2006 Mazda MX-5 NC 2.0 Sport
Discussion
You should always replace dampers in pairs really.
On another note, what would you recommend for slight scuffs or wear on black leather seats? I've got some on mine I want to deal with. It's not too bad, just taken the black colour off on the bolster.
On another note, what would you recommend for slight scuffs or wear on black leather seats? I've got some on mine I want to deal with. It's not too bad, just taken the black colour off on the bolster.
Edited by Evoluzione on Friday 11th September 15:45
Evoluzione said:
You should always replace dampers in pairs really.
On another note, what would you recommend for slight scuffs or wear on black leather seats? I've got some on mine I want to deal with. It's not too bad, just taken the black colour off on the bolster.
You should, but the others are 11 months old, so I'd rather not replace the other side when the car has rarely been driven since and less than a year old. Otherwise you're right.On another note, what would you recommend for slight scuffs or wear on black leather seats? I've got some on mine I want to deal with. It's not too bad, just taken the black colour off on the bolster.
Edited by Evoluzione on Friday 11th September 15:45
Black leather dye always does the trick on amazon. Put it on with a sponge and dab it around.
TheDukeGTi said:
Absolutely love that gearknob. Would you mind sharing links for the parts you used please?
Of course! I'll paste links later this evening.geraintthomas said:
Evoluzione said:
You should always replace dampers in pairs really.
On another note, what would you recommend for slight scuffs or wear on black leather seats? I've got some on mine I want to deal with. It's not too bad, just taken the black colour off on the bolster.
You should, but the others are 11 months old, so I'd rather not replace the other side when the car has rarely been driven since and less than a year old. Otherwise you're right.On another note, what would you recommend for slight scuffs or wear on black leather seats? I've got some on mine I want to deal with. It's not too bad, just taken the black colour off on the bolster.
Black leather dye always does the trick on amazon. Put it on with a sponge and dab it around.
TheDukeGTi said:
Absolutely love that gearknob. Would you mind sharing links for the parts you used please?
Here's the parts:Thread:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Weld-on-end-Mild-Steel-...
Wooden balls:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B083FP9DK3/ref...
Lacquer
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TECH-Lacquer-Resistant-Re...
I've tried lots of different lacquers, and for a can lacquer that's outstanding. Put the ball on a stick when you've done the thread, and give it lots of coats of lacquer. Keep turning it around all directions so that it doesn't run for about 30s, then put the stick into the ground somewhere outside in sunlight to dry. You'll of course have to drill a hole that's the correct size, get a 19mm hole drilling bit for that.
Replaced the indicator bulbs earlier as the chrome covered ones were borderline dangerous.
You couldn't see them in sunlight.
Better.
The weather was nice while I was at it, so I thought I'd tackle the cubby hole behind the drivers seat. Or lack of. A previous owner had butchered this off to fit a subwoofer, but had given me the remains.
The cut wasn't clean, so it didn't line up perfect, which meant glue was sadly not an option. I could have used Tiger Seal but I didn't have any left. I decided to bolt it to the existing plastic.
I decided to use some speaker clips spread flat so that I can use them to brace the original part to the plastic.
I bolted the metal braces to the bottom, then used the top holes to do the same on the bucket.
A little messy, but there wasn't much I could do. It's completely sturdy and it's not going anywhere. I'll most likely neaten this up with some self-adhesive rubber/foam around that edge to hide it. I could even coat the inside of the buckets in a soft material, which would be good to eliminate rattles of anything in there.
Next up is to get the old shock absorber out of the car to take to the garage Friday. I'll do it closer to the day, rather than have the suspension up for a week.
You couldn't see them in sunlight.
Better.
The weather was nice while I was at it, so I thought I'd tackle the cubby hole behind the drivers seat. Or lack of. A previous owner had butchered this off to fit a subwoofer, but had given me the remains.
The cut wasn't clean, so it didn't line up perfect, which meant glue was sadly not an option. I could have used Tiger Seal but I didn't have any left. I decided to bolt it to the existing plastic.
I decided to use some speaker clips spread flat so that I can use them to brace the original part to the plastic.
I bolted the metal braces to the bottom, then used the top holes to do the same on the bucket.
A little messy, but there wasn't much I could do. It's completely sturdy and it's not going anywhere. I'll most likely neaten this up with some self-adhesive rubber/foam around that edge to hide it. I could even coat the inside of the buckets in a soft material, which would be good to eliminate rattles of anything in there.
Next up is to get the old shock absorber out of the car to take to the garage Friday. I'll do it closer to the day, rather than have the suspension up for a week.
Edited by geraintthomas on Saturday 12th September 20:15
Was looking at MX5 NC's as an introduction into rear wheel drive track days and came across this thread.
A good read and nice attention to details. Only realised today you were the same guy from the Focus '12 thread I was also enjoying.
You could have your own sub forum
Keep up the good work
A good read and nice attention to details. Only realised today you were the same guy from the Focus '12 thread I was also enjoying.
You could have your own sub forum
Keep up the good work
threespires said:
Congrats OP, you've done an exceptional job on this car.
Kind words, thank you!V6todayEVmanana said:
Was looking at MX5 NC's as an introduction into rear wheel drive track days and came across this thread.
A good read and nice attention to details. Only realised today you were the same guy from the Focus '12 thread I was also enjoying.
You could have your own sub forum
Keep up the good work
I honestly couldn't recommend this enough for an introduction to RWD. It's not intimidating at all and is lovely to push around, easy to drive, light weight (you really feel it too) and the gearshift is sweet. A good read and nice attention to details. Only realised today you were the same guy from the Focus '12 thread I was also enjoying.
You could have your own sub forum
Keep up the good work
Ah yes, the Focus! Still having weird brake issues with that. They work, but the new caliper is on an angle causing a squeaking as the disc hits the pads. Very weird... I think it's sorted now though.
Couple of jobs done today. Firstly was the seat belts. One of the previous owners had already installed the NC2 seat belt guides, but it wasn't enough to help the slow retracting belts.
I left the belts in a bucket of Woolite, as recommended by so many online for around 30 minutes. After that, I left them soak in hot water for another 30 minutes, and then wiped down and left to air dry for another 30 minutes.
The drivers side is completely fixed, and acts like new. It shoots back to its normal position, which is quite remarkable considering how bad it was. The passengerside is better, but still not right, so I'm currently doing it all again for the passenger side only as it may need a more thorough clean. They sell Woolite in Tesco (pink bottle) if anyone's interested, I'd recommend it.
Then it was time to sort the boot lid paint flaking.
Common across all NC's, the number plate bulb area of the boot is exposed to the road and causes the paint to bubble and fleck, eventually causing corrosion. The plan was to rub it back and re-paint.
A wire brush and some 800 grit sandpaper made good work of the corroded areas.
Masked up and ready to paint.
Lots of primer. It was quite hot today which was ideal for this job (and the seat belts come to think of it).
Built up the colour coats
Lacquered. Again, multiple thick coats of lacquer here to prevent this happening again.
Nice and shiny
Far nicer.
I'll be replacing the number plate lamps with a new set, possibly LED's. I'm very picky over LED's as they have to be 4300k or 5000k, as anything more than that and it looks blue under certain lights.
I'll eventually be fitting a HID kit into the headlights too as they're projector lenses, so it's far easier. Now before anyone mentions the legalities of aftermarket HID kits, they are legal with a few proviso's. The regulations are that the washers and self-levelling system must work where fitted. If they're not fitted, they're not tested. I spoke to VOSA a few years back to confirm, and all sources stated that a HID kit is legal for as long as the light output, beam pattern and colour are fine. The lights are to be a 'predominately white' colour, the correct height, and the pattern must not glare. That's all they test for at an MOT station.
When fitting them though, I know there's two holes in the shield of the projectors in these headlamps, so I need to figure out a way of blocking that light before I fit them so that they don't blind others. I only fit 4300k or 5000k xenons in my cars as I don't like them to look aftermarket. If they look standard, the beam pattern is correct and they're at the correct height, there isn't a problem.
Anyway, the passenger seat belt is currently being soaked for its second round now. I'll let you know if it fixes the retracting mechanism.
With regard to your HID upgrade. I would recommend searching Ebay for 'projector lenses' and filter for used...I have used the chinese projector upgrades but have been disappointed with the variable quality, especially of the silvering which tends to burn off. You can quite easily find OEM projectors for £40-£50 often with bulbs included which are of much higher quality.
I managed to snag a set of BMX X4 projector modules with OSRAM bulbs for £35. So much better that the chinese aftermarket bits. Then you just need a ballast.
for example:
https://ebay.us/8Vifkw
Just some food for thought.
I managed to snag a set of BMX X4 projector modules with OSRAM bulbs for £35. So much better that the chinese aftermarket bits. Then you just need a ballast.
for example:
https://ebay.us/8Vifkw
Just some food for thought.
shalmaneser said:
With regard to your HID upgrade. I would recommend searching Ebay for 'projector lenses' and filter for used...I have used the chinese projector upgrades but have been disappointed with the variable quality, especially of the silvering which tends to burn off. You can quite easily find OEM projectors for £40-£50 often with bulbs included which are of much higher quality.
I managed to snag a set of BMX X4 projector modules with OSRAM bulbs for £35. So much better that the chinese aftermarket bits. Then you just need a ballast.
for example:
https://ebay.us/8Vifkw
Just some food for thought.
The MX-5 already has projectors.I managed to snag a set of BMX X4 projector modules with OSRAM bulbs for £35. So much better that the chinese aftermarket bits. Then you just need a ballast.
for example:
https://ebay.us/8Vifkw
Just some food for thought.
I've found the same when using eBay projectors, although there is a brand (can't remember the name) which are fantastic, which I used in my last car. I'll be using them in my other car too.
Attention to detail on this car, much like the 986, is mega. Loving your work.
Rather randomly I had to swing by Halfords in Bedford a few weeks ago while visiting family to pick up some odds and sods I needed.
