Junk in your trunk. well not there, in your front 1/4 panel

[Steampunk]

This is actually something that Terry aka Tezzax5 suggested.

The bottom of your front quarter-panel collects debris.
Not sure if this is a problem with NB and NC models, but it certainly is with NA.

There are 2 bolts that are either 12mm or 10mm (Tez's Clubman had 12mm and my povo-pack had 10mm) on the underbody just infront of the door seam, and 2, 8mm/phillips-head bolts in the wheel-well.

Undoing all 4 will allow you to leverage the bottom-rear part of the front quarter-panel.

Get an ice-cream container, place it under the seam, and pull the panel back a few cm.

Long story short, I managed to fill 1/8 of a medium size ice-cream container with debris that got collected in there.

Good tip to help reduce the chance of rust.

Very easy to do ... so do it!

Thanks Terry!

[Lucky_Luke]

And while you're there, spray a bit of fish oil in there too!
Further reduces the chance.. smells a bit for a day or too but its well worth it!

L.

[Dodgy Haro]

I think I can go one better ... recently removed the front panel on the NA with a view of looking for a missing bonnet bolt which fell off down the crack in the engine bay into the side panel.

Was surprised to find a rusted old snap-on ratchet tool wedged behind the panel!

Now I don't know whether I can try to return this tool and take advantage of their life time guarantee ... obviously without a receipt this one would have to remain a pub story.

Obviously the previous owner or mechanic dropped it in there (how they did, I wouldn't know) but couldn't be bothered to retrieve it.

[cranky_smurf]

how does it get in their?

[Steampunk]

Good bbq story DH. I'm just wondering what kind of a mechanic would leave (assuming) a perfectly good Snap-on item.

[MXkal]

Water drainage hole behind the firewallto the side. I dropped the cap off my clutch master cylinder down there and had to take off inner gaurd to get it back.

[sabretooth]

There have been quite a few threads on this lately. I found a Stanley knife in my guard once - I was wondering where that had gotten to.

[Okibi]

There have been quite a few threads on this lately. I found a Stanley knife in my guard once - I was wondering where that had gotten to.

I found one in my guard too, not the type I ever would have owned, I blame Mazda

[Steampunk]

I feel jipped now ... all I found were leaves and dirt.

[MX5CHIC]

I found placing neatly cut plastic mesh at each side of the panel below the windscreen prevents leaves from building up in the guards.
Without the leaves in there I have noticed that there is no longer any dirt / mud buildup ..... cool, gas and groovy.