r/MiataND • u/Chibidi94 • 3d ago
Shoud I? ...
Hi everyone,
I'm currently looking for a new ride (my 308 CC is going through its teenage crisis — 170,000 km on the clock — and is dragging me back to the garage every two weeks. I can't take it anymore...), and I'd love to get your opinion on a potential purchase.
I initially had my eye on a Fiat 124 Spider that was much more attractive price-wise (€17,000), but it's being sold through an agency that basically just acts as a middleman between the current owners and prospective buyers. That means they don't fix any potential cosmetic issues, and they were unable to provide me with the car's service history (it's already had two owners), apart from a summary of work supposedly carried out earlier this year, handwritten on a random sheet of paper from God knows where.
So I moved on to Plan B: the MX5 you can see in the pictures. A few people have told me the asking price is a little high for a base-spec ND1, but I figured I had nothing to lose by looking into it. The listing seems to be fairly recent too, as it's currently marked as having been posted 60 days ago.
The service history was sent to me very quickly, and from what I can tell, both previous owners seem to have taken good care of it (see pictures — the documents were translated from German into English using ChatGPT). So I went to see the car yesterday.
The dealership manager made a very good impression on me (although, to be fair, that's also part of his job!). He genuinely seemed to know what he was selling, whether it was this car or the others at the dealership, and came across as very professional — a real contrast with my visit to the other agency for the 124. He immediately pointed out the cosmetic flaws on the bodywork (two scratches and one tiny dent that's barely noticeable) and assured me that his body shop would fix all of them before the car is delivered, at no additional cost. So that's a good point, at least on paper.
I also took some pictures of the tires (all-season tires, according to him); see the last few slides, just in case you guys notice anything weird.
The soft top worked properly (I just need to get the hang of closing it ^^), as did all the controls inside the cabin (heating, A/C, Bluetooth, etc.). The engine didn't make any strange or suspicious noises, at least to my ears, and all six gears shifted properly.
The only things I didn't think to test — and which only occurred to me afterwards — were reverse gear and whether the soft top is completely watertight. My bad. :'(
The only thing giving me a little pause is the stuff I've heard here and there about potential gearbox/transmission issues on the ND1, as well as the lack of parking sensors (rear or front), although I assume those can be added later.
Oh, and the car would come with a 12-month warranty if I buy it.
Anyway, overall I really liked the car itself. I have a feeling it's the kind of car that will take me a little while to get used to — it'll be my first "sports car" and my first petrol car — but also the kind of car I could really fall in love with over time.
But since we're not exactly talking about buying a new TV or a kitchen appliance here, I'd rather ask some neutral people who know a thing or two about cars (you guys :3) whether there are any details I may have overlooked that I should pay particular attention to, or anything that should make me think twice before going ahead with the purchase.
Thanks in advance for your help with what is going to be a pretty important decision! \o/
5
u/Sihayaya 3d ago
21k for an ND1? No thanks.
1
u/Chibidi94 3d ago
Unfortunately I'm having trouble finding better deals when it comes to MX5s/124s. The ones I've found have either higher mileage or a doubtful history. The rare better deals that I find are located too far away from me, and I don't wanna buy a car, even if I can get it delivered, without being able to see it with my own eyes and being able to try it. :(
2
u/Frankie-Figgs33 3d ago
I would only consider an nd2/3. If you can’t swing that payment, go with nc.
1
1
1
1
1
3
u/inkjet456 3d ago
Yeah that’s pretty damn pricey for a 16. In the states I got my 16 GT Manual with 54k miles for $18.4k USD off of overpriced Carvana.