STOLEN: My MX5. Found, not necessarily in one piece

[homeforsummer]

That's a good word for it. AUP friendly

Just been totting up what repairs might cost. No way of telling until the Police have done their thang but I reckon in bodywork parts alone it's a good £700-odd. That doesn't include labour, doesn't include painting and doesn't include suspension, wheels and any other running gear that'll have been damaged, nor does it take into account whether it's worth salvaging the shell anyway if it's badly damaged enough.

If I can find a replacement shell like I mentioned earlier, then it might be worth going for.

I'm loathe to sell it after having put so much money towards it already and I don't particularly want to buy another MX5, as even if it'll be cheaper, it'll still apparently be a theft magnet.

 

[Stotty]

... bootlid and rear wing are damaged, the door has been stoved in, the front wing is hanging off (all on the driver's side, or right-hand side) and the bonnet is damaged as well as both headlight covers missing...

Not wanting to be negative here, but if that's the true extent of the damage then I'd say it's probably a write off. Hopefully you're insurance company will give you a decent settlement and you can go look for a new one

 

[Famine]

Not wanting to be negative here, but if that's the true extent of the damage then I'd say it's probably a write off. Hopefully you're insurance company will give you a decent settlement and you can go look for a new one

If the floor's not bent, it's not a problem - and many of those parts can be nabbed from a scrappy for not much at all. MX-5s tend to have the passenger side stacked, as that's the bit nearest the trees, so there should be some good bits to be had.

In fact I know there's a red one in a scrappy near me with the driver's door intact.

 

[Thatman]

Its at times like these where if you had caught them in the act that you could do some nasty things to them. While i never have had my car(s) stolen, more then once has someone broken into our cars.

I hope that when you actually pick it up you will be able to make it just as good or better.

 

[Sureboss]

Hopefully the Insurance company will be helpful Ant, really sorry fella.

 

[TheCracker]

That's really 🤬 news HFS. Like Stotty said, it does sound likely to be a write-off. I presume you didn't have a crook-lock or the like on it at the time?

 

[Stotty]

If the floor's not bent, it's not a problem - and many of those parts can be nabbed from a scrappy for not much at all. MX-5s tend to have the passenger side stacked, as that's the bit nearest the trees, so there should be some good bits to be had.

In fact I know there's a red one in a scrappy near me with the driver's door intact.

Probably manageable if you're doing it yourself, but insurance companies tend to write them off if the damge is more than 50% of the car's value, and I don't think they would use 2nd hand parts.

I know a guy who crashed his 996... insurance company wanted to write it off. He agreed with the insurance company and an independent Porsche specialist a fixed repair cost and then the Porsche specialist sourced all the parts... just managed to do it inside the budget.

 

[Famine]

Probably manageable if you're doing it yourself, but insurance companies tend to write them off if the damge is more than 50% of the car's value, and I don't think they would use 2nd hand parts.

Indeed. That's why you take the payout less their estimated value of the car - buying the car back off them.

Some Halfords-mixed Clear White (or is it Crystal White on the '5?) and a scrapyard could see the body - if the floor's okay - done for less than £100, and damaged suspension is a great excuse to buy the KYB adjustables and springs from MX5parts for £300...

 

[Paulie]

Huh, and I got angry when I found some stupid little hoodlim had stolen 2 of my chrome valve caps (almost certainly for his weak little push-bike). For car related incidents like this, if they catch the thief they should give the car owner the option of letting him do jail time or letting you bash on him for a little while. It may sound a little harsh, but when it comes to a car enthusiast's baby it's how it makes you feel at least. Hope things work out for you and your car is easily repairable.

 

[homeforsummer]

Fully agree Paulie. I'd have been happy to sacrifice the car entirely if they'd managed to kill themselves in it, just for the satisfaction.

@ Cracker - No crook-lock unfortunately, even though I own one. Used to use it on the Fiesta of all things but I've never seen fit to carry it around in the Mazda. I have one of those disc-lock things which are supposed to be very hard to break, but if it'd been on in the first place it might have been enough of a deterrent to put them off.

