For those interested in "Modern Classic" Cars

[Kickstart]

On 09/03/2024 at 10:54, big jim said:

Easily £800 of chassis and cill repairs are needed, then there’s the calliper, rear discs and pads as well then to properly repair the rear arches is going to be £500+ and it would need painting too, the garage he works at said pre mot that if it did get through he’d be lucky to get another year out of it, it would end up like the forth bridge, finish one bit and start on the next and back to the start again!

 

Caliper, disks and pads are service items, and fairly likely to need replacing on any car at some point.

If the chassis and sill repairs were done decently then that is the car sorted and lasting a while. And the car would be worth more than the repair costs.

 

Now he has another car as transport, possibly put the MX5 to one side to repair himself as time allows.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[big jim]

32 minutes ago, Kickstart said:

 

Caliper, disks and pads are service items, and fairly likely to need replacing on any car at some point.

If the chassis and sill repairs were done decently then that is the car sorted and lasting a while. And the car would be worth more than the repair costs.

 

Now he has another car as transport, possibly put the MX5 to one side to repair himself as time allows.

 

All the best

 

Katy

the cost of even getting it somewhere near presentable both for the MOT and apperance wise is way more than it would cost to buy a replacement in far better nick 

 

it’s got bid up to £460 now anyway so as long as the roof get a bid he’s in profit with it 

[MJI]

When i last serviced mine people kept asking what was wrong with it.

 

What is wrong with spending a couple of hours changing diff. oil?

[Classsix T]

I was tinkering with digital cars at the weekend, a lot less hassle.

Tweaked someone's Phil Ward Merc and Anglicised it, liked the Monroe Shocks one he ran in Oz but thought the Nokia sponsored one was probably more suitable for the UK premier saloon car event.

There's no UK circuits in Gran Turismo 7 to place cars for photos unfortunately, but I plonked my (freelance) Dulux shod E36 and a tasty Rouse Sierra with it for a passable early 90s neverwasser:

 

Shame Mercedes didn't enter the BTCC.

C6T.

[steve45]

On 07/03/2024 at 11:11, Ryde-on-time said:

The NB MX5's suffer from rust (front chassis rails, sills and rear arches especially) but are mechanically robust

 

The NC MX5's suffer rust just a badly but the 1.8 and 2.0 litre engines are also a weak point, there are always plenty of cars for sale where the bottom end of the engine has failed

 

The good thing now with the NB is the values  seem to be rising slightly, my colleague a work is getting the front chassis rails welded on her NB at the moment (about £600) but it's value has probably gone up by at least that amount in the couple of years she's owned it

2.0 litre goes like a train, the 1.8, well lets just say steer clear.

 

Low mileage <60k 2.0 NC is well worth £5k if body is sound, so if reasonable mileage 2.0 is worth £3k as the engine should be good for 200k miles

[SouthernBlue80s]

Having had several MK MX5 Eunos and having supercharged them with no internal modification or gearbox work and having left the MX5 world years ago, its interesting to read that they are not what they once were,

 

As back in the day they were massively over engineered.

[big jim]

It was going so well, dom was driving to work this morning and the tyre has ripped off the rim for some reason, thankfully he was only on an A road and not going fast! 

 

looking at the other front tyre that’s looking a bit perished so I suspect that one was the same, we knew the tracking needed doing as it was pulling a bit to the left so I suspect the extra stress on the tyre didn’t help, nothing showing on the MOT though, no advisories for the tyres 

 

I just happened to be 2 roundabouts away when he called me so I rushed round and managed to move the car to a lay-by 25m away, very slowly on the remaining rubber so hopefully the rim will be ok 

 

Used my car to drop him at work and currently sat waiting for green flag, just what I need at the end of a night shift!

[big jim]

I’ve got him to order a full set of tyres for it just to be safe, the guy I got it off has offered me a couple of replacement partworns which I’ll probably take ‘just incase’ but I’d feel happier with him having 4 decent ones fitted, also booked it in for tracking 

[Nick C]

48 minutes ago, big jim said:

I’ve got him to order a full set of tyres for it just to be safe, the guy I got it off has offered me a couple of replacement partworns which I’ll probably take ‘just incase’ but I’d feel happier with him having 4 decent ones fitted, also booked it in for tracking 

Always good practice to get the tracking done when changing tyres anyway - with the state of our roads these days pretty much every car needs it doing!

[spamcan61]

54 minutes ago, big jim said:

I’ve got him to order a full set of tyres for it just to be safe, the guy I got it off has offered me a couple of replacement partworns which I’ll probably take ‘just incase’ but I’d feel happier with him having 4 decent ones fitted, also booked it in for tracking 

Absolutely I'd put new tyres on all round, I've bought some old bangers in my time but never had a tyre disintegrate in a potentially lethal way like that, obviously could've got very messy if it had happened at speed.

