i called to see this mk2.5 on sunday , i heard it was for sale…
what a great car , it looks like a 12 month old car …
i took some pics cos len is unable to post them.
if anyone is interested in this fantastic mx5 …see for sale section…
fantastic condition ,inside , outside and underneath.
Shame it’s only the 1.6
Thanks for posting this up, I did enquire on the other thread.
It’s looking rather clean in fact amazingly clean
it is really clean and only covered 17000 miles
O/K - the car looks great, but - it needs around £1K spending on it in my estimation, new belts, new tyres, (all well over six years old) and possibly fluid changes all round too. No evidence of service records - or MOT’s either, though presumably it’s passed those with no difficulty. At 17,000 miles - it’s not run in yet, and I have reservations about a car that old needing that. Fair weather car? - No doubt about it. And - there’s some thoughts in my mind about the calipers, - little use, so may be iffy. And then there’s that infamous clutch issue, where the 1.6 was also affected. No reg. date mentioned, but if it’s pre 2004 it could be another issue. Personally I see nothing wrong in it being “only a 1.6”, may be slightly lower powered than a 1.8, but IIRC the 1.6 is 2 mph slower at max revs in top gear, which is nothing. (we had a Mk1 1.6 owner that I had difficulty keeping up with in our area) so I see lower CC as not a problem - it’s how you drive that counts.
'All that glitters isn’t gold" comes to mind. The asking price is too high.
I’m not detracting from the cars condition, just expressing my personal doubts about the cars worth.
I rang him a few weeks back.
As soon as he stated price I was out.
No doubt it’s a clean thing but it’s just way too much money imo.
“it needs around £1K spending on it in my estimation, new belts, new tyres, (all well over six years old) and possibly fluid changes all round too. No evidence of service records - or MOT’s either, though presumably it’s passed those with no difficulty.”
“Fair weather car? - No doubt about it. And - there’s some thoughts in my mind about the calipers, - little use, so may be iffy. And then there’s that infamous clutch issue, where the 1.6 was also affected. No reg. date mentioned, but if it’s pre 2004 it could be another issue.”
Great shoot someone elses car down, you presume the above needs doing, unless you’ve actually spoke with the owner to discuss the car how do you know these items need attention?
Perhaps there should be more info in the owners for sale ad but unless you are seriously considering buying the car and asked these questions, how can you make assumption on just these pictures?
Given a significant number of 2.5s have already crumbled away to nothing, if you wanted a solid, low mileage keeper, then frankly this is not a bad bet assuming such things as the chassis rails are good, and even if not by the look of the rest of it then its a great starting place for a mint show car. Pay half that for a high mileage suspect car thats tatty or pay double for a minter and invest a bit more for its future preservation… Buyers choice… I doubt there are many 2.5s with and underside as clean and rust free as that…
I actually tang the seller myself, and to be honest couldn’t get a word in edgeways!
Lovely guy but I got off the phone after half an hour and didn’t have answers to all my questions as I didn’t get the chance to ask.
He just kept re-iterating how clean and rust free it was, which obviously is the case.
However he didn’t seem to know which model it was and I was unable to eek out much about the history.
I eventually was able to ascertain the price and politely informed him it was too rich for me but that I was sure he would find a buyer that was after that sort of thing.
I have no doubt it would be a keeper, if it was some kind of special edition I would have been more interested, but the fact is it seems pretty bog standard.
The fact it’s a 1.6 would not have put me off.
Whilst I was talking to him and before I knew the price, I was thinking to myself absolute 3.75k tops and I will go and have a look and decide for myself if it was worth it, but it did sound like he wants top dollar for it, and now having seen it I can see why.
Do these new pics suggest it is a 2.5 I wouldn’t know just by looking unless I could see the front.
Len if you’re reading this please don’t take my comments the wrong way- it sounds a lovely lovely car but a prospective buyer needs more detail to part with that kind of money.
I hope it goes to a good home and will stay in that condition.
It’s not run in yet? Cars these days don’t need running in unlike years ago when you were told not to go above 50mph for the 500-1,000 miles. Sure, some cars don’t really come into their own until they’ve got 20-30k on the clock but if that was such a cause for concern no-one would ever buy a low mileage car. And so what if it’s a fair weather car? Plenty of people only use their cars on sunny days and holidays. Personally I don’t agree with that because I don’t understand why you would buy a great sportscar and then keep it locked away in the garage, but hey, each to their own. New tyres and fluids would be just a few hundred pounds to deal with but no evidence on the basis of the photos to suggest tyres need to be replaced. If you want to check service records and MoTs, contact the seller, but then again you’re not buying are you?
As for the asking price, I suspect that’s a starting point for negotiation. Whilst I wouldn’t pay the full asking price, if the car is as good as it looks then it’s probably not that far off. My NB was in good nick and mechanically sound but nothing like as good as this but if I used the selling price of mine as the benchmark then this one would be well worth the money. At the end of the day though, the car is only worth what someone will pay for it.
I have to add that Len sounds like a decent chap.
He has also subliminally expressed his anguish at having to sell the car.
Shouldn’t we be supporting him at this time.
It appears to me (whether prefaced by “in my opinion or not”) that a few members like to pontificate and needle when really I would expect the club to offer assistance.
It is fairly obvious the car is special to Len and it is obvious it is as described being a previous OC winner.
I have purchased many cars over the years and in the main I have been lucky enough to buy from honest chaps who have lavished care and attention on their cars. Len seems like the sort of bloke anyone would want to buy from.
Grant
its not my car and i’m not getting any comission (damn ) ,but i can answer some questions as i saw len on sunday.
the timing belt has been changed at some point…
chassis legs have been checked at mx5city using a camera…and rodders has had this on his ramp and given it a visual check…( informed by len )
Agree he sounds a great guy and one I would buy from in a shot.
However as stated, and I was trying to be helpful in this regard, to get people to view more detail is needed.
Hopefully now someone has kindly uploaded pics for him it will generate some interest.
The fact was, at the time, it was a 2 hour drive for me both ways and I just didn’t want to risk a wasted journey on patchy information and no pictures of the car.
Like I say, looks a minter and I hope he finds a good home for something he clearly cherishes.
Bally, have you not managed to find a car yet…!!!
Great looking car Len.
Got to be one of the best around which obviously still means it will have some potential vulnerabilities - but we are in time to rectify those.
The MK2/Mk2.5 engine is lovely and smooth - a joy to drive.
Given the fact is has a hardtop(£350 - £400) it has to be worth £4k surely. If no work is required - brakes, cam belt, tyres, etc. £4.5k at a push.
Can completely understand why people who really want a sporty eunos 1.6 or a special edition would not want this car but horses for courses.
Len would be being greedy asking over £5k for this car - he isn’t.
I’ve owned my MK1 for over 14 years and embarrassed to say covered around £12k miles - you aren’t the only one:-)
Good luck with your sale
Dexydog
“Do these new pics suggest it is a 2.5 I wouldn’t know just by looking unless I could see the front.”
The seats give it away, yes it’s a Mk2.5.
I had a Mk2 and fitted the later Mk2.5 seats into, make your minds up, I reckon it’s a 2.5.
extra pics…
hi rusty…dont ask.
i have viewed 10 - 12 mx5’s , nb and nc’s , none have hit the spot yet.
i really like this one but its top end for a mk2.5…if it was sport / icon or similar i would have pulled the trigger.
That’s the crux for me, too.
It’s a basic model with a hardtop.
A sport in that condition would be well worth the money.