[Having Previously Owned a Triumph MK IV Spitefire]… I Think I Need to Protect My 2005 MX5 Icon From The Ground Up …NOW…So She Becomes a ‘Classic’
Experience Requested From Members Who Have Already Done the Above
Best
Carey n Bullit
PS New Mohair + Electric Window Soft Top [purchased from MX5 Parts] now Fitted by CAB Trained [30 years Experience]. He normally charges £250 but gave me Local Rates of £175 for Stoke-on-Trent/Newcastle-under-Lyme. [Interested Members ask for his Contact Details. Bloke knows his onions with regards to fitting range of soft tops]
Everything was wired brushed then coated with rust converter then paint. Internals of subframes treated with dinitrol along with sills and chassis rails. All underseal checked and repaired where necessary. Also place underseal where factory did not place it. You will need goggles and plenty of newspaper. then one a year check it again. If sills are questionable remove the covers. have fun !
Had my mk3.5 fully waxoyled inside and out at C&S Haynes in Silverdale following a recommendation from another MX5 owner, sill covers removed, arch liners, exhaust ETC, I was lucky they said it was spotless and needed no work at all before waxoyling it. Great garage and can recommend them they have MX5’s themselves and certainly know their way round them.
This is Brill! [Had another contact in Silverdale - but not MX5 linked]. Exactly the Reply I was Hoping For ! Will Take a Drive Out Next Week
Best Carey n Bullit
Bullit2005 let us know how you get on. I’m looking / needing to get mine done. I’ve a friend who took his to Rustbuster in Spalding but I’d prefer to find somewhere closer to home as they want the car for two days.
Worth looking at rustbusters website as to what you should expect done as they do a comprehensive service washing the underside off to remove salts / applying rust converters first. Not cheap though at around £500 for an MX5.
Took drive out today in my 2.5 to ST5 6NR as recommended by pfw. [owner of 3.5]. pfw is correct - the owner of this business and his wife own several MX5’s across the range so they have vast experience of e.g. corrosion et al
Bullit is going in on 16/7 for a proper assessment
Thanks very much for responding. Will be really interested to hear how you get on. Based on this and pfw’s endorsement I may be paying them a visit too.
No problem chaps, that’s what the club is all about, I had mine MOT’d there too (clean pass which is nice !) and gearbox/diff oil changed plus drains checked while it was in.
Struggling with the Website & didn’t sleep well last night so hope I’m replying to Mark & Lisa ‘Wolves5’ ?
C&S Haynes still have Bullit. Hope to get her back next Tues. Undersealing least of my probs ! Holes located in wheel arches & sills needed replacing. [Apparently MOT guys not allowed to remove the plastic covering on the arches - who knew?]. Shocked but not surprised. Bullit never garaged. Lived in Whitby in sight of North Sea approx. 2.5 years and parked - rarely used on waste ground Market Drayton for appox. 18 mths. Lot of corrosion to whole under carriage. BUT with time and money they ‘Can Re-Build Her’ - no guarantee re corrosion - but I wouldn’t expect this given her issues. Labour of Love !
Anyway - £500 each side to sort the sills & wheel arches. £200 for the undersealing and tidying up her exterior paintwork [she’s been to Scotland & Wales] until I can afford re-spray. £30 to fit new front wire mesh grill between spotlights. Plus VAT MINUS 10% MX5 Owner Club Discount
Looking at your Model don’t think u need worry !
Would I recommend ? I think you’d struggle to find a more experienced couple than Steph & Colin. Indeed - only discovered by chance that Steph is the MX 5 O.C. Members Benefit Contact [u can find her email in the O.C. Magazine]. Colin’s K & U of ALL Makes & Models of MX5 - they’ve either owned or own most of them - would be difficult to challenge. Steph also well aware of how anxious we all get about our cars !
Thanks Carey. Good to here they are sorting Bullit.
Sounds very much like they know what they are doing I may give them a ring.
You are right yorkie has led a much more cosseted life. Tucked away in a nice dry garage each night. She’s pretty much clean underneath other than some very light rust on sub frames. Still it needs sorting though.
After further recommendations from other NWM members and having taken a look at their Facebook page. Which only confirms their knowledge of Mx5’s. I’ve been in touch with C&S Haynes and Yorkie is now booked in on the 11th October for underbody clean, rust treatment (not that there is much), underselling and wax oil.
Also fast road four wheel alignment ??
Hopefully they live up to the recommendations! If they do expect to see a write up (when I get round to it!) in a forthcoming newsletter.
I concur with pfw - I don’t think you’ll be disappointed
As a consequence of ‘Uncle Col’ & ‘Aunty Stephs’ hard graft to help me save Bullit - I got very assertive with my landlord and she will be garaged with effect from Monday.
Many a company might have said ‘no way’ or charged me so much more. But C&S Haynes didn’t balk at the challenge and didn’t overcharge in my view
[Plus I got to drive a ‘flappy paddle’/high engage clutch/move knees to the left for the pedals & pretend you’re in an armchair’ courtesy car - Can’t remember the make but if anyone remembers driving an Austin Allegro or Morris Marina you get the picture. Fortunately their logo & associates were written all over the vehicle so I didn’t need to wear dark glasses and a scarf to hide my identity …Ha Ha…C&S Hynes got the humour !]
Well gents. Got her back from C and S yesterday. Very pleased with their efforts. Strike me, as you have said, a well run professional garage. Took their time as when we dropped her off it had poured down and we had driven down some muddy country roads. They wanted to keep her longer to ensure that she was properly clean and dry before any treatments. So had her for just over a week in the end. Colin was pretty complimentary about her overall condition saying there was almost no rust to speak of. That said I’m Glad I’ve finally had it done. More chance of her staying that way!
Would be happy to recommend Colin and Steph to anyone in the club.
Car feels much more planted in the corners too after her laser alignment.
Will try and get an article done with pics they took into my next NWM newsletter.