Just rescued my 5 in August this year. She’s a 2004 MK2.5 and is my first project car. In all honesty, she wasn’t in fantastic shape upon first inspection; body not great, lots of rust™, shocks blown, pissing brake fluid and hadn’t moved in months. However, I was looking for a challenge and the owner really wanted rid of her so I didn’t have to pay much.
The main issue, to nobody’s surprise, is the rot. Front chassis rails are a bit crunchy, the rears are a bit bendy, and the sills crumble at the slightest touch/gust of wind. The plan is to have all of this cut out and new panels welded in after the new year.
So far I’ve replaced the discs, pads and callipers on the rear end. Halfway through installing the new coilovers too. Needed much WD40 and some assistance from the boys when it came to those particularly seized bolts. (Virgin Mary was looser than some of these bolts)
I’m not sure how much maintenance the previous owner kept up with so I plan to do a full service soon. Needs fluids and filters replaced, new timing belt, headgasket and various other bits and pieces before I take her for a proper spin.
And that’s all for the moment! lots of work to do but all is going well so far and I shall keep this updated as I go. Any thoughts or advice is very welcome, thanks for checking out the thread.
Really glad to have stumbled across this community of like minded folk.
Named her Cynthia but I often tend to refer to her as a ‘little sh*t’ while working on her
I hear you, I’ve taken advantage of the season and asked family for cheap bits like an air filter and oil ‘n’ things for xmas. Hopefully be some oddly shaped presents under the tree this year
Hi Again
You and Cynthia gonna fit right in to the Community as Sense of Humour Essential when Restoring etc an MX-5
Also you will find many members who do DIY if that is your intention
Had Bullit since 2007 but due to being a bit ‘cream crackered’ these days my job has been ‘creating the funds’ to pay others
Whatever MX-5 er you are there will be folk on here to advise and assist …you just need to ask !
Decided to take the battery indoors for winter as it keeps dying in the cold. I also appear to be missing the battery tray, and have discovered a lovely little hole where the battery was sat… Another repair to add to the list
Does anyone else have this battery? I’m wondering whether it’s worth investing in a nicer battery, or if I’d be okay with just making do and trickle charging this one?
I invested in a Panasonic battery for my NB, as originally fitted. I also found a used tray and vent pipe quite cheaply on ebay. It’s important to use a battery with pipes for vents as, being in the boot, it isn’t ventilated like batteries fitted in the engine compartment. This can cause a build up of corrosive gases which is probably why you have a hole under yours.
Welcome Amy and Cynthia, great to see another 2.5 being rescued, being half way through rescuing my Madge while trying to keep her roadworthy and safe enough for touring, trackdays and a bit of competition has been a bit of a challenge particularly as I do not have the facilities, skill and most importantly youth to do much of it myself.
However as little bits get ticked off the list and huge chunks of spondoonies disappear from my wallet I would be lying if I did not find the whole process of keeping her on the road completely rewarding and I hope you find it like wise. Plenty of help here if you need it no question to large or small. Have fun.
PS I had my battery hole fixed a couple of years ago, wish I had got a proper Panasonic battery with the breathers immediately after, might haved saved me having to repaint the whole thing all over again
Until a couple of years ago I was based in Bristol and was an active member of the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club, as marshal, editor of club magazine and competitor in treasure hunts, auto solos, production car trials, trackdays, mostly at Castle Combe, and sprints at Castle Combe and Llandow.
Keeping Madge totally OEM , and therefore just for fun, I graduated to competing, in Sprints and Hillclimbs with the Classic Marques Speed Challenge and have done events at Shelsley Walsh, Prescot, Loton Park, Wiscombe Park, Harewood, Goodwood, Lydden Hill, Trac Mon, Curbrough and Brighton Speed Trials. Most fun was probably a couple of slowish touristenfahrt laps of the Nurburgring.
All has been on hold for the last year as I have assumed care duties for a parent in London, with a little luck I might get out again for a few events and another couple of laps of the Nurburgring next year. Plenty of help here if you want to prepare to go trackside with Cynthia.
I admire someone with the patience and skill to undertake a challenging project. Looks like another saved MX-5.
Good luck…I might ask my family for coilovers rather than socks this year.
Thank you! If you count spraying an a*sload of WD40 and praying/hitting things with a hammer as a skill then I’m the greatest technician who ever lived.
Turns out the rot was much worse than I thought and he reckons it’d cost at least 2000 to repair. I don’t have that kind of money and I’m thinking I might be better off cutting my losses, scrapping her, n looking for a more solid base to work on.
I’m still quite inexperienced when it comes to restoration, but even I can tell this amount of rot is bad. Do you think she could still be saved, or am I better off looking for something a bit more manageable?
Having recently gone through similar though not quite as bad trials and tribulations with my NBFL all I can say is if you can possibly scrape the money together you will almost certainly be well rewarded with a fine car, however I got into a similar situation with a 2CV6 Beachcomber 30 odd years ago and just had to scrap it and walk away for the want of 500 quid. Of course that 500 quid would have only dealt with the rust not with many service and other items, tyres, exhaust and such that were also on the todo list. Regret not having those funds to this day, all part of lifes rich tapestry.
