![]() 11/13/2015 at 11:22 • Filed to: miata | ![]() | ![]() |
I lent my hardtop to a respected body shop. The owner fixes up Miata race cars for a local Mazda race shop/junkyard, which I also frequent on a monthly basis. Anyway, the owner of the body shop messaged me with an offer: I lend him my emerald green metallic hardtop so that he could make a fiberglass copy for his LeMons-spec Miata race car (he’s styling it like a C3 Stingray). In return, he would paint the hardtop in any color of my choice. Naturally, my answers were “yes” and “black”.
Three weeks later, it’s ready for pick up. He essentially did 400$ worth of time, paint, and effort to make it look this good. The original green was starting to lose its clear coat along with several chips along the b-pillar and leading edge that’s against the windshield frame; it was really overdue for a new coat of paint at this point. First off, the new clear coat is amazing, this isn’t automobile clear coat, this is flipping AIRCRAFT-GRADE clear coat that’s used on the leading edge of the wings . The body shop owner apparently knows the PPG representative of the south pretty well to score that stuff, he’s gotten tired of street and race Miatas easily getting their clear coats pitted by debris and wear.
So, why change it from its elegant emerald green to a simple gloss black? One, a black hardtop is a hell lot easier to sell than a green one. Not that I’m planning on it but better safe than sorry. Two, my plan for the Miata is a two-tone look with black that’s so popular on customized Miatas that Mazda has decided to make it factory on the new ND. The next step is to buy some gloss black 3M vinyl, and pay one of my friends in cash and beer to turn my windshield frame black. It should look similar to something like this.
![]() 11/13/2015 at 11:27 |
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That does look really good.
![]() 11/13/2015 at 11:30 |
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Wicked sick Kyle!
![]() 11/13/2015 at 14:07 |
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I approve
![]() 11/13/2015 at 15:17 |
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That should look sharp. Hopefully the color and sheen of the vinyl matches the paint well.