keeping it original

johngalt · Post by **johngalt** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:49 pm

It is very tempting with all the accessories and mods that can be bought for your mx5 to turn it into something from a lotto ad. and I realise this is a chance for some people to personalise their cars but the question is.......when the mx5 becomes a classic and even more in demand than it is now, will people be more interested in an original mx5 than one that has been blinged?

Nearly too late · Post by **Nearly too late** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:05 pm

I do'nt see a problem with adding some small extras to add a bit of class to your 5, like a nice steering wheel, some wood interior trim, etc.
Plus your usual mudflaps and bits of chrome to the exterior as long as its not over done.
This can give you a car that stands out from the crowd with your own personal touch.

Habanero666 · Post by **Habanero666** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:10 pm

It just depends if people are selling there beloved cars.
I personally will be Mod'ing and fine tuning untill I either die or the car does

The mx5 has been manufactured 'en masse and may not have the "rare car" desirability like the Hachi roku (AE 86 Toyota sprinter) or say the Mazda R100 etc

Would be interesting to see what happens, no?

brownie · Post by **brownie** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:14 pm

That's the great thing about these cars,you can personalize them without going over the top if you wish to,Everything i have done to my car can be removed and returned to original in a few hours if i wish,In saying that the more people take them away from original the more fairly standard one's are worth !!,
Unless you are lucky enough to find a clean original OVER 20yr old in Japan or VERY late NB(02-04) or NC ,What is here is it.Everything in between cannot be imported and registered now,Like the late Singapore import that was Trade Me a couple of months,Wrong chassis code so didn't meet emission standards.

WideOpenThrottle · Post by **WideOpenThrottle** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:40 pm

Well my one was destined for parts but i fixed her up and re-vinned so as far as i care i can modify to my hearts content!
What better car is there for a first attempt project car?

johngalt · Post by **johngalt** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:59 pm

Habanero666 wrote:It just depends if people are selling there beloved cars.
I personally will be Mod'ing and fine tuning untill I either die or the car does

The mx5 has been manufactured 'en masse and may not have the "rare car" desirability like the Hachi roku (AE 86 Toyota sprinter) or say the Mazda R100 etc

Would be interesting to see what happens, no?

You are right it will be interesting.
When you think of the mini and the beetle, both of those were mass produced. I think the NA will be the most sort after (not just coz i have one =) because it was the original and most basic.

Stevo · Post by **Stevo** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 6:13 am

johngalt wrote:It is very tempting with all the accessories and mods that can be bought for your mx5 to turn it into something from a lotto ad. and I realise this is a chance for some people to personalise their cars but the question is.......when the mx5 becomes a classic and even more in demand than it is now, will people be more interested in an original mx5 than one that has been blinged?

Modify it to your hearts content.
Take a 70's charger or Mustang for example, many people have taken a standard charger 770 or Mustang and modified it to look like a Charger R/T or Mustang Mach 1 and its now worth much more than the original car.
Keep your mods tasteful, Chrome trim, good exhaust note and nice rims etc will enhance it but nothing over the top, ie. no massive rear wings, and it will still be desireable to most prosective purchasers.
Cheers Stevo

sprsta · Post by **sprsta** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:05 am

maby i should stay out of this one

Quidam · Post by **Quidam** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:29 am

johngalt wrote:You are right it will be interesting.
When you think of the mini and the beetle, both of those were mass produced. I think the NA will be the most sort after (not just coz i have one =) because it was the original and most basic.

Well as an owner of a 2004 NB factory turbo (known as the Mazdaspeed Miata in the U.S. and only 6K ever made) I have to disagree

The NA model is great, but the NB took it in just the right direction, IMHO, adding a few more basic features but certainly not overdoing it. It is still a simple car with few bells and whistles. It just feels more refined.

I also feel the pop-up lights are so Miami Vice

I mean It's like flared Jeans, everybody wanted a pair -but what the hell were we thinking?!?

On the other hand, the NC rubs me up the wrong way. the exterior and interior styling are both backward steps, IMHO and I can't see myself ever wanting to own one -except maybe if they launch a Turbo model. Of course there are others who disagree and feel the NC is part of a continued improvement eg NC > NB > NA

Lastly, am I going to mod this car? well when I first got it brownie pointed me to a great website that quickly showed me there were some very simple performance based mods that will make the Mazdaspeed fly. There's a whole community of enthusiasts in the states that have done amazing things with these cars. But I'm waging an internal conflict as to whether I need any of this extra speed as to be bluntly honest, its fast enough as it is (for my modest needs). Given its a rare model and is currently completely stock, I honestly think I'll just spend money on keeping it maintained and in pristine condition -with luck, one day it might be a classic, I have no plans to sell, its a pure toy.

