Don't buy a rotten one.

The free 40-point MX-5 NB inspection checklist

Print it, take it to the viewing, and work through it in order — the sills before the shiny paint. The exact 40 checks our cost figures are based on, so you can spot a money pit before you hand over a penny. Enter your email and we'll send it straight over.

Get the free checklist Or price a car now

What's inside the checklist

40 checks across the 7 things that actually decide whether an NB is a bargain or a bill.

Section A

Paperwork & history

V5C, MOT history red flags, cambelt proof, and the receipts that separate a cared-for car from a polished gamble.

Section B — the big one

Rust & structure

Sills, jacking points, arches, chassis rails and boot floor — where to probe, and what "walk away" looks like.

Section C

Bodywork & panels

Panel gaps, repaint tell-tales, and whether that "genuine hardtop" is actually adding value.

Section D

Engine (cold)

The cold-start checks sellers hope you'll skip — smoke, VVT rattle, coolant, and the head-gasket giveaway.

Section E

Test drive

Clutch, gearbox, stalling, tracking and knocks — the faults that only show under load or at speed.

Section F & G

Soft top, leaks & electrics

Rear window, damp footwells (and where the water's really coming from), windows, locking and interior wear.

A taste of the checks

Three of the forty — the full set, in order, arrives by email.

Probe the sills along their full length.
They rot from the inside out, so the outside can look fine. Soft or crackly metal means expensive welding — the NB's defining cost risk.
Start it from cold yourself.
If they "just popped to the shops", be suspicious — a warm engine hides hard starting, smoke and a tired VVT rattle.
Lift the boot carpet and check the floor.
Water and rust collect in the spare-wheel well — a classic hidden-rot spot that fails MOTs.

Why bother with a checklist?

Because the difference between a great NB and a money pit is often invisible at a glance — and emotion makes buyers miss it. A rotten sill or chassis rail can cost more to repair than the car is worth, which is exactly why so many NBs get scrapped. Fifteen minutes with this checklist, in the right order, is the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy. Pair it with the cost calculator and you'll know both what to check and what to pay.