I picked this up about ten years ago for my father's 1989 Miata. It was never in mint shape (made in 1981) but it was certainly good enough to use.
The poor old Miata has had a rough life. I think my father is the 8th owner or something near it. Nonetheless, it has always run well and delivered boat loads of fun. Especially after the turbocharger, upgraded wheels and suspension was done.
A couple years ago, I noticed some horrible rot in the floor and my dad, rather than scrap her, had the work done. When the car came back, the clutch stopped working. So it sat still most of last year. I had been meaning to fix things up for a while, but was sidelined by all my other projects. This year the little roadster will have a great summer. Starting with a freshened steering wheel.
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| Not good! |
Step one was to scrape off as much as possible, then apply some paint remover. I had expected the remaining material to come off quite easily but I was mistaken. Back to scraping!
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| Looking better already!
Step two was to sand down with 220 grit sandpaper, being mindful not to remove too much material or create flat spots. I also filled some minor cracks with wood filler.
I fished around the solvent cupboard and found a can of Cherry wood Minwax. I decided to give it a go.
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| Coat one. |
I added the first coat and was immediately taken with the dark tone. I let it cure for a couple days before the next treatment. The stain didn't seep into the wood filler but I had a plan for that.
I found a furniture repair pen in my drawer, the type used for fixing minor scratches. On to the next round.
I picked up some Marine grade varnish (small can) from Canadian Tire for $8.00. I did two coats with 24 hours of curing in between.
I am very pleased with the way this one turned out; it looks good and fresh, without looking too new. The last job is to apply some autosol to the spokes.
Until Next time.....
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