Six-cylinder Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I took my Vitesse for MOT today and collected my MX5 from a local garage. The MX5 had to have 3 new springs (one last year 600 miles ago) and felt so much more comfortable now and great to drive. The Vitesse seemed very rattley so maybe they can find something on that to make it nicer to drive, I suggested they caught the rattles in a butterfly net but they were not impressed at my technical knowledge! Junkman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercrocker Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Its taken 10 years to get the Minor relatively rattle-free - I might as well have used a butterfly net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New POD Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 that mx5 needs daisies. loserone and PiperCub 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 3 broken springs!!! I Have heard of some cars being prone to it but not to that extent ! Nice vitesse, quite a late one on a "j" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 It isn't 'rattles' man, it's 'character'. Sheesh!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 3 broken springs!!! I Have heard of some cars being prone to it but not to that extent ! Nice vitesse, quite a late one on a "j" The garage owner also has a MX5 and that has 3 broken springs as well. He says the rears are ok to do but the fronts are a pigs. The Vitesse is August 1970 registered and has only done 75,000 miles. I have had it nearly 10 years but it is about ready to have some bodywork tidied up. In 2010 I drove the Stelvio pass with it between Italy and Switzerland and lost the brakes by getting them too hot. Junkman, mercrocker, Wilko220 and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael1703 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 All vitesses rattle... FACT! Lots of body/chassis flex but a few good fixes are: Balance the propshaft, fit new door strikers and get nice fat rubber seals on as many things as possible, you want the bonnet near enough "hingebound" before its buckled down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 that mx5 needs daisies. Not sure what you mean but when I bought it, the rear panel was covered in stickers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercrocker Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Blimey...what did he do, superglue the panel and back into a litter bin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 ^^ several times it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardMoss Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 All vitesses rattle... FACT!That^^^^^^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KruJoe Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 that mx5 needs daisies. Not sure what you mean The original wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 I understand that they are absolutely superb when all four wheels are super, properly tracked up too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 The original wheels. Thanks for filling my knowledge gap, The original wheels are fine and if my car was fitted with them I would have kept them but the photo shows the wheels it came with and I quite like those as well, so unless I damage them or something I will keep them. barefoot - My MX5 is a joy to drive, it is light, accurate and comfortable yet they are worth so little. I have had it nearly 2 years and am not planning to sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 No, I've driven a few & I understand.But a four wheel tracking might surprise you.I was looking at buying one when I tripped over the Scirocco on here.There are people who call them hairdressers cars & there are people who have driven them.There was a bloke nearby who had one on 16 inch wheels, it was shockingly badHe had it a couple of years and never spent a penny on it,all the huge wheels pointed in different directions, it struggled to change direction.There's also a MX5 breaker within walking distance of me01332 799298If you want bits, he is great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Maybe it would handle OK if all four springs were broken? dugong and barefoot 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtriple Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 I was never a fan of MX5s as I thought they were 'girly' cars... yes, I am a proper prick! Then, pistonheads kept going on about how effing wonderful they were and fortuitously, our local Mazda dealer (a mile down the road from where I used to live) had an auto MK1 they had taken in p/x. It was white and the paint was dull and mucky but there was zero rust, the previous owner had had it for 6 years and it had always been serviced by the main dealer. I bought it for a grand. Cleaned it to within an inch of its life and waxoyled it everywhere, put a new pass side window motor/linkage (£40 on ebay!) and just rejoiced in how utterly mint it was. Not a speck anywhere, Jap import Eunos (all the autos were), low miles (sub 60K), and an absolute blast to drive. So easy to put the roof down (2 seconds if you were feeling slow!) and just a laugh a minute. I had, at the same time, my SL500 and we used to take the Mazda out in preference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 No, I've driven a few & I understand.But a four wheel tracking might surprise you.I was looking at buying one when I tripped over the Scirocco on here.There are people who call them hairdressers cars & there are people who have driven them.There was a bloke nearby who had one on 16 inch wheels, it was shockingly badHe had it a couple of years and never spent a penny on it,all the huge wheels pointed in different directions, it struggled to change direction.There's also a MX5 breaker within walking distance of me01332 799298If you want bits, he is great I also get to drive this early red car which belongs to my friend and had inspired me to get mind. Mind is quite a bit stiffer, to start with it is a slightly latter Eunos 1.8i which has a rear strut brace and has optional factory bilstein