Edited March 13 by spamcan61

[big jim]

20 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

Absolutely I'd put new tyres on all round, I've bought some old bangers in my time but never had a tyre disintegrate in a potentially lethal way like that, obviously could've got very messy if it had happened at speed.

yeah, grateful for that, he was just about to get onto the dual carriageway at the next roundabout so would have been up to 70mph

 

 

[faulcon1]

Just got my car back from the panel beaters after reversing into a brick wall (at extremely slow speed) at my brother's place. I was so busy trying to avoid the rose bushes in pots I didn't think about the brick wall. So here's two photos of my "little" car when put right. The damage was under the rear left tail light. It didn't crack the plastic bar so the bar didn't need replacing just respraying but the whole bar had to be removed and resprayed.

The previous owner had scraped something out of the boot onto the rear bar which I covered with some touch up paint but now it's been professionally resprayed it looks like new. 

All up $750.00. It may not look it but the car is 15 years old this year and the work was done over three days by Valley Heights Smash Repairs which is local to me.

Last month the car was serviced and passed it's annual rego check with flying colours as always and done by Pit Stop Tyre and Mechanical Services who are ten minute walk from my place.

Edited April 2 by faulcon1

[russ p]

On 13/03/2024 at 10:43, big jim said:

I’ve got him to order a full set of tyres for it just to be safe, the guy I got it off has offered me a couple of replacement partworns which I’ll probably take ‘just incase’ but I’d feel happier with him having 4 decent ones fitted, also booked it in for tracking 

 

That happened with my rover coupe, it had been part of a stored collection and tyres were a make I'd never heard of. Rear tyre blew out at high speed on the A47 at Thorney so I replaced all 5 the next day

[big jim]

The Mazda and roof sold for £800 in the end, not bad considering he paid £600 for them 

the Saab is in for tracking today as well so hopefully it will be good as gold now, next job is to fit the apple play head unit to it

 

 

 

[big jim]

On 09/03/2024 at 20:49, big jim said:

tbh I’m liking this for him….

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285754558611?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=hZmBhohDQse&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=TJORlFVXTTy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

the rover only went for £540 in the end 

[JIJ]

Took the RX-8 in for an MOT last week, causing me no end of anxiety in the run up, mostly due to getting Dr Wankel's finest through the emissions tests, but also due to the chassis being made of the same stuff as @big jim's NB.

 

After taping over a hole in one of the rear arches, it sailed through on Thursday with only four advisories, not bad for a 20 year old car.

 

On the way back from work on Friday, there's a sudden strong smell of rotting coming from under the car. Jack it up, and I'm met with this:

 

That's a rather large hole in my catalytic converter, not sure how that passed an MOT...

 

Oh well a bit of aluminium "speed tape" and it'll last until the next MOT

 

Still ULEZ compliant! ;P

[big jim]

Got our other Mazda back on the road yesterday, and this one has no rust, a few dents though!  
 

my wife’s cx7 has been sat on the drive waiting for a new starter motor since about December which I finally had changed for a used one, a whole £17 worth, good as gold now

 

Also had 2 new tyres put on it today as the previous owner had driven it with the tracking miles out which had misshaped the tyres and worn them both on the outside edges

 

were off to japfest at silverstone in it the weekend after next and have track time booked. It was going to be for the MX5 but obviously that’s no more so we’re going to give the 4x4 a blast instead as the car has to be Japanese 

[big jim]

Think I’ve just done something foolish! 
 

i spotted this parked up in the side of the road not far from home the other day and low and behold I then found it on eBay, ended up buying it as another fixer upper, really don’t know what to expect with this one though, tbh it was Dominic who wanted it but he won’t be able to insure it until he’s got a bit more experience so I bought it for myself and I’ll pass it on to him (assuming it’s not a complete nail when we go and collect it)

 

Mitsubishi FTO ‘car of the year 95’ Ltd Ed 

 

 

 

So, here’s where it gets fun, it’s not had an MOT since 2011 and is going to need some work to get it through I recon, certainly a cursory look on the side of the road earlier sees it needing 4 decent tyres, wipers front and back, number plate, fuel flap, bodywork seems solid, certainly compared to the MX5 but we’ll have to see how it looks once on a ramp 

 

one thing I’ve noticed under the bonnet from the pics is it’s missing its MAF meter and the cone filter has come off so I’ll have to have a check that nothing has got into the inlet that could get sucked into the engine, the description says it runs and drives but the battery is completely flat

 

just need to hear from the seller about collecting it and hopefully take it from there, get it booked in for an MOT and see what needs doing 

 

only paid £600 for it so don’t mind spending a few quid to get it up to speed, if it’s a nail it will go straight back on eBay! 

[Andy7]

My mate had one with the MIVEC V6. An interesting car and quite quick in the day. I haven’t seen one for years.

Should be an interesting project, keep us updated.

