does give an advantage, a dyno won't show itYou can release a bit of power with a free-flowing exhaust but it would really need to be everything from manifold all the way back and ideally with a cat-replacement pipe in which case you are talking about an early 1.6 (and a loud exhaust note). With this the cold-air feed might help a little.
But all of this is academic if you can't get insurance though and I agree that insurance for a 21 year old at under £500, even if it is limited to 3000 miles is very unlikely, especially if the car is modified at all (even changing the alloys will increase the premium).
Matthew_Eames said:
unfortunately i cannot insure on at the moment, i need to wait 18 months until i am 21
then classic insurance is reasonable
while you're thinking about it - if you are going to do mods, consider buying a car with them done already - you will save yourself a fortune. I have a '5 turbo that I upgraded after I bought it - wicked car - but very expensive to convert.then classic insurance is reasonable
if you really really want to do it yourself - consider getting a 1.8 - they have a stronger diff and clutch - which comes in handy when you put a sh$t load more power through it a turbo or supercharger.
happy to chat to you if/when you get one about doing the mods.
Cheers
-Ace
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