I can quite honestly say that the only other car I have owned that has been as much fun to own and in particular drive, was an old school mark one mini back when I was a young and carefree seventeen year old. I always loved the freedom I felt when I passed my driving test but also all the fun I had driving – what was practically a go cart! Today, I am the proud owner of an MX5 hardtop. Owning an MX5 is just as much fun and still has that classic car look about it. It has beautiful sleek lines and undulating curves which reflects the sky off its bonnet as you go cruising through the country lanes.

Apart from the drive, the open top is the best feature for me. It has added that extra luxury of what has always been a hobby and passion. It was strange when I first owned an open top car in terms of being able to feel the wind and sun on your head and also be able to see birds of prey flying overhead without having to crane your neck to try and spot them through your windscreen.

The MX5 drive is a pleasure, it takes corners like a dream and the acceleration is enough for me to feel like its doing something! It isn’t so fast that it is scary but it certainly isn’t so slow that it feels like a toy – everything is balanced in this car; the poise, the steering, the gear change and the exhaust notes are all in perfect harmony. I find it hard not to smile every time I get in to drive it – A stupid kid-like grin plasters my face especially when I open her up on an open road.

The U.K’s favourite car journalist, Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the Mazda MX5 as “this is the kind of gay I adore”. For a large man I can understand where he is coming from – it can be seen for a man as a ‘hairdresser’s car’ but once you have experienced the fun you can have in what is a very reasonably priced sports car with all the talk, this will truly seem irrelevant and shallow. The ones that say these preposterous things are the ones that are missing out, as there must be a reason why the Mazda MX5 is the world’s biggest selling sports car.

Go on re-live your youth and get yourself one!

Thanks for stopping by my MX5 site – hope you find something that entertains, informs or otherwise amuses!

These hardtop storage bags offer great protection from costly scrapes and scratches when the hardtop isn’t fitted to your Mazda and allow your hardtop to be hung on the wall:

How to put your MX5 Hardtop in its storage bag

There are a number of MX5 hard top covers on the market but they all work on the same principle and whether you have a helper or not, getting your MX5 hardtop in to its bag can be difficult. Here’s how I do it:

Step 1

Place your hardtop on a clean surface and tilt it forwards so that the front edge is resting on the ground and the back edge is in the air. Wherever you are putting the roof make sure that you put a rug down or give the areas a sweep before hand – you don’t want any grit or debris on the seals of your hard top.

Step 2

Fully open your Mazda mx5 hardtop cover and slide it on to the hardtop. Make sure that you have the cover the right way up – with the bag I have only the top side (that sits next to the paintwork) is padded. Keep sliding the cover on to your hardtop until the bottom edge of the roof is at the bottom of the bag.

Step 3

Next, tilt your hardtop roof on to its end being careful to align the protective foam pad on to the bottom edge of your hard top. Keep lifting the hardtop until its standing upright on its back edge.

Step 4

Pull up the bag so that the zipper edge of the bag is along the front edge of your hardtop. Just inside the edge of your bag (close to the zip) you should find two lengths of webbing that align with the clips on your hardtop.

Step 5

Whilst leaning the hardtop against your chest undo the front clips of it.

Step 6

Take one of the webbing lengths and thread them through the corresponding clip on the hardtop.

Step 6a

Take the webbing and pass it through the two plastic loop.

Steb 6b

Thread the webbing back through the second loop  and pull tight.

Step 6c

Fasten the clip on you MX5 hardtop and repeat for the other clip. Once you’ve done this the hardtop cover will stay up and will keep the protective padded side in position regardless of how you are going to store it.

Step 7

Now all you need to do is do up the zip and you’re done.

With your hardtop is safely in its bag ready to be stored wherever you want it to, I keep mine secured to the shed wall resting on its back edge, but you can get hooks so that you can hang the hardtop on the wall.

Choose your Mazda MX5 Hardtop Storage Bag

Please note that this is just how I do it and it works for me – I can’t however be held responsible for any damage that occurs  to your hardtop or the bag/cover!

So you have the snazzy car of your dreams and you want to keep it looking up to date and well groomed so why not shop around and find the relevant accessories for it to help it become great to fantastic.

Being a designer, I know that it is all about the detail, so the small changes that you can make to your MX5 will give it overall individuality and a super sleek, groomed look. These items don’t have to cost a great deal but do transform and smooth out those rough edges. Here are a few of my ideas for you to polish up your pride and joy:

• Start by investing in some really good quality products so you can look after the cleanliness of you MX5 such as; shampoo, polish, alloy wheel cleaner, glass cleaner and upholstery cleaner. The list of products is endless but I would start with these. You can buy starter sets, which will obviously be a little kinder on the pocket so be sure to check these out too. The only other product I can’t live without is T-Cut and a small cover match paint pen for those little stone chips that will inevitably and unfortunately occur.
• If you haven’t already, purchase a MX5 hardtop cover. It’s great for peace of mind during those summer months and will guarentee a safe home for your hardtop.
• Aluminium or chrome foot petals are such a luxury but they finish the look. Stylish right down to your toes…nice. These are not too expensive and you can pick up an aluminium set for around £30.00 and the chrome for a bit more, around £70.00 it’s also a nice present for your better half!
• Chrome indicator rings- Here’s where the details come in and I think they make all the difference. You can get your hands on a set for around £28.00.
• Driver seat storage bag. This is really useful as we all know there isn’t an awful lot of extra space in these little beauties! Pick one of these up for about £20.00.
• If you fancy a driving holiday you can buy specific luggage bags to fit in the boot of your MX5 – These are a fantastic buy at only £150.00 for a matching set of two to fit snugly in the boot. Alternatively, if you are just one; then you can get a single case to fit for around £120.00.
• Really you can buy anything in chrome. From number plate surrounds to tax disk holders and door handles to windscreen wipers. Once you discover this side you won’t ever get stuck for things to treat your MX5 to.

