don't know - 2 seater

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Tue 19 Jul 2011 23:40
don't know - 2 seater - trevormarshall

My dad is very happy with his Honda Accord, but would like to buy a 2 seater convertible. He has about £2000 to spend. What would you recommend?

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Wed 20 Jul 2011 01:16
don't know - 2 seater - Avant

He could get a very early Mazda MX-5 (probably the imported Eunos version) but he might do better to wit till he's saved another £2,000 and get a newer one or an early BMW Z3.

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Wed 20 Jul 2011 19:35
don't know - 2 seater - Bobbin Threadbare

£2000 is MG TF territory, or like Avant says, old school MX-5s.

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Wed 20 Jul 2011 22:45
don't know - 2 seater - Avant

True, but I have nothing against Trevor's dad and wouldn't wish an MGF or TF on him!

I believe (although I'm not an expert and may stand corrected) that the problem is that the engine has such a serious design fault (far too little coolant) that even if the headf gasket has been replaced it may simply fail again.

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Thu 21 Jul 2011 12:21
don't know - 2 seater - ohsoslow

Looking at a couple of MX-5 specialist dealers there are several MK 1s out there at just over 2K. Private sellers should be cheaper. On the whole these cars are fairly bomb-proof if well maintained but considering they will now be quite elderly some things may need attention.

Having said that, mechanically they are quite easy to work on with parts being fairly cheap and available. Rust to the sills, wheel arches and suspension wishbones may be a problem. By now I would think most would be at least on their second hood but a damp smell in the cabin should set alarms ringing. This may not be due to a poorly hood but there are drains within the car that can get blocked which many owners are not aware of.

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