[Quarryscapes]

12 hours ago, big jim said:

Think I’ve just done something foolish! 
 

i spotted this parked up in the side of the road not far from home the other day and low and behold I then found it on eBay, ended up buying it as another fixer upper, really don’t know what to expect with this one though, tbh it was Dominic who wanted it but he won’t be able to insure it until he’s got a bit more experience so I bought it for myself and I’ll pass it on to him (assuming it’s not a complete nail when we go and collect it)

 

Mitsubishi FTO ‘car of the year 95’ Ltd Ed 

 

 

 

So, here’s where it gets fun, it’s not had an MOT since 2011 and is going to need some work to get it through I recon, certainly a cursory look on the side of the road earlier sees it needing 4 decent tyres, wipers front and back, number plate, fuel flap, bodywork seems solid, certainly compared to the MX5 but we’ll have to see how it looks once on a ramp 

 

one thing I’ve noticed under the bonnet from the pics is it’s missing its MAF meter and the cone filter has come off so I’ll have to have a check that nothing has got into the inlet that could get sucked into the engine, the description says it runs and drives but the battery is completely flat

 

just need to hear from the seller about collecting it and hopefully take it from there, get it booked in for an MOT and see what needs doing 

 

only paid £600 for it so don’t mind spending a few quid to get it up to speed, if it’s a nail it will go straight back on eBay! 

 

Beauty, love the Car of The Year models. Is it manual? If you want an exhaust I have a lovely almost original looking Stainless one sat in the shed, still in the packaging it came to me in as I never got round to fitting after the demise of my beloved GPvR. 

 

[Captain Cuttle]

On 18/05/2019 at 12:16, Hobby said:

We paid 700 for the Metro which seems around the going rate for a decent one, it's an auto as well. Many cars of this era are indeed in the banger category, though I've seen many Morris Minors in the same condition! Having said that many of the 80s and 90's cars are getting very rare these days, especially the common-or-garden stuff. How many 405s, Montegos, Sierras, Mk2/3 Cavaliers have you seen around recently, the 405 especially... I have always chosen the "ordinary" classic over the exotic stuff as i feel they are too easily overlooked until it's too late, let's face it most of us have memories of our Dad driving not an E Type but more likely a Cambridge or Cortina, but you see far more of the former around that the latter two.. 

Thinking as to to when i have last seen a Sierra on the road. Remember when they first came out Y reg i think had to replace a body shell on one. Had those funny wheel covers. I painted it a pinky beige. Always preferred the Mk 5 Cortina and in those days nobody wanted a two door 1300 and now they are sought after.

[Hobby]

Blimey, that's going back a bit! I wish we'd kept it now they've shot up in price and we'd get several thousand for it now!

[big jim]

9 hours ago, Quarryscapes said:

 

Beauty, love the Car of The Year models. Is it manual? If you want an exhaust I have a lovely almost original looking Stainless one sat in the shed, still in the packaging it came to me in as I never got round to fitting after the demise of my beloved GPvR. 

 

might be interested in the exhaust, we went to have a look at it tonight with a spare battery and got it running, Christ it’s loud from the manifold end so I suspect it’s blowing, hope it’s not the manifold! 
 

It’s not going to be a quick project, oil is filthy, there is plenty of coolant in it but will need a flush out I recon, change all the belts, new tyres, air filter, wipers and something I did notice last night which will be the most expensive is it needs a new windscreen as it’s got a crack along the bottom which will no doubt get longer in time, that can be the last job I recon 

 

Bodywork wise a good t-cut should bring it back to standard, the fuel flap is in the boot for refitting, tidy up the wiper arms with a fresh coat of paint as well as the top of the door jams 

 

electrics, it looks to be ok, all light work, even has a fully working thatcham 1 Toad alarm (that brings back 1990s memories!) the head unit in it is a combined CD/minidisc thing! 
 

it should be in my possession in the morning as the guy is dropping it off at the house on his car transporter van then it’s time to see exactly what I’ve let myself in for

 

[Classsix T]

I really like the FTO aesthetically, a very pretty car. Mechanically, it's fwd so is it essentially an Eclipse in a sporty coat? Anything shared with the Colt?

Unsure if they're supported by main dealers but seems to be a relatively popular grey import so specialist part stockists shouldn't be hard to find.

 

C6T.

[MJI]

13 hours ago, big jim said:

might be interested in the exhaust, we went to have a look at it tonight with a spare battery and got it running, Christ it’s loud from the manifold end so I suspect it’s blowing, hope it’s not the manifold! 
 

It’s not going to be a quick project, oil is filthy, there is plenty of coolant in it but will need a flush out I recon, change all the belts, new tyres, air filter, wipers and something I did notice last night which will be the most expensive is it needs a new windscreen as it’s got a crack along the bottom which will no doubt get longer in time, that can be the last job I recon 

 

Bodywork wise a good t-cut should bring it back to standard, the fuel flap is in the boot for refitting, tidy up the wiper arms with a fresh coat of paint as well as the top of the door jams 

 

electrics, it looks to be ok, all light work, even has a fully working thatcham 1 Toad alarm (that brings back 1990s memories!) the head unit in it is a combined CD/minidisc thing! 
 

it should be in my possession in the morning as the guy is dropping it off at the house on his car transporter van then it’s time to see exactly what I’ve let myself in for

 

I like minidisc. I do have an in car player i could not use in current onr.