Mk1 or mk2 MX5?
15 September 2015, 01:21 PM
#1
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Mk1 or mk2 MX5?
Always read such great things about these little cars. Anyone had one or atleast driven one ? I know they are old, low powered cars and have a bit of a girly image but i just cant help but fancy a tidy one for playing about in. If anyone has had one, are they cheap to run? Fuel mpg? Any good generally?
15 September 2015, 01:41 PM
#2
I run a MK2 on track for the missus... she didnt like the look of the MK1, so that was the reason for choosing that one.
Slightly more to run on track, but its been relatively cheap so far. Not sure about road use, but I am spoilt car wise.
Heres mine:-
Slightly more to run on track, but its been relatively cheap so far. Not sure about road use, but I am spoilt car wise.
Heres mine:-
15 September 2015, 01:50 PM
#5
Always read such great things about these little cars. Anyone had one or atleast driven one ? I know they are old, low powered cars and have a bit of a girly image but i just cant help but fancy a tidy one for playing about in. If anyone has had one, are they cheap to run? Fuel mpg? Any good generally?
I've got a Mk2 MX5 and it's a great little car, but rust can be a big problem around the sills. Mine had been fixed when I bought it and so far no more rust. Fuel consumption is not great, 30 - 35mpg is about it. On the plus side spares are dirt cheap compared with the Impreza, insurance also low. You have to get used to the hairdresser comments though!
15 September 2015, 02:06 PM
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Sounds positive so far to me, is there a massive drop in performance from a turbo 2000 ? Im taking real world here, so just goin out purely for the fun of it kinda drive not chasing tenths on a circuit. It would only be a weekend toy anyway and maybe the odd trackday. Also wouldn't mind trying a drift practice session if i got one. I too have heard that the imports r better to buy because they are better spec'd and less or no rust. Also im i right in thinking don't bother with the 1.6 one?
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15 September 2015, 09:18 PM
#10
I've got a Mk2 MX5 and it's a great little car, but rust can be a big problem around the sills. Mine had been fixed when I bought it and so far no more rust. Fuel consumption is not great, 30 - 35mpg is about it. On the plus side spares are dirt cheap compared with the Impreza, insurance also low. You have to get used to the hairdresser comments though!
16 September 2015, 06:55 AM
#11
I had a Mk 2.5.Yep they are Sloooooow with a capital S,but great fun.Doesn't really matter 1.6 or 1.8 in my view.Great cars.And only in the UK do they talk about Hairdresser cars.....everyone else is a bit more grown up.lol
I'd love a tidy Mk 1 now......they are just small, fun sports cars!!
I'd love a tidy Mk 1 now......they are just small, fun sports cars!!
16 September 2015, 07:35 AM
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Ha ha ha really slooooow a 
The spec says they do 60 in around 8 seconds. Sure its no drag car but i would have thought even that pace would feel "nippy " because of there small size and low down seating position ? I've spotted a few turbo one's knocking around that are knocking out around the 200-250bhp mark for not much more £££ surely they would be a different animal altogether ?
The spec says they do 60 in around 8 seconds. Sure its no drag car but i would have thought even that pace would feel "nippy " because of there small size and low down seating position ? I've spotted a few turbo one's knocking around that are knocking out around the 200-250bhp mark for not much more £££ surely they would be a different animal altogether ?
16 September 2015, 08:50 AM
#13
They are terribly slow, but the fun bit is the corners, you will be so shocked at what you can keep up with (and even go faster than) through corners and bends 
Mine is running:-
Rota wheels and yoko AD07 tyres
Meister R suspension
Brake tweeks - booster bracket, braided lines, fluid
Sprint V seats
Rear rollbar
Hardtop
Next (in the next few mnonths):-
Supercharger
Discs and pads upgraded
And some exterior bits, side skirts, front lip, rear diffuser, ducktail
Supercharger is better IMO for the power delivery, especially as my missus is still a novice on track. Just seen a dyno graph of a M62 supercharger on a MK2 and it made 230bhp at the wheels which sounds rather fun!!
Mine is running:-
Rota wheels and yoko AD07 tyres
Meister R suspension
Brake tweeks - booster bracket, braided lines, fluid
Sprint V seats
Rear rollbar
Hardtop
Next (in the next few mnonths):-
Supercharger
Discs and pads upgraded
And some exterior bits, side skirts, front lip, rear diffuser, ducktail
Supercharger is better IMO for the power delivery, especially as my missus is still a novice on track. Just seen a dyno graph of a M62 supercharger on a MK2 and it made 230bhp at the wheels
which sounds rather fun!!
