I'm going to buy an NA, what should I pay?

emexfive · Post by **emexfive** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:46 pm

I'm completely unfamiliar with the car market in New Zealand. I'm an American coming to stay for a year or so in Wellington. Please don't hold it against me, I'm quite embarrassed with my country's leadership after the last 8 years! I'm very excited to have the opportunity to get to live down there with you folks a while.

I've been watching NAs on Trademe and it looks like there are options for nice NA's in my 4500 to perhaps 6000 price range, but 4500 or lower would be ideal. I'll be on a tight budget. I need something dead on reliable since I want to be able to explore the back roads with no fear of trouble. I'd like something that looks good and is comfortable, no leaky tops. I don't mind some wear and tear as one would expect of this age car. I'm very comfortable working on these cars, but I won't have much free time to do so and I'd rather spend it traveling your lovely country. I'd also like something close to stock unless the modifications are really nice or subtle. I expect I may have to do some travel to get what I'm looking for, but that sounds like an adventure to me, not a burden (well, unless the car is not as advertised when I get there).

What can I expect to pay? I can see what they are listed at, but that doesn't tell me much about what an informed MX-5 enthusiast would pay.

Should I insist on WOF before purchase? What can I expect to pay if it needs the timing belt service or say a clutch? Can anyone recommend a good, honest Miata friendly shop around Wellington?

Any advice on the market for older MX-5s in good condition would be greatly appreciated. Pointing out good looking deals is certainly welcome. OK, I'll shut up now.

madandy · Post by **madandy** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:04 pm

I just picked up a 4 owner 1990 na6ce for $NZD3500. Its NZ new, has full owner & service history with original logbook & owners manual. Factory original with hardtop & has done 154,000km.
They had asked $4500 on trademe and as I watched it the asking price was lowered. I haggled them down a bit to the price I paid.
The interior is mint and she drives very well was serviced recently and came with a brand new WOF & rego.
Insist on a new WOF and at least 3 months rego or haggle on price if rego is due or soon to be.

Personally I like service records, especially when they show the first few crucial fluid changes but you can get a pretty good gauge on how well cared a car has been with just a few simple checks.

Good luck finding your next MX5 - I'm sure you'll find a good one

.

emexfive · Post by **emexfive** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:28 pm

That sounds outstanding! Do you feel that was an exceptional deal? Here in the US if I found an all original car with mint interior and the miles and history your talking about I wouldn't be surprised to pay $5000 or $6500 NZD! Most of the NAs here are tired and very worn, they go for $2500 or $4500 NZD. Nice clean one's are rare and command a big premium. Plus finding one you wouldn't have to travel a long way in a large country to pick up is hard.

Is there still a link to it I can see on Trademe or do they get removed as soon as they sell?

Reg is just a paperwork formality as long as it has a recent WOF right?

I really hope I can find a deal like that. Thanks for the perspective!

What would you offer for this example?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 561993.htm

The only thing I don't like is the power steering, I'd prefer manual. And the decal on the side would have to go!

emexfive · Post by **emexfive** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:32 pm

This one also looks nice, but the pics in the garage are hard to judge and the price seems high.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 134455.htm

I see many of the same cars listed I saw months ago? Is that because it's a buyers market? Or is it just off season for convertibles and sports cars?

skams · Post by **skams** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:56 pm

emexfive wrote: I've been watching NAs on Trademe and it looks like there are options for nice NA's in my 4500 to perhaps 6000 price range

Hi there,
Just got onto you thread re wanting a 5.
I do have a 1990 red example now surplus to requirements as I have now got a 2002 NB facelift model. It would be in your price range so if interested you can PM me with your email and I'll send more details.
I live in Blenheim which is just a feery trip from Wellington away
Cheers Simon

Gravelben · Post by **Gravelben** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:23 pm

madandy wrote:I just picked up a 4 owner 1990 na6ce for $NZD3500. Its NZ new, has full owner & service history with original logbook & owners manual. Factory original with hardtop & has done 154,000km.

Sound a very good deal - I considered mine a bit of a bargain at $3500 in March of this year- its an '89 NA6 Eunos, had 205,000km on it at the time (mostly motorway miles with same owner the last 7 years), paint a bit patchy here and there but mechanically looked after, mint interior, soft top replaced 2 years ago.

biff · Post by **biff** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:07 am

I’d give it a go at $3350, but would go for $3500?
That’s my money on it
Biff
ZOOM1N

emexfive · Post by **emexfive** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:40 am

Thanks for the tips everyone! Expect a PM soon Skams, that might work out very well! I'll be arriving Oct 9th.

skams · Post by **skams** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:39 pm

emexfive wrote:Thanks for the tips everyone! Expect a PM soon Skams, that might work out very well! I'll be arriving Oct 9th.

