I have been looking at a few low mile ND RF 2.0 Homura edition cars. Most of them are ex demo cars. I am asking if anyone has real life experience of dealing with the questions below. My Googlefoo is strong but mostly coming up blank.
One of the options on the configurator was a set of lowering springs. Is there an easy was to tell if these have been fitted? If I want to retro fit genuine Mazda lowering springs is that normally considered a modification by the insurance if it wasn’t supplied by Mazda that way?
Do new or nearly new ND’s need the alignment “optimised”? I have seen a few posts on other forums saying that some owners cars were well out of alignment from new.
Also if I have the car professionally undersealed will this impact the factory warranty in any way?
Of course - it’s obviously a change from standard spec. But it’s not a problem , not in my case anyway . I notified the insurer , who noted the change but the premium was unaffected.
Sounds like your insurance was better than mine, my original company would no longer insure it, and the new premium I ended up with was virtually double what I was previously paying.
Everyone’s insurance circumstances will be different, which is why you see different outcomes when modifications are fitted.
As I understand it, even on a new build if you ticked the lowering springs option, this would be a dealer fit accessory once the car arrives with them. The car still completes the manufacturing and assembly process in standard form. So springs would always be classed as a modification and need to be declared.
But as John has commented, my experience is that lowering springs have never affected a premium for me across a range of cars I’ve fitted them to. But as ever, mileage will vary!
FWIW David Coleman says don’t lower it. I certainly wouldn’t unless maybe it was a track car, the ground clearance isn’t that great anyway.
The geometry is fully adjustable so yes there is scope for customisation. The only person I know of to take it to is Paul Roddison. My 2017 has never been touched because 1. I like how it drives, and 2. it wears its tyres evenly both front vs back and across the tread, Maybe I’m missing out on something but on track it’s very neutral. Maybe it had some attention it its first 6 months before I bought it, but I doubt it.
I don’t see why sensible rust protection would hurt the warranty, I had mine done by MX-5 Restorer at Pevensey Bay with Bilt Hamber clear wax. It has zero visible rust nearly 9 years later. The best modification you could do IMO.
I think the rears might wear slightly more but I move them front to rear etc a couple of times during their life and it’s definitely not by much.
I speculate that the LSD cars are probably worse for rear wear. I’ve just bought a BRZ with a Torsen and if you set off with any lock on it’s hard not to break traction on the inside wheel even on the gentlest throttle.
If I recall, my rears were at 2.9->3mm, and the fronts about 4->4.2mm. No rotation. I changed them as they were 7 years old by tyre date and the tyre fitter I know is one on a million. Plus I had been stressing often, thinking of when I got to do them (the alloys are pristine, as new), so got it over and done with.
I disagree . Lowering the car transformed its road behaviour - some love it but I found the roly poly antics of the original tiresome . Ground clearance - I’m always being told it will ground . But it hasn’t , not even once in 50k +miles , not even down the tank trap strewn access to Melbourne Drag Strip
To be fair to my insurance they didn’t accept any modifications, the reason my insurance went up was because I had to find a provider that would accept mods.
I’ve grounded 3 times that I can remember in about 37,000 miles, no obvious damage. And just got away with accidentally putting the front bumper over a kerb. And I like the bit of roll which doesn’t feel excessive to me - I suspect it depends where you start from - didn’t you have an Elise or a Caterham?
Everything I drive feels like an SUV after doing as many miles in an Elise as I have. I have had that car for 20 years and I will never sell it. You do get used to the MX-5 wobbles. It is only an issue when you are “pressing on”. I doubt I would ever use an MX-5 on track. For me the MX-5 is going to be a long distance reliable tourer to take me to events all over the Uk and into Europe. The exact opposite of what an ex race 85k mile 1999 S1 Elise is.
