RE: Mazda MX-5

[ali_kat]

Dooshbag said:

hcanning said:

OllieBirmingham said:

I love my Mk1

Me too

Me too.

Me too

AAnd I want to apply to join the convertible police

[anonymous-user]

ali_kat said:

Dooshbag said:

hcanning said:

OllieBirmingham said:

I love my Mk1

Me too

Me too.

Me too

AAnd I want to apply to join the convertible police

Me too - yesterday evening, lovely sunshine for once and quite warm, cruising on the A1 with the top down and I'm passed by about 6 MX5s with the roofs up. They were all mk2s or 3s - the only one I saw with the roof down was a mk1. This seems to always be the case, most mk1s have the roof down, 2s and 3s are always buttoned-up.

[dcb]

jez-m said:

It's hardly slow though, and is a blast to thread down decent roads. Plus it's utterly reliable, relatively economical

+1

I owned one for six years. Cracking little car.

[minipower]

JimSuperSix said:

ali_kat said:

Dooshbag said:

hcanning said:

OllieBirmingham said:

I love my Mk1

Me too

Me too.

Me too

AAnd I want to apply to join the convertible police

Me too - yesterday evening, lovely sunshine for once and quite warm, cruising on the A1 with the top down and I'm passed by about 6 MX5s with the roofs up. They were all mk2s or 3s - the only one I saw with the roof down was a mk1. This seems to always be the case, most mk1s have the roof down, 2s and 3s are always buttoned-up.

Nearly me too. Picking up my Mk1 1.8 tomorrow.

[OllieBirmingham]

Mk2's and 3's I very rarely see being used with the roof down, I rarely bother driving my Mk1 without the roof being down. Managed to get all the way to Le-Mans and back this year with only about 20mins max of roof up driving. (It was pissing it down)

[hcanning]

OllieBirmingham said:

Mk2's and 3's I very rarely see being used with the roof down, I rarely bother driving my Mk1 without the roof being down. Managed to get all the way to Le-Mans and back this year with only about 20mins max of roof up driving. (It was pissing it down)

Same. Last night at 3am though it was chilly enough to not need it down

[NiceCupOfTea]

tvrolet, I think you're missing out!

OK, the '5 doesn't have the grunt of a TVR or 911, and it doesn't have badge cachet, character, or the "look at me"-ness of either.

But it is a thoroughbred sports car through and through. To criticise the lack of power or grip is to miss the point! You can easily add power (to the Mk.1/2 anyway) up to the point where you can seriously embarrass some posh metal - 250bhp in a ton of well balanced RWD sports car is not to be sniffed at.

As for more grip - the beauty of it is that you can feel *exactly* what the car is doing! I can feel the slip in the rear wheels when cornering and can tell whether how much grace I have before the back is stepping out. It is very easy to drive like that and really flatters the driver.

OK, some may be happy to be "taming the beast", but to dismiss it from the point of being slow & not grippy enough is to miss the point completely!

[hcanning]

I'd say it has just as much character as a 911 or TVR, just a different type of character

[NiceCupOfTea]

The other thing I missed was to say that the handling is easily exploitable within speed limits and without being silly on the road. I have loads of fun with it pootling around town in 30mph limits! You don't have to be doing the NSL to get into it like you do in much more powerful cars.

[hcanning]

Absolutely, simply taking a roundabout in the right way is enjoyable

[littlemidgetgem]

I owned a Mk.1 MX5 for about 3/4 months.

Good points - handled very well, simple to fix, reliable (only let me down once, thermostat went and I temp. fixed at the roadside), good on fuel, roof very easy to remove and put back up again! Great project ideas and much room for performance improvements.

Bad points - Very plastic interior, so many of them about and the "hairdressers car" image!

Not a bad car at all but I prefer my MG in every way possible because in my opinion the Mazda MX5 is trying to be a Classic British Sports Car which it isn't! I get a lot more pleasure out of my MG, it is everything the MX5 is pretending to be but will never quite achieve!

[ali_kat]

I paid £2.5k for my MK1 1.8 in July

I have just been offered £2.5k trade in for it......

Either I got a real bargain ( considering my posts recently) or they are in demand!

