I am going to look at this car tomorrow, quite far away! I notice a slight rust patch on the front wing; otherwise, she appears rust-free. MOT history is good and no accident history. The seller does not say much and I would like your opinion, please. Redirecting...
I think you need to be a member of the Facebook group to view your link. For me, it redirects to the group’s information page and I can see its a private group (I’m not a member).
same here
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Looks to be a typo above - one of the images shows EK07 TCX which does return a ‘maroon’ MX5. Should be purple, surely?!
Z Sport limited edition was a special aubergine shade with those very expensive BBS alloys…
Yep totally, I know the Z Sports - “Radiant Ebony Mica” as Mazda describes the colour.
I just don’t agree with DVLA’s opinion on the fact it’s maroon…
That looks lovely in the pictures, at 20 ft they all do. Rusty front wing/wheel arch if it’s got to that then you better check the rears they go there first. MOT history isn’t bad, no rust mentioned, lowish mileage but it doesn’t mean much, not the same as seeing the car in the flesh.
Also it’s cheap for one of these models in decent nick, £3k for a reason me thinks?
Not being negative just cautious, go look at it, we only can see what you can, 3 pics👍
The chap has been minimal in his description and even after a few questions I am still a bit in the dark. Long journey tomorrow when I will see it in the flesh!
God luck, hope it’s a good one. Particularly check out those expensive alloys for cracks, corrosion etc. Of course the car as well, rust, rust and rust at that age.
Where are you travelling from, and where is it for sale?
I’d be a bit wary of particularly special/long journey based on minimal info.
Photos are all taken at least 3ft away. No close ups? Why? And if they’ve not been forthcoming with answers to your questions, that’s also a bit of a red flag.
Presume you’ve seen the two adverts currently on Autotrader for ZSports, if that’s the specific model you’re set on? At £4595 & £4775 respectively.
Ideally you want an RAC or similar report on the car before you go.
In the absence of that I would not recommend buying the car unless you can comfortably afford an additional four figure sum to sort out the rust and have the car future proofed with rust protection if you anticipate keeping the car for a longer time period.
This would apply to any car that is over 15 years old.
Don’t forget to check the engine oil level and condition.
Hope she is worth the trip.
Thank you for all your comments and words of advice. I do read all your posts and take them on board. To start with, I was looking for a Niseko, but as I have discovered, not a good buy. Too many rusty examples that their owners think are worth a fortune. I have probably scanned over 100 adverts for NCs but their MOT histories makes for grim reading. As soon as rust is mentioned I look no further at the car. The one car I could see no fault with was sold. This “MOT” rust-free car is a three-hour train ride away. I suspect the owner is retired and not on the internet and his son is selling the car hence the rather sparse communication. Just found out tonight the car has a full-service history! The house has a garage and I deduce a weekend car. My wife, I do listen to her, informs me the house garden is immaculate and the car has probably been well looked after. The proof will be in my inspection and I will be thorough. Perhaps the car will have a bit of panel surface rust but at £3000 any corrections will not break the bank and could negotiate a better price. I will take a long hard look at the car and if not happy it is the train home for me.
Best of luck. Let us know how you get on
Well, it was a long way to see the car. I left the house at 6.30 am and by 11.30 arrived to see the car. I will not say too much but there was a bit of a domestic situation. The car was SORN so I was not sure about a road test but luckily it did not get to that. First thing was a heart-sinking huge rust scab on the driver-side rear wing that was extending about two inches from the arch. Multiple pin dents on the driver’s door, and corrosion scabs on what I think is an aluminum bonnet. A multitude of scratches over most panels. It took about one minute for me to decide it would cost quite a bit to fix the bodywork so I made my excuses and headed back to the train station for another long journey. Next time I will ask for high-quality pictures and be a bit more suspicious. Again thank you all for your advice. The hunt continues!
I think we’ve all been there - well, at lot of us have! And I don’t think there can be a better learning experience in the 2nd hand car buying game, so congrats for sticking with your gut and walking away.
We look forward to seeing more options being presented for consideration
Cheers,
Steve
I drove all the way to Newbury from Kent to go look at one that looked perfect, only to find that the photos were ‘clever’, and the car actually looked like it had been washed with a scouring pad, had some dodgy repairs and was generally a dog. I had asked the seller to please be as honest as possible before venturing out, but he wasn’t.
When you talk to the owner you can often get a feel about the car. The ZSport was definitely one of my favourites with the Torsen LSD and the rest of the spec. Stick in there Raymond.
My brother in law bought a 20th anniversary edition, it was a low mileage minter, he put it in the garage, never drove it, and sold it again a year later.
I did try to mention its availability on here, but as I’m a none paying member, it got quickly took down.
A shame really, as it being such a nice example I just wanted a fellow enthusiast to benefit from it.
Who knows where it ended up.