Any past or present MX-5 Mk1 owners?

1185 Views 19 Replies 12 Participants Last post by ian1485, May 23, 2015

stevenbmkiv

Discussion Starter · May 14, 2015

Thinking of getting one myself.

What model have you got?

Eunos or UK?

1.6 or 1.8?

I know a fair chunk about them already but day to day ownership opinions are always nice to know about.

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Craigside_Pete

· #2 · May 14, 2015 (Edited by Moderator)

Nope - but a 10AE so not that different - real hoot, light, precise. reliable like book and cheap/plentiful parts n'support

I'd suppose difficulty is finding a unabused one but just keep looking until you do. You'd always want more power so go for 1.8.

It's an age thing but always wanted a car with "pop-up" lights....

and get use to the "hairdresser" jokes

and lusting after supercharger....

danpalmer1993

· #3 · May 14, 2015

@CamBriggs has a mk1 jap import and it's a great laugh! Comes with all the jap extra stuff, now lowered and used for drifting and general hooning around ????????

Pedroski

· #4 · May 14, 2015

My mum used to have a 1990 Eunos 1.6 in silver which we all drove. Absolute cracker of a motor. My brother was driving it one day and some idiot went straight through a red light and side swiped him and it got written off. I'd have another in a heartbeat!

NooNoo

· #5 · May 14, 2015 (Edited by Moderator)

Did someone say hairdresser? Afraid so!

Despite everything it has going for it I couldn't sit in one without wondering whether I'd packed my GHDs.

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Vernv5

· #6 · May 15, 2015

I had a mk1 import with the 1600cc supercharged lump...... Great fun

Worry about the rear arches, engines are bullet proof

Booster

· #7 · May 15, 2015

@timbomfg had one that went to @Derpins from memory

TWONK FEATURES

· #8 · May 15, 2015

Tim still has his. And derpins is supercharged i think

Booster

· #9 · May 15, 2015

TWONK FEATURES said:
Tim still has his. And derpins is supercharged i think

Both Tim's are on their second MX, @timbomfg current one is a red Mk2 and @Derpins is his dad's old supercharged one. From memory they both had a period of ownership of a green mk1 that Tim Sr bought for a giggle.

stevenbmkiv

Discussion Starter · #10 · May 15, 2015

NooNoo said:
Did someone say hairdresser? Afraid so!

Despite everything it has going for it I couldn't sit in one without wondering whether I'd packed my GHDs.

Maybe but when lowered with rollover bars fitted, uprated shocks and brakes and set of lightweight compomotives and sticky tyres fitted I think someone would know it's not your average vidal Sassoon-mobile.

Just pure back to basics fun in a reliable package is what I would want from a car like that.

Pedroski

· #11 · May 15, 2015

The old ones aren't hairdresser now anyway! Same with Golfs init. The old ones are pretty cool, whereas the new ones are for suits. It'll all change as the new ones become old.

dopiaza

· #12 · May 15, 2015

Had a MK2 1.8S for a year or so. Amazing fun to drive but let down by the engine. Had to wring its neck to get it going at a decent pace and then the mpg was pretty awful. Watch out for rust. I'd go for an import Eunos as they tend to be less rusty and you get a few more toys such as air con and LSD.

stevenbmkiv

Discussion Starter · #13 · May 15, 2015

I heard the Mk2's were heavy and kind of took the edge off the driving experience. heard they were prone to rust more so than the mk1 too.

Not a fan of the mk2 looks anyway.

Much prefer the original mk1 looks.

I have contemplated a mk3 MR2 post 2002 model of course but I fancy something more characterful.

I've had 2 MR2 mk1's and totally loved them.

dopiaza

· #14 · May 16, 2015

I've owned a couple of Mk1 MR2s and that engine even though smaller and lower BHP than the 1.8 MX5 is a much better engine in terms of torque and mpg. Don't think there was any real difference in weight between the Mk1&2. Ignore the Mk2 MR2, Mk3 goes back to its roots

Only people that haven't driven one refer to the MX5 as a hairdresser's car - there's a reason it's No.9 on a top 100 driver's cars of all time. As you'd expect, the Mk4 Golf doesn't appear. Even the Mk1 MR2 just scraped in at No. 100!

So for under a grand you can drive a car that's only bettered in terms of driver feel by 8 other cars...

http://www.evo.co.uk/features/features/239668/100_greatest_drivers_cars_countdown_10091.html

Reactions: 1

stevenbmkiv

Discussion Starter · #15 · May 16, 2015

Thanks for the link.

I've had 6 MR2's in my time. lol

2 mk1's, 2 mk2 rev 2 n/a's of which one was not that good at all and the other a little gem, lowered on tein springs, OZ Superturismo alloys and in Zircon Blue.

Had a rev 3 Turbo with decat and Apexi N1 exhaust and Apexi air filter.

That was a beast and it absolutely flew!

Finally a Cosmos Blue rev 5 n/a which looked stunning.

Had a Carlos Sainz Celica ST185 1992 in Black. Lovely car.

Had an Integra Type R DC2 UK spec which is THE best handling car I have ever driven.

I know it's not all about power too as I have an original Pug 106 Rallye S1 1.3 in cherry red. It handled liek it was on rails. 100bhp, noise and poor fuel economy but great smile fun.

I love the sound of the MR2 mk1 engine whirring away behind your head. Especially if you get a nice Mongoose exhaust system and K&N induction kit.

Never had the MX-5 but always respected it in terms of it's handling abilities and smiles per miles factor.

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danpalmer1993

· #16 · May 16, 2015

In terms of cheap thrills I'm not sure much beats them! As said above I would be going for an import as the extras they have just make it a nicer car

NooNoo

· #17 · May 17, 2015

I had a Celica GT4, bought it 6 months old in 1992. Awesome handling 4WD, twin Torsen limited slip diffs. Severely underpowered at just over 200bhp, even the Carlos Seinz version was weak. Loved it though.

If anything I will keep my mk4 to BT it and buy a mk7 gti next, then I'll be looking after a mk4, mk5 & mk7!

Derpins

· #18 · May 17, 2015

Did somebody say my name?

Yellow by Tim Dawkins, on Flickr

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D3MENT3D

· #19 · May 23, 2015

Thinking of starting the hunt for one myself as a little project, need something to occupy me now me and the mrs have split up

ian1485

· #20 · May 23, 2015

Drove loads of Mk1 and 2s - get an early Mk1 1.6 (avoid late ones as they're de-tuned) rather than the 1.8 - the 1.8 have more torque but aren't really any faster due extra weight that built up with extra equipment over the years of production. The early 1.6 loves to be revved - 7000 all the way - and every specialist I've ever spoken to said thrash it regularly to clear the engine out! It's way more fun. I had an eunos import in silver and it was a great looking car - nice power steering - and drove it all the way around France with the Mrs one summer. I miss that car....

Beware rust (top of rear arches especially) and that drain holes at the bottom front of the rear arches have been regularly unblocked (often forgotten - otherwise water builds in the back of the sills and rusts out) and the bottom of the front wings (even more often forgotten).

www.mx5oc.co.uk/ and www.mx-5.com are useful for advice and buying guides etc.

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