Reply With QuoteCould be a good buy if you can sort it. Is it the front chassis rails which are rotted - what's the best way to check them as i have a 2.5 Icon which is in pretty good shape but I'd like to check the rails.
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Its the answer to everything and its been the answer to my car shaped itch no less than 5 times before. That itch recently flared up again and when it does, it has to be scratched.
My ideal candidate this time was a MK1 (mainly because pop up headlights are still cool) avoiding the obvious bad one (late 1.6). However, the mk1 scene is in a strange place at the moment. I think lots of MK1 owners are looking at 80s/90s hot hatch prices and have decided the MK1 is equal. I dare say a MK1 in the right spec with low miles, loads of history and a spotless shell is worth 5k or so. Unfortunately the majority out there have been driven to the moon and back, have mismatched engines, 20 years of cack handed mods, dodgy repairs, rust and paint that is coming off like old wallpaper. They aren't worth more than 1k and that's all I was willing to pay.
So the car I ended up with is a MK2.5 1.8 SVT. Nobody wants the mk2/2.5 because of the rust issues with the chassis rails. This car is no exception. It spent most of its life in Aberdeen which means lots of salted roads and rain so the underside looks like its made of weetabix. Its had 2 bad rust repairs already, all 4 arches will need done eventually, rear sills will pass mot but really need done, there's a hole in the boot floor needs welded and the chassis rails are holed.
So that's the bad news. The good is that its mechanically very good. Its done 75k miles with documented history, stacks of receipts from the guy who owned it the last 2 years showing replacement of ball joints, wheel bearings, brake lines, alignment bolts, ARB bushes, new mohair hood, 4 new bilstein shocks and it recently had 4 new Uniroyal rainsport tyres along with discs and pads at both ends. Despite the rust, combined with the standard spec of the 1.8vvt engine, 6 speed box, torsen LSD, extra chassis bracing etc I'm fairly happy with it for the £500 I paid the man.
My plan is to fix the rust that will see it fail its next mot in 3 months. After that, who knows.
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Could be a good buy if you can sort it. Is it the front chassis rails which are rotted - what's the best way to check them as i have a 2.5 Icon which is in pretty good shape but I'd like to check the rails.
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A lot of car for £500. The Torsten diff is nice to have but they clunk a bit in car parks. Actually if I remember correctly on the Mk 2.5 it is a clutch type by Fuji- something which mimics the Torsen and avoids patent fees. Mine worked great.
I had 3. So far...
Last edited by Padders; 24th February 2018 at 09:35.
I think you've got a bargain but expect some repair bills, luckily parts are cheap. If you can find a cheap backstreet garage to do the labour (or do it yourself) I think you'll be quids in. Expect the brake calipers to go fairly regularly, as an example of parts costs a pattern caliper is about £50 on ebay vs £180+ for genuine bits.
My '98 MK2 has had to have sill welding done for it's last two MOT so I can relate to the weetabix comment.
Good job it's lots of fun to drive
I'll be doing all work myself so it'll only cost parts. With the amount of welding it needs (probably about £400 of panels and £1000+ labor) it would be beyond economic repair to anyone who couldn't do the work themselves.
Only thing I can't be hassled with is electrical faults so unless it has any of those there will be no garage bills.
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Yeah, they rust from between the layers so go inside out.Originally Posted by Dudlei
To get a proper view you need the car up and remove the plastic under tray. They aren't allowed to remove this tray at mot so a lot pass because the tester just doesn't really check.
You can do a quick check with the car on the ground by turning the wheels full lock and looking in via the arch. Get a hand in and feel the rail for bulges. Bulges mean the rust is bad between the layers. If its flaking it'll be rotten through and a smack with a BFH or a screwdriver will hole it.
The repair isn't really that difficult. Good repair panels are about £100 for both sides and it can be done without removing the engine or all the suspension. Its mainly just pipework, radiator, ARB and a few other bits that have to come out. It is time consuming though so probably wouldn't be cheap at a garage.
