An MX5 that came in for a hood clean and left with two water leaks repaired, the interior decontaminated, and a cosmetic repair on the driver's door. James narrates. The two notorious MX5 leak points: scuttle clips and rear brake light. Five MX5s came in within two months -- three of them black.
This MX5 came in for a routine hood clean. The customer had already had it cleaned elsewhere but the result had not been as good as expected -- dirt was still packed into the gaps and the back area. While working on it James discovered the carpet was very wet, the boot had standing water, and there were mould spores developing on the headlining. It became a two-visit job.
Within the space of two months, five MX5s came through the workshop in similar circumstances. Three of them were black. We do not publish videos on all of them -- it would get repetitive -- but this one covers the full picture. MX5s are wonderful and people keep them for years, which means the seals get old and the known weak points start to fail.
The Known MX5 Leak Points
Mazda MX5s have two notorious sources of water ingress that we see repeatedly. The first is the scuttle clips under the front panel -- clips that hold the scuttle trim to the bodywork. Over time they degrade and let water through. On this car the passenger side was the active leak; both were cleaned, the area scotched back and resealed as standard.
The second is the rear centre brake light. Water gets in around the seal, runs behind the trim and into the boot. The light came off, the seal was cleaned and resealed. Boot water cleared after that.
On top of those two, MX5s also suffer the same problems as any other car of a certain age: door membranes, scuttle drains, rubber seals. The 28-point check covers all of them.
The Mould
Because the car had been locked up with water inside, it had started to sweat -- and mould spores were beginning to form on the back of the cabriolet headlining. Caught at this stage it is straightforward to deal with: OdourKill 5 treatment, wipe all surfaces, decontaminate. Left longer it spreads and becomes a more significant job. The smell was already noticeable. Mould spores in an enclosed car interior build up in the air and can cause sinus infections and bronchitis -- it is not something to ignore.
The Door Repair
The driver's door had a scuff. James quoted the cosmetic repair in the progress video with the exact numbers: £38 for the first panel, £33 for the second (discount applied), £6.59 for close-match paint -- £77.59 in total. The 60% improvement caveat applies: scratches that have gone through the paint cannot be fully removed, but a buff and close-match touch-in makes them significantly less visible, particularly low down on the car where the camera angle is flattering. Full door respray plus blend into the wings and rear arch would have involved repainting the whole side of the car -- considerably more money.
The car also had a few door dings. These were noted but not quoted for this visit -- the customer could return for paintless dent repair when convenient.
The Result
Both scuttle clips resealed, rear light resealed, carpet dried, interior decontaminated, mould gone, cosmetic repair on the door, exterior detail. Ready for collection. James: "It's ready to go out into the real environment now for its test."
See our convertible roof cleaning service, water leak diagnosis service, and carpet drying service.
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