Convertable for a grand?

k6chris

Brewer21 said:

MX-5's are infectious, I started with this @£1500 12 years ago. Never stopped spending on them, on my 4th now but moved on to a Mk3.

What would one like this cost??

Grumpy_chap

MOT till October.
Unsure why the bonnet is popped.
Unfortunate marking on rear seat.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202082280892

That's my choice of the day for Motorguy's challenge

motorguy said:

 "three grumpy old men have £1000 each to spend to buy convertibles which they then have to drive to {insert random far away country here}, completing challenges along the way - hilarity ensues")

k6chris

Grumpy_chap said:

MOT till October.
Unsure why the bonnet is popped.
Unfortunate marking on rear seat.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202082280892

That's my choice of the day for Motorguy's challenge

motorguy said:

 "three grumpy old men have £1000 each to spend to buy convertibles which they then have to drive to {insert random far away country here}, completing challenges along the way - hilarity ensues")

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110018020683  

"Slight miss on tickover".......how bad can it be??

motorguy

k6chris said:

Brewer21 said:

MX-5's are infectious, I started with this @£1500 12 years ago. Never stopped spending on them, on my 4th now but moved on to a Mk3.

What would one like this cost??

Gut feeling is a clean mk1 is probably a minimum of £3K upwards.  I see some restored examples are £8K ish.

Unless its a "simply must have a mk1" type purchase, you can get a mk3 MX5 now with sensible miles for £3K odd.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111189707337

Brewer21

motorguy said:

k6chris said:

Brewer21 said:

MX-5's are infectious, I started with this @£1500 12 years ago. Never stopped spending on them, on my 4th now but moved on to a Mk3.

What would one like this cost??

Gut feeling is a clean mk1 is probably a minimum of £3K upwards.  I see some restored examples are £8K ish.

Unless its a "simply must have a mk1" type purchase, you can get a mk3 MX5 now with sensible miles for £3K odd.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111189707337

I agree mostly with what's said here.
Anything over £3k you are into Mk3 territory but probably into sorting out the rust still.
A £1k Mk1/Mk2 car is very possible to buy but expect it being rough around the edges. If you can get a summer out of it and not lose when selling on it's a win win and very possible. MOT history check is key when buying, you can usually judge what needs attention or what has had attention in the past.
That car pictured I bought it for £1500 and sold it for the same amount 2 years later. I probably spent about £500 on it during that time in parts, some essential some not but I had some good times driving it.👍

motorguy

Brewer21 said:

motorguy said:

k6chris said:

Brewer21 said:

MX-5's are infectious, I started with this @£1500 12 years ago. Never stopped spending on them, on my 4th now but moved on to a Mk3.

What would one like this cost??

Gut feeling is a clean mk1 is probably a minimum of £3K upwards.  I see some restored examples are £8K ish.

Unless its a "simply must have a mk1" type purchase, you can get a mk3 MX5 now with sensible miles for £3K odd.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111189707337

I agree mostly with what's said here.
Anything over £3k you are into Mk3 territory but probably into sorting out the rust still.
A £1k Mk1/Mk2 car is very possible to buy but expect it being rough around the edges. If you can get a summer out of it and not lose when selling on it's a win win and very possible. MOT history check is key when buying, you can usually judge what needs attention or what has had attention in the past.
That car pictured I bought it for £1500 and sold it for the same amount 2 years later. I probably spent about £500 on it during that time in parts, some essential some not but I had some good times driving it.👍

Out of curiosity, when did you sell it and what would you say it or one like it would be worth now?

MalMonroe

I'd only part with £1k for any car if I was a gifted motor mechanic or wanted to hone my mechanic skills. Sadly I've no interest. In the past I have parted with money for loads of junk. I mean, you'd think I'd have learned but no - ooooh! look, a cheap car for sale. NO.  Convertible or not, they're not worth the hassle. And in Britain, even in summer, would you really be able to roll the top back more than about six times?

In my experience, they need tons of work doing on them, they guzzle fuel - doing about 10 miles to the gallon - and fall apart after a few months. And try getting your money back. Impossible. 

Just after he passed his driving test first time at the age of 19, my brother bought a cheap Rover. He loved that car and was very pleased with himself - a Rover! - but it cost him a fortune. Superficially, a brilliant car but it hardly did any miles to the gallon and was rotten and rusty underneath, where nobody bothered to look before he bought it. Insurance and road tax were sky high and it failed the MOT with many hundreds of pounds of work required to get it through. He sold it to a scrap person. Lost on the deal of course. 
 
