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Yet Another MX5 Project! (1.8 California)



  mx5
I know there are loads of these popping up on here, but thought I would stick up a project thread for my new mx5. After looking around for ages I managed to find a UK 1.8 with zero rust and 100k on the clock for under a grand. It has had a full respray fairly recently so the paintwork is all looking nice and fresh.

I have had it about a week now. Its currently SORN'd while I do some bits and bobs to it, I dont really need a car as Im up at uni most of the time anyway, then once I turn 21 I'll tax and insure it and hopefully it should be in pretty good shape by then.

Here it is the day I picked it up:


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I have since got bit trigger happy and have bought lots of little bits for it which I'll chuck in this thread as and when they arrive/ I fit them.

First thing I planned to do was to remove the front badge and front numberplate plinth. The badge has two locating pins underneath it though, so I just painted it with some ford velvet purple I had lying around.

SDC13778.jpg



Then I fitted a leather door strap to give me a bit more leg room (Im a pretty tall guy so its quite cramped in the little 5)
Before:

SDC13792.jpg


After:

SDC13790.jpg



I also fitted an offset numberplate bracket, meaning the front end looks like this at the moment:

front2.jpg


The little chrome bits behind the roof had gone all flakey and wierd so I gave them a quick coat of paint too
Before:
frankbolts1.jpg


After:

frankbolt2.jpg



Today, my garage vary splitter and TSI's arrived, so Ill get the tsi's painted and then fit them both today or tomorrow

SDC13807.jpg


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I won a pair of cobra clubmans retrimmed in fake leather for £45 off ebay. Got the old seats out fine, just need to make some subframes to get the new ones in. Should have me sitting a fair bit lower than standard though which would be good.

SDC13805.jpg



I also picked up a roll bar yesterday but its in chrome which Im not a fan of. Thinking of either spraying it yellow or purple but Im not sure which, what do you reckon?

Im currently waiting on a new steering wheel, some new wing mirrors and a eunos rear plate panel in the post. Then its onto the important bits, coilies and wheels. Theyve stopped making racelands for the NA which is a bit of a shame but Ill see what I can find. Not really sure what to go for in the wheels department but I want something a bit different (not XXRs or watanabe style wheels) but Ill see what comes up. Going to respray the current ones in anthracite or silver in the next couple days to tie me over til I find the wheels I want.

Hope you like it so far!
 
  Toyota MR2
Its getting busy with 5 owners on here! Where did you get the door straps from? I could do with a pair as having no door cards or handles is a bit of a pain!
 
  mx5
What are them TSI's? I like them, dont like the skuzzle ones though

Not really sure mate, picked them up second hand from a guy on nutz. I really liked the skuzzle ones but apparently he has broke the mould so wont be making any for a while so got these.

Its getting busy with 5 owners on here! Where did you get the door straps from? I could do with a pair as having no door cards or handles is a bit of a pain!

There is a member on mx5nutz called jass who makes them. They're pretty cheap and seem to be made quite well.


The steering wheel thats in it at the moment is a wooden personal wheel, reckon its worth anything or just one for the bin?

Im popping out to get some paint in a bit to paint the roll bar and TSI's so should have an update for this soon
 
  mx5
Chris and Luke - Not sure how it would be coming from a 1*2 but from a 1.2 it is in a completely different league of pace and handling, super fun! Cant wait to get it back on the road again


TSI's painted and fitted. Not sure if Im going to leave them as they are or give them a coat of matte black instead

SDC13828.jpg


Now its rollbar time
 
  Rb 182
Nice. I'm in the want camp. But not sure if i ever will. Think if i went rear driver properly (5 months with a 318is doesn't count) it would need boost!
 
  R53 Cooper S
Looks a cracking buy for under a grand!