I was in my 996 and after I'd parked up and was walking in to the shop an American guy in a black 986 told me how much he liked the 996, had saw me drive in, wants one next after the Boxster etc.
He had only recently bought the 986 and was raving about it. I was just about to wrap up the conversation and walk away when I clocked the number plate - It was your old Boxster!
Cue a 20 minute chat talking about all the little mods you'd done, his plans for the car, and me getting a first hand look at some of your work I'd been admiring from afar on PH and Boxa.net.
Small world!
Rather randomly I had to swing by Halfords in Bedford a few weeks ago while visiting family to pick up some odds and sods I needed.
I was in my 996 and after I'd parked up and was walking in to the shop an American guy in a black 986 told me how much he liked the 996, had saw me drive in, wants one next after the Boxster etc.
He had only recently bought the 986 and was raving about it. I was just about to wrap up the conversation and walk away when I clocked the number plate - It was your old Boxster!
Cue a 20 minute chat talking about all the little mods you'd done, his plans for the car, and me getting a first hand look at some of your work I'd been admiring from afar on PH and Boxa.net.
Small world!
Mallone said:
Attention to detail on this car, much like the 986, is mega. Loving your work.
Rather randomly I had to swing by Halfords in Bedford a few weeks ago while visiting family to pick up some odds and sods I needed.
I was in my 996 and after I'd parked up and was walking in to the shop an American guy in a black 986 told me how much he liked the 996, had saw me drive in, wants one next after the Boxster etc.
He had only recently bought the 986 and was raving about it. I was just about to wrap up the conversation and walk away when I clocked the number plate - It was your old Boxster!
Cue a 20 minute chat talking about all the little mods you'd done, his plans for the car, and me getting a first hand look at some of your work I'd been admiring from afar on PH and Boxa.net.
Small world!
Ah yes he mentioned that to me! He took a photo of your 996, beautiful looking thing. Thanks for the kind words!Rather randomly I had to swing by Halfords in Bedford a few weeks ago while visiting family to pick up some odds and sods I needed.
I was in my 996 and after I'd parked up and was walking in to the shop an American guy in a black 986 told me how much he liked the 996, had saw me drive in, wants one next after the Boxster etc.
He had only recently bought the 986 and was raving about it. I was just about to wrap up the conversation and walk away when I clocked the number plate - It was your old Boxster!
Cue a 20 minute chat talking about all the little mods you'd done, his plans for the car, and me getting a first hand look at some of your work I'd been admiring from afar on PH and Boxa.net.
Small world!
Finally wired up the USB part of the AUX/USB port that I installed into the center console. All I did was wire up a spare 12v socket to the original wiring, and placed a USB charger into it. This is hidden behind the dash, and the USB extension is plugged into it.
Secondly, when I replaced the storage bin, I accidentally punctured one of the rear speakers with one of the trim clips.
Was a bit gutted as these are about £25-£30 second hand on ebay. But unbelievably, I found one for £4 and snapped it up.
Perfect. £4 for a Bose speaker. Bargain.
I'm going down to the garage tomorrow morning to get back before the 24h LeMans starts (anyone else watching it?). They've asked me to take the old one off and bring it with me, which is fair.
One 11 month old shock absorber. Doesn't look too bad, until...
That's where it's leaking, and no surprise. A consistent weld would help. Never seen anything like that on a shock before, I'm surprised it past quality checks.
Anyway.
I've been looking into alloy wheels to see what I'd like in the (not too distant) future, after the suspension springs have been swapped out for lower ones.
I've fallen in love with these:
Matt gunmetal multispoke MSW85's, in 17x7 ET45 fitment for £427 for four including VAT and delivery. Same tyre fitment as my current wheels too, so no need to fork out on new tyres when the time comes, meaning I can invest in good tyres first.
Those with gloss yellow painted calipers behind them would look fantastic on a black car. That's the plan anyway.
Secondly, when I replaced the storage bin, I accidentally punctured one of the rear speakers with one of the trim clips.
Was a bit gutted as these are about £25-£30 second hand on ebay. But unbelievably, I found one for £4 and snapped it up.
Perfect. £4 for a Bose speaker. Bargain.
I'm going down to the garage tomorrow morning to get back before the 24h LeMans starts (anyone else watching it?). They've asked me to take the old one off and bring it with me, which is fair.
One 11 month old shock absorber. Doesn't look too bad, until...
That's where it's leaking, and no surprise. A consistent weld would help. Never seen anything like that on a shock before, I'm surprised it past quality checks.
Anyway.
I've been looking into alloy wheels to see what I'd like in the (not too distant) future, after the suspension springs have been swapped out for lower ones.
I've fallen in love with these:
Matt gunmetal multispoke MSW85's, in 17x7 ET45 fitment for £427 for four including VAT and delivery. Same tyre fitment as my current wheels too, so no need to fork out on new tyres when the time comes, meaning I can invest in good tyres first.
Those with gloss yellow painted calipers behind them would look fantastic on a black car. That's the plan anyway.
Edited by geraintthomas on Friday 18th September 14:29
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff