Ownership Verified: That time FinalGear bought a Munich Roadster (MX-5) to drive from Germany to Finland

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ONLY four years later, I have a clean, straight, original passenger side front fender for the car.
 
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I finally got a set of Daisies some time ago, but didn't post them here – probably because the forums might have been down then. Anyway, I can't wait to get these under the car.
 
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Since it's so easy, I'm probably fitting this wood Momo wheel in place of the leather one. I still have the wooden Momo knob Mitchi sent me a couple years ago, too, and they seem to match. Ideally, I would also source leather seats at some point, but that depends if I can find a decent condition pair for the right price. Dark red leather would be a great combination with the Silverstone exterior.
 
That is SO NICE
 
Red interior would work beautifully with a Silverstone exterior. That's been one of my ideal combos ever since I saw this Miata. (Which I was a big fan of back in ca. 2015-2016. My automotive modification taste has changed since.) But it works in general as well, especially on roadsters. Works great with wood as well.
 
Oh yeah, that shows how well it works. I think those seats have been retrimmed and the original hue is a bit darker, but yeah – good combo. I'd leave the door cards as is, and even if I'd like to change the carpet for a red one, it might be a ton of work.
 
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The new fender has been prepped, as are other bits like the passenger door.

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As you can see, all the rusty bits on the car should be bolt-off from now.
 
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Thanks to a helpful friend in the UK, the MX-5 is getting a touch of luxury in place of the stock cloth seats. Shipping will probably be more expensive than the seats, as they cost just £30 and will only need cleaning, no repairs.
 
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Thanks to a helpful friend in the UK, the MX-5 is getting a touch of luxury in place of the stock cloth seats. Shipping will probably be more expensive than the seats, as they cost just £30 and will only need cleaning, no repairs.

I like the seats, but are you sure you want to have them in a silver car? This interior color is best paired with black or dark metallic red/green/blue. Silver cars look best with black or red interiors.
 
It would look worse if I did the entire interior in beige – now they'll just light up the black cabin a little. I don't plan on getting matching tan carpets or door cards or lower dash plastics, and I might transfer the handles from the black stock cloth seats too.

If I did an interior colour change, I'd go with red, but that's relatively difficult to source in similar condition. However, one option is tinting these tan seats in a darker brown or cognac colour so they would suit the silver a touch better. But I'll see about that later.
 
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IT'S FINISHED

Well, almost. The guys didn't sort out the JDM/US registration plate lighting, which needs new triangular holes punched under the rear panel, so when I drove the car to the MOT it was an immediate red flag due to the lights still residing in the trunk. But I wanted the MOT out of the way anyway, and the emissions, brakes and everything were fine. Getting some lights hooked up is a lot less of a hassle than fixing emissions or ordering a new catalytic converter, and the shop will do that without complaints.

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ANYWAY! It feels weird to have the paint looking great. The dents and rust are long gone, and I don't feel like I own a total beater Miata anymore. The engine was a bit tappety after the car sat for two years, but it cleared after a bit of vigorous driving to warm the car up for MOT. The steering is so much better than with the heavy wheels, and an alignment will take things even further. I am ready to love this car again.
 
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That red dash <3
 
Is the ragtop actually grey or just very faded and in bright sunshine?
 
It is grey to begin with, it's from an NBFL. I wanted to upgrade to the glass window and it was easier for the body shop guy to just bolt on a complete used top with an intact rain rail.
 
This is great! Nice to see it back on the road, and it's a good time for it to be back on the road. The daisies work perfectly. But I must admit, the rear looks kinda empty without any badges on it. Are you planning to put any?
 
Oh yeah, I just need to re-drill the badge holes to make sure they fit smoothly.
 
I'd need to kludge the JDM/US rear plate holder on the model too :p

In other words, the car is now inspected and road legal! I will start the interior swap sometime after the roadtrip when I have time.
 
It is grey to begin with, it's from an NBFL. I wanted to upgrade to the glass window and it was easier for the body shop guy to just bolt on a complete used top with an intact rain rail.

I need one of these tops with a glass window ... Eventually...

Awesome to see it back in action after so long! I hope you enjoy it properly, and keep it out of the salt as much as possible! :-D
 
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