It's done. After clutch upgrades, bodywork battles, turbo refreshes, new doors, wings, and more late nights than anyone should admit to, the MX5 Restorer's Mk1 turbo build has finally crossed the finish line, and what a finish it is.
If you've been following along with the Lights Up Lights Down YouTube channel, you already know this project has been a bit of a journey. If you're new here, buckle up, because Part 6 is the payoff, and it's well worth watching.
Ford Grabber Blue: A Colour With a Story
The car's new livery is Ford Grabber Blue, and if you think that's an unusual choice for a Japanese sports car, you're right. But the story behind it is one of those moments that makes you stop scrolling.
It started with a Ford Ranger SRT. Spotting the truck in that vivid, punchy blue, the MX5 Restorer knew instantly: that's the colour. What he didn't realise until later, much later, was why it felt so right. Buried in a cupboard at home was a childhood Matchbox toy: a Ford F-150, bought on eBay years ago to recapture that nostalgic feeling we all know too well. Same colour. Turns out he'd also painted a BMX the same shade when he was a kid.
Sometimes things just come full circle in the best possible way.
On the car, the colour works brilliantly. The lines of the Mk1, already one of the cleanest shapes in the MX-5 family, pop in a way that a subtler colour simply wouldn't. If you've always thought the Mk1 was a pretty car, wait until you see it in Grabber Blue.
Out With the Red, In With the Black
Anyone who's watched the series will remember the red interior. Bold, characterful, classic MX-5 energy. But when the Grabber Blue went on the bodywork, something had to give, and that something was the red carpet and dash trim.
Working through the night (and then going home to get the kids ready for school, because life doesn't stop for car builds), the MX5 Restorer stripped the interior back, painted the dash, and fitted black carpet. Combined with the Mazda Speed seats he'd already sourced, the result is a clean, purposeful cockpit that lets the exterior colour do the talking without visual chaos inside.
It's a detail-led decision, and it's the right one.
The Show Must Go On - Literally
Rather than doing the final reveal from a workshop, the car made its debut at an MX-5 Owners Club stand, still being assembled. Doors being built up, the roof going on, bonnet alignment being chased down (a tricky business, as it turned out, thanks to some awkward bolts that required the front wings to come off to reach the hinges properly). All of it happening in public, on a stand, over two days.
It's the kind of build update that makes for entertaining viewing and slightly elevated blood pressure in equal measure. But by Sunday afternoon, the roof was on, the doors were done, and the car looked exactly the way it was supposed to.
A Modified 50s Man's MX-5
Here's the part of the video that might resonate with a lot of MX-5 owners who've been around the block a few times. Chris, from The MX5 Restorer is 52. He's not building this car to slam it to the floor, stack on wings, or prove a point at a meet. The philosophy, and he puts it brilliantly, is "a modified 50s man's look."
That means a subtle lip spoiler rather than the GV front piece that was on there before. Minimalist black accents. A ride height that clears speed bumps without drama. A setup you can drive anywhere, take your son to a car meet in, and genuinely enjoy on every road rather than only the smooth ones.
He'd fallen out of love with the car at points during this build, the honest admission comes through clearly in the video. But by Part 6, driving the finished car, the feeling has come right back. Properly back. The turbo power, the sound, the blue paint catching the light. This is what it was all for.
It’s Been A Pleasure To Have Been Involved
It’s been a pleasure to supply The MX5 Restorer with parts and accessories for this project and we are incredibly impressed with the end result.
Watch Part 6 on Lights Up Lights Down
Part 6 is available now on the Lights Up Lights Down YouTube channel. Whether you've been watching from the start or you're just discovering the series, it's a genuinely enjoyable watch, honest, funny, and a proper feel-good ending to a build that had its fair share of challenges along the way.
Give it a watch it. Leave a comment. Hit subscribe. You know the drill.
Catch Up on the Full Series
Missed any of the earlier parts? Here's the full build story from the beginning:
- Part 1 – Upgrading The Clutch
- Part 2 – Upgrading the Body Work
- Part 3 – Turbo Refresh Continued
- Part 4 – Making a Mk1 Turbo Better
- Part 5 – Making New Doors, Boot and Front Wings: But What Wings?
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