My first car - 1996 VR Ltd 1.8 Combination A
Discussion
Cheers Aiden! I think they'll be a good choice as well, have only heard good things about MeisterRs.
I'm thinking my mother is a bit of a closet petrolhead, 'cos when I showed them to her she said 'they're too nice to go on a car!'
AK Automotive (where my '5 is booked in) has a brand new Hunter aligner, so I'm assuming it's a similar bit of kit to the one WIM has, and the alignment is part of the deal when you get you suspension changed over. And as it's only 60 miles away from me it's a bit easier to get to than down London way! Having spoken to the guys there I have 100% confidence they know what a '5 needs.
In other news, the alarm stickers on the quarter lights have been bugging me..
Who's heard of either of these companies? My spare key has a Sparkrite fob on it, but the system died eons ago... And the fact that there's two stickers shouts overcompensation for something. So they had to go. Tried getting them off with a Mk 1 thumbnail, got maybe 1 square cm removed after a 1/2hours work, and just hurt my thumb in the process. Got a £1 razor-blade scraper from Maplin (not including staff discount!) and they came off in less than 5mins! There actually is a Cobra security system in the car, so got some stickers from Ebay for £1.50 and they look sooooo much better.
Next jobs in line - I have all the Renovo stuff need to clean and waterproof the hood, just waiting on having time off work that coincides with decent dry weather. Also got the Renovo polishy stuff to clear up the cloudy rear window, also waiting on decent weather. Although, since I have the socks full of cat litter in the car the cloudiness has reduced loads, as has the misting problem. This is probably may favourite fix so far! Under a fiver for cat litter, a pair of old socks (that match the interior upholstery!) and 10mins sewing!
I'm thinking my mother is a bit of a closet petrolhead, 'cos when I showed them to her she said 'they're too nice to go on a car!'
AK Automotive (where my '5 is booked in) has a brand new Hunter aligner, so I'm assuming it's a similar bit of kit to the one WIM has, and the alignment is part of the deal when you get you suspension changed over. And as it's only 60 miles away from me it's a bit easier to get to than down London way! Having spoken to the guys there I have 100% confidence they know what a '5 needs.
In other news, the alarm stickers on the quarter lights have been bugging me..
Who's heard of either of these companies? My spare key has a Sparkrite fob on it, but the system died eons ago... And the fact that there's two stickers shouts overcompensation for something. So they had to go. Tried getting them off with a Mk 1 thumbnail, got maybe 1 square cm removed after a 1/2hours work, and just hurt my thumb in the process. Got a £1 razor-blade scraper from Maplin (not including staff discount!) and they came off in less than 5mins! There actually is a Cobra security system in the car, so got some stickers from Ebay for £1.50 and they look sooooo much better.
Next jobs in line - I have all the Renovo stuff need to clean and waterproof the hood, just waiting on having time off work that coincides with decent dry weather. Also got the Renovo polishy stuff to clear up the cloudy rear window, also waiting on decent weather. Although, since I have the socks full of cat litter in the car the cloudiness has reduced loads, as has the misting problem. This is probably may favourite fix so far! Under a fiver for cat litter, a pair of old socks (that match the interior upholstery!) and 10mins sewing!
Hellbound said:
Schmeeky said:
Who's heard of either of these companies?
Uplands has been around for donkeys years. Think they're originally from the Uplands area of SwanseaSbloxxy said:
Hi Mike, Following your progress with the car with interest.
Sbloxxy said:
I'm sure that you're going to love those Meister Rs. I have them on mine and they are superb once you have them set up to your liking. They will genuinely transform your car.
Good to hear you're using AK Automotive to fit them too: Anthony (Fraser) and Dan know their stuff when it comes to suspension set ups.
Steve
Sooo looking forward to banishing the gap between the wheels and the arches for a start! And that's just from a visual perspective - I've no idea what to expect from a handling POV, I have no experience in modifying cars - but I'm hoping for great things! Natch, I'll report here when it's done..Good to hear you're using AK Automotive to fit them too: Anthony (Fraser) and Dan know their stuff when it comes to suspension set ups.
