MX5 Owners in here....bring your curling tongs

OK motors folk you've 99% convinced me.

Had my heart set on a facelifted mk2 SLK, but after researching the suggested MX5 hardtop as an alternative it's very likely I'll get one of these.

I'm looking at getting a MK3 as new and low milage as I can afford. Budget is about £8.5k. I'll be leaving everything as standard and doing all my own servicing and repairs (unless a complex job beyond my level of expertise). I like silver cars but a nice light coloured metallic car would be acceptable too.


I have some questions and would appreciate your comments.

1.8 or 2 litre? Both allegedly have very good mpg and even the 2 litre will improve my current economy according to the stated figures. I'm veering towards the 2 litre.

Which model type? Is there a model which is head and shoulders above the rest for some reason? Miyako, Sport tech etc. Any comments?

Thanks
 
My 2 litre is not great on fuel to be honest, I'm averaging around 30mpg. I can't comment about the best spec, as I have an early model (2005)

I came from a Mk2 (R171) Slk and it feels so much more engaging to drive and so much more fun.
 
scaza said:
My 2 litre is not great on fuel to be honest, I'm averaging around 30mpg. I can't comment about the best spec, as I have an early model (2005)

I came from a Mk2 (R171) Slk and it feels so much more engaging to drive and so much more fun.
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Glad you said that about the slk scaza thanks :)

I get about 32 in my focus, maybe a bit more.
 
BTW like Scaza I have an old 05, 2.0 5spd and there is absolutely nowt wrong with it but at your budget you should be able to land the updated model.
 
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sandys said:
BTW like Scaza I have an old 05, 2.0 5spd and there is absolutely nowt wrong with it but at your budget you should be able to long the updated model.
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Cheap fun and the roof down, can't knock it.
All 2 litres have an LSD aparrently, although I would like a 6th gear, especially on the motorway.
 
I'm interested in the 6spd for an altogether different reason, it should work well with the 5spd final drive and help acceleration for hillclimbs, on a steep hill like Shelsey Walsh the 5spd will actually bog down a bit 2nd to 3rd, though some of that could be my big wheels and tyres which compound its legginess :D
 
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Is there any point in an aftermarket 4 point strut brace on an Mx5 NC?
Seen a good deal on one but conflicting reports on how the double wishbone suspension negates the need for one have me second guessing.
 
General opinion is they are not needed but Mazda saw fit too put one on and as part of the Mazda speed upgrades the do all the chassis bracing, so I don't see why not.
 
Well decided to go ahead and buy one. Looks to be good quality and isn't actually as heavy as I originally thought it would be which is an upside, assuming it still works!

cB1bm7X.jpg
 
Can I have some advice on how to look out for rust on a mk3.5?

Obviously I'll be giving it a good eyeballing all over but what about these chassis rails I hear so much about? Would a good look underneath spot trouble? Exactly where do I look?

I'll be looking at folding hard top models around 2010ish with 40k odd on the clock.

Thanks
 
The chassis rails on the mk3 don't seem to rust as badly as the early cars.

For a mk3 the rust/corrosion areas to check are:

Underneath boot lid, near the numberplate lights (aluminium corrosion rather than rust - expect to see paint bubbles and white flakiness, rather than orange, this is largely cosmetic and unseen unless the boot is opened)

Rear subframe and rear suspension arms (some cars much worse than others here but most will get surface corrosion on the suspension arms, this is mostly cosmetic on cars at this point, but some early examples that have lived by the sea look pretty rough underneath)

Front/rear edges of bonnet (again, aluminium corrosion as the bonnet is not steel, after many years contaminants on the metal that weren't properly removed before paint was applied can react and cause the paint to bubble up)

Rear arch lips (inner edges). Mud, salt and road grime can accumulate under here, some early cars that are not cleaned often or lived by the sea are showing signs of rust here.

Around the front side repeater holes (bit of a design flaw that effects all mx5s - the side repeater is interchangeable between mk1-3), it can rust, if the indicator is removed it abrades the paint around the edge of the hole, moisture gets trapped and early signs of rust can appear. This is quite easy to treat though and often only apparent when you removed the side repeaters.

If buying an early model (06-08) the quarterlight frame can corrode where it meets the top of the door and the window seal but they changed the design for the facelift (09 on), and its a fairly inexpensive retrofit, albeit fiddly, if you want to replace them yourself - I did this on my own car.

The above list looks bad but on a 10 plate car I'd only really expect to see corrosion around the rear number plate lights (which all cars seem to have to varying degrees, it's largely cosmetic and totally invisible when the boot is shut) , the car is still too young for the other issues to be apparent I'd have thought, unless you've found an especially ropey example!
 
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Will said:
The chassis rails on the mk3 don't seem to rust as badly as the early cars.

For a mk3 the rust/corrosion areas to check are:

Underneath boot lid, near the numberplate lights (aluminium corrosion rather than rust - expect to see paint bubbles and white flakiness, rather than orange, this is largely cosmetic and unseen unless the boot is opened)

Rear subframe and rear suspension arms (some cars much worse than others here but most will get surface corrosion on the suspension arms, this is mostly cosmetic on cars at this point, but some early examples that have lived by the sea look pretty rough underneath)

Front/rear edges of bonnet (again, aluminium corrosion as the bonnet is not steel, after many years contaminants on the metal that weren't properly removed before paint was applied can react and cause the paint to bubble up)

Rear arch lips (inner edges). Mud, salt and road grime can accumulate under here, some early cars that are not cleaned often or lived by the sea are showing signs of rust here.

Around the front side repeater holes (bit of a design flaw that effects all mx5s - the side repeater is interchangeable between mk1-3), it can rust, if the indicator is removed it abrades the paint around the edge of the hole, moisture gets trapped and early signs of rust can appear. This is quite easy to treat though and often only apparent when you removed the side repeaters.

If buying an early model (06-08) the quarterlight frame can corrode where it meets the top of the door and the window seal but they changed the design for the facelift (09 on), and its a fairly inexpensive retrofit, albeit fiddly, if you want to replace them yourself - I did this on my own car.

The above list looks bad but on a 10 plate car I'd only really expect to see corrosion around the rear number plate lights (which all cars seem to have to varying degrees, it's largely cosmetic and totally invisible when the boot is shut) , the car is still too young for the other issues to be apparent I'd have thought, unless you've found an especially ropey example!
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Lovely thanks Will that's what I was after.
 
Another question for mx5 enthusiasts.

I'm looking at an SE with cloth interior and no fog lights 40k miles 2009 model they want £8k. I want the spotlights because the blanking plates make the car look cheap but there's a kit available for 200 pounds.

Is cloth interior a bad idea one of these?

I can live without cruise control, bose stereo and heated seats.


If I go for a sport with all the above as standard I'm looking at 9k for a 2009 with 40k on the clock.

Any opinions?

Ps both hard top in silver which is a prerequisite.
 
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