What I'm suspecting judging by what's happened was that it was stolen to order. I live in a fairly nice area and the Police said that you barely ever get car thefts these days without the crooks actually having the keys. I reckon someone followed me home at some point, saw where it was parked and returned to twoc it, probably to ring it or break it for parts.

@ Famine - crystal white, I think. Whatever white the earliest MX5s came in!

Weighing up my options anyway. I can't inspect the car until the Police have done their CSI stuff on it and confirmed to the garage holding it that it's mine. I'd love to keep it and I'll do my best to do so, but given the money I've spent on it recently I feel like I've taken one step forward and about twenty back.

Best car I've ever driven but if I can't enjoy owning it for fear of some pillock reversing into it (as with the taxi last year) or trying to t-bone me (as happened early this year) or nicking and crashing it because they're scummy lowlife turd-buckets then there's not a lot of point me keeping it.

 

[Joey D]

I can't inspect the car until the Police have done their CSI stuff on it...

So the car is going to get some crazy zoomed in camera angles, maybe a shot from the car's perspective, and then some guy is going to make a bad joke like "it looks like Miata's can't pole dance" and then put on sunglasses and go "YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHH".

A little humour.

 

[homeforsummer]

So the car is going to get some crazy zoomed in camera angles, maybe a shot from the car's perspective, and then some guy is going to make a bad joke like "it looks like Miata's can't pole dance" and then put on sunglasses and go "YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHH".

Hopefully. I'd pay extra to have Horatio on the case.

 

[Jondot]

Hopefully. I'd pay extra to have Horatio on the case.

I wouldn't, the useless ginger.

How awful anyway :/ I saw this pop up on Twitter and gave out a sigh, let's just hope it's not too bad. Just out of interest, was it hot wired or did they just nick the keys?

 

[homeforsummer]

Keys are still in my possession. Presume they hot-wired. In any case, NA MX5s are about as hard to steal as the proverbial baby's candy.

 

[Keef]

Is stealing cars still a popular thing with all the chavs over yonder? I personally know a few people who have suffered break-ins, and every now and then in the rough neighborhoods you'll see a spat of them through the night, but stealing cars is very rare where I'm from. Thieves have seen the TV shows before and they understand that American police do not take lightly to car theft suspects, especially if they try to run. They typically end with the car upside down, and once they pull you out, a gun to your head.

So yeah they don't steal them very often.

 

[homeforsummer]

According to the police who came round after I reported the theft, car thefts are way less than they used to be. So many people in the UK have fairly modern cars nowadays and modern cars are virtually impossible to nick without having the keys. It does mean that most car thefts now include break-ins too (or carjacking) which is more dangerous, but overall I think car thefts are quite low.

Trouble is generally limited to cars like mine, which is 20 years old and has a soft roof.

One of my options in the absence of the Mazda is to take out a loan and buy a considerably more modern and more secure car. Already worked out that I can afford it so it's under consideration.

And watching UK cop shows has told me that generally if the thiefs don't stop of their own accord they generally stack it when they run out of their limited talent. Very rarely do the police knock them off the road. Does happen though.

 

[Keef]

Possibly a newer Miata? Some early-2000s cars a fairly secure, but it depends on who makes them because companies had very different computer systems. Civics like my 1999, for example, could be stolen by hotwiring just like your old Miata. Others from that period were very different though.

 

[homeforsummer]

I could get a newer Miata. Might give it a rest for a while though. There are plenty about so in a few years time if I'm getting withdrawal symptoms I can find another, but for the time being I think I just want something a bit more inconspicous. Nothing like having a car nicked and trashed to knock a bit of the enthusiasm out of your hobby

 

[CodeRedR51]

Of course, quite how you drive an MX-5 face-first into something escapes me. An MX-5 crash should be sideways, backwards or, if you're very talented, upside-down.

