brownnova's (M)X files... Fleet update!

[ruffgeezer]

I've a locking nut removal kit here. where are you located?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

The daisies will be an improvement over the gash aftermarket ones. Our old Eunos had its original Watanabe alloys fitted - jap minilites essentially - which I always thought suited it perfectly. Worth keeping an eye out for a set if you plan on keeping the car and get bored of the daisies. Here's our old one:

 

 

Have fun over the summer*. They have bags of character and are ridiculously cheap for what they are.

[brownnova]

I'm in North Wales Ruffgeezer.

 

Yeah the daisies are better, what I really fancy is some black/chrome BBS type wheels if I'm being honest.... [/retrorides mode off] But cost, and I do like originality etc.

 

Thanks for the advice too vulgalor 😊

[xtriple]

I HATE daisies! no idea why I dislike them so much, but I really do. But, I LOVE MX5s. They are so immature and stupid and childish and an absolute blast to run around in! The bloody things really get under your skin. I am currently wondering about getting mine turbo-charged!

 

When I got it, I was determined to spend as little money on it as possible, yet I have bought a new stereo for it, new bits of trim all over the place (standard Mazda and sodding pricey), painted and polished the wheels and generally just love the little heap.

 

Yes, it has to be said that it is not practical for a cripple with two large (ish) dogs, but I really don't care. Once I am in it, it's comfortable enough and again, once the dogs have had a run, they behave well enough. Getting out of it can be problematic on occasion, but little problems and all that.

 

Yours looks great, look after it and it will provide years of fun, reliable motoring and I reckon, they will start to go up in value soon....

[Fat_Pirate]

I switched from Daisies to some later-model wheels because 15" tyres tend to be much cheaper than 14".  And I've spent considerable time and some money turbocharging mine, but if I had my time again I wouldn't bother.  It changes the nature of the car and you soon have to upgrade the brakes, the clutch,the diff, the suspension, then there's the insurance hassle...  

[brownnova]

So today is MOT day....

 

I had to give up with the nuts in the end. I tried three different tools and I couldn't get it done. So the mot place have the wheels to put on first!

 

So I wonder how badly it will fail.... [\pessimist mode]

[brownnova]

Well this could have been predicted!

 

When you think of MX5 problems what springs to mind... Yep back brakes and sill rust!

 

Crusty patch on the offside (not a big one tho) and the handbrake was iffy. They're going to investigate the brakes tomorrow and let me know. Ok other than that tho!

[New POD]

 

 

Anyone had any experience of the tools you can get to remove locking nuts?  Any good? Nut looks like this.

WP_20160522_16_20_39_Pro1.jpg

 

 

 

IF I remember correctly :  

 

That is a PULL OFF stainless cover over the TOP of the locking wheel nut, which is actually a "spline"

 

I have 2 different spline tools in the boot of our MX5. Or did I throw the one that didn't fit away ?

 

The cover can be removed with a pair of long nose pliers.

 

I like the daisies too. Set in the shed to be painted yellow, which I deem appropriate for a Green MX5

[gm]

Great little cars, my previous one may have come over on the same boat as yours

 

 

here it is on a nutz trackday at croft a few years back, just days before the engine suffered from short nose crank failure - not in any way connected, I'm sure

[brownnova]

Great little cars, my previous one may have come over on the same boat as yours

 

Maybe!  I've seen a couple of G---MUX reg'd ones on MX5 forums too, must have been a job lot!

 

So a (MX5 weakness) brake caliper needed, and a bit o' welding where a previous patch has been done badly.  They reckon £300 for 2 small patches... this seems steep to me....

 

Will shop around for a purveyor of sparks and metal!

[brownnova]

Well, well, well....

 

Good news, an MOT has been achieved (Me and Cav with working MX5s is why it's been bucketing it down recently - sorry about that)

 

Bad news... it was a right pallava!

 

So as above back brakes (caliper they said) and bit o' welding needed.  Went to a local classic car back street kind of a place (proper garage) who quoted me £80 for the weld.  The MoT'ing garage (Checkpoint) did the caliper (I was feeling lazy, and strapped for time but I was aghast at the 50% markup in part price, and the hours labour for a caliper!)

 

Both jobs complete I rang up for the retest - "yes no problem" they said "actually we don't test them here, we take to a garage right by where it's been welded, you might as well take it straight there for the retest"

 

So I did, and it failed, on the brakes which supposedly Checkpoint had fixed.  Then the tester said that as that was my free retest, I would now have to pay for the new test.  This made me annoyed, but not with him, with Checkpoint who had clearly not fixed the problem.

 

My phonecall to them didnt start well "You should have bought it here first and we'd have checked it" they said which contradicted what they had said the day before...which they wouldn't have when I pointed it out to them....

 

Some firm words later, and they agreed they should fix it as I had engaged them to repair the brakes for an MOT - took it in the next working day (a Monday) we'll have it back to you today - they said.  At 5.30 I called them, The brakes are done, can't get a test till Wednesday.  Then the tester went home sick for Wednesday, and Thursday....

 

But then it was Friday, and an agency tester was in.......

 

Drum roll please!  IT FAILED!

 

On three completely different things.  Fog light (utter bollocks, I reckon he couldn't find the switch, I went out and turned it straight on!) Some rubber boot things (worn but don't think they could have perished that much in 10 days), and the exhaust (again utter bollocks, its fine)

 

I may have become angry....

 

To be fair, checkpoints mechanic agreed with me (I made them show me on the ramps) and when the original tester came back in on the Monday, and he passed it. Mysteriously the advisory for brake pipes disappeared... they must have healed themselves!