When I first purchased my MX5 I was unaware at the time that you could buy a specific mx5 hardtop cover to store it in. Up until then, I had carefully placed it in the shed suspended by some straps with a metal fastening (so as not to dent the underside rubber). You should find that on the inside of the hardtop some catches where it fastens to the car. The straps will securely fit under these if you wish to do the same and then secure the tension by clipping down the metal fastenings. I then used an old sleeping bag to fully cover and protect it, as it was hopefully going to be in the shed for quite a few months! (Dependant on the weather of course!).

I did find this to be very effective, but I have since purchased a MX5 hardtop cover, which is worth its weight in gold. It is fully lined with velvet type material and padded and its outer shell is made from a tough nylon. It also comes with very sturdy D rings and hooks so that the strapping on the back can be secured to them effectively. You would be well advised to get yourself one of these as they do save yourself a lot of hassle and it gives you peace of mind. You can get hold of one of these bags for between £50 – £90 dependant on your source, so make sure you shop around.

If the hardtop is going to be in storage for quite some time I would also suggest checking on it every so often and check it over. As I have already said; most damage to the hardtop will happen when it is not on the car so be vigilant and choosy as to how it will be stored, after all it is your pride and joy.

Choose your Mazda MX5 Hardtop Storage Bag

It’s that time again …time to get your driving gloves out, put your headscarf on and release the beast from hiding! Yes, it’s summer, the time for enjoying the outdoors. It’s been a long drawn out winter and the hardtop has done its job in keeping your MX5 water and damp free but it’s now ready to have a rest and go into summer hibernation so that you can enjoy the freedom of having your soft top up or down.

Firstly you will carefully need to take the hardtop off. Before you do, you will have to unscrew the radio aerial and also the rear windscreen heater connection. The heated rear windscreen lead is specific to the MX5 hardtop – the easiest way to disconnect it is to reach in through the passenger door and unclip it. Once you have done this, start by unclipping the main snap clips above your head on both sides, then unclip the two on the sides by the seats. You will need another person next in order to help you with the ‘slide to unclip and lift off movement!’ It is exactly that as the back chrome brackets that fasten to the car are in place using a ‘key’ slot mechanism. I would say that to begin with it is easier getting the hard top off for this part than getting it back on – but that’s not your worry at the moment! Once you have lifted it off, it is now ready to go into storage.

When the time comes to put the hardtop back on, I suggest you choose a dry day and make sure that the soft top has had a good clean if not just a really good wipe. Make sure that the soft top is dry before you put the hard top back on just so it doesn’t trap in any damp and risk of mould and also that it is collapsed before. Also, make sure your aerial has been taken off and that the brackets on the hard top are in the ‘open’ position. It is a little more difficult to put the hardtop back on the first few times you try but it does get easier especially if you understand how the mechanisms work and also if you prepare before. You will definitely need two people for this job – Start by lifting the hardtop carefully over the boot of the car and slightly drop the back side down so that it sits near to the chrome fastenings at the back. As I explained previously, this mechanism works using a ‘key slot’ system so you need to slot the ‘prong’ into it and slide it back until it is secure. Once in place, lower the hardtop completely and secure the two sets of brackets on the sides and inside top. Also, don’t forget to re-connect the rear windscreen heater and the aerial!

Apart from the drive, the open top is the best feature for me. It has added that extra luxury of what has always been a hobby and passion. It was strange when I first owned an open top car in terms of being able to feel the wind and sun on your head and also be able to see birds of prey flying overhead without having to crane your neck to try and spot them through your windscreen.

The MX5 drive is a pleasure, it takes corners like a dream and the acceleration is enough for me to feel like its doing something! It isn’t so fast that it is scary but it certainly isn’t so slow that it feels like a toy – everything is balanced in this car; the poise, the steering, the gear change and the exhaust notes are all in perfect harmony. I find it hard not to smile every time I get in to drive it – A stupid kid-like grin plasters my face especially when I open her up on an open road.

The U.K’s favourite car journalist, Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the Mazda MX5 as “this is the kind of gay I adore”. For a large man I can understand where he is coming from – it can be seen for a man as a ‘hairdresser’s car’ but once you have experienced the fun you can have in what is a very reasonably priced sports car with all the talk, this will truly seem irrelevant and shallow. The ones that say these preposterous things are the ones that are missing out, as there must be a reason why the Mazda MX5 is the world’s biggest selling sports car.

Go on re-live your youth and get yourself one!

Thanks for stopping by my MX5 site – hope you find something that entertains, informs or otherwise amuses!

It’s winter and unfortunately it’s not the best time of year to go sledging or skating around in your MX5 – It may seem like an ice rink on your roads and for your MX5 it will be a relatively exhilarating / dangerous time to go trashing it around those country lanes…that is unless you really know what you’re doing. So, certainly in my case, as frustrating as it may be, I will just sit tight until I get the chance to get some skid pan lessons and either a) wait until the snow and wet wintry conditions are over or b) drive a little like a pensioner walking over an iced over pond. Hopefully, it won’t be long until the sun comes out again and welcomes on in the summer months, which of course will mean; hardtop off, sun cream on, picnic packed and ready to go! The world of driving will never be the same once you have driven one of these.

Come on in to my site and have a look at some of the articles that will hopefully help you on your way to becoming a fellow MX5 hardtop lover as I am. I can share some invaluable knowledge with you so that you can learn by my mistakes – For it is always better to do that isn’t it!?