I found more rust.. MX-5 NC welding and underseal

The rust battle continues with the Mazda Miata. I found rust in the sills so decided to take the MK3 MX-5 for a spot of welding and full underseal process. Whilst in for this work, I also had fitted progress technology sway bars and superpro adjustable drop links.
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[@davidstorm4015]

Good to see you found this and got it addressed before it went too far. This is always the first area to inspect when you get a NC in the UK, almost all of them will be rusty here.

[@ianfairbanks1318]

Just found this Channel. Thanks so much for doing NC content!

[@cs2360]

Nice job with the video and the car. Underside looks good following treatment. Looking forward to hearing more about how suspension changes are working for you.

[@Aliburgo1]

Very tidy Dom, well worth doing. Glad it’s not just mine that was holey there!

[@danielstrange1961]

I actually love this, cannot wait to get MX-5 !!! thankyou for all your brilliant content, really appreciate every video 😁😁😁

[@melmc3306]

It’ll turn out to be the best decision of your life, mate. I got mine a few months ago and have been having an absolute blast driving & customising her. All the best, pal!

[@Spookieham]

About to buy an NB here in Western Australia. Luckily rust is very rare here because of the lack of road salt and generally extremely dry and hot climate.

[@PEIVOLILLO]

Nice video mate!

[@barryhill1044]

What you need is one that has never been out in bad weather or used when salt/ grit has been laid down to disperse ice or snow. It does enormous damage in areas where the owner cannot see...

[@CarThought]

Can’t be many of those about in the uk!

[@spinmastermic]

I fitted BMW E39 drop links on the rear sway bar. They're the shortest I could find and cheap.

[@OXOtwo]

Have been looking forwards to seeing the rust treatment on your car and for the age of your car it was in pretty good shape . You will feel much better now the underneath is protected. I will check my car in spring it has had welding and some plates put in recently. If mine looks good I will have it undersealed or there again I might change it for a younger model. Have a good Christmas and I will look forwards to more videos next year.

[@brunodavian377]

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[@alexanderbranson9578]

@Bruno Davian Instablaster ;)

[@brunodavian377]

@Alexander Branson Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and Im trying it out now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@brunodavian377]

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[@alexanderbranson9578]

@Bruno Davian You are welcome :D

[@eggegg2873]

Sorry to hear you found rust! I thought the NCs were relatively well protected against it but sadly mistaken, will have to check mine

[@davidstorm4015]

They always rust on the sill end panels, behind the fabric liners. If you can catch it whilst it's just surface rust, rub it back to bare metal and apply rust converter, then 3 coats of hammerite with underseal as a final finish should keep it protected. Also check the whole of the rear arches, beneath the fabric liner, especially around the threaded lugs that are used to hold the fabric liner in place.

[@Cincy_Kid]

I live in the Midwest USA and bought mine brand new in 2006 and mine has all kinds of rust

[@thomasclare1400]

How much did this set you back? Minus the drop links etc.

[@stephencurrie2414]

Hi. what do people think is the best mx5 mk3 outdoor cover

[@martinobeirne4591]

Thanks for the info, I'm looking for a mark 3 at the moment, do you know if all models/years of mx5 are equally susceptible? Was there a year in which mazda did something that is better at preventing the rot? Cheers Mart

[@CarThought]

I believe they are all just as bad as each other unfortunately. I would look for a newer model that was properly under-sealed early on in its life if you’re overly worried. If that’s hard to find, then just check all of the usual rust spots. It’s not the end of the world if it’s only slight, it can be repaired.

[@ascelot]

im looking at an mx5 mk3, how much did seal job cost?

[@davidcollin7466]

mx5 nc is a great car but zero rust protection it was so disappointing to find my 2009 was all rusty and rusting away like 80s Datsun why do they rust so so bad !!

[@kanatsizkanatli]

are you the original owner? do you know if the drain holes were ever blocked? You almost certainly will have the soft top version which has this issue, the prht or power hard tops don't, or at least very rarely rust at the sills because the water cant get stuck in the drain holes. the rear subframe can still rust but that is usually later down the line if it hasn't been undersealed

[@barryhill1044]

It’s a nice feeling when you have an immaculate MX5 that has never been out in the rain and garaged its entire life like my one, My one should be in a museum on a pedestal ....

[@oilyrag525]

@@barryhill1044 Don't be too complacent. I've had my Mk2.5 vvt Sport for 19 years now from new. Always garaged and only used during the summer months. Mileage is presently 34,000. It began to rust from the inside out in front of the rear wheels and other areas just through condensation. If your garage is well ventilated and / or heated you may be okay but otherwise you'll be susceptible to rust (or rather, your car will be) just like me. For the last 15 years I've sprayed used engine oil into all the cavities annually and that is the only way to keep it free of rust.

[@pedro7401]

its weird seeing many nc rust,as i never found a bit of it on my nc2

[@Theyefull]

Its because UK , salt everywhere and raining 99% of days, horrible weather.

[@davidstorm4015]

Have you checked your sill-end panels and removed your rear wheel arch fabric liners? You can't see the rust unless you do this, I would be surprised if any NC has not got some rust here, unless it's never driven in rain or when there's salt on the road

[@richardmartin1961]

Looks good. Only thing that is really stopping me from buying one is rust issues. Wonder if mk4's still have the issues

[@MultiMinors]

mk4 is muuuuuch better in this regard, since quite a bit of stuff is aluminium instead of steel (hence the weight being even lower than mk1) aluminium doesnt rust

[@kenzohkw]

@@MultiMinors the aluminum parts are on the outside and none of the chassis is alu so it'll still rust underneath regardless.

[@MultiMinors]

@@kenzohkw wishbone suspension is also aluminium + braces and stuff, there is really quite a bit of aluminium going on and it definitely matters

[@barryhill1044]

My 2007 MX 5 NC is for sale. Never been out in the rain. Garaged from new Looks like it was made yesterday Epping Essex...

[@whatfffd]

How much was the cost just for the underseal please?

[@nalsra0]

Does the mx5 rusting have to do with where you live? I live in Colorado and it’s really dry air so would i have to worry about rust?

[@BloodSco]

yeah the UK is wet and salty all the time

[@JoshKnight-og5sd]

how much did all this cost with mark?

[@cirian75]

Bloody annoying, Mazda still have not learned their lesson on the Mk3 NC, my 2003 MX-5 NB was a rot box in 2010.

[@printedprops8730]

Ive got a 2010 mx5, does not have rust like yours? Why does yours rust, is there snow where you live and salt is spread on the road? Or you live near the salty ocean?

[@CarThought]

Well, i live in Great Britain, which is an island.. so, yes to all! Also, although I don’t look it.. I was 11 when my car was built, so it’s almost a classic in my book 🤓

[@printedprops8730]

@@CarThought ah ok, i shouldnt stress out with mine so much then thanks.

[@stewitr]

What do you fit in place of the felt wheel arch liners?

[@CarThought]

Air 👌

[@stewitr]

@@CarThought 😂😂😂 I'll be removing mine from my purchased on Sunday NC MX5.

[@jamiewilkinsracing]

What did the welding work cost, please? A great tip for vlogging that I read is to share as much information as possible to help your audience learn. Measure and test things before and after fitting parts or having work done, share the costs of work, be critical where necessary of parts you have bought and don't like... I can see you're working hard to build your channel and producing good content so I thought I'd share this. Keep up the good work!

[@CarThought]

Hi Jamie, thanks for commenting! I appreciate your tips. There are reasons why I do some things. The costs change depending on the workload, no one job is identical to the other with welding and rust. As I mentioned at the start of the video once you start prodding sometimes it will fall away and you need a new sill as opposed to just a patch panel. If you need a cost for the process I suggest sending Mark a message on Facebook (I have added all his information in the description) with pictures of your car so that he can accurately diagnose it, I think the price of the underseal has now changed too (Please also bear in mind this booked in October).

[@seanb9814]

What does it look like underneath now, 2 years later?

