How to transport a car?

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 11:15 am

Unregistered vehicle permits are available, but reading the description & looking at the pics, like Pamex I wouldn't drive it unless I'd comprehensively inspected it myself, or a trusted professional had. If the kms displayed are accurate, low km Eunos Roadsters aren't all that uncommon. There's a bit of panel work & white NA6s are notorious for peeling white paint, quite apart from all the paint scuffs. Given the description of ex Japanese drift car, there's also mechanical condition to consider. It's good that import papers are said to be available, but there may also be costs involved in making the vehicle comply with ADRs. Finally if it's been 'sitting', you may need to go over the vehicle even more carefully depending on how long it's been sitting. So, $1200 starting bid (who knows what final price), $1200 for Melb depot-Perth depot transport (add about $400 for door to door), $$$? to sort the vehicle, $? WA RWC/ Safety Certificate, $? Stamp Duty, $? WA rego, $? insurance. Might be worth doing the math to see if it's worth pursuing, as if the car was registered & in ok condition now it might fetch $4k-$5k.

tescoking · Postby **tescoking** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:07 pm

Magpie wrote:http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1990-MAZDA-MX5-CONVERTIBLE-EX-JAPANESE-DRIFT-CAR-OR-ROAD-REGISTER-/221399915052?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item338c769a2c&_uhb=1 this car?

OK, it is not registered so a road trip is out of the question. Your only option is to transport. Giving all the information makes it easier to provide advice!

Yes, this is the one... The reason I want this car is because it is a NA and its cheap... I was thinking maybe I can use it as a track car.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:52 pm

Cheap to purchase doesn't mean it will be cheap to own.

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Pamex · Postby **Pamex** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:50 pm

That's going to be a money pit. You can tell pretty much no maintenance has been done. Are you going to be able to do the lot yourself? There's a lot of oil leaks up top there. If there's oil leaks up there, you can almost guarantee there'll be oil pretty much everywhere else too. Do you have the equipment to do something like a rear main?

100,000kish? Yeah, it's a Jap import. Of course it is. They're pretty much all wound back, and the condition of that engine bay reflects a LOT more than 100,000k. My 450,000km one was cleaner than that, with barely any cleaning in its life and quite a bit of 'off-roading'.

That's a big leak from the thermostat housing there, and it's been there a while. There'll be other cooling leaks, for sure.

It may seem cheap, but when you add everything in, it probably won't be. It looks like it has been absolutely thrashed. Wait around, and spend that $1500 and the $1500 you'll spend on transport to get one in better nick, that you can see yourself.

I'm tempted to go and check it out actually.

emily_mx5 · Postby **emily_mx5** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 8:27 pm

Possibly worth it as a project if you could get it for 1k or less. Even ignoring aesthetics, it needs a lot of work.
Although who knows if it can even be registered? might be a track only import.

I asked the seller this:
Hi there, was this car complied on import? and was it registered?
What are the modifications and what service history do you have?
running rough, how exactly? has the head gasket blown? hows the clutch?

Got this response:
imported,no compliance plate.no idea if modifications apart from racing wheels and tyres with bubs on the wheels. no idea on service history. i brought it on impulse thinking of doing something with it and havent touched it.

tescoking · Postby **tescoking** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:09 pm

Seems quite hard to get a good NA with cheap price now.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:32 pm

I think they are getting cheap except na8s.

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hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:43 am

Tesco, if you're really keen on a dirt cheap track MX5, ignore this one and go to the auctions (Manheim/Pickles/Fowles)

Wait for a lightly damaged (ie: hailstorm) or a stolen MX5 to come up and grab it for cheap.
It will likely be a better proposition than the POS on ebay there.

emily_mx5 · Postby **emily_mx5** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:35 pm

So I spoke with the seller today.
That car isn't complied, so good luck to whoever tries to register it lol.

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Pamex · Postby **Pamex** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:37 pm

Half of me really wants to go and check it out.

Half of me really wants to not be a tyre kicker.

I'll toss a coin. :mrgreen:

emily_mx5 · Postby **emily_mx5** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 3:02 pm

He's got someone really interested coming tomorrow. Apparently lol.
I got excited for a second but realistically it won't be a cheap car fixed and on road.

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hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 3:26 pm

Looking at condition it's not even a cheap car to strip for parts.

Unless somebody is really keen for "racing wheels"

Pamex · Postby **Pamex** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 3:37 pm

HKS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I bought you an MX5! :mrgreen:

You've always wanted an NA, haven't you?

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:56 pm

They're giving me $1200 to take it away, right?

(What an ugly POS).

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:58 pm

emily_mx5 wrote:Possibly worth it as a project if you could get it for 1k or less. Even ignoring aesthetics, it needs a lot of work.
Although who knows if it can even be registered? might be a track only import.

I asked the seller this:
Hi there, was this car complied on import? and was it registered?
What are the modifications and what service history do you have?
running rough, how exactly? has the head gasket blown? hows the clutch?

Got this response:
imported,no compliance plate.no idea if modifications apart from racing wheels and tyres with bubs on the wheels. no idea on service history. i brought it on impulse thinking of doing something with it and havent touched it.

The bolded bit screams to me 'I thought I bought a bargain, but now I know how bad it is I want to unload it on (another) sucker' :lol:

Run. Away. Fast.

:mrgreen: