Hi my son and I are looking to buy an MX5 as a weekend runabout. We’ve got about £5k and would love suggestions from members about what to look for (and look out for!). All tips and help appreciated.
£5k will get you anything from a solid first generation to a bargain last of the third generation
3rd generation will have more creature comforts, but more to go wrong, and more complicated to fix
1st generation won’t have creature comforts, probably won’t have an airbag, probably no ABS or other driver aid.
All of them are old cars. The youngest 3rd generation is 10 years old. All will have structural rust as an issue to be aware of. 1st and 2nd generation cars have a lot of interchangeable parts, which helps in keeping the costs down; a new top is dirt cheap. A new top for a 3rd generation isn’t cheap.
Why do you want a MX5 as a weekend runabout, and not, say, a BMW Z4, a MGTF, a Toyota MR-S or even a cabriolet like the Eos. You can easily get good examples within your budget. Have you driven a MX5? And your budget should be £4000, plus £1000 for the expected inevitable repairs on an old car
The first two generations are sufficiently similar that it comes down to if you like popup lights or not. The third generation is a different machine that was intended to appeal to a different demographic and to broaden appeal. Its worth trying an eample of at least the third generation and second generation to see what is the best fit (including in a literal sense), to allow you to then focus. ie what you need to look for in a 3rd generation, what to look for in a 3nd generation. You get a better response than just saying “what do I need to look for in a MX5”.
As stated, a common issue for all is rust, but rust affecting the cars different A second common issue is that these cars do get crashed, being sports cars etc. These cars can also be modified a lot by owners, and while the owners might think, for them, these are great mods, in general, the modifications are terrible, and can make it harder to figure what is wrong with a car. Take the Electricals; the Electricals, for all of them, should be pretty reliable. They become unreliable when someone messes with the electricals, and starts snipping connectors, adding scotchlocks, bullet connectors, soldered joints. Chassis mods are common , starting with the wheels. Heavy wheels make the car feel like it has worn out suspension. Or does it actually have worn out suspension? Lowering springs can also have that effect, especially cheap lowering springs that collpase after a few years due to those heavy aftermarket wheels. Creaks and squeaks; worn out bushes or aftermarket silicone bushes binding? etc. If you want a car for tinkering, buy something modified. If you want something for driving, given all the choices are old cars, buy as close to standard as possible.
4 Likes
There are a couple of lovely NB Icons for sale here on the forums.
Both pretty low mileage for their age and under your £5K budget.
They might not have all mod cons but are very eye catching cars.
I’d love one tbh but maybe in the future. 
Happy hunting 
1 Like
Welcome to the group, along with the above a further thing to look out for is do you need ULEZ kompliance SFAIK no Mk1’s are ULEZ kompliant, some 1.8 MK2.5 / NBFL’s are ULEZ kompliant all Mk3’s are ULEZ kompliant. Low down on nomenculture Mk1 = NA, Mk2 = NB, Mk 2 facelift = Mk 2.5 or NBFL, Mk3 = NC, Mk3 facelift = Mk3.5, Mk3 2nd facelift = Mk 3.75. Hope that helps good luck with your search.
4 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.