1993 Eunos Roadster S-Special
Discussion
Hi guys, first time poster here 
After saving a few pennies and waiting for insurance quotes to drop, being 21 years old, I felt I needed to buy something for myself... and here she is:
For the last few years I've been driving around in my first car, a 1.3 mk5 fiesta, and I had always wanted something light weight and rear wheel drive. So it had to be an MX-5 really! I only had a budget of £2000 for the car and £1000 for insurance, and it's certainly nicer than my non petrolhead friends 2007 Astra Diesal...
This is an S-Special, which from my immense Gran Turismo knowledge tells me it's the 1.6 eunos with the yellow strut brace and yellow Bilstein dampers as standard, along with the lightweight 14" BBS alloys and a rear spoiler. I think it's my perfect spec, as the super rare M2 1001, VR-Spec and RS limited are at the moment far to expensive!
Nicer pictures will be coming soon, and I tend to keep it standard as far as modifications go, though I think a front import style plate would clean up the front, plus some nicer tyres should do the trick...
If there are any Eunos guys with any tips to keep the car healthy, let me know!
After saving a few pennies and waiting for insurance quotes to drop, being 21 years old, I felt I needed to buy something for myself... and here she is:
For the last few years I've been driving around in my first car, a 1.3 mk5 fiesta, and I had always wanted something light weight and rear wheel drive. So it had to be an MX-5 really! I only had a budget of £2000 for the car and £1000 for insurance, and it's certainly nicer than my non petrolhead friends 2007 Astra Diesal...
This is an S-Special, which from my immense Gran Turismo knowledge tells me it's the 1.6 eunos with the yellow strut brace and yellow Bilstein dampers as standard, along with the lightweight 14" BBS alloys and a rear spoiler. I think it's my perfect spec, as the super rare M2 1001, VR-Spec and RS limited are at the moment far to expensive!
Nicer pictures will be coming soon, and I tend to keep it standard as far as modifications go, though I think a front import style plate would clean up the front, plus some nicer tyres should do the trick...
If there are any Eunos guys with any tips to keep the car healthy, let me know!
Looks a nice tidy car, well done and congrats on your purchase!
If you haven't found it already, www.mx5parts.co.uk will empty your pockets even further.
If you haven't found it already, www.mx5parts.co.uk will empty your pockets even further.
My first was a 1993 1.8 S-special that looked just like that! (I'm on my third now, turbo'd)
That was a few years back, these have got a lot more popular with younger owners recently. This means theres loads of misinformation about!There so popular now its almost a parody of itself, however, that is still a great purchase.
As a serial owner, heres the really important things you should do.
- Purchase the 'Rod Grainger' workshop manual for the 1.6(ask for this as a christmas present, its on amazon/ebay).
- Find and fix any existing rust, then get it properly rustproofed and undersealed. This does NOT mean blathering in horrid waxoyl - theres much better methods and products out there.
- Tyres. These do need to have 4 decent, matching tyres before they drive right. Luckily, this is cheap. You don't have to buy expensive track or super sport tyres, but 4 new matching midrange jobs makes such a difference. Dunlop, Uniroyal, Hankook etc. Well under £200 fitted. And they last a while too as the car is light.
- After your tyres, get a wheel alignment! A proper one, from a reccomended specialist (there are plenty up and down the country). These cars have much more adjustment at all corners than most, but this does mean that they go out of adjustment. Even if you think it drives fine, I promise you its worth doing. It should become part of your annual maintenance (mine always get checked and reset at MOT time).
- Join the MX5OC (its not all chrome and luggage racks) for tonnes of discounts, great events, cheap trackdays, free motor racing tickets etc.
- Put miata.net , MX5Nutz , MX5parts, and Autolink MX5 in your favourites bar (there are lots of discount codes for parts suppliers). And the MX5 section on PH!
- Service it yourself. If your a competent DIY'er, or even if your a complete beginner, There is almost nothing on these cars you can't easily tackle at home.
- Once its serviced and working, let it warm up properly each time you drive it then thrash the living daylights out of it.
- Oh, and book a trackday. You dont need to spend thousands on mods before you do. Your car will be fine. Its hilarious.
