Classic Cars

[Kneerly Down]

I like it, btw, but you're probably too far away.

Anywhere between London and the Isle of Skye is probably deliverable.

[Pirahna]

Indeed, that's why I'm buying a 308GTS when my numbers come up.

I know someone who's got one. If you want some idea of the cash required to own and run one, his missus wanted to take the Ferrari on a trip to Italy, he refused as it would put too many miles on it. The compromise, he bought an R8 so she could tour in that.

Wifey looks after a front engine Ferrari for a bloke she used to work with. The car is registered at our house but lives at Canary Wharf, I've ever seen it. The bloke lives in New York and flies to London maybe four times a year staying for three or four days before flying back. The car gets driven between the car park on the Isle of Dogs and whatever London hotel he's staying at. Insurance is £3k pa, servicing is £3k pa but is regarded as more of a deposit rather than the final bill.

[Taipan]

Nice...

[Mr. Dazzle]

Anyone know roughly what this should sell for...or looking to buy one?
I kind of accidentally bought it in with a house purchase in the summer.
The seller had come into an inheritance, couldn't drive any more due to medical issues so I bought it along with the house and it's still in the garage, other than coming out for when I need to get things to/from the back garden.

80,500 on the clock. No MoT currently but doesn't look like it'll have any issues.
Base model with no power steering but easy enough to add.

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Mrs D had a Mk1 Eunos for 7 years, cracking car.

That looks like a nicely maintained and nicely stock car. One of the MX5 owners clubs would be my first bet...I think MX5OC.co.uk or something similar to that was a very active forum.

[niggle]

I like looking at classic cars and seeing them on the road, but having had a Beetle, a Vanden Plas 1300 Princess (never made it out of the back garden) and an admittedly rather sweet 1966 Wolseley 1100 I would say that compared to modern stuff they are not that great to drive, horribly polluting, dreadfully unreliable, none too safe and potential money pits of gargantuan proportions. Sorry

[Kneerly Down]

Also have a look at the battery compartment in the boot. Known to be a good breeding place for tin worm. And the roof, as has been mentioned. If it's been folded down incorrectly for yonks it may well have discoloration/creases that won't be fixable. New roof window.

And make sure the tools are all there: jack, wheel brace, curling tongs, hair dryer, etc.*

Battery compartment looks absolutely fine.
All tools appear to be present, even the spare tyre cover is there.
Engine bay is rather tidy as well.
Will see if I can get it to an MoT tomorrow.

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[Kneerly Down]

Interestingly, it can't be seen. If the hood`s no good, it's probably been wet inside, which can be a nightmare re trim, rusty floors etc. Good early flip lights versions are quite sellable and this is an MX5, not the earlier Eunos.

Hood is generally okay but a couple of small tears. It has a heated rear screen and a reversing camera (obv that's non-standard).

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[Mr. Dazzle]

There are a few non standard bits....AFAIK UK 1.6s would never have had a glass screen, so its presumably on it's
second roof at least (which ain't a bad thing).

S'been a good while since I was really into MX-5s, but from what I can see the seats, cam cover, oil cap, "roll bar" (not a roll bar) and strut brace are all aftermarket.

The 1.6 was notorious for cam nose issues and related pulley problems, might be worth googling that.

All MX5s of that era rust like a bastard in front of the rear wheels. They also have a tendency to clog the roof drains, but that's easily fixed with a bent coat hanger. Dead give away is the sound of sloshing water in the sills!

Does look in nice condition though.

[Kneerly Down]

Think the seats might be original...seem familiar from what I remember being driven in my audit senior's then-new J-plate MX5...which was the last time I'd looked up close at an MX5 before buying this one.

There's an MX5 owners club sticker in the windscreen so might be able to find out previous, previous owner through that.
Engine sounds nice and it has been garaged away from any rain for many years so even if the drains were blocked there'd have been no rain to slosh about!

Had a brief look underside and all looked superficially good. Will get a better look when it's up on the lift at the MoT station.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I actually meant to say steering wheel.

I'm sure you can see how that got transposed into "seats".

[G.P]

Nice...

That's the Eagle Jag I posted in the Restomods thread. Very lovely, Very spendy.

[Kneerly Down]

I actually meant to say steering wheel.

I'm sure you can see how that got transposed into "seats".

Very easy mistake to make...probably autocorrect!
It's a Momo steering wheel. I think at least some have Momo as standard but don't think this is one of them.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Factory fit Momo would have been like this AFAIK - this is what Mrs. D's Eunos had. Eunos models tended to have higher spec than European MX-5s, which is why we bought one.

[wheelnut]

That looks in really good nick for its age.

You might want to advertise it through the MX5 owners club or a MX5 forum.

[Kneerly Down]

Took it to the garage today.
Apart from the OSR spring was broken about a half-turn from the top the tester reckons it's good to go. Bit of welding recorded in the history (also 450 miles ago) just forward of the rear wheels, like you reckoned there might be MD, but all looks pretty neat.

Cambelt was replaced 450 miles ago, as were oil and filters.
I did have a bit of a hoot driving it round the Coventry ring road getting the brakes nice and clean and the obligatory Italian tune-up.
Can't remember the last car I had that would happily rev to 7k.

Spring being replaced tomorrow.

£145 p.a. insurance with Direct Line and zero NCB isn't bad.

Tester is thinking about offering me £2k for it and I'm tempted to accept.

[Kneerly Down]

Deposit taken and sold pending collection.

Once it is out of the garage and I get the roof patched up I can see about getting the brakes done on my R1100RT that's been languishing in the bike shed down here!

Sad to see it go. A very sorted, good looking car for not much money.

[Mr. Dazzle]

We bought Mrs Ds pretty tidy 1.8 Eunos Roadster for about 2 grand in 2007 and sold it in 2014 for about £850 i think. So the tester's offer is pretty good I think.

I really miss it sometimes. They're not very fast, but they're very sorted. The suspension is way higher spec than anything else in the class (double wishbones all around) and they feel properly 'tight'. They say you can tell if a car is a good driver in the first 50yds of driving and I'd say the MX5 passes that test with flying colours.

[Kneerly Down]

Tester decided it didn't have enough power for him. He had been looking at turbo'd MR2s but was taken by the condition of the MX5.
So, put it on Autotrader at £2,150 this afternoon and took a cash deposit a couple of hours later for £2,100 and collection Mon/Tues.

Had a lot of interest very quickly so could well have gone for more but my need for it to be out of the garage was worth more than a protracted haggling session.

Oh, this one was bought for £1,000 in 2014 so looks like values are on the up.

[Kneerly Down]

They say you can tell if a car is a good driver in the first 50yds of driving and I'd say the MX5 passes that test with flying colours.

Yep, my blat across the wastelands of Coventry concur!

[Asian Boss]

My instinct for the MX5 (without seeing it - they're always worse when you see them) was 2.2 to 2.5.

2.1 sounds like a fair deal.