Towing with a Eunos Roadster/MX5

Area Discussion Norfolk
1

Can you tow with and MX5 in the UK? The simple answer is no. On UK MX-5s the train weight is blank which means the max allowed towing weight is zero.

On Japanese imports (Eunos Roadster MK1) the story is different as the towing weight isn’t marked on the sticker, so you can get away with using one for towing (this is a debated topic and it is not 100% clear).

The maximum you could tow is half the cerb weight of the car, so under 500kg. I have seen lots of forums saying maximum is 750kg for unbraked trailer, but this is wrong, this is the maximum for your license, not the maximum for thr car. Also, make sure that you check what your driving license allows you to tow as the law has changed over the years. Towing: licence and age requirements - GOV.UK

Personally I would not want to tow 500kg with a Eunos Roadster with standard breaks or standard clutch, as I just don’t think they could take the extra forces.

I have found a great quality towbar for the mk1 that can also be used as a rear jacking point, similar to the DaveFab one. The great thing is that you can remove the tow ball easily, so you can’t see it is fitted. Towing Brackets for Imported Vehicles : Hand Built Towbars : Watling Engineers UK it is easiest to give them a call as you can not order from their website.

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Even if you can’t tow, sometimes you need a little more cargo space. I have boot bags and have used boot racks, but both can mark the paintwork. So my solution for camping holidays, and taking the club gazebo to car shows etc. is a tow bar mounted cargo rack, you can also get bike racks that mount in the same way.

I have the buzz rack P10, and I have to say I am impressed, great for bulky lite items up to 75kg BUZZ RACK Buzzpro P10 multi-purpose tow ball platform no. BRMP01. as this is not towing, there is nothing in the law to stop you doing the same.

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I hope this information is useful for others needing their five to be a little more practical. Please do your own research, as the above is the best information I could find, but you will need to satisfy yourself that you are not breaking the law.

Note: don’t forget to add a light bar of the rear lights of the car are not visable past the load you are carrying.

2

and I think I also read that you can also only fit a towbar on a NA yet Walting suggest they can fit a towbar to any car…

3

Hmm, nice idea, but our local speed bumps would soon have that off.
:cry:

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4

As stated in my post above, no you cannot tow with an MX5 MK1 as the tow weight is blank/zero to my knowledge. However there is a legal grey area on towing with Eunos Roadster MK1 Japanese import.

You can fit a tow bar on anything. But towing with any MX5 is not legal (to the best of my knowledge).

The link on the other thread says you do not need a type approved tow weight for older cars before that law changed, but also says if the manufacturer states zero, you can’t tow. These are two different piecies of information on the TNA website.

Read for yourself here http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110130234742/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/towingwithvehiclesfrequently4577

5

I quite like that tbh…

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6

It clamps so tight to the tow ball, the tow ball would have to snap for it to come off. I would be cautious on speed bumps, but it will not come off.

7

The other limiting factor is nose weight on the towball, I reckon that would be a low number for MX5,

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8

What? Turn The Precious into a cart-horse? Not on your nelly! :wink:

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9

oh I’m liking the idea cuz I’m thinking about suitable track tyre transportation :joy:

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10

Aye.
I could have done with it a few times.

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11

Great point on the nose weight, I can’t seem to find that answer anywhere. But confident in can take the weight of crate and payload with a combined max of 90kg.

12

A great option for track tyres is this skid nation tyre rack

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13

Better to wedge the club gazebo, flags etc. on the rear rack, than damage the boot of precious hahaha

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You can tow with a MK1 as it is before the regulations that require the Manufacture to state a towing weight. The MK2 has a stated towing weight of zero. See THIS PREVIOUS THREAD
Under the same regs a towbar only needs type approval for vehicles S reg and newer

15

I was thinking of the whole tow-bar fitment under the car and its connector box being ripped off, it all being a couple of inches below the back apron! This is before having anything on the ball pushing it down.

If ball and socket were mounted through the back apron, tow-bar to the crash-bar hard-points perhaps, with nothing sticking down below, and a replaceable ‘door’ when dismounted, then much more sensible.

A school-friend’s Hillman Husky had the back bumper replaced with a bit of 2" X 2" x 1/4" thick steel angle carrying the ball for towing his Merlin. It saved the Husky when rear-ended in Reading by a very recently rebuilt Alvis (or Bristol?), I forget the name but can still see the image, obscured by all the steam, Alvis heading for new tyres after a previous expensive skid at the same place.

17

Good point, but the tow bar mounts to the 8 bolts (4 each side) that the factory fitted tow points are fitted to. So it is very solid, but like anything, common sense on driving style will be needed.

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I have read all the TNA details from that thread. It does not say a mk1 can tow, it says a mk1 does not need a type approved tow bar (a car of that age does not), seporatly it also states that if the manufacture states zero or leaves a blank, then you can’t tow.

It is not 100% clear either way.

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19

As stated the regulations re a towing weight by the Manufacture only applies to vehicles S Reg and newer, There is no restriction on any earler vehicle except the recommendation you do not exceed 85% of the cars weight.

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20

Can you share a link to the regulations you mention? I have scoured legislation.gov.uk and could not find the informtaion.

21

I hope so, but a Mazda2 wouldn’t be able to, they’re Max is 50-85kg. A few of the crossover SUV types are even worse!