Hi, I'm Nick and this feels a bit like a reformed alcoholic taking a drink they know they shouldn't!
I have just bought an RS 200. I didn't start out intending to do this but it seemed to have been abandoned outside of my unit. Certainly it has sat there for at least a couple of months since the local garage had been working on it. Anyway, it kept winking at me and so a couple of weeks ago I made an offer and as of about 9 hours ago it is mine! Part of the story is that it has done some pretty big miles. As such I expected it to be a bit of a dog. However, having test driven it, it actually does feel very much together and everything seems to work properly. I have even had the wheels off and much to my surprise the alloys are not bent!
So, why have I bought this, as I am usually RWD!? Well it all started back in July last year when I took part in a Citroen C1 race at Cadwell and came third and had one of the best laughs for a long while. Then ending up inheriting a Ztec Fiesta, which is just stupidly good to drive, I thought, as I don't currently have a track capable car, well why not?
So I now own a 60 plate RS200, which I assume has the Cup suspension as it seems quite capable of getting airborne over back road bumps. Other than that I know very little about these cars. I have, for what seems like a very long time now, known a great deal about MX-5's including ending up in the Owners Club. I am most definitely not a polisher though. However I have been on enough forums and Facebook pages for too many years, hence my initial comment!
So, I am not going to start any "what brake pad or tyre" threads as I'm I do supply performance tyres and I am usually the miserable git on the internet throwing their hands up at internet advice.
What I initially thought when buying the car was it would pretty much need a new engine and box straight away as I am told it has done around 220,000 miles, the Odometer says 170,000 but has been clocked. All that scary stuff said, round wheels, brakes that don't look like they have done that mileage and that the car still feels together and taught is maybe putting that part off at the moment. I will do a compression test when I have time and know what the reading should be! But sooner or later I will be looking to put a new engine in, or more to the point looking to pay someone to do it as I leave that stuff to people who do it for a living these days. So apart from some attention required from Dent Masters, it is looking pretty good.
I have just bought an RS 200. I didn't start out intending to do this but it seemed to have been abandoned outside of my unit. Certainly it has sat there for at least a couple of months since the local garage had been working on it. Anyway, it kept winking at me and so a couple of weeks ago I made an offer and as of about 9 hours ago it is mine! Part of the story is that it has done some pretty big miles. As such I expected it to be a bit of a dog. However, having test driven it, it actually does feel very much together and everything seems to work properly. I have even had the wheels off and much to my surprise the alloys are not bent!
So, why have I bought this, as I am usually RWD!? Well it all started back in July last year when I took part in a Citroen C1 race at Cadwell and came third and had one of the best laughs for a long while. Then ending up inheriting a Ztec Fiesta, which is just stupidly good to drive, I thought, as I don't currently have a track capable car, well why not?
So I now own a 60 plate RS200, which I assume has the Cup suspension as it seems quite capable of getting airborne over back road bumps. Other than that I know very little about these cars. I have, for what seems like a very long time now, known a great deal about MX-5's including ending up in the Owners Club. I am most definitely not a polisher though. However I have been on enough forums and Facebook pages for too many years, hence my initial comment!
So, I am not going to start any "what brake pad or tyre" threads as I'm I do supply performance tyres and I am usually the miserable git on the internet throwing their hands up at internet advice.
What I initially thought when buying the car was it would pretty much need a new engine and box straight away as I am told it has done around 220,000 miles, the Odometer says 170,000 but has been clocked. All that scary stuff said, round wheels, brakes that don't look like they have done that mileage and that the car still feels together and taught is maybe putting that part off at the moment. I will do a compression test when I have time and know what the reading should be! But sooner or later I will be looking to put a new engine in, or more to the point looking to pay someone to do it as I leave that stuff to people who do it for a living these days. So apart from some attention required from Dent Masters, it is looking pretty good.
