Managed to get the 4th bolt off yesterday and then raised the seat by approximately 40mm in total
Today I finally took the car for my first real drive - 5 weeks after I bought it!
Did some nice twisty roads from Chigwell to Epping and Roydon.
[Smug mode=1]
Pray tell… what method did one employ to remove the naughty bolt?
[Smug mode=0]
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Worn bolt remover…
Took a few attempts, 1st two attempts the remover just came off. 3rd time lucky
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Thanks mx5oc great day at curborough in my 5 today 
Changed gearbox and diff oil today. I really didn’t think the bolts on the guard/undertray would come out but every one did. Very chuffed about that. Neither drain plug had a lot of swarf on but I don’t think the car has done many miles since the last change, none of the fluids look old and there’s a new air filter. Gearbox does seem slightly better for the oil change, sprained my neck slightly while wiggling about underneath though. Spotted a couple of places that will need attention, one where the underseal has peeled off the chassis rail bottom and the floor is starting. More horrendous oxidisation shots:-
Enjoyed ‘Roof Down’ for the first time this year [back & forth to the vet with mature Tortie cat]
via non-specialist mechanic re MOT Advisories due Sept. “Shock Absorbers Slightly Worn Bushes” plus a couple of others. He advised me to return to Specialist [Club Members] in the hope they can provide less expensive quote as my local chap doesn’t have the machinery and K & U needed.
OK…will make the call
Bit in shock as Tortie diagnosed with Diabetes. [Liver, Kidneys, Heart, Lungs fine and she happy in herself] but Vet said ‘Death Sentence’ until I asked ‘Teach Me to Inject Insulin’…Which They Are Going to Do 
Apologies that I digress off topic BUT would appreciate ANY info on the Topic of Bullits’ Bushes [non specialist said the task would be too complex for them as it would involve removing springs etc…sorry …not thinking so clearly re cat]
AND any owner out there experience of diabetes in cats [I’ve read the internet]…looking for personal experience of MX-5 O.C. Members/ Visitors
Thanks in Anticipation. Roof Down was Wonderful [Suzi Q the Tortie thought different -she aint no dawg when it comes to sticking her head out of a car window]
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Not quite cats, but my sister’s Sheltie, Bonnie, was diagnosed as diabetic and after a few weeks of jabs would come for her jab unasked at about the right time because she knew it made her feel better. Bonnie would produce the required sample on the test strip when asked as well!
Canny, delightful Bonnie survived another three years.
Cats are smarter than dogs, smart enough not to advertise the fact. I think your Tortie will soon catch on.
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Bless u Richard FX [sorry MX-5 O.C. for this interaction in the wrong area…Helicopter Mom on rescue cat for several weeks]
Wise Words…Even though they had to put her into a ‘Crush’ to take 3 x Bloods and 1 x Urine this am as she wasn’t having the pre-med they sent me home with to put in her food so had to apply light anaesetic
But me thinks like your sisters Sheltie she’s kinda getting it as unlike the pre-med she’s wolfed down food with antibiotics [UTI side effect of diabetes]…suspect for same reason as you’ve indicated…She’s catching on 
She’s had a bad rep with the vets [Why I added a Q to her RSPSA rescue name of Suzi after Suzi Quatro and one of Mohammed Ali’s favorite punches]
But apparently she was better behaved this am. So Thank You so much RichardFX for this SUPPORT
This morning they gave her less than 6 months due to her ‘Catitude’ [Attitude] and now there is hope because I think she will let me jab her with the insulin
Just a question of me getting over my nerves of learning to jab…where’s that orange ? They’ve sent me home with practice shringes & saline
“Orange” well bang goes the savings for the Respray on Orange Bullit…focus now on her Bushes
Sorry Bullit…You’ve Fallen Down the Priority List Again 
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Thanks Chris007
Nowadays for me it seems more like ‘What Haven’t I Done to My MX-5 Today’ 
[oh…hello…‘Madam le Suzi Q’ has woken up…demanding food and doing her nails on the furniture]
Your Servant is coming [well one of us is feeling better] 
[So you think ‘Am I Bovvered’ with the cold wet stuff like Flea & Worm on the back of your neck…I’m just praying you’re gonna cope with a needle twice a day in future]
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Washed the Shark Hover’d it out, pop it back in the garage for tomorrow’s Run Out…also popped the Fridge magnets sent to me and the other winners of our cars from Japfest from BOFI Racing ( thank you BOFI they Look Great )
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Fitted the upgraded bronze bush to my gear shift on my NC Now to try it out and see if it’s made the gear change better…
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Thanks 999to5 …as an ex cop and fan of Dolly Parton I like your name 
Suzi Q and I slept for England and I’m deliberately doing non-related tasks today whilst I get my head around learning a new task of injecting a living thing. My late Dad Terry said after a severe heart attack which left him brain damaged ‘This is not your time’ and three of my late Cockers gave me the look : ‘Mum…I’m tired’
Suzi Q ain’t doing that. So ‘duty of care’ [pets ain’t just for Xmas etc]
Meanwhile awaiting call from specialist re Bullit Bushes
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I’m sure you’ll soon get the hang of the jabs and Suzy Q will have a new lease of life.
The 999 was a Ducati 999 superbike that was replaced by my MX5, hence 999 to 5
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Even more
Don’t know a lot about superbikes…one of my sisters will …she passed her test and got a BMW something or other…huge beastie you needed a step ladder to get on to…she was a cop at the time so probably what the ‘Black Rats’ [internal police reference to motorcycle cops] were on at that time and my best friend from boarding school came off her trial bike and spent several months lying flat on a board
I’ve done the risk with horse riding
But do recognize Ducati of course…musta been hard to give this beauty up for the MX-5
My sister gave up her bike after becoming a ‘mom’
Suzi Q perking up after antibiotics for UTI. Chased a sparrow and ‘bent it like Beckham with one of her ■■■■■ this morning’
Plus…Specialist in touch re quote for Bullit Bushes I’ve still got enough pennies saved
Support Appreciated from Posters
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Brightened up the interior in 496 (my 20th Anniversary) with some satin trip reset covers, satin radio button covers, a Beatrush gear knob in white and finished it off with a Zoom engineering oval mirror also in white.
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I like the mirror replacement. The oe one is rather big and a smaller version would be a nice mod. Presumably you had to get it from the U.S. ? Did you get hit with import duty as well ?
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Never mind the mirror…I need to know more about the “driving” shoes in photo number 3.
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Yes had to pay the duty! Not cheap but quality isn’t
Haha, so comfy for driving in, they’re narrow light and keep my mats clean.
My MD lives on a farm, I’ve all on keeping the car clean so I always leave the shoes in the car 