You would be surprised how many salvage Miata's I have seen that were smashed in the front. Including two that were particularly bad.

 

[AMG.]

Ugh, these incidents gets my blood boiling.

And watching UK cop shows has told me that generally if the thiefs don't stop of their own accord they generally stack it when they run out of their limited talent. Very rarely do the police knock them off the road. Does happen though.

Ive seen these shows too and they seem to get away with a couple of points on their licence (assuming they have one) a few GBpounds and some months community service IF they get caught. I think we should reinstate corporal punishment like Henry Viii was fond of. Steal 1 car lose a hand, steal two ....

Hope you feel better soon though!

AMG.

 

[Jondot]

One of my options in the absence of the Mazda is to take out a loan and buy a considerably more modern and more secure car. Already worked out that I can afford it so it's under consideration.

To be fair you wouldn't have to spend a huge deal to go considerably more secure. My Ka has fairly dreadful security, but it does at least come with an immobiliser and a Thatcham alarm, which presumably would deter/prevent the average idiot. As would a Focus like Danny's, I presume, and there's hundreds of those about. Although admittedly the stereo will probably be nicked because of some idiotic rumour.

You're screwed whatever you buy, essentially. Suppose by that logic you might as well drive the car you love

 

[Glubags]

Sorry for your (apparent) loss, HFS. I sincerely hope the damage is mostly cosmetic.

Don't worry, though! Any enthusiasm this event has drained from you will return in full force soon. Have you considered it as an opportunity to explore a new platform from the ground up? It's always fun to start fresh on a new project, and I'm sure there are plenty of good options out there that will satisfy your cravings without necessarily drawing attention from the types of morons who stole this one.

 

[Enigma]

Not wanting to be negative here, but if that's the true extent of the damage then I'd say it's probably a write off. Hopefully you're insurance company will give you a decent settlement and you can go look for a new one

I agree, definately sounds like write off material, especially when you consider the age/value of the car.

To be fair you wouldn't have to spend a huge deal to go considerably more secure. My Ka has fairly dreadful security, but it does at least come with an immobiliser and a Thatcham alarm, which presumably would deter/prevent the average idiot. As would a Focus like Danny's, I presume, and there's hundreds of those about.

Pretty much every car from the mid nineties onward has a factory immobiliser (chip in the key) and as a result car theft has halved since then.

Unfortunately the young TWOCers know this and target older cars.

HFS, perhaps you could find out what year an immobiliser became standard on the MX-5 (maybe the facelift when they changed from the pop up headlamps?) and put the insurance money towards one of those models.

 

[Famine]

Quick answer, it was 1996 when Mazda changed their OBDI-like in-house wiring loom arrangement for the OBDII-like in-house wiring loom arrangement.

March, I think.

And he'd just need the engine loom and ECU from an OBDII-like model.

 

[Antti-san]

Wow, I feel so sorry for you and your car, homeforsummer. I've always had a soft spot for MX-5's too. Any idea if they'll catch the perpetrator?

 

[GT_Prologue5]

Wow HFS, sorry to hear about the car. MX-5 abuse brings a tear to my eye. Such lovely cars.

 

[Sureboss]

Quick answer, it was 1996 when Mazda changed their OBDI-like in-house wiring loom arrangement for the OBDII-like in-house wiring loom arrangement.

March, I think.

And he'd just need the engine loom and ECU from an OBDII-like model.

You know too much.

 

[nk4e]

Man, I am sorry for your loss. I was lucky enough to find my 240 in one peice....4 hours later

 

[socomplayer2]

Dude this really sucks. I hope the perpetrator gets his due justice and you get your car fixed. If it can't be fixed use the insurance money and buy something better (with a security system) to show the thieves you aren't phased by them.

Good luck man!

 

[Roo]

*sigh*

To date I've never had a car broken into or stolen, but I can imagine how I'd feel if someone stole my Mini and crashed it. Good luck with the paperwork; here's hoping he's fixable 👍