Forum newbie here but this would be Mk1 number 6 so not new to NAs themselves.
I’d like to buy a MK1 that has had the usual tin worm or paintwork issues addressed. Getting a little fed up of going to see cars that are ‘immaculate’ only to find obvious rust bubbling through the paint or paint so faded, it’s hard to tell what colour it once was. So I thought I might have more luck with the OC of finding a genuinely well cared for car.
I have a reasonably open mind but ideal contenders would be:
A very early 89 car in red.
A green over tan car - any year
A blue over red R - any year
Very early 1989 would be LHD US spec Miata. Eunos Roadsters were built from June, but delivered in September. UK market production started in December 1989. Fully restored cars have sold for £8-9k.
The R-Limited was confined to 1995 only; a rare limited edition. One in the condition you want, will be £12k and up.
“Green over tan”; V-Special Eunos Roadsters, early UK LE, later UK BRG that has been retrimmed. Prices all over the place. A lot of these were imported. Generally the original interiors do not survive.
You probably need to indicate a budget. I would suggest having £8-10k available. There might be cheaper cars, but you will likely need to budget for work. If looking at cheaper cars, its probably better to buy the car that is rusty for the right price, rather than one that is more expensive, because the owner believes spending £400 on plating the sills is restoration…
Some of the older sill jobs will now need repairing.
If sills have gone, allow £2000-2500 for sills, arches and paint. If the overall paint is poor, then the whole job could be done for £4000.
Thanks Ast. I probably confused a little with the title. First priority was ideally an 89 car in red, probably JDM, but I’m always interested in the later green/tan cars and the blue/red R’s. Though worth mentioning on the R in particular that two sold last year for half the figure you mentioned, one from a reputable specialist so I assume it was a good one. Wish I’d gone to look now! I’m not necessarily after a museum piece, in fact I almost don’t want something I’d be too precious about but I am getting frustrated with how many cars are advertised for good money as ‘rust free’ or ‘immaculate’ and when you see them, you can see problems straight away without even needing to look underneath. As you allude to, what people describe as ‘a little surface rust’ or ‘paint a little faded’ can easily mean £2-4k of work in reality.
Budget wise, I guess I’d spend up to £7k for the right car but the market is so all over the place it’s really hard to know what sort of car I should expect for that. There are many cars advertised for 5 figures but they seem to sit there for months and months. In the £4k-£6k bracket there seems a very mixed bag ranging from basket cases to genuinely excellent cars but not necessarily the right specs for me. It doesn’t help that I’m in the North East so most cars are a reasonable journey to go see. I’m fine with travelling for the right car but I cannot justify another 4 hour journey to find another totally misdescribed car. Very much appreciate your input.
Some “specialists” are charlatans, and one narrowly avoided prison for clocking cars.
All NAs are old now, and the paint was never that good to start with. So if you want good paint, realistically, expect a car that has been repainted. But remember, not long ago, these were very cheap cars, so a car repainted would be more likely to have had paint inline with the then market value.
I’d consider a fresh import
This one would be about £7500 landed and on the road. A very straight, original S-Special with 4.100 T1 Torsen
Phase 2 V-Special 2, so it will have the T2 4.300 Torsen. But it will need a couple of seats, but a good hood, and that cage is worth £500. £6300 landed.
This car you could probably get landed for £7000.
Early car for the same money. Early cars are fetching strong money at the auctions.