[You've been tangoed]

* copied n pasted from MX5Nutz forum*

So this is my first MX5. Always been a massive fan of them, just always needed 4 seats. So sold my motorbike and bought my little bronze beast as my car. Got a Mondeo as family wagon. Not my first experience of RWD, but definitely my favourite. Had 330ci M Sport prior to this. Lovely motor but stooopidly thirsty and little too refined.

So here's my 1.8s. 1998, couple owners, 62k, Full documented Mazda history, new roof, Cambelt, all new disks n pads, brand new tyres all round and mine for £1600. Not perfect by any means, interior is like brand new, no dents BUT it's has the arches repaired and the rear quarters aren't as shiny as the rest of the car. I will get a complete respray once I've finished getting the car how I want it. oh and yes I like the colour, it's what I searched for. All my mates go.... "should of got a black or red 1". :wallbash:

I changed the OEM speakers for 17cm Infinity co axles and dyna matted the doors.

And swapped the OEM clarion single din for a Kenwood ipod double din

I'm really happy with the sound. Really clear and bassy.

I've also done a DIY refurb on the wheels in satin black. And fitted an RX7 Fd front splitter and il motorsports heater ring kit. I'll grab some photo's when I can.

So C+C are welcome.

Cheers

 

[Ironmantrev]

Nice Looking Interior!

Can you tell me what the headlight switch does underneath the stereo? We don't have that here in North America. Are their motors attached to the lights or something that physically move the light housing up and down or is one of the lights within the housing motorized to pivot up and down? Have been curious about this for some time. Wonder why we didn't get that option here in NA.

Thanks for your time. Keep up the good work.

 

[You've been tangoed]

I've also removed the resonator pipe off the air intake, which has given a slightly throatier tone and cleaned up the bay a tad until I find a suitable intake.

And the photos of my DIY alloy refurb

And the results with the Fd front splitter fitted too.

This is roughly what I'm aiming for......

..... Which I think should look hot with the bronze n black.

Fitted the strut brace today that I picked up off Ian on the OC forums. Feels as if turn in is a shade sharper and feels slightly more precise through long corners. As though you hold the line easier rather than make tiny corrections. Does that make sense :wacko:
Of course it could have made no difference other than made me conscious of the front end. But it looks sweet. B)

And a couple of daytime shots with hardtop

Some pics in the light finally. Still crappy iPhone pics but until all mods done I refuse to pull out the dslr. (Lazy)

Can really see the colour difference on the rear quarters in last pic. :angry:

So money's tight at the moment. I've been looking under the bonnet and really wanted to get things tidied up under there. So I decided to make a cold side induction set up and tidy up the wiring a bit whilst in that area.

As she was when I started

I then decided to remove the charcoal canister system....

You can see in last pic my alarm siren and the charcoal bracket, I removed the bracket, cut the loom back for siren and relocated it out of site. I then removed the coolant tank temporarily so I could clean it and run a part of the wiring under it and therefore out of sight, I then tied the charcoal can solenoid n sensors up under wing edge. Looking cleaner...

Then refitted the scrubbed up tank, removed all the induction pipe and air box system, I'll clean the loom up on the right hand side at a later date....

P
Then removed the MAS from airbox, split the loom insulation so could move the air temp sensor over to the left side of the bay, and the MAS wiring to left. Then the tedious job of rewrapping the loom in black elec tape. Zzzzzzz. Then cut the 70mm 90' silicone elbow to length, connect MAS and cone filter, connect breather hose and voila! Looks tidier, sounds gorgeous and whilst I'm under no illusions of extra power, it certainly feels no slower or has any flatspots or loss of torque...

Now to sort rocker breather properly, cut hole in inner wing (like original one on the passenger side) and feed a cold air feed, and then tidy loom on other side.

 

[You've been tangoed]

Nice Looking Interior!

Can you tell me what the headlight switch does underneath the stereo? We don't have that here in North America. Are their motors attached to the lights or something that physically move the light housing up and down or is one of the lights within the housing motorized to pivot up and down? Have been curious about this for some time. Wonder why we didn't get that option here in NA.

Thanks for your time. Keep up the good work.

Thanks mate, the wood trim is oem. I've covered it now with carbon vinyl. I think double din stereos look soo much cleaner.

Yeah the switch is for headlight dipped beam level adjustment. It's a legal requirement in the uk. We have thousands of unlit country lanes in the uk, then you carry rear passengers( other cars) or are carrying heavy loads the rear of car dips raising the front and therefore the beams. Dazzling oncoming cars on dark roads. bit daft really as no one uses the adjuster anyway. Lol.

