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Discussion
ThisInJapanese said:
Love those wheels. I've been tempted by Japan Racing wheels in the past. Fingers crossed they aren't made from chocolate!!
Thanks. I suppose only time will tell regards the quality; could be a bargain, could be a false economy. And you know, like anything else, the internet is full of conflicting info. I can tell you that they feel a little heavier than the Mazda wheels (in the hand) but I didn't weigh them. Got them from Tarmac Sportz who were very easy to deal with.
horsemeatscandal said:
Few photos of mine getting some preventative rust treatment, nice to have a bit of peace of mind for the coming winter. Out of curiousity, how much should something like this normally cost? I think I got a cracking deal.
Nice wheels. Which ones are they? Basis for underseal costs are here: https://themx5restorer.co.uk/services/rust-prevent...
ThisInJapanese said:
Nice wheels. Which ones are they?
Basis for underseal costs are here: https://themx5restorer.co.uk/services/rust-prevent...
Thanks for that, very happy with what I paid then.Basis for underseal costs are here: https://themx5restorer.co.uk/services/rust-prevent...
They are Japan Racing JR3s. So toward the budget end of the market but so far so good.
, my first mx5 at the grand old age of 49 , I picked it up on Saturday so far really enjoying the mx5 experience, I totally get it now after years of dismissing them for being to slow , I was very wrong . I even spent Sunday clearing the messy side of my garage out so it can sit in there next to my vx turbo , ok I’m ready for winter now with 2 convertibles ! Am I doing this right ? 
Also much easier to get in/ out of the mx5 than my VX .
Not a pic from today but a car restored (rescued?) by a PH’er
I’ve not driven her in anger for a month or so but whilst out on the Sunday morning pedalbike ride I saw a glorious Red red Sunbeam Alpine up here on the moors. Twice.
I got back home, showered and changed and ragged the 25yr old friend of mine to Helmsley
Still fab fun and miles of smiles.
Great little thing !!!
I’ve not driven her in anger for a month or so but whilst out on the Sunday morning pedalbike ride I saw a glorious Red red Sunbeam Alpine up here on the moors. Twice.
I got back home, showered and changed and ragged the 25yr old friend of mine to Helmsley
Still fab fun and miles of smiles.
Great little thing !!!
Picked this wee beasty up today.
It's a sweet little thing.
No idea what Chris Harris was on about ??
https://youtu.be/36whvegFIqg
It's a sweet little thing.
No idea what Chris Harris was on about ??
https://youtu.be/36whvegFIqg
Edited by tickious on Friday 28th October 21:48
horsemeatscandal said:
ThisInJapanese said:
Love those wheels. I've been tempted by Japan Racing wheels in the past. Fingers crossed they aren't made from chocolate!!
Thanks. I suppose only time will tell regards the quality; could be a bargain, could be a false economy. And you know, like anything else, the internet is full of conflicting info. I can tell you that they feel a little heavier than the Mazda wheels (in the hand) but I didn't weigh them. Got them from Tarmac Sportz who were very easy to deal with.
They look good but like most budget alloys they don't stand up well to potholes and buckle easily.
Currently in an argument with a local authority over getting one replaced.
tickious said:
Picked this wee beasty up today.
It's a sweet little thing.
No idea what Chris Harris was on about ??
https://youtu.be/36whvegFIqg
Snap!It's a sweet little thing.
No idea what Chris Harris was on about ??
https://youtu.be/36whvegFIqg
Edited by tickious on Friday 28th October 21:48
Looks like it's got buckets since my time with it. I wonder what else has changed...
That splitter was a bugger to fit. Note that I used proper plastic bolt clip things, not your typical wood screes. Glad to see that it's held up.
dxg said:
Snap!
Looks like it's got buckets since my time with it. I wonder what else has changed...
That splitter was a bugger to fit. Note that I used proper plastic bolt clip things, not your typical wood screes. Glad to see that it's held up.
Looks like it's got buckets since my time with it. I wonder what else has changed...
That splitter was a bugger to fit. Note that I used proper plastic bolt clip things, not your typical wood screes. Glad to see that it's held up.
Was wondering when the splitter was fitted. I think it really suits it. Without being too in your face. Good job! Did you fit the rollbar too?
If so, do you know if a hard top would fit over it?
It's also been turboed by the chap I bought it off. Via M-Tec, who are literally 5 minutes away from me.
What do you have now?
It's amazing how much of me is still in that car... I absolutely loved it, and it wanted for nothing in my time with it.
It's a VR Ltd Spec A (Spec B was the UK ones and they were green), if you haven't figured that out already. So 133 hp, lightened flywheel and the all important LSD.
The roll cage and coilovers were on it when it arrived from Japan. It also had dot 5 brake fluid in it, so everything pointed to it having been tracked hard. But it had also been maintained exceptionally well. It never missed a beat in all my time with it. All the maintenance I had done to it was preventative. And it was still completely rust-free when I sold it. It suffers a bit from lifter tick, but they all do that and an Italian tune up would clear them out. That was the only mechanical thing I never quite got to.
I bought it off the cameraman you can see in that video literally three weeks after it went up. Then I had it for five or six years. Only sold it because the GF at the time wanted something "safer." GF is now gone and a MK4 takes its place. The MK4 is absolutely brilliant, but it doesn't feel the same.
Things I did to it that your photos remind me were:
Interior:
New carpets (they should be cream but they would not scrub clean they were that far gone.)
I made those doorcards
New speakers, including headrest ones.
Covered the stainless steel speaker surrounds in plastidip because they were really quite scratched underneath.
I made those cill covers. They're the Japanese stainless steel "Roadster" ones with lots of fibreglass filler making them flush. Don't remove the vinyl - they're not presentable underneath.
I did the gearknob and handbrake (but I couldn't get the release button off!. I even tracked down the little black screws for the gear surround as some of the originals were missing.
I put the wheel on. A Momo Prototipo. I loved it, even if it makes it a bit hard to read the speedo!!
I put a new head unit in, but it looks like it's been replaced.
I even replaced the rearview mirror because it was desilvering.
Fixed the airvents.
The only thing that's not me in those photos is are the buckets and the floormats.
Whoever put those buckets in must also have really loved it, as they are the exact same colour as the original seats. They must have been a nightmare to find.
Exterior:
Replaced the bonnet and the bootlid as they were both damaged
Removed the illegal stick-on front number plate with the rectangular one (which is also technically not legal - can you see why?)
Added the splitter.
Replaced (and tinted) the foglight with what is supposed to be a high-level brake light for racing Caterhams.
Mechanically:
Anything that could fail, was replaced. All the coolant pipes, fuel lines in the engine bay. I stuck that ally radiator in, not because it was overheating, but because I knew that the plastic end caps on the original one were becoming ever-more brittle and would ultimately fail.
When the clutch release bearing started making interesting noises, I just got the clutch replaced. That was my attitude towards this car. It wanted for nothing.
This was all done at 5-Speed in Nottingham which I don't think is around any more.
The only thing left to do was to add some chassis leg braces for the scuttle shake. But I ran out of time with it...
Yup. Absolutely loved that car. It wasn't fast, but it made a brilliant sound (the exhaust and induction were also done in Japan) and nothing has made me smile as much since. Really interesting that it's been turboed. It was the perfect car for that. Rock solid foundation.
You will enjoy it, I am sure...
It's a VR Ltd Spec A (Spec B was the UK ones and they were green), if you haven't figured that out already. So 133 hp, lightened flywheel and the all important LSD.
The roll cage and coilovers were on it when it arrived from Japan. It also had dot 5 brake fluid in it, so everything pointed to it having been tracked hard. But it had also been maintained exceptionally well. It never missed a beat in all my time with it. All the maintenance I had done to it was preventative. And it was still completely rust-free when I sold it. It suffers a bit from lifter tick, but they all do that and an Italian tune up would clear them out. That was the only mechanical thing I never quite got to.
I bought it off the cameraman you can see in that video literally three weeks after it went up. Then I had it for five or six years. Only sold it because the GF at the time wanted something "safer." GF is now gone and a MK4 takes its place. The MK4 is absolutely brilliant, but it doesn't feel the same.
Things I did to it that your photos remind me were:
Interior:
New carpets (they should be cream but they would not scrub clean they were that far gone.)
I made those doorcards
New speakers, including headrest ones.
Covered the stainless steel speaker surrounds in plastidip because they were really quite scratched underneath.
I made those cill covers. They're the Japanese stainless steel "Roadster" ones with lots of fibreglass filler making them flush. Don't remove the vinyl - they're not presentable underneath.
I did the gearknob and handbrake (but I couldn't get the release button off!. I even tracked down the little black screws for the gear surround as some of the originals were missing.
I put the wheel on. A Momo Prototipo. I loved it, even if it makes it a bit hard to read the speedo!!
I put a new head unit in, but it looks like it's been replaced.
I even replaced the rearview mirror because it was desilvering.
Fixed the airvents.
The only thing that's not me in those photos is are the buckets and the floormats.
Whoever put those buckets in must also have really loved it, as they are the exact same colour as the original seats. They must have been a nightmare to find.
Exterior:
Replaced the bonnet and the bootlid as they were both damaged
Removed the illegal stick-on front number plate with the rectangular one (which is also technically not legal - can you see why?)
Added the splitter.
Replaced (and tinted) the foglight with what is supposed to be a high-level brake light for racing Caterhams.
Mechanically:
Anything that could fail, was replaced. All the coolant pipes, fuel lines in the engine bay. I stuck that ally radiator in, not because it was overheating, but because I knew that the plastic end caps on the original one were becoming ever-more brittle and would ultimately fail.
When the clutch release bearing started making interesting noises, I just got the clutch replaced. That was my attitude towards this car. It wanted for nothing.
This was all done at 5-Speed in Nottingham which I don't think is around any more.
The only thing left to do was to add some chassis leg braces for the scuttle shake. But I ran out of time with it...
Yup. Absolutely loved that car. It wasn't fast, but it made a brilliant sound (the exhaust and induction were also done in Japan) and nothing has made me smile as much since. Really interesting that it's been turboed. It was the perfect car for that. Rock solid foundation.
You will enjoy it, I am sure...
Also, and this will be the end of spamming this thread, the one blemish in its MOT history, which might scare some people but wasn't a big deal, was this:
It - ironically - happened at the end of a motorway slip road on the way to the MOT!!! Which it then passed!!!!!
It all got sorted by the local bodyshop I trust with all my cars. The nearisde leg had a slight buckle just behind the towing eye mount.
It - ironically - happened at the end of a motorway slip road on the way to the MOT!!! Which it then passed!!!!!
It all got sorted by the local bodyshop I trust with all my cars. The nearisde leg had a slight buckle just behind the towing eye mount.
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