Are you Convert/able?

This cropped up elsewhere and isn’t one I remember from around ND launch time, nice little video. Do you remember when you were converted to MX-5 ownership?

5 Likes

I’d not seen this before… Fantastic! :+1:

I remember! I took my late Father in Law to pick up his (new to him) Mercedes saloon. In the showroom was a fresh import Eunos. A J2 Ltd with a load of aftermarket JDM bits! Bought it there and then! This was about 20 years ago and I’m now on my 8th 5 IIRC :sweat_smile:

Barrie

2 Likes

I had been working in Alabama, as a postdoctoral researcher. Initially, I arrived with no savings, and a bit of cash to buy a dreadful 1985 Mercury Cougar V8. After a few months, I got rid of that for a 1991 Honda CRX HF. I’d like to think of that as athe lightweight edition, but in truth it was developed for the California market in order to bring the fleet MPG up, so was a stripper CrX, no back seat, no parcel shelf, skinny steel wheels, 1.5l single cam engine. But it was a hoot to drive.

Moving back to the UK, to take up a Fellowship in Belfast, I brought a Peugeot 309 Gti as a run about and to tick a box (the 205s I looked at were a bit shabby at my pricepoint). It was disappointing as a car, so 6 months on, I was on the hunt for another CRX. The local Honda dealer just laughed when I enquired; too rare. But being in Belfast, at that time, I started to see a lot of CRXs with square rear plates. Grey imports. Some more enquiries, and I was at an importer in Banbridge, who had a brace of them. All of them were Cyber CRXs, with the full glass roof. Mechanically, they were scary, with a 1.6 VTEC, and most on throttle bodies.

But I was drawn to this green MX5, which turned out to be a blinged up V-Spec, with hardtop, BBS wheels and lots of crhrome bits. Probably was JDM heaven. It drove great, as fun to drive as the Honda. So I tried another car the dealer had in, a mariner blue ex-track car. It had a ducktape covered rollcage, but it was tight to drive. And no top. So the hunt was on.

In the end, SAZ9826 was found at the dodgiest of garages in the dodgiest part of East Belfast, and I was allowed a solo top down test drive on a cold November evening through Belfast to seal the deal. The car was fresh off the boat, and the dealer ven took the 309 off my hands for a decent price.

During the buying process, as I was now flirting with the idea of a convertible, I did also consider a fresh bodyoff resto TR6 for the same money as the MX5 (about £9k), but had pangs of guilt, as I knew I would end up ruining it. Anyhow, how valuable could these Triumps ever get? :thinking:

Since then, I have had 4 other MX5s, all Mk1s, all imports, including a M2-1002.

For 15 years, MX5s were my main transport. Now my career has moved on, so its a bit of an indulgance.

3 Likes

I suppose my route to an MX-5 comes through various influences.

My brother had a Beach Buggy, I remember a couple of exposed trips between Northumberland and Aberdeen in that.

A period in Yorkshire and a girlfriend with an MG Midget (I had bikes at that point) and a friend with an MGB GT instilled the desire for a roadster.

Good friend had an NB in BRG which was the reminder when the kids were of an age and cash was a little bit more free that the spark was still there.

2004 NB bought new from a discounter, it was a daily for 4 1/2 years until rust bubbling through the quarter panel suggested it was time to move it on. Possibly had been sitting round a wet field/aerodrome before I bought it as a result of over ordering or perhaps that’s as long as the NB was good for through a few NE Scotland winters.

Traded it for a used NC1 which eventually became an NC2 PRHT and then an ND 1.5 and now an ND 2 2.0

16 years in and still loving the driving experience, nothing consistently comes close :grinning:

I didn’t know there was such a thing as a CRX HF. I’ve just googled it and I had the same shape but with the non VTEC 1.6 engine and fatter tyres, like you say a really great drivers car. Wish I still had it now!

Not really sure how we got to owning our NC - we were just having a look earlier this year and fancied a convertible 2 seater. Had a look around and it seemed to be the least rusty nicest colour choice we found! My last ‘fun’ car was the CRX, it’s been company cars ever since 2000 for me. Nice to have our first Mazda and nice to find a car that I can improve too!

1 Like

My CRX HF. Nothing to do with a Lancia.

image

It had these thin seats, no back seat, no shelf, one mirror, wind up windows, steel wheels.

But Honda did something with the gearing that made the car immensely fun to drive. I’d like another one, but they have all rotted away. Couldn’t bring it back from the States, bank was slow sending me the pink slip.

This was similar to mine - all the luxuries, comfy front seats (parcel shelf rear seats), electric windows, mirrors and sunroof - 1.6 injection engine. Same colour too.

About 130 hp and weighed nothing, it was great fun to drive. Drove from the North East of England to South West France in it, home via Lyon and Alsace, had a fantastic time. Was a bit noisy at 100+ on the Autoroute with the sunroof open, too hot with it closed. I’d love another one now but they’re all either rotted away or too expensive.

July 1991. The fifth, to be precise - my birthday, which was the most perfect of coincidences.
Train to Tunbridge Wells, collected at the station and taken to Mazda UK HQ, to be presented with the MX-5 BRG Limited Edition ‘001’ I’d won from ‘Car’ magazine.

A perfect summer’s day drive back home, top down, from TW to Southampton. I didn’t stop grinning - I’ve subsequently driven more exciting roads than that afternoon on the A272, but that journey was the most memorable. I’ve rarely been without a Mk1 since.

2 Likes

We had a 2.5 year Spitfire 1500 in 1983 for about a year then bought a sensible car because of the dog. Fast forward to 1991 and I was given some insurance money my had taken out when I was a youngster and I decided to get another Spitfire, but this time I thought as I’m forever welding other peoples cars I would buy a resto project, so after a year I had a fully restored MK3 Spit. Around 1996 the Obergruppenfuhrer decided she wanted an Alpine, so I said okay get one and I’ll restore that, 8 years later she had a lovely restored Sunbeam Alpine. About 3 years ago we got tired of me forever having to fettle 2 classic cars so we decided to get rid of the Spitfire, and then she decided that the Alpine should go. What convertible can we get to replace them, fun, good handling, reliable and good parts supply :thinking: I know, how about an MX5, after a little bit of hunting we got ourselves a year 2000, 23,000 mile, full service history, 1.6 NB. We enjoyed this car so much that I pestered the Obergruppenfuhrer about chopping the 2017 Mini Cooper that we bought new to see us into retirement for an ND. I finally wore her down and we got a 3 month older than the Mini 1.5 Icon :+1: :grin: She was so amazed that I managed to do that to her, she wrote an article about it in STHT. Oh and we still have the NB and love them both.

1 Like

Wow! That is a story! :+1:
Barrie

Fabulous videos and some fantastic stories cropping up :grin:
To be honest, I’ve always been convertible-keen. My dream car is a Sunbeam Alpine. Have seen a couple of beautifully restored examples lately. I love my Five and see it as a wee stepping stone. Fun, reliable and more than suitable as a daily driver. Once it’s paid off, I’ll look at getting a wee Sunbeam for weekends, though!

1 Like

Not seen that before… How perceptions can be shattered just by driving an MX-5! My first experience of MX-5’s was working at a Mazda dealership - Mid 2006 till end 2011… NC’s were well established and we still had numerous NB’s too… I worked in sales and would take potential customers out on their test drives, and just like in the video, most were loving them… coming back with huge smiles wanting to buy in… :slight_smile:
Am surprised it took me another 9 years to get one of my own, but glad to buy-in when I did - The key is, it’s never too late… And those who haven’t… should :joy: