Do you worry about vandalism on your 5?
Discussion
Long time lurker here and fan of 5's. Still dithering about stepping into the 5 lifestyle (roofless and slightly sideways when the talent is equal to the challenge when it comes to going sideways). I am very keen on the mk3 with the Eibach springs, etc and refreshed geo but am still to go out in a 5 so need to get that sorted too.
One thing that keeps bugging me and having never owned a soft top before I am getting preconceived ideas that my potential 5 will either have its roof slashed and some light fingered no mark pilfer from my P&J. I live and work in a pretty good area but its leaving the car in other places that concern me, multi storey car parks for instance, I am pretty fussy where I park as it goes and there is only so much you can do to keep your things that way and I never leave tempting goodies out on show. Any thoughts/experiences?
Comments/spins round the block very welcome!!
Thanks
One thing that keeps bugging me and having never owned a soft top before I am getting preconceived ideas that my potential 5 will either have its roof slashed and some light fingered no mark pilfer from my P&J. I live and work in a pretty good area but its leaving the car in other places that concern me, multi storey car parks for instance, I am pretty fussy where I park as it goes and there is only so much you can do to keep your things that way and I never leave tempting goodies out on show. Any thoughts/experiences?
Comments/spins round the block very welcome!!
Thanks
v64motion said:
Long time lurker here and fan of 5's. Still dithering about stepping into the 5 lifestyle (roofless and slightly sideways when the talent is equal to the challenge when it comes to going sideways). I am very keen on the mk3 with the Eibach springs, etc and refreshed geo but am still to go out in a 5 so need to get that sorted too.
One thing that keeps bugging me and having never owned a soft top before I am getting preconceived ideas that my potential 5 will either have its roof slashed and some light fingered no mark pilfer from my P&J. I live and work in a pretty good area but its leaving the car in other places that concern me, multi storey car parks for instance, I am pretty fussy where I park as it goes and there is only so much you can do to keep your things that way and I never leave tempting goodies out on show. Any thoughts/experiences?
Comments/spins round the block very welcome!!
Thanks
The Mk3 with Eibach's and the Geo done is a very good choice - well done!One thing that keeps bugging me and having never owned a soft top before I am getting preconceived ideas that my potential 5 will either have its roof slashed and some light fingered no mark pilfer from my P&J. I live and work in a pretty good area but its leaving the car in other places that concern me, multi storey car parks for instance, I am pretty fussy where I park as it goes and there is only so much you can do to keep your things that way and I never leave tempting goodies out on show. Any thoughts/experiences?
Comments/spins round the block very welcome!!
Thanks
Regarding vandalism/damage. Yes, it does worry me, but no more so than it has on any other car I've owned. I lived in a "student central" area of Birmingham for a year or so while I had my first MX-5 (1.8 Mk2.5), and it was never touched. The car was parked on the street here.
Now, however, I have my own flat and the car lives in the garage - I'm a little fussy where I park it and as yet I've not had any issues. If you're particularly fussed, the Mk3 and 3.5 are both available with a folding hard top which only adds circa 30-50kg to the weight of the car.
Yes it really worries me tbh. Back in my S2k owning days a scrote went through the roof with a knife for the sat nav. (£1k for a new roof!! 
)
Sacrilege maybe, but its one of the reasons I tend to leave the hard top on. Although a MX5 roof is "only" £260.
I'm aware hard top theft is also an issue, but seemingly less so. Mine is tucked out of the way of passers by on the drive round the back of the house.
The hard top does come off for special occassions
)Sacrilege maybe, but its one of the reasons I tend to leave the hard top on. Although a MX5 roof is "only" £260.
I'm aware hard top theft is also an issue, but seemingly less so. Mine is tucked out of the way of passers by on the drive round the back of the house.
