Now I know why some hate MX5s
Now I know why some hate MX5s
Author
Discussion

redgriff500

Original Poster:

28,982 posts

286 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
I'm a huge MX5 fan and I've owned Mk1's for many years mine is much modified with suspercharger, suspension, exige seats - I use it most days to take my daughter to school and love it.

Yesterday I went to see my older daughter at Northampton Uni I usually aviod motorways in the MX5 and choose a fun route but I didn't have time.

40 mins of windnoise and jiggling on the motorway followed by 30 mins finding that Northampton must have the worst surfaced roads in the country and the most speed traps so no fun was had on the A roads either.

I collected my daughter and headed to Milton Keynes or tried to - the traffic was horrific and even in the centre there was a bloody speed trap - at 5mph I think we were probably all safely inside the limit.

I spent four hours driving and hated almost every minute if you are unfortunate enough to live in Northampton or do many motorway miles I now fully understand why you'd hate an MX5 and think slow Automatic barges are better.


Kurtcobain

167 posts

169 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Ok smile

garrykiller

5,670 posts

181 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
surely this thread should be why i hate Milton Keynes and Northampton.

laugh

englisharcher

1,607 posts

187 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
1/10 rubbish rant

Fartgalen

6,844 posts

230 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Now that is a cool starry bra.

Google [bot]

6,828 posts

204 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
I had a supercharged NA/mk1 MX5 and it was great, except:

It never ran right with the Motec
The above meant it had no aircon (I'm in Sydney)
It had black leather
Both of the above rendered it un-demistable on hot wet days
It was unreliable
The ride was too harsh
I'm sure it did my back no good
It was mainly used in city traffic
Strictly speaking it was 'illegally modified' because of Aus legislation, so constant fear of police
I ended up selling it for half what I paid because I was sick of it.

In short, once the novelty wore off I hated it. A lot down to 'not fit for purpose' of course, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it much, ever. It made its 13 year old V6 Camry replacement the most pleasant breath of fresh air (literally) ever.

Papa Hotel

12,760 posts

205 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Shocker, a modified car made worse.

Ari

19,755 posts

238 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Exactly why, when I changed jobs and the company car went, I swapped my fun car MX5 for an SLK.

Still a fun drive but capable of regular three figure mileage journeys.

Google [bot]

6,828 posts

204 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Papa Hotel said:
Shocker, a modified car made worse.
Fair.

Papa Hotel

12,760 posts

205 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Google [bot] said:
Fair.
I wasn't even talking about yours, but point illustrated nicely! smile

Steffan

10,362 posts

251 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
garrykiller said:
surely this thread should be why i hate Milton Keynes and Northampton.

laugh
Or possibly 'There are too many cars and people in the UK'.

Would you have been better off in a shed?

More insulated perhaps. Less jarring ride possibly.

But the intensity of the frustration surely relates to overpopulation and too many motorists.

No easy cure. I still find country lanes the best driving experience.

VR6 Turbo

2,687 posts

177 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
redgriff500 said:
I'm a huge MX5 fan and I've owned Mk1's for many years mine is much modified with suspercharger, suspension, exige seats - I use it most days to take my daughter to school and love it.

Yesterday I went to see my older daughter at Northampton Uni I usually aviod motorways in the MX5 and choose a fun route but I didn't have time.

40 mins of windnoise and jiggling on the motorway followed by 30 mins finding that Northampton must have the worst surfaced roads in the country and the most speed traps so no fun was had on the A roads either.

I collected my daughter and headed to Milton Keynes or tried to - the traffic was horrific and even in the centre there was a bloody speed trap - at 5mph I think we were probably all safely inside the limit.

I spent four hours driving and hated almost every minute if you are unfortunate enough to live in Northampton or do many motorway miles I now fully understand why you'd hate an MX5 and think slow Automatic barges are better.
Stop moaning! I bet my suspension and seats are harder than yours! and I get more road noise in a striped out golf! so what do I win? apart from a bad back?

VR

Google [bot]

6,828 posts

204 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Papa Hotel said:
Google [bot] said:
Fair.
I wasn't even talking about yours, but point illustrated nicely! smile
Just to reinforce your point, one of the many times I was without it while it was being worked on, I used their courtesy auto, standard, air conditioned, power-steered NA and loved it.

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

288 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
redgriff500 said:
40 mins of windnoise
Put the roof up?

Exige77

6,523 posts

214 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Horses for courses biggrin

The more specialised you make a car, the worse it is at doing other stuff.

Ex77

Papa Hotel

12,760 posts

205 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Exige77 said:
Horses for courses biggrin

The more specialised you make a car, the worse it is at doing other stuff.

Ex77
That's fine if you buy an Exige instead of a Volvo V70, you know what you're buying. Problems come when the amateur tries to make their otherwise ordinary little roadster into something it isn't. Manufacturers have R&D budgets in the millions, that's not true for the over-enthusiastic home modifier.

cptsideways

13,830 posts

275 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Captain Muppet said:
redgriff500 said:
40 mins of windnoise
Put the roof up?
That is with the roof up, they are like driving a tent in a gale force 10 rofl


I love them myself, but also have a hatred of the uncomfortable'ness of the things.

Exige77

6,523 posts

214 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Papa Hotel said:
That's fine if you buy an Exige instead of a Volvo V70, you know what you're buying. Problems come when the amateur tries to make their otherwise ordinary little roadster into something it isn't. Manufacturers have R&D budgets in the millions, that's not true for the over-enthusiastic home modifier.
????

I said the more specialised "YOU MAKE" a car. thumbup

Ex77

Hoofy

79,320 posts

305 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
garrykiller said:
surely this thread should be why i hate my daughter.

laugh
EFA.

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

288 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
cptsideways said:
Captain Muppet said:
redgriff500 said:
40 mins of windnoise
Put the roof up?
That is with the roof up, they are like driving a tent in a gale force 10 rofl


I love them myself, but also have a hatred of the uncomfortable'ness of the things.
You need an S1 Elise as your other car to recalibrate your acceptable wind noise level biggrin

Hard top helps too.