Postby JBT » Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:40 pm
As posted by Alex:
If I was getting an NB I would look at the alarm system as this can cause problems especially if it's been changed from standard.
Check that the engine starts relatively quickly and every time. A forum member here has some trouble with starting their car, although it does start eventually it sometimes takes a long time (10 seconds?).
Make sure the alarm transmitter works, another forum member had a transmitter that only flashes the lights without actually locking the car doors or activating the alarm system.
Check drivers side door, it seems prone to being minsaligned by accidents, even minor rear ending which barely scratches the rear bumper can leave the drivers door misaligned (by a mm or 2, but it is noticeable by looking).
Also check the paint, not sure about the NB8B but with the NB8A the paint had no clear coat from factory, but some repairers don't bother to check this before spraying replacement or repaired panels and add a clear coat. I'm not sure how you could check this, I can't tell by looking but it's very obvious if you are polishing the car.
Check the mirrors as they are prone to fading if left in the sun, sometimes quite badly, also check the headlights as there has been complaints that they are not bright enough (but this could be due to bad bulbs or headlight alignment which you can fix yourself). The headlights are also plastic so might have turned yellow in the sun, this can also tell you if the car has been in a front end accident as one might be more faded than the other.
Check under the bonnet, the fender panel edges on the outside of the engine bay that direct water from the bonnet towards the front of the car might be off colour to the panel if it has been resprayed or left in the sun alot.
Look at the battery to make sure it's a properly vented or a sealed battery (calcium) otherwise you might need to replace it, also if it's a normal battery check the panels for rust or corrosion by taking off the trim surrounding the battery.
I would choose a car that has a standard headunit or if it has an aftermarket one I would ask them how it was installed, because sometime the connector has just been hacked off which could make it hard to install a new unit later on as you will need to cut, solder and heatshrink each connection individually.
Check behind the carpets on the parcel shelf and behind the seats (at the base) for rust or corrosion from water.
Test drive a few to get a feel what they drive like, this will let you know if one is worse than another, although it could be due to tyre choice or bad alignment and balance.
Make sure all the dash lights work and the speedo works properly, one bulb not working could be really annoying at night, normally I would check fuel gauge as well but I've never heard of any problems with mx5 ones.
Check the engine bay condition matches the number of km on the speedo, if the speedo says 50 or under then there shouldn't be layers of oil and muck under the bonnet. Also check the coolant in the overflow bottle and radiator to make sure it looks clean, I have seen some that had alot of corrosion and sludge in it. While you are there take a look at the engine oil, make sure it's not whitish in colour which could indicate a gasket problem with coolant leaking into the oil, also make sure there are no particles in the oil, especially metal shavings, preferably do this after a drive so it's all mixed in.
Another indicator of how many km's a car has don't is the eyeball vents, under 40,000km I would not expect them to droop at all, even on the roughest roads. (mine had 16,000 when i got it, it took until now, 41,xxx for a single vent to droop, and it only happens on the drivers side). Also take a look at the condition of the resivours for coolant and the window cleaner, if they have cracks in them and look old then it's probably had a hard life. Check the indicator and windscreen wiper stalks are solid and don't flap about as this will annoy you later and as far as I know they arn't easy to replace.
Check the demister actually works, there has also been people who have had trouble with this, although the light goes on and the relay clicks the demister doesn't actually heat up, if it doesn't then check it's plugged in (on the parcel shelf behind the passenger, follow the wires for about 20cm) if it isn't then plug it in and try again.
check the air con works, especially for the front demister, if it doesn't then you will hate driving in the rain.
Not sure about how you feel about smoking but if the owner smokes then I would check the steering wheel, I drove a car which had a driver who smoked and every time I got out my hands would be stained with the smell of old stale smoke. (although the steering wheel surround can be replaced relatively cheaply second hand, ~$100-200)
It's already been said to check there are no leaks from the soft top but it's worth checking the tail lights as well, sometimes these let water into the boot as well.
Can't think of much else right now, except for my fluids mid sem which starts in 3 hours, should probably get back to it now.
Maybe this could be a sticky, saves typing it again
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) and you'll probably get a better report. 
