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Feb 24, 2021 15:20:12 GMT
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Bit of a back story to this one. Over Xmas I signed up for some temp work at the post office. As you do I made a friend who was also a petrol head. Now I love jdm cars, I've had loads over the years. He got talking about his mk1 mx5 that hadn't moved from the side of his garage for 10 years. So after much chatting he asked me if i wanted it, um ye buddy! Now he warned me it was tatty, rusty & tired. So today i got the chance to go & see it. We moved it into the garden & unseized the rear brakes.   Interior needs new seats as they are dead & the headrest speakers are rotten, drivers side carpet has a hole in it. The doorcards are swollen. The best thing is that it still has the original nardi steering wheel, gearknob & handbrake handle.    Original 140,000 kilometres is just over 91000 miles in English money. The boot had water ingress from the 3rd brake light leaking, so needs a new bootlid & the battery tray chopping out & the spare wheel is rotten.  Now the engine, the last time this car ran it had a trip around some mountain range in France 11 years ago. He used to start the car once or twice a year until 5 years ago when the battery wouldn't jump. Looking at the nut casing & seeds I would say we may have a little rodent on board.  Finally the bodywork. Now this really surprised me, I've picked at all the normal horror points on this car including screen surround, radiator core support, inner & outer sills, rear arch pockets, wheel arches & inner rear pockets in the boot. I've found rot in outer sill on the drivers side & the passenger side front wing.   Mechanically it needs completely stripping & all bushes & rubbers replacing as they're all toast. Brakes are seized & wheels need a refurb but they are genuine enkei hollow spoke light weight alloys. Now the discussion came to my plans with the car & asking my mate what he wanted for the ratty old jdm banger. This bit bowled me over. He said if I do it justice I can have the car!!! I must take it back & take him out for a spin when I'm done. So the project needs to be collected, hopefully within a week or 2. |
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Feb 24, 2021 15:37:43 GMT
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Feb 24, 2021 16:27:10 GMT
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We have a late jdm mk1 as well, the only rot has been a similar spot on one front wing and rust in the same area at the back of the sill (though ours was caught when it had only just started to bubble, the bootlid had also begun to go too.
I wouldn't be surprised if it starts with some fresh fuel, cam belt and water pump will need doing but it's a non interference engine so not the end of the world if it breaks.
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Feb 24, 2021 16:43:14 GMT
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just my opinion , but these are so cheap to buy why bother
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Feb 24, 2021 17:48:35 GMT
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just my opinion , but these are so cheap to buy why bother I'm a project kind of guy. I love the stripdown, get running & tidy up, rather than the actual driving. However I've had 3 mx5's over the years & had a brg eunos about 15 years ago & promised I'd get another. Also it's free. |
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Feb 24, 2021 22:43:18 GMT
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Not to mention the prices are slowly creeping up anyway...
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,089
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Barn find mx5glenanderson
@glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member 64
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Feb 25, 2021 16:14:58 GMT
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Nice. Bookmarked. 👍👍
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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Feb 25, 2021 17:15:19 GMT
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Following with interest, I do like a bit of Japanese rust.
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Feb 25, 2021 19:40:26 GMT
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Following with interest, I do like a bit of Japanese rust. I'll post it to you once I've cut it all out. |
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Barn find mx5Mercdan68
@forddan68
Club Retro Rides Member 68
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Feb 25, 2021 20:58:10 GMT
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Yep I’m following too, and I like your reasoning why do any of us bother??
Cos it’s what we do simple
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Fraud owners club member
1999 Jaguar s type
1993 ford escort
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Barn find mx5Mercdan68
@forddan68
Club Retro Rides Member 68
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Feb 25, 2021 20:59:40 GMT
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Yep I’m following too, and I like your reasoning why do any of us bother?? Cos it’s what we do simple Oh and that question came from someone with no threads ...just saying |
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Fraud owners club member
1999 Jaguar s type
1993 ford escort
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Feb 25, 2021 21:21:52 GMT
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Yep I’m following too, and I like your reasoning why do any of us bother?? Cos it’s what we do simple Oh and that question came from someone with no threads ...just saying Obviously people can have there opinion but ye clearly cant have the same car passion as some/most of us on here. Petrol in my blood, rust in my eye & oil stained skin. I love it. |
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Feb 25, 2021 21:57:20 GMT
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Yep I’m following too, and I like your reasoning why do any of us bother?? Cos it’s what we do simple Oh and that question came from someone with no threads ...just saying Hey now... I have no threads either, because two of my cars are a bit too new for the forum and I haven't touched the other because the weather is always miserable in Wales and especially on weekends! Then again, if I was offered an MX-5 as long as I did it justice I would have a thread! NAs seem to avoid that 'hairdresser' vibe that the NB suffered with to some extent as well, maybe because pop-ups are cool? |
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Last Edit: Feb 25, 2021 21:58:07 GMT by jasellan
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Mar 11, 2021 17:38:17 GMT
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So today we finally had the chance to go & pick up the mx5. It looks tiny on a 7.5 tonne truck.   Finally home after a short commute across Bristol.   Plans tomorrow are to get it pressure washed top to bottom & see if I can get the seized doorlock on the passenger door open & get the rear screen unzipped & the roof down for the 1st time in a decade. |
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Mar 11, 2021 18:06:45 GMT
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Looking forward to this, nice little (errm, big) project. Might be a bit biased.
The special editions are starting to gain some popularity and value, probably not quite so for the V-Spec yet but I reckon they're not far away as the numbers dwindle/get drifted. Classic colour scheme. The nardi wheel and knob van be DIY refurbished with decent results and are worth a few bob, as are the hollow spoke enkeis depending on the type.
A friend has a pair of vgc tan leather seats, let me know if you want putting in touch. Don't know how much he's looking for though.
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Project Diary1975 Viva / 1988 T25 Camper / 1989 Mini / 1991 MX5 / 1992 Mini / 1994 Saab 9000 / 1997 Saab 9000 / 2008 Saab 9-5
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Mar 11, 2021 18:30:09 GMT
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Looking forward to this, nice little (errm, big) project. Might be a bit biased. The special editions are starting to gain some popularity and value, probably not quite so for the V-Spec yet but I reckon they're not far away as the numbers dwindle/get drifted. Classic colour scheme. The nardi wheel and knob van be DIY refurbished with decent results and are worth a few bob, as are the hollow spoke enkeis depending on the type. A friend has a pair of vgc tan leather seats, let me know if you want putting in touch. Don't know how much he's looking for though. Apparently this is a V spec 2. Has a few 'good bits' including doorcards aswell as the bits you mentioned. I've found a few renovation videos on youtube to fix all the nardi wood trim. I plan on rebuilding it back to stock except coilovers & adjustable arms. I'd love to find a company that could make the oem enkei wheels into 2 or 3 piece split rims to be able to fill the arch with some decent dish. I've sourced a pair of seats from a guy in Plymouth but I'd be interested in seeing any others that are out there. |
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MiataMark
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,960
Club RR Member Number: 29
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Barn find mx5MiataMark
@garra
Club Retro Rides Member 29
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Mar 11, 2021 21:32:31 GMT
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Looks like a good project but looking at that sill I would expect a lot of rust below the surface (judging by what I found on mine), nice interior and wheels (I've got a set that need to be refurbed).
As for whether it;s worth it, despite prices creeping up I've spent multiples of the resale value on mine, I'm going to have to keep it for a long time to recoup the money but then it makes me smile when I drive it. It;'s been sat on the drive under a cheapo cover since before Christmas but started up first turn of the key today.
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1990 Mazda MX-52012 BMW 118i (170bhp) - white appliance 2011 Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4 2003 Land Rover Discovery II TD52007 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon JTDm
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tom13
Part of things
Posts: 571
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Mar 11, 2021 22:06:52 GMT
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I had a set of those hollow spokes on mine. It had panasport rally's which were tough but super heavy. What's a difference the enkei wheels made. Could feel the extra acceleration.
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Last Edit: Mar 11, 2021 22:08:00 GMT by tom13
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Mar 11, 2021 22:41:35 GMT
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Looks like a good project but looking at that sill I would expect a lot of rust below the surface (judging by what I found on mine), nice interior and wheels (I've got a set that need to be refurbed). As for whether it;s worth it, despite prices creeping up I've spent multiples of the resale value on mine, I'm going to have to keep it for a long time to recoup the money but then it makes me smile when I drive it. It;'s been sat on the drive under a cheapo cover since before Christmas but started up first turn of the key today. Ye I appreciate that I'll have welding to do but I've had a proper look & the inner sills & inner arches LOOK solid. I fully appreciate that once I've got the interior stripped I'll see some horrors under the trims etc. I'll have a proper look tomorrow. I'm not too concerned about resale i just enjoy projects. |
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Mar 12, 2021 17:14:17 GMT
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Today was a day to give the car a good pressure wash & check for rust. So I cleaned the 10 years of moss, dirt & stones of tree debris from where the car had been sat. I did find a nest in the engine bay in the scuttle panel which I removed & disturbed a little mouse. I managed to get a pic of him hiding in the rust hole of my passenger wing.  I then gave the engine a blast with degreaser & oven cleaner.      I then fully stripped the interior to remove the carpets & dashboard to thoroughly inspect for rot. I can genuinely report that the floors & inner structure is completely rot free.    When I removed all the fuel tank covers I did find another nesting area for my little furry buddy.  Tomorrow I'm going to clean the interior floors, finish stripping out as I haven't got into the boot yet & then spend the day prepping to see if the 1.8 litre engine will fire into life. |
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