Mazda MX-5 Mk1 and Mk2 buyer's guide

Japanese imports never rust.

Imports spent their early years away from road salt, so many started out sound, but they have now spent decades on British roads. UK and Japanese cars received the same rust protection. Inspect an import exactly as you would a UK car.

A UK car is always better than a Eunos.

Condition matters far more than origin. A well-kept import can be a better buy than a neglected UK car, though imports carry a higher risk of poor accident repair and thin history.

All early 1.6 engines are about to fail.

Only the earliest short-nose crank engines carry the pulley risk, and many have been checked or resolved. Inspect the pulley and ask for evidence rather than walking away from every early car.

Sills, rear arches and body structure

Rust is the main reason MX-5s are scrapped. Start at the rear sills and arches, then work round the car with a torch and a magnet.

• Rear sills just ahead of the rear wheels are the classic rot spot. Water from the hood drains is meant to exit here; if the drain tubes are blocked, it collects inside the sill and corrodes it from within.
• Ask whether the hood drain tubes behind the seats have been cleared, and look for damp carpet behind the seats as a clue that they are blocked.
• Rear wheel arches, especially the lips and the inner arch where it meets the sill. Bubbling here usually means more rot behind.
• Plating over the outside of a rotten rear sill is a quick fix, not a proper repair. Look for seams, lumpy underseal or fresh paint on the sill bottoms.
• Front wing bottoms, the area above the front bumper and the base of the windscreen pillars, where rust can follow a poorly fitted replacement screen.
• Floors beside the rear wings and the front floors under the carpets, particularly if the car has leaked.
• Use a magnet on the rear arches and sills for filler, and look for overspray, uneven panel gaps and missing bonnet stickers, which can indicate accident repair.

Mk2 front chassis rails and underside

The Mk2's double-skinned front chassis rails are its most serious structural worry because they rust from the inside out and are mostly hidden. Mk1s are not generally affected in the same way.

• Look along the front chassis rails behind the front bumper and under the engine bay. The plastic undertray often hides them; on a private sale ask if it can be removed.
• Bulging or flaking on the rail surface suggests rot between the layers, even when no hole is visible.
• Fresh underseal on the front rails of a Mk2 should prompt questions. Ask for photographs and invoices of the work.
• Check the online MOT history for repeated corrosion advisories or failures on the chassis, sills or suspension mounts.
• Inspect the pressed-steel suspension arms and the subframes for heavy corrosion on both generations.
• On lowered cars, look for scrapes and dents on the underside members and chassis rails, which suggest grounding or careless lifting.

Engine, including the early crank pulley

Both engines are tough if serviced, but check the crank pulley on early 1.6s and ask for proof of cambelt changes.

• Early 1.6 short-nose crank: the earliest engines, up to the 1991 revision, can loosen the crank pulley if its bolt was wrongly tightened, wearing the woodruff key groove and damaging the crank nose.
• Identify it by the crank pulley: early short-nose engines have four slots in the bottom pulley, later ones eight. Ask the seller which it is and check the build date.
• With the engine running, look at the crank pulley for any wobble or play. A pulley that runs out of true is a reason to walk away or get specialist advice.
• Cambelt: ask for dated evidence of a change. The usual guide is every five years or around 60,000 miles. The Mk1 engine is non-interference, so a snapped belt usually strands the car rather than wrecking it.
• Oil leaking from the cam angle sensor O-ring at the back of the head can drip onto a heater hose and soften it. Check both.
• Check coolant condition and level: neglect corrodes the alloy head and sludges the waterways. Look under the oil cap for mayonnaise and in the expansion tank for oil.
• On post-1995 UK cars the oil pressure gauge is a dummy and reads normal whenever the engine runs, so do not rely on it.

Gearbox, clutch and differential

Five and six-speed gearboxes are generally strong. Most complaints come from worn linkages and old oil rather than internal failure.

• The change is notchy when cold, particularly first to second, but should loosen as it warms. Check second to third under load.
• A vague or loose lever often means worn linkage bushes or perished gaiters, both inexpensive, but use them in negotiation.
• Clutch bite should be around mid-travel. Biting near the top points to wear; near the floor suggests a master or slave cylinder fault.
• Listen for whine or clunks from the differential, and on cars sold with a limited-slip differential, ask whether it is still fitted.
• Automatic gearboxes appear mainly on Japanese imports. They suit relaxed use but are rare and less sought after.

