Blimey!
Can’t recall the last half decent / fixer-upper Mk1 Vin Rouge I saw for sale.
It was always my wee dream choice!
Hi Leo,
When I bought mine as a fun car I was fortunate to have a reasonable budget and test drive a Boxter S and Lotus Elise on the same day.
Having a few hours to kill between them I called in to the Mazda garage and test drive an MX5.
No prizes for guessing the one I bought, owned her for 8 years now as a fun car and costs have been brake pads and a battery plus services. Not bad considering she is now 10 years old.
In 2018 I also bought a Mk2.5 Nevada (based on the S) mainly for track days.
It drove great but does not have the balance of the mk3 being more nose heavy. You also sit up more in the NB and it really does feel a much older car.
Then we had an MOT failure and chasing the rust. Spent many weeks cutting welding and rustproofing to sort it. It is not just the front legs and arches, it can rot anywhere below waist height which for an MX5 doesn’t leave a lot else. None of the rust was visible on the panels. The cost of a garage to repair it would have massively exceeded its value.
If you are going for one with eyes open look and prod everywhere. It was fun though and drove so well even with 90k plus on the clock.
Hope you find what you are looking for I sold this one for £1150 last week for comparison.
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Might have to try and sit in a NC again. I liked how basic the NB was. And if I do go down the NC route, sounds like it would have to be a 3.5 from 09. Which I’m looking at twice the price of a NB.
Or would a cheaper pre 09 be just as good with some mods.
I have a 2008 PRHT. Seems to work OK 
.
I think the later ones have better steering, but I am happy with mine, but have put new suspension on with new tyres and had it aligned.
I previously had a mk2.5 1.8 and the NC is a much better car. But perhaps lacks a bit of character compared with the earlier model.
I did 750 miles last weekend, and expect to do around 2000 miles next week. Not sure I would have attempted that with such confidence in the NB.
I paid just under £3k for mine. And since then over another £2k on suspension, wheels, tyres, hifi, fluids/pads and other bits and bobs. And many hours free labour. So my car has cost more than a younger one could have; but it has everything sorted.
Putting all your money into the newest car you find in budget could mean you have to live with 10 year old suspension etc.
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Hi Leo
There is a slight difference between the mk3 and mk3.5 a few updates and a slightly higher revving engine (7200 rpm from 7000). but not enough in my opinion to ignore a nice mk3 for less money and some left over to sort the floaty suspension.
They are fundamentally the same car.
I always find the car I want is just above my budget, something psychological I think but it is condition and history that matter at this age.
Good luck.
Looking through the MOT history, its clear any buyer should budget for two new sills; the seller is claiming only one sill needs attantion, but there are advisories on both, so negotiating room. But, I don’t think its ever been welded. Its a complete, original car (still has Jap spec front plate holder, so the front bumper hasn’t been painted, correct wheels, interior looks to be in largely good order). To sort out sills, wing dent, and paint fade issues, about £1500 needed.
The Combination B needs for nothing; except for probably new rear calipers, the MOT history is very good. Also looks to have been used sparingly. I’m not a fan of light interiors, so for my the VR Combination B is one of the best Roadster specials, trim and mechanically… Very fairly priced considering the quality of it (Sam Goodwin would have only brought in good cars). Given that, its clear, even allowing for body repairs, you won’t lose money on the Combo A project car (which has a recent MOT).
The Sparkle Green SR-Limited; this is a Marmite car, in terms of colour. A blind gibbon has fitted the front plate holder; I assume they have knocked off the original square Jap plate holder, and trie to fit the MX5parts copy plate holer using the original holes in the bumper. MOT history reveals history of welding going back to 2008; welded in 2008, welded again, both sides, in 2016, and come 2020, both sides are now advisories, so the repairs have been patch jobs. Lots of owners but not much miles; the 125k odometer reading is in kms. Needs trim repairs, but the SR seats were a mix of Alcantara and leather, so not straightforward. The trim is probably unobtanium, and so this car will likely end up as a non-original limited edition. ie the combination of the colour and that it will never have an original interior (if the paintwork is flaking, personally I’d take the opportunity to change the colour), it won’t ever have the value, for instance, of the VR-Limiteds (the VRs are popular, £6-7k seems fair, ceiling on a SR is probably 5k, its harder to sell). On the plus side, you won’t find a newer Mk1, full stop. This was the last of the Mk1s. Mechancially, it has the torsen, bilstein, flywheel options like the VRs.
I reckon this car could be had for £2000, but gut indicates with lots of owners, relatively little use, there are a lot of deferred maintenance jobs. Broken spring replaced, the rest of the suspension is probably tired, so a full adjustable coilover setup seems appropriate.
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Just a little update. Sold my car this week. Now seriously looking at NB’s! 
Ideally want a mk2.5 sport. But found a £3k 2003 1.8 British racing green Montana with hard top locally. But wanting to put racing seats in, seems too nice of a car to break apart. Maybe I’m being too picky. Buy on condition rather than spec if I’m going to be modding ?
I’d buy on condition rather than spec under any circumstances. What good is a “fully loaded” car if it’s a rot box!
Well. I got one. You might recognise it! 
Picked up from Matt who did the Lemons MX5 video. Had to travel 3 hours from London for it but worth it in the end. On the way back driving in stormy conditions for about 20 minutes in the dark down unlit country roads was a bit of a hair-raiser but the girl coped well.
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Good to see you got what you wanted. Now it’s time to enjoy it and plan everything you’re going to do to it 
MOT’s are often times a complete and utter farce is why.
You are now a victim of one.
However, anything is a fixer with a suitable wodge of cash.
Yeah good thing I have set aside a decent amount. Sills and arches look OK though for the meantime. I’m gonna save this poor girl.
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Good man.
Atta’ boy!
Sorry to see this, in answer to the MOT question if the undertray is fitted on the engine things like this can often be missed (I assume these are photos of the front chassis rails)
Thats right carl front chassis.
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This is perfectly true.
Never the less, VOSA informed the industry years back, perhaps 7 or 8 now, of the issue…more an awareness of the matter on an advisory basis but not a compelled directive to ensure the rails were bared for checking.
In addition it’s been all over the internet as long, if not longer, to approach them with buckets of Caveat Emptor…bit like some first gen Mk3’s seem to be going.
The big issue is, as most now know, that until you whip off the front apron you only get part of the story.
Not counting Leo1 in this, but there is still a lot of Rose Tinted & technically ignorant buying going on. To a degree, that will continue, as it will with any marque of any manufacturer.
I backed myself into a corner really. I was returning to work that week and had travelled a distance so I wanted to leave with the car. For anyone reading this in the future, always assume that you’re going to have to shell out for repairs no matter what the seller or paperwork says.
February seems to be the earliest I can book it in at MX5restorer. Safe to drive in the mean time?? From above they still look good.
It’s a tough one to call Leo1.
Fwiw, the front chassis rails on my NB were much further gone than yours and I was using mine every day.
I’m not saying what might happen in an impact but on a day to day basis it was ok.