A very long title for a very concise manual! I bought Do It Up: Mazda MX-5: A Practical Guide to Renovation on a Budget from Amazon (aff) – that’s an affiliate link so if you decide to buy it, a few pennies will wend there way to my Mend Maurice account.

Good points:

1. It’s full colour, with clear photos so it’s easy to identify what parts of the car are where
2. It’s in relatively plain English
3. It has a short history of the MX5 and some good tips on what to look for if you intend to buy one.
4. It lists the basic checks such as oