Mike's 1st Gen Miata Restoration

[DOHCtor]

OK.. My turn.. These a few pics of my MX-5 during its restoration\build up for  E Stock:

This is what I got for $1k. It needed body work and a new top. But the engine had low miles (around 97k) for  a vehicle purchased in 1989.


Body work completed and primer (waterborne) applied. A new top was also installed.


Makeshift paint booth!!! Notice the white dryer hose connected to the fanbox in the lower right corner. That little thing  was moving air at a few hundred CFM of paint fumes into filter pad leading to my backyard..


Orange peel!!!! Yuck.. I guess it's time for color sanding!!


Color sanding (aka wet sanding process). Basically the point of this step is to bring down all the high spots on the newly painted surface. This requires you to go over the surface in steps with varying grades of abrassives. Each step uses a finer (less abrassive) grade than the last.....


Until you get closer to something like this...


More polishing needed:



Finished product:



30 days after curing:


Stripes & action!!!!


Thanks for looking...

I'll be sure to chronicle my FC build up and paint if anyone is interested..

[Mitsubayati]

Hey can someone list all the supplies needed and where I could get them? I would like to try this out eventually

price list would be nice too . . . thanks

[mllaneta]

Hey can someone list all the supplies needed and where I could get them? I would like to try this out eventually

price list would be nice too . . . thanks

I'll work on composing a list of what was needed to accomplish my restoration.. It's gonna be a big list though..
If you've never shot a car before, acquiring the equipment to spray will cost you well over 1k (for the cheap stuff) .. The paint, catalyst,hardener,reducer and other additives cost me roughly 400-475.. I used Glasurit 22 line which isn't cheap.. There's are some no name 2 stage paint systems that would cost about $150 for a generic  base coat and clear coat with the reducers needed but are pretty crappy and not very durable..

[Mitsubayati]

I guess I will just have to come to your house and use your stuff . . .  lol

[DeuceGoneWild]

I guess I will just have to come to your house and use your stuff . . .  lol

HAHa, me 2 please 

[DOHCtor]

Considering it was only over 1k... that's pretty good... Probably a good paint job these days will run you way over 3k @ a shop... (I'm guessing it's much over that now, since Mike, you paid about 3k in the early 90s to repaint your FC3..?)