MX5 ND1 Steel body parts?

Technical Area Body, Interior & Styling
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  1. My model of MX-5 is: __
  2. I’m based near: __
  3. I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __

Hi,

I was just wondering what panels/parts on the surface on the MX5 ND1 are made of steel. I guess these would rust a lot quicker than plastic panels. I have the RF and some say one panel on the top is steel so it may be worth making sure water is not stood on the top?

Thanks.

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Just get a magnet and find out for yourself.
:heart:

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All the main structure is steel. On the exterior, doors and wings too. The boot and bonnet are aluminium alloy; whilst the bumpers both ends are plastic ABS. On the RF the buttress assembly is steel.
The ND1/2/3 are structurally the same car

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Look here:

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Front wings are aluminium too!

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So surface wise keep an eye on the doors and sills.

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Whole body really as the aluminium does corrode.

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I’m pretty sure the top roof panel will be ‘plastic’.

Bonnet, boot lid, and front wings are aluminium.

It’s the underneath and inside rear arches you need to protect from rust. Underneath includes the sub frames.

Remove muck build up inside the arch lip. On the older models they rust through from the inside because the caked mud and silt stays wet. Add a bit of salt to the mix…

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Hi,

Thanks for all your help. Hope others find this useful too.

I have it Lanoguarded. Hence why I was asking just about the body. Won’t be driven on wet or/and salted/grit days.

So really the external elements you see. Car is stood outside. So I am thinking how to prevent the weathering process getting to the car. That would mostly affect the surface body I am thinking right now although of course underneath too to some extent. The Lanoguard might help here. I will give the surface a yearly/half-yearly wax and treat all the rubbers to a Autoglym product treatment (which I read on this forum too).

The drain covers I think do need to be covered to stop water getting inside. Who knows what that water is doing to the inside?

Half-cover I have invested in (genuine Mazda) so hoping that can help although I noted slight condensation inside the vehicle (but that was a very cold snowy day).

Thanks.