I'd rather pay more and have a modern car with safety features, reversing help and lovely fast-clearing windows all round, comfy seats, a bit of heating/aircon when required and strong locks to keep the thieves out. One that is reliable and roadworthy, does a good few miles to the gallon and costs absolutely nothing for road tax and doesn't cost a fortune for insurance. People forget about those minor details when wanting to buy 'lovely old cars'. They're not so lovely. They're just things.

Yes, you can probably buy a convertible for a grand but you'll probably live to regret it. While the seller will be laughing all the way to the bank. 

Brewer21

MalMonroe said:

I'd only part with £1k for any car if I was a gifted motor mechanic or wanted to hone my mechanic skills. Sadly I've no interest. In the past I have parted with money for loads of junk. I mean, you'd think I'd have learned but no - ooooh! look, a cheap car for sale. NO.  Convertible or not, they're not worth the hassle. And in Britain, even in summer, would you really be able to roll the top back more than about six times?

In my experience, they need tons of work doing on them, they guzzle fuel - doing about 10 miles to the gallon - and fall apart after a few months. And try getting your money back. Impossible. 

Just after he passed his driving test first time at the age of 19, my brother bought a cheap Rover. He loved that car and was very pleased with himself - a Rover! - but it cost him a fortune. Superficially, a brilliant car but it hardly did any miles to the gallon and was rotten and rusty underneath, where nobody bothered to look before he bought it. Insurance and road tax were sky high and it failed the MOT with many hundreds of pounds of work required to get it through. He sold it to a scrap person. Lost on the deal of course. 
 
I'd rather pay more and have a modern car with safety features, reversing help and lovely fast-clearing windows all round, comfy seats, a bit of heating/aircon when required and strong locks to keep the thieves out. One that is reliable and roadworthy, does a good few miles to the gallon and costs absolutely nothing for road tax and doesn't cost a fortune for insurance. People forget about those minor details when wanting to buy 'lovely old cars'. They're not so lovely. They're just things.

Yes, you can probably buy a convertible for a grand but you'll probably live to regret it. While the seller will be laughing all the way to the bank. 

Blimey you're a cheery sort.

It doesn't have to be full on sun to get that top dropped for a bit of fresh air motoring. The heaters in these MX-5's are really good, I drive most weeks with the hood down, winter/summer. It doesn't rain every day in the UK, Manchester apart😁
They aren't gas guzzling either, around 25-30mpg for the older pre 97 1.6/1.8ltr models, up to 35mpg for my newer 2ltr model.
Cheap top down motoring if you can sniff out s good en for around £1k.

Brewer21

motorguy said:

Brewer21 said:

motorguy said:

k6chris said:

Brewer21 said:

MX-5's are infectious, I started with this @£1500 12 years ago. Never stopped spending on them, on my 4th now but moved on to a Mk3.

What would one like this cost??

Gut feeling is a clean mk1 is probably a minimum of £3K upwards.  I see some restored examples are £8K ish.

Unless its a "simply must have a mk1" type purchase, you can get a mk3 MX5 now with sensible miles for £3K odd.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111189707337

I agree mostly with what's said here.
Anything over £3k you are into Mk3 territory but probably into sorting out the rust still.
A £1k Mk1/Mk2 car is very possible to buy but expect it being rough around the edges. If you can get a summer out of it and not lose when selling on it's a win win and very possible. MOT history check is key when buying, you can usually judge what needs attention or what has had attention in the past.
That car pictured I bought it for £1500 and sold it for the same amount 2 years later. I probably spent about £500 on it during that time in parts, some essential some not but I had some good times driving it.👍

Out of curiosity, when did you sell it and what would you say it or one like it would be worth now?

I sold that one in the picture around 2012 for £1500. These older 'good' cars are in increasing in value now. Talking 'rust free' (owners sometimes class rust you can't see from the top as rust free) it's when you dig down into the car and get underneath to report to them it's not rust free, that really hurts their feelings.
So rust free cars are really going for serious money, Mk1 we are talking, I've seen them up for sale at £19k, tip top condition though. Mostly though you are talking from £4k upwards for a well sorted not so rusty car. Below that expect to have some sort work to do on the car. Like any car, it's always buyer beware.

lordmountararat

Another vote for the MX5. They are fabulous little cars for the money, though rust can be a big problem, on the Mark2 especially. I had to sell mine in the end because my wife could no longer easily get in and out of it.