Ownership Verified: wdwben's 2012 MX-5 PRHT (yup, another one)

Small update. I finally figured out what was causing my driver's side window to wobble when it was up and the top was down. There's a belt line trim-piece that has a broken clip. They're going to replace it for me after a quick visit to Sport Mazda today to get an oil change and all the necessary stuff they recommend for 30k miles. So I'll get a call soon and they'll pop it in for me, and I can enjoy top-down motoring with the windows ALL the way up.

Other than that, lots of happy miles of motoring thus far. Florida is cooling off and raining less, so I'm thrilled to drive around as much as I can with that top safely stowed away! My girlfriend is heading up to New Jersey next week, and like any gentleman with his other half off in another state, I plan on eating Buffalo Wild Wings and making a "driving around Walt Disney World" video using the GoPro and the Miata.
 
Clip installed! Annoying window wobble resolved. Happy driving time again.
 
Because it's Florida, I have an appointment to get my car tinted on Monday! Won't be able to put the top down for a few days afterward, which the film cures, but I'll take some top up pictures right away.
 
TINTED WINDOWS! Not bad for a $60 Groupon. All darknesses are Florida tint law complaint. One massive problem, however, is that putting down the top on the MX-5 causes the windows to lower slightly, which means the top will have to stay up until Thursday :cry::cry::cry:

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A couple of bubbles remaining on the rear window, but I'll work those out myself. Top down driving again, just in time for an annoyingly hot November. Seriously, I want 70s and 80s, not 80s and 90s. Right now, it's 87, feels like 96. Ugh. Well, it's supposed to rain on my drive home, so top will be up anyway.

Top down, windows up, just before bedtime in the garage:
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Arriving next week - AppRadio 4 and all the doodads to make my steering wheel and such work with it.
 
So, in a story I'll get into later, it was time for the ol' MINI to move onto new ownership. I'd been looking around for a while, test driving various cars like the GTI PP and the BRZ, never looking at the NC/ND because of price.

Well, two days ago this car sort of fell into my lap. I saw it online, worked some numbers, and bought it last night. Here is my 2012 Mazda MX-5 Power Retractable Hard Top. I think I'm the first with a PRHT on the forums, though obviously not the first with an NC MX-5. It's a Grand Touring model with about 26,000 miles on it. It's loaded to the gills, and a hoot to drive! I figured living in Florida, one needs to get a Florida car! Like all US MX-5s, this has the 2.0L 4-cyl engine with 167hp and 140ft/lbs of torque.

Two quick pictures for now, one in my garage and, of course, the proof picture. More will be forthcoming; I think my buddy and I are going to do a 2-car shoot with his black-on-black Veloster Turbo.

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Hello! My name is Christian and i am from sweden. =) very fine mazda you have the looks really well groomed. =) Glad to see an Asian car =)
Fun to meet new car enthusiasts here at the final gear.
 
AppRadio 4 and other Crutchfield components are waiting for me at home, now. I'll unbox after work. Also picked up a bunch of trim popper tools and an e-brake bypass for the radio, arriving Wednesday.
 
Some of the goodies arrived!
 
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Did some more research and found that for the steering wheel control module to interface properly, you have to add pins to the harness adaptor. So I hopped on Best Buy's website today and found one at my local Best Buy, so I bought it for in-store pickup. Two hours later, when I got to the store, the pickup wasn't ready, so I ended up canceling that order and buying it by hand. Technology, amiright?

Install is tomorrow. Heading up to my buddy Cam's house with a work computer filled with threads, YouTube videos, and manuals in PDF form. Will take pictures to document, I hope!
 
Holy crap, that was interesting. But, Cameron and I think we got it all squared away.








And now the screenshots:

iPhone now gets a fancy CarPlay logo in the information bar.



 
Very clean, looks great!
Thanks! We really tried to keep it clean and stock looking.

Along those lines, I read the manual more carefully and figured out that you can change the colors of the buttons on the head unit, so I tried to color match as best as I could. Also, a picture of my work computer because it's the only thing I "own" that has Flash on it, and I had to bust it out to upload to Armed Cats.


 
Looking good! I meant to ask this earlier but forgot. Can you still listen to regular radio or a CD while in CarPlay?

In a perfect world I'd have a 2nd car with CarPlay or Android Auto and I'd still like to listen to Sirius or FM radio while using CarPlay or AA for Nav.
 
Terrestrial radio still comes in loud and clear, and I can play it while using CarPlay for nav. I listen to a lot of ESPN Radio, and it's just easier for me to stream it now because it shows up under the Now Playing section for me. It's two taps away, and it's clearer than on AM radio. There is no hookup for Sirius or XM Radio, however, I believe you can stream them using an app from your smartphone.

The AppRadio 4 does support Android Auto as well. I just have an Apple phone.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130SPDA120/Pioneer-SPH-DA120-AppRadio-4.html
 
Winter has arrived in Florida, and it is routinely between 50 and 60 degrees F when I head to work in the morning. I have not, however, found this to be a deterrent to driving with the top down. Windows up, heat on, seat heater on 1 or 2 (out of 5) and a sweatshirt are all I need to enjoy my morning commute.
 
HAHAHA :lol:

My friend drove here in Finland his Porsche Boxster yesterday with the top down - it was -25C (=-13 degrees Fahrenheit).
Must admit, he did wear a bit more than a sweatshirt though...
 
Been a chilly couple of days! Still enjoying my top down motoring!



 
I continue to drive around with the top down on the MX-5. Over the weekend, my new Voodoo Magnum shift knob arrived, in a color called "Black Pearl." I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'll probably keep a half-an-eye out for the EDM OEM illuminated shift knob because I think it's rather nice how the shifter pattern is illuminated on it. It's the little things in life, right?

Before:

And afterward:
 
"Illuminated shift pattern"?
That sounds a bit ricey...
 
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