Newbie checking in w/ an NA8

[thecountysheriff]

Hi team,

Have just this weekend joined the ranks of MX5 ownership by acquiring a '96 VR Ltd Combination B on Saturday.

The obvious pros of my vehicle are:
• 1.8 engine
• Low kms (150,335 to be precise @ time of purchase)
• Ltd edition
o Factory Bilstein suspension package (seems ok, but will probably upgrade eventually)
o Leather seats
• Fairly tidy and rust free (from my basic visual inspection)
• Maintenance history appears to be OK w/ service records from the past 24 months
• New soft top
The obvious cons so far
• Oil seepage/leaking
o CAS o ring seems to be an obvious candidate for renewal based on a bit of research.
• Power window a bit iffy on passenger side (suspect dodgy switch)
• Subtle noise from gearbox/diff – not sure whether this is a generic MX5 thing or not. Will be interesting to see if there is any change after renewing all the fluids.

Basically the plan is to do a service ‘reset’ and change all the fluids and filters and get it up on a hoist for a proper look over. I have access to a garage, so it’ll be under cover when not in use, which is plus for these cars I believe.

Looking forward to contributing and interacting as time goes on!

[Keith Jones]

Welcome to the world of the MX5.
If you are interested in the social side of MX5 ownership you might want to check out the MX5 Club of NZ Inc, https://www.mx5carclub.co.nz/
A few suggestions about your cons list:
Yes, the CAS O ring is the most likely source of oil leakage if it's in that area. The cam cover gaskets also go hard over time and leak, mainly into the spark plug wells.
MX5 diffs are generally quiet. Some people have reported rattles from the gearboxes but I never have (after having had four NAs, an NB and an ND).