Any Mk1 MX-5/Eunos owners on here?

from the little i do know the 1.6 eunos some had an lsd diff but can get second hand from the forum members, blisten seem to be a popular spring/coilover set up. not sure about the 1.8 engine though as i couldnt afford the insurance. Also the early 1.6 think all the mk1 have the "tuned" 1.6 engine with about 115ish bhp i think while the later have 95 or so i think. But this probaly wont matter as you will probably get a 1.8... although there is some 1.6 turbo's. Have a look on the other site i suggested heaps of info on there

Great cars.

Dads partner is editor of Softtop Hardtop (MX5 club magazine). In fact, got a copy of it right here with me.

Early models were the most pure, but also the slowest.

More modern ones got fatter, but got more power too.

I'd either go for an early Mk2 or something. Wouldn't bother with the 3 and 3.5 as they were fa, but underpowered.

Great cars.

get yourself a mgtf 160. much more bang per buck! if the head gasket doestn go.

[punyXpress]

Get a blown up one & insert 'busa engine ( or two ) ?

[_Stretchie_]

There is a fella at work selling one for about £800. It's a J reg, japanese import, has all the papers and the last 13 years MOTs as it was imported to UK in 1997 and it has 49,*** miles on the clock.

New roof on it to me the only problem is the paint, laquer is coming off and some of the panels a shoddy. It you want a mint one, you wouldn't be interested. Engine sounded good, he bought it last year just to have a toy for the summer and keep the mileage off his shiney Lexus but he now has a missus and she hates it (oh the irony)

Originally Posted by AndyBrad

get yourself a mgtf 160. much more bang per buck! if the head gasket doestn go.

Seriously, un-comparable. One is a great handling RWD machine, if a little underpowered.

The other is a sloath and resembles oil tankers round bends.

Originally Posted by Daimo

Seriously, un-comparable. One is a great handling RWD machine, if a little underpowered.

The other is a sloath and resembles oil tankers round bends.

tf not f

[Gazza77]

I've a 99 reg mk2, which I've owned for the last 8 years. Only items I've had to replace in that time other than the usual wear and tear items such as tyres are a wheel bearing and radiator, so it's been pretty good to me.

You might find a mk2 within your price range, but mk1s are likely to be more plentiful in supply. In either case, the main issue with the cars at that age is rust, mainly around the rear arches and sills. The sills in particular are prone to rusting through from the inside, so any bubbling paintwork is a clear sign. It is repairable and aftermarket panels are fairly cheap to buy, but you would want to factor that into the cost. I understand around £500 per side for repairs is usually a reasonable ball park figure. Other than that, the cars are fairly reliable in the main, so not too many other things to look for, other than the usual. Roofs do deteriorate with age, but can be had from about £200 for a cheapie with a plastic rear window up for around £600 for a mohair one with a heated screen and fitted for you. There are adjustments that can be made if it leaks however, so don't just assume water ingress means a new hood.

Imported cars are common with the mk1 (Eunos) and are little different to uk ones other than in spec. In theory, imports should be less likely to have rotten bodywork due to their life in Japan, however many of these cars will have been in the uk for 10-15 years now, so aren't likely to be that much different to a uk car. As with any car of that sort of age, buying on condition is probably the best bet.

http://www.mx5oc.co.uk/ is a good source of info and advice, though I'm not sure how popular the forum is nowadays as it's some time since I visited that regularly. There will be plenty of info on mods, including all the info on suspension etc you could dream of. There are also a huge number of aftermarket parts suppliers out there, from basic essentials such as plugs and filters to turbo or supercharging kits to take the power to 300+ bhp.

I love mine, and even though it's now got very little value and is a bit rusty in places I'd not want to get rid of it. It's cheap to run (costs me about £200 to insure), and servicing is pretty reasonable at independant places, or if you fancy doing your own work, most jobs are pretty straightforward. Over the next couple of years, I fancy getting the body sorted and a full respray, as even although that would probably cost me more than the car is worth, I can't see what else I could get that would be as much fun to drive, offer roof down motoring and fantastic handling for such little money.

Are Tein coilovers any good?

Tein are a well renowned suspension firm for Jap motors. They are your middle price range. Good reputation, know of a few people who use them. Not nasty budget, but not mega expensive high end either.