Educate me on MX5's please

[anonymous-user]

I am in a position which I have wanted to achieve for a while which is a) having a garage and b) being able to run 2 cars

I have a budget of 2.5 - 3k and as this will be MY toy I decided I want an MX5 to see what all the fuss is about

I have been looking on here and on Ebay with a view to buying in Jan and have some questions if I may

Firstly I am 6'1", will I fit in a Mk1 ok?

I prefer the look of the Mk1 and have seen some BBR and other turbo's about for around the 3k Mark, are these likely to be nails?

Whats better S/C or Turbo?

I am not so keen on the Mk2's looks, however there are a lot more of them about and they are newer so I assume less likely to be rusty? Does anyone turbo or S/C the Mk2?

The 2.5 seems to be a bit more attractive (although I cannot put my finger on why)

What special editions should I look for? I see the Mk2 Sport has a Torsen (sp) diff?

[JonnyFive]

All MX5s rust, unfortunately.. Good thing for you would be that most MK1s must have had some repair work done to them by now, if they haven't they'll be bloody cheap.

Turbo ones are good, and cheaper to buy it done rather than do it yourself.. Just depends whos done the kit and previous servicing etc. BBRs aren't really worth it, 150bhp and certainly getting on abit by now.

With MX5s buy on condition, rather than mileage etc.

[denniswise9]

2.5k - 3k should get you a nice tidy, rust free (/repaired) example.

I am 6"2 and I fit in in fine so you'll be ok with the seat as far back as it can go!

[Mx5guy]

I think the size depends on legs/ upper body ratios, as some people mention they have problems even though they are the same height as someone else who is ok. I guess the best thing is to find someone who owns one, or go to a dealer and ask to check. I don't have the problem though, only around 5"10.

Mk. 2 cars are thought to rust more easily, but are newer so it completely depends on the condition of the car in question. Check rear arches and sills in particular. Another one I have noticed is the base of the A-pillars on Mk 2 cars, not sure about Mk 1s. Boots can be a problem but wouldn't be so expensive as the arches/ sills problem. It's been commented on here a few times that it's often cheaper to get a new engine than fix bad rust.

Check drainage holes and that the previous owner knows about these and where they are - if they've had it a while and they didn't clean them it's likely to have caused problems.

A lot of the special editions are just slightly different interior colours and a few extras off the options list. I quite like my 10AE (Mk 2), and they aren't much more expensive because they aren't really a "special" edition in regards to numbers - 7500. It has the limited slip diff, extra bracing for its age, and I like the two-colour interior as it makes it a little more interesting.

Edited by Mx5guy on Friday 2nd December 13:45

[youngsyr]

There are ways around the height issue in the MX-5 - I'm 6'0" and just about fit in, but my body is longer than average for someone my height. If it is an issue for you, look up "foamectomy" of the seats and also removal of the sliding seat mounts and bolting seat directly to floor. Each of these will give you another inch or so of headroom. Apparently normal cloth seats give slightly more headroom than leather.

I went for the 10 AE because it had quite a bit of kit over the normal Mk 2s - Bilstein shocks, front tower strut brace, more aggressive inlet cam (BP5Z) and I liked the colour.

You can supercharge the Mk 2 pretty much as easily as you can the Mk 1. There are various kits available, Fast Forward Superchargers and Jackson Racing are just two.

[matlee]

Im 6'2 and found the fit to be snug. These was less room than what i have in my Z4 but not to the extent of it being uncomfy.

I hadnt driven one before buying one a few weeks back and i too was keen to see what all the fuss was about. Well, lets just say after a few minutes driving it on bendy country roads i soon realised what it was all about. It just felt 'right', the steering was precise and there was loads of feedback through it.

[JQ]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

That's a dangerous assumption to make. The Mk2's are very very susceptible to rust, more so than the Mk1's. There are plenty of 2004 cars out there rusting away.