Fresh after a big bill for a rolling road session to finally get it MOT compliant, breezing said MOT and driving better than ever since I’ve owned it, and immediately prior to a driving and adventure holiday in wales next week, this happens:
Looks like Im gonna need a drivers side wing, bumper, driverside headlamp, and a bonnet. It may be easier to try to find an MOT failure I can rob for parts. Im still considering my options, so if anyone knows of a good bodyshop or MX5 specialist whom they would trust to do a decent job, I’d appreciate a steer.
In the meantime Ill go back to flogging myself with stinging nettles .
Ouch! Sorry to see this mate, especially with just getting her all sorted. Least it’s repairable though, and you’re ok which is the main thing. I take it it’s all cosmetic damage, chassis intact?
It appears to be just cosmetic, I don’t think it would have bent the chassis and it drove perfectly straight after. Ill need to get the bumper off to be sure however but it was sub 10mph into the back of another car whilst being distracted by a big 4x4 that was cutting across a roundabout without apparently seeing me.
Not tried him myself (yet) but Alan Doodes of Bulphan Service Station is used by members of North Thames area and is well recommended. Knows his 5’s and I believe races them. His card says “MOT, Vehicle & Body Repairs, Servicing, Welding, Spraying, Insurance Work, Estimates, Cam Belts, Exhausts, Batteries & Tyres”, which seems pretty comprehensive. His details:- Bulphan Service Station, Brentwood Road, Bulphan, Essex. RM14 3SS. 01375 891418.
PS: That’s off the A128 on the left onto the old road just before the big motel and a 100/200 metres along.
Thanks Ben. If you go looking don’t expect anything that looks like a garage, it’s just like a large shed with cars outside, but that seems usual with the guys who know their stuff! Good luck!
I 've been recommended J&M Rice in chelmsford. It goes in next week so I’ll report back once it’s been sorted. Gotta say I’m having withdrawal symptoms.
Yes I picked it up a couple of weeks back. Im pretty pleased overall. The colour match is perfect to my eye which isn’t always the case with red. I’ve not had chance to photograph it yet, as the weather hasn’t been appropriate, Ive been snowboarding and the used headlamp I got isn’t as fresh looking as the nearside original, despite me giving it a good referb. Im trying to decide if I can stomach the price of a new one from MX5 Parts and the risk that it might then look newer than the nearside one! Ive also got some other reassembly to do as I did as much of that work as I could myself to keep costs down.
I asked them to repair the bonnet rather than replace with a new one, and the shut line would lose me points with a concours judge now, so I may try to tweak this too although its a complex shape.
