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

[sandys]

What are the pros and cons?

Would my geo settings get messed up because of it?

Prices are cheaper due to size being more popular but tyre prices do fluctuate, I don't have that size personally, I have a wider wheel than stock so fit an even bigger tyre 235/40/17

Negligible impact to performance and handling but if I was to list

Cons, not even worth listing really:

Increase in gearing by 1.5% so less margin on speedo and theoretically impacting acceleration (good luck feeling that )
Tyre will be heavier because it is bigger, again hard to notice such is eh variance between brands of same size you’d unlikely notice, it would be less than a switch to a track tyre, as an example I used CSC5 and switched to AD08R in the same size, that tyre was 2.5kg heavier than CSC5 per tyre. this minor size increase you are looking at is likely to be under 0.5kg.

Pros

Generally better price 10-15quid a tyre
More rubber choice in the size due to its popularity though there are good tyres in mk3 OE size.
More rubber on the road, generally offers more grip, particularly when the car is not actually that light.

Geo won’t be affected so minimal is the difference between sizes

 

[Kristoph]

Looks like fun

Which road was that? I'm in the neck of the woods in May and have been planning my drive home to include some lovely Welsh roads.

E: just seen you said south Wales, I'll be Snowdon way so perhaps not for this year's trip!

Nice road /dribble

The Bwlch-Y-Clawdd road, South Wales- https://goo.gl/maps/v9Xux5AUZRk:

 

[.:MBK:.]

What's a sensible budget for a good nick mk3/3.5 these days?

Pondering changing up from my mk2.5. Need to have a serious check over it this summer but I fully expect it to only have 1 more "good enough" MOT left in it.

 

[On Holiday]

What's a sensible budget for a good nick mk3/3.5 these days?

Pondering changing up from my mk2.5. Need to have a serious check over it this summer but I fully expect it to only have 1 more "good enough" MOT left in it.

For what it's worth I bought a 2006 2.0 with LSD with 56k on the clock for £4000 including a spare set of original wheels.
Granted that was a Facebook buy and it had it's fair share of 11 years of marks etc. No scuffs or scrapes, just the odd minor scratch here and there.

I couldn't live with soft top so is now for sale by a friend!

I'd definitely say £4250 - 4500 is a fair budget for a 2.0. Can't comment on 1.6 or 1.8 as I didn't look at them.

 

[sandys]

About 9k for a good spec later model, some base 2010 starting at 7k. the late 09-10 facelift cars coming with the forged engine etc. Or pre facelift much cheaper, no LSD lottery with mk3, if its got a 2.0 it has a diff, 1.8s do not.

Depends what you want to do really and what you want out of it, I picked up my current one over 3yrs ago at ~3k, just a base 5spd 2.0 with 4?k on it, as I was going to track prep and learn RWD I had a relaxed attitude to bumping it, I didn't care about spec/colour or body condition, really opens your options up Thrashed the pants off of it for most of that time and done >30k in it mostly bouncing off the limiter, I've had my monies worth

Choices I am deliberating at the moment are whether to strip it and do a kit build (but don't want a trailer queen) or buy a late model and supercharge. End budgets will be quite similar, one will be more road friendly.

 

[Cleisthenes]

What's a sensible budget for a good nick mk3/3.5 these days?

Pondering changing up from my mk2.5. Need to have a serious check over it this summer but I fully expect it to only have 1 more "good enough" MOT left in it.

I bought my 59 reg 3.5 for about 7.5k from a dealer up north in jan 2017 with about 40k on it. Looking down in sussex it does seem that they go for more like 8k upwards.

Bear in mind though that although my car was a 1 owner car with a full mazda service history, I'm still finding little bits that are showing signs of rust. Only going to cost me £500 odd to have them sorted early but it's still something to consider.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

Back in the fold...again.
Had my first MX5 10 years ago now.
Had a mint 29k mile mk2.5 Nevada last year, until some old biddy tried reversing through it.
Just bought myself a 1.8 Arizona in what seems to be excellent condition. VERY happy bunny to be back in business again.

 

[easyrider]

I've gone for 215/45/R17 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3

ASDA TYRES

Looking forward to seeing what they look and handle like.

Chunky Monkey

 

[Cleisthenes]

I've gone for 215/45/R17 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3

ASDA TYRES

Looking forward to seeing what they look and handle like.

Chunky Monkey

Exactly what I'm likely to go for, let me know how you get on please

What was the cost if I may ask?

 

[easyrider]

Exactly what I'm likely to go for, let me know how you get on please

What was the cost if I may ask?

£350 fitted

Not mine but certainly look much nicer than stock....

 

[Cleisthenes]

£350 fitted

Not mine but certainly look much nicer than stock....

That's a bargain! The prices on their website didn't look very competitive at all compared to blackcircles, was it a special rate?

 

[Cob]

Buys Eagle F1's. Posts pics of PSS's.


Am I missing something

 

[easyrider]

Buys Eagle F1's. Posts pics of PSS's.


Am I missing something

I said they were not mine....I posted to reference the size 215/45/R17

 

[grudas]

I said they were not mine....I posted to reference the size 215/45/R17

tyres usually have different sidewall shapes even if the size is the "same" I found eagle f1s have much rounder sidewalls.

 

[scaza]

Got my new wheels on my NC!

Unfortunately, because my car is silly low, they catch on the arches just a gnats todge.

My new wheels are back off my NC!

 

[wesimmo]

Good job I'm breaking mine....

 

[sandys]

Got my new wheels on my NC!

Unfortunately, because my car is silly low, they catch on the arches just a gnats todge.

My new wheels are back off my NC!

What size wheel and tyre?

 

[easyrider]

Thats the car dropped off for its MOT i'll post some picture of the tyres if anyone is interested.

 

[Frozennova]

@wesimmo Your is an NBFL isn't? That's worse than the chassis rails on mine before I replaced them last year

 

[wesimmo]

@wesimmo Your is an NBFL isn't? That's worse than the chassis rails on mine before I replaced them last year

Yep, I can't believe I only got an advisory, the other side isn't quite as bad but there's a huge hole in the bottom where it looks like water has started dripping through a small hole and over time just eroded it away.

I ripped the wing off last night with my bare hands rather than try to undo the bolts into the sill.