Against all advice, I bought an ultra low mileage car...

marlot

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

... It even has the folding metal roof....

Not metal. Some sort of poly carbonate.

I own a 2011 model. The engine is essentially from a focus, so easy to have repaired if needed. Lubricate the pivot points on the roof.

Check out a Smart Top module - makes putting the roof up and down much easier - especially in traffic.

I had mine professionally cleaned and waxoyled underneath at two years old. Earlier mx-5's had a reputation for rust, but the mk3 seems rather better.

Rain_Shadow

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, everyone. They tyres look perfect but I'll get them checked. Annoyingly, this car doesn't have a spare or space saver.

I have checked and the MK3 does have a cam chain, so good news there.

If it is like my Mazda6, which also came without spare or spacesaver you will find that the wheel well is still there as are all the tools, presumably because some markets require a spare.


The wheel well is just filled with a big block of foam which you can remove and put a spare in.. My Mazda dealer sold me a suitable steel wheel and tyre for about £75 but I'm sure you could source a used MX5 wheel pretty easily.


Well worth the peace of mind after I had the hassle of a puncture.

marlot

Rain_Shadow wrote: »

...The wheel well is just filled with a big block of foam ...

There's no space for a spare in a mk3 mx-5.

But it reminds me that the can of gunk will have expired, and need replacing

marlot

The oil in the diff and gearbox is supposed to be changed every 4-5 years, so will be overdue. It is vital to use the right oils - the gearbox is particularly sensitive and will be awkward to change if the wrong grade is used.

I don't know where you are in the country, but there are several good mx-5 specialist who can give it a good service including gearbox and diff oil changes. I did mine on the drive, but its a low car to get underneath, and really needs to be level when doing the fluids.

I recommend http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/

GabbaGabbaHey

force_ten wrote: »

you can bet your life that there are millions of tyres well past six years old still in daily use, but it now seems that tyres have a six year shelf life, they will be printing best before dates on them next

When I bought my 911 back in 1994, there was a warning on the owner's manual that tyres should be replaced at 6 years old, so it's hardly a new thing.

While there isn't a "best before" date, all tyres do have a "manufactured in" date on the sidewall.

I'm not sure that I'd want to compromise my safety by using tyres that were more than 6 years old (or tyres that were anywhere near the 1.6mm legal tread limit).

AdrianC

GabbaGabbaHey wrote: »

While there isn't a "best before" date, all tyres do have a "manufactured in" date on the sidewall.

TBF, not quite all. The manufacturing code came in around 1983 or so. I know I've seen (in the last year or two... Eeek!) tyres with 1984 codes on them. In fact, I've got at least one in the shed. Not that I ever intend to use it...

Three digits - WWY, 1980s.
Three digits with triangle - WWY, 1990s.
Four digits - WWYY, 2000s-on.

...so if you find a tyre with anything BUT four digits on, then you know it's scrap.

Strider590

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

As the title suggests, I now own a 2007 MX5 with 4,500 miles on the clock. It's basically a brand new car (cost £18,900 plus £255 for parking sensors) for a quarter of the price. It even has the folding metal roof. Everything checks out and I am convinced it is 100% genuine.

It has a few early services -- up to 2011 -- at which time the elderly owner fell ill and it was garaged but still MOT'd each year by his son.

Now, I will have it serviced shortly but my question is what additional checks/work would you ask the garage to do? I am pretty sure this model has a cam chain, so a belt is not a problem. Anything else?

It's not low mileage that's the problem, it's the type of mileage.

My kitcar has done about 600 miles this year, but all of those miles were long runs, at least 45mins long at a decent pace.
If it were 2 mile every day, then that'd be more cause for concern.