For the last few months I’ve wanted to change the heater control panel but couldn’t find anything I really liked. The old one was ok but I wanted something that wasn’t so “black” but not too “blingy”.
Then I found the one made by Jass Performance. It’s laser cut from stainless steel and has a brushed finish. I think it looks really good, especially at night when the light shines through the letters.
I sanded about 1 mm from the inner end of the lever knobs so they wouldn’t rub on the panel.
Great post mate, your car looks (and sounds) great too - it’s a real credit to you
Last year I managed to get hold of an aluminium footrest. I’ve been on the look out for a matching set of pedals ever since (missed a set on Ebay a few months ago, doh!).
Then a few weeks ago I found a set for sale, and at about half the price of the set I’d missed. They needed a clean up and polish but I’m happy with them.
To drill the holes in the brake and clutch pedals I had to remove them but decided to leave the pedal box in place. The brake pedal wasn’t too bad but the clutch was an absolute pig to get back in place. What ever way I laid I either couldn’t see what I was doing, or couldn’t move my arm, or dropped something. Finally managed it after several “Anglo-Saxon” words. Really need to learn some Japanese obscenities so I can swear at the car in it’s own language!
I did modify the accelerator pedal as I never liked the way the steel pedal wasn’t flat where the alloy pedal sat. So I hammered the “dimples” flat with a ball pein hammer and also enlarged the holes that were visible through the alloy.
And got it powder coated gloss black.
I did modify the pedal pivot as it uses a starlock fixing but as I didn’t have any to hand I made a guide so I could drill a straight pilot hole and tapped a M4 internal thread so I could use a machine screw. At least it’s easier to remove should I ever want to!
And just to prove I don’t always have it in bits, here’s the car at Brands Hatch yesterday. Brilliant day, went with a mate down there to watch qualifying and couldn’t really have parked any closer to the track if we’d tried! Still have sunburn but don’t care, had an awesome day!!
Really nice car and the personal touches - enjoyed reading through the progress thats what makes '5’s the addiction they are. Liked the bike pic’s too. Spookily I got my Mk 1 in 2012 after deciding I have to hang up the leathers. Still haven’t been able to part with the bike though - Kawasaki GPX 600R (pearlesent white) sharing the garage with the 5.
Andy.
I know it’s not a part fitted to the car but I’m well chuffed with the latest thing I’ve made.
In case you can’t guess it’s a diagnostic code reader.
I’ve used a couple of switches so I can leave it connected and turn on or off either the led or the “jump wire” or both should I want.
As I had all the parts available it’s cost the grand total of begger all!!
I also scribed part of the layout of the diagnostic socket on the lid and colour coded it to the wire colours so it’s easier to use.
And it works a treat!! Just got to find a list of fault codes for models after 1995 as I think they changed around then.
Couple of new parts fitted recently.
Several months ago I mentioned to a friend that I was thinking of making a wooden gear knob as, although I liked the alloy gear knob I had, it would be good to have a wooden one to match the steering wheel I’d recently fitted. I’d bought a couple of pieces of walnut to make one from but he said he had some thuya burr at home and would I like him to turn it for me. Yes please was the obvious answer! He makes guitars with his brother as a hobby so I knew He’d do a great job.
I wasn’t disappointed! I let him use the alloy one as a pattern for size and shape and he used a polyurethane varnish. The finish is amazing!
I turned an insert out of alloy so it fitted straight onto the gear lever.
The second part is the alloy top I made to convert an ashtray into an oddments tray. I never really liked the way the tray I’d got from MX5 Parts was only held in by Velcro and the only other option was the sunglasses holders that sometimes come up secondhand or have a cup holder. I had a think and came up with the idea of turning an ashtray into an oddments tray as I had an old one I’d been given and I had some spare 5mm alloy sheet.
Several evenings later I’d made the part, all hand cut using either a hacksaw or a coping saw for the centre after drilling for holes for the corners of the centre hole.
It’s held in place using 4 x M3 stainless screws in the same way as is used on a standard ashtray lid.
I had hoped to line the tray with black leather, a bit like an inside out gear lever gaiter, but I’m still waiting for the leather I’ve ordered to arrive. So plan B was some fabric tape for the moment. I will make the leather later when the materials arrive but I’m happy with it for the moment.
Great looking car, thanks for sharing.
Hi,
Lovely looking 5 you have there,!