Steve
I found AK Automitive through your link from your website - was looking for an MX5 specialist nearby, and AK is only 60 miles away. Given that North Cumbria is basically in the middle of nowhere it's great to find a proper MX5 specialist so close. And having chatted with Anthony on the phone I'm looking forward to having a craic with him in person (If I can get a word in edgeways that is!!). A font of MX5 wisdom whose brain I want to pick!
This is a very exciting stage though, first big modification with no real experience behind me apart from the wisdom of you PH guys pointing me in the right direction... And given that I can get really happy just getting some errant stickers off my quarter-lights, gawd knows what'll happen when I've got a properly sorted suspension setup!
Finally got hold of a 31mm LED festoon bulb for the interior light...
I'm amazed at how the simplest of jobs can make such a difference - but it's something that didn't work before that now works!
You know that feeling of anticipation when you're a kid and it's not long 'til Christmas? I've got that right now - it's only 5 sleeps till I take her over to AK Automotive to get the suspension done!
I'm amazed at how the simplest of jobs can make such a difference - but it's something that didn't work before that now works!
You know that feeling of anticipation when you're a kid and it's not long 'til Christmas? I've got that right now - it's only 5 sleeps till I take her over to AK Automotive to get the suspension done!
Cheers Kazman!
The '5 is now at the shop getting the suspension done, and I've been lent another '5 to get home. The difference from mine is marked, it feels much 'tighter' I'm hoping mine will feel the same way when I pick her up later this afternoon!
Edited for smelling pistakes
The '5 is now at the shop getting the suspension done, and I've been lent another '5 to get home. The difference from mine is marked, it feels much 'tighter' I'm hoping mine will feel the same way when I pick her up later this afternoon!
Edited for smelling pistakes
Edited by Schmeeky on Monday 4th February 19:52
Job's jobbed! The new suspension is installed and all the mardyness is now banished!
It's been a very interesting day - I've learned lots about '5s, driven a '5 other than my own one, and learned a little about my car's previous history...
First job, early doors, was getting over to the North East. A bright, low winter sun and loads of water on the roads made for an interesting drive. As did the numpties who insist on driving at 40mph on NSL roads. Grrr!
Dropped the car in and had a good craic about what was to be done - install new coilovers and bushes all round, and get it all aligned for someone of my weight driving. Basically I asked for them to get it as low as possible, but without making any compromises with regards to ride or handling. I also asked them to give her a once over to see if there was anything else that needed attention.
I was given to keys to Anthony's own car to get back home, a 1.6 with a fruity exhaust and 14" wheels. It was on Gaz Pros and had the same fast road set up I was going for. This was the first time I'd driven another '5, and it was a bit of a revelation, it felt so tight, accurate and nimble, there was a sense of 'rightness' and 'togetherness' about it all.. If my car was anything like this I'd be well happy!
Fast Forward to early evening.. Anthony phoned to say she'd be ready by 5.30pm. I arrived at 5.35, delayed by 40mph-in-an-NSL numpties, again. Grrr! The car was out being road-tested by their tame racing driver, so I caught up on what had been done. Suspension and bushes had gone on no bother, in fact they said she'd been a pleasure to work on as she was so clean underneath, no sign of rust anywhere. A very pleasant thing to be told! I'd thought she was in good nick, but having it confirmed is bloomin' excellent! What wasn't quite so pleasant was what had been taken off...
The VR Ltd had Bilstein suspension originally, but the only bits of Bilstein on her were the rear dampers - everything else was standard MX5! So there was a mismatch front to rear of dampers, and at the back the stiff Bilstein dampers were working with normal soft springs! No wonder everything felt a bit sketchy...
So, on to the drive home on the newly fettled bouncy bits.. TBH there are only limited conclusions I can come to given the driving conditions were so bad - heavy rain and very gusty winds - but I can say she tracks perfectly now. There's no bump steer, no wandering around, no feeling of instability at speed. Steering inputs are followed immediately and gracefully, and she feels part of the corner, rather than skittering along on top of the corner - if that makes any sense!