I now also have a Celica GT4 and quite frankly, I feel the car is in a similar situation, it is (almost) completely stock and with luck could also one day be a classic. Yes, I've put a new set of mags on it, but I've kept the originals and will get them reconditioned. I'm also thinking of redoing the upholstery in leather, but that's about it.

johngalt · Post by **johngalt** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:57 am

sorry if i offended anyone, yes there are some very tasteful mods which do add value to the car. and as i am a boy at heart i will also add my touch to the car, but i will always keep the original stuff to go with it. Except for the factory tape deck which was stuffed and went into the bin, and now i see someone trying to sell one on trademe lol. If anyone has an idea of cost to change the seats to leather, please let me know.

Quidam · Post by **Quidam** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:07 am

johngalt wrote:sorry if i offended anyone, yes there are some very tasteful mods which do add value to the car. and as i am a boy at heart i will also add my touch to the car, but i will always keep the original stuff to go with it. Except for the factory tape deck which was stuffed and went into the bin, and now i see someone trying to sell one on trademe lol. If anyone has an idea of cost to change the seats to leather, please let me know.

Hey there, speaking only for myself, not offended at all -great topic to be honest. As for cost, I've done some initial research into this (for my GT4) and very roughly, it looks in the ballpark of 2K. For the MX5 it would surely be less, you are only talking 2 seats? Maybe someone who has actually had this done might have a better idea..

ps. it occurs to me that sure, you could keep your car 100% stock in the hope that one day it might be worth more, or you can follow your heart and modify it, if that's what you want to do. So maybe it won't be worth quite as much in 10-20 years time but you probably had a lot more fun with it during that time. It really comes down to what the owner wants out of their car

johngalt · Post by **johngalt** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:09 pm

ouch, maybe i get some tan leather mx5 seats and have them dyed black. might work out cheaper. At this early stage i'm thinking of keeping the mx5 long term but knowing me, something shiney will catch my eye or I will get bored with it. lol My wife says the toy box is full at the moment, even though she is out today with the top down..........

Quidam · Post by **Quidam** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:35 pm

Hey mate, my estimate was for my GT4 and was only based on this option, factoring in labour costs:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 748329.htm

I'm sure the MX5 could be done a lot cheaper

dynofiend · Post by **dynofiend** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:50 pm

If youre worried about resale value, then just ensure that the mods you do either arent too extreme, or can be reversed before you sell it. Simple.

If the MX5 was a low volume vehicle, for which a standard condition car would be especially desirable, I could understand a reluctance to modify it. But its not and to be perfectly honest though, unless you have a new or rare NA with low ks, its not really worth worrying too much about resale value. NAs can be picked up for 4-5k easily now, those with a few mods usually command slightly higher prices than the standard versions. To me, a few mods on the car (with some exceptions of course!) indicate a careful owner.

Dez · Post by **Dez** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:14 pm

Quoting johngalt <mx5talk@mx5forum.co.nz>:
"If anyone has an idea of cost to change the seats to
leather, please let me know."

Cost me about $900 to get mine done locally in black with perforated yellow
leather inserts, if that's any help.

FREE Nokia 2630 mobile phone for anyone moving from Telecom,
TelstraClear or 2degrees to Slingshot mobile!

www.slingshot.co.nz/mobile

johngalt · Post by **johngalt** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:57 pm

thanks for that, did you have the speakers in the headrests?

sprsta · Post by **sprsta** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 7:21 am

you can get leather seat covers out of the states (i think they calld catzkin)then fit them your self cant remember what they cost

Ben.Nakagawa · Post by **Ben.Nakagawa** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:48 am

Unless yours a rare special edition like (J-Special, M1, M2, the first limited V Special - not mass produced V-Spec) and very low mirage, I think not quite worth keeping it as original.

I would rather enjoy personalising as this car is very good for. There are so many compatible accessories and modification options.

Why not MaXimi5e your experience and satisfaction?
That what I would do. You can keep original parts if you would like to as someone already mention here.

Dez · Post by **Dez** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:04 pm

Quoting johngalt <mx5talk@mx5forum.co.nz>:

thanks for that, did you have the speakers in the headrests?

No headrest speakers in my '94 J-Spec-11. Got a matching pair of seats
(Thanks
Mark!) and 'went to town" with. Quite pleased with the results and I
still have
the originals......

Sent from an mx5forum.co.nz topic here:
http://www.mx5forum.co.nz/viewtopic.php?p=43384#43384

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mazline · Post by **mazline** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:04 pm

Got to show every one your dash Dez,I reckon it looks the parts and suits your car

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 8:04 pm

John...my car sounds similar vintage to yours (mine is NZ new) and I always thought mine would be worth keeping original...but, I ignored my own advice, and have no regrets.
I have NOT enhanced the value of my car....it was never about doing that, and in my view, unless you are replacing tired tyres/alloys, paint job or hood...few mods, if any will enhance the value of your car. Bling is in the eye of the beholder, and there are some on this forum that raise my eyebrows!!!!!!!!!!!! But as others have so well said, unless you have a particularly rare/desirable model it is hard to mod a $5000 car so that it is worth only a fraction of its original cost. In saying that, keeping your original parts, just in case is always a good idea in my opinion...I even have my original flywheel and clutch!

johngalt · Post by **johngalt** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 8:17 pm

yup, i agree with you ian. and only time will tell as to how sort after these cars are in the future.