WINNING BLUE , ...... the story so far!

this was the morning of collection ,

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Good colour choice.

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after handing over my money i took it a longer run , maybe 6-7 miles to see how it drove before heading home to start tinkering … :man_shrugging: :man_shrugging:

There are some jobs that need doing ,
the temp gauge is only moving 1/4 up the dial so needs a thermostat :grimacing:
( any links to the part or doing job would be great ).
i’ve not changed thermostat on mk3 before . :flushed: :flushed:

the roof has some mould marks to remove . :nerd_face:

it is getting ready for 2 new tyres in next 2k miles :face_with_monocle: :face_with_monocle:

but so far i’m a happy bunny :partying_face: :partying_face:

first job was the engine bay… :nerd_face: :nerd_face:

this was sprayed with “elbow grease”, a cheap degreaser (£1bottle )

left to stand 5 mins , then agitated with a brush in all crevices .
then washed off with jet wash on low pressure ( being very careful around electrics )

i always have the engine running while doing this , you can hear if the engine revs dip

I dried off the engine and dressed it with silicone spray …job done !!!

heres how she looked after being with me for 60 mins :+1: :+1: :+1:

thanks for looking :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

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Good transformation that!

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Looks like new! great job - very satisfying I am sure…

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after the bay was sorted i turned to the bodywork :nerd_face:
sorting through my bits of cleaning gear i found my clay bar had gone rock solid ( lid loose on container :grimacing: :unamused: )so unable to clay bar ( will do next time !)

so , started with power maxed "iron off " on wheels and bodywork .
let this sit 4-5 mins ( don’t let it dry ) , then rinsed that off…

applied TFR all over bodywork , again rinsed off .

washed with PM shampoo , rinsed and towel dried .

applied quick detailer and buffed up :nerd_face:

then a cheeky drive to take daughter to work ,
stopped off for quick pic ,

its coming along nice :+1: :+1:

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Glad you finally got another MX5 - looks great and love the colour.:+1:

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I’ve started on your shopping list.
Clear side indicators. :white_check_mark:

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Or maybe even smoked but agreed that orange doesn’t go with that vibrant blue. Good call.

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Smoked.

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Looks like it’s lowered already, so maybe not on the shopping list.:+1:

Looking good so far.:+1:

I use the elbow grease in the kitchen, after 5 mins it really does disolve any grease, never would have thought to give the engine bay a go with it, good tip.:+1:

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Hi mick
Lowered by Paul roddison 5 years ago with new springs n shocks :red_car::red_car:

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interior day :partying_face: :partying_face: :partying_face:

removed both seats so i could vac and shampoo carpets , then wet vac .
all plastics wiped down inc’ dash .

both seats treated with valeting foam, scrubbed with a brush then done over with the wet vac … :face_with_monocle: :nerd_face: :ok_hand:

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Wet vacs are magic.
They’re also excellent for extracting wet and muck out of the roof drains from UNDER the car. - Phtoomphut!

Good job!

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If you are looking for another Winning Blue to do when yours is finished, mines available. Great job.

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Good to see no driver’s offside bolster rips as well.
Bonus.
This seems to be a bliddy good example.

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Fantastic progress so far, the difference on that engine bay is literally night and day… great looking car for not a lot of money!

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Done a stunning job with the engine bay! :heart_eyes: Nothing like a lovely bit of car porn to round the day off. She’s a beaut, well done

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You certainly been a busy little bee, cracking motor !

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as mentioned previously , my thermostat was only moving a quarter of the way on the temperature gauge , sometimes less . :grimacing: :astonished:
so i eventually got a new 'stat , thanks to Dave (spelio ). :partying_face:
and set about fitting it tonight .

first drain the radiator , via a plastic plug underneath the car .

here’s a few pics ,
with intake hose removed,

throttle body removed ,

now here’s the thermostat

3 bolts holding it in , very tricky …here’s a selection of tools i found a big help .

the 1/4" drive extentions are 3" , 4" and 6" …you need them all !!!

the magnetic pick up with light is great for finally getting the bolts out without dropping them ( from aldi )

once the 'stat is off , the fitting is just the reverse … just take your time :nerd_face:

the most difficult thing i found was to get the hose clip back on the BIG hose on the 'stat , just because its limited access and angle of attack :grimacing:

i cleaned the throttle body while i had it on the bench :face_with_monocle:

filled with FL22 long life coolant

the temp gauge is now showing normal and the engine is idling at 800 RPM instead of 900 RPM. :partying_face: :partying_face: :partying_face:

took approx’ 1hr 20mins :ok_hand:

air BLEEDING took some doing , did usual of raising the front end on ramps and running it for 30 mins but ended up taking it a steady run and it sorted itself out ,its like a sauna now in the cabin :ok_hand: :ok_hand:

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