Sexxy Mexxie's Final Return
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 12:19 am
I think its time to discuss how I actually bought the car, in fact it is actually owned half by my father who is not the biggest car-nut, the goal was to find a car that would require little work, I could play with and buy stuff for, he could drive and enjoy while not quite feeling like having a midlife crisis! After looking at cars in our price range we settled on the NA6, (thankfully even he was not taken on the Ford Capris) after looking at a few in dealerships none felt quite right to either of us, until KevGoat's mexxie came up for sale.
Instantly we knew we had to at least come and look at it, as soon as we looked at it we knew that it was the one, the pages of info, the well maintained mechanics and the paint that was just that perfect level of blemished that we would actually be happy driving it all the time!
After an RAA report, deciding not to buy the car, and then changing that decision when we both realised it was a poor move not to, we ended up with our first MX-5.
I had previously owned an AW11 Mr2 and going from that to this originally was a little... disappointing, I had never had a sports car before and the Mr2 was mid engined and sharp and new, but now looking back in hindsight I dont think I have gotten better value from a little car ever before and it is definitely faster than my old Mr2! Even after the first few months I knew there was going to be a long relationship.
I can't believe that it has almost been 2 years of owning this car! I thought in recognition of this milestone (being the longest time I have owned a car) I should finally do a Garage write up on it.
So, she started off as this;
An NA6 MX-5 in a (slightly faded) red, stock wheels in fantastic condition, a Brown Davis rollbar, NB8B seats, spruced interior, tow hooks and a decent soft top. A set of extractors and advanced timing gave it a little more go.
This state lasted longer than I was expecting and it was a number of months before the coilovers were fitted, with the help of KevGoat (the previous owner) a new, lower, stiffer mexxie was born.
There were only a few photo opportunities before the new wheels went on, namely with a friends yellow Ta22 that needed a jump.
Soon after came the new wheels, relatively cheap, light and almost new Re001's couldn't go a miss! (Note the home made torque-extender-2000 aka an only 1/4 inch broom handle)
Finally sitting much better!
So this is how mexxie lasted for close to a year, being daily dríven by myself (the BCs are really comfortable!) we racked up the Kms, driving to work and uni, and spending the weekends driving all over the state, there is a surprising amount of space in these cars when you know where to look!
From here we decided that the peeling vinyl on the soft top had to be replaced, after some extraordinary quotes to get this done we went down the route of the glass soft top. After a bit of searching and waiting one came up in the right price range and we managed to fit it without damaging our rain rails (Not bad for rookies, huh)
The demisters WILL be wired in at some point in the future! But until then it is a million times better than the aging vinyl!
Funnily enough a Carbon Fibre hardtop came up for sale at the time that I as looking for one, however a factory one came up for sale at a good price as soon as I had bought the carbon one
Here we see dad deliberating over the decision of which one to keep...
However great the carbon one looked it still need the ancillories for it to work, including rear glass (A major PITA) so we opted for the factory hard top!
With the new roofs purchased we continued to enjoy the car, racking up another thousand Kms here, and another thousand there (depending on the weather of the weekend of course)
It was about then that I began travelling again and after returning from Tassie and realising how many fantastic roads there were over there I started formulating a plan...
Instantly we knew we had to at least come and look at it, as soon as we looked at it we knew that it was the one, the pages of info, the well maintained mechanics and the paint that was just that perfect level of blemished that we would actually be happy driving it all the time!
After an RAA report, deciding not to buy the car, and then changing that decision when we both realised it was a poor move not to, we ended up with our first MX-5.
I had previously owned an AW11 Mr2 and going from that to this originally was a little... disappointing, I had never had a sports car before and the Mr2 was mid engined and sharp and new, but now looking back in hindsight I dont think I have gotten better value from a little car ever before and it is definitely faster than my old Mr2! Even after the first few months I knew there was going to be a long relationship.
I can't believe that it has almost been 2 years of owning this car! I thought in recognition of this milestone (being the longest time I have owned a car) I should finally do a Garage write up on it.
So, she started off as this;
An NA6 MX-5 in a (slightly faded) red, stock wheels in fantastic condition, a Brown Davis rollbar, NB8B seats, spruced interior, tow hooks and a decent soft top. A set of extractors and advanced timing gave it a little more go.
This state lasted longer than I was expecting and it was a number of months before the coilovers were fitted, with the help of KevGoat (the previous owner) a new, lower, stiffer mexxie was born.
There were only a few photo opportunities before the new wheels went on, namely with a friends yellow Ta22 that needed a jump.
Soon after came the new wheels, relatively cheap, light and almost new Re001's couldn't go a miss! (Note the home made torque-extender-2000 aka an only 1/4 inch broom handle)
Finally sitting much better!
So this is how mexxie lasted for close to a year, being daily dríven by myself (the BCs are really comfortable!) we racked up the Kms, driving to work and uni, and spending the weekends driving all over the state, there is a surprising amount of space in these cars when you know where to look!
From here we decided that the peeling vinyl on the soft top had to be replaced, after some extraordinary quotes to get this done we went down the route of the glass soft top. After a bit of searching and waiting one came up in the right price range and we managed to fit it without damaging our rain rails (Not bad for rookies, huh)
The demisters WILL be wired in at some point in the future! But until then it is a million times better than the aging vinyl!
Funnily enough a Carbon Fibre hardtop came up for sale at the time that I as looking for one, however a factory one came up for sale at a good price as soon as I had bought the carbon one
Here we see dad deliberating over the decision of which one to keep...
However great the carbon one looked it still need the ancillories for it to work, including rear glass (A major PITA) so we opted for the factory hard top!
With the new roofs purchased we continued to enjoy the car, racking up another thousand Kms here, and another thousand there (depending on the weather of the weekend of course)
It was about then that I began travelling again and after returning from Tassie and realising how many fantastic roads there were over there I started formulating a plan...