It was too dark to get any decent photos of the new lower ride height when I picked her up - I'll take some tomorrow and post them up along with a comparison as she was before.
Other random thoughts - I was chuffed that Anthony liked the way I was going about things; that is, if something needs replacing then replace it with something better than original, don't do cheap, remember it's all about the handling. Folk who don't dip their headlights are utter tw@ts, as are folk attempting to overtake both you and the 40-tonner in front of you round a blind left hand bend. And Izzy the Staffy, garage dog of AK Automotive, is an absolute sweetheart!
Also, in a bit of whatever the opposite of man-maths is, I calculated that I've now spent more on fettling and upgrades than I spent on actually buying the car..
My Updated Updated To Do list -
Couple of paintwork issues to be sorted, and a couple of small dingsDone
Nose seems to be a slightly different shade to the rest of the paint - a good T-cut and polish might sort thisjust gotta live with it..
Old non-working alarm and mess of wiring needs removed
Trim - base of off-side mirror needs fixing down properly, and small bit of carpet fixed down as well
Exhaust tip is proper rusty - might go with new stainless section from back of the catDone
Zip round rear screen needs new pullerdone
Plastic rear window is a little cloudy - is there any way to clean it up?Got Renovo, waiting on good weather
Tyres - currently on some unknown brand, but with plenty of tread depth - will prob wait till they're worn and replace with Toyo or suchlike
Stereo - not a priority, but the Sony unit in there is a mass of tiny buttons with no discernible purpose, i.e. it's crap, the plastic surround fell off on the way home, and the electric aerial doesn't work.
Something chrome for the heater vents - maybe surrounds, maybe the eyeballs themselvesdone
A PH Smiley sticker!Done, happy with where it is!
New Entries
Suspension - find out exactly what's wrong, and put it right to better than standard condition. Oh yes done!
Number plate - replace and make secure.Done
Black trim - now the paint is looking sweet, some areas of black trim are letting the side down. Light sanding and application of 'Back to Black' will apparently work. Back to Black hasn't been that great, might have to get new parts in...
Newer Entries
Steering Wheel - it's a Momo, and a nice wheel - but it's too damn big - don't like catching my hands on my legs when turning.
It's been a very interesting day - I've learned lots about '5s, driven a '5 other than my own one, and learned a little about my car's previous history...
First job, early doors, was getting over to the North East. A bright, low winter sun and loads of water on the roads made for an interesting drive. As did the numpties who insist on driving at 40mph on NSL roads. Grrr!
Dropped the car in and had a good craic about what was to be done - install new coilovers and bushes all round, and get it all aligned for someone of my weight driving. Basically I asked for them to get it as low as possible, but without making any compromises with regards to ride or handling. I also asked them to give her a once over to see if there was anything else that needed attention.
I was given to keys to Anthony's own car to get back home, a 1.6 with a fruity exhaust and 14" wheels. It was on Gaz Pros and had the same fast road set up I was going for. This was the first time I'd driven another '5, and it was a bit of a revelation, it felt so tight, accurate and nimble, there was a sense of 'rightness' and 'togetherness' about it all.. If my car was anything like this I'd be well happy!
Fast Forward to early evening.. Anthony phoned to say she'd be ready by 5.30pm. I arrived at 5.35, delayed by 40mph-in-an-NSL numpties, again. Grrr! The car was out being road-tested by their tame racing driver, so I caught up on what had been done. Suspension and bushes had gone on no bother, in fact they said she'd been a pleasure to work on as she was so clean underneath, no sign of rust anywhere. A very pleasant thing to be told! I'd thought she was in good nick, but having it confirmed is bloomin' excellent!
