NeilMH

Suggest you put up a separate post with heading like "urgent advice wanted on mx5 purchase please" to get max response PS sorry just seen ekona's reply

We mustn't mock - they may have lacked the confidence to steer between the two parallel lines - my grandmother could never do it but then she never had a driving licence.

It's only seldom that I know anything of use - so when it happens I jump in before the opportunity passes

Funnily enough I wan't trying to put you off but this is the almost totally DIY end of the market. If you are not totally mechanically aware you would be somewhat better off with a Westfield - but even safer with an MX5 (as per what Ekona said earlier). At least you start with something a lot more modern in conception and fundamentally less likely to need constant fettling. There would still be stuff to look out for but plenty on here have experience with MX5s. Sadly I'm not one of them. Good luck.

Just looked at the ad. They are not my cup of tea but most of the main components they mention are fairly standard. It would be worth checking if there is room for two twin chokes. The lumpiness could be the cam or they didn't update the jetting or other carb/fuelling issue but if it was me I would want to do a compression test on it. Also I'd want a really good look at the underneath. Its very hard to tell but it looks like there may be bits of surface rust on the chassis where the powder coating or similar has come off. Purely surface rust of this type is normal but you need to check that this is all it is, paying particular attention to the welding points. Naturally live axle, without any upgrades can be a bit jumpy and it's normal to have drum brakes with that set up. With a Pinto this is pretty much the most basic end of the market - but can still be fun though.

The only catch with a Locost is that they are often quite a mish mash of parts sourcing - so you need chapter and verse where everything came from - whereas with the more established firms like Tiger or Westfield, whilst there are still a lot of derivatives you are more likely to be able to quickly identify and replace stuff. Having said that you might get lucky with a really high quality builder of a Locust with good spec parts (and it will probably be cheaper)...I probably wouldn't but it depends on how mechanically competent you are.

I personally think Nissan deserve some credit for it by keeping their name on it. Oh whoops - that means I have "come out" - I like your car - there I've said it

Now I've got my Westie head on - Here are some additional things I would have if I was tracking it - battery cut-off switch, fire extinguisher in an accessible place and, if it's a crossflow it is absolutely imperative that it has been fitted with a side-exit distributor cap - most now have - easy to solve if it hasn't. Also check the noise limits at your local track - a crossflow running on twin DCOEs 40s or 45s with it's original 4 inch 4-1 competition exhaust will most likely fail the modern drive by tests through a combination of induction and exhaust noise. Many have been updated with re-packable silencers or track compliant silencers. It's all easy to resolve If you get an existing track based car or ex race car all these things will already be in place. There are many suppliers of everything you need.

I can vouch for a Westfield - ok it's a bit more kit-carish than a Caterham but you can still feel everything and they are very controllable as long as it's set up right with the appropriate tyres etc. Newer products are available like a half-roof which means that (if it has a heater) you can get a good deal of weather protection without the claustrophobic feeling and noise associated with the normal roof. Its better if you can get the wider ones with the "independent - sort of" rear suspension, the bigger brakes, the right roll bar and ideally an LSD (in an ideal world). They are super sensitive to getting the right tyres but 5 minutes on the forum would answer that. One advantage is if you break one corner its just a few bits of steel, some welding and plastic (kind of). Equally MX5 and MR2 are great suggestions. I had a 309Gti as a track car and it was great but different.

To avoid going more off topic - Will - have sent you a PM.

Am I reading that right? You got blacklisted purely because you didn't leave positive feedback for someone (in other words you just abstained from the process)?

I meant quieter in terms of road and tyre noise as the coupe tends to bounce the noise back into the cabin. The roadster has lots of extra insulation and the roof storage section to block that noise. If you mean exhaust wise then yes the Stock 370 is way to quiet as we all know, but easily fixed Thanks, I get it now. Maybe tyre choice could make a big difference? I'm interested as in the longer term I may well want to get a 370.

Is quieter now good? I'm confused - I thought the stock 370z was supposed to be too quiet

Did I own your house before you? I can absolutely guarantee that you didn't...for example your car appears to work and not threaten to blow you to kingdom come (or maybe it does ) - which is more than we could say for our original hot water "system". I knew we were in trouble when he said - the fitter told me there was no way I could or should put a boiler in there but I did it Fortunately he was totally open and proud of his inventions and bodges so we went into all with our eyes open.

Just seen this. I did something similar about 15 years ago under very stressful circumstances and with nothing to go to. As things turned out it was the best thing I ever did because: - I felt good about what I had done and why - I won a subsequent legal case - another opportunity arose a few weeks later which gave me the best 10 years of my working life Well done and good luck.

To quote Paul Simon...All along along, there were incidents and accidents, there were hints and allegations It's all a mystery to me

Trouble is that this is a car enthusiasts forum and therefore probably attracts a higher share than average of competent/very competent/extremely competent home mechanics. However, out there in non-enthusiast land, there is probably nothing more dangerous than the incompetent home mechanic (at least with a dealer there is some prospect that they have been subject to some training and supervision). The previous owner of my house was a man who loved DIY but it was the equivalent of giving a Eurofighter to a 4 year old.

Broadly speaking unless I bought a car from someone on a forum that I knew and could make some judgement as to their expertise, yes it would put me off a bit and I would expect to pay less. However that does not mean that every dealer serviced car is ok....far from it......you need to make your own judgement by studying the paperwork in detail, doing some research and your own observations of the car.

Congratulations

https://foursquare.com/v/dunkin-donuts/4c4ccb2c74e81b8dd976c806

They are starting to compete with your "bad driving" threads I can't keep pace with any of you lot.

Not again. I'm beginning to think I have been very lucky with my ebay car sales so far. Just out of interest, without naming names, what was the reason/excuse this time?

Dunkin' Donuts opened their 5,000th store in Bali. Thought I ought to let you know.