As I've recently got a MK1 MX5 (a red shed!) I thought I'd go to the annual rally to get some ideas and maybe some bits and pieces.
So if you're going to a rally for a small Japanese sports car the obvious car to go in is an Italian diesel estate (this is to keep SWMBO happy and to ensure lunch!) My new
Please bear in mind I took these images as much for my reference as anything and to show what works and what, in my opinion, doesn't work. If I say something rude about your car, or a car you like, it's my opinion. I do appreciate the work that is put into cars, even those I may not like........
Anyway, walking into Gaydon there was a constant stream of MX-5's arriving, quite spectacular to see;
This looked nice I/we liked the colour, I'm thinking ahead for colours for a respray. Think this is a current anniversary model, it was a 64 reg.
and this one, this convinced my wife that black wheels look good,
This one is like mine, except it's green and much, much better condition, same wheels though...
Skipping ahead a bit, not literally just because I've got a MX5 doesn't mean.... there was a colour cordinated display of MK1's as it's the 25th anniversary
Red
Yellow
There were green, blue and black ones as well but I didn't include those.
and now some wheels as they're obviously the most important thing to get right..
Ahhh OZ's, I like OZ's (what width, ET?)...
Banded steels I can't convince my wife that they'd look good even if they were painted a sensible grey,
Just as an aside, this had a nice supercharged engine, that's the way I'd go no turbo for me,
still we were looking at wheels, Pro Race 1.2's 15" (but what width?) the wife liked these and I can see me getting a set for track days, maybe matt though
Cross spokes painted in a silly colour (personal opinion, looked good though, very dishy...)
We'll look at more wheels after lunch, now it's time for some interiors.
Cream leather, looks good not sure about the added wood on the doors on the second one though;
red leather...
A bit too much red in this one for me,
There was a small group of modified cars near the entrance, might have been Phoenix 5's but I could be wrong.
Seen the build thread for this one somewhere, RR, MX5Nutz, Pistonheads?
Not sure I'm convinced by the sticker when there's a BGW on the boot lid
Throttle bodies...
I'm not into sleepy eyes, square/rectangular headlights etc, but if I could afford the twin headlight conversion I'd do it;
Not sure where this engine fits in (apart from under the bonnet of an MX-5 of course) looked nice though.
There were a few cars representing MX5Nutz of the more extreme nature, think I got a bit caught up in the BGW thing....
I guess if you're going to have a wing make it BIG!
they looked equally mean/good from the front.
Then it was time for lunch and the advantage of coming by Italian estate car is aparanet, seats, food....
we were being frowned on though
A look around the cars parked nearby;
Willwood brakes.... looking at the interior and the scoop on the bonnet I'm guessing a turbo under the bonnet...
ahhh we weren't teh only people to arrive in true stlye, Brera spider version of my estate ;-)
Then this arrived, truly wonderfull...
I'm sure it is (p.s. what engine is it?)
I like Molly (much prefer this to the Superdry version they did which just felt wrong to me, a Japanese fashion label on a Morgan)
So what else is in the car park...
Fun, and the colour is good too, but to me this on is all wrong wire wheels (which must be an expensive conversion) on a MX5 NO. It's inspired by the Elan which never ran wires.
Whereas (painted tyre lettering aside) look really good,
Not sure about the front on this and don't like th eside skirts, but great condition;
finally in the car park, this... parked with it's bonnet up (really sorry if this is your car but really, really didn't like it)
Are they actually alloys, they look like Halfords plastic hub caps to me, and I like the Compomotive TH look (I really hope I've got the right wheel name or I'm going to look a right idiot, phew just checked...) as for the rusty arch and sill.
I know stretch, poke etc is fashionable but can this really be safe? looks silly to me but I'm old and favour form follows function. Actually this was the last car I took photos of but there's no way I'm gong to finish the thead with it.
Rant over lets find something else.
Those headlight again, better get saving;
and a nice engine, like the cam cover treatment,
I said I found more wheels after lunch...
Like these, Tracklight
can't go wrong with BBS, think I might have to look in some scrapyards for E30's or eBay, but 15" not 14".
Ok another few that weren't quite to my taste...
I was trying to work out what the difference between 'inspired by' and 'replica/imitation' is, yes the MX-5 is inspired by the Elan but does that follow that you can try and make them look the same. Considering I've been looking at Elan 23R's for inspiration I'm not sure about this.
The green/yellow doesn't work for me whereas the gold-leaf version is OK (was this an actual Mazda model?).
This pair is at the other end of the spectrum to the good condition standard versions, how many rear view mirrors do you need?
Glad I saw these fake spinners it was somnething I was gong to try, won't do it now....
I don't know what this is inspired by, if the lights were square it has the feel of a small (very small ) Ferrari Le Mans Daytonna, but kind of looks like a Karmann Ghia front grafted on, the paint was good in the sunlight,
Martini stripes, should they be kept for Lancia rally cars, Porsche Le Mans cars and now Williams F1 cars, in my opinion yes, although there's no denying that the below was very well executed;
Interior was a bit OTT, nice door cards.
Ahh the solution to bringing the Alfa next year.
This was called rust to ruby, nice paint colour (does metallic work on a MK1?)
OK playing with my lens and DoF again, but quite atmospheric I think
Are you poking your tongue out at me?
I thought this was great, pity it couldn't be trained to bite people who stood close when other people are trying to take photos, took me ages to get a clear shot;
So that's it, a bit opinionated but that just shows the variety of things that can be done to a MX-5, from a standard resroration to a wild racer. I guess I may have set myself up for feedback on anything I do to mine, not that that's going to be anytime soon.
What inspiration did I get, I know what wheel sizes I want (staggered 7" and 8") that I really want about 4 sets of wheels. Simple really is best for me and that it's going to be a slow (or expensice) process. Great day out, the wife enjoyed it as well, incredible to see ~1,750 cars of one type it's probably only Mini and MG that could do somnething similar
Mark