THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUILDING THE AMX ASTONISH KIT

Before ordering the AMX Astonish kit it is always advisable to do your homework on the MX5. What is required in terms of space to build, tools, your automotive and mechanical knowledge?  Be honest about your ability to build a kit car, do you need assistance from friends or is there a build service and if so how much does it cost?  What kind of specification you ultimately want? The beauty of this kit is that once built you can improve other little details such as interior upgrades with leather or even exchange the Mark 1 dashboard for a Mark 2.  Yes a build service is available and price is on application and dependant on spec and condition of the donor.

You will also need to consider what colour you want.  Sounds like a silly question but if you want a total re-spray this often involves the removal of the engine which will escalate costs.  Alternatively there are some specialist MX5 companies that can spray around the engine in black which will allow you to spray the remainder of the car any colour you want.  I chose black as it is a beautiful colour and the whole car has already been sprayed inside and out.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE VIEWING ANY CARS?

Join the MX5 owners club.  It only costs a little over £30 and I received that back on the discount on the insurance.  It has more than paid for itself with hints and advice on issues involving ownership.  It is a great site for asking questions about anything to do with MX5’s from engine problems, servicing, buying advice and even parts or cars for sale.  Owners are very helpful and chances are if you have a problem someone has already had the same thing and found a solution.  They also organise fun days for drives out, technical days and it can give you an opportunity to look at other cars and see what you would like to see on yours.  www.mx5oc.co.uk

I would then suggest you buy a book to read.  I bought “Do It Up Mazda Miata/MX5” by Haynes Publishing typically £19.99 or cheaper second hand from an auction site.  This book is very handy and gives advice on buying what to look for and what to avoid.  The MX5 is the best selling sports car of all time and for good reason, however there are some poorly neglected examples out there which for the right price could be a bargain but for the unaware will could prove a costly mistake.

You should then buy something like Haynes Workshop Manual Mark 1 for around £16.99 new.  I could not find this manual at the usual motor factor outlets and it had to be ordered from a reputable internet book and CD supplier.  This goes into more detail on servicing, inspection and repair of all the systems on a Mazda MX5.  Parts are widely available at competitive prices along with custom styling parts from companies such www.mx5.parts.co.uk

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

Start keeping an eye on local papers, second hand garages, internet sites such as Ebay and Autotrader.  You can see the prices creeping up in the spring so I would always advise looking to buy during the winter months or just before Xmas like I did.  It does not need to be perfect as it is a project and all body panels will be either removed or covered.  Avoid those cars which appear to have had a heavy impact as this may make the kit more difficult to fit.  

There are still reasonable deals to be had at any time of the year particularly as owners have a change of circumstances or just want newer versions.  Go and visit plenty of examples to get an idea of what you can buy for your money and to spot the good ones from the bad ones.  Unless it is in exceptional condition and good value for money do not buy the first one you see out of impulse.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAZDA MX5’S

Many people stress the advantage of buying a genuine UK Mark 1 as opposed to a Eunos.  Historically this allowed cheaper insurance quotes due to Grey Import vehicles.  However this is no longer the case. It is often said by genuine UK owners that the imported versions are not to the same standard in terms of rust prevention.  This is a common misconception as both the Eunos and MX5 were built on the same production assembly lines. 

The Eunos was destined for the Japanese market as a specialist sports brand similar to Lexus is for Toyota.  The Japanese equivalent of the MOT is much more stringent which is why many of the Eunos models are now imported into Ireland and the UK.  The advantage for kit builders and UK owners is that these cars have often spent the majority of their lives in Japan where salt and grit is not used.  They also have many of the little luxuries or toys that most people prefer and are only usually available as optional extras on UK models – things such as power steering (essential if you want larger wheels and low profile tyres), air conditioning (do not believe those who say you do not need it with our humid and often wet summers), electric windows and mirrors. Whether you decide to buy a genuine UK model or an import is a matter of personal choice – I went for the Eunos for the extras and the fact that it does not need a catalytic converter for the MOT.  

Also many imports have only been in this country for 5 or more years which does make a difference when dealing with a 16+ year old car.  You can tell the difference between a UK specified car and a Eunos as the UK has the normal UK rectangular number plate where as the Eunos has the square plate for compliance with Japanese regulations.

MX5’s are very well engineered and in fact a little over engineered.  They are often able to handle more power from superchargers, turbos or even engine transplants to bigger V8 variants such as Rover or Mustang 5000 cc engines!  If you do not believe me how many 19 year old Ford Sierra’s do you see on the roads today?  And now how many Mark 1 Mazda do you see when it is sunny?

