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Tabish’s MX-5

• Official Name / Spec: Mazda MX-5 NA SE 1.8
• Engine: 1.8 litres
• Original car with no modifications

Features

• No Power Steering
• Manual Windows
• No Air Conditioning
• All OEM Mazda Parts (Excluding Service Items)

Issues

• Gearbox had an occasional issue with going into reverse
• Clutch release bearing started to make noises but didn’t fail
• Headlight housing misaligned due to previous owner hitting a dear, partially fixed
• Speedometer sometimes shows double or triple the actual speed when accelerating hard, i.e. unreliable speed gauge

Servicing and Repairs

• Full engine oil and filters, spark plugs, Ignition leads – £70 (not inc labour)
• MOT – £35
• Clutch replacement, Gearbox and Rear diff oil replacement, Engine belt adjustment – £200
• Shifter rebuild kit from MOSS- £62
• Brake calipers adjusted / seized
• Tyres x 4 – Uniroyal Rainsport 3 – £212
• Suspension alignment to Flyin’ Miata’s specs – £60
• Garage labour costs – £230
• Windscreen replacement – £75
• Total costs in preparation for the Europe road trip (not inc. tax and insurance) = £870 approx.

Ajay’s MX-5

• Official Name / Spec: Mazda Roadster V Spec (Import)
• Engine: 1.6 litres
• Modified car

Features

• High Spec
• Immobilizer
• Limited Slip Differential

Issues

• Rust
• Left hand side (passenger) window motor failed

Servicing and Repairs

• Engine oil and filters service
• 4 new tyres

Ravi’s MX-5

• Official Name / Spec: Mazda MX-5 V Spec 2
• Engine: 1.8 litres
• Original car with no modifications

Features

• High Spec
• Aftermarket Intake and Exhaust (ASBO spec)
• Chrome Wheels (CHAV spec)
• Immobilizer

Issues

• Minor oil leak from rocker cover

Servicing and Repairs

• None

“You know what we should do?” began Ajay,

“What?” I replied,

“We should do Europe next!” he continued. “It will be amazing.”

We had just came back from a road trip from the Goodwood Festival of Speed to the top of Scotland with 3 cars over a long weekend. And we loved it! Little did we know that the west coast of Scotland was a gateway drug. And we needed our next road trip fix.

Our route in Scotland included parts of the famous NC500. We completed our trip in our daily drivers, a Lexus IS250, an MG-ZS V6 and an old VW Polo GTI.

After years of growing up with Top Gear on BBC 2 and the endless repeats on Dave, it was decided that we needed to make this into a Top Gear Challenge. We needed to buy some cars on a budget and sell them once we had completed the journey.

Having not done anything like this before, we realised we needed to start planning and to buy a car.

We made a few rules for the challenge, we needed to do some amazing roads for two weeks in summer 2018 in convertibles and we needed to do it on a small budget. This meant avoiding the school holidays, booking budget hotels and buying cheap cars.

Deciding on a route was a challenge, we didn’t know how much distance we could cover per day realistically and how many stops we would need. We did agree that we needed to do the Stelvio Pass in Italy and we had to go to Florence, the rest of the locations needed planning.

But what fun and fast convertible cars to meet the challenge requirements? As petrolheads, the answer was always going to be an MX-5 (Miata for our non UK cousins). After doing research and looking at MX5s over the years, only the mk1 (NA) first generation had pop-up headlights. We had to get it!