Journey of a 19 year old NC1 owner

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Hi, I’ve just purchased my first ever 5 at the age of 19!

I’ve been looking for a good 5 months now, and I finally found the perfect NC1.

An 07 plate that I’m picking up on Saturday. I’ve seen the car before in person and the deal has been done. It’s immaculate, 25k miles with full service history and no rust whatsoever, drives marvellous.

I tried my hand at haggling and managed to get a discount on the car which I was rather pleased with. Despite the fact my insurance is incredibly high being a young driver, I am going to enjoy my 5 very very much. I’m literally bursting with excitement for Saturday! Exact model is a 1.8 + option pack.

See the attached pics and you’ll see how mint it is for a 14 year old car.

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My father helped me find the car, having owned an NC1 2 litre in the past himself, and kept telling me patience is key, no matter how much I moaned. As fathers often are, he was completely right. During my time of searching (I was looking for new listings every single day) we went to see some cars that looked good but always had issues such as ripped seats and soft tops with gashes in them etc that were never listed in the ads… probably something to do with the fact its now summer and dealers are charging insane prices for convertibles while they can, let alone MX-5s.

However, while my time was wasted looking at these, I did gain something. I got to sit in the car and get a feel of it, and I felt at home almost instantly. It felt so poised and ready, inviting me to enjoy the sensations of driving much more than my first car (a Ford Fiesta).

Anyways, I’m new to this entire forum posting thing and haven’t done any posts apart from when I was searching for an MX-5, so apologies if this isn’t the done thing, I just wanted to share my experiences of finding an MX-5 of my very own with this very inviting and kind owners club.

I’ll keep this updated if people take interest as I plan on going various places with the car and some self servicing (and eventually mods when my insurance isn’t increased by just THE THOUGHT of mods.

Thanks for reading and I’ll update you all on Saturday when I finally get to pick it up!

P.s. if you happen to see me in the Cheshire area, give us a wave and I’ll certainly wave back!

~Matt

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Well done on getting such a lovely car! Nice colour. Takes me back to my 21st getting a mk1.

Ant

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Hi Matt from Nottinghamshire… It’s great to see the anticipation and excitement on getting your first MX-5 at just 19…! It looks like a lovely example and was worth taking time to find the right one. I first drove MX-5’s at the age of 44 when working at a Mazda dealership between 2006-2012… NC’s were new and there were still a good number of NB’s on Main Dealer forecourts back then… and RX8’s…! :slight_smile: I got my 1st one (current one) at the age of 58…!, and what I’ve learnt about MX-5 owners is the wide range of ages that love this little roadster…, so enjoy Saturday and the beginning of your MX-5 ownership… and all the miles with smiles too…! :slight_smile:

Rob

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Excellent start of your driving life.
This was my First Wheelz…just delivered X works
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Mine was the Basic.
The Super Delux had a heater had a splash of Waxoil to get it through one Warranty Winter.
I was King of the Road Matt. Fitted a glass fibre whip ariel…worth at least another 190bhp.

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Thanks for the kind words all! This community was one of the kick starts of my serious interest for MX5s so finally being able to tell my own story is amazing. Will definitely post on Saturday when I get to drive my MX5 alone for the first time.

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Welcome to the community.
Your car looks like a belter…

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Thanks Bob, couldn’t be more pleased!

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Good on yer👍 couldn’t possibly have done this when I was 19 years old. All I could stretch to was a push bike then a Lambretta which I bought as an accident damaged one.
All the best with your new car👍

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Thanks Mick!

I must admit, it has required extreme penny pinching but I have managed to save some in the process, so all is well. Just got to wait till Saturday now!

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Hi Matt. Thanks for sharing your experience with us all. It’s a treat to hear how enthusiastic you are about owning your -5 and smashing to see the beauty you’ve found :+1:
Please do continue to participate and share your adventures.
I’m looking forward to hearing how you get on at the weekend.
All the best,
Guy

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Looks cracking! Less than 2000 miles a year from new, that is crazy. Good find.

I am sure you know this from reading the forum, but watch the oil… check it frequently when you first get the car watching for any sudden drops in level. I would be carrying a litre bottle with me everywhere to begin with just to be on the safe side.

What full service history means on a low mileage car can vary - remember it should be serviced on a time basis (usually annually) if it has not hit the mileages; check when it last had fresh oil and if any doubt change it. Takes ten minutes (if you have a filter ‘socket’). I’d also swap the air filter - could well be ten years old and ready to decompose. That takes two minutes, if you stop for a cup of tea… Other service items you need to apply common sense to - brake/clutch fluid, coolant, tyres could all be degraded through age and lack of use despite the appropriate stamps in the book. Checking these over is all part of the pleasure of ownership, and generally good fun to do.

Enjoy.

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Thanks for all the advice mate,

I’ve had a look at the service history before and it’s been done on a time basis as you said, which is lucky.

As for the oil, I’ve seen various posts about the 1.8’s oil consumption so I will make sure to keep a close eye on it as you said.

When I went to view the car, I noted that the tyres had just been replaced very recently with some yokohamas (cannot remember the exact models off the top of my head) all round. I’ll also make sure to check all fluids and keep them healthy when needed as per your advice.

I’ll make sure to get an air filter ordered as soon as I can, thanks for the heads up!

Will ensure that I maintain the car thoroughly with thorough checks, it’s going to be very pampered yet also enjoyed as it should be.

Many thanks,
Matt

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Looks like you lucked right in with the car, great condition and mileage; enjoy it, mine has been a mid-life crisis car, good job starting so young :+1:

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Best to get the crisis out the way quick :smiley:

Congratulations to the OP, he’s made a good choice. @Kiddo_2002

I’m not going to ask how much you paid for it but I’m sure it was a consideration when you were deciding whether to go for a 2.0 or Sport model instead.

In any case, I’m sure it’ll make you happier, that’s pretty much these cars’ main purpose.

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The main consideration in regards to price was definitely insurance haha, the 2 litre just about pushes it to over what I’m willing to pay for month. As this isn’t my only car, I have to consider fuel costs and the like quite heavily so if I got the 2 litre, I’d have to spend more on fuel and probably drive it less as a result

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Yeah I understand what you mean by that.

But I should also say that it was a consideration for me as well, until I got the car.

Now I just drive it and don’t give a damn, because it’s all worth it.

Wait till you lean into it - yeah…it’s gonna be more fun than the Fiesta.

These cars complain when not driven spiritedly - mine will literally moan at me when the revs are low haha. I’ve seldom encountered a machine that wants to be used.

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Literally cannot wait, counting the hours! :+1:

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I cannot argue with your colour choice Kiddo. Just keep your eyes peeled, as young lads in nice sports cars can be a bit of a police target. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy MX5 life.

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Thanks Mike, will keep an eye out.

And yes, I absolutely adore this colour. My favourite colour is red and it was a complete coincidence that the car is too! Maybe its a sign :eyes:

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I bet there isn’t much difference in fuel usage between the 1.8 and 2 ltr.
Now insurance, well for you young ones I bet there’s a big leap in cost. I managed to get my daughters insurance on her first car sub £1k but it had to be on a 1ltr car.:face_with_raised_eyebrow: