MX-5 OC Forum

 My story begins in the Indian summer that was October last year. I had been looking for an MX5 for a little while and had insisted on certain criteria, it had to be a Mk1, Red, UK spec. Eventually I found one and went to view at RAF Cranwell, the car needed work, welding, MOT , TLC etc but I figured that at the agreed price of £700.00 it was worth a punt.

So I set about restoring the old girl. Welding was the first job carried out by a mate for the very reasonable sum of £135.00, paintwork was carried out by myself as was rustproofing / undersealing, servicing, and general tidying. She was submitted for MOT in the new year and passed with no advisories.

Time to drive and enjoy !! A couple of months of driving and the love affair with this little car really begins. I plan a trip to South West France in the summer, 700 miles each way. Could we do this in a 22 year old car with 135,000 on the clock ? Madness was the response from most people !!  Lets do it I say to the wife, so after a bit more fettling we set of at 5am on Friday the 29th of June.

1,500 miles later we return to the UK. Our little MX5 did not miss a beat, not only that but she returned 35 mpg and most of the journey was at 70 mph. We were able to have the roof down for almost the whole two weeks and received complimentary comments wherever we went.

Is there another car available for so little money that can present such reliability and provide so much fun ? I doubt it.

MX5 = Simply Incredible !!    

alansimpson1@live.co.uk:

Is there another car available for so little money that can present such reliability and provide so much fun ?

Jeremy Clarkson said - The fact is that if you want a sports car, the MX5 is perfect. Nothing on the road will give you better value. Nothing will give you so much fun. The only reason I’m giving it five stars is because I can’t give it 14.

It's funny how these little cars grow on you. Like the OP I bought one (rather reluctantly) for cheap money, spent some time fettling it and in return it gives you everything you want. You want power: get FI, you want luxury: get leather and walnut, you wanna race it: strip it out and take it on a track. Sublime handling comes as standard. A cheeky look (cuter than a sixties supermodel) reserved only for the mk1's I did 10,000 miles in my first year of ownership and it didn't miss a beat either. Not bad for a 21yr old car. I'm converted - simply incredible!!

 The amazing thing for me is the fact that even after 135,000 miles the engine uses no oil and loses no coolant, it still maintaines a high level of oil pressure and feels as tight as a low mileage engine. My mate who travelled with us to France drove my car along some French country roads ( the first time he has ever driven an open top car ) and said it felt as taught as his 59 plate VW.

If maintained properly how many miles can I expect from this engine ?? 

Hi Alan, I can't remember where it was but in the short time I've been in the forum somewhere on here i'm sure that I saw A mention of 250000 miles with no major issues. I wondered the same thing myself as mines done 125000, 4000 of those since I bought it in April, it does use A small amount of oil which is down to A slight leak from the seals somwhere at the back of the cam cover/head that I've read about and didn't change when I had the cam belt, idler,tensioner and water pump changed, down to my ignorance at the time and something that will need to be rectified in the very near future .Never had to top the coolat up since then. I'm looking at oil and filter change in another 2000 miles, that will be 6000miles since the last change which I had done at my local Kwikfit for £40. I drive it like it was mean't to be driven, often up to the 7000rpm red line in 2nd and 3rd, great fun, but do wonder sometimes with the high mileage will it go bang. Would be interested to hear from other owners with high mileage 5's if they have come across any problems related to the mileage or any advice that I might be unaware of for keeping them in tip top condition

Regards

Simon

I don't think I've ever been so worried about vehicle reliability as I was when we set off on our 1500 mile round trip but it proved to be so unfounded. My confidence in the car grew by the mile and soon realised that I had nothing to worry about. Driving that distance with the roof down has ticked a major box on my bucket list. Such an experience for so little outlay. Fantastic !!!

Just out of interest Alan did you take out breakdown cover for your trip to france?

Simon

Hi Simon, yes I did. I do too many miles per year to qualify for classic car insurance which often comes with 90 days European cover so I upgraded my domestic policy , although the terms and cover were not that great. I took a few bits and pieces for emergencies and a few tools but used nothing !

Took me a bit of getting used to, this 5 reliability as well.

In April my Mk1 did 2126 miles in a week throughout the UK, a mix of motorways & B roads. It needed a light bulb, and a litre of oil or thereabouts. Mind you, the radiator was threatening to split ( as they do at the plastic top eventually), and it was given a big service prior to the journey. At 18 years old & 112000 miles  it's amazing really. I think my valve stem seals are on their way out, but so what? It feels just nicely run in now, so here's to the next 20 years & 100,000 miles! Don't think I'll ever part with it.

My wife's 76,000 miles 2002 Sport flew through it's MOT last week, with an advisory on a brake pipe. Naughty girl!

I fully agree, I don't think I've ever had A car, motorbike, trike or any other vehicle, and I've had A lot of them over the years that I felt about the same as I feel about my 5. It's addictive and puts A smile on my face everytime I get in it

Oh and I was so impressed with the performance , reliability and fuel consumption that I forgot to mention the comfort ! I have the original 22 year old seats and even after six hours continual driving I still felt comfy. I guess that at only 5 feet 9 inches tall the 5 makes for a comfy cabin for me. 

 Out of interest I'd like to hear from owners of high mileage 5s . What mileage has your 5 done and what mechanical failures have you experienced or not as the case may be ?? 

 My car only has 181k km's on it (113k miles) but one of our local members (western) has a Gleneagles with nearly 240k miles on it (as far as the moon).

 Mine has done 132000 miles , done 5 track days this year including Blyton also a trip around the lake district . Then early september were heading into the Alps for a 9 day trip Stelvio etc with 2 other 100,000 + mx5's all mk1's and a Lotus Elise (21,000 miles) 'r' reg .

Any bets on any breakdowns the 3 mx5's or the Lotus .

Oh you could buy all 3 Mx5's for £2500 the Lotus cost £12,000 on its own .

The Alps trip sounds fantastic, please let us know how you get on . Do you prepare your cars before such a trip and do you carry any spares at all ?