MX5s and history?

[Conor D]

I've finally gotten an insurance quote I'm happy with for a '5.. Now I'm searching for the car to buy, some of the cars I'm looking at don't have a full service history.

How much history should I be looking for, or is there any history in particular I should be looking for in the past MOTs etc?

[hornetrider]

Are the cars without full history imports?

I'd always like to have as much history as poss - but that said the 5 is fairly robust. When I bought a Mk1 import it had no history prior to the import date (99 on a 94 car). It didn't bother me tbh as it had 7 or 8 years of decent history.

[Conor D]

I'm only looking at UK cars due to insurance.

[Oldandslow]

Personally I tend to look more at the condition of the car rather than history. As has been said the 5 is pretty robust and simple mechanically. On an older UK car your real enemy is corrosion. I'd want to know if the previous owner used it all year, how many winters has it been through, is he/she an enthusiast, OC member etc. Check the usual areas for the first signs of rust. There are some absolute diamonds out there that are about 20 years old but have zero history. They've been someones pride and joy, carefully serviced at home, kept in a garage, not exposed to salty roads. That kind of history is way more important than a few dealer stamps (IMO). Hope you find on of those.

[MX-5 Lazza]

The very oldest cars are 22 years old now so personally I'd do the same as O&S and buy on condition rather than service history. These cars tend to be very reliable mechanically and any serious mechanical problems can be fixed fairly cheaply anyway with the prices of engines & gearboxes being very low. The bodywork however can be a problem. The sills & rear arches are possible problem areas and serious rust here can kill a car and even a full dealer service history won't avoid that!

[JFReturns]

Mine didn't have any history, other than a few MOT certificates. It has been fine.

I would buy on condition rather than anything else. Get one from a true petrolhead who has replaced everything that needs replacing and you won't go wrong.