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It sounds like you know MX5's inside out so I'm sure you'll have no issues tackling yours, good luck with the repairs!
I've had my 2.5 a few years now, I bought it from SC actually! They're great fun, mines absolutely stock but still puts a smile on my face when I take it out for a spin. It was a very low milage well cared for example when I bought it, that on the surface was perfect and I kept it that way, but even with a thorough care regime I still got a tiny bubble forming on the bottom rear of the sill. Odd because the nearside was perfect. The paint on the rear wing started to craze and bootlid went dull so I took it into my local chap to be sorted. He reckoned the reason the paint crazed and the bubble formed was the rear wing had been replaced very early on in it's life (probably due to a clout) and the joint between the inner and out hadn't been sealed correctly eventually failing and allowing water in which ran down to the sill. The paint on the wing needed taking back to bare metal right across it's top surface to ensure all traces of crazing were gone, the boot lid just needed sanding back as it was a different issue that he reckoned could have been caused by leaving the car under a cover outside, which I've never done but I suppose it could have happened in the past. The repair work was all completed last year and I took the precaution of having all box sections injected (again) along with a fresh thick coat of underseal and all the control arms and suspension repainted. It just shows even the best cared for 2.5's can succumb to the tin worm, especially if it's had a repair in the past.
TBH I think the problem is that Mazda tend to use pretty low quality steel for all their cars. It's not just MX5s that rust. However, the structure of the MX5 is full of little moisture pockets that are near impossible to prevent from rusting out. The photo of the inner sill is a good example, you can see exactly where moisture sits at the point where the inner and outer meet. About the best you can do is put a weld through primer on the inner during repair as you need clean steel for the welds. A good cavity wax like Dinitrol 3125 or Bilt Hamber Dynax S50 should keep rust at bay but the trouble is you have to have faith that it's filled these areas when pumped in.
When I do mine I may have a look at drilling some small "access holes" that I can plug with grommets and check/reapply wax every now and then. Chassis rails are actually the easiest to protect once solid. You can get full access to inside when you take the bumper off so doing them once a year is a half days wise maintenance.
I wanted to start this thread as a bit of a build thread as I know there are a few MX5 owners here so I'll post up photos as I tackle this thing. Hoping to have the rails done by the end of March.
Not really relevant but my wife's car says hello.
Even the MK3 and 3.5 are prone to rust but not as bad as the early ones.
Thanks for the info I’ll whip the bumper off when it’s a bit warmer and have a check lol
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That tyre in the 2nd pic - you never drove the car like that, did you?It sounds like you know MX5's inside out so I'm sure you'll have no issues tackling yours, good luck with the repairs!
I've had my 2.5 a few years now, I bought it from SC actually! They're great fun, mines absolutely stock but still puts a smile on my face when I take it out for a spin. It was a very low milage well cared for example when I bought it, that on the surface was perfect and I kept it that way, but even with a thorough care regime I still got a tiny bubble forming on the bottom rear of the sill. Odd because the nearside was perfect. The paint on the rear wing started to craze and bootlid went dull so I took it into my local chap to be sorted. He reckoned the reason the paint crazed and the bubble formed was the rear wing had been replaced very early on in it's life (probably due to a clout) and the joint between the inner and out hadn't been sealed correctly eventually failing and allowing water in which ran down to the sill. The paint on the wing needed taking back to bare metal right across it's top surface to ensure all traces of crazing were gone, the boot lid just needed sanding back as it was a different issue that he reckoned could have been caused by leaving the car under a cover outside, which I've never done but I suppose it could have happened in the past. The repair work was all completed last year and I took the precaution of having all box sections injected (again) along with a fresh thick coat of underseal and all the control arms and suspension repainted. It just shows even the best cared for 2.5's can succumb to the tin worm, especially if it's had a repair in the past.
Rob.
If those wheels are Team Dynamics lightweights (possibly from the pic) they're worth at least £500 used!
Check them out.
Of course I did and I do, why do you ask?
