only my second post and already im wondering if iv’e bitten off more than i can chew, now dont get me wrong i can restore cars having done several MK2 cortina’s, a couple of MK1 capri’s etc but this Eunos roadster just seem like it isnt worth it, after all there are lots of them about, i shall list all that i can find wrong with it along with photos of relevant problems and would appreciate some honest thoughts please.
as i first saw it.
then i got it home, but didn’t have time to look at it until today because of work and heres todays photos and what iv’e found.
the body work is shot…theres no other way of describing it it’s fooked., starting at the drivers side wing, it’s holes in the bottom corner by the sill NEW ONE NEEDED, drivers side sill is shot, NEW SILL NEEDED, drivers side inner sill is shot, rear drivers side sill with the over lap is holed BIG time both inner and outer, new repair section needed, wheel arch … yes youv’e got it, it’s shot. passenger side front huge hole in the front wing, new wing needed, sill the whole length shot, new sill and probably inner sill needed, passenger side chassis fram huge hole in it, needs new box section welding in, pasenger side rear sill with the overlap is … well it’s not there, new one and inner sill needed, rear arch needed…
mechanically it seems good … ok it’s ok, theres a problem with the power steering, it like to throw it all over the floor, might just be a pipe? but im at the stage that all i can see is pound notes, which if im being honest i am not sure if this car deserves?
the interior is minging too, it’s covered in mildew and has moss growing in the carpet, the steering wheel is some stupid shaped sports thing… and it stinks, no photos as iv’e come into here to rant and vent,
so any thoughts, is this car too far gone?, i know it will be a money pit, and am thinking that its going to cost £1000 along just to get the bodywork sorted… oh and i forgot to mention all the laquer is peeling and lifting…
As I said in the reply to your last thread - you have your work cut out, I hope you got the car cheap.
Unless this is a labour of love which it should not be for you as until very recently not your car and no emotional connection as far as I can see, break it for parts.
Use the experience of taking it apart to assist you in a worthwhile early Eunos project.
Hopefully the eventual sale of some of the parts will pay for your original outlay.
This car requires too much work to be a worthwhile project in my opinion.
that’s what i was thinking, i was after a mx5 / MGfF /TF or something simlar, but i also wanted a project to work on, i think this is just that little bit too far gone to be saved, i paid £300 for it so it’s not broken the bank
You can’t lose at that price especially if the engine good.
Not in touch at the moment but a few years ago any interested MX5 breaker would pay £250 - 300 for that car delivered.
If you have the time and inclination, you could strip this car sympathetically, learn a lot and make money.
Most of the breakers I deal with cannot be bothered with breaking the MK1 or Eunos equivalent any more because of age related rust and difficulty in taking things apart and mess as well as parts that are not in saleable condition.
I struggle to abandon projects and have a welder and some ability to fabricate, etc. This car is not even marginal as a restoration project.
In about 10 years time that would be worth restoring, but at the moment you can get a far better car for a fraction of what you’d have to spend getting that to a decent state.
Put frankly, it’s toast.
You said you were after a project, would it be better to find a MX-5 in a better bodily state and use the one you have for parts?
I bought a similar car for spares a few months ago for £100, interior sounds like it had the same mould over it.
And the wheel arches were only slightly better than yours, but I haven’t poked them too hard yet.
If you decide on a different car and consider a MGF or TF have a look good look round them as from what I’ve seen they rust just as bad as an MX-5. I looked at a 13 year old TF with 24,000 miles. It should’ve been like a two year old car with that mileage but it was terrible.
Mudflaps are worth saving (shortie ones are hard to get). That’s about it. The interior is trash, front wings are shot, roof dead, no one wants bumpers. Engine has a fair few miles on it. Not even sure you have £300 worth of parts there.
Yes, It’s a highish mileage engine and MOT out for over 4 years. Last MOT was on 3/4/14 when it had 152569 on the clock but may not be the original engine.
If you are considering breaking yourself rather than just passing straight on, I would get the engine running on the car and do all compression tests, smoke tests, etc with video evidence. Whilst you are at it test everything on the car you are able to.
I would expect to sell parts on that for at least £800-900 but scrap the rubbish immediately and have storage that is not going to inconvenience you or your other half for the months it will be needed.
Thanks all, engine is really quiet and theres no smoke at all, not really into breaking cars on my drive so i think it might end up on ebay spares or scrap.
Put it down to experience Tony and move on … Mazda MX5’s have minimal rust protection as have even current models inc. most of their other range when compared to other manufacturers . It’s a known fact that even the latest ones need aftermarket protection. And don’t listen to the ‘usual suspects’ on many forums who state that ‘mint rust free Mk1’s’ are still out there at ‘under two grand’ . There will be ones under £2k worth salvaging needing sills etc so if you have the necessary refurb. skills then go for it , these little iconic cars are worth saving but you just need to get one that has not passed beyond salvageable state . Good luck in your quest ??
Waiting for my next day off and get it up on a lift, take a proper look see at the underside, I’ve restored worse mk2 cortina’s but they are financially viable, theres still a glimmer of hope, even if its just rust cut out and patched until time and finances agree.
Back in the day I remember when I found the evening newspaper stuffed in the tops of the front wings on a Mk3 Cortina, chicken wire and filler completed the repair. The rear doors were that far gone I had to replace them from a scrapper, then rattled canned paint matched the doors to the rest of the car. Metallic blue paint never matched very well, infact it looked a right bodge but the car was a stepping stone to something better when I could afford it.
