We have had quite a few enquiries from from people wanting to use the newer Mk2 MX5 as the base car for our body conversion, so off I went and bought a very cheap Mk2 with a smoking habit. Having given it to a third party to fix the problem, which to be fair they did as it no longer smokes, it now sounds like a diesel due to incorrectly assembled top end!
So, with the Newark Show deadline getting close I decided to buy another Mk2 with tax and MOT to meet that deadline, as we wanted to take the Mk1 Demo car and an unfinished car to illustrate the build process.
Starting last Friday (8th) we drove the car into the workshop and whilst Dan stripped the car ready for the body conversion, I fabricated the shell brace/roll bar. Note the lips of the rear wheel arches are rolled out to increase tyre clearance.
No progress over the weekend, but today (Monday) we started again on the car, fitting the rollcage first.
Next we bonded on the top mounting panel/parcel shelf.
Next we fitted the lower mounting panel/boot extender, this had to be shortened as we discovered that the Mk2 rear panel is 2.5" further back than the Mk1's.
The paint was then removed from channel at the top of the windscreen frame, before being having 2-part expoxy adhesive applied.
We then hung the rear section of the body onto the car.
Once in place metal plates need to be bonded and riveted into the doorshut/windscreen head area.
Because the Mk2's outer skin is a different shape to the Mk1's we have had to trim back and add some relief cuts into the fibreglass to adjust its shape. It was then bonded on and will be riveted every few inches.
More progress tomorrow, ready to drive to Newark on Friday afternoon.