[@CarThought]

I would let you know but the car is no longer in my possession. The new owner actually let me know that it has a 2.5 swap now 👍

[@mrman9561]

Would love to know how much the undersealing cost to do and was there any other costs Please canyou advise

[@mhi7303]

Same question: I might be interested too !

[@andyvaid69]

I charge around 500.

[@Anthony-sd2fn]

Nice video ! 😉 How much was it ?

[@richardmartin1961]

Aye, that was my first thought :)

[@AndyButton]

I had my NC undersealed at MX5 City for around £300, they managed to turn it round in a day for me. Thankfully I didn't have any rust issues to contend with or extra parts to fit so it was a simpler job, but really nice guys, I'm very happy with the work. Top tip; there is a very strong creosote type odour afterwards while the underseal cures. I had it done in October and it took a good few weeks to fade, so it would be advantageous to have it done in the warmer months for quicker curing and better ventilation with the top down!

[@andyvaid69]

I take a week and charge around 500

[@steffydog]

It’s a Mazda MX5, they all rust from inside to out, sills and arches. Have a look at the MX5 restorer, online or you tube, that’s all they do, repair rusty MX5s that look fine, until the MOT man shoves his finger through your bodywork.

[@CarThought]

Hi Steffy, thanks, yes I know the channel well. Good luck passing an MOT with a hole through the sill though 😬

[@steffydog]

@@CarThought I took my NB for an MOT years back and the tester shoved his hammer tool straight through my sill, nice repair bill, doh! Good luck matey, get the kettle on!

[@themancuniancandidate2744]

I solved the problem of my MX5 rusting by living in Western Australia 😁😁 Not a single speck of rust anywhere after 15 years.

[@pewpewshit9153]

Remember, rust is just free weight reduction! ; )

[@user-zy9fs3us3v]

How much its cost for that mate?

[@CarThought]

Hello can’t remember exactly, somewhere between £500 and £1K I think. Best person to contact would be Mark 👍

[@BuilditUK]

Looking at the mot history of any MX5 is always a scary reading, "rusting seriously affecting strength" is A very common comment

[@CarThought]

Sadly yes!

[@covertorange9120]

Nooo 😭 I remember the small bit of rust on my mc before I totaled it.

[@lukerahman]

Oh no :( only ever written off one car (not my NC thankfully) but I was heartbroken. 180k mile Ibiza FR (PD130, loved the torque). Wanted to take it beyond 200k. I was devastated... And broke a rib. I've calmed down on public roads since, the accident was 100% my fault. Hope you have a car you love now, or if you don't, you can get one soon!

[@covertorange9120]

@@lukerahman oh man, that’s rough. I was going 50 on the highway and the car hydroplaned into the center barrier and bounced off and slid across the highway to the shoulder. Walked away with a sore neck luckily. Currently in a 2011 bmw e90 m3 sedan for a more practical daily. I love the car, but I definitely miss the Miata. Will probably get another NC in a couple of years.

[@lukerahman]

@@covertorange9120 sounds like you got lucky there all things considered. I lost the back end in the wet between 60 and 70mph, I counter steered too hard, very much ran out of talent and spun the opposite way. Hit a telegraph pole and rolled the car on its side. Silly boy. Love my NC but I tend to go a bit steadier now.

[@covertorange9120]

@@lukerahman yeah, very lucky all things considered. Just really miss the car. I guess your car was totalled after hitting a pole?

[@CarThought]

Do you think it’s worth getting a car undersealed?

[@bleach_torin50]

yes 100%

[@jvoric]

Yes!

[@lukerahman]

No idea if it is worth it, but when I bought mine and got it up on a ramp I found it had been done already!

[@EpicFishFingers]

Yes - how much did yours cost?

[@jackdavies1718]

One of these? Yes.

[@e1337prodigy]

Every 12 months! F*** that, its basically another service then

[@mcqcjc8409]

thid kurust and brunox are total shide - its like hammerite only shells from oxygen but doesnt have any reactant See kurust and brunox test - stuf rusts same with these The best one is app r-stop