Want a brand new NA MX-5? Now you can (sorta)...

Garido · Postby **Garido** » Fri Aug 04, 2017 4:33 pm

Want a new NA MX-5 (Roadster)? Well now you can. Starting from August Mazda is starting a restoration programme for the NA, where owners can send their car to Mazda for a factory-grade restoration (see the link).

http://www.mazda.co.jp/carlife/restore/

This is great news for enthusiasts. It gets better though.

Alongside this, they are restarting production of out-of-print parts including the original vinyl roof and other hard to find bits.

And for those who're super keen on originality, Bridgestone are reissuing the OEM tyre that was designed specifically for and factory-fitted to the NA Roadster. (see link)
https://response.jp/article/2017/08/04/298282.html
http://image.itmedia.co.jp/business/art ... a04_mf.jpg

Great news for us all

Garido · Postby **Garido** » Fri Aug 04, 2017 4:34 pm

Keen to see the result of the "restore", here's one Mazda prepared earlier

https://response.jp/article/img/2017/05 ... creen.html

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Fri Aug 04, 2017 4:52 pm

Nice - lucky I've got a spare kidney! :mrgreen:

Remember those original Bridgestones - wasn't happy when I had to replace my worn out ones in the early-mid 1990s, as they were already not available at that time in Oz, or Vic at least.

Garido · Postby **Garido** » Fri Aug 04, 2017 5:53 pm

93_Clubman wrote:Nice - lucky I've got a spare kidney!
Remember those original Bridgestones - wasn't happy when I had to replace my worn out ones in the early-mid 1990s, as they were already not available at that time in Oz, or Vic at least.

The tyres intrigue me. Tread design is similar to an all season tyre which suits winter and heavy rain/ light snow use. It also looks like the tyre can have some fun as opposed to being glued to the road like a semi slick.

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Fri Aug 04, 2017 6:10 pm

Wow. I was expecting Mazda toi start offering this service.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 3:11 pm

Garido wrote:The tyres intrigue me. Tread design is similar to an all season tyre which suits winter and heavy rain/ light snow use.

Yeah, tread design on that link is more retro than I recall them, but it's been a while & many sets of Bridgestones since. Think there are some close-up pics of the original MX5 Bridgestone in the two book set that accompanied a new NA6 in 1989, so I'll have a look & scan pics if I find any.

trader · Postby **trader** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 3:49 pm

That looks like the right pattern. Here are my originals (NA

with 29k on them. Pretty chunky and hard.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 4:01 pm

Garido wrote:Keen to see the result of the "restore", here's one Mazda prepared earlier https://response.jp/article/img/2017/05 ... creen.html

Binnacle has been sprayed matt black, whereas they were just dull black plastic; steering wheel uses a different grade of leather; gear knob is non-OEM NA6; missing stereo-cassette; & door speaker might be a bit different.

Garido · Postby **Garido** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 8:13 pm

93_Clubman wrote:
Garido wrote:Keen to see the result of the "restore", here's one Mazda prepared earlier https://response.jp/article/img/2017/05 ... creen.html

Binnacle has been sprayed matt black, whereas they were just dull black plastic; steering wheel uses a different grade of leather; gear knob is non-OEM NA6; missing stereo-cassette; & door speaker might be a bit different.

I know some Roadsters in Japan came with no audio but I am unsure if these are 1.6 cars. They were essentially a "bare" car. They even came with steel wheels IIRC. I'm unsure of the rest but did note the knob appears to be different to the original. I still think it's a positive thing for a manufacturer to do.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:47 am

Garido wrote:I still think it's a positive thing for a manufacturer to do.

Absolutely - I'm not a purist so MX5 owners should do whatever they want to their cars.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:52 am

trader wrote:That looks like the right pattern. Here are my originals (NA8) with 29k on them. Pretty chunky and hard.

Bridgestone SF-325 was a good tyre in its day, but my preference would be to take advantage of almost 30 years of new tyre technology.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Sun Aug 06, 2017 1:13 pm

Garido wrote:The tyres intrigue me. Tread design is similar to an all season tyre which suits winter and heavy rain/ light snow use. It also looks like the tyre can have some fun as opposed to being glued to the road like a semi slick.

Sounds like weather conditions in Japan. Funny that huh?

StillIC · Postby **StillIC** » Sun Aug 06, 2017 1:27 pm

project.r.racing wrote:
Garido wrote:The tyres intrigue me. Tread design is similar to an all season tyre which suits winter and heavy rain/ light snow use. It also looks like the tyre can have some fun as opposed to being glued to the road like a semi slick.
Sounds like weather conditions in Japan. Funny that huh?

And much of North America where the car was envisaged, conceptualised and the largest market for the car. And quite a bit of the next largest market, Europe.

Garido · Postby **Garido** » Sun Aug 06, 2017 1:32 pm

StillIC wrote:
project.r.racing wrote:
Garido wrote:The tyres intrigue me. Tread design is similar to an all season tyre which suits winter and heavy rain/ light snow use. It also looks like the tyre can have some fun as opposed to being glued to the road like a semi slick.
Sounds like weather conditions in Japan. Funny that huh?

And much of North America where the car was envisaged, conceptualised and the largest market for the car. And quite a bit of the next largest market, Europe.

^ Spot on. For the most part, the major markets of the world have 2 main reasons hence why they have either a winter/snow season tyre and a summer tyre. We're really lucky in one aspect. For what it's worth, I actually find my car more enjoyable to drive on an all season/touring tyre, than something super sticky.

aka_juffa · Postby **aka_juffa** » Sun Aug 06, 2017 3:02 pm

I seem to remember the Mazda factory offering something similar a few years ago. From what I see on the linked website this appears to be a rebuild from the ground up, where as the earlier offering was not.

If I was to pass a mx-5 down to my son or daughter then this is something I might have looked into......but I'm having too much fun too think about that. They can decide what to do when I'm 6 feet under.

J