The MX-5 NA has now achieved cult status, which of course also attracts the attention of many potential buyers in the used car market. Do you want to buy an MX-5 NA soon, but you are unsure of what to look out for? Then here we have a buyers guide for the classic roadster! We'll go through the entire car with you and see where the MX-5 NA has problems and what to look out for when buying.
Rust / condition of the body:
Probably the biggest issue for the MX-5 NA is simply the corrosion of the body. You can't blame the car for that, after all (as of today) it is up to 30 years old, and even the best sheet metal starts to rust.
Most often the MX-5 NAs rust on the rear wheel arches and on the side skirts. When buying, it is essential to ensure that you do not find any rust that has bloomed. Since the cars usually rust from the inside out, a lot of the inside is usually already rusted through before you can see something on the outside.
You can also see rusted front fenders here and there (mostly the rust falls at the bottom at the back, as the rain-soaked dirt collects here) as well as the longitudinal trays on the underbody of the NA (mostly when the cars have grinded and the underbody protection has worn off).
In the pictures of this Blog you can find great examples of what your car should not look like. You can see examples for rusted side skirts and fenders. If the car you want to buy looks like this, you better be a great body worker or keep on searching for one that is not that rusty.
Interior:
Hard plastic is the order of the day for most parts! Here you have to make sure that components such as the speedometer dome are properly attached. Since these are made of old hard plastic, they become brittle and if you then want to remove the speedometer dome, for example, all clips tend to break off. The interior of the NA likes to become a vibrating nerve killer. So it's best to touch all the plastic parts and check that they are securely in place. A bit of noise development is to be expected on the test drive, however, as the cars are up to 30 years old and simply not as well insulated as modern cars. You can see which noises are normal here in our YouTube videos.
The interior is available in a wide variety of designs with 2 dashboard shapes (before facelift and after facelift), various steering wheels (the original were Momo with and without airbag and the somewhat rarer Nardi steering wheels) and several seats.
In general, the condition of the interior should be good, but please don't forget the age of the car.
Suspension and Steering:
Basically, the steering must not have any play on the test drive of your new Roaster. If the steering has a free travel (in this case you could move the steering wheel without the car reacting) it can be assumed that the steering rack or parts of the suspension are defective.
Suspension bushings have become a very big issue in the MX-5. To check the bushings, it is best to drive the car onto a lifting platform with a flashlight in your luggage. The bushings should not be porous or cracked. Replacing the bushings is really not the most beautiful job and requires an alignment.
Softtop:
The softtop should always be sealing the car. The tops tend to tear over and crack at the side windows, because here the top folds when you open it. Please make sure that the convertible top is generally in good condition, otherwise it can quickly become expensive. Open and close the convertible top to check that the linkage is intact and that it opens and closes completely. It is IMPERATIVE to check the front locks of the softtop, they must not open without pressing the safety button!
The roof drains are located behind the belt towers and can be cleaned relatively easily.
Enginebay and Powertrain:
Basically, the engine should be "relatively" dry. As already mentioned, the cars (and the engines too) are up to 30 years old, so one or the other seal can sweat. However, these seals should be replaced later. Seals should ALWAYS be used from Mazda original, everything else will leak in the long term.
You should definitely take a closer look at the radiator! Should the upper plastic box change color from black to green, it will soon become leaky.
Gearboxes and differentials usually sweat in a 30 year old car. Here you should also pay attention to a leakage or sweating without dripping off.
Test drive Check list:
- Pay attention to noises (it is best to watch our YouTube video beforehand)
- Switch on the ventilation, if the smell is very musty, the heat exchanger may be defective (then the interior carpet is usually wet)
- Note the oil pressure gauge
- Operate all switches and check function (there are no dummy switches or special switches "for the workshop")
- Steering should not have empty movement
- Clutch play should be about 2cm (i.e. the free travel of the clutch pedal)
- In general, the car should accelerate without any dropouts or cuts
If you have any questions, please feel free to comment them under this post or simply write us an email.
Your SPS Motorsport Team