This MX-5, a very early “Memories III,” was for sale in Oberhausen. This special edition was introduced on September 6, 2004, and on September 22, 2004—barely two weeks later—the car was already registered. I didn’t think the photos in the ad did the car justice; the black steel rims, in particular, detracted from the overall look. The car was being offered as a project car for a hobbyist, because the chassis beams were rusted through.
However, the asking price was too high for a project car. Still, I reached out to the seller. She turned out to be a young widow who had lost her husband to illness a few years ago. In the years since, she had continued to drive the car as a second car, but the necessary repairs—including work on the chassis beams—exceeded her available budget.
Since my first MX-5 was pretty much finished—except for a repaint due to repairs to the sills and some paint damage—I was looking for a project car for the fall and winter. The car was clearly well-maintained and original—meaning no modifications—but not entirely complete. The beige tonneau cover was found after a search in the basement. The beige windshield with speakers is still missing.
In the end, I made an offer below the asking price. Since neither the owner nor I were in a hurry to close the deal, I suggested she try to sell the car for a higher price, knowing she had my offer in hand. In the two months that followed, no better offer came along, and she considered storing the car in the garage until spring. Prices usually pick up a bit then, but the car wouldn’t be any better off in the meantime.
To accommodate her, I raised my offer a little more, and we reached an agreement. Two days later, I was on my way again with my oldest daughter to pick up the car. The Volvo V70 was fully loaded with the original rims, a roof rack, a wind deflector for the (non-original) designer bar, and an original aluminum Mazda MX-5 trunk with straps. With all the original paperwork, the bills from the past few years, and a signed purchase contract in hand, we were ready for the trip home.
As far as I’m concerned, this is a car that clearly deserves a second life, so it shouldn’t have been left to its fate with worn-out chassis beams. The plan, then, is to restore this car to its former glory and enhance its features even further. I’m also trying to find the original beige windshield wiper. That might take up to a year, but I don’t mind.
After giving it a quick wash, putting on the original rims and the tonneau cover, I took some photos. I think those would have looked a lot better in the ad. Then the car might have slipped right past me, so I don’t mind it all that much. With less than 120,000 km on the odometer, it seems like a good buy to me.
The project has progressed a bit further. The front chassis beams have been replaced. The trim bar behind the seats has been replaced with a beige wind deflector. I was able to import that wind deflector from the U.S. It turned out to be one equipped with a small BOSE amplifier. A wind deflector like this is an original feature of this model, but in Europe, it never came with a small amplifier or a BOSE radio. The car has also been equipped with the original cruise control system for the NB2.
The car was then officially imported into the Netherlands and passed its MOT inspection. To celebrate, I took a quick video along the Meuse River.
That summer, I drove Project Oberhausen regularly. However, the project wasn’t finished yet. I still wanted to add air conditioning, but I didn’t have the parts on hand yet. While I was looking for them, I was able to store the car at a friend’s place in Belgium.
During that time, I was offered a set of ND rims with winter tires. I bought that set and mounted them on Project Oberhausen.
Shortly afterward, however, things went wrong when I was transporting the car on a trailer from Belgium to the Netherlands.