What wasn't quite so pleasant was what had been taken off...The VR Ltd had Bilstein suspension originally, but the only bits of Bilstein on her were the rear dampers - everything else was standard MX5! So there was a mismatch front to rear of dampers, and at the back the stiff Bilstein dampers were working with normal soft springs! No wonder everything felt a bit sketchy...
So, on to the drive home on the newly fettled bouncy bits.. TBH there are only limited conclusions I can come to given the driving conditions were so bad - heavy rain and very gusty winds - but I can say she tracks perfectly now. There's no bump steer, no wandering around, no feeling of instability at speed. Steering inputs are followed immediately and gracefully, and she feels part of the corner, rather than skittering along on top of the corner - if that makes any sense!
It was too dark to get any decent photos of the new lower ride height when I picked her up - I'll take some tomorrow and post them up along with a comparison as she was before.
Other random thoughts - I was chuffed that Anthony liked the way I was going about things; that is, if something needs replacing then replace it with something better than original, don't do cheap, remember it's all about the handling. Folk who don't dip their headlights are utter tw@ts, as are folk attempting to overtake both you and the 40-tonner in front of you round a blind left hand bend. And Izzy the Staffy, garage dog of AK Automotive, is an absolute sweetheart!
Also, in a bit of whatever the opposite of man-maths is, I calculated that I've now spent more on fettling and upgrades than I spent on actually buying the car..
My Updated Updated To Do list -
Couple of paintwork issues to be sorted, and a couple of small dingsDone
Nose seems to be a slightly different shade to the rest of the paint - a good T-cut and polish might sort thisjust gotta live with it..
Old non-working alarm and mess of wiring needs removed
Trim - base of off-side mirror needs fixing down properly, and small bit of carpet fixed down as well
Exhaust tip is proper rusty - might go with new stainless section from back of the catDone
Zip round rear screen needs new pullerdone
Plastic rear window is a little cloudy - is there any way to clean it up?Got Renovo, waiting on good weather
Tyres - currently on some unknown brand, but with plenty of tread depth - will prob wait till they're worn and replace with Toyo or suchlike
Stereo - not a priority, but the Sony unit in there is a mass of tiny buttons with no discernible purpose, i.e. it's crap, the plastic surround fell off on the way home, and the electric aerial doesn't work.
Something chrome for the heater vents - maybe surrounds, maybe the eyeballs themselvesdone
A PH Smiley sticker!Done, happy with where it is!
New Entries
Suspension - find out exactly what's wrong, and put it right to better than standard condition. Oh yes done!
Number plate - replace and make secure.Done
Black trim - now the paint is looking sweet, some areas of black trim are letting the side down. Light sanding and application of 'Back to Black' will apparently work. Back to Black hasn't been that great, might have to get new parts in...
Newer Entries
Steering Wheel - it's a Momo, and a nice wheel - but it's too damn big - don't like catching my hands on my legs when turning.
Edited by Schmeeky on Tuesday 5th February 01:06
Cheers to all those who say they're enjoying this thread!
This morning was the first time I've seen the result in daylight, and to say I'm chuffed is an understatement!
This is how she was before, sporting the 4x4 look..
..and how she sits now..
The 15's fill the arches much better than I expected, I'm really pleased with the end result, to the end result that I'm now not sure I want to change the wheels!
Will have to do a bit of research/learning to edumacate myself on what precisely this all means!
This morning was the first time I've seen the result in daylight, and to say I'm chuffed is an understatement!
This is how she was before, sporting the 4x4 look..
..and how she sits now..
The 15's fill the arches much better than I expected, I'm really pleased with the end result, to the end result that I'm now not sure I want to change the wheels!
Will have to do a bit of research/learning to edumacate myself on what precisely this all means!
Just had my best drive out ever!
I had an errand to run in town, and after I'd done that I thought that as it's a lovely bright spring day, I'd go and do the run over the top of Caldbeck Fell. Coming off the fell there was a sign saying Keswick 12miles, so I thought, I know, I'll go there and have a bacon butty at the Filling Station Cafe.
The butty was delicious, lovely thick bacon in a soft bap, and lashings of tommy ketch!
