Hi Guys, Newbie here, I’m looking to buy a late NC with folding metal roof, any advice is welcome as to what to look out for, known problems, drive train problems, corrosion areas, in fact anything you think is relevant when purchasing one. Many Thanks,Bill.
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A search on here will tell you all you need to know. It has been written many times.
I bought an NC PRHT a couple months ago so might be able to add something to the buying checklist.
One of the things I was looking for was damp in both the passenger and drivers footwells. Water can get in due to perished rubber on the windscreen scuttle grommet. I’d guess that even later NC models will have this problem due to their age now. It’s definitely not a hard fix but you want to make sure that the moisture isn’t too bad as I believe the ECU is in the passenger side and if that gets wet there will be much bigger problems. On mine the carpet was slightly damp to the touch but not too bad and I aired the car out over a hot weekend with the seats out and reseated the grommets with silicone and it’s been bone dry ever since.
Another area for water ingress is in the boot. Try to get you hand under the lining and feel for damp. If there is dampness it’s most likely coming from a perished taillight gasket or the middle/third brake light.
As for corrosion, these cars are known to rust unfortunately. I think the worst of it could be on the sills but its difficult to check without removing the side skirts or wheel arch lining. Others with more experience might be best to comment on the corrosion side of things. Another spot which gets rust, albeit not structural is the boot lid, where the number plate lights are.
Also check the paint on the deck of the folding hardtop. The leading edge - at least on my car - is prone to chipping and bubbling. On some colours it might not be too bad but on the darker colours like my Highland Green, the bright white spots stand out really badly.
On the PRHT, with the roof up you can look down through the rear window and see the drains. It’s worth cleaning these if they are caked up with grime.
As for drivetrain, from what I’ve heard these cars are quite solid. The gearbox can be a little noisy but when I was checking the forums, it seems many people noticed this but it seems to not be an issue. However it might be worth asking/checking when the gearbox and LSD (if a 2.0L) oils were changed.
That’s some of the things I checked for, in addition to all the usual car stuff when looking to buy my MX5. But as @Mad_Malc said, you’ll find a wealth of information on the owners club.
Best of luck, hope you find a nice MX5!
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So for me. I brought one on march 1st. PRHT black sport 2.0 6 spd. it had bilsteins (yellow suspension) i wanted pictures of arches / sills. i felt both carpets and smelt. The boot lid where the reg lights usually bubble as its steel lid not aluminium like soft top. The back carpet where the roof goes into check for mould. Engines usually solid - but look for dark green coolant this is mazdas fl22. If it has bose make sure the amp works
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