pslewis

Anyone any idea how much a steering wheel airbag and a dashboard airbag would cost on a Mazda MX5?

Daughter had an accident - I'm trying to cost up what the damage will be in cost terms, but, the airbags may well resukt in the car being written off

This would be a real shame as the car from the front bumper back is perfect - even the radiator is un damaged!

It took us 6 months to find this car .... a write-off payment wouldn't go 2/3rds of the way to replace it.

scubbay

iTrader: (61)

Let them write it off and then buy it back from them and fix it? Normally works out that your better off as they price it up using new parts but you can fix it using second hand parts.

nik52wrx

£142.99

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-MAZDA...item41577d7675

Nik

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Check the seat belt pretensioners, if the airbags have gone off, these will have deployed too...another cost to consider.

From the ebay ad above:

ORLY? How do you test a airbag?

pslewis

Thanks for the above replies.

It's a MK3 MX5, so, October 2005 on ... couldn't get the new prices from anywhere, they all say contact them.

I simply have absolutely no idea what the new costs would be (trying to second guess the full repair costs and if it is likely to be written off).

May I be correct in thinking that the airbags and all that goes with them would be about £1500 new? If the repair is £2500 (which is my guess) - then, at £4000 it's more than 2/3rd value

GC8

Mk3? Id try the specialist breakers through Nutz and MX5OC. Theyre not worth a great deal, but getting them posted can be a problem.

Six months to find an NC? I could understand it taking a while to find the right NA or NB, but the market is awash with NCs and they dont have any of the earlier cars problems.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Pete, are you in the MX5 owner's club? It is a fantatsic club and I am sure people in there will be able to help you out with sorting the car. A guy I used to work with had an accident in his MX5 and he bought it back off the insurers. The owner's club were brilliant in helping him get it back on the road for little money.

MOTORS S GT

iTrader: (2)

Its not just the airbags, it will be the trigger module as well, paint ££££, but a 2005 car with airbags deployed, never going to be repaired by the insurance.

pslewis

Not sure what you mean by NA and NB problems - what problems?

We started looking for a mint MK1 - nothing about, it's mainly complete rubbish (except mine, of course - and that was what we were looking for).

Then went after the MK2.5 ..... some good ones 4 years ago, but decent ones with Dealers asking silly money.

Eventually found this MK3 at a good price, so went for it.

The damage really isn't that bad when you look at it ...... all the frontal plastic has to be replaced, but, even the Radiator hasn't even gone!!

To break for parts would probably get £2500? - engine perfect and is all the running gear - interior as one would expect with 40,000 miles on it - wings perfect, doors great, boot, lights even!

David Lock

I am glad your daughter was unharmed.

But did she fall into this group I wonder?

"You know the ones, been driving less than a decade and think they know it all ... using mobile phones, texting and scratching their ***** while driving.

I believe - as a senior citizen - we should be protected against such idiots ... I would advise only being allowed behind the wheel at 30 years of age. Under that and they simply cannot drive properly!" - P S Lewis

dl

pslewis

If I'm 74 - I think it is safe to assume that she isn't in the 'under 30' Grouping responsible for 95% of Accidents on the UK roads.

GC8

NAs and NBs all suffer from corroded rear wheelarches and corroded sills. This is caused by the rear drains and it affects every car. The only NA or NB that you can be sure has good sills has had them done already. NB2s are even worse than NBs, with most clean and expensive cars showing the signs of an expensive MOT failure on the horizon.

Add to this the NBs (Mk2 & Mk2.5) propensity for corrosion in the chassis legs too. Unfortunately this is FAR harder to fix than the sills and likely to sound the cars death knell.

I love NBs and Id recommend that anyone who is a car enthusiast buys one, but they need to go into it with their eyes open.

Im not convinced that the MX5OC is that great, unless you want to drive to a castle with a load of Howard & Hilda types, but MX5Nutz is an excellent site.


Simon

GC8

NBs also have a well documented engine problem (oil pressure relief valve) which causes big end failure, particularly on Summer use only cars.

This is why you can buy a lovely 20,000 mile NB2 engine for £200, but if you can find an NB engine in good condition itll be 2.5 times as much, and theyre always snapped up!

Mines black with cream leather and a black hard top.

pslewis

Interesting opinions Simon.

I can show you an NA without the slightest sign of corrosion.

GC8

There are some NAs certainly, but theyre few and far between. NBs on the otherhand... Mk2.5s are the worst I think, in the respect that people pay very strong prices for them still and many are showing the signs of serious sill corrosion.

With an £800 Mk2 I woulsnt be too concerned, but on a £3,800 Mk2.5 Id be really pissed off. NB2s suffer from chassis leg corrosion too, although they have a revised oil pressure relief valve so theyll run for ever, after youve welded them up.

pslewis

This chassis leg corrosion - where to look for it?

I've always fancied a Montana, which of course is a MK 2.5

GC8

I will try to find a picture. I cant fit into a Mk2.5 without a foamectomy. The seats are one piece similar to the JDM Mk2 seats, but the squab is a good deal higher.

An acquaintance took me for a run in his supercharged NB which had NB2 seats fitted. He had foamectomied the drivers seat but not the passengers and my head was pressed up against the roof!

GC8

A 2002 Sport:


Further reading:

http://www.mx5scotland.co.uk/board/v...hp?f=7&t=11809

GC8

Here too, in this post from Garath:

http://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/forums/p/46836/344672.aspx

He is based in Sussex, so not that far to travel if you end up with a rusty 5. I considered using him myself, but its just too far to go.

pslewis

Simon

That's a real concern for MK2 and MK2.5 owners

The problem with it, of course, is that the corrosion is hidden away .... no-one can see it - certainly not an MOT Tester!

GC8

Its not that well known a problem either. I see that both of the threads referred to are quite recent.

When I bought mine a couple of years ago I only knew about the rear sill area, which appeared to be very good (although itll need work next year despite appearances) but knew nothing about the chassis leg issue. I found out about it through Nutz and fortunately my car appears to be quite good but I saw several 'clean' cars dismantled last Winter as a result of chassis leg corrosion.

From reading it appears that NB2s are suffering more, so I wouldnt entertain one now. A clean JDM NB would be nice though...

pslewis

That's really concerning, especially as I have been keeping an eye out for a Mint Montana ..... these, as you will know, are MK2.5's 52/03 Plates.

Is there any possible way to vcheck these legs without dismantling?

GC8

Id suggest reading up all that you can on the OC and Nutz. When I became aware of this it was NBs that were suffering and mostly they were cars which were also scabby around the arches and drain area and obviously needing remedial sill welding.

I hadnt seen an otherwise clean Mk2 which had severe sill corrosion, but the problem seems to have developed a great deal since I looked into it.

pslewis

Worrying, for such an Icon.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Well admittedly my experience of it was a long time ago, sounds like it has gone the same way as Scooby owners

pslewis

All Clubs get filled with **** types, I do sometimes wonder where their real lives disappeared to.

But, they are with likeminded souls ... no harm done.

And the serious anoraks are very useful when knowing what's what .... but, you wouldn't want to spent too long with them

You won't believe this, but, some people actually disconnect their crank angle sensor after an oil change No, stop laughing - it's TRUE!!!