Hi. I’m a new member and only just got my 1999 MX-5 1.8i S yesterday!
Since the car is a few years old, the wooden trim around the vents, gearstick etc is looking a bit naff. Is there a simple way to remove them (I believe they are stuck on) to leave the black finish below? What type of glue is used, and is there a risk of damaging my original interior.
Thanks!
Hi Mark, welcome to the forum [:D]
I had what sounds similar to yours in my car when I bought it.
I stripped the wood trim back, it did leave some glue residue on the centre console. I had to basically rub down the console with fine wet and dry and eventually sprayed it with primer and then black interior top coat.
Was quite a time consuming job, the finished job is fairly good, although I must admit if I could spare the cash for a replacement one, I would go with that option [;)]
Andy
EDIT, just realised yours is a mk2, but it might still apply
So I can rip it off and buy a new set? I think I’d prefer black than wood tbh. Also, I don’t fancy spraying anything inside my car incase it’s a disaster 
Glad to a be a member btw! Thanks
It was pretty straightforward to do in a mk1 s the centre console comes out easy and I sprayed it out of the car, someone with a mk2 will hopefully give you some tips here [;)]
I don’t think I’d need to remove the centre console, as they are just stick-on covers. My wooden effect handbrake and gearstick knob are cracked also.
I’ll take some pictures when I get a bit of daylight and let you guys see.
Oh, got the car for £3995, 47,000 miles on the clock and in mint condition. Hope this is good
Here’s some tips I found whilst searching on this. Might be handy for some of you guys. Will report back when I remove my first piece of trim (with pics)
The stuff has four layers: clear plastic, wood veneer (looks like actual wood), foam backing, glue.
Step one is to pry-and-peel the clear plastic and wood off, which mostly comes off together. A plastic knife is very helpful.
Step two is cleaning off the foam that remained in some areas. Once again using a plastic knife.
Step three is to remove the adhesive residue using Goo Gone. Soak a bit of paper towel, then rub and rub. This is tedious but it works.
Step four is finished off by wiping all the plastic surfaces down with a protectant. There may be a few tiny scuffs, but nothing of any consequence.
Mark,
I would be interested to learn how it went for you. I need to remove the wood trim out of my Dakar (However, I will be replacing it as the originals are finished).
Also, does anyone know of a good wood trim supplier? MX5 parts have a kit but it is £130 and includes parts I dont want (door and glovebox trim). There is a kit on e bay with the parts I need that is £29 but I suspect I will be getting what I pay for!
It’s a bit late to help, but I’m always keen to add to the knowledge base.
I’ve just removed the last two bits of stick-on trim left by the previous owner. I used a stiff plastic spatula (readily available in most kitchens) to lever off the trim, going slowly and carefully. I used the same device to remove the adhesive, clearing up any stubborn bits with isopropyl alcohol (which you can get quite cheaply in bulk on eBay and is very useful for all sorts of cleaning). I then cleaned up the black plastic with Solvol Black and elbow grease.
So far, so good.