What to get to replace BARMY

[davekmoore]

BARMY was an SE with a lot of power. I sold him before I left Australia a couple of years ago. Since being back in the UK I’ve tried a standard NC PRHT (boring) and a little Merc with a supercharger and a massive sunroof (quite nice, still have it).
But it’s time to have an MX5 again. UK NAs and NBs are generally rusty, so are ruled out. Even the earliest NDs are out of budget, so although I’d prefer a retractable hardtop, I can only afford that with an NC. There’s a BBR turbo NC PRHT with 300hp but I hear they tend to set themselves on fire.

So thoughts appreciated on these please:

These two NCs came up, and might be less boring than the previous one, given their engine and chassis upgrades. The hp claims will be at the flywheel ......

Superb BBR 180 Mazda speed MX5 2.0 Sport. FSH. £6000 in tasteful upgrades.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193660979897
Look at this on eBay

Mazda MX5 BBR-200
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233702115563

A rust free JDM spec RS also came up. 2001. 99,000 miles. Light blue. Bose. ABS. Coilovers. Soft top only. £3,000. £4,000 to add a 225bhp turbo, clutch and hardtop. Not known when cam belt most recently done.

[93_Clubman]

Dave, the MX5 BBR-200 given the NC2 motor improvements over NC1.

[davekmoore]

Hi Paul (am I right there?).
So the 200 is less money, but double the mileage. I think I can get the BBR 225 conversion for less than the money I’d save. This means 50 DCOEs, which I’m sure make a lovely noise too!
What were the motor improvements in NC2 over NC1? I’ve only read about different rev limits - is it 7,500 compared with 7,000. And I’m not likely to use even 7,000 on the road (retired from the track now).

[davekmoore]

I’ve read up on NC2 improvements now and will be going to see the silver car.
I was wrong about 50s on the BBR200 kit. They’re 45s.
Quite expensive too. Hopefully 208hp will be enough.

[taminga16]

Hi Dave,
I will follow this with interest, great to hear of you.
Greg.

[taminga16]

Neil H-R, Supercharged his NC here in Aus.

[greenMachine]

Good to hear from you Dave, and to see you are going to start playing with MX5s again.

Can you do the 2.5 swap over there Dave?

A PRHT with engine issues would be cheap, and if you could throw some mild cams, a zorst and intake at it at the same time, you are looking at quite a weapon. A reliable weapon too ...

[davekmoore]

greenMachine
Yes, I think a 2.5 swap would be feasible, but I don’t want to get involved in a project.

93 Clubman
Sorry, but I drove a 2006 NC1 Roadster today. It has new coilovers and the BBR180 kit (headers,intake, exhaust, remap). New P Zeros and alignment, immaculate black paint, perfect interior, even an upgraded head unit that works of the steering wheel controls. It drove many times better than the NC2 PRHT I had here - comfy yet controlled handling, turned in, pulled from low revs, revved when wanted, and made nice noises. Serviced to death all it’s life. Very good rustproofing. And it can come for a bargain price.
I liked it so much I left the seller a small deposit that I volunteered would be non returnable if I didn’t confirm I wanted it on Monday.

[93_Clubman]

Yeah Dave, it's Paul, as mentioned favouring the NC2 was influenced by engine improvements over NC1, newer car, & that it was previously the owner of BBR's car. Indeed, that was offset somewhat by more than twice the mileage (not kms as I was first thinking yesterday) of the NC1, so at 118k miles it's up there for a 2009 MX5. Of course, more of an unknown is how it's been treated. But if the NC1 you drove has really been babied & is the right price, then I'd probably be more inclined to favour it. Good to see those DCOEs are ITBs, & not the two twin carbs I was initially thinking of with all the tuning fun of days gone by!

[ManiacLachy]

My understanding is that used cars are quite cheap over there, at least compared to the local market. Would something like a Porsche Boxster/Caymen or a BMW Z4M Convertible/Coupe be in the budget? It might be a good opportunity to try something different that would have been a bridge too far back here.

[bruce]

Watching Wheeler Dealers and reading UK car magazines I notice a lot of the cars (over 10 yrs old) have diabolical corrosion on their undersides, I guess due to the salted/gritted roads.

[davekmoore]

My understanding is that used cars are quite cheap over there, at least compared to the local market. Would something like a Porsche Boxster/Caymen or a BMW Z4M Convertible/Coupe be in the budget? It might be a good opportunity to try something different that would have been a bridge too far back here.

All true. However, you also pay the “German” tax on parts and servicing. And German cars rust too.

[davekmoore]

Watching Wheeler Dealers and reading UK car magazines I notice a lot of the cars (over 10 yrs old) have diabolical corrosion on their undersides, I guess due to the salted/gritted roads.

Yup, it’s the salt. MX5s are particularly bad. Even early NDs are starting to need work.

My mint little 17 year old Merc with mahoosive sunroof is a notable exception. And it drove like a new car on the 2 hour trip to view the NC1 yesterday. Half way there I started wondering if I really wanted to get rid of it. The NC drove so well, though, and was in such good condition, that it won me over, and I rang today to confirm I would buy it, having left a deposit yesterday. But ......

This afternoon the owner rang to back out of the deal. Now, having paid a deposit etc I could insist on completing the deal, but my attitude is that sometimes these things are meant to tell us it wasn’t to be. So I’m back in the market. And 93_Clubman will be pleased.

I reckon I want to buy a finished car (spent 8 years fiddling with BARMY). I can’t/won’t afford an ND. It has to be more refined than an NA or NB. I didn’t like the standard NC2 I had for a while in the UK. So I’m “stuck” with an NC that’s already been modded. And while I’m at it I might as well get the better motor etc in the NC2, and a PRHT.

At present, that seems to leave the silver car in my first post in this thread. It’s the cheapest way to get NC2 plus PRHT plus 40% extra power, plus suspension, rear sensors etc, already done. I hate the colour of the wheels so would have then painted car wheel colour, and sell the standard ones. So 90% of the car looks right, including the fact that it’s rustproofed underneath and in the cavities. The 10% is the mileage - 118,000 miles.

To correct my earlier comment, there seem to be no 2.5 motors for sale here.

So, what thoughts on high mileage NC2s, please people. What goes wrong, what doesn’t, etc.

[greenMachine]

Dave, not being 'into' NCs, my only comment would be about the servicing - if it has been regularly serviced, and lacks any evidence of hard use (harness holes in the carpet etc). That would not be a plus, just a hurdle to be passed. How long has it been upgraded? That's 200k kms, no spring chicken, maybe get compression and leakdown tests done?

Sounds like you are comfortable with the Merc, so no need to jump on the first one - take your time and get one you will be happy with.

Surprised 2.5s not around, don't forget these are Duratecs as well as MZRs ...

Good luck with the hunt.

[davekmoore]

May have found an acceptable low mileage BBR NB8B turbo. The price isn’t right though, yet!
Will a mint turbo NB appreciate in value if I only do 5,000 miles a year?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... archad=New