Then I thought, the Honister Pass is just the other side of Keswick, lets go do that! Lovely little windy roads, and for once very little traffic!
At the Honister Slate Mine.
Along the bottom of the valley.
Along the way I made a new friend! linky
Obviously a horse of great taste, he gave the car a close inspection, but seemed to disapprove of how dirty it is - he spent a good 5mins attempting lick it clean! He did a really sloppy job though..
Coming back down towards Keswick, Derwent Water in the distance.
As you can see, fabulous weather here today, glad I made the most of it!
I had an errand to run in town, and after I'd done that I thought that as it's a lovely bright spring day, I'd go and do the run over the top of Caldbeck Fell. Coming off the fell there was a sign saying Keswick 12miles, so I thought, I know, I'll go there and have a bacon butty at the Filling Station Cafe.
The butty was delicious, lovely thick bacon in a soft bap, and lashings of tommy ketch!
Then I thought, the Honister Pass is just the other side of Keswick, lets go do that! Lovely little windy roads, and for once very little traffic!
At the Honister Slate Mine.
Along the bottom of the valley.
Along the way I made a new friend! linky
Obviously a horse of great taste, he gave the car a close inspection, but seemed to disapprove of how dirty it is - he spent a good 5mins attempting lick it clean! He did a really sloppy job though..
Coming back down towards Keswick, Derwent Water in the distance.
As you can see, fabulous weather here today, glad I made the most of it!
Nowt major to report, apart from I've got all the horse slaver off, given her a good wash and polish.
Shiney!
Mind you, the wheels look fine in that shot - up close they don't look as good. The surface is a bit rough and there's all sorts of dirt trapped in the roughness that's difficult to get out...
Also, recently my mum told me one of her friends is married to an ex-police driving instructor, and that he'd heard about my car, and is willing to give me an observed drive. He phoned tonight to organise the time. I am well chuffed! I passed my test in 2003, and haven't done a huge amount of driving since (it's been all motorbikes) so getting a heads up on any bad practices I've got into and general tips is great.
Shiney!
Mind you, the wheels look fine in that shot - up close they don't look as good. The surface is a bit rough and there's all sorts of dirt trapped in the roughness that's difficult to get out...
Also, recently my mum told me one of her friends is married to an ex-police driving instructor, and that he'd heard about my car, and is willing to give me an observed drive. He phoned tonight to organise the time. I am well chuffed! I passed my test in 2003, and haven't done a huge amount of driving since (it's been all motorbikes) so getting a heads up on any bad practices I've got into and general tips is great.
Cheers Vlad! Getting feedback of any kind is good, but I'm really chuffed that so many people have said it's an interesting blog! 
I'm a smidge under six foot tall, and it's not a problem of my knees interfering with the wheel, more like my hands hitting my knees as I'm turning the wheel. It's not happened much - in general driving there's no problem at all - but when it has happened it's been when I could have really done without it, like when I need to get some lock on pretty quickly...
When I'm out driving now I'm using a small fraction of my attention to keep an eye on what's going on with hands, legs and wheel, but I ain't come to any conclusion yet..
There seem to be lots of guys driving '5s who are taller than me and they have no problems, so maybe it's just something I'm doing wrong, that or I just have odd bodily proportions!
On a more general note, I am hugely enjoying every aspect of owning this machine. Even the couple of large bills I've had, I've enjoyed paying them. Mainly because they were quantum steps up in the overall quality of the car. But even the little things have been brilliant as well, e.g. £20 on new wipers. It went from not working very well and squealing to being really smooth, having crystal clear vision, and the added bonus of a little spoiler type thing on the driver's side wiper!
Even the daily drive to work is fun. It's 30mph all the way and there's not much in the way of corners, but I'm in a sports car while all the others are in their Fords and SUVs and MPVs and I could take the roof off if I wanted!
