PERKY BLUE
This car was owned by a long term customer and his son. i Have worked on this car for at least 4 years now and the last time was to fit a new cat back cobolt zorst and hood along with a timing belt water pump full service and other bits and pieces, it would seem after this work was completed the car was driven for a few weeks a flat tyre happened and the car was then left to sit for the next 18 months.
I asked the owners father if the car was being used, as i had not seen it in a good while, to be informed of its sorry state, sat on the drive covered in bird poo and full of spiders..
A price was agreed for the car and i was told to come and collect her.
collection happened on the 14th of october this year (2016) at about 7 oclock, it was dark, she had no petrol, dead battery, and no clutch. Was full of spiders and damp.
draging her from the drive found all 4 brakes stuck fast ( no surprise there) by the time i was of the drive tho the brakes had freed off...
next day with a fully charged battery nice fresh fuel saw her fire start and stall,,i assumed the maf was at fault and set about removing the aftermarket air filter and 2mtrs of tumbledrier ducting used as a cold feed from under the car. What i found was crazy, the ducting from start to finish was chocka block with leaves, crisp packets and animal fur this continued through the aftermarket airfilter, the maf and half way in to the cross over pipe.
would seem a mouse had made home here and was quite busy.
I had loads of pics of the state of the car when i collected her but my phone decided not to let me have them so next is the only before pics i have.
I asked the owners father if the car was being used, as i had not seen it in a good while, to be informed of its sorry state, sat on the drive covered in bird poo and full of spiders..
A price was agreed for the car and i was told to come and collect her.
collection happened on the 14th of october this year (2016) at about 7 oclock, it was dark, she had no petrol, dead battery, and no clutch. Was full of spiders and damp.
draging her from the drive found all 4 brakes stuck fast ( no surprise there) by the time i was of the drive tho the brakes had freed off...
next day with a fully charged battery nice fresh fuel saw her fire start and stall,,i assumed the maf was at fault and set about removing the aftermarket air filter and 2mtrs of tumbledrier ducting used as a cold feed from under the car. What i found was crazy, the ducting from start to finish was chocka block with leaves, crisp packets and animal fur this continued through the aftermarket airfilter, the maf and half way in to the cross over pipe.
would seem a mouse had made home here and was quite busy.
I had loads of pics of the state of the car when i collected her but my phone decided not to let me have them so next is the only before pics i have.
After this was removed and a good used maf and standard air box fitted she fired up fine and purred like a kitten.
next was to find why no clutch,
i found the slave to be rusted solid, it was hard to tell piston from body. this changed and fresh dot 4 added gears where a simple smooth click away.
while on the ramp i gave her a good looking over and noted things that needed sorting.
Next day saw 4 good used bilstein springs fitted as al 4 on the car were snapped, both rear shocks replaced with good used bilstein units as they were blown, the radiator swapped for a new one i had just bought, a full service including diff and gearbox fluid done followed with a good clean and engine bay jet wash.
next was to find why no clutch,
i found the slave to be rusted solid, it was hard to tell piston from body. this changed and fresh dot 4 added gears where a simple smooth click away.
while on the ramp i gave her a good looking over and noted things that needed sorting.
Next day saw 4 good used bilstein springs fitted as al 4 on the car were snapped, both rear shocks replaced with good used bilstein units as they were blown, the radiator swapped for a new one i had just bought, a full service including diff and gearbox fluid done followed with a good clean and engine bay jet wash.
So MOT time,,
passing with just a slightly rusty under body and pitted rear discs was good enough for me and now that she runs drives and handles well plus looking clean a few things are changed....
a nice set of raybrig headlights, a pair of de tango'd side lights, an ashtray/cup holder swap for a coin tray, stereo replacement for one that works and a set of wheels i had in the back of the unit...
I decided for the first time in mx5 ownership i quite fancied a painted rocker, so that happened and i made one of my kg works look alike clock clusters. this time instead of led lights i just used the original bulbs and some plastic crystals that i painted with felt pens.
this brings us to today 27th october 2016. its been 2 weeks since collecting and driving this lil 1.8 s special is an experience i had forgotten the lighten flywheel as stock on this car lets it rev like a 1.6 and it hits the slightly higher rev limit in super fast time which gives very quick performance over most other 1.8 models.
i have today fitted a newer boot carpet set from a scrap car i have in and a chrome petrol filler lid also a decat pipe was made and fitted which gives a slightly raspier tone and lets the car pop and bang.
i have today fitted a newer boot carpet set from a scrap car i have in and a chrome petrol filler lid also a decat pipe was made and fitted which gives a slightly raspier tone and lets the car pop and bang.