COMMON FAULTS WITH MX5’S

As with any car there are often niggles or common faults that only become apparent with time or factory recalls.  The main one for Mazda is rust in front of the rear wheel arch and sill under the door.  If it has been cared for by an owner who has knowledge of what to do this should never be a problem.  However many owners are completely unaware of a simple routine to do regularly when cleaning the car to reduce the chances of this happening. 

If you approach the car from the nearside or offside and put your hand in front of the rear wheels where the sill starts you will find a little pipe.  This is a drainage hole and it is essential that you keep this clear.  It has a little flap to prevent water being splashed up inside the tube and to reduce road noise. 

 Now look inside the car behind the seat belt pillars. You will see a little gallery which is used to catch water. It is difficult to see with the hood down but you can see it with the hood up.  The design of the hood directs water to run round the outside of the hood and under a plastic belt line. The water then travels round to both the near and off sides and is collected in a special gallery inside the car which is just behind the seat belt pillars behind the seats.  A wet carpet or stains here may indicate poor maintenance or a blocked gallery.

It is not easy to see but you can feel it with your fingers.  Inside the gallery is a drainage hole which drains out of the pipe you first found under the car.  To keep this unblocked you need to lie beside the car and insert a piece of semi rigid/flexible wire similar to an old car aerial or net curtain wire.  Be warned, you will dislodge varying amounts of black water (so do not lie under the pipe looking up).  Don’t be alarmed – this is a good sign as it demonstrates you have cleared the pipe of any obstructions such as leaves, seeds, petals and mud – which you will find over time or when you pop the hood down.  If this pipe blocks then damage can be caused to the sill and the wheel arch which is costly to repair.  Don’t push the wire too hard otherwise you could damage the pipe and always work from below as if you push too hard from above you could dislodge the pipe half way down. 

There are also a drainage holes at the front of the sill to allow water to drain through. These holes are usually found at/near the jacking points.

The MX5’s suffer with their rear brakes if neglected which can result in an MOT failure. MX5’s are fitted with disc brakes all round but the rears require adjustment by a special screw concealed under a bolt which is often missed by mechanics unfamiliar with MX5’s.  They also have a sliding pin which can seize over time and requires cleaning and lubrication to keep it working.  This is a simple job for the home mechanic or something to factor in before an MOT.

You need to ensure that the cam belt has been replaced and if an owner insists this has been done but cannot provide documentary evidence in terms of a service bill then assume it has not been done.  The cam belt only ever needs changing every 60,000 miles or 5 years although some owners change them more often.  The MX5 mark 1 and 2 engines have what is termed a non interference head so that should a cam belt snap it will not smash the pistons onto the valves; it merely needs a new cam belt and to be correctly set up unlike most other cars requiring expensive engine overhauls.

Electric windows are usually slow but many of the manuals detail what you can do ease the movement of windows with a little WD40 spray in the rubber channels or where the cables have been damaged or stretched the whole mechanism can be exchanged for around £65 and is within the scope of the DIY or home mechanic.

Hoods are not that expensive to replace with a top quality mohair hood fitted for around £500 or vinyl for about £250.  When buying look carefully for rips, tears and leaks - ensure the zip works freely from the inside of the rear window. The window should be unzipped before lowering the hood.  Those owners who do not bother can often be identified by split or cracked plastic windows.  Check the zips work as do the clamps at the front of the hood that fix to the windscreen.  Many owners exchange the plastic windows for the more desirable heated glass windows which were fitted to Mark 2 MX5’s.  The hoods and many other parts are the same size and can be exchanged between both models.

There is a definitive guide on the MX5 Owners club forum which can give advice on models and buying.  http://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/forums/t/425.aspx

OTHER LINKS

Insurance – always try the specialist kit and classic car insurance companies who specialise in the unusual.  You will often find scary quotes from the normal car insurance companies who advertise for the general motoring public. Try companies such as:

www.adrianflux.co.uk

www.footmanjames.co.uk

www.suretermdirect.co.uk

www.specialistcars.aon.co.uk

www.aplan.co.uk - they have specialist schemes for modified or unmodified cars

Parts – there are several suppliers of new or used parts for Mazda MX5’s these include:

www.mx5parts.co.uk

www.boundville.co.uk or www.autolink.co.uk for used parts

www.mx5mad.com

www.moss-europe.co.uk

Servicing agents include: there are some very good garages up and down the country and it is best to rely on personal recommendations.  These can be found on the MX5 owner’s club forum.

www.dandycars.com

www.samgoodwin.com

Please note that I cannot give recommendations on the types of products or services offered by the named companies above and I do not receive any remuneration from any of them.