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Hi guys!
I have been thinking about getting a Miata for about 6 months and finally picked myself up a 2.0 Litre NC with sports trim and an electric hardtop:

I am really enjoying it and I've had the roof down whenever I know it won't rain. I even had it down going to work this morning, when it was particularly frosty (I do hope using the electric roof in the cold isn't too bad for it). It was a very enjoyable commute. I will need to ask Santa for some leather gloves though!

For some context, I'm 22 and this is my second car, after passing my Renault Cio 1.2 Turbo to my older sister.
I have only been driving 2 years, but I thought I would treat myself to a car built for smiles. So far, it's done the trick! 
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Welcome to the forum - nice looking MX5.
Enjoy and happy motoring.
Andrew
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MX5 MK2.5 (2003) 1.8i Splash Green - Stainless dual exit exhaust, K&N filter and polished chrome style bars.
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great car, love the black especially when properly clean.

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Daily - MY19 Seat Leon Cupra 290 DSG in Magnetic Grey
Sunny days: 2008 PRHT 2.0 Sport in True Red
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Just direct the face blowers onto your hands and the frosty commutes will be fine.
So many of us on here wish we had come to the MX-5 fold earlier in life. You must have a wise head on young shoulders. Well done sir.

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COG group member
Ex-Purveyor of ZSport badges to the gentry
Mk4 2.0 Sport Nav, Soul Red, Sand leather, Love it! Mk3 2.0 ZSport, Beyoncé, Sold Mk1 1.8 Merlot, Wino, Sold Mk1 1.6 Eunos Classic Red, Roadie, Sold |
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Dare we ask insurance costs...
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Rank: Advanced poster
Groups: OCMember, Registered Joined: 23/11/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,959  Location: Lincoln Thanks: 314 times Was thanked: 524 time(s) in 427 post(s)
Originally Posted by: BRUCE225 
Dare we ask insurance costs...
He's still on the mega high of his first 5. Don't bring the poor lad back down to earth just yet.

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COG group member
Ex-Purveyor of ZSport badges to the gentry
Mk4 2.0 Sport Nav, Soul Red, Sand leather, Love it! Mk3 2.0 ZSport, Beyoncé, Sold Mk1 1.8 Merlot, Wino, Sold Mk1 1.6 Eunos Classic Red, Roadie, Sold |
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Originally Posted by: Roadie 
Originally Posted by: BRUCE225 
Please do not read my previous post
He's still on the mega high of his first 5. Don't bring the poor lad back down to earth just yet.

OK I 'll ask next week, when's he's fed up that it's rained none stop for a week with no chance of hood down
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 1 user thanked BRUCE225 for this useful post.
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Joined: 03/12/2018(UTC) Posts: 3
Thanks guys. I'm away to drive home now, so I'll move the air blowers and see if it makes a difference. Haha, yeah insurance isn't ideal for a 22 y/o male, but to be fair I don't think it's much more than my Clio was. I'm using a blackbox-like plugin with my insurance policy and I'm sitting around £550 p.a. I reckon it's worth it, and it should go down if I drive well enough.
Yeah, I know the weather isn't going to be too good at this time of year. I wanted to buy it around this time as I hoped prices would be lower near winter. I don't know if it made a difference or not, but I'm very happy I got it when I did and I'm looking forward to seeing some sun again in 2019.
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Rank: Advanced poster
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Only got mine end of September, kept monitoring prices and nothing seemed to be changing, think you just need to jump in when you see something you like and it's the price your happy to pay,which I guess you did...I watched tons and lost out due to over thinking things price/time of year etc ...Insurance wise seems good was expecting more and at least the black box matches your car ....
Enjoy
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Welcome to the addiction, nothing much better than a fresh top down drive at any time of the year.
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The Captain - An MX5 Driver NC ZSport - ObiWan - Radiant Ebony Mica - Larini NC Sport - Belle - Winning Blue - Cobra Sport
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Originally Posted by: Jonathan Fowler  Thanks guys. I'm away to drive home now, so I'll move the air blowers and see if it makes a difference. Haha, yeah insurance isn't ideal for a 22 y/o male, but to be fair I don't think it's much more than my Clio was. I'm using a blackbox-like plugin with my insurance policy and I'm sitting around £550 p.a. I reckon it's worth it, and it should go down if I drive well enough.
Yeah, I know the weather isn't going to be too good at this time of year. I wanted to buy it around this time as I hoped prices would be lower near winter. I don't know if it made a difference or not, but I'm very happy I got it when I did and I'm looking forward to seeing some sun again in 2019.
That's a fair price for insurance 
Welcome and enjoy.
You can drive them top down in the rain, just keep your speed up to around 40 mph or you'll start getting wet not good either when those traffic lights turn red. I guess you have the best of both worlds, flick the switch and the top's closed. 
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Current car...07 plate True Red Sport. MeisterR's, Colbalt rear box, Royal Steering Wheel retrim. |
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Hi Jonathan and welcome on board. 
Not wishing to sound patronising, but at your age you've probably grown up used to understeering front-wheel drive cars. Might be a good idea to get yourself on a driving course of some sort to understand the nuances of a rear-drive transmission; it's a very different kettle of fish, but much more rewarding. The Mk3 you have does exhibit understeer from the factory, but get a decent four-wheel alignment done and it can be a thing of the past; just my opinion.
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Very Happy MX5 Driver: Spirited Green NC Sport Black BBR Super 200/Sports mid-pipe/GT Backbox, K&N Air/Oil, MeisterR ZetaCRD coilovers, Geo (WIM), Team Dynamics Race Pro 1.2 alloys, SmartTop. |
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Rank: Advanced poster
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My thoughts were the same as Mac5 regarding getting used to driving RWD. However knowing the black box is monitoring your every move will probably keep the right foot in check enough.
Going to be cheeky here. When I looked at the pictures of your car I thought the one thing it needed was to swap out the orange side repeaters for clear ones with orange bulbs. Then I realised, they are colour coded to your hair. Most of us swap to the clear / silver look for the same reason.