Just embarked on my own project, 1.8 Merlot, sound car but tatty, you have given me some inspiration! Couple of questions if I may, where did you get the wheel centre caps made? my old “eternal flame” caps are well past it, and seem to be unobtainable! Secondly what did you use to paint the underside of your 5? looks very neat and tidy!
Thanks, and keep up with the project…look forward to more updates!
Paul
Thanks for your kind words. The wheel caps came from a company called Classic Capsule, about £25 for 5 badges. I’ll send a PM with more details.
I’m assuming you mean the black section of the sills when you say the underside? If so it’s black stonechip paint.
Wow, got to say there has been some serious TLC put into that, I am in awe, thanks for sharing the pics.
A couple of months ago I fitted a brushed finish heater control panel cover. I wanted something a bit more retro instead of the standard one.
However, the more I looked at it the more I wondered if it fitted in with the rest of the car. It was a bit too “silver”.
So I continued the search for inspiration to get the panel how I wanted it.
What I’ve done is temporarily got back to standard for the moment but with a stainless steel surround for the rotary fan control. It’s 2.5mm thick and I turned it on the lathe.
I will be changing the printed panels later on, I’ve got a rough idea what they’ll look like when done.
Another weekend, another spell in the garage.
I had been looking at the exhaust heat shield with dismay for quite a while now. Last year I managed to find some flanged stainless bolts that looked almost identical to the ones Mazda used. They improved things but I was still left with a grotty heat shield. So when MX5 Parts had 10% off a couple of weeks ago I bit the bullet and got one. Then noticed the rusty nuts holding the rear heat shield on, would the move or snap off? Luckily they came off really easily.
That one part has really improved things I feel. It was the one part that let the side down when I looked under the bonnet.
Sad thing is I’ve got a ever growing list of things to do or make before Gaydon, I already have planned what parts I’ll be doing next weekend!!!
Well I have finally got the heater panel how I wanted it.
When I had the brushed stainless steel one I liked the style of it but felt there was too much silver. So I cut it up and made panels the same shape as the original Mazda ones, finishing off with 3600 grit paper to get an almost mirror finish.
I feel I’ve now got the balance between black and silver right, I’m really happy with how it’s turned out, and the fit as all cuts I’ve made were by hand.
You can get something similar in Japan but I didn’t want to spend $50 on the ring round the heater knob or $150 on a heater panel. And it’s always good if you can say you’ve made it yourself.
Several months ago I had the idea of getting the cigar lighter surround chrome plated. I had a spare one so that wasn’t a problem, finding a decent chrome plater possibly could be.
It seems that there are a lot less electroplaters than there were about 15 years ago and the one in London I used to use seems to have closed it’s doors for the last time.
A friend suggested Derby Plating and I’m really happy he did.
The old one had a green/grey coating similar to japaning.
The newly plated one has been triple chrome plated, using layers of copper, nickel and chrome. Wasn’t too expensive but a definite improvement on the original part I think.
This weekend I finally got round to fitting some stainless steel surrounds to the switches on the right side of the dash. Initially I was just going to stick them straight on but they looked terrible as they stuck proud of the dash. So I sanded/filed about 0.8mm from the switch housings before gluing the trim in place.
Hard work and lots of time really pays off - It looks a real treat.
Well, what a weekend that was. Gaydon was fantastic, definitely need to visit it again.
My car was entered into the competition in the light modified class. I’d got 3rd place in April at the Spring rally and to be honest, I would’ve been more than happy to have left with the same again.
Seems the polish gods were smiling on me that day!!!
Yes, 1st prize.
I thought it was a wind up when I saw the rosette on my windscreen so I asked someone. They confirmed it was right and I had got 1st.
I then swore. Twice!
And to think it nearly didn’t happen. 48 hours before I’d had to leave work early with a bug and was in bed.
Miracles do happen!!!
Finally found a switch surround for the centre console I liked (yes, I’m a fussy begger!!)
Before.
And after. It was a flat surround, laser cut from stainless steel. However I shaped it so it was the same shape as the recess it fits into and glued it in place.
Also fitted a set of stainless lifting eyes to the engine from Jass Performance.
I did find the lower bend on the front bracket made it almost touch the cam cover so I straightened it at that point.
They are really well made and are (apart from having to re-bend the front bracket) a very close match to the original parts. Only shinier!!
And also fitted some flanged stainless steel screws that were the same dimensions as the original.