I was comparing an April 1998 MX5 brochure with a July 1998 Brochure. They are identical apart from the correction to aluminium only being used for the bonnet, rather than the boot lid, windscreen surround and some other parts. We know the original brochure was incorrect. However the April and July ones also show the floor pan and sills made from galvanized steel which surely is also incorrect. it says the rest of the body panels are made from organic resin coated steel. Is this correct and was the specification changed for later years? There is no mention in the brochures of the 1.8i S having different suspension to the 1.8i whereas I thought it had Bilsteins, a larger diameter rear anti roll bar and different rate springs. The separate leaflet describing the specifications is also identical apart from the later one showing photos of the accessories on the back of what was previously a blank page.
Contemporary UK reviews only comment on the differences mentioned in the brochure which is probably how they were briefed by Mazda. Do we have a NB expert who can give answers?
I’m by no means an expert but I have one of the earliest NBs (Jan 1998) and my son has a later 1.8iS and I’ve worked on both cars, including carrying out a suspension change on my son’s car.
My car definitely has an aluminium bonnet but everything else is steel, as you stated (just confirmed that with a magnet). As far as panel quality and rust protection methods go, I’m not sure except to say that the car has no rust in the usual places that NBs are known to be notorious for; it’s all original metal, not even bubbled.
Comparing my car to my son’s later one (two years younger); it’s very obvious that my car has a much better paint quality inside the engine bay than his originally did (he’s spent a great deal of money on welding, panel rust repairs and repainting).
My son’s car had Bilstein shocks and a noticeably stiffer ride than my car does (I prefer mine exactly as it is). At his request I carried out an aftermarket coil over shock conversion. He’s since sold the OE Bilstein setup so I can’t compare spring thicknesses. It also has a limited slip diff and a slightly different rear chassis brace; I’m not sure about the ARB thickness because the car now lives 60 miles away from here.
The rumour that any MX5 had an alloy boot lid was false, also that any underpart was galvanised also. Boot lids were made from thinner gauge steel (to keep weight down) and early on, members were warned on the old forum to take care when closing both bonnet and boot lid, as it would cause malformation problems. The NB also appears to have had rusty boot lid problems - on some cars. Paul appears top have an NB, and his son possibly an NBFL, which had Bilstein’s on - Sport versions only.- Also stiffer springs. As far as I’m aware, the NB Sport edition did not have stiffer springs or Bilstein shocks either. Paint has had critics since way back when. Also long gone now, was a warning about pressure spray devices, not a good idea apparently good for paint removal, especially on paint chip areas.
My own conclusion, you get what you paid for, if you wanted top quality - don’t buy an MX5. You get instead an outstanding road performance and a superb drive, but balanced with a life expectancy of ten years. after which you were supposed to buy a new model. That some cars are way past that speaks volumes for the care and attention of some owners.- Garage Queens are the exception! The car was designed in and for California, or lands where they don’t use salt in the winter months, so protection was not paramount in the marketability department at Mazda. Add 5- 10 thou, and you will get a top end car. (But no-one will buy it)
Still down in Yorkshire and just off the steam train on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway as well as good bit of walking on pathways between the stations in very nice weather.
A slow trip back up to Aberdeenshire from the Spring Rally.
I will have a look under my MK2 1.8iS when I get home.
IanHP if you can PM me your vin number I will advise the part numbers of the parts for your car and my car. My car was sold spring 1999, therefore, I would expect if it did not sit unsold for some months, it to be made say September 1998. It has the earlier boot lock that is different from the boot lock a few months later that has some changes that have been mentioned here.I cannot remember the exact change but it is the earlier lock.
I am of the impression that my MK2 1.8iS has a black set of dampers and later 10AE models had yellow Bilstien’s.
I thought my car has standard Mazda dampers but I will get the parts numbers off them, measure the spring diameters and look for different colour paint spots that some spring manufactures use for identification.
It may be early next week before I get backs as I have stuff to do this weekend.
Pretty much what I’ve thought for years. We can easily get pre-reg ND’s for a lot less than a 1999 Jasper Conran Silver for Pete’s sake!
Try living on a 1999 wage now?
They are relatively “cheap” fun 2 seaters built to a bean-counted affordable general population price and always have been.
Just disposable commodities with a designed shelf life…out of warranty…your problem.
I sometimes wonder what people expect. If you get an ND as a keeper with your own dosh, get it hoisted, stripped, injected, and don’t folow the car in front too close or your end up with poxy noses.
NB:
I say that as a dedicated pragmatist & enthusiast who:
A) Will have forked out (between our two) a collective total of over 7k eradicating rot & fixing stuff.
