Brodie Britain will sell you a fully restored Mk1 mx5 with turbo motor, sixty in 6.5 secs, 145mph, 7.5k....gotta be a bargain in this day and age...

There is something said for doing it your self though, 7.5k is a bit of a snip though!

For me it would be an expersize in learning something new. When the panda is finished i'm going to need something to keep my busy

I do believe that you can use the parts from the 80/90's Mazda 323 turbo to build a turbo mx5. The 1.8 engine is supposed to be very similar.

There was an article in PPC magazine a few years back. The only thing stopping me was the fact I don't think i'll fit in the car.

So how stupid am I to be thinking of going from a 20vt as my daily driver, to a K-reg 1.6 MX-5 with 68,000 miles on the clock?!

and how likely am I to get a set of golf clubs in one?!

I could get a set (and only one set) in my Barchetta, so you should be ok.

Better still, I know of a beemer with similar mileage that would have no trouble with two bags...

Haha yea I know, i'm meant to be getting as sensible car, but it's killing me!! I don't think i'm going to be able to do it!!

I know what I'd rather be relying on as a daily drive

And just think of the marque snobbery at the golf club...

Mine was cracking, simple and easy to fix, cheep parts. The drive was bloody fantastic, not sure about the gold clubs but there is nothing stopping you putting them in the passenger footwell.

It was smashing on fuel as well. For the money you won't get a better soft top.

The reason mine went is because it was horrid on the motorway for any more than 20 miles. Noise levels were to high.

If mine was a simple case of a few miles on a a road to work I couldn't recommend it enough.

Stay away from the early uk version as it lacks power. Go for a jap import and ignore people that say insurance will be a massive problem, it won't be.

I'll say no more Nick

Haha Dan - you're becoming quite the car salesman! Just don't start ringing my mobile or turning on my doorstep, that'll be going a little too far!!

Sam - was it really that bad on the motorway? Did you have the 1.6 or 1.8?

I had the 1.6. It would be fine for infrequent motorway trips and is fine all the way up to 60mph but above that road and wind noise really gets quite loud.
I went up to the cosford meet a few weeks back in it and that would be as far as I wanted to go by choice on a motorway with it. There very low as well as driving at night past HGV's and other car lights wasnt fun.

As the only reason I use my car is fairly long trips (emm's 500 is racking up far to many miles so cant use that any more) so it made no sense to keep. Perhaps with a hard top and better tyers it would have been better?

Any how if its just A road use go for it, if you can put up with the noise go for it but its no GT car like the coupe.

Sam you sold your MX-5!?

Darlo_Nick they are fine on the motorway with a hardtop. Saying that, I drive mine 99% with the roof down, and sit at 60-65mph on the motorway as since selling the Coupe I'm aiming to drive more sedately with less stress!

I've just swapped my vinyl roof with plastic rear screen for a mohair roof with glass window (2nd hand from a Mk2), to improve visibility out the back when the roof is up and to make putting the roof down a 2 second job! You don't need to do this though, and most Mk1's still have their original hood. I also replaced my main carpet as mine was worn from a previous owner not using car mats, and whilst doing so I fitted loads of sound-deadening material. I haven't finished yet but it should make quite a difference.

Whilst I was doing this I found my gear lever gaitors were split badly, and this lets loads of noise in! Once I removed the arm rest section I could see the road! Sam's might have had this too as they split after a few years but are cheap and easy to replace.

There is a really good community on MX5Nutz (or if you're middle-aged+ then MX5OC). Get one, they are so much fun!

I did sell it Ill regret it come summer but at the moment me and the mrs are looking to marry and saving for a house as well. This is on top of the 5 being noisy. It also made me no sense to splash out on a hard top as that would have cost more than I bought the car for!
Hey ho, made a profit and some one got them self's a none rusty clean mx5 (I still see it about) The mrs's will actually drive the sci as well which comes in useful

Well the one i've seen is a K-reg UK 1.6 with a hardtop roof.

I think I need to give it a good test drive, as to start with i've never been in a MX5 before. Plus I need to see how slow it feels, as that's my biggest worry!!

You should join up on Nutz and see if anyone local will show you what an MX-5 can do

I'm avoiding going down the tuning route (as much as I would love a supercharger). Saying that, I have a bucket seat to fit before the club fish and chip run to Brighton this Sunday.

The mx5 is a good fun car like that has been said. Noisy at speed as said

A happy medium between the Coupe and an mx5 is the mx6. A lot more reliable than most cars as it is a jap. Can't remember if it is a 4 or 5 seater. Hard top, 2.5 v6. Not as fast as a 20vt of course, but still fun to drive. I had one for about 18 months. Did about 25,000 miles in her. Total spend was a new battery. Only bought her as I was going through a stage of buying all the cars I nearly bought in the past, and nearly bought one when I got my Coupe. The styling won in the end.