Good fun or a world of pain?

[Mattlan]

Quick background, recently divorced and suddenly find myself with huge amounts of time to fill, so I thought I would take the plunge and buy a weekend car to tinker on during those long summer evenings. Just moving home to within an industrial estate with three or four car businesses so I would think begging the use of specialist tools would be possible ( you know the ones, spanners, screwdrivers etc!!!) . Been looking for a sensible car on which to learn the basics

Anyway came across this whilst browing autotrader ; a PH favourite :

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

good points : cheap , nearby, red paint is pretty unfaded, popup lights work!!!!! , 2 owners, MOt's for last 10 years, last one has no advisories, non power steering for the ultimate feel, Uk car last owner averaged @ 5000 miles a year

bad points : evidence of service history non existent since 2001 ( see ad LOTS OF SERVICE HISTORY!!!!) , no service book, roof has rubberised repairs to each side, engine sounds tappity, idled at 1500rpm for a few minutes then settled down, light bodywork rust on front of rear arches, spots elsewhere, naff wheels, Pirelli P6000 tyres (admittedly with a bit of tread on all of them) , filthy dirty, worn interior with ragged bolster ( would think about swopping out cloth for leather if poss to tidy up the interior) rear disks and pads need changing

Whilst I dont want to bring this back to a pristine conditoin, the thought of working on it on long summer evenings and weekend fun driving the PH default motor appeals hugely, and if it lasts till October Mot renewal it seems like cheap summer fun!

Over to you guys....what do you think?

[mobile chicane22]

Hmmm halfords special wheels base model no air con manual windows and tappety 500 absolute max and its a grey import ( see the fog light bolted onto the bottom of the bumper ).

Travel further and increase your budget by 125 - 625 and you'll find somthing nicer but still worth working on.

[Essel]

For my money, thats a UK car. Rear plate is square on non-uk cars, also I believe no power steering was uk only, as it was designed for power steering, and retro designed for the uk market only. Check out the rear of the sills - likely place to rust, but a cheap repair (well it was on mine). There are huge amounts of shiny things to spend money on if that takes your fancy. And on those tyres, be careful in the wet.. Other than that go for it and have a laugh.

[RenesisEvo]

Essel said:

For my money, thats a UK car. Rear plate is square on non-uk cars...

Eunos badges on nose and steering wheel suggest otherwise. Changing the rear panel for a UK-style plate is easy to do and commonly done.

[230TE]

I haven't seen panel gaps that bad since my Uncle Ted bought a Lada Riva. You might want to poke around the inner wings, front chassis legs etc a bit before you hand over the money. I suspect this one might be cheap for a reason.

[Steamer]

230TE said:

I haven't seen panel gaps that bad since my Uncle Ted bought a Lada Riva...

Panel gaps?! I thought they were cooling ducts!!

[Superhoop]

RenesisEvo said:

Eunos badges on nose and steering wheel suggest otherwise. Changing the rear panel for a UK-style plate is easy to do and commonly done.

That's not an Eunos badge on the nose. That was Mazda's badge until 1995, when it changed to the current wings

The rear fog light is in the same position as all UK MKI's, mounted in a little cut out in the rear bumper

Definitely a UK car.

[Globs]

Mattlan said:

so I would think begging the use of specialist tools would be possible ( you know the ones, spanners, screwdrivers etc!!!) .

It would be unlikely this would happen, tools in general belong to mechanics and are every expensive - and cherished - and needed to be complete and on hand at all times.

So buy a decent toolcab online and populate it with Halfords Professional range.

[Athlon]

Steamer said:

230TE said:

I haven't seen panel gaps that bad since my Uncle Ted bought a Lada Riva...

Panel gaps?! I thought they were cooling ducts!!

The gaps are not bad at all, the pop ups need adjusting at the trailing edge (they are sitting too low) easy to do, it has probably had headlight units at some point and put back together without care.

[Major Fallout]

I think its fine.

Put it on some decent oil and it should stop tapping, all mx5s tap on crap oil or good old oil. There is nothing that can't be done cheaply, apart from rust!

Rust is the killer!!

The rest, well you will pay about 40 for a gearbox, 100 for a diff (300 for a lsd), 500 for an engine. So apart from rust thats as expensive as it can ever get.

[Baz Tench]

My dad has a mk 1. The parts are cheap and it's easy to work on.

In fact, it's enjoyable to work on.

[LiamM45]

Mattlan said:

MOt's for last 10 years, last one has no advisories

Over to you guys....what do you think?

Rough car at dealership, last MOT no advisories. Alarm bells not ringing by now?

MOT by Stevie Wonder Garage Services...

[Mattlan]

Right, quick update, took it out for a testdrive on Saturday, typically it peed it down all day so taking the advice above about the tyres I did not give it much welly round the corners!

Good points : gearchange, noise ( although I did wonder whether it was blowing a bit up front) steering feel, fun factor, view over those lights, glass rear window, MOT last ten years from same station ( see above) Dealer has already dropped price to £800 before I even started asking.

Bad points : noise see above, rust bubbling on front of rear arches, more gas not equating to more shove, just noise , although given the conditions and "test drive" aspect I don't think I was working the engine beyond 4000 revs and my guess is that they start to sing above this? No service history beyond the second owners service on purchase back in '99.

Anyone in the know tell me what the car info is from slam plate sticker JMZNA18P2001 02226 , DEST BB, MODEL : NA92-BAG