20th Anniversary Meeting in Japan - Message from Tom Matano

Dear All MX-5/Roadster devotees who gathered at Miyoshi for the 20th Anniversary.

I wish I were there to celebrate this historical event in person with you. I was there at the 10th Anniversary. I could still remember many special moments at that event. The climax was the drive through on the track. It was a scene to be remembered forever.
It has been 20 years since its introduction in 1989. For me, it has been 25 years since we started working on the concept and design of the LWS (Light Weight Sports Car) project. The establishing and nurturing the Owners Club was one of the very important elements of the LWS concept from the onset of this project. I would like to thank all Owners club members for assembling and organizing this great event. I wish I were there with you all to celebrate this historically significant event.

I developed a story titled 'Inspired Sensations' at the beginning of the project. I envisioned the scenario of the carﾕs life from introduction to 20 years after. I am proud to see that vision has come true in every possible way and in some cases, it has exceeded my expectations. Thanks to this special car that I was able to meet many MX-5 enthusiasts and gained many friends through out the world. It was an utmost pleasure as a designer.

I am proud to say that the MX-5 is the first Japanese car to gain the true citizenship wherever it was sold throughout the world. As a proof, MX-5/Miata was chosen as the Top 10 iconic cars in the past 25 years by the Businessweek in June. And it was chosen, along with RX-7, as one of the 100 most significant cars in the 20th Century in 2001, voted by global journalists.

The Message, 'JINBA_ITTAI' (Horse and Rider are one), the hardware, and 'Inspired Sensations', the hardware, from a maker side, have been communicated to owners and being resonated back. I am overjoyed to see our special relationship has made this event at Miyoshi possible.

Thank you again for your continued enthusiasm. I am looking forward to many more milestones in the future.

Always Inspired,
Tom Matano

20th Anniversary Meeting in Japan

Mazda hosted the 20th Anniversary commemorative event on September 20, 2009. The meeting brought out 2,600 owners and 1,600 cars to celebrate the best selling roadster of all time at the Miyoshi Proving Ground in western Japan.

The day's festivities included introductions for the various clubs, an MX-5 quiz, and a 20th anniversary car that all of the attendees could sign. Bringing the event to a close was a massive parade around the track that has to have broken some sort of record.

PRESS RELEASE: 

HIROSHIMA, Japan-To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Mazda Roadster (known overseas as the Mazda MX-5), Mazda Motor Corporation hosted a special commemorative event on September 20, 2009, at its Miyoshi Proving Ground in western Japan. 

First launched in 1989, Mazda's two-seat lightweight open-top sports car is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. To commemorate the milestone, over 1,600 Roadsters and their owners made their way to the car's birthplace at the Miyoshi Proving Ground. 

When the proving ground gates opened at 6:30 a.m., the arriving Roadsters were welcomed home by attending staff. Approximately 2,600 owners and fans had journeyed from all over Japan and overseas to join in the celebration. The event was officially launched with a toast from a 20-year old Roadster owner, who had been born the same year as the iconic vehicle was launched. 

During the event, members of the development team and MX-5 owners from abroad delivered congratulatory speeches; Roadster owners' clubs from every region of Japan were introduced; and guests were invited to take part in a Roadster quiz. To bring the celebration to a close, Mazda's director and senior managing executive officer in charge of vehicle development, Seita Kanai, stood up to address the crowd. His cry of, "The Roadster is forever!" was greeted by thunderous applause from the spectators. 

To end with a Zoom-Zoom flourish, all 1,600 Roadsters formed up to parade around the track before leaving the Miyoshi Proving Ground with a fond farewell from the Mazda staff.

Brake Pad Replacement

The brake pad replacement on the Miata should have been extremely easy, but one of my brake calipers was stuck badly for some reasons. My friend created a special tool and could finally loosen up.

You can find the brake pad change tips on San Diego Miata Club website.

A Look Back at 1989 Chicago Auto Show

The final 80s edition of the Chicago Auto Show offered consumers a glimpse into the trend for the 90s: quality. Many of the new-for-1989 models featured improved handling and increased horsepower over 1988 cars, and quality started to become the new buzz word in the industry.

Mazda typically uses the Chicago Auto Show to introduce new models to the public for the first time. During the ’89 show, the two-seater MX-5 "Miata" convertible had its world's unveiling, which demonstrated how the Japanese would create a British roadster.

It looks like the Miata below wears RS Watanabe's iconic 8-spoke wheels painted the same color as the body.

1989 was also the year Nissan redesigned its 300ZX for 1990 and gave those attending the ’89 Chicago Auto Show an early look at its performance sports car.

Miatas at MRLS 2009

Miatas at MRLS, a two-day event that ran on March 21-22nd, 2009 was held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as a 20th birthday party for the Miata.

Chicago 2009: Twenty Years of the Miata

Mazda celebrates the 20th anniversary of the legendary MX-5.

Chicago Auto Show - 2009

To commemorate the Miata’s 20th anniversary, Mazda held a small celebration at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, where the sports car made its debut in 1989.

With a touch of nostalgia, Mazda displays a legendary concept along with its new car exhibit during the ’09 Chicago Auto Show. The Miata M Speedster is the raciest MX-5-derived concept built to date. The Miata M Speedster was originally unveiled at the 1994 Monterey Historic Races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Key design and engineering cues, including a low-cut, pillar-less windshield, modified suspension and lowered ride height, modified rear wing and spoiler, sculpted rockers, and flared fenders. Large fog lights are integrated into the front fascia. Sculpted, hard tonneau-style headrests, with storage for two body-colored racing helmets, complete the exterior design. Modifications include upgraded brakes, 15-in. wheels and a supercharger that boosts power to over 200 hp.

Valve Cover Gasket Replaced

Went through the following steps...

1. Disconnect the negative terminal from the battery in the trunk.

2. Remove the PCV Valve and the breather hoses.

3. Remove the spark plug wires completely. Label the wires in advance for maintaining the proper firing order when you reconnect them.

4. Remove the bolts securing the valve cover.

5. Remove the cover carefully.

6. Remove the existing gasket and sealants that may stick to the cover or the top of the crankcase.

7. Clean the cover with the utmost care and completeness.

8. Install the gasket into the cover.

9. Apply high temperature silicone sealant to the corners where the cam bearing caps and crank angle sensor cap meet the cylinder head.

10. Put the Valve cover back onto the crankcase. Hand tighten the head cover bolts.

11. Using a torque wrench, tighten the bolts in the order shown. Torque bolts to 43 - 78 inch-lbs.

12. Reconnect all electrical wiring and battery.

13. Run the engine and check for any possible leaks.