MRnewsBot
01-19-2019, 05:00 PM
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7914/46752005592_9e4e5f491c_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2eejfrW)Second life (https://flic.kr/p/2eejfrW) by Randy George (https://www.flickr.com/photos/phatmiata/), on Flickr
Restoring a Legend
As it approaches its 30th anniversary, the iconic first-generation Mazda Miata MX-5 has been given a new lease on life. A restoration program called "Roadster Refresh", created by former MX-5 Program Manager, now Roadster Ambassador, Nobuhiro Yamamoto, takes in much-loved classics and returns them to their owners as good as new.
"We have been attending Roadster fan meetings for 29 years and listening to our customers," explains Yamamoto. "And they just want to keep driving their cars."
The comprehensive restoration plan is undertaken in Hiroshima, Japan by a team of dedicated Mazda experts. It takes around two months to fully renovate a Miata. First the little Roadster is completely stripped, then the body is taken back to bare metal and resprayed by hand. The chassis components are refurbished or replaced, the interior is retrimmed, and the engine is also fully rebuilt.
All of this is recorded in an exclusive book that is presented to the customer on receipt of their restored MX-5. However, before any car can leave the facility, each one is driven by Yamamoto himself to ensure it meets Mazda's standards of perfection.
A restoration costs almost as much as a new ND Model but, such is the passion for the MX-5, more than 600 fans attended the launch of the plan. The program is currently only available in Japan and limited to three versions of the 1.6-liter NA6.
Restoring a Legend
As it approaches its 30th anniversary, the iconic first-generation Mazda Miata MX-5 has been given a new lease on life. A restoration program called "Roadster Refresh", created by former MX-5 Program Manager, now Roadster Ambassador, Nobuhiro Yamamoto, takes in much-loved classics and returns them to their owners as good as new.
"We have been attending Roadster fan meetings for 29 years and listening to our customers," explains Yamamoto. "And they just want to keep driving their cars."
The comprehensive restoration plan is undertaken in Hiroshima, Japan by a team of dedicated Mazda experts. It takes around two months to fully renovate a Miata. First the little Roadster is completely stripped, then the body is taken back to bare metal and resprayed by hand. The chassis components are refurbished or replaced, the interior is retrimmed, and the engine is also fully rebuilt.
All of this is recorded in an exclusive book that is presented to the customer on receipt of their restored MX-5. However, before any car can leave the facility, each one is driven by Yamamoto himself to ensure it meets Mazda's standards of perfection.
A restoration costs almost as much as a new ND Model but, such is the passion for the MX-5, more than 600 fans attended the launch of the plan. The program is currently only available in Japan and limited to three versions of the 1.6-liter NA6.