Post by russboy on Mar 11, 2016 15:51:10 GMT
This story starts a few years back. At the time I had just a JRSC Roadster (it was my 6th MX5 though) and I had been quite active on 'another MX5 Forum'. I saw a particular car get quite a lot of interest in the classifieds...Jame's Kane's unrestored Zoom Engineering car.
Anyone who has been on the MX5 scene long enough will know that James has an eye for finding great cars and great parts. He'd bought the Zoom intending to 'do it up' and I seem to recall at the time, he was starting to collect a lot of cars at his home near Gatwick airport and had to get shot of one or two.
So, early one Sunday, I arranged to have the Zoom trailered to my home which at the time, was not that far away (over the border in Kent). I always remembered James saying that whatever happens, and whatever the weather, the Zoom always seems to start 'on the turn'...something still true today. The rest of the car showed a set of old Smiths Rims, a set of very rusty Bilsteins and cut down coil springs, a worn hood and ropey interior. There was also a strange 'bubble' on the sills that we assumed to be a paint defect...a hard poke with a screwdriver did nothing.
These are some of the first pics:
Now, despite not having much work at all (any!) done on the car, other than a good clean, the Zoom managed to sail through the first 2 MOT's of my ownership...
For those that are wondering what's so special about the Zoom...it's a Japanese styling and tuning company. The car had a Zoom front end (note the removed sidelights and small round indicators), Zoom rear, and Zoom bootlid as well as the obvious Zoom rear lights. It also came fitted with a KG Works rear view mirror, JDM petrol cap, chrome side wing indicator rims and a few trick bits of stiffening underneath, including Garge Ohno bracing...
This is the ad advertsing the car to James when he bought it: www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=49469
Stay tuned for the next installment...the strip down and repaint...
Anyone who has been on the MX5 scene long enough will know that James has an eye for finding great cars and great parts. He'd bought the Zoom intending to 'do it up' and I seem to recall at the time, he was starting to collect a lot of cars at his home near Gatwick airport and had to get shot of one or two.
So, early one Sunday, I arranged to have the Zoom trailered to my home which at the time, was not that far away (over the border in Kent). I always remembered James saying that whatever happens, and whatever the weather, the Zoom always seems to start 'on the turn'...something still true today. The rest of the car showed a set of old Smiths Rims, a set of very rusty Bilsteins and cut down coil springs, a worn hood and ropey interior. There was also a strange 'bubble' on the sills that we assumed to be a paint defect...a hard poke with a screwdriver did nothing.
These are some of the first pics:
Now, despite not having much work at all (any!) done on the car, other than a good clean, the Zoom managed to sail through the first 2 MOT's of my ownership...
For those that are wondering what's so special about the Zoom...it's a Japanese styling and tuning company. The car had a Zoom front end (note the removed sidelights and small round indicators), Zoom rear, and Zoom bootlid as well as the obvious Zoom rear lights. It also came fitted with a KG Works rear view mirror, JDM petrol cap, chrome side wing indicator rims and a few trick bits of stiffening underneath, including Garge Ohno bracing...
This is the ad advertsing the car to James when he bought it: www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=49469
Stay tuned for the next installment...the strip down and repaint...
le sigh