Last edited by grahamc; 16 September 2015 at 08:52 AM.
16 September 2015, 10:02 AM
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Wow 230 at the wheels !!! In such a light chassis, that will be amazing fun. Yeah i can only imagine the speed they can carry through the corners. I bet yours is great on track with the mods you've done.
16 September 2015, 01:08 PM
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16 September 2015, 01:12 PM
#18
I had a Mk1 1.6 Eunos Roadster (Imported MX5) with a 4/2/1 mani, full Mazdaspeed exhaust system and Bilstein shocks and springs. Literally the most fun I've had in a while! Made 125hp when I had it dyno'd so it wasn't exactly fast, but it wasn't the slowest thing I've driven and it sounded great!
16 September 2015, 11:08 PM
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I have a 1.6 Eunos which cost me £650 and is a total blast. One of the most fun cars I have driven. The 1.6 is more revvy where as the 1.8 has more torque. In real world figures, there honestly is not much in it but I was told by a lot of owners that the revvy 1.6 is more fun. It's also lighter I believe and easier to get spares for.
This is mine.
If you are using it as a weekend toy then it's perfect. We use it for road trips and have driven it all over Wales and will be heading to France at some point. If you are going to track it then do be aware that they are slow in a straight line but will kill most cars in the corners. You also can't do a lot about it without spending big money on it like turbos or super chargers. You can take weight out but then you will also want to stiffen it which will add weight. Saying that, on track it handles amazing and is so well balanced. I got the crack out going through Paddock Hill and it didn't bother me one bit.
This is me at Brands and you can see how much quicker it is in the bends. Not bad for a 25 year old car and I do eventually get past the 1.8 Corsa SXi
As for reliability and costs then tax is a bit steep at £260 for a 1.6 and compared to my Blobeye WRX and my Integra DC5, it is the worst for fuel economy giving back about 27mpg. It has been incredibly reliable though with nothing going wrong in the 2.5 years of owning it.
Mine currently has Wolfrace Eurosport wheels, TR Lane Roll bar, decat, Long Life exhaust, Eibach Spring, Yellowstuff Pads, braided hoses and 5.1 brake fluid. Will probably get some Sparco bucket seats, 4-2-1 manifold and think about tuning mods after that.
At the end of the day, they are great cheap fun motoring and perfect as a weekend toy.
This is mine.
If you are using it as a weekend toy then it's perfect. We use it for road trips and have driven it all over Wales and will be heading to France at some point. If you are going to track it then do be aware that they are slow in a straight line but will kill most cars in the corners. You also can't do a lot about it without spending big money on it like turbos or super chargers. You can take weight out but then you will also want to stiffen it which will add weight. Saying that, on track it handles amazing and is so well balanced. I got the crack out going through Paddock Hill and it didn't bother me one bit.
This is me at Brands and you can see how much quicker it is in the bends. Not bad for a 25 year old car and I do eventually get past the 1.8 Corsa SXi
As for reliability and costs then tax is a bit steep at £260 for a 1.6 and compared to my Blobeye WRX and my Integra DC5, it is the worst for fuel economy giving back about 27mpg. It has been incredibly reliable though with nothing going wrong in the 2.5 years of owning it.
Mine currently has Wolfrace Eurosport wheels, TR Lane Roll bar, decat, Long Life exhaust, Eibach Spring, Yellowstuff Pads, braided hoses and 5.1 brake fluid. Will probably get some Sparco bucket seats, 4-2-1 manifold and think about tuning mods after that.
At the end of the day, they are great cheap fun motoring and perfect as a weekend toy.
Last edited by Linus27; 16 September 2015 at 11:27 PM.
16 September 2015, 11:38 PM
#22
I have a 1.6 Eunos which cost me £650 and is a total blast. One of the most fun cars I have driven. The 1.6 is more revvy where as the 1.8 has more torque. In real world figures, there honestly is not much in it but I was told by a lot of owners that the revvy 1.6 is more fun. It's also lighter I believe and easier to get spares for.
This is mine.
If you are using it as a weekend toy then it's perfect. We use it for road trips and have driven it all over Wales and will be heading to France at some point. If you are going to track it then do be aware that they are slow in a straight line but will kill most cars in the corners. You also can't do a lot about it without spending big money on it like turbos or super chargers. You can take weight out but then you will also want to stiffen it which will add weight. Saying that, on track it handles amazing and is so well balanced. I got the crack out going through Paddock Hill and it didn't bother me one bit.