Suspension, steering and brakes

The double wishbone layout is durable, but bushes wear, and many cars now run aftermarket parts of varying quality.

• Low-speed clonks are often worn anti-roll bar drop links. Broken coil springs also occur where they have corroded.
• Vague or shuddery handling points to tired bushes or dampers. A proper four-wheel alignment makes a large difference.
• Rear calipers and the handbrake mechanism can seize, especially on cars laid up in winter. Check the handbrake holds on a slope.
• Confirm whether the car has power steering; imports usually do. Check track rod ends for play.
• Note the damper and spring make. Some aftermarket coilovers are well regarded; cheap ones spoil the ride.

Hood and interior

Hoods are replaceable, but a leaking roof can feed the rust problems above.

• Mk1 hoods have a plastic rear window that clouds, creases or splits if folded carelessly. Mk2 hoods have a heated glass rear window.
• Look for splits in the vinyl, worn zips and poor fit along the screen header and side windows.
• Look for tide marks on cloth seats, damp carpets and a wet rear shelf. A wet shelf can point to a cracked rain rail, which means removing the roof assembly.
• Driver's seat bolsters wear on high-mileage cars; leather on some special editions is thin and splits.
• Look for poor wiring behind aftermarket stereos and alarms, a common source of faults.

Electrics

Electrical faults are not a major MX-5 weakness, but check the basics and the extra equipment on later cars.

• Pop-up headlamps on the Mk1 should rise together smoothly. A slow side suggests a worn linkage or motor.
• Test the electric windows; motors and regulators wear, and damp can cause faults.
• On Mk2s, check the central locking and immobiliser work reliably with the keys supplied.
• Check air conditioning on imports. Many Eunos systems no longer work.
• Confirm a rear fog lamp is fitted and working on imports.

Imports, paperwork and originality

Eunos and Japanese Mk2 Roadsters are common in the UK. Check that the paperwork matches the car and that the history makes sense.

• Check the VIN and engine number against the V5C, and the chassis number on the bulkhead against the identification plate.
• On imports, establish whether the odometer reads in kilometres or miles. Many speedometers were swapped for mph units, so the true total may be uncertain. Remember 100km is about 62 miles.
• Ask whether the importer's paperwork survives, including any Japanese auction or export documents, which can support the mileage and record previous repairs.
• Check the online MOT history from the car's UK registration for mileage consistency, corrosion advisories and long gaps.
• Ask for invoices for the cambelt, fluids and tyres. Imports with no UK history need all fluids changed and often new tyres.
• On special editions, check the specific badging, colours, wheels and trim against what that edition should have.
• On a car offered as standard, look for signs of removed modifications: holes from a roll bar, scraped underside, odd wiring or mismatched parts.

Where do Mazda MX-5s rust?

The rear sills just ahead of the rear wheels and the rear wheel arches are the main areas on both Mk1 and Mk2. The Mk2 also rusts in its double-skinned front chassis rails. Check front wing bottoms, floors, windscreen pillars, jacking points and suspension arms too.

What is the short-nose crank problem on early MX-5s?

The earliest 1.6 engines, built before a 1991 revision, have a short-nose crankshaft. If the pulley bolt was wrongly tightened, the pulley can loosen and damage the crank. Look for a four-slot pulley and any wobble with the engine running.

Is a Eunos Roadster as good as a UK MX-5?

Mechanically they are very close, and many Eunos cars are better equipped. Condition and history matter more than origin. Check imports for accident repairs, thin paperwork and odometers that read in kilometres.

Should I buy a Mk1 or a Mk2 MX-5?

The Mk1 has pop-up headlamps and a simpler, lighter feel. The Mk2 has a glass rear window and, in facelift form, a stiffer body and six-speed option. Either can be good; buy the most structurally sound car, and check Mk2 front rails closely.

Which MX-5 engine is best, 1.6 or 1.8?

The early 1.6 at about 114bhp is lively and revs freely. The 1.8 has more torque and is more relaxed. The detuned later Mk1 1.6 at about 90bhp is noticeably slower.

Is the MX-5 a good first classic?

Yes, for many buyers. It is reliable, simple, well supported by parts and specialists, and easy to drive. The main risk is buying a rusty or badly modified car, so inspect carefully or pay for a specialist inspection.