Hammer's Clubbie

[Hammer]

After fitting a wider wheel, and been driving it for the past week now, I'm definately leaning towards retro-fitting an NA power-steering. I know a few fellow Clubbies would be horrified, but I feel it will add more to the enjoyment of driving her with power-steering.

[Hammer]

I manage to get a hard top and in the same colour too.

According to the seller, the hard top has been sitting/stored in their workshop for a long while, and as a result it was dusty (inside and out) and top was rough and full of contaminants. There were a few scratch marks too in varying severity.

I put some elbow grease later with polish & wax and it shined like new. Though while it shined, it still felt rough. So I scrummage through my garage and found my piece de resistance - a clay bar.

The clay bar along with Maguiars Quik Detailer spay, removed all the surface contaminants and made the top smooth as.

Now it's smooth and shiney. Though the scratch marks (some very light, some a bit more obvious) are still visible. I'll get myself a bottle of Maguiars ScratchX, and see if I can get rid of the more minor scratches.

Though the top wasn't with the car originally, when I polished and waxed it, my buffing cloth (microfibre) had red paint stains on it. The same stains I got when I polished and waxed the car. Is this normal for a solid coloured cars? Or is this a symptom of something more severe?

As mentioned from another thread, I haven't had a solid coloured car (ie. non-metalic colour) for nearly 20yrs, and this does not happen to my other cars (all metallic paint). If you have any thoughts on the idea, let me know.

Some pix of with the hard top.

The day I picked it up



Now all niced and polished The angle this photo was taken makes my Clubman look like an RC car.

[AB7]

Damn, looks good!

[Hammer]

Damn, looks good!

Thanks AB7.

Another update...

I've finally got myself the front strut brace from Mania. I was originally going to get the Cusco Type OS Strut Bar, but they didn't have any in stock and have to order them in from Japan.

However, they did have the Cusco Carbon Fibre Strut Brace available. After thinking weather I wait for the new shipment and save myself $45 or bite the bullet with the carbon fibre one. I decided for the latter. I thought since they're coming from Japan and with the way the exchange rate favours the Yen right now, the new price for the Type OS might end up going up.

Here are some pix.

[Okibi]

Looks great, that's a very clean engine bay !

[RawSouth]

Wow, seriously wow!


What a car! Enjoy it buddy

[Hammer]

Now that I got my hardtop with a rear demister, I had to get the car sorted to get it (demister) functional.

I checked around and found the rear plug was already pre-wired including a cover for the plug when not in used. For the front, I found an unused blue 4 pin plug behind the dash. After consulting with MX5 Mania, they confirmed this is the plug for the rear demister switch (I'm assuming this is true for all NA8s?). All was missing was the dash rear demister switch itself. I guess there was no need to fit this from factory considering the soft top was vinyl. So I got a genuine Mazda switch through MX5 Mania.

The fitting took slightly longer than expected due to the blank plate where the demister would normally go, had the alarm LED warning light fitted. I initially tried to find where this is connected to the alarm box, but after trying in vein, I decided to simply cut them and just solder and tape them back later on. Even then it only took 20-25mins.

Before the demister was fitted.



The LED alarm warning light wiring



I tried to find where the wires for the alarm LED warning lights were connected, but decided to simply cut them off and re-connect them later on



The new genuine Mazda Demister switch & the old blank face



The demister switch fitted. Its also back-lighted with the same colour as the rest of the dash and works with the dash dimmer function.



Once the back hard top plug was plugged into the (already) fitted rear plug, the indicator light worked




UPDATE 11Feb09 (originally forgotten to post this part):

Apart from the above, a relay and a fuse for the demister was also fitted (both are located in the boot).

The relay plug is located behind the boot trim along the tail lights. My Clubman came pre-wired and I got a 2nd hand relay from MX5 Mania.



Here's the relay fitted to the pre-wired holder



The demister fuse is located in the battery compartment where the electrical aerial fuse is located. All I simply did was put a 10amp fuse and all was ready to do.

[Okibi]

Nice when things just work

[sliq]

good stuff hammer

[Hammer]

Thanks guys. Yes, it's great when things just click

[bruce]

Electric side mirrors are standard? (Weren't on my 90 NA)

[Fatty]

Electric side mirrors are standard? (Weren't on my 90 NA)

na8's all have electric mirrors, whereas the na6's (like you had) did not.

[bruce]

Thanks Fat-man. Another fact-oid for my brain.

[1blue5]

Hammer good job with the hard top and switch. Im wanting to grab a hard top (easier said than done!) in the not too distant future and I also have an NA8. I think from memory the plug connector thing is hanging from the rear parcel shelf ( I think) is that where yours was?. Does your mx seem different to drive with the hard top on?.
Hard top looks great. Im gonna have to find a black one I think and paint it, not too many Laguna blue hard tops around...

[Hammer]

....I think from memory the plug connector thing is hanging from the rear parcel shelf ( I think) is that where yours was?.

The plug is located at the passenger side of the rear parcel shelf. I'm sure it's the plug you're referring to. There are no other plugs there in my NA8.

...Does your mx seem different to drive with the hard top on?

It's definately quieter. Can't say it feels stiffer, as the Clubman feels stiff all round anyway. But you'd think the hard top would make it stiffer.

....Im gonna have to find a black one I think and paint it, not too many Laguna blue hard tops around...

I think you're right there. The Laguna Blue is already a rare colour. I'm sure it's even more rare having one with a Laguna Blue hard Top.