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Ex-Purveyor of ZSport badges to the gentry
Mk4 2.0 Sport Nav, Soul Red, Sand leather, Love it! Mk3 2.0 ZSport, Beyoncé, Sold Mk1 1.8 Merlot, Wino, Sold Mk1 1.6 Eunos Classic Red, Roadie, Sold |
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Nice car Jonathan!
Don't worry about lowering & raising the power hardtop in the cold - my experience after nearly 7 years of ownership & having the roof down at every (dry) opportunity regardless of the temperature has been that you won't do any damage at all.
Enjoy!
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2012 2.0 Sportech RC, Stormy Blue Lives in Sheffield, UK |
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Originally Posted by: Roadie 
My thoughts were the same as Mac5 regarding getting used to driving RWD. However knowing the black box is monitoring your every move will probably keep the right foot in check enough.
Going to be cheeky here. When I looked at the pictures of your car I thought the one thing it needed was to swap out the orange side repeaters for clear ones with orange bulbs. Then I realised, they are colour coded to your hair. Most of us swap to the clear / silver look for the same reason.

I've never been a boy racer, so I can't say I have much experience with understeer or oversteer. I was actually thinking about getting some sort of course for driving in icy/wet conditions, which might give me a better idea of how the car acts when it loses grip. I'm not sure if it's quite the same as getting a course for understeer/oversteer though.
As for the repeaters, you're right! they do match my hair . It had occurred to me earlier that the colour didn't do the car any favours though, so if they're easily changed, I will look into doing that.
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Originally Posted by: Jonathan Fowler 
As for the repeaters, you're right! they do match my hair . It had occurred to me earlier that the colour didn't do the car any favours though, so if they're easily changed, I will look into doing that.
That's where your credit card comes in handy, not just to buy some more but to slip behind the light fitting and release the catch holding them to the body. 
It's about the only part that's common on the Mk1/Mk2 and the Mk3's....enjoy!
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Current car...07 plate True Red Sport. MeisterR's, Colbalt rear box, Royal Steering Wheel retrim. |
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Originally Posted by: Mac5 
Hi Jonathan and welcome on board. 
Not wishing to sound patronising, but at your age you've probably grown up used to understeering front-wheel drive cars.
To be fair, thats probably the case for anyone aged under 55. So that's most of us. The main difference in the last 20 years is the general availability of cars with ABS and TC.
I started driving MX5s over 20 years ago, in my late 20s, and had never driven a RWD before, unless you count a 5.0 Cougar. Didn't need to go on a RWD driving course then, or now. The NC has its own set of driving aids to dull the disruptive effects of RWD. But what do I know, for 20 years I have stuck to a car that has no ABS, nor TC. I know it has a spike (aka steering column) in the middle of the steering wheel to make up for lack of airbag. All these people with their fancy driving aids don't know what they are missing. Edited by user 05 December 2018 14:08:13(UTC)
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https://www.facebook.com/ant.brown.98/videos/10218182389341342/
ABS and traction control are good but they will not always save you as this MX found out. Take care in the wet. Edited by user 05 December 2018 15:49:25(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Raymond Harper 
My NC felt like it was going to do that all the time (flickering DSC light) until I got rid of the OEM Potenzas and put new tyres on it!! 
But then I grew up with RWD cars, often knacked but sometimes very fruity, so I'm quite used to handling them on anything including sheet ice. 
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2008 Niseko NC 2.0 2016 Mazda3 SE-L Nav 2.0 |
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1995 Mazda MX-5 1.8 iS in Classic Red Winner Standard Mk1 Donington Park National Rally 2016 Winner Standard Mk1 Kelmarsh Hall National Rally 2015 Owned since April 2002 Club Member since April 2002 Nurburgring & Stelvio Pass BMW 330D M Sport Peugeot 107 Featured in Modern Classics January 2019
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