 

[You've been tangoed]

And yeah it's a motor on headlight bulb

 

[Kolbotn]

Welcome nice car you have there, any future plans?

Ironmantrev: The headlights are height adjustable to ensure best possible beams Even when The car is loaded heavily, i have The same switch in my 92 NA. Not entirely sure how they work, havent really thought about it before...

Cheers from Norway

Edit: OP beat me to it. Very nice update!!

 

[You've been tangoed]

Kolbotn- cheers dude. Yeah lots of plans but little money. I'm having to get all the cheap bits out the way for now as I'm saving to buy another house at the moment. I'd love to drop the car on its arse but I have to park half up on a kerb outside my house (as pictured above), so that'll have to wait until I get that new house. So I'm concentrating on getting the interior sorted in the meantime, pictures of which I'll post up soon. Thanks for looking bro

 

[You've been tangoed]

Http

 

[Andy]

nice job so far.

 

[You've been tangoed]

Tar dude

 

[batou]

Uh... you do realize that tank is PLASTIC, and right next to the hottest piece in the engine bay right?

 

[You've been tangoed]

Uhhh.... I guess MAZDA realised it was plastic when THEY put it there. It's there to stop it FREEZING in UK weather minus 15c at times.

 

[Ironmantrev]

Nice work. You have done a tone. Engine bay is looking great. I am in the midst of cleaning mine up as well but have a long way to go.

I wonder if the Euro Headlights would be a plug and play over here in our North American cars? Would be kind of cool actually. I have the Euro switch panel already. Other thing I was thinking about was getting a two seat heater switch and install some aftermarket seat heaters. Do you know if the stock seat heaters that came in the Euro cars were a simple on and off or where there multiple settings (off, low, high)? That would likely be a better idea for me seeing as I live in the Great White North Eh

 

[You've been tangoed]

It's only a tiny motor on the back of the headlight. I'm guessing it just takes a simple live feed same as headlight so would imagine both US and EURO looms would be the same. The heated seats I'm not sure about unfortunately mate, they're an option my car doesn't have. I'm pretty sure they are variable though.

I've got tons more to do. Working on interior at the moment. I'll post some pics up in next couple days

 

[You've been tangoed]

My old dash and My current work in progress set up.....

I have a guy making me a handbrake handle to match. Then its just some rev limiter dials and black leather Elise seats with white stitching and I'm done.

 

[Vegard]

The tank isn't placed there to keep it from freezing, it's because that's where they found a spot for it. You use soap that don't freeze to keep it from freezing...

Looks good so far and that grey NB is HOT, looking forward to following your progress.

 

[You've been tangoed]

Thanks dude. I'd love to get near to that grey one BUT moneys tight for at least the next 12 months unfortunately.

 

[You've been tangoed]

So after watching Custom my Ride on discovery I watched them hack up a Hummers centre console and make an iPhone dock. I'm pissed off having my USB cable hanging from the front of my stereo over to a windscreen phone holder. So I decided to make an actual dock.


Removed my ashtray, drilled some holes in a line to allow me to put iPod lead through bottom of the ashtray. Superglued the dock plug end into slot now drilled in ashtray base. Fibreglassed over the bottom to secure further, then duck taped the underneath for even more strength.

Glued some dark grey foam around the inside to stop phone rattling and give a firm and secure hold on my phone when driving spirited...

Dock in the base at correct angle so phone leans up against ashtray lid....

Back in the car. No need to drill console for the cable etc. there's nice slot underneath ashtray, just ran the USB up to my stereo under the tunnel and into recess behind stereo. Much neater

And finished pics....

You'd never know....

Works perfect. Phone slots straight down onto the connection and charges of my kenwood as before and after nice thrap home no movement thanks to snug fit in the foam. I have roughly and inch n half clearance between my four arm and the top of the phone when changing gear too. Happy as peas with it, considering I did it all in hour lunch break at work and cost me zilch. Had big of fibreglass Lying round at work, took foam out off a toolbox draw lining and superglue.

So my second piece of artwork came from member Bert off mx5nutz. My handbrake sleeve. Again I'm soo impressed with his craftsmanship. I asked him to put the same lip at the end of the sleeve to match the Gearknob he made. Fit was perfect, nice and secure with just the grub screw.

I think other than the planned gauge rings and retrimmed Elise seats I'm done with the interior.

 

[LastClick]

Looks nice, but I can imagine it gets in the way when you are shifting

 

[You've been tangoed]

Not really to be honest dude. It does if u change with ur elbow still on the armrest. The sleeve of your coat catches if you do. My new shifter is aprox 1.5inches taller than oem so helps clearance.