The hard top does come off for special occassions
I live in a fairly rough area, when i first moved here both mine and my dad's motorbikes had tried to be stolen, and eventually they got my dad's and not a night goes past when there won't be some police activity, I am worried about the 5 (1.8 mk2) but i've had it about a year now and it hasn't been touched...it lives out on the street too!
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
I bought a hard top for 'the perception of security' factor as I have moved to a slightly less salubrious neighborhood.
TBH peoples shoddy parking has caused more dings on the 5 than any vandalism so far & grabbing for a piece of wood! The skyline was a different matter. It was a vandal magnet, couldn't leave it anywhere.
TBH peoples shoddy parking has caused more dings on the 5 than any vandalism so far & grabbing for a piece of wood! The skyline was a different matter. It was a vandal magnet, couldn't leave it anywhere.
The only thing i worry about is my aerial being snapped so i take it off each night lol 
Its a calculated risk with the roof - i'd rather not leave the hard top on where possible - its quite nickable in itself so would rather sacrifice the cloth roof. I almost feel it woudl be better to leave the doors open so if someone did poke about they wont damage the trim etc!
That said i have some metal brackets from rennenmetal to lock my hardtop on but by doing that i could be inviting heavier damage should someone be determined enough to try and have it away...
Otherwise i think most people other than people targetting something very specific can't be arsed messing with these - they are under the radar as there are a lot of other percieved better cars to grab attention of the scrotes.... Thats a very good thing!
Its a calculated risk with the roof - i'd rather not leave the hard top on where possible - its quite nickable in itself so would rather sacrifice the cloth roof. I almost feel it woudl be better to leave the doors open so if someone did poke about they wont damage the trim etc!
That said i have some metal brackets from rennenmetal to lock my hardtop on but by doing that i could be inviting heavier damage should someone be determined enough to try and have it away...
Otherwise i think most people other than people targetting something very specific can't be arsed messing with these - they are under the radar as there are a lot of other percieved better cars to grab attention of the scrotes.... Thats a very good thing!
I've had no problems with mine - was in a fairly dodgy area of Blackburn for a few months and now in not the nicest areas of Nottingham without any attempted break-ins. Have also left it overnight on occasion in various areas of Notts without problems. I don't think they attract any more attention than most standard cars.
My biggest issue is people (with trucks/SUVs) dont see it when they back up. Mine has been hit a number of times while it was parked. and people usually try to change lanes into me on the highway. the only vandalism issue ive had was my top got knifed (nothing was taken out of the interior) about 2 months after i have bought it. Ive never kept mine in a garage. however, i dont believe that is the cause of my misfortune. I think its more likely that it has always been parked in parking lots since i owned it.
Some idiot in a Jeep Grand Cherokee almost reversed into my old Mk1 in a supermarket carpark (where I used to work we shared our carpark with the local supermarket). They only stopped because I jumped out and banged on the window! He swore at me that it was my fault for having such a stupid little car - I told him he was a c*** and that it was lucky it was me in a car and not a baby in a pram otherwise the outcome would have been horiffic!
Other than that small incident (which didn't quite turn into a punch-up but only because my boss arrived on scene just on time) I've never had a problem beyond the usual supermarket carpark door dents.
Other than that small incident (which didn't quite turn into a punch-up but only because my boss arrived on scene just on time) I've never had a problem beyond the usual supermarket carpark door dents.
Evening all,
Just a bit of an update. Went to look and have a test drive in a mk3 and was very impressed, seemed very planted and the whole driving position is great and I think I am hooked. The car I looked at is from a local non franchised dealer and on a 56 plate with 50k miles, black heated leather, fsh and a new MOT, its up for £7.5k, reasonable or not?
Just a bit of an update. Went to look and have a test drive in a mk3 and was very impressed, seemed very planted and the whole driving position is great and I think I am hooked. The car I looked at is from a local non franchised dealer and on a 56 plate with 50k miles, black heated leather, fsh and a new MOT, its up for £7.5k, reasonable or not?
Gassing Station | Mazda MX5/Roadster/Miata | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff