As much as I love the car, the appeal of an FI Mk1 MX5 is strong, primarily because anything that goes wrong will be mechanical and as such, requires little computer trickery to fix.

What's the chances that oil starvation and dead engines are more due to owners who have no clue what a dipstick is and how to use it?

They just assume that the car needs no attention between services and that's that?

My housemates Focus is a classic example of this, it is ALWAYS low on oil - i've finally nagged him into checking it every month and topping up as required, in his own words - 'it has never sounded as smooth as it does now'.

*bangs head*

Maybe it's just me?

 

Also, by sharing its plank with the RX-8, the Mk3 ended up too big n' ugly and lost the humour of the pastiche MK1.

 

No way Jose...not just you.

Another thing that grips my sh1t is that manufacturers make washer bottles so big that they can be left 'til an annual service to be topped up again, so ignorant owners can't run out of fluid.

Don't even get me started on auto wipers and auto headlights

If you're serious about a FI Mk1 Pat, we need to have a chat

 

I'm just feeling bitten by the running costs / insurance costs / tyre costs / age of the car etc etc and having seen two friends chop to Mk1 Mx5 and one with an Mx5 powered Westie .... there is something about the mechanical simplicity which appeals whilst still retaining the ragtop feature.

I didn't think i'd get bitten so hard by the soft top bug

Definitely some food for thought - will keep you in mind mister

 

If you really want a fun project with an MX5, look at this:

http://www.mevltd.co.uk/exocet_gallery.htm

You can pick up a shabby mex for peanutes, reshell it with one of those and have silly amounts of fun I reckon! Especially if you bang a turbo on that as well

 

My friend has a mk1 mx5. Very well sorted. 260hp supercharged with 180ftlb. Very quick, very fun, very cheap and easy to run.

He bought a new engine for 500quid, tyres are 35 each for T1R's, easy and cheap parts.

Very tempting but I'm not sure if I'd want to own an older car again. S2000 has I suppose more class, good safety, aircon and other modern features.

 

Bear in mind they are rust buckets - they are very old & covered in the sort of old-fashioned paint you could enjoy polishing off - not this boring modern two-pack stuff which is as tough as old nails.

They're great fun, yes. But most classic cars are a lot of trouble.

Mind you, I wouldn't want a new car. Hideously expensive & boring.

 

Good point about Rust, that's the main reason why I love my S2000. Even owning an imported CR-X I was always paranoid about rust, 20 year old cars need a lot of love.

 

So do decade-old Hondas! The rear wheelarches are still vulnerable if dinged/not cleaned properly.

 

THis is sort of my point, if you love open topped cars - import a rust free Mx5 and waxoyl it to death - everything from there on in is fun, cheap and simple!