That was a few years back, these have got a lot more popular with younger owners recently. This means theres loads of misinformation about!There so popular now its almost a parody of itself, however, that is still a great purchase.
As a serial owner, heres the really important things you should do.
- Purchase the 'Rod Grainger' workshop manual for the 1.6(ask for this as a christmas present, its on amazon/ebay).
- Find and fix any existing rust, then get it properly rustproofed and undersealed. This does NOT mean blathering in horrid waxoyl - theres much better methods and products out there.
- Tyres. These do need to have 4 decent, matching tyres before they drive right. Luckily, this is cheap. You don't have to buy expensive track or super sport tyres, but 4 new matching midrange jobs makes such a difference. Dunlop, Uniroyal, Hankook etc. Well under £200 fitted. And they last a while too as the car is light.
- After your tyres, get a wheel alignment! A proper one, from a reccomended specialist (there are plenty up and down the country). These cars have much more adjustment at all corners than most, but this does mean that they go out of adjustment. Even if you think it drives fine, I promise you its worth doing. It should become part of your annual maintenance (mine always get checked and reset at MOT time).
- Join the MX5OC (its not all chrome and luggage racks) for tonnes of discounts, great events, cheap trackdays, free motor racing tickets etc.
- Put miata.net , MX5Nutz , MX5parts, and Autolink MX5 in your favourites bar (there are lots of discount codes for parts suppliers). And the MX5 section on PH!
- Service it yourself. If your a competent DIY'er, or even if your a complete beginner, There is almost nothing on these cars you can't easily tackle at home.
- Once its serviced and working, let it warm up properly each time you drive it then thrash the living daylights out of it.
- Oh, and book a trackday. You dont need to spend thousands on mods before you do. Your car will be fine. Its hilarious.
Thanks for the nice comments
'Planet Claire' - My pockets are already empty, you're not helping xD Thanks, my Christmas list has extended....
I really appreciate all the help 'Snotrag', I made sure I had the car serviced and the tracking sorted as soon as I picked it up, so no problems there! Im going to get the cars underside waxed in the new year when i get the cash again...
I never thought about joining the mx5oc, but you've pretty much sold it to me already!
Thankyou so much for all the tips, that's exactly what I was looking for. And of course, when I've sorted some tyres and maybe replaced the brakes, Trackdays are the first place I'll be!
Oh, I agree totally about the side placed plates, just a centred square 330mm by 165mm plate. The private plate came with the car so that'll be sold too.
Feel free to upload those pics of you're old one if you like!
'Planet Claire' - My pockets are already empty, you're not helping xD Thanks, my Christmas list has extended....
I really appreciate all the help 'Snotrag', I made sure I had the car serviced and the tracking sorted as soon as I picked it up, so no problems there! Im going to get the cars underside waxed in the new year when i get the cash again...
I never thought about joining the mx5oc, but you've pretty much sold it to me already!
Thankyou so much for all the tips, that's exactly what I was looking for. And of course, when I've sorted some tyres and maybe replaced the brakes, Trackdays are the first place I'll be!
Oh, I agree totally about the side placed plates, just a centred square 330mm by 165mm plate. The private plate came with the car so that'll be sold too.
Feel free to upload those pics of you're old one if you like!
Don't have to ask twice! Black looks brilliant when its cleaned up nicely!
DSCF1814 by simonholehan, on Flickr
DSCF1771 by simonholehan, on Flickr
DSCF0581 by simonholehan, on Flickr
DSCF1814 by simonholehan, on FlickrDSCF1771 by simonholehan, on FlickrDSCF0581 by simonholehan, on FlickrOooh,I'm impressed! I do agree with the colour, and I love the subtle changes you've made (well, the alloys aren't subtle but you know what I mean!), rather than going all out. Very nice!
I do prefer your rear spoiler, am I right in thinking that was an alternative option from the factory? Or it could be the US Miata spec...
I'm contemplating roll-over bar such as yours too in the future, would you recommend any in particular?
Thanks again!
I do prefer your rear spoiler, am I right in thinking that was an alternative option from the factory? Or it could be the US Miata spec...
I'm contemplating roll-over bar such as yours too in the future, would you recommend any in particular?
Thanks again!
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