[littlemidgetgem]

ali_kat said:

I paid £2.5k for my MK1 1.8 in July

I have just been offered £2.5k trade in for it......

Either I got a real bargain ( considering my posts recently) or they are in demand!

Are you going to take it? If so what are you getting?

Just read your other post sorry to hear about it!

[ali_kat]

littlemidgetgem said:

ali_kat said:

I paid £2.5k for my MK1 1.8 in July

I have just been offered £2.5k trade in for it......

Either I got a real bargain ( considering my posts recently) or they are in demand!

Are you going to take it? If so what are you getting?

Just read your other post sorry to hear about it!

fk no! That is dependant upon the car working, and my contract is up for renewal Decemeber and unlikely to bne renewed as the Programme will have ended But, would have been an Azure Ble MK3 It was merely an experiment to see the value of my car

Thanks Nickie, TBH, haven't really stopped crying since Wed - but then you know how much I love her

ETA - OT - BTaP?

Edited by ali_kat on Saturday 27th September 16:49

[Combover]

littlemidgetgem said:

I owned a Mk.1 MX5 for about 3/4 months.

Good points - handled very well, simple to fix, reliable (only let me down once, thermostat went and I temp. fixed at the roadside), good on fuel, roof very easy to remove and put back up again! Great project ideas and much room for performance improvements.

Bad points - Very plastic interior, so many of them about and the "hairdressers car" image!

Not a bad car at all but I prefer my MG in every way possible because in my opinion the Mazda MX5 is trying to be a Classic British Sports Car which it isn't! I get a lot more pleasure out of my MG, it is everything the MX5 is pretending to be but will never quite achieve!

Eh?

It gives you damn near everything a classic car does:

Analogue feel
No traction control
Lots of adjustability (limited grip)
Revvy twin cam engine
Decent exhaust note
Good looks
Lots of feedback
Wind in the hair motoring
Excellent feel
Very little crash protection.

A standard MK1 MX-5 will achieve as much an MG Midget, but will keep you dry doing it.

[littlemidgetgem]

ali_kat said:

littlemidgetgem said:

ali_kat said:

I paid £2.5k for my MK1 1.8 in July

I have just been offered £2.5k trade in for it......

Either I got a real bargain ( considering my posts recently) or they are in demand!

Are you going to take it? If so what are you getting?

Just read your other post sorry to hear about it!

fk no! That is dependant upon the car working, and my contract is up for renewal Decemeber and unlikely to bne renewed as the Programme will have ended But, would have been an Azure Ble MK3 It was merely an experiment to see the value of my car

Thanks Nickie, TBH, haven't really stopped crying since Wed - but then you know how much I love her

ETA - OT - BTaP?

Edited by ali_kat on Saturday 27th September 16:49

Sounds like it's been a complete nightmare

BTaP - not even looked into it to be honest yet, are there still tickets? Where? When? Etc. Guess I better get myself over to the forum and have a look!!

[littlemidgetgem]

Eh?

It gives you damn near everything a classic car does:

Analogue feel - agree
No traction control - agree
Lots of adjustability (limited grip) - agree
Revvy twin cam engine - agree
Decent exhaust note - don't agree mine sounded awful
Good looks - agree
Lots of feedback - agree
Wind in the hair motoring - agree
Excellent feel - agree
Very little crash protection. - agree

A standard MK1 MX-5 will achieve as much an MG Midget, but will keep you dry doing it.

Lol I suppose I spoke to soon before I had to agree with everything ... as for an MG not keeping you dry mine (touch wood) doesn't let any rain in

5 gear is pretty good too ..... esp. on the M Way!

[Combover]

littlemidgetgem said:

Decent exhaust note - don't agree mine sounded awful

Mine

[Dr Jekyll]

But suppose they put the BMW 335d engine in it, would any PH'ers buy it?

[YZF600R]

Dr Jekyll said:

But suppose they put the BMW 335d engine in it, would any PH'ers buy it?

Only if mapped?

No. A diesel MX5 would be horrendous*. Diesels have their place but having owned a 'performance' diesel and now owning an MX5 I feel suitably qualified to express my opinion!

• Admittedly, it would sell.