My search for a perfect donor car:(
 

Hi everyone. Ok I've always wanted to own a kit car and apart from a short fling with a Covin 911 replica (too far gone to bother with) I've never had the chance to do so.

I've fallen for the Tribute MX250 and I'm hoping I'll have the funds to buy one in the new year. In the meantime I've been looking for an mx5 donor. Although I'm a qualified panel beater/painter I don't want to mess about with the kit any more than I need to so for that reason I'm looking for a mk1. Thing is I've got a private reg R77 KKM and I want this to be on the finished article. Obviously this leaves me limited to one years worth of Mk1s and everything I've found so far is too expensive to be used as a viable donor.

I did find one on Gumtree the other day which the guy said was 95% complete. There were even videos of the engine running and the pics made it look workable. When I got there I lifted the cover and found about 30% was on the drive in the form of rust and the rest had been butchered for spares. There was no steering wheel, seat, wheels, brakes, ecu, bootlid, front wings or bumper. Half the engine bay was in the boot and the rest had been sold on eBay!

One good thing did come out of my trip as the guy gave me an extended test drive of his working mx5 :) Hadn't driven one before so I was chuffed to bits.

It was a 1.8 with no PAS or electric windows so it gave me a good idea of what to expect. I was left thinking about more power and bigger brakes!

few of these turn up for sale on retro rides try that site

Half decent mk1's are rapidly gaining modern classic status, after all, the earliest cars are 25 years old now.

I'd bite the bullet and go for a mk2. It'll be easier to find in good condition at the right price, you won't have a problem transferring your plate and the extra work required to transform it will just add to the sense of achievement once it's finished.

What exactly is involved in getting it onto the MK2? I've had a good search round the forum and it seems like a lot but sometimes people make things look harder than they actually are! Lol

What should my budget be for a rough but ready MOTd MX5? I'm ok with doing some basic mechanics but I draw the line at replacing rotten floor pans and chassis legs. I'd hate to pay more than £500 for a base car but if I need to I will.

Don't forget to factor in the sale of body parts you take off the donor

I put the convertible kit on to a Mk2 and certainly made it look more difficult than should have been but mainly because I didn't have a clue what I was doing (some might suggest I still don't ;-) ). If you have even basic skills in this area then it shouldn't be a problem.

Main look out on the Mk2 is to check the front chassis rails as mine had holes you could fit your fist in.

Here's one just up the road from me:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1998-MAZDA...item2ed88668ef

Over your budget, but just look at the mileage :scared:

Or we can give you a helping hand with the modifications to the kit before collection, now that we have a Mk2 shell at the workshop.

If I'd bought the mk1 I'd seen the other day I'd have had to add on about £800 first!

I just had a good read through your build thread. It's those relief cuts that put me off a MK2 in the first place! Although if Chris is working on a MK2 specific kit I'd happily be first to review it :)

Did you build your MX outside???!!! Mad b%#*}rd!

Nice long MOT too.......

But I've got a bit of a thing about low mileage cars, and I don't think I could cut a car up that had done less than 20k no matter how tatty it was. Would be better off going to an enthusiast who could restore it properly.

It would be great if you are looking at adapting the kit for a MK2 Chris. If you want to just send me the parts when they're finished I'll let you know how I get on :heh:

Although I've said I don't want to do much mechanical work I've been doing a bit of research and it looks like I'll probably go down my usual route of 'pikey turbo' for a bit of extra bang.

You can't just say that without explaining

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e3...4.jpg~original

I have a terrible habit of getting confused and putting the wrong engines into cars, and unfortunately I always manage to accidentally turbo them first.

This was my MK4 Escort with a 2.0 Zetec Turbo engine which was all home brewed.

Before anyone asks I don't know what bhp it was! I just know it was mental.

Bidding on a couple of older MK1s

Ha ha accidentally turbo them..love it

Mx5 are easy to do all the bits are out there

Yeah I'm watching bits like mad on EBay.

Rikochet, your probably right to go the turbo route. I drive my 1.8 mx up and down the motorway everyday and more ooomph would be good as I don't think adding the mx kit to the standard mx5 has made it any lighter. On a country road the standard car is fine and a lot of fun but looking out there you can get 250bhp with a turbo that would give this car the performance the body kit promises to deliver.

auto mk1s are unloved - and low compression :eusa_dance:

easy enough to source and fit a manual box and pedal box.

KLDE V6 fits nicely too :eyebrows:

Without going crazy you could have a safe, useable 200bhp in a Mazda for a fair bit less than £1000 inc TD04 Turbo, manifold, piggyback ECU, bigger injectors and fuelling mods. You'd also need a few in car gauges and much better brakes.......

My mate has a fairly complete Probe with a low mileage engine about to go for scrap in the next month or so. I've read conflicting stories about the V6 in the MX5 though. Some say it causes issues with oil starvation due to the angle that the unit sits at in the car and also the gearbox seems like it'd be a pain?