B) Still does not want to drive anything else
C) Hold the view that everyhting has a perspective.
D) Enjoys the Driving Experiences without expecting old-school Merc 500 SLC Panzer durability.
My son’s car is definitely not an NB’FL’, it’s an NB 1.8iS.
Judging by how difficult it was to remove the shocks from it (corrosion of fixings) and the general condition of the car it I doubt they were anything other than the ones fitted at the factory by Mazda. When we took them off it was obvious they were different to the ones on my own car. They also had the word “Bilstein” printed on them. They sat in my garage for a short while and they were eagerly bought by another MX5 owner on the the basis that they were so marked.
As I said, I’m not an expert but that’s what we found.
I just went out and checked the bonnet of my NB again with a high power magnet. It’s made entirely of aluminium; I can say with 100% certainty that the only steel parts are the hinges and the catch.
Fitting an aluminium skin over a steel frame would induce galvanytic corrosion. Did Mazda do that later? I don’t know.
The MK1 bonnet is all aluminium aside from hinges, rivet bodies and closing mech.
If you want to see evidence of galvanic corrosion, take a look at a tired MK2 alternator where the steel body and casing screws are in contact with the aluminium casings.
As Scottishfiver says, the way around this as used at Jaguar is bonding the metals together, avoiding conductive contact.
Hmmm… I have a 10AE, an 1.8iS with extras, and I’m sure one of those extras was Bilsteins (yellow ones), which suggests that the standard 1.8iS didn’t come with them, or at least that variant. I’ll have to check through all my paperwork and brochures and report back.
I have been through the Mazda parts list and it advises that my 1999 1.8iS has the same front rear antiroll bars and the same rear springs and dampers as IanHP’s 1.8i car.
My car has ABS but the rear ABS wire is no where near the dampers, therefore the dampers do not have a bracket to hold the ABS wire out of harms way. The rear springs and dampers are termed normal/sports for both cars.
MX5Parts Mazda rear dampers have no warning that they are not suitable for ABS cars as the cars did not have that possible issue.
My 1.8iS has front springs described as normal/sports and dampers termed Sports, while IanHP’s car a 1.8i has springs described as normal/sports and dampers termed normal and as mentioned above both cars are specified as having the same front antiroll bar.
My 1.8iS has ABS and there is a bracket on the front damper to keep the ABS lead out of harms way. On IanHP’s car he does not have ABS and his front dampers may not have had the bracket from new.
MX5parts advise their front Mazda dampers are not suitable for cars with ABS as I assume they do not have the bracket.
The front dampers on the iS are priced by Mazda halfway between the standard and hard (Bilstien) suspension front dampers. WE know from 10AE vIN number that they have the Bilstiens.
I am going into the garage to check out the other issues.
Helen would you mind posting me your VIN number via PM to check it through the Mazda parts sytsem as I believe yours will have what the parts system calls hard suspension ( Bilstien)
Ask owners of Jaguar X350s about galvanic corrosion; aluminium body with steel bits bolted on. Leads to rotted rear subframes and fuel tanks falling off (as the tank straps end up looking like twigs). More commonly, leads to electrical issues as steel earthing bolts corrode around aluminium captive nuts.
Most of the X350 body used steel rivets, and on some cars, this lead to paint falling off. Aviation adhesive is used in some places, but not everywhere.
My 96 has some strange corrosion going on the bonnet; a couple of the rivets for the bonnet latch have just crumbled away. Steel rivet body, aluminium rivets… I may have to see if I can get a nut and bolt in there,
I was working at Jaguar, Whitley from 2000 up until about 2007. I saw quite a lot of development including the use of aluminium in crucial areas and the struggle to engineer this into a working solution.
Here is Wikis explanation of Galvanic Corrosion. With aluminium and steel the sacrificial metal is the steel, so little wonder there is issue in damp conditions where the two are in direct contact. If the two metals are kept separate and insufficient electrolite(water) present to promote electrolytic activity, there would still be the usual corrosion but not the accelerated variety caused by galvanic corrosion.
Not knowledgeable on Land Rovers but imagine the use of aluminium combined with steel on these has been somewhat of a challenge in their 70+ year history.
My Front shocks are black and marked NC10 34 700C and dated 98 04 06. The front ARB is 22 mm dia. The springs still have their black paint but I cannot see an identifying colour spot, there is no provision for a ABS sensor cable bracket. The coils are made from 12mm wire.
My rear Shocks are NC10 28 700C and 98 04 02. The rear ARB was 11 mm o/d but I fitted a 12mm one to cut down on rear body roll.
As an aside my wheels were made by TSW, marked 6JJ x 14H2 and have 7H20M2 stamped on them.
