BMW and Mazda advice

Mazda mx5... Why didn't i think of that! Also the suzuki could be an ideal car, good suggestion... half decent id imagine?

Back to my 3k budget, what spec mx5 should i look for?
 
Would you get a Ford StreetKa for £4k? Puma? SportKa? MX-5 is also a solid choice although you might find yourself 'borrowing' it more often than you think!
 
chloe138 said:
Mazda mx5... Why didn't i think of that! Also the suzuki could be an ideal car, good suggestion... half decent id imagine?

Back to my 3k budget, what spec mx5 should i look for?
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You could get a very very nice low mileage mark1 for that money.

Or a pretty decent mk2/2.5.

For example, I bought a rather well specced 1998 1.8 with less than 60,000 miles on the clock and a supercharger conversion in great mechanical and aesthetic condition for £3750.

Without the charger, it would have been £2-2.5k



Couple of tips when looking... sills prone to rust... check them properly.

Also... they like to go through a bit of oil... nothing like the rx8, but still something that'll need keeping an eye on at least once a week/fourtnight if used for a regular commute
 
Personally... I would choose a late stock mark 1 and use the remaining money to polybush it all-round, underseal it and maybe a cam belt change/few routine bits/set of boots/etc. Would make it feel great and the bushes would need doing at some point anyway.


For that money... look for something relatively recently replaced suspension too... the original suspension is good, but gets tired. I especially like the new iteration of sportdrive from p5 :)

(they're also incredibly reliable)
 
18 posts untill an MX5 is suggested, tut tut standards are clearly slipping.

But either way an MX5 sounds ideal aslong as she dosen't need 4 seats?

RWD, lovely to drive and boring car running costs, whats not to like?

My wife has had 2 and loved both of them.
 
crinkleshoes said:
Also... they like to go through a bit of oil...
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Sorry, they don't.

I imagine the supercharger and driving at high revs (5k+) will use some but mine is on 130,000 miles and uses 250ml every 6k miles.

What oil are you using?

Back on topic, good suggestion.

A nice Mk2/2.5 is within budget and the running costs are pretty low.

Don't let a little bit of rust put you off, unless you are buying a fresh import as they are 10 years old.

Sill repair can be done for £100-£300 a side.
 
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crinkleshoes said:
Personally... I would choose a late stock mark 1 and use the remaining money to polybush it all-round, underseal it and maybe a cam belt change/few routine bits/set of boots/etc. Would make it feel great and the bushes would need doing at some point anyway.
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Most 20 year old girls will prefer a Mk2, polybushes are a PITA.

OP, just buy one with all the servicing done already, easily done.

Check MX5 Nutz and the Owners club.


crinkleshoes said:
For that money... look for something relatively recently replaced suspension too... the original suspension is good, but gets tired. I especially like the new iteration of sportdrive from p5 :)

(they're also incredibly reliable)
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The stock suspension is pretty hardy and i wouldn't be in a rush to ditch it for some ebay specials.

The sportdrive, while amazing, have been prone to some technical issues and you will be lucky to find any for sale.
 
aproctor said:
Sorry, they don't.

I imagine the supercharger and driving at high revs (5k+) will use some but mine is on 130,000 miles and uses 250ml every 6k miles.

What oil are you using?

Back on topic, good suggestion.

A nice Mk2/2.5 is within budget and the running costs are pretty low.

Don't let a little bit of rust put you off, unless you are buying a fresh import as they are 10 years old.

Sill repair can be done for £100-£300 a side.
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I've had 3, they've all used more oil than that.

I also have multiple friends with various different '5s and don't know of one that goes through that little oil... but then they and I do not drive like grannys :P

Best I had would be about double that ~0.5L every 6k miles at an estimate. But I change the oil more frequently than that anyway due to all the events they see... and yes, the charged one does get through the most oil of all 3.

It does depend on how they're driven.

But it's always a worthwhile recommendation to keep an eye on it :p

aproctor said:
Most 20 year old girls will prefer a Mk2, polybushes are a PITA.

OP, just buy one with all the servicing done already, easily done.

Check MX5 Nutz and the Owners club.
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Again, that's not representative of my experiences... but then I'm 23, so it's easier for me to date 20 year olds ;)

They like the pop-up headlights :p

And my current girl preferred my old mk1 to her mk2.5.

The stock suspension is pretty hardy and i wouldn't be in a rush to ditch it for some ebay specials.

The sportdrive, while amazing, have been prone to some technical issues and you will be lucky to find any for sale.
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Who said anything about ebay specials? I wouldn't recommend anyone touch them with a barge pole! I know the two people who were first to try those crappy coilovers (or, at least announce it)... funny that they've both replaced them already!

My recommendations above stock... P5, Tein, Koni (although Koni's can be a bit jarring compared to Tein/P5).

Like I said... the stock suspension is pretty good... however 10+ year old stock susp. will never compare to newer P5/Tein/Koni as long as it's been setup correctly of course.
 
Mr Williams said:
You've significantly underestimated the cost of a 3 series - even a used one!
http://www.desperateseller.co.uk/used-cars/bmw/3-series
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Lol...

You can get a semi-reasonable (albeit with a bit of work likely to be needed) e46 3 series for under 3 grand!

I almost picked up a 330i for £2795 a couple of weeks back that was in surprisingly good mecahnical condition (desperate seller).

You can get a very well looked after e36 3 series for under 2k

Heck... when I needed a cheap mile eater a year or so ago... I picked up a 325tds e36 for £600 that needed front bushes doing but drove pretty damn well and was perfectly reliable.
 
crinkleshoes said:
I've had 3, they've all used more oil than that.

I also have multiple friends with various different '5s and don't know of one that goes through that little oil... but then they and I do not drive like grannys :P

It does depend on how they're driven.

But it's always a worthwhile recommendation to keep an eye on it :p
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Most people i know use bugger all, if you track them i don't think your experience is representative of the average user. You could have just bought 3 lemons though. ;)

Almost everyone i know on the forums does not use much. :)

The shocks are fine, unless you are tracking and i prefered the OEM to the teins, this is an opinion shared by many.

I've had my car in bits more times than i care to remember and a 20 year old Mk1, with track suspension and bushes is the last thing i would recommend. Even though i pretty much own that.

I really wouldn't go back to poly bushes though.

A nice Mk2 with good service history and OEM is a much better bet.
 
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Ok, let me try to take all this in! lol.

So what’s the difference between a mark 2 and a mark 2.5? I'm thinking the mark 1 would be maybe a bit too tired. Then again what do I know!

Also what’s poly bushes?

I wonder seeing as I’m not living in the UK, once I have the money would anyone on here feel like helping me find a good mx5 along with viewing the car for me? I would happily pay. I just don’t want to be lumped with a lemon.

I admit i do like stock generally, not feeling bling unless it’s done properly.

I’m going to take my budget to 3.5k, id happily pay 2k for the car and spend 1.5k towards getting the thing into a nice condition.

The car will be living along the outskirts of Bristol, so i guess if anyone was to help me out they would want to be around that area?
 
So I’ve been and done some homework via wiki. Seems there was an update of the mark2 in 2001, is this worth paying extra for? It talks about up rated suspension and stiffeners etc. Or would it be more cost efficient to buy the original mk2 and do a few upgrades myself?

Out of interest how much does full wheel refurb normally cost? It would be nice to see the car sitting on some good looking standard rims.

Talking of modifications could anyone list any that would be worth considering improving either the life of the car along with performance and the look?

Cheers all! I feel I’m getting somewhere... Possible project coming on :D
 
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