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General Doc's Barchetta vs 03 MX-5 review

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General Doc's Barchetta vs 03 MX-5 review

docorangepeel

docorangepeel

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At this time I have my hands on an 03 MX-5 for the next week or so. This Sat I will test drive both cars and see how things match up. My B has a few mods but the MX-5 is stock so a little unfair but the MX-5 is the 1800i 6 speed sports model with all the upgrades on it.

Check back to find out what I found. (y)
 
Top 10 gay cars for me are:
1) Merc SLGay
2) VW beetle
3) all french CC
4) Lancia Y
5) Smart all models
6) Ford Ka
7) Citroen C3
8) Merc A-Class
9) Audi A2
10) MG TF roadster
 
Any soft top has the potential to be considered gay. I was giving a lift to my son a couple of months back. He had shaved his head, I haven't got much hair anyway, yellow open b. Oh well!!

The MX5 is probably built better and handles better than the b anyway. Better gearchange too.

And following yet more grief from Fiat and Fiat dealers, I'd rather have an MX5 than my 55 reg b any day of the week. But then tomorrow it might be sunny and the b might be back in favour again.

SLK55 vs b. No contest. Gimme the Merc. Or Boxster, S2000, SLK350.
 
Evereybody would have any of the above cars over the B - but only to sell them and buy a B and have a hefty amount of dosh to spend on mods (or, in the case of LRB, on refurbishing the hall ;)).
 
magicmole said:
SLK55 vs b. No contest. Gimme the Merc. Or Boxster, S2000, SLK350.
Click to expand...

I get your point but its not apples for apples, 3k bought me a low mileage 1999 B with full service, leather etc etc etc - I looked at MX-5's first and 3k bought a 15 y/o import with 100k plus miles, patchy s/h and cloth interior..........if the B were made from metal and not tinfoil and the driving wheels were on the back it would be perfect!!
 
And lo, it was sunny (well sort of) so I decided the head off to Gaydon in the b.

Tried to start the b, chug, chug, die. Try again. Same. And again... lumpy idle.

Opened the bonnet. Intake pipe hanging off the throttle body. Bl**dy Fiat dealer mechanic. Fixed it on properly myself. Calmed down. So, everybody makes a mistake sometime. Then I noticed a bracket hanging loose. Air turned blue. Two mistakes is just lousy workmanship. Took it back today (Monday). Fiat dealers apologetic. Will fix it, adjust the clutch properly this time and will nail the mech to the floor by his ******.

But I went to Gaydon, saw two bs (red and orange) but didn't get to talk to the owners. Did talk to the owners of a grey b, but they'd bought their Alfa with them.

Loads of Lambos (40 odd) including four Muiras (one SV, one Jota rep), a one-off Monza 400, Jaramas, Countaches, Espadas, Diablos, Murcielagos and Gallardos. Unfortunately no early GTs or Isleros. And an LM002 that was almost as big as our bungalow.

The best however, was not Italian but French. An early Bugatti.

There was also an amazing Fiat 500, not quite as wide as the Lambos.
 
magicmole said:
And lo, it was sunny (well sort of) so I decided the head off to Gaydon in the b.

Tried to start the b, chug, chug, die. Try again. Same. And again... lumpy idle.

Opened the bonnet. Intake pipe hanging off the throttle body. Bl**dy Fiat dealer mechanic. Fixed it on properly myself. Calmed down. So, everybody makes a mistake sometime. Then I noticed a bracket hanging loose. Air turned blue. Two mistakes is just lousy workmanship. Took it back today (Monday). Fiat dealers apologetic. Will fix it, adjust the clutch properly this time and will nail the mech to the floor by his ******.

But I went to Gaydon, saw two bs (red and orange) but didn't get to talk to the owners. Did talk to the owners of a grey b, but they'd bought their Alfa with them.

Loads of Lambos (40 odd) including four Muiras (one SV, one Jota rep), a one-off Monza 400, Jaramas, Countaches, Espadas, Diablos, Murcielagos and Gallardos. Unfortunately no early GTs or Isleros. And an LM002 that was almost as big as our bungalow.

The best however, was not Italian but French. An early Bugatti.

There was also an amazing Fiat 500, not quite as wide as the Lambos.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that it went well - I had planned on coming along but was given VIP tickets to the Southampton Boat Show so spent the day being smoozed by people who thought that I had a couple of mill to spend on a grande Barchetta!!! Great day wandering around boats worth 2 Mill+............

sjladopoulos said:
Pour 5 tons of liquid metal on it and drive in Reverse :D :D :D :D
Click to expand...

:D Good idea :D Give it a go and let us know how you get on!! (y)
 
Zem said:
It was last Saturday?

No word from the Doc, has he switched to the dark side :D
Click to expand...

Maybe he got bored with us bitchin about the Mx5 being gay or not... Oh and for the record the gayest gay car in all gay surveys is the Jeep (cause it was in all the Queer as folk series, both the UK and the US ones)

Jim
 
I have done my test drives and will put up my findings asap but as LRB said, I am stuck in Paris with work. MX-5 is good but not as good as everyone goes on about, you will have to check back to find out more. Not as cut and dry as you might think people.
 
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