Mazda MX-5 (1990 - 2005) 1.6i Arctic 2d Owner Review

I bought this car as a 70th birthday present to myself and I absolutely love it. I paid over the odds from a dealer, but I didn't mind because a lot of work had gone into combating the chassis corrosion which can be a problem with these cars, so new sills and chassis rails had been fitted, among other things. The car is not particularly fast but the handling is absolutely superb. There cannot be anything on the road that handles as well as these cars for the price. Mine had done a galactic mileage (107,000), but it had been regularly serviced and it doesn't use any oil between changes. I don't know how much longer it can be before major surgery will be needed, but it runs like a sewing machine at the moment and doesn't miss a beat on a long trip. Sadly the air conditioning doesn't work and the cost of a new condenser is £675 - only obtainable from Mazda. I have a GRP roof that I put on for the winter; it is easy to fit, though it does need two people. The rag top is a doddle to put up and down - a one handed job from the driver's seat that takes seconds. VED is high, but insurance is very reasonable.