MR2 v MX5 v MG F

Ernie Ball

Yeah, the MX5 owners' club doesn't require that you actually own an MX5. They're very open that way.

py2006

I bet your man felt like a spare tit!

They are back again on the 1st of June

Ratchet

py2006 wrote:

I bet your man felt like a spare tit!

They are back again on the 1st of June

and you trying to chat the guy up:


hey dude, is that your MX5 outside?

only joking

py2006

Ratchet wrote:

and you trying to chat the guy up:


hey dude, is that your MX5 outside?

only joking

haha no, he was sitting in it all by his lonesome waiting on his friends that never arrived.....ahhhhhhhhh

Ratchet

yeah, so much for mx5 gang

hawkmoon269

I had an MX-5 for 5 years, was aware of the club but never got round to going on one of the runs.

py2006

hawkmoon269 wrote:

I had an MX-5 for 5 years, was aware of the club but never got round to going on one of the runs.

Ya? How did you find it? Practical? Comfortable? Storage? Why did ya sell?

Am a nosey fecker, aint I?

hawkmoon269

Practical and comfortable - within reason, yes, bearing in mind that it is a 2-seater. It was pretty much an every day car for me - not just for week-end use.

I didn't have a headroom problem as such and I am relatively tall, around 5ft 11 inches.

Obviously, storage space is limited as with any 2-seater.

I sold it really for no better reason than after 5 years I got bored. I ended up getting a Jaguar XJ-S afterwards (big mistake, but we won't go there!)

I had some problems getting parts as mine was a Jap import - more a problem of a long waiting time for parts to arrive from Japan - if you get an Irish car you shouldn't have that problem. The Japanese cars are slightly different spec for some complicated reason that escapes me.

py2006

hawkmoon269 wrote:

I had some problems getting parts as mine was a Jap import - more a problem of a long waiting time for parts to arrive from Japan - if you get an Irish car you shouldn't have that problem. The Japanese cars are slightly different spec for some complicated reason that escapes me.

Thats interesting, as alot of them out there are japanese imports. I was gonna go for one was they are supposed to be "reliable" etc etc. Hmmmm.

Its really hard to find a decent 2nd MX5 from a garage.

hawkmoon269

py2006 wrote:

Thats interesting, as alot of them out there are japanese imports. I was gonna go for one was they are supposed to be "reliable" etc etc. Hmmmm.

Its really hard to find a decent 2nd MX5 from a garage.

I would tend to advise buying an Irish car if in the market for an MX-5, for the parts reason as already stated. Irish cars may be slightly more expensive but you do avoid future hassle. As I said, it's not that parts aren't available for Japanese imports - they are - but it may involve a 2/3 week wait in some cases if the part has to be sourced from Japan and if the part is important the car could be off the road for a period of time which obviously is not ideal.
The other alternative when in need of parts is to check out scrap-dealers/breakage yards small adds - you'd be surprised what you'd find.

Overall, I was lucky enough with mine, in spite of being 7 years old when I bought it there was only 38,000 miles on the clock and it didn't have a bad history (no crashes or anything like that), however if you buy an Irish car you are more likely to have some kind of service history or record attached.

Volcano

Have you got access to a 2nd car? I wouldnt say its 100% essential but it can be handy for all sorts of things. Like going away on a weeks holiday, u may need two big suitcases, so you wont be able to get to the airport in a 2 seater. Also things like picking up anything big youd buy from a shop etc.

py2006

Volcano wrote:

Have you got access to a 2nd car? I wouldnt say its 100% essential but it can be handy for all sorts of things. Like going away on a weeks holiday, u may need two big suitcases, so you wont be able to get to the airport in a 2 seater. Also things like picking up anything big youd buy from a shop etc.

Well yes, I am still living at home and the dad hardly uses his car. So if I needed his car I could use it.

Volcano

Excellent, so what are your main reasons for wanting one of these cars? :cool:

hawkmoon269

Because he's a poser of course!

Just kidding.

hawkmoon269

Volcano wrote:

Have you got access to a 2nd car? I wouldnt say its 100% essential but it can be handy for all sorts of things. Like going away on a weeks holiday, u may need two big suitcases, so you wont be able to get to the airport in a 2 seater. Also things like picking up anything big youd buy from a shop etc.

If travelling alone it is perfectly possible to fit all your luggage. Travelling with a companion would make it a bit cramped admittedly. I don't think you would fit 2 large suitcases in the boot.

py2006

well to be honest I aint sure. I know nothing about cars (only started driving at 25) and I have just got it into to me head over the last few weeks that I am gonna get meself one.

There are very few cars out there that catch my eye (bare in mind I am going on appearance).

But the MX5's have caught my eye and I created this thread to get more info on them and the MR2's and MG F's

I want a car that looks good, interior and exterior. A car that I am proud to drive and proud to be seen in. I hate to sound snobby but I just couldn't drive a punto or something, I would be bored to tears of it after a few weeks.

I have been driving my dads Focus for the passed 3 years so I want something with a bit more bite, style etc.

unkel

hawkmoon269 wrote:

I ended up getting a Jaguar XJ-S afterwards (big mistake, but we won't go there!)

Surely £35k will make it the car it should have been as seen on Top Gear

Great car, for a museum...

Like your sig BTW :cool:

Volcano

Well theres nothing wrong with wanting to have a car you like alot and want to be comfortable etc in Youll know for sure once you sit in the seat and get to test drive. Then you'll either love it, or hate it. But definitly dont buy one without a test drive in at least one small sportish car because they really are like no other car around :cool:

Ernie Ball

Volcano wrote:

Well theres nothing wrong with wanting to have a car you like alot and want to be comfortable etc in Youll know for sure once you sit in the seat and get to test drive. Then you'll either love it, or hate it. But definitly dont buy one without a test drive in at least one small sportish car because they really are like no other car around :cool:

This is sage advice. I wasn't sold on my car until I drove it. Then I knew I had to have it.

hawkmoon269

unkel wrote:

Surely £35k will make it the car it should have been as seen on Top Gear

Great car, for a museum...

Like your sig BTW :cool:

Museum comment very true unfortunately.

On the sig, thanks I was thinking it was about time I got myself a sig.

prospect

hawkmoon269 wrote:

more a problem of a long waiting time for parts to arrive from Japan - if you get an Irish car you shouldn't have that problem.

Not entirely correct.
Although alot of parts are different, they are nearly all interchangable with the european parts.
All you need is a euro chassis number to order and voila.

py2006

Not sure if I asked this already but are the MR2's the same height as the MX5's?

Ratchet

hawkmoon269 wrote:

I had some problems getting parts as mine was a Jap import - more a problem of a long waiting time for parts to arrive from Japan - if you get an Irish car you shouldn't have that problem. The Japanese cars are slightly different spec for some complicated reason that escapes me.

from all the jap manufacturers, i found Mazda to be really bad .

Ernie Ball

py2006 wrote:

Not sure if I asked this already but are the MR2's the same height as the MX5's?

Roughly, yes: MR2 is 48.2" tall and the MX5 is 48.4".

You'll find comparisons on this page.

py2006

Ernie Ball wrote:

Roughly, yes: MR2 is 48.2" tall and the MX5 is 48.4".

You'll find comparisons on this page.

Thanks, Where in dub are ya? Might take ya up on the offer to check out the MR2 one of these sunny days

Ernie Ball

py2006 wrote:

Thanks, Where in dub are ya? Might take ya up on the offer to check out the MR2 one of these sunny days

PM me. I'm in the south city centre.

In the meantime, check out this comparison between an MR2 and a Boxster:

http://celsmr2.tripod.com/MR2%20VS%20BOXSTER.htm

py2006

Going out tommorrow morning to check out an MX5, will keep ya'll posted!

py2006

When your buying a jap import from a garage do they register it for ya so you can get plates? Does it cost extra?

Also, can you take a soft top through a car wash?

prospect

Not sure about about Q1. I bought mine through webcars, and he did all that for me, incl the NCT. (P.S. I think you can specify the year, colour etc that you'd like and he'll try and source for you, don't just go by whats on the website.)

You can take the MX5 through a car was with the soft top. But i wouldn't do it very often. Actually, i wouldn't take any car through a mechanical car wash very often. It dulls the paint and can cause scratches, also they are crap.

py2006

prospect wrote:

Not sure about about Q1. I bought mine through webcars, and he did all that for me, incl the NCT. (P.S. I think you can specify the year, colour etc that you'd like and he'll try and source for you, don't just go by whats on the website.)

You can take the MX5 through a car was with the soft top. But i wouldn't do it very often. Actually, i wouldn't take any car through a mechanical car wash very often. It dulls the paint and can cause scratches, also they are crap.

Well, there is a car wash near me thats just a couple guys with sponges and them water gun thingies.

I assume the garage will have nct'd the car before trying to sell it?