No Probs,I have posted a reply in your PM and will also be in touch soon

Cheers Simon

Post by **zorruno** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:01 pm

emexfive wrote:Should I insist on WOF before purchase?

Yes - it is a requirement that a vehicle you purchase should have had a WOF check less than a month ago.

You can also get a 3rd party inspection done on it if you wanted to. Companies like AA, and other vehicle inspection companies will do it and provide a report.

Here is a good link that might help. The laws are quite well skewed toward the consumer in this country.
http://www.emigratenz.org/buying-a-used ... aland.html

there is also the guv'mt website with a lot of stuff here:
http://www.ltsa.govt.nz

emexfive · Post by **emexfive** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:28 pm

Thanks for the info! I'm familiar enough with these cars that I can do a decent job of inspection myself (I've owned 4 through the years and had one for the last 14 years), but having the WOF done beforehand will be one less thing to worry about. I may be getting Skam's NA, looks like a nice one. Certainly one to consider seriously.

peter · Post by **peter** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:46 pm

and ignore the obvious biased prejudices from "some" people :

don't buy a black one, they show the dust.

Blue ones are faster, and if you add stripes they go even faster!

Peter
DRGN1

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:54 pm

We were recently looking at a 4WD to buy on Trade Me (at the other end of the country)...while the AA check was ok, a last minute 'Lemon Check' revealed it had been imported into NZ with 'substantial structural damage' - we did not purchase!!!

emexfive · Post by **emexfive** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:34 pm

peter wrote:and ignore the obvious biased prejudices from "some" people :

don't buy a black one, they show the dust.

Blue ones are faster, and if you add stripes they go even faster!

Peter
DRGN1

I have a black one and a white one now. I've had the white one since '94, the black one is my third black one, they keep getting wrecked! So I think white ones are good and black one's are evil. But the black ones are SO fun to drive! Faster! There MAY be something other than the paint that explains that, just perhaps.

But I'll always love that original white car, my first MX-5, first real sports car, first car I bought with my own money. But I wish it was practical to bring my black one (Mazdaspeed Turbo) to NZ with me!

Blues Boy · Post by **Blues Boy** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 1:45 pm

Hi emexfive! Hope you have as good an experience with NZ as I have. I'm originally from Tennessee and have been living in Tauranga for the past two years. From my experience any ribbing you get for being from the US is generally good natured.

I hope to be putting my 91 Silverstone up for sale in the near future if you are interested. Its got 155,000Km and the paint is not the greatest as the clearcoat is starting to peel in spots, but the mechanical bits are all in good shape. I am just running out of space... I recently bought a 94 Sunburst

PM me if you want to know more...

emexfive · Post by **emexfive** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:46 pm

I love silver! My second fav after black! But I am a sucker for shiny paint, if you have or get pics certainly pass them my way. I'll be in Wellington the 9th of Oct, but I'll be in a rental for a few weeks if not longer so I'm in no hurry to buy. Where in Tennessee? I have a lot of relatives in North Alabama not too far from the Tenn. border. I lived in Guntersville for 7 years as a teen and go back most years for the holidays.

PM me if you want to give me the details of the car and what kind of deal your thinking about.

emexfive · Post by **emexfive** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:04 pm

Ian wrote:We were recently looking at a 4WD to buy on Trade Me (at the other end of the country)...while the AA check was ok, a last minute 'Lemon Check' revealed it had been imported into NZ with 'substantial structural damage' - we did not purchase!!!

Where is this 'Lemon check'? Could be useful.

Speaking of substantial structural damage. Does anyone want to guess if this car's been hit? That's not an original color for that year is it? And even so why is the window trim and lower body yellow rather than black? Price for the odometer looks pretty good! Too good? Perhaps just paint that faded, the car is near 20 years old.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 900710.htm

I think I'd rather have stock rims, those look nice, but I bet they are not light. And chrome mirrors are not my thing.

skams · Post by **skams** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 5:11 pm

emexfive wrote:Where is this 'Lemon check'? Could be useful.

Lemon check can be found through the NZ AA web sight www.aa.co.nz and can be used to find out the history of a vehicle, similar to carfax www.carfax.co.nz . Both will charge you for a detailed report

however I think carfax is a little cheaper and also they will give a basic report for free.

. You can find out things like if the vehicle is reported stolen, if it has current WOf & registration and most importantly if there is a security registered against it

(eg somebody has got a loan and used the vehicle as security).

I just checked and carfax has changed its name and is now called carjam www.carjam.co.nz . It would appear that you will need to go to lemoncheck to get details of any registered security. I used this service once when buying through a dealer and he was most embarased that I found that the vehicle I was looking at still had a security registered against it some 12 months after he had bought it thru turners car auctions

Cheers Simon

emexfive · Post by **emexfive** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:31 pm

Thanks for the info Simon. As usual your extremely helpful!