George

Mazda have just released some parts from their restoration program on the MX5 NA. Not out of the question for Nissan to do the same although the units sold, and survival rate for obvious reasons, is much higher in the case of the MX5. PDF link here - https://www.mazda.co.jp/globalassets/assets/carlife/restore/parts/partslist.pdf

Killing it! Putting my progress effort to shame as always. Come pick me up for a drive in a couple of weeks. I'm sure it'll be done by then at this rate.

Someone snapped up a bargain there Gav. Seller must have been desperate to list with no reserve.

I paid the same a few years back. They did a brilliant job.

Someone did suggest that to me. I stared at the crossmember for a few minutes with drill in hand contemplating where my life went wrong and all the decisions that led to that point... I walked away.

I certainly think so. They're special cars so why not give them special attention. You're referring to Mark who purchased the lot of spares. I do recall him mentioning your name in our dealings. I'm referring to a Peter who facilitated pickup from Mark and then drove them down to Central Coast where we met. You're not wrong about him not being in a rush. I first started dealing with him in Dec 2016.

Cheers Jeff. I must admit your progress has put the fire in my belly. Pleased to see you're almost there!

Spring Break is Over! This has been the longest break I’ve taken from the car. A whole 6 months! While I know breaks like this severely delay the completion of the project, they are necessary, healthy, and sometimes unavoidable. How can you resist that little adorable face!? Her birth coincided with the start of my break and you can see why. Discussion over. As the year ticked over I made my way up the coast to meet with a dear friend for the first time. We had been in contact for a few years talking cars and finally got to share a drink. We also exchanged these. Another month slithered away. Then, one night in early February, the garage door rolled open and I got my appetite back after one taste. February turned out to be one of my most productive months. It started with the steering because I had to know where I was going. Sorry, poor dad joke. I’ll steer clear of them from now on… The restored column had been set aside months ago ready to be installed so in it went after I restored the shaft and coupler. Next was the filthy rack that has been sitting in the same corner for 2 years. I resisted touching it because I know myself; as soon as one bolt is loosened the whole thing tends to be dismantled. I try to avoid starting anything unless I’m ready to complete the job. I dislike having components sitting around in pieces for a long time. As it happens it is sitting around in pieces but that’s only because I’m waiting on parts to be plated and a seal to come in. Also, the original rubber bushings are NLA so I broke down and bought my first urethane bushing but to my disgust when they came in they were purple! I just can’t bear to put on a coloured bushing so I purchased a set of black ones, along with the mustache bushings, which will take a few weeks to arrive… So much for not having parts laying around. The purple bushings weren’t the only components sending my OCD in overdrive. The engine crossmember was bent underneath, presumably from being jacked up, and the diff cover plate had some scuff marks on the underside as well. Of course, I only decided to replace them after wasting a few hours on each. In the case of the crossmember it’s even painted and looking better than new apart from the dents which no one will see anyway. I hate OCD. This quarter I decided to try my hand at spray painting. The setup cost was about the same as paying a professional to do a small job of blasting and painting a few suspension parts. The learning curve is fine and the results are acceptable for a newbie. I can see there are a lot of improvements to be made but I’m very pleased with how it all turned out. The last job I started this quarter was the R180 diff rebuild. Cleaning the grime off was arduous but satisfying. My only concern is some chipping on the edge of the right side gear. They tested at 0.1mm play so I think I’ll risk using them for now and keep an eye on it. Seeing the case freshly painted was a lovely reward and a great way to end a month full of progress.

Well, you could hack the tophats to get a bit of low and use lowering springs if you don't mind reduced travel and unseated springs (can be wired I know) every time you jack it up. I'm going rock 4WD mode for now and try to steer clear of the fitment police. Won't be an internet hero car. Not sure how I'll live with myself.

Datsun annual cruise and the only two cars that turned up aren't Datsuns... Good to catch up Peter. Car is looking 95% fantastic!

Add 1 more then.

Winter 2018 It's Getting Crowded In Here You go through life thinking you're a tough bugger and then you watch your wife give birth. What a humbling experience. We welcomed Lillian to our little clan this Winter. She's a bundle of joy. Chipping Away After fumbling around with the heater box a while ago the blower was an easier task. I tried the molasses trick to remove the rust and had less success this time. I only left it in for a week where last time it was two weeks so I'm guessing that's the difference. I'm finding that the most time consuming and frustrating part of this restoration is waiting for parts to be plated. I've resisted investing in a DIY kit but I'm starting to think it's a wise move. I've shied away from it as I don't want to mess around with all of the chemicals involved but it would come in very handy to be able to do small batches of hardware to keep the project ticking along. Steering Column I almost left the steering column alone but my OCD got the better of me and before I knew it I was counting ball bearings... I'm constantly surprised at how elegant and simple these parts are in design. Most things appear to be repeatedly serviceable which is more than I can say for modern items with built in obsolescence. Pedal Box I won't deny it - I did sit on the floor and pretended to go for a drive... complete with rev matching and all! Free Time For Sale? Most of the above was done in the first month of winter when I had some time off work. At the moment I'm going through a quiet period with very little progress on the project. Since going back to work I've found myself in another role which is much more time demanding. At home now with two kids, free time is but a scientific theory that hasn't been proven to exist. There's lots of nappies and bath times, battles over vegetables and chocolates, tears and laughter aplenty, matchbox cars flying across the room, an abundance of bed time stories and occasionally dad falling asleep before the kids at 7:30... I wouldn't have it any other way.

Not a fan of the electrikity in cars. Recently paid $80 to have an alarm removed from my MX5. After seeing the amount of wiring that came out I would say it was the best $80 I spent.

Good progress Gav. Must be hard with the car being so far from home. Is the alarm hooked up to the horns? Wondering if they're busted (you did mention the horns aren't working) and that's why you're not hearing the alarm sound.

Looking good mate! I'm currently working on the suspension as well. Hope it turns out as good as yours.

The spending will stop when you run out of money. What brand are the rear wheel bearings?

Good buy mate. Now you just need to fill the rear with little ones...

Congrats Andrew. Is that 3 in the family now?

Sorry mate, sold the engine over the weekend and haven't had a chance to post here.

Yes, turns over.

Thanks all. Yes, a girl this time and it's getting harder to justify the two 2 seater cars we own. Although I would like to hand down a car each so it should be an easy sell to the wife. I suspect the extra pit crew will take a while to pay off so I'm expecting a slow down in productivity. The first one is a little car loving mechanic. Have already started on the second with the soothing sounds of classic Top Gear episodes while she naps.

My pit crew is growing.

Yes. Was toying with the idea of stripping it for fun but with all my 'spare' time that's unlikely.

Thanks Robert and everyone else that has commented. I don't often respond to compliments but I do appreciate them. It is nice to receive encouragement and it does make the daunting task ahead that little bit easier. I just have to get something off my chest... you guys do know that I'm fumbling my way through this project right? While I've been into cars for a very long time I spent most of that time driving instead of wrenching. This project is like a dive off the 10m platform a few days after learning to swim. Starting with an insanely rusted car with lots of bits missing, incorrect or just plain unusable hasn't helped either. I'm just lucky to have a supportive network (you guys) helping so thanks to everyone that is chipping in with parts, advice and encouragement.