Mazda MX-5. Buy or avoid.

[Bobthebeard]

Been offered a 2003 example for not much.

MOT'd and whatnot.

Are they a disaster waiting to happen?

[loserone]

Buy

 

Only disaster is the inside of the sills as they rot from the inside out.

 

Shouldn't be too much of an issue though, if it has test.

 

Worst case, buy it, play with it, and if you don't like it, roffle it.

[xtriple]

Disaster? Possibly but BIG fun That year is ripe for chassis rails rotting as well as the usual cills(sills) so check carefully as the chassis rails is a bit of a chore and can get expensive fast. But, if they are sound, then go for it, everything else is easy/cheap and the rewards are huge, driving one makes you grin until your ears fall off!  

[Bobthebeard]

It has MOT warnings for sill rot..... But hey.

I haz a MIG welder

[loserone]

What could possibly go wrong?

[Tickman]

Buy is the only answer

[PiperCub]

As above, the only serious issues of early-ish Mk.2's is underbody corrosion - both sills and the floors/rails. They can be quite deceptive in that the upper body can look great but underneath they are a mess (I've seen several in the last two years) so get under it and check this out before buying. There's loads of really nice, well kept Mk.2's about so no need to saddle yourself with a rotten one, it aien't a rare car & lifes too short.

[fordperv]

Don't forget the front chassis legs they rot for fun as well, as soon as you see the corrosion its already too late

[barefoot]

They are fun to drive.

[Jim Bell]

You will actually save money by being able to cut your own hair.

[Dan_ZTT]

Buy buy buy

[The Moog]

Have you bought it yet?

[Slartibartfast]

driving one makes you grin until your ears fall off!

Can confirm

[John F]

I can also confirm that they rot.

 

See my MX-5 fettling thread: http://autoshite.com/topic/21650-mx5-de-rustifying/

[SiC]

They all rot and really is the only problem they suffer. Drivetrain is simple and bullet proof. So if cheap and you've never owned one before, buy.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

They feel a bit more solid than the mk1, which isn't a bad thing. MR2 Roadster is more fun, but I am biased.

[Cavcraft]

Buy, but the Mk1 is more fun I believe.

[iainrcz]

Lad at work has an NB 1800 6 speed I think it is.

Apart from it rotting it seems reasonably reliable.

 

Sent from my VFD 710 using Tapatalk

[jon.k]

I have had a mk1 for 9 years, other cars have come and gone but I think I will always keep the mx5 as it is just so much fun to drive. Rust would make me very wary of mk2s, and not just in the sills.

 

Mechanically mine has been eerily reliable. So much better put together than most of the other cars I’ve “worked on” (I use the term loosely).

[gm]

Of course, I'm going to say buy it but it really depends on how much ? There is, as others have rightly said, a high likelihood that you will be looking at sill and chassis rail repairs in the future - is it cheap enough to walk away if it needs £loads spending ?

 

If it's got a decent bit of mot then have some fun and start saving for a mk1 once the bug has bitten

 

They are bloody good cars, I've owned six of them

[twosmoke300]

You can have my 02 with 9 months test for 500 if you like

[Wack]

You will actually save money by being able to cut your own hair.

10 posts before hair was mentioned , it's 2 or 3 on your average forum,

 

If it's really cheap and has MOT until it starts snowing buy it, drive it and bin it if it's too rough to fix

 

I warn you though, you'll buy another , I've had 4 up to this point and I'd have another tomorrow

[Bren]

Not sure if you are aware but they rot.

[chatsharris]

Now that is a tempting offer. Shame the missus would castrate me.

 

Swap4scaryoldsaabm8?

[will16]

If its cheap and mot'd, go for it!

 

I loved my mk1, mk2's arent as sought after yet but as more keep being drifted, it wont be long. Mk2's are notorious for rot especially on the front chassis legs, get a good one, or one thats been repaired properly

[trigger]

That 52 plater I owned for all of a weekend was a good example of the kind of rotbags they are, it ended up getting broken up as even the specialist saud it was too far gone, on the plus side it did drive well and the 1.8 went like shit of a shovel.

[HMC]

Here is mine along with another of mine with an even bigger reputation for dissolving.

At that sort of money it’s a no brainier really. The only trouble is they are very likeable and grow on you and the idea of binning it can give way to modest plans to repair and improve and keep!

 

Ps the red bit on mine was crash damage not rot.

[New POD]

Buy

 

Only disaster is the inside of the sills as they rot from the inside out.

 

Shouldn't be too much of an issue though, if it has test.

 

Worst case, buy it, play with it, and if you don't like it, roffle it.

2003 is that a mk2.

 

I have seen pictures of chassis rails next to engine that are like erm a cheap chieese barbeque after 3 years outside.

[New POD]

I can also confirm that they rot.

 

See my MX-5 fettling thread: http://autoshite.com/topic/21650-mx5-de-rustifying/

That was the pictures i was thinking of.

[Bobthebeard]

Have you bought it yet?

Yes actually!

Thanks for all the positive comments ( and warnings ).

It does have rust. An hour poking about underneath revealed a LOT of surface rust on suspension components etc. Although some determined prodding with a big screwdriver failed to find anything actually rotten. One chassis leg at the front has been recently replaced and the other needs cleaning up and a proper check. New springs all round it seems, shiny anyway.

MOT until next April.

It has a good service history with two recorded timing belt changes (now on 91,000 miles) at 51k and 82k.

Mechanically looked after but badly neglected bodily and underneath. Wheelarches full of mud and crud causing bubbling and lifting paint on three of them. Have ground down the blebs on one side and no holes, so caught in time. Kurust and etch primed them for now. Plan is to get it up on the jack ramps and spend a day wire brushing the surface rust off the underside then a good coating of Dynax UB wax everywhere.

Offside rear sill corroding and bubbling up, so safe to say I need to cut that out and replace. Nearside not as bad on the surface but doubtless needs the same doing.

Am using it as is for now and what great fun to drive! Grin factor 10 as many of you say!

Hopefully a rolling restoration unless anything nasty shows up when I start removing stuff, which is entirely possible.

Pic from (280 mile) collection road trip. The silver one.... The yellow one pulled in a minute earlier....