Daily driving an MX5

doc · Postby **doc** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:44 pm

Good conclusion.
At least it's a start.

taminga16 · Postby **taminga16** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 11:29 pm

Magpie wrote:Then you have soft, hard core, fetish and German or Japanese porn.

So we have now established that cars are like porn, nice!

How can cars be like corn and rice?

I must put my glasses on before replying,
I must put my glasses on before replying,
I must put my glasses on before replying,
I must put my glasses on...................
Greg.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 12:27 am

Some cars are clearly sports cars like the ones the MX5 were inspired by. those names included MGb Austin Healey ie big Healeys and Sprites,Triumph Spitfire,Morgan,lotus Élan,Alfa Spider, and these cars were all light weight,2 Door, soft top cars built for fun. The Corvette is a somewhat different beast.. Much heavier thirstier and relying more on cubes and often with autos. mustangs were in very low numbers in Aust in the early days and not part of my youth. I also never recall Minis referred to as Sports cars. Most of the older generation know a sports car when they see it. A Riley 9 is a sports car as is a TC despite them being painfully slow by today's standards. I would not describe an Alfa GTV or a Super or a Toyota 86 as Sports cars either despite these cars having some of the right stuff.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:03 am

Toyota 86 is defiantly a sports car. What's not a spots car (despite getting awards for it is a turbo golf)

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taminga16 · Postby **taminga16** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 11:50 am

American 'Sports' anything.... "There is no replacement for displacement".
eg;
440 cubic inch engines.
Harley Davidson moved away from metric capacities when the sales figures fell away. (the 1200 Sportster was a bike that went well until you needed to turn or stop it).
Triumph built the Rocket III with a 2.3 litre three cylinder engine, the main sell point at time of release was that is was for America and the the pistons were sourced from the Dodge Viper.
It's easy to slap a label on stuff and claim that it is so.
Look at the manner in which car magazines weight the catagories to suit the results of their COTY editions.
My car is a convertible, a roadster, a sportscar etc, but above all it is my escape portal, my "Nonno's car" (Grandson Will) and it makes me smile every time that I open the garage.
Greg.

Vat · Postby **Vat** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 1:27 pm

taminga16 wrote:.
My car is a convertible, a roadster, a sportscar etc, but above all it is my escape portal....

Totally had that late Saturday afternoon - a full of afternoon of study to an accompanying neighbourhood cacophany of grinders and barking dogs (it was like working in a dog pound that was being demolished) lead to a crescendo of frustation and a headache.

Ran the Jaffa up the freeway to Mt Coot-tha and did two laps, one clockwise, one counterclockwise. Nothing too silly (plenty of people around), but a few nice corners strung together, the roof down on a beautiful clear evening with the sun setting, birds singing and the smell of eucalpytus in the air. Got home and felt much, much better.

The definitions are pretty meaningless.

Mr nanotech · Postby **Mr nanotech** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 3:06 pm

So the Honda has done a rear main and as a result I'm back to driving the mx5 as my primary car until the sedan is back on the road. It's not so bad but I've been in a few situations where the mx5 just cannot cope.
Realised yesterday that 2 seater roadsters are not designed to transport a 3ft snake enclosure with a driver and passenger. Ended up having to borrow a Fiesta from Clara's Mum to move things. My primary worry with dailying the mx5 is reliability. For now it's fine being stock, but I've got some go fast bits coming and sure when tuned it will run great. But hesitant on the longevity of putting unnecessary km's on car I'd like to keep as a toy.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:32 pm

An MX5 is a sports car- it was never intended as a goods carrier and work horse- it many ways it is a very impractical car and no amount of word play alters that.

Mr nanotech · Postby **Mr nanotech** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 7:51 pm

Mr Morlock wrote:An MX5 is a sports car- it was never intended as a goods carrier and work horse- it many ways it is a very impractical car and no amount of word play alters that.

100% agreed

zero00 · Postby **zero00** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 8:56 pm

Mr Morlock wrote:An MX5 is a sports car- it was never intended as a goods carrier and work horse- it many ways it is a very impractical car and no amount of word play alters that.

Exactly MM - totally impractical!! How do I get the mower in for a service? push it 20km?

I'm off to the Natmeet track day next Monday but there isn't room for a passenger! In the boot is the spare, 2 x 10 litre fuel containers, soft sided esky, driving suit, neckbrace, shoes and heaps of odds and sods while in the front passsenger seat is fold up chair, helmet, bag etc etc etc

Of course I could strap and 'granny rocker' on the back to carry another person!

Having two MX5's I copped a bit of sh*t when I bought the 86 but i needed something with just a little more room, not so much the back seat area but for the added boot space over the 5's

Of course now I get the 'what do you drive the most?' Well, the 86 was last filled 30 December, the NB is the 'daily/track' and the NA is such a fun car it's the 'weekend warrior'. While I am not attending Natmeet I will go watch them on their Sunday afternoon 'cruise' thru the mountains and after finding a nice little spot will sit back and wave!!

Of course there is another plus to having an MX5 - up here we have our weekend coffee mornings every week, numbers fluctuate but oh so nice when they are parked in a row and people stop to admire, kids stand and stare in awe!! Watch their faces when you ask the parents would they like to take a pic of their little angels siting behind the wheel? I've never had one say 'no'!!

taminga16 · Postby **taminga16** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 10:33 pm

Mr Morlock wrote:An MX5 is a sports car- it was never intended as a goods carrier and work horse- it many ways it is a very impractical car and no amount of word play alters that.

Hence the need for a ute, which in a way is a good thing because when I do drive my MX-5 it is even more enjoyable. (sometimes it does not turn a wheel for a month or more :cry:

).
Greg.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 2:06 pm

Spot on Greg- that is my philosophy as well. An MX5 was built for fun not pulling a plough. If I need to drag a trailer or carry long planks of wood or take friends to the restaurant etc then the MX5 is not what I choose to use.

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:49 pm

Mr Morlock wrote:Spot on Greg- that is my philosophy as well. An MX5 was built for fun not pulling a plough. If I need to drag a trailer or carry long planks of wood or take friends to the restaurant etc then the MX5 is not what I choose to use.

Well obviously. Id like to see an mx5 try to pull a trailer (a proper trailer not those tyre carrier trailers) but not everyone can afford to have 2 cars or 3. For some its an mx5 or something else.

doc · Postby **doc** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:58 pm

True enough. Some cannot afford the costs of more than one Car.
(although there are 4 registered motor vehicles in my household).
Still, I have 2 sports cars and a Motorcycle in this small fleet.
My lady drives a small hatch. (POS).
When I need to move something, (Not often).
My boss owns a very large Van.
The moral?
Drive the car you love. Borrow or hire the ute on the odd occasion you need one.
We found a guy in Brisbane who will deliver almost anything with his ute from 15 bucks.
Going to work everyday, buying my weekly groceries. No trouble with my MX.
Changing lanes, darting through traffic, I'll keep my MX!
Changing lanes in the huge Van. Absolutely no fun!

taminga16 · Postby **taminga16** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:29 pm

speed freak wrote:Well obviously. Id like to see an mx5 try to pull a trailer (a proper trailer not those tyre carrier trailers) but not everyone can afford to have 2 cars or 3. For some its an mx5 or something else.

I agree entirely and consider myself very fortunate to be in the multiple vehicle position although I must add that it would be impossible for me to cart my day to day stuff around in the MX-5.
Greg.