Hello, all! Apologies in advance, but this isn't going to be a very interesting thread. There aren't any Morris Minors with jet-engines or ex-JGTC race cars in here, just a scruffy little MX5 with a bit of a story to it. Basically there's going to be lots of words and a few boring pictures. Turn back now if you don't want to waste any time.
Still here? Alright then, story time!
I haven't been very active in the retro car world for quite a while, my Beetle project had ground to a halt and I just wasn't feeling it. Reason being my mental health's not been great, thanks in no small part to a series of bad events taking place in the last 18 months, mainly involving redundancies and three deaths in the family. It's never been a hundred percent anyway but the last few months in particular have been a dark, dark time on planet Samage. Unsure what to do for the best, a month or so back I received a grand from my late Grandad - one of the aforementioned deaths in the family. His posthumous brief was a simple one - use it for something I'd enjoy. It was then I hit upon the idea of purchasing another retro - a small sports car perhaps, something that'd help me clear these blues. I'd always wanted to do the whole sports car thing at least once, so this idea ticked a lot of boxes.
The tricky part was finding something suitable - Mk1 and Mk2 MR2s were mostly out of budget, and those within budget were shagged. Ditto the Mk1 MX5. I'd narrowed it down to a Mk2 MX5 or an MGF - the driving position on the latter didn't suit me, and finding the former without serious rot was proving hard.
Suddenly, late last week, an ad popped up on Autotrader - it was a Mk1 MX5, cosmetically rough but structurally and mechanically solid, a fiver short of a thousand pounds. A UK-spec 1.8, limited edition - despite it being nearly a hundred miles away I knew I had to act fast. Sure enough, the vendor had been inundated with calls despite the ad only being active for half an hour. Knowing I couldn't get from Nuneaton to Reading in short order, in a moment of madness I made a snap decision - I bought it then and there, totally blind, over the phone! The seller seemed genuine so I trusted my gut. This was either going to be the smartest or dumbest decision I'd ever made...
Fast forward to Saturday. Riding the train down to reading, a thousand thoughts spinning through my addled brain. What was I doing? A MK1 in this price range is going to be a total dog, it'll fall apart like a clown car as soon as I get in! I've wasted Grandad's money. I'm an idiot, a fool, a moron...
... or a pretty jammy sod, by all accounts. Arriving at the vendor's house after a quick taxi ride - which cost nearly as much as the train fare despite only being 4 miles - I was greeted with this.
20180805_201955 by S E, on Flickr
A 1996 MX5 Gleneagles edition. Being a Gleneagles, it comes with 5 spoke alloys, Montego Blue paintwork, a special steering wheel, walnut-effect console, cream leather seats and a tartan gear gaiter. The latter items have seen better days but they're still perfectly functional.
20180805_201720 by S E, on Flickr
20180805_201728 by S E, on Flickr
I drove it the hundred or so miles back to Nuneaton and my goodness, I've not felt so enthralled by a car in years. It may not be much to look at but it's structurally and mechanically sweet as a nut. 121k on the clock, and incredibly, a full service history!
20180804_174747 by S E, on Flickr
That history also tells me that 2 years ago, it had an entire new hood and mechanism fitted at a cost of over seven hundred quid!
20180805_202657 by S E, on Flickr
It'd been owned by several generations of the same family for the last 14 or so years, so the history didn't get lost in between owners. Mechanically it's been fastidiously maintained, and had the sills done a few years back.
20180805_202545 by S E, on Flickr
20180805_202453 by S E, on Flickr
20180805_201824 by S E, on Flickr
I know MX5s divide opinion, some calling them the best thing since sliced Jaffa Cakes and some calling them overrated, but I've been driving it lots this weekend and it's lifted my mood like nothing else. I get the feeling this car is going to be a crucial element in getting me back to a better place.
As I said before, cosmetically it's been round the block. There isn't a panel on it which doesn't have scratches, dings, touch-ups and the rear arches have some bubbling. It's a definite ten-footer, this car. Fortunately, I can't see any of it when I'm sitting behind the wheel having an awesome time, so I probably won't rectify much of this just yet - a departure from my usual obsession with shinyness!
20180805_202954 by S E, on Flickr
20180805_201846 by S E, on Flickr
20180805_201859 by S E, on Flickr
20180805_201909 by S E, on Flickr
Plans? Simple. Use for the rest of the summer and enjoy every damn second of it. At the moment, the idea is to possibly get rid in December when its next MOT is up. If that doesn't happen... I'll take it off the road for winter, get the arches sorted and send it for an external repaint to really get it looking its best!
So there we are - the story of how I bought an MX5 completely blind, being extremely lucky with it, and how sometimes it's not "just a car". Non-car enthusiasts often underestimate the emotional impacts a car can have.
... oh, and pop-up headlights are awesome. Just throwing that out there!
20180805_202848 by S E, on Flickr
Still here? Alright then, story time!
I haven't been very active in the retro car world for quite a while, my Beetle project had ground to a halt and I just wasn't feeling it. Reason being my mental health's not been great, thanks in no small part to a series of bad events taking place in the last 18 months, mainly involving redundancies and three deaths in the family. It's never been a hundred percent anyway but the last few months in particular have been a dark, dark time on planet Samage. Unsure what to do for the best, a month or so back I received a grand from my late Grandad - one of the aforementioned deaths in the family. His posthumous brief was a simple one - use it for something I'd enjoy. It was then I hit upon the idea of purchasing another retro - a small sports car perhaps, something that'd help me clear these blues. I'd always wanted to do the whole sports car thing at least once, so this idea ticked a lot of boxes.
The tricky part was finding something suitable - Mk1 and Mk2 MR2s were mostly out of budget, and those within budget were shagged. Ditto the Mk1 MX5. I'd narrowed it down to a Mk2 MX5 or an MGF - the driving position on the latter didn't suit me, and finding the former without serious rot was proving hard.
Suddenly, late last week, an ad popped up on Autotrader - it was a Mk1 MX5, cosmetically rough but structurally and mechanically solid, a fiver short of a thousand pounds. A UK-spec 1.8, limited edition - despite it being nearly a hundred miles away I knew I had to act fast. Sure enough, the vendor had been inundated with calls despite the ad only being active for half an hour. Knowing I couldn't get from Nuneaton to Reading in short order, in a moment of madness I made a snap decision - I bought it then and there, totally blind, over the phone! The seller seemed genuine so I trusted my gut. This was either going to be the smartest or dumbest decision I'd ever made...
Fast forward to Saturday. Riding the train down to reading, a thousand thoughts spinning through my addled brain. What was I doing? A MK1 in this price range is going to be a total dog, it'll fall apart like a clown car as soon as I get in! I've wasted Grandad's money. I'm an idiot, a fool, a moron...
... or a pretty jammy sod, by all accounts. Arriving at the vendor's house after a quick taxi ride - which cost nearly as much as the train fare despite only being 4 miles - I was greeted with this.
20180805_201955 by S E, on FlickrA 1996 MX5 Gleneagles edition. Being a Gleneagles, it comes with 5 spoke alloys, Montego Blue paintwork, a special steering wheel, walnut-effect console, cream leather seats and a tartan gear gaiter. The latter items have seen better days but they're still perfectly functional.
20180805_201720 by S E, on Flickr20180805_201728 by S E, on FlickrI drove it the hundred or so miles back to Nuneaton and my goodness, I've not felt so enthralled by a car in years. It may not be much to look at but it's structurally and mechanically sweet as a nut. 121k on the clock, and incredibly, a full service history!
20180804_174747 by S E, on FlickrThat history also tells me that 2 years ago, it had an entire new hood and mechanism fitted at a cost of over seven hundred quid!
20180805_202657 by S E, on FlickrIt'd been owned by several generations of the same family for the last 14 or so years, so the history didn't get lost in between owners. Mechanically it's been fastidiously maintained, and had the sills done a few years back.
20180805_202545 by S E, on Flickr20180805_202453 by S E, on Flickr20180805_201824 by S E, on FlickrI know MX5s divide opinion, some calling them the best thing since sliced Jaffa Cakes and some calling them overrated, but I've been driving it lots this weekend and it's lifted my mood like nothing else. I get the feeling this car is going to be a crucial element in getting me back to a better place.
As I said before, cosmetically it's been round the block. There isn't a panel on it which doesn't have scratches, dings, touch-ups and the rear arches have some bubbling. It's a definite ten-footer, this car. Fortunately, I can't see any of it when I'm sitting behind the wheel having an awesome time, so I probably won't rectify much of this just yet - a departure from my usual obsession with shinyness!
20180805_202954 by S E, on Flickr20180805_201846 by S E, on Flickr20180805_201859 by S E, on Flickr20180805_201909 by S E, on FlickrPlans? Simple. Use for the rest of the summer and enjoy every damn second of it. At the moment, the idea is to possibly get rid in December when its next MOT is up. If that doesn't happen... I'll take it off the road for winter, get the arches sorted and send it for an external repaint to really get it looking its best!
So there we are - the story of how I bought an MX5 completely blind, being extremely lucky with it, and how sometimes it's not "just a car". Non-car enthusiasts often underestimate the emotional impacts a car can have.
... oh, and pop-up headlights are awesome. Just throwing that out there!
20180805_202848 by S E, on Flickr