This is me at Brands and you can see how much quicker it is in the bends. Not bad for a 25 year old car and I do eventually get past the 1.8 Corsa SXi
Mazda MX5 1.6 Mk1 - Brands Hatch Indy 02.09.2014 Front View - YouTube
As for reliability and costs then tax is a bit steep at £260 for a 1.6 and compared to my Blobeye WRX and my Integra DC5, it is the worst for fuel economy giving back about 27mpg. It has been incredibly reliable though with nothing going wrong in the 2.5 years of owning it.
Mine currently has Wolfrace Eurosport wheels, TR Lane Roll bar, decat, Long Life exhaust, Eibach Spring, Yellowstuff Pads, braided hoses and 5.1 brake fluid. Will probably get some Sparco bucket seats, 4-2-1 manifold and think about tuning mods after that.
At the end of the day, they are great cheap fun motoring and perfect as a weekend toy.
This is mine.
If you are using it as a weekend toy then it's perfect. We use it for road trips and have driven it all over Wales and will be heading to France at some point. If you are going to track it then do be aware that they are slow in a straight line but will kill most cars in the corners. You also can't do a lot about it without spending big money on it like turbos or super chargers. You can take weight out but then you will also want to stiffen it which will add weight. Saying that, on track it handles amazing and is so well balanced. I got the crack out going through Paddock Hill and it didn't bother me one bit.
This is me at Brands and you can see how much quicker it is in the bends. Not bad for a 25 year old car and I do eventually get past the 1.8 Corsa SXi
Mazda MX5 1.6 Mk1 - Brands Hatch Indy 02.09.2014 Front View - YouTube
As for reliability and costs then tax is a bit steep at £260 for a 1.6 and compared to my Blobeye WRX and my Integra DC5, it is the worst for fuel economy giving back about 27mpg. It has been incredibly reliable though with nothing going wrong in the 2.5 years of owning it.
Mine currently has Wolfrace Eurosport wheels, TR Lane Roll bar, decat, Long Life exhaust, Eibach Spring, Yellowstuff Pads, braided hoses and 5.1 brake fluid. Will probably get some Sparco bucket seats, 4-2-1 manifold and think about tuning mods after that.
At the end of the day, they are great cheap fun motoring and perfect as a weekend toy.
Check out youtube video of mx5 v lotus elise.You will see what they can do......
16 September 2015, 11:42 PM
#23
Cool vid.Ace fun car.Bugger.Tempted again now.....
17 September 2015, 08:23 AM
#24
I have a 1.6 Eunos which cost me £650 and is a total blast. One of the most fun cars I have driven. The 1.6 is more revvy where as the 1.8 has more torque. In real world figures, there honestly is not much in it but I was told by a lot of owners that the revvy 1.6 is more fun. It's also lighter I believe and easier to get spares for.
This is mine.
If you are using it as a weekend toy then it's perfect. We use it for road trips and have driven it all over Wales and will be heading to France at some point. If you are going to track it then do be aware that they are slow in a straight line but will kill most cars in the corners. You also can't do a lot about it without spending big money on it like turbos or super chargers. You can take weight out but then you will also want to stiffen it which will add weight. Saying that, on track it handles amazing and is so well balanced. I got the crack out going through Paddock Hill and it didn't bother me one bit.
This is me at Brands and you can see how much quicker it is in the bends. Not bad for a 25 year old car and I do eventually get past the 1.8 Corsa SXi
Mazda MX5 1.6 Mk1 - Brands Hatch Indy 02.09.2014 Front View - YouTube
As for reliability and costs then tax is a bit steep at £260 for a 1.6 and compared to my Blobeye WRX and my Integra DC5, it is the worst for fuel economy giving back about 27mpg. It has been incredibly reliable though with nothing going wrong in the 2.5 years of owning it.
Mine currently has Wolfrace Eurosport wheels, TR Lane Roll bar, decat, Long Life exhaust, Eibach Spring, Yellowstuff Pads, braided hoses and 5.1 brake fluid. Will probably get some Sparco bucket seats, 4-2-1 manifold and think about tuning mods after that.
At the end of the day, they are great cheap fun motoring and perfect as a weekend toy.
This is mine.
If you are using it as a weekend toy then it's perfect. We use it for road trips and have driven it all over Wales and will be heading to France at some point. If you are going to track it then do be aware that they are slow in a straight line but will kill most cars in the corners. You also can't do a lot about it without spending big money on it like turbos or super chargers. You can take weight out but then you will also want to stiffen it which will add weight. Saying that, on track it handles amazing and is so well balanced. I got the crack out going through Paddock Hill and it didn't bother me one bit.
