Hi All
Having joined the OC late last year I thought it was about time we introduced ourselves and our 2004 Mk 2.5 1.8 Sport, which we bought in November 2020.
The car had languished for a few years in the garage where my daily driver is serviced and belonged to a family member of the business owner. It had done 64k and like most Mk 2’s, it looked mostly ok from the outside, but the usual rust issues were all lurking! After agreeing a price, and after putting in lots of graft (and probably too much money!) it has been on the road for just over a month now and we love it. The chassis rails, front wings and rear arches have all been replaced, (with the welding done by the garage, not me!) and it has had a full respray in the original Classic Red. The wheels have been refurbed and painted metallic grey as a slight change from the original silver.
My experience with spanners is limited, and I would never have attempted this without the resource of the OC and this forum. I knew nothing about MX5’s but the collective experience of people who have worked on these cars has been invaluable. I was also struck by the sheer enthusiasm of the owners and the fun that is to be had from them, regardless of model.
Having never previously been in an MX5, this was something of a shot in the dark for us, but we’ve had a few roof-down rides out and I can now say we understand exactly what you are talking about! There’s still work I want to do on the car but for now, we’re enjoying it. 
Hope we can join you on a few meets and events soon!
Cheers, Graham & Gwen (that’s Mrs G’s name, not the MX5!)