suspension, a limited slip diff, added to this it has an engine strut brace. Thanks for the information about a parts breaker near you, all is very well with mind at the moment and the only thing that needs looking at is the hood is very hard to clip in the closed position partially when cold, do your people work on them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Yes, they buy a lot of write offs & either break them for parts or put them back on the road depending on condition.I've known them 20 years, they used to have a lot of Midgets & Spitfires, before discovering that they could spend the same amount of time and effort on a 944 but sell it for more money. Now all the MG's Spits & 944s are gone, they've moved into MX5's.The bloke is very clued up and knows the true worth of everything. He will always increase his Porsche prices if it's apparent the bit's are going to be used on a 'scene' VW. Conversely he had a couple of Rover 75's but gave them away to a rather odd Turkish bloke in the next unit who shipped them back home. Website is shite http://www.phsportscars.co.uk He currently drives about in a £200 Kangoo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 I checked out the web site barefoot gave me, it has been suspended at the moment and only part working. I found it was 82 miles to there workshop but that got me thinking and I found a MX5 specialist Sulston Hills 15 miles from home and after phoning took the car there this morning. The diagnosis is that the hood is cheap and now its getting older is shrinking which makes it hard to clip down, he showed me how to position the hooks first and then pull the lever catch. It is easy to close the hood that way so for now no action is required, in due course a new hood is the answer. So thanks barefoot for making me think about the MX5 hood, I have been putting up with the hassle it is to clip down for a while now and you have prompted me to do something about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 My good deed for the day. I can now be a complete bastard for the remainder of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 So barefoot how are you going to inspire me to get on and fit the new boot struts to my BMW 735i as they are not doing any good sitting on my desk? The idea of lying in the boot and fitting clips upside down out of sight is not appealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 So barefoot how are you going to inspire me to get on and fit the new boot struts to my BMW 735i as they are not doing any good sitting on my desk? The idea of lying in the boot and fitting clips upside down out of sight is not appealing. 8 intend to get the missus to do it-that way if the boot drops it is no great loss;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 The thought of the sight of you lying in the boot is not very appealing either, so1, wait until next May and get a nimble fingered boy scout to do it for you on bob a job week.2, nip to your local spannering emporium with lots of beer and a hearty smile.This is my preferred method for apparently simple jobs involving skilled fingers, torches and awkward bodily contortions, although I've been going for so long, I tend to drop a couple of quid in the tea fund and settle up with copious quantities of alcohol at Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilko220 Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 3 broken springs!!! I Have heard of some cars being prone to it but not to that extent ! I had one break on the C15. It was the first time I had ever experienced it, and I reckoned it was a bit of a freak thing. But the bloke at the garage which fitted a new spring for me said he's found it increasingly common ("We have one in every week these days"), and in his experience Vauxhalls seem to be particularly prone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 The thought of the sight of you lying in the boot is not very appealing either, so1, wait until next May and get a nimble fingered boy scout to do it for you on bob a job week.2, nip to your local spannering emporium with lots of beer and a hearty smile.This is my preferred method for apparently simple jobs involving skilled fingers, torches and awkward bodily contortions, although I've been going for so long, I tend to drop a couple of quid in the tea fund and settle up with copious quantities of alcohol at Christmas. I see your point and I should have started thinking about this earlier because Sunday is the Little Gransdon (Both Lancaster due to appear) air show where I am booked to show the car with the 7 Series register. I need to lock a nibble fingered small person in my boot tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugong Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 MX-5s would be excellent if their engines possessed torque.Sadly, unless you do quite a bit of tuning, they're gutless little sods you have to paste up and down the gears.I'll find a cheap one sooner or later and end up writing it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 I had one break on the C15. It was the first time I had ever experienced it, and I reckoned it was a bit of a freak thing. But the bloke at the garage which fitted a new spring for me said he's found it increasingly common ("We have one in every week these days"), and in his experience Vauxhalls seem to be particularly prone. My MGZT-T also broke a spring last year, I must loose some weight! Wilko220 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 MX-5s would be excellent if their engines possessed torque.Sadly, unless you do quite a bit of tuning, they're gutless little sods you have to paste up and down the gears. I'll find a cheap one sooner or later and end up writing it off. Part of the fun of the MX5 is changing gear working at it and still not really going that fast! It is a joy to drive. barefoot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Never had one go (yet). It will happen now of course. Thought BMW's were a bit prone to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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