This is me at Brands and you can see how much quicker it is in the bends. Not bad for a 25 year old car and I do eventually get past the 1.8 Corsa SXi
Mazda MX5 1.6 Mk1 - Brands Hatch Indy 02.09.2014 Front View - YouTube
As for reliability and costs then tax is a bit steep at £260 for a 1.6 and compared to my Blobeye WRX and my Integra DC5, it is the worst for fuel economy giving back about 27mpg. It has been incredibly reliable though with nothing going wrong in the 2.5 years of owning it.
Mine currently has Wolfrace Eurosport wheels, TR Lane Roll bar, decat, Long Life exhaust, Eibach Spring, Yellowstuff Pads, braided hoses and 5.1 brake fluid. Will probably get some Sparco bucket seats, 4-2-1 manifold and think about tuning mods after that.
At the end of the day, they are great cheap fun motoring and perfect as a weekend toy.
For me its the cost of the consumables, like tyres and brakes VS the GTR, which is immense, but you have to concentrate a lot! Where as the MX5 can be thrown about, etc.
17 September 2015, 08:59 AM
#25
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You ever venture out towards Thruxton or Castle Combe? Brands is local, but I have never been, oddly. Indy seems too small and the noise limits are harsh for the GTR - want to do the full GP circuit though (at least once).
For me its the cost of the consumables, like tyres and brakes VS the GTR, which is immense, but you have to concentrate a lot! Where as the MX5 can be thrown about, etc.
For me its the cost of the consumables, like tyres and brakes VS the GTR, which is immense, but you have to concentrate a lot! Where as the MX5 can be thrown about, etc.
I agree, the Indy circuit would be very short for the GTR but I would say worth doing just for the experience. Might be worth doing an evening session rather than a full day as I can see it getting a bit boring after a while. Plus it will be cheaper.
Its a good point about the cost of consumables. The other issue is if you have any issues, for example spinning off, being hit by a numpty, and damaging your car then its going to be costly. I always say, can I afford it if I smash this car up. With the MX5 its not an issue but for me, a GTR would be a no, especially as I can't afford to buy one anyway
17 September 2015, 09:33 AM
#26
I've done Castle Combe when I had a Civic Type R and would really like to do it in the MX5. I think it would be an excellent track for the car and really suit it. Never done Thruxton though.
I agree, the Indy circuit would be very short for the GTR but I would say worth doing just for the experience. Might be worth doing an evening session rather than a full day as I can see it getting a bit boring after a while. Plus it will be cheaper.
Its a good point about the cost of consumables. The other issue is if you have any issues, for example spinning off, being hit by a numpty, and damaging your car then its going to be costly. I always say, can I afford it if I smash this car up. With the MX5 its not an issue but for me, a GTR would be a no, especially as I can't afford to buy one anyway
I agree, the Indy circuit would be very short for the GTR but I would say worth doing just for the experience. Might be worth doing an evening session rather than a full day as I can see it getting a bit boring after a while. Plus it will be cheaper.
Its a good point about the cost of consumables. The other issue is if you have any issues, for example spinning off, being hit by a numpty, and damaging your car then its going to be costly. I always say, can I afford it if I smash this car up. With the MX5 its not an issue but for me, a GTR would be a no, especially as I can't afford to buy one anyway
Will still do Brands....
17 September 2015, 10:24 AM
#27
I've got a mk1 1.8, love it to bits. Cheap as chips to buy, loads of cheap parts, easy to work on, very tuneable, fully adjustable double wishbone suspension, unbreakable engine and gearbox etc. Lots of interesting aftermarket parts available. Mine's a basic uk car with manual steering, no abs, windup windows. I added a Torsen lsd and lightweight flywheel. I use it for sprints, hillclimbs, and auto solo. Proper little sports car, you can drive it to work all week, thrash the daylights out of it on the track at weekends, and it won't let you down, they're tough little cars. Very slow compared to a turbo Impreza certainly, but just as much fun.
Last edited by Sad Weevil; 17 September 2015 at 10:27 AM.
18 September 2015, 11:58 AM
#28
I had a mk1 1.6 MX5. And I can honestly say that it was the most fun car I've ever driven. As everyone has said, you wouldn't consider them as fast, but get them into some corners and they're amazing. And you have more fun driving it hard because although you're not going amazingly fast, it feels like you're squeezing every drop of performance out of it. Only downsides are that they're rusty as f*ck now, and the locks and inside of the windscreen freeze in the winter - which can be a ballache
Highly recommend one though.
Highly recommend one though.
18 September 2015, 06:00 PM
#29
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I really really fancy one but iv had my impreza for 12 years and im attached to it, the only thing that puts me off swapping is the power drop, and the mpg aint that much better than what im getting out of my impreza 