looking at buying one 199,000 ks what should i be looking for ?
sigvat1,
Jan 29, 2:48am
1994
tgray,
Jan 29, 3:28am
A service history. Very reliable cars, but it's 21 years old and twice around the clock. All the usual things/ oil leaks, clutch, electrics, paint peel, cold A/C etc.
nzdoug,
Jan 29, 3:34am
Id take it to a Mazda dealer for a pre purchase inspection. Nice classic car.
fordcrzy,
Jan 29, 5:29am
they are pretty bullet proof. biggest thing to look for is the soft top condition. ANY tears or cracking around the side windows means its got 12 months max left in it. look for a nice slick gear shift and reasonable service history. check that the elec windows go up and down nicely as they tend to stick and snap the cords. if your getting the cambelt done , then replace the water pump too. seriously though these cars are very very very reliable. check for damage to the underside floor stiffeners (some call them chassis rails but they are NOT chassis rails) its a common wof fail for crushed/damaged floor stiffener rails. check for any rust just behind the front wheels on the guards as leaves can gather where the gaurd bolts to the sill. oh and dont take it to the dealer. they dont care about old mx5's. join the mx5 forum and maybe ask a club member to check it out for you. try and test drive as many as you can before buying. that way you can tell arattly old POS from a good tight example. wheel alignment is VERY important on these for good handling. google "lanny alignment" for specs to take with you.
brapbrap8,
Jan 29, 7:14am
They are good and reliable, my partners dad bought one off the side of the road 2 years ago. 89 model done about 220km. He changed the cambelt, waterpump, radiator and hoses. Changed all fluids at the same time. Since then he ended up making it his daily driver, and it hasn't let him down.
quickbuck,
Jan 30, 2:25am
And if it turns into a bit of a WOF nightmare, you can always strip it out and race it.
sigvat1,
Jan 30, 3:37am
they want $4000 - $4500
quickbuck,
Jan 30, 5:08am
Must be in quite good nick then.
fordcrzy,
Jan 30, 5:29am
thats about the right money for a 94 1800. they are generally worth around 1500-2000 more than your average generic 1990ish 1600. the 1800's had a stronger diff and bigger brakes and better chassis stiffening in the rear subframe which is worth it. like i said, the soft top condition and then cambelt water pump change are the biggest things to consider in the buy price. a top is about $1000 fitted
fordcrzy,
Jul 16, 10:44am
yup if it fails for "chassis rails" and needs a repair cert then you may as well sell it or keep it as a track car. plenty of people looking for mx5 track cars cheap.
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