The TSI's make such a difference to the front of the car.:approve:
 
  mx5
Cheers guys!
Yeah hopefully should be quite a fun project. Already enjoying it much more than the clio (but also spending much more money than I did on the clio, oops :quiet:)

Going to buy some little spacers tomorrow to bring the TSI's forward a bit as at the moment they look a little bit sunk. Hopefully steering wheel and mirrors should be here tomo and Ill get the bar finished too!
 
  mx5
Got the "roll bar" sprayed and fitted, though Im pretty sure its just a style bar as it bolts onto the seatbelt towers rather than the actual chassis, but for what I paid for it Im not going to complain. Think it makes the car look a bit more purposeful too which is what I was after.
Here it is when I picked it up:

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And here it is after I painted and fitted it:

rollbar2.jpg


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I also added some spacers behind my TSIs to bring them forward a bit as they were looking pretty sunken before

SDC13839.jpg




The car came with this wheel. I have ordered a new wheel to replace it, but not sure whether to bin this one or sell it on. Does anyone know if its worth anything? Its a personal wheel so would feel bad chucking it as apart from the horn button its in fairly good nick!

SDC13830.jpg


Still no sign of mirrors/steering wheel/eunos rear panel in the post today :( hopefully tomorrow
 

MaLicE

Honorary Member
ClioSport Club Member
  Lazy v8
i would ebay the wheel, personal wheels are pretty sort after... though I'm not sure how rare or sort after that wheel is lol!
 

Christopher

ClioSport Club Member
  Z4M
Weird to see a Personal wheel in it. lol. The Personal stuff I've seen before has been in VIP cars.
 

MaLicE

Honorary Member
ClioSport Club Member
  Lazy v8
personal make drift wheels too... but it might just be a personal horn button used on it... see if there are any more markings on the wheel...
 
  mx5
Youre right, theyre not the best seats, but they were £45 for both and the old seats were in a bit of a state when I picked it up!

SDC13786.jpg
 
  Clio 172 PH1, Mini
Hi mate nice work so far, ive got a steering wheel boss laying around if you want it.

Forgot to say PM me if your interested.
 
Last edited:
  mx5
Cheers mate, but think the personal one has got a hub that comes with it so will probably just be able to re use that when my wheel arrives. Thanks for the offer though
 
  106 Quicky
Not keen on the color but i like the car :) Never really liked them but they have grown on me. Other day my mates dad flipped his and he didn't have a seat belt on, Died as soon as he hit the tree :(
 
  Listerine & Poledo
Not keen on the color but i like the car :) Never really liked them but they have grown on me. Other day my mates dad flipped his and he didn't have a seat belt on, Died as soon as he hit the tree :(

jeez, that's terrible.

but WTF was he doing to FLIP it?

Another reminder why seat belts are compulsroy though, even for y0! riders who are ballin
 
  106 Quicky
Not keen on the color but i like the car :) Never really liked them but they have grown on me. Other day my mates dad flipped his and he didn't have a seat belt on, Died as soon as he hit the tree :(
He was going around a corner pretty quick and hit the curb which tipped the car. Hope that never happens to me
 
  mx5
Sorry to hear about your mates dad, really sad :(

I have some small updates for the car, but havent done as much as I would have like which is annoying.
First up I replaced the wing mirrors as one of the ones on it was just glued on and couldnt move and one had some paint drips on it and just generally a bad finish from the previous owner

SDC13864.jpg




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I bought a yellow rear panel with the intention of sticking it on the rear in yellow but its in really bad nick which is annoying, especially as I paid extra for a yellow one. Going to spray it gloss black and see how that looks

SDC13862.jpg



Then i started swapping steering wheels over as my new one arrived, bit of a nice surprise when I got the wooden cover off - it is real personal lol

SDC13854.jpg


Unfortunately I managed to round off an allen key screw which is a massive ball ache and i dont really know what Im going to do about it atm :( but here is the new wheel anyway. Its a omp corsica "style" wheel because im a cheapo and it matches the way Im going with the car much better than the wooden one

SDC13858.jpg


So yeah, not the most exciting update ever and probably going to be a while until my next big update as Im heading up to uni at the weekend. Once I get back I'll fit the seats and gv lip and get the rear panel sprayed.


Also does anybody know of any insurance companies that do insurance for a month or so at a time as supposed to a full year? I was planning on waiting until my birthday to insure it, but as im only back here for a month or two at the most I think it may be worth looking into!

cheers!
 


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