Now that the sun is starting to come out, I think it’s a great chance to do some much nraded work on my MX5. I’m a complete novice when it comes to cars but I can handle most things if I’m following a guide. So I want to get a practical manual to follow but felt a bit overwhelmed by the choices on offer. Is there any you would recommend I look at?
I’m only interested in tackling the general upkeep and renovation stuff at the moment. If possible, I’d like one capture all book but I’m open to more if there is more than one that fits the bill. Also if you know any websites or places I can get them at a good price, let me know.
Another vote for the Rod Grainger ‘Enthusiast’s Workshop Manual’. It’s brilliant - far superior to the Haynes, although I do have both.
A habit I’ve had all my (driving) life is to photocopy pages ahead of a job, if there’s the remotest chance that oil, grease or any other crap will sully the pages. Use the copies for the job - that way, I keep my workshop manuals reasonably clean, and in many situations a couple of pages are easier to manage than the complete book.
I also have the more useful Haynes ‘MX-5 Renovation Manual’ by Paul Hardiman, which is better than their ‘workshop manual’. That, and the Grainger, should cover pretty well every job.
Sorry, meant to say if anyone could help advise which one is best for a complete novice! To prove this I need to ask, each book covers all models as the engines have remained much the same
I notice that Haynes is finally bringing out a manual specific to the NC, scheduled for release in May 2017. However, I’ll need to find a copy to browse through before deciding if I’ll buy it, because the last couple of Haynes books I bought were almost useless (not MX5).
Massive thanks to everyone who has replied so far. I’m hearing ringing endorsements for Rod Graingers manual. Forgot to mention my Mazda, it is a Mk2.5, 1.8 litre with an 05 reg. The Rod Grainger book says it’s for the MK1 but I can’t imagine much has changed between the two. Can anyone confirm this?