2004 MX-5 Euphonic
Discussion
Well, the Girlfriend beat me to it, MX-5 ownership. I love MX-5's, have driven a good few and driven around Europe in a friend's MK2 Jasper Conran, and so does my girlfriend. She's yearned for one since she had a ride in one a few years back.
She's been driving around in an under-powered and slightly rusty 2001 KA for the past 3 years and it was time for a change now she's started her new job.
So here it is.
It's a 2004 MX-5 Euphonic 1.8. The euphonic is a limited edition and Mazda made 2000 of them (in black, grey, red and yellow I THINK) and it came with either the 1.6 or 1.8. It's specced up to rafters with a great list of kit including:
Full heated black and red leather interior,
Air con,
LSD,
Sony sound system with 6 CD changer,
Chrome effect alloy wheels,
Sports suspension,
5 speed gearbox,
and a BOOT RACK!! (not standard).
The car was bought after a lengthy search around the local area (she didn't want to travel far to buy) which found a huge selection of terrible examples, which surprised and saddened me!. Rust rust rust, thats all I can say. Oh and mold, lots of mold.
So she up'd the budget by £500 and we found a dealer in Berkshire selling 4 nice looking ones. I went along and saw this, 76k, sills repaired, all new brakes, new front suspension, decent service history and very good bodywork. She and I were sold and a great deal was done.
Its great to drive, 145hp so feels like the star ship enterprise compared to the KA. Just needs the tracking sorted (could also need the wishbones sorting) and then some sunny days. Best feel good car for the money imo.
Thanks for reading and sorry for the essay.
She's been driving around in an under-powered and slightly rusty 2001 KA for the past 3 years and it was time for a change now she's started her new job.
So here it is.
It's a 2004 MX-5 Euphonic 1.8. The euphonic is a limited edition and Mazda made 2000 of them (in black, grey, red and yellow I THINK) and it came with either the 1.6 or 1.8. It's specced up to rafters with a great list of kit including:
Full heated black and red leather interior,
Air con,
LSD,
Sony sound system with 6 CD changer,
Chrome effect alloy wheels,
Sports suspension,
5 speed gearbox,
and a BOOT RACK!! (not standard).
The car was bought after a lengthy search around the local area (she didn't want to travel far to buy) which found a huge selection of terrible examples, which surprised and saddened me!. Rust rust rust, thats all I can say. Oh and mold, lots of mold.
So she up'd the budget by £500 and we found a dealer in Berkshire selling 4 nice looking ones. I went along and saw this, 76k, sills repaired, all new brakes, new front suspension, decent service history and very good bodywork. She and I were sold and a great deal was done.
Its great to drive, 145hp so feels like the star ship enterprise compared to the KA. Just needs the tracking sorted (could also need the wishbones sorting) and then some sunny days. Best feel good car for the money imo.
Thanks for reading and sorry for the essay.
Lovely spec on the Euphonic..
Only available in Velocity Red, Titanium Grey, Brilliant Black or Sunlight Silver, but not Yellow - Yellow only appeared on the Arizona and California.
The boot rack is fitted the wrong way round (most are) as the bar at the back should be by the rear screen - you can brake harder than you can accelerate.
Does it still have all of the original Sony audio installed?
Only available in Velocity Red, Titanium Grey, Brilliant Black or Sunlight Silver, but not Yellow - Yellow only appeared on the Arizona and California.
The boot rack is fitted the wrong way round (most are) as the bar at the back should be by the rear screen - you can brake harder than you can accelerate.
Does it still have all of the original Sony audio installed?
Superhoop said:
Lovely spec on the Euphonic..
Only available in Velocity Red, Titanium Grey, Brilliant Black or Sunlight Silver, but not Yellow - Yellow only appeared on the Arizona and California.
The boot rack is fitted the wrong way round (most are) as the bar at the back should be by the rear screen - you can brake harder than you can accelerate.
Does it still have all of the original Sony audio installed?
Thanks for the info, i'll swap it round asap! Needs a polish too. It does have the original sony audio yes!Only available in Velocity Red, Titanium Grey, Brilliant Black or Sunlight Silver, but not Yellow - Yellow only appeared on the Arizona and California.
The boot rack is fitted the wrong way round (most are) as the bar at the back should be by the rear screen - you can brake harder than you can accelerate.
Does it still have all of the original Sony audio installed?
I had a Euphonic in the same titanium grey, loved it.
IIRC they do not come with sport suspension from the factory (yellow bilstiens like the mk2 sports) - think it's just the standard black dampers. I don't think air con was standard either.
They do however come with the sports extra bracing under the car, as well as the big brake set up. No 6 speed though, so it's a 5 speed in 4.1 ratio.
The wheels are nice looking but s
t offset and stupidly heavy. Looking back I should have got another, lighter set of alloys to make the car feel more sprightly.
First job full stop with an MX5 is to get it properly 4 wheel aligned on a hunter machine or similar - thank me later.
Keep an eye on your rear diff, google tochigi fuji LSD diff problems. The Euphonics all came with a tochigi fuji. Mine went so replaced it with a much better (and fun) type 1 Torsen LSD. I also spent a fortune sorting rust out on the rear arches and I just caught my front chassis legs from needing to be cut out in time.
IIRC they do not come with sport suspension from the factory (yellow bilstiens like the mk2 sports) - think it's just the standard black dampers. I don't think air con was standard either.
They do however come with the sports extra bracing under the car, as well as the big brake set up. No 6 speed though, so it's a 5 speed in 4.1 ratio.
The wheels are nice looking but s
t offset and stupidly heavy. Looking back I should have got another, lighter set of alloys to make the car feel more sprightly.First job full stop with an MX5 is to get it properly 4 wheel aligned on a hunter machine or similar - thank me later.
Keep an eye on your rear diff, google tochigi fuji LSD diff problems. The Euphonics all came with a tochigi fuji. Mine went so replaced it with a much better (and fun) type 1 Torsen LSD. I also spent a fortune sorting rust out on the rear arches and I just caught my front chassis legs from needing to be cut out in time.
seany87 said:
I also spent a fortune sorting rust out on the rear arches and I just caught my front chassis legs from needing to be cut out in time.
I cut my losses with regards the rust. The bodywork didn't worry me too much but my mechanic said some of the underside was starting to look expensive so either spend the money and make sure I keep the car or ditch it before it becomes a problem, I got rid.If it wasn't for the rust I'd still be driving a MK2.5 MX5 because the mechanicals are mostly strong with very few expensive parts, they are also pretty good to work on for the home mechanic.
Always had a soft spot for the Euphonic, especially after following one that was driven by a female copper I knew that exited every roundabout with an armful of corrective steering, she knew how to drive!
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