That may be a bold statement, but I think its true. Not in a sense where you may be injured by wheels flying off or brakes failing as you hurdle down the country lanes, but rather they consume time and money.
My car has been part of my family for just over a year now, and I am not ashamed to say that it consumes me. I think about how much fun the day’s drive was as I drift off to sleep, and I wake up with new ideas of how to make the car more fun. My wife sort of understands; she has a great time whenever we go somewhere in Hugo, but I don’t know if she comprehends the depth of the obsession. When the weekend comes, I am torn between several options: laundry, wash and wax for the car, or a drive to the pub.
I have a very large stack of laundry.
When we bought the car, I wanted to keep it fairly original, there is a certain amount of joy in owning an ‘unmolested’ version of a timeless car like this. It shows respect to the designer’s intentions and the realisation of dreams – I can only imagine how it must feel to have been on the design team for this classic motor. But with every car I’ve ever owned, the more I look at it, the more I want to make it my own. It certainly isn’t any disrespect – I don’t believe I can improve on the design – it’s more that if I do this, I will leave my mark.
I come from Canada originally, and the huge American culture of customisation has certainly leaked North – every car I’ve ever owned has had a bit of work done to it, as well as all the cars of any of my friends. This culture has created some amazing and some absurd pieces of rolling art, but what is horrible to me is awesome to the owner. And regardless of whether or not I think a modification is tasteless or not, I will always give respect to the owner – they are leaving their mark, making their ride their own.
I’ve attended a number of events with the Owners Club, and I am always in awe of the lengths some people go to, making their car unique. Engines so polished you can eat off them; custom finishes that catch the eye, roll cages stuffed in and engines tweaked, stereos that pound the earth – they are all candy to my eyes, and demonstrate just how affectionate people can feel towards their car. We’re in a club, after all!
So, I knew there was no way I could prevent myself from adding my own stamp of ownership and fondness. The car was lowered. Clear side marker lenses and chrome mirrors show off the outside. The stereo was replaced and a small amplifier installed, letting us hear the music as we drove with the top down. And white clocks replaced the black, with the Momo steering wheel left to expose its yellow horn button. A new air filter housing installed.
But more than the cosmetic things, I have enjoyed studying and working on the mechanical underpinnings. An engine tune up, new brakes all around, ball joints replaced, and new bushings in the gear selector help make the car run and feel like new. But as I’m sure other drivers with greasy thumbs know, once you start doing one thing, you keep finding more. And this is where the danger comes in.
When I replaced the front wheel bearings, I noticed the need for new upper ball joints. And I could imagine how the brakes would improve with braided lines installed. And the control arm bushings look a bit rotten…
It doesn’t end. There is no such thing as a ‘rolling restoration’, where you drive the car regularly and then fix the bits as they break and replace the bits you want to improve as you go. This process will never end, and I’m sure you feel the same. You can stand back and look at all you’ve done to your car, making it ready for the track or for the coolest MX 5 Competition, relishing in the way it pleases your eyes and your senses as you drive; but you are already imagining how much better the car would look if you did one more thing to it. Just one more thing. So as you drive along, with the top down and the wind in your hair and that instantly recognisable smile on your face that can only come from driving a 5, you realise that even after you consider how much money you have spent making your car yours, you don’t regret a penny of it. Which allows you to justify spending more, and driving further.
You see? These cars are dangerous.
