It’s an old adage of the car hobby that when one project
hits a snag or an enthusiasm deficit the only answer is to start another. To
this end I have started restoring a 1991 special edition Miata. It’s a valid
question to ask why anyone would restore a Miata. The previous question does
not mean to imply that MX-5’s are not worthy of preservation, as they certainly
are, but rather why not put the effort towards something more desirable and
less ubiquitous like the clichéd MG or Triumph? Restoring a Miata would seem to
make as much sense as starting a stamp collection with today’s postage.
I have two excuses for restoring a roadster that’s as common
as a hickey on prom night; first, the 1991 Miata is now 21 years old and
through the slow water torture of time is entering classic status. To put it in
perspective, where would we be if some misguided souls weren’t lavishing love
on Alfa Romeos and Austin Healeys in the 1970’s when they were just quirky old
sports cars?
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1991 Special Edition Miata in British Racing Green, saddle
tan interior and Nardi wood package. The car is shown with the fender scraping
17 inch wheels that I rejected. It photographs much better than it looks in the
metal.
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The second reason is pure humanity. The little British
Racing Green Mazda was languishing under a tree after its owner abandoned the
idea of making it a Spec Miata race car. The owner in question happened upon a
red base model MX-5 for his weekend exploits and felt it would take less to
convert it into a track day terror than the highly optioned special edition. In
the mean time, however, he found the most heinous, car-hating tree in his
upscale neighborhood to park the car under and that is where I found its sap
covered, bird-abused carcass.
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Replacing the aftermarket wheels with the originals in the
seller’s drive way before loading it on the trailer.
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The car had attractive 17 inch aftermarket wheels on it when
I went to look at it and the owner said I could have them for a few hundred
more but I asked for the stock wheels instead. I wanted to put this car back
into original condition and the bigger wheels scraped the fender wells any
way. He did throw in an OEM spoiler that I will sell to make some of my money
back. I have an aversion to tack on body parts, why drill into the body only to
invite rust for something that adds nothing to the car’s performance? The
preceding was a rhetorical question not worth answering, like when your wife
sees a hot woman passing by and asks, “What could anyone see in her?” Any man married for more than a minute knows
to answer that question in his thoughts only while pretending to be absorbed in
gazing through the fabric store window.
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The shredded driver’s seat and knackered wooden bits.
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My 1991 Miata has a host of issues like mold growing on its
otherwise tear free top, a ding or dent on every body panel, peeling clear
coat, a leather driver’s seat torn to shreds, dented front bumper cover and
surface rust on the rocker panels. There are two consolations, however, one is
a decent driver’s seat was thrown in the deal and second, despite showing
140,000 miles on the clock, this Miata has the best running 1.6L I have ever
driven. The engine spins eagerly and energetically up the tach, pulls like a
train and shifts and handles like a Miata should. It needs a new valve cover
gasket and the engine bay could use some elbow grease but, knock wood, that
should be all of the mechanical issues. To tell you the truth I would have been
more comfortable with bad mechanicals and a good body rather than the other way
round as my body work skills are shaky at best. The Miata is a good way to
practice my body chops as replacement panels are easy to come by and the skills
I gain here may make me Alfa Romeo worthy some day.
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The 91’s new home for the next several months.
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So the plan is to bring this little roadster back to its
former glory and sell it on to someone who will love it the way Mazda intended.
I don’t plan to make a profit on this but like parenting I’m hoping to break
even and enjoy the process. In the end if I provide the next owner with a good
looking fair weather cruiser or back road barnstormer I claim mission success.
© Marve Harwell 2012
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