Good work loved my mx5 in the 90s
The only thing I can think of is if it’s directional going the wrong way, but I don’t know that it is.
Cheers..
Jase
That would be the logical assumption but I don't see how anyone could deduce that from that particular photograph. Here's a better one that shows it is fitted correctly.
Is the 'V' of the tread going the wrong way?
Commonly misunderstood tyre, it would seem.
https://www.tyremen.co.uk/blog/uniro...y-weird-design
They are. Team dynamics pro race 1.2. The wheels combined with the new tyres, roof and bilstein shocks were enough to convince me the car was worth a punt as there's profit in the parts worst case scenario.
Last edited by mowflow; 25th February 2018 at 13:21.
Funny that the one I bought has the same tyres fitted and I have to admit when I first looked I thought they were all on wrong.That would be the logical assumption but I don't see how anyone could deduce that from that particular photograph. Here's a better one that shows it is fitted correctly.
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Did I hear someone say "rust"?... lol
My Mk2.5 only has 41k on it and to all intents and purposes... was MINT from the outside.
Chassis rails are sound... but the surfaces of the suspension needed attention before anything took hold too badly.
So.... in a moment of internet forum fuelled madness... I spent a day stripping the rear, from the gearbox back, leaving me with this load of parts!
Chemical bath time it is then... here's the subframe's path to revival (Bilt Hamber stuff for the bath, strip... then 3 step POR15)
I've been at it for (ashamedly) 2 winters now.. and am about to bolt it all back together in March. Added some Team Dynamics (with 20mm offset.. 16x7 in anthracite)... and a set of tasty Meister R coil overs.
All topped off with a GCF Fabrications roll bar which is BEAUTIFULLY made. Just in case I decide to view the world upside down....
All in all.. best wee car I've owned at ANY price. Raw fun on my local B roads. Once I'm all done with the brakes and suspension upgrades - I'm installing a Nexus 7 into the radio slot so I can run Torque Pro on Android. Love gauges.. you can never get enough of them! After that... well... its crying out for a trip to G19 or MSE for a turbo isnt it?!
I wish I had the time and space to that to mine, lovely job
That’s a good buy to be honest I bought an Alfa for similar money and it was the usual rust but the car was great other than that, 4 happy years later my 145 cloverleaf is still in my garage and comes out for Alfa days in the summer
Love the bread van
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I have Team Dynamics wheels and Meister R shocks on my Mk1, a very good choice!
"A man of little significance"
Bargain! First thing I noticed was the wheels too and the fact you probably got your value in those alone. I almost paid that much for second hand 16" Team Dynamics but opted for some new Assetto Garas instead.
I no longer have my mk1 but do miss it now I'm only down to FWD cars. Nothing quite teaches you about handling like a well sorted mk1.
Had mine 9 years, the best car I’ve ever owned. Every time I buy something to replace it I sell the new car. Watch for ABS sensors, cheap fix. Airbag sensor on passenger seat, clutch judder, rust; but otherwise the most reliable car I have ever owned.
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Yeah, I assumed it was a "directional" tyre, as to date, all the (motorcar) tyres that I have personally seen, with a "symmetric" "V-shaped" pattern tread, have been directional.That would be the logical assumption but I don't see how anyone could deduce that from that particular photograph. Here's a better one that shows it is fitted correctly.
I see from this pic that that it is marked as an asymmetric tyre (with "outside"), and I’m not able to see a directional indicator (I've owned asymmetric/directional tyres in the past).
Not visible in your original pic, but can be seen on the web, is the asymmetric pattern (I assumed it would be a symmetric "V" pattern). That said, even if I'd seen the full tread, I'd still have assumed it was fitted the wrong way.
I imagine this might be related to how motorbike front tyres "look" wrong (but not the rears)?
Rob.
All this chatter about mk1 mx5s is just making me want another one, I ran a green mk1 with tan leather for a summer and it was amazing fun
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That's a great job you're doing it's just too cold at the mo for me to go out and get under lol
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Always quite liked the MX5 bet it will make a nice project. Good buy
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