Hello all.
First time owning an MX-5 and decided on a 25AE, with very high mileage!
One lady owner from Northampton, whom I believe (though I could be wrong) used it as a company car.
Bought it in October last year and immediately set to fix/replace stuff on it:
- Replaced the heater fan
- Replaced the valve cover gasket
- New spark plugs and air filter
- New scuttle grommets & some sealant applied, then pulled out the rear drain hoses to clean them
- Sealed the tail lights too and also the air breather with the rubber flap below them
- Gave it a good clean inside and out and it was then under cover for about 4 months
Some very long 5 months went by and it was then time to get it undersealed and serviced.
So I drove it down to the MX-5 Restorer in Eastbourne, where upon a thorough inspection it was found that it was good & solid on the underside and that even the rear subframe still had lots of the factory paint on it, which was a bit surprising considering the mileage it had, (just over 174k). However, the 2 rear braces were on the way out, so they were replaced with shiny stainless steel items. Also, a broken spring was discovered on the rear offside corner. I had planned on getting some coilovers anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal.
Some fluids were changed there & then too (Engine, Gearbox & Diff oils) and about 5 days later it was time to collect it.
As soon as I got it back home, 4 new brake discs & pads were fitted, plus new shields on the front which were more like rusty wafers; the rear shields though are yet to be fitted.
Replaced the brake fluid, as well as the power-steering fluid.
For peace-of-mind, I also replaced the thermostat, the coolant reservoir, the serpentine belt and the tensioner too. Fresh new F22 coolant in and system bled.
June 2025 rolled on rather quickly and I still needed to replace the suspension, get the car aligned, get 2 new tyres fitted and the aircon recharged.
Tried to get the suspension from MeisterR, but they were out of stock everywhere and after about 3 months of waiting for shocks that were “expected any day now”, I couldn’t wait any longer since I had a trip abroad planned for July. Bought some HSD coilovers from Driftworks and within 2 days were at my door! Got them fitted just in time for them to get settled enough before the alignment and before long, it was time to set off on a trip that turned out to be 3200 miles in total.
On the 19th of July we set off to Folkestone, got in the LeShuttle and once in Calais-France headed to Bremen-Germany, some 3 days later headed back down to France with overnight stays near Reims & Roullet; onwards to Asturias-Spain for 1 night and then into Portugal. We stayed in Guimaraes 1 night also and then headed for Aveiro for the remainder of our holidays, before returning to to Spain where we crossed from Santander to Plymouth.
Fantastic trip through some beautiful towns and on some fantastic roads in a great little car that did not miss a beat! Bring on the summer again!!! 
Here’s a quick pic of the precious:
