Hi all. I recently made my long-awaited return to the world of MX5’s after owning a new 10AE back in 1999-2007. This time, deciding what model I wanted was a no-brainer with my heart set on a late NA8 in the classic green & cream combo. I just find them SO - DARN - PRETTY! So I started looking late last year.
To cut a long story short(ish), I got very excited back in January when I spotted a tidy, stock 1996 LE with 113,000 logged k’s on Gumtree in a Footscray car yard of all places! The photos showed no mods, a clean looking engine bay, a tidy interior apart from some worn driver’s seat leather, straight bodywork, and verbal assurance of ‘no accidents or mechanical worries’ from the car dealer. (*cough*). I live in Brisbane and getting to Melbourne ASAP for a close look wasn’t an option. After a quick superficial ‘inspection’ from my equally mechanically clueless cousin in Melbourne, I sent a nervy deposit down the phone-line. Five days later ‘Max’ arrived in Brisbane on a truck.
My modification plans were simple: Build a low, lean, clean ‘old school roadster’. I promptly took my new ride to the boys at Automotive Plus for a mechanical once-over. It turned out the Footscray car dealer was an honest man… (bullet dodged). Some obvious maintenance parts were replaced to assure reliability. I managed to score some pristine replacement leather seats with headrest speakers there too, for a better price than repairing what the car came with! The interior was now pretty much perfect. A dent doctor promptly sorted a few car park indiscretions that were burning my retinas, and I straightened the pop-up lights that had recessed a little after two decades of blinking. Then a good weekend or two of washing and waxing was unleashed and the paint came up minty.
In the past 3 months I’ve added silver RB Rotas rims, Kuhmo tyres, lowered Bilstein shocks & Tein springs, clear lights, indicators and reflectors, Bluetooth stereo and a decent alarm system. I’ve also picked up a second-hand roof with a glass window that I’ll get installed soon, as the plastic porthole really bugs me.
Mechanically I’m keeping things simple too. The timing has been advanced to 12, and I was lucky enough to find an appropriately old school Loch Stewart airbox that is pure magic. I absolutely love the way this car looks, sounds, smells, the way it drives. And as strange as this probably sounds, I really love the nostalgia it conjures in me every time I see it, let alone drive it. Thanks to everyone on this forum who has helped me with advice since January, with such a willingness to answer my many questions. I’m sure there will be more to come. ☺
