I’m looking at getting my first MX-5 and have been looking at a 2003 1.8 sport. It looks in great shape from the outside (bodywork, roof and interior etc)
The owner has told me that it has some underbody corrosion as all these models seem to have. He said it hasn’t really ever caused him much of a problem - occasionally needing some welding etc.
He said that it’s mentioned on the recent MOT, front suspension component ball joint dust cover (severe), shock absorber casing (mild) subframe (mild).
The car is up for £2,000 and has 67,000 miles on the clock. As it’s going to be my first one I was hoping for some guidance on whether this is a good buy or one I should start clear of?
Unless you are incredibly lucky, you will need to travel to find a good one. Body condition is everything with these cars. Mechanical parts are plentiful and cheap.
Mk1’s are prone to rust on the rear sill/arch
Mk2’s & 2.5’s rot in those areas, plus the front chassis rails.
There have been some belters for sale on this forum. So keep an eye on the for sale section.
Just because the seller is a member on here, doesn’t mean their car will be a good one though, so be careful.
£2-3000 should give you a reasonable short at finding a solid Mk1. With the Mk2, its harder to say, as many owners will be oblivious to the state of the front chassis legs.
If you are lucky, you might come across an import Mk2/2.5, and most of those are post 2005 imports.
I agree, that looks a belter. I love a white Mk2 and they are quite rare in this country. I would have been very interested in that if I hadn’t just bought a Mk1
Yes, always check the rear sills, rear arches and front chassis rails. If the top of the radiator is yellow/brown it will need replacing. Don’t leave it like I did. You should be able to see all the spot welds around the rear arches.
Knowing the seller, I’d have no issues with that car. If I was in the market, if I had a few extra photos, I’d probably buy it unseen. Its white, so any rust will really stand out. The pricing I think reflects the replaced engine and cosmetics; the green hood seems a bit random and might be just a spare hood they had knocking about (the seller breaks MX5s). It will be sold as is; so no valeting etc. The headlamps have turned opaque; they might respond to polishing. His other Mk2s are all around £5k. Ask Andy why its priced as it is. Short MOT. And you need to go to Scotland to collect it. That might not be far for you.
As it is non-UK spec, it WILL cost more to insure. How much more, depends on the driver. For me, the difference is trivial. Other drivers might struggle to get cover. There are still a lot of insurers who will not cover an import.
I brought my first 5 back in march after 3 months of looking.
I got mine which is a 2001 mk2.5 in British Racing green, its the 1.8vvt sport so really nice engine.
It had covered 98k miles and I paid £1500 for it. I checked it over myself in key areas like sills and arches and checked for leaks. And it was all in good condition given mileage and age, once purchased I got it checked by a specialist and the sills and arches had another 4-5 years before anything I should worry about will happen.
My advice to you would be do your research on what goes wrong and know what to look for. Take it for a test drive. Also check the mot history (https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history) as this can sometimes tell you a bit about how much the car has been used and what it has been failed on in the past.
Hi @Saz9961, Andrew said that it’s cheaper as it’s not a fresh import, it’s had another owner over here and we bought it back off him at a lower price than we could import another one. Do you think this is worth the cost of a trip to Scotland to look at and potentially buy (im based in Essex)?
@FreddieR i have looked it up on the MOT site and it has only ever failed on the rear tail lights / loose wiring and seems to have always been fixed (has an mot till August 2019).
I am in no way speaking for Andrew - but he does still travel back down to England - and may well be at the National Rally at Ragley Hall. He might be persuaded… just a thought.
Alternatively, get a shed load more pics for confidence, then fly up. I did it Southampton to Edinburgh (£110) for my ‘family’ estate and drove back, within 12 hours. Good day out.