I really could witter on all night about how good it all is, but that leads me another point - just why is owning and running a car like this so good for the soul? I'll spare you my philosophising (I can hear the sighs of relief from here! ), but I'm seriously interested in why a lump of metal, plastic, leather and rubber can invoke such feeling in someone.....
Getting feedback of any kind is good, but I'm really chuffed that so many people have said it's an interesting blog! I'm a smidge under six foot tall, and it's not a problem of my knees interfering with the wheel, more like my hands hitting my knees as I'm turning the wheel. It's not happened much - in general driving there's no problem at all - but when it has happened it's been when I could have really done without it, like when I need to get some lock on pretty quickly...
When I'm out driving now I'm using a small fraction of my attention to keep an eye on what's going on with hands, legs and wheel, but I ain't come to any conclusion yet..
There seem to be lots of guys driving '5s who are taller than me and they have no problems, so maybe it's just something I'm doing wrong, that or I just have odd bodily proportions!
On a more general note, I am hugely enjoying every aspect of owning this machine. Even the couple of large bills I've had, I've enjoyed paying them. Mainly because they were quantum steps up in the overall quality of the car. But even the little things have been brilliant as well, e.g. £20 on new wipers. It went from not working very well and squealing to being really smooth, having crystal clear vision, and the added bonus of a little spoiler type thing on the driver's side wiper!
Even the daily drive to work is fun. It's 30mph all the way and there's not much in the way of corners, but I'm in a sports car while all the others are in their Fords and SUVs and MPVs and I could take the roof off if I wanted!
I really could witter on all night about how good it all is, but that leads me another point - just why is owning and running a car like this so good for the soul? I'll spare you my philosophising (I can hear the sighs of relief from here!
), but I'm seriously interested in why a lump of metal, plastic, leather and rubber can invoke such feeling in someone..... Been a little while since I updated this, and to be honest I've not done a huge amount with the car, apart from drive it at every opportunity!
The new suspension is a genuine revelation, now it's settled in and I'm familiar with it it truly is like a different car. Some folk might say I was mad to spend 1/2 the price I paid for the car on buying and fitting it, but she feels so planted and secure now - whereas before she was skittish and felt pretty damn dodgy at speed... Deffo money well spent.
Getting clear vision has been a bit of an issue - first it was the misting problem solved by the £5 bag of cat litter, then the wipers being useless, then more recently it's been the windscreen wash being pathetic. I thought it was the nozzles being blocked, so spent ages on ebay looking for a cheap replacement, with no joy. Even did a 40 mile round trip to a Halfords store in another town when their website said they had a set of universal chromed washer nozzles in stock. They didn't, as some low-life scum had pinched them. Was a nice drive though! Eventually I threw £30 at MX5parts.com for new Mazda nozzles. Job done I hear you say! No such luck - the glistening dew falling from a rose petal hits the ground with more force than my shiny new nozzles could produce... 
A few days later, I noticed the nearside nozzle was standing proud of the bonnet, which seemed slightly bizarre. So I investigated, and found all was not well with the washer fluid delivery piping...
Namely this...
How the frikin' bleeding hell had that got into that state???? I'd thought that there was maybe a small crack somewhere in the system, but half of the bloody component just plain missing!?!?!? Amazing...
Good news is, for the exorbitant cost of £5, a tiny piece of plastic from MX5parts.com has totally sorted out the problem, and when I pull the left hand stalk a veritable Niagara pressure washes any dirt away before the wipers can get at it!
The other thing of note to have happened is that I've been out for an assessment drive with an ex-police instructor! My mum and his wife are friends, and long and short of it is he said he'd take me out for a drive. He was interested to see my car, and I was interested in finding out if I'd picked up any bad habits in the 20yrs since I'd taken my test. Being a biker and doing 2 BikeSafe courses has helped, but there were a few issues, and I'm very happy these have been brought to my attention.
I've owned this lovely machine for just over 3 months now, and the more I drive her and the better I get to know her, the better it gets.
My wallet may be empty, but my heart is full.
The new suspension is a genuine revelation, now it's settled in and I'm familiar with it it truly is like a different car. Some folk might say I was mad to spend 1/2 the price I paid for the car on buying and fitting it, but she feels so planted and secure now - whereas before she was skittish and felt pretty damn dodgy at speed... Deffo money well spent.
Getting clear vision has been a bit of an issue - first it was the misting problem solved by the £5 bag of cat litter, then the wipers being useless, then more recently it's been the windscreen wash being pathetic. I thought it was the nozzles being blocked, so spent ages on ebay looking for a cheap replacement, with no joy. Even did a 40 mile round trip to a Halfords store in another town when their website said they had a set of universal chromed washer nozzles in stock. They didn't, as some low-life scum had pinched them. Was a nice drive though!
Eventually I threw £30 at MX5parts.com for new Mazda nozzles. Job done I hear you say! No such luck - the glistening dew falling from a rose petal hits the ground with more force than my shiny new nozzles could produce... A few days later, I noticed the nearside nozzle was standing proud of the bonnet, which seemed slightly bizarre. So I investigated, and found all was not well with the washer fluid delivery piping...
Namely this...
How the frikin' bleeding hell had that got into that state???? I'd thought that there was maybe a small crack somewhere in the system, but half of the bloody component just plain missing!?!?!? Amazing...
Good news is, for the exorbitant cost of £5, a tiny piece of plastic from MX5parts.com has totally sorted out the problem, and when I pull the left hand stalk a veritable Niagara pressure washes any dirt away before the wipers can get at it!
The other thing of note to have happened is that I've been out for an assessment drive with an ex-police instructor! My mum and his wife are friends, and long and short of it is he said he'd take me out for a drive. He was interested to see my car, and I was interested in finding out if I'd picked up any bad habits in the 20yrs since I'd taken my test. Being a biker and doing 2 BikeSafe courses has helped, but there were a few issues, and I'm very happy these have been brought to my attention.
I've owned this lovely machine for just over 3 months now, and the more I drive her and the better I get to know her, the better it gets.
My wallet may be empty, but my heart is full.
Edited by Schmeeky on Tuesday 5th March 21:39
It's been a while since I've updated, mainly because the kitty is empty and I haven't been able to do any improvements that would warrant a post. Most of my money seems to go on petrol these days - I'm getting out there and driving as much as I can, and needless to say, I'm loving every minute of it. Especially as the weather is warming up a bit! Brass monkey open top driving has an attraction all of it's own, but it's also pretty damn fine when it's warm open top driving!
And today - a really bonny lass in a black Fiesta wound her window down to say 'Cool car, friend' as we were waiting for traffic lights to change...
Made my day....
And today - a really bonny lass in a black Fiesta wound her window down to say 'Cool car, friend' as we were waiting for traffic lights to change...
Made my day....
As the local bird population have been using my '5 for bombing practice and it was looking a fine day, this morning I got all my cleaning gear out. My intention was to give the roof a good clean, then after it had dried give it a couple of coats of waterproofer.
So, I got the roof cleaner on, and while waiting for it to do its stuff washed the bodywork and wonder wheels'd the, erm, wheels! Gave it all a good rinse and waited for it to dry. Then as I'm getting the waterproofer ready, out of nowhere the heavens open with a massive hailstorm!
At least the car's clean and shiny again tho!
So, I got the roof cleaner on, and while waiting for it to do its stuff washed the bodywork and wonder wheels'd the, erm, wheels! Gave it all a good rinse and waited for it to dry. Then as I'm getting the waterproofer ready, out of nowhere the heavens open with a massive hailstorm!
At least the car's clean and shiny again tho!
Vince70 said:
If your still getting a bit of interior misting, use some some cheap shaving foam on the inside of your windows it works a treat.
Funnily enough, today is the first time I've noticed any misting since I installed those silica gel-filled socks. I think the gel is 'full', so have put them in the airing cupboard to dry 'em out. killingjoker said:
Nice ride mate. Love the colour. Some "Squeaky Clean" class cleaner will do your rear window a treat.
Just a word of warning, they are addictive. Now my wife and i have one each, and are looking to get another. No reason. We are just MX5 addicts!
Enjoy.
Cheers KJ! Just tried some glass cleaner on the rear window, and it's made a definite improvement! Ta! Just a word of warning, they are addictive. Now my wife and i have one each, and are looking to get another. No reason. We are just MX5 addicts!
Enjoy.
Wasn't your fancy 'Squeaky Clean' stuff though, just Morrison's own brand! 
I'm loving almost every minute of '5 ownership - the one bit I've not liked so far is getting caught in a vicious hailstorm just now - hailstones to the face @ 50mph bloody hurts!
Well, today hasn't been the best day ever....
Was out in the country enjoy the sunny weather and a twisty road when she seemed to be a little flat in her response to the throttle. This has happened once before, and cleared itself within a mile or two, but today she was like this for a good 4 miles - then suddenly she began running really rough, sounding like a proper misfire/not all cylinders firing, and not responding to the throttle. So my hazards went on and I pulled in, and the engine dies completely..
She'd start again no problem, but was still running amazingly roughly and wouldn't stay running.
Where I'd stopped there was no mobile signal, but fortunately there was a farm a bit less than a mile away, and they were happy for me to use their phone. Long story short, after about an hour on the phone, I had a local recovery company agree to come out.
An hour later matey boy arrives and soon has her running, albeit a bit rougher than normal. The problem seems to be with the air flow sensor, and with that unplugged she'll run. Yay!
So, I make it home okay, and put her to bed for the night - but when I go to close the windows - nothing! The buggering windows have stopped working!
I nip along to Maplin to get some fuses, but there's something odd going on here... The fuse box in the Eunos seems to be a little different to the picture in my manual - my manual is from a UK spec car, and where the manual says there should a 30A fuse for the windows, in my fuse box there is an empty slot! And to add insult to injury, the box of fuses I grabbed didn't contain the requisite 30A fuse!
So as things stand, I've bodged it -
Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but hopefully should keep any rain out until tomorrow when I can investigate further.....
Was out in the country enjoy the sunny weather and a twisty road when she seemed to be a little flat in her response to the throttle. This has happened once before, and cleared itself within a mile or two, but today she was like this for a good 4 miles - then suddenly she began running really rough, sounding like a proper misfire/not all cylinders firing, and not responding to the throttle. So my hazards went on and I pulled in, and the engine dies completely..
She'd start again no problem, but was still running amazingly roughly and wouldn't stay running.
Where I'd stopped there was no mobile signal, but fortunately there was a farm a bit less than a mile away, and they were happy for me to use their phone. Long story short, after about an hour on the phone, I had a local recovery company agree to come out.
An hour later matey boy arrives and soon has her running, albeit a bit rougher than normal. The problem seems to be with the air flow sensor, and with that unplugged she'll run. Yay!
So, I make it home okay, and put her to bed for the night - but when I go to close the windows - nothing! The buggering windows have stopped working!
I nip along to Maplin to get some fuses, but there's something odd going on here... The fuse box in the Eunos seems to be a little different to the picture in my manual - my manual is from a UK spec car, and where the manual says there should a 30A fuse for the windows, in my fuse box there is an empty slot! And to add insult to injury, the box of fuses I grabbed didn't contain the requisite 30A fuse!
So as things stand, I've bodged it -
Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but hopefully should keep any rain out until tomorrow when I can investigate further.....
I don't know - I take it you're talking about a window cut-out device?
Will go and check right now - and I'm going to feel such a chump if that's the case!
..........................
Investigated, and found a switch with an icon of a window on it that I've never paid any attention to.
My windows now work.... Don't know whether to be
or 
Thanks DXG
Will go and check right now - and I'm going to feel such a chump if that's the case!
..........................
Investigated, and found a switch with an icon of a window on it that I've never paid any attention to.
My windows now work.... Don't know whether to be
or Thanks DXG
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