My first MX-5

by Jeroen van Dinther

After test-driving a 1990 American Miata and a Canadian NB, I came across an ad on an MX-5 club’s website for a 2005 1.8 S-VT Sportive in Brilliant Black with a black interior. At the time, the car had about 76,000 kilometers on the odometer. This model features a 6-speed manual transmission, a limited-slip differential, and a sport suspension. The car also came equipped with factory-installed air conditioning, an option that wasn’t often selected.

The photos above are the earliest ones I have of the car; they were taken on the day of the test drive. The car also came with a hardtop, a set of winter tires, and a luggage rack. After agreeing on a price—subject to a pre-purchase inspection—that inspection revealed that the air conditioning was leaking. Presumably a leaky condenser. In the end, I was able to deduct part of the estimated repair costs from the previously agreed-upon amount. Everyone was happy.

Driving a convertible was a new experience for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed taking a nice drive whenever the sun came out. After a few years, though, I felt the urge to customize the car a bit more to my own taste. That’s not at all unusual within the MX-5 community, because the car lends itself very well to customization. It’s also a great topic of conversation in Facebook groups or when MX-5 drivers get together. The modifications I’ve made are often aimed at increasing comfort and safety or enhancing the interior or exterior, without significantly altering the original design.

The list of changes has grown quite long by now:

  • installation of a Parrot MK9000i car kit;
  • installation of the original cruise control system as supplied in North America;
  • a wooden gearshift knob for the 6-speed transmission, customized with a Subaru Forester cap;
  • addition of a cruise control indicator light in the instrument cluster;
  • a stainless steel grille, as used on the Unplugged special edition, among others;
  • welding of side sills and chassis beams;
  • customized air vents from the Alfa 166 to replace the “droopy eyeballs”;
  • a custom bracket with a sound board from an Unplugged special edition;
  • addition of the Impuls tonneau cover, which was still missing;
  • an extra set of wheels, like those found on the Twins model, among others;
  • replacement of the Parrot car kit with a Yatour car kit;
  • audio controls on the steering wheel, sourced from a Mazda 323F;
  • installation of LED rings in the taillights;
  • installation of Skidnation framerails;
  • purchase of a Memories III salvage car, bought in Germany for its interior;
  • installation of an original wooden Nardi gearshift knob for the 6-speed transmission, likely from a Miracle edition;
  • a daytime running light module, originally intended for the NC, including activation via the parking brake;
  • replacement of the rear bumper; the original had been damaged by a tow hitch;
  • side marker lights from a 1995 Canadian Miata;
  • addition of a monitoring circuit for the low fuel indicator light;
  • The entire interior was replaced with that of a Memories III, incorporating elements from the Memories II and the Miracle model;
  • the installation of a comfort turn signal module developed by Max de Jongh;
  • Installation of two buttons on the radio. One serves as the cruise control main switch and the other as the antenna up/down switch. This allows the antenna to be used as needed. In practice, this applies only when listening to radio stations, but not when playing music via Bluetooth from a cell phone.
  • Having the entire exterior of the car, including the hardtop, repainted in Jaguar Caviar Red Pearl.

In the end, I decided to make a video about the transformation this car has undergone.
You can find that video below.

If you’re curious about the cost of each of the 40 upgrades, it’s good to know that I’ve listed and totaled them all in a separate video. You can find that video below.

You can contact me using the information on the Contact page