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[ehonda]

I've just bought a W reg 1.8s, it will be outside when my better half arrives home. My better half who is not expecting it to be there at all.
Does anyone have a spare room and a parking space? She'll probably forgive my by christmas.
Found a very tidy example just a couple of miles up the road, needs a couple of new rear tyres which will be sorted this afternoon, otherwise seems really nice. Guy is on his way around to drop it off now. Very happy :-D

[Mr MXT]

Your OH can stay with me. Is she fit?

[ehonda]

She's lovely, the most wonderful woman in the world and very tolerant and understanding.

She'll find this and I'll suffer (more)

[tonym911]

The feeling I've had since picking up my first ever MX-5 (last week) is strangely unlike any other car purchasing experience I've had. It really is a liberating little thing. After plucking up courage to tell my tennis playing mates I'd had a midlife crisis and bought an MX-5, how surprised was I when two of them looked decidedly sheepish. Turned out one of them had bought a Mk 1 that week, and another an MR2. We all trundled off to the pub in convoy. Needless to say we got a right razzing from the local schoolboys wandering around town that night. Luckily I'm old enough not to worry about gender stereotyping - but not too old to recognise fun when I find it. And the MX-5 is that. Congrats on your buy.

[ehonda]

tonym911 said:

Congrats on your buy.

Cheers. Just been and had the tyres fitted and managed a few miles around the local lanes. It's much slower than my elise, but not a million miles removed from the experience. Stopping at lights and going from roof up to roof down in <5 seconds was a nice change. I'm amazed at how cheap they are to be honest, I think every home should have one.

[tonym911]

Definitely. My Mk 2 was very good value. Only thing with it is the weight of the glass rear screen (which is otherwise far better than the plastic variety) makes it impossible to reach round and heave up the roof while still sat in the car. That's about the only thing I can think of to complain about. And even that's not really a complaint.

While I'm on, slightly off topic, but does anyone else with a Mk 2 have a 'squidgy' steering wheel rim? The covering of the top half of the wheel can be twisted round the inner bit of the wheel, around the rim rather than along the circumference if you see what l mean - hard to describe!). It's the first airbag wheel, the black four-spoker.

[ehonda]

tonym911 said:

Definitely. My Mk 2 was very good value. Only thing with it is the weight of the glass rear screen (which is otherwise far better than the plastic variety) makes it impossible to reach round and heave up the roof while still sat in the car. That's about the only thing I can think of to complain about. And even that's not really a complaint.

While I'm on, slightly off topic, but does anyone else with a Mk 2 have a 'squidgy' steering wheel rim? The covering of the top half of the wheel can be twisted round the inner bit of the wheel, around the rim rather than along the circumference if you see what l mean - hard to describe!). It's the first airbag wheel, the black four-spoker.

I can manage to get the roof up from inside, but that's probably because I am very powerfully built Have to twist right around and do it with my right arm though, it's definitely not the easiest, but compared to the elise it's a doddle.
My bongo has a very squidgy steering wheel, the foam on that twists as you describe. It's probably twice the size of the mx-5 one, but maybe the same construction.

[Richyvrlimited]

tonym911 said:

Definitely. My Mk 2 was very good value. Only thing with it is the weight of the glass rear screen (which is otherwise far better than the plastic variety) makes it impossible to reach round and heave up the roof while still sat in the car. That's about the only thing I can think of to complain about. And even that's not really a complaint.

You need to work on your rotator cuff a bit more :P i.e. get down the gym!

tonym911 said:

While I'm on, slightly off topic, but does anyone else with a Mk 2 have a 'squidgy' steering wheel rim? The covering of the top half of the wheel can be twisted round the inner bit of the wheel, around the rim rather than along the circumference if you see what l mean - hard to describe!). It's the first airbag wheel, the black four-spoker.

I've seen that quite a lot, the rubber has seperated from the steel inner, not a lot you can do about it bar replace the wheel. I did have thoughts about getting a needle syringe and squirting glue in at points around the wheel, never did try it though.

[tonym911]

Ha ha yes, you're probably right about the gym, though I do play tennis, golf and squash, walk the dog twice daily and knock out at least sixty pressups every day. I could probably do the roof lift if I twisted myself into a suitable position but I'm getting on a bit and have a weak back which goes out at the slightest provocation so I'm sort of resigned to getting out to lifting the roof from outside.
Interesting idea about the glue though I'm not sure where I'd get a syringe that would be sharp enough to penetrate the cover and wide enough to pass glue through it. Reluctant to bin what is otherwise a perfectly good wheel + airbag so I suppose I'll live with it. It's not too disastrous. Reckon one of the previous owners must have been a nervous type, twisting away at the wheel. No bite marks on it though.

[MX-5 Lazza]

MTFU! I lift the roof with my left hand from an almost seated position and that's with a slightly buggered shoulder! (and no, I'm not built like Arnie)

[Richyvrlimited]

tonym911 said:

Ha ha yes, you're probably right about the gym, though I do play tennis, golf and squash, walk the dog twice daily and knock out at least sixty pressups every day. I could probably do the roof lift if I twisted myself into a suitable position but I'm getting on a bit and have a weak back which goes out at the slightest provocation so I'm sort of resigned to getting out to lifting the roof from outside.
Interesting idea about the glue though I'm not sure where I'd get a syringe that would be sharp enough to penetrate the cover and wide enough to pass glue through it. Reluctant to bin what is otherwise a perfectly good wheel + airbag so I suppose I'll live with it. It's not too disastrous. Reckon one of the previous owners must have been a nervous type, twisting away at the wheel. No bite marks on it though.

None of that exercise mentioned will particularly help your rotator cuff (you also don't mention frequency :P). Specifically targeting your core when at the gym would help immensely with back problems too.

As for a syringe, the NHS give them out for free to druggies...