 

The car was with them over a week - to correct a job they hadn't done properly in the first place...total number of apologies 0. But they did pay for the test

 

Needless to say, I shan't be using that garage again!

 

However it is back on the road! So that's something!

[brownnova]

Oh, and the weld....

 

The tester said it was one of the best he'd seen.... I'll post a pic up later 

[brownnova]

Going on a tangent today, because starting a new thread for this seems unnecessary.... Might treat this thread as a place for motoring musings as well as MX5 updates!

 

So where does today's tangent lead us?? To the Nissan Versa Sedan!

 

I went on my holz, and upon arrival at the airport a cheery woman tried to upsell me to a bigger hire car, which I turned down.  When I picked up my motah from the garage it was this, a Nissan Versa Sedan.

 

I did 1039 miles in it in my two weeks, so how was it?  I thought seeing as it doesn't get sold here, and will probably be American grade shite within 15-20 years I'd write a little review.

 

The Versa is Nissan's cheapest car in America, indeed it was (and may still be) the cheapest car sold in America.  Seeing as in the USA everyone loves a sedan (there's even a Yaris sedan over there) they're not an uncommon sight. The model I got was a 1.6 Giffermatic.

 

The good

I was pleasantly surprised at the little Nissan's performance over the 1000 miles.  The engine is willing enough, and whilst happiest between 40-50 it will happily cruise at 70 without being too noisy.  US interstates are wide and straight, and the Versa was perfectly at home on them. Acceleration was acceptable enabling overtaking of slower traffic without being too scary! In town the auto box was responsive, and helped you navigate through traffic.  It was a good car for nipping through small gaps! Fuel consumption was good too.  The fact that I only spent $60 on 'gas' probably says more about cheap petrol prices though!

 

Interior space was excellent.  There are few cars in which I can comfortably sit in the seat behind my own driving position, but this was one such car. The boot was massive too!  Easily swallowing two large cases, as well as smaller bags. It was very easy to park too, but that could be something to do with American spaces being designed for Chevy Silverados! Whilst the car is billed as a budget car, it felt OK inside.  The interior was well laid out, and pretty intuitive (except for the petrol filler cap button, which I struggled to find at first!)

 

 

 

The not so good...

The car was never designed for handling, which is fine as there are no bends in america, but at speed it did feel a bit unstable.  It was buffeted badly by anything large that I overtook, or overtook me.  The gearbox was good in town, but on the open road it spent a lot of time hunting for the right ratio. It certainly wasn't a refined box!  The whole thing felt a bit tinny and lacking in refinement too - even when compared to my 26 year old Mazda! 

 

Overall

It was OK, nothing special.  We're not missing out not getting this car, because there are Matra Ranchos, Talbot Solaras and Sierra 'bases' which are better, but if youre ever in the US of A and need a cheap hire car you could do a lot worse

 

 

Rating 6/10

Current shite points 1/10

Potential future shite points 7/10

 

Now if dollywobbler doesn't sign me straight up to write for Retro Japanese I'll be most surprised   

[Noel Tidybeard]

ireland gets them badged as Tiida and some have grey imported here

[brownnova]

Well I didn't know that!!

[brownnova]

The next stage of motoring Nirvana has been reached, our family now features more cars than people...  A proper fleet is only a few purchases away!

 

So where are we up to?

 

First up the latest purchase the Ford Ka!

 

 

1000 miles in, and to be honest it's a decent little thing!

 

It is however marking it's territory on the drive - I assumed an oil leak at first, but now not sure where from, as oil level seems to be pretty static! Will monitor!  It's main fault is taking at least twice to start of a morning.  It catches and dies first time, then catches and nearly dies, second.  But usually keeps going.  After that it runs superbly!  Odd one.  Will investigate (helpful hints appreciated!).

 

Mrs_brownnova (who the car was really for) likes it too, and has christened it Kermy!

 

 

And the MX5?

 

I'm sure I'd done a post MOT update - must have been lost in the great forum crash of 2016....

 

But here it is at Chumly on the proper wheels!

 

 

I've barely used it since the summer sadly (although been out in it three times in the last week!).  It started making a high pitched trilling noise (like some kind of bird or something).  This occurs mainly as the engine is slowing down.  At idle it sounds more like a chirrup.  I've checked.  No birds underneath.  Somewhere in the middle of the car it sounds, and only once the car has warmed up, nothing when cold. (again helpful suggestions welcomed)

 

Up on stands it went...

 

First thought is belts, but listening at the belts it doesn't sound belt related... hmmm...

 

I think this might be the culprit!  It wasn't like that before the MOT!

 

So being a true hands on* car enthusiast.... I've ignored it.  It hasn't got any worse, and with the roof up (which in the winter months it often is) you can't hear it.  Over Christmas I intend to try and find the source of the exhaust leak (if indeed it is that), and either stick more wob on it, or (probably what I should do) get the middle bit replaced.  It's currently got a noisy back box, which is a bit annoying on a long distance run too...

 

 

Oh, and the modern's warranty ran out this week, so any day now I'm expecting catastrophic failure, costing thousands to repair, and causing me to hit it with some branches from a nearby tree.  Sadly (as I've done many many more miles than I should...) getting rid is not financially viable at the moment, much as I want to. 

 

Damn.

 

Anyway, that was a lot longer than it needed to be, but it's 5.40am, I can't sleep, so why not eh!?!

[the judge]

That exhaust has whacked the jack on the mot places four poster.....