Shed of the Week: Mazda MX-5
A Mk2.5 MX-5 that will be perfect when the weather starts getting warmer and drier
Good. Mocking the MX-5 is a fine tradition as it keeps used values nice and low for those of us who simply see a smashing little sports car rather than some sort of threat to castrate the entire male species.
Our Shed this week is one of the very last Mk2.5s made. What's a 2.5? Well, in 1998, the Mk2 (or NB) model predictably succeeded the Mk1 (or NA) model. Although some would say otherwise, and undoubtedly will on the thread, the Mk2 was much nicer than the Mk1 in just about every aspect bar it not having the Elan-like retractable headlights. Binning them was a safety thing, and was certainly regrettable from a styling point of view, but a 2001 facelift tried to address this by bringing in a triple-lens front light arrangement.
Taking all that into account and then factoring in your 'fun per pound', many believe the Mk 2.5 to be the best MX-5. Shed certainly does. Mrs Shed owns a 2.5 Arctic 1.8, or thinks she does at any rate. She thinks she owns the house too, but the paperwork in both cases says otherwise. The only thing Shed wishes he had in her (i.e. his) 2.5 would be the six-speed gearbox from the Sport model, as the five-speeder's tendency to rev on motorways regularly causes Mrs Shed to try and get sixth, usually to the accompaniment of a deep-throated grind because that's where reverse is. You can imagine how much Shed enjoys hearing that noise.
Like the vendor's Mazda, Shed's otherwise mint 2.5 is getting a bit bubbly in the rear wheelarch area, but so far only in non-structural areas. The brown stuff on our Shed looks eminently treatable, although of course we do need to be aware that this might be the tip of a rusty iceberg. We can do no better than to refer you Snotrag's excellent rust-busting advice here If you're planning on buying this or indeed any NA or NB MX-5, it's worth considering comprehensive measures like this because corrosion comes to old MX-5s with the same degree of certainty as death and taxes. There is absolutely no way of avoiding it other than by restricting all your motoring activities to the Atacama Desert in Chile, parts of which haven't seen a drop of rain in 500 years. And even then you'd probably want to stay in on a cloudy day.
!.8 litre Icon version.
A lovely car which my wife has owned for 9 years.
In excellent mechanical order and drives very well. It now needs to go to another good home who will give it some TLC
Full leather heated seats with red stitching
106500 miles.
Full service history. MOT until September 2018.
Priced to reflect rust appearing on rear wheel arches
They're more prone to rust than a NA (and that's saying somthing!) and the rust issues these suffer on the front chassis legs is very well documented; It's a matter of when, rather than if.
Wait a few years and get an NC, that's what I did
Then you get ones that the owner proudly says has been sorted and a look underneath confirms its had some welding which is then covered in black gunk.
To sort these properly it is expensive and time consuming, not the end of the world but just lashing a bit of steel over rust isnt uncommon, it needs cutting out and pieces making, repair panels letting in, protecting and painting, that for most of these is more in labour than they are worth at the moment.
Never thought these looked that great, grown on a me a bit but would always be hankering for a MK1, I looked but bought a MK1 TT, seemingly impervious to rust in the main but with less reliable and more complex mechanicals, at least MX5's are relatively simple.
If I had to, would spend more and get one that had either demonstrably no rust (must be one somewhere ?), or had been sorted, with pictorial evidence, or just one with an MOT with the assumption you would be scrapping it at some point.
As J4cko said - If you can see rust through the wheelarch, I would be assuming its bad underneath, in fact, even if you cant see it ont he arch, its pretty bad underneath.
The rear quarter panels look like they've been painted already and its coming through again which isnt good news.
They're more prone to rust than a NA (and that's saying somthing!) and the rust issues these suffer on the front chassis legs is very well documented; It's a matter of when, rather than if.
Wait a few years and get an NC, that's what I did
The wings, arches, sill etc all look pristine. The underside isnt bad either for a 57plate that's driven all year round by the coast. I even managed to replace the drop links without snapping any bolts
I think it all depends on how they've been looked after and just blasting the wheel arches out every time you wash it. I looked as some real rotters before I bought mine.
The wings, arches, sill etc all look pristine. The underside isnt bad either for a 57plate that's driven all year round by the coast. I even managed to replace the drop links without snapping any bolts
I think it all depends on how they've been looked after and just blasting the wheel arches out every time you wash it. I looked as some real rotters before I bought mine.
You will not buy a rust free MX-5 for that money, it just won't happen. There's a reason genuine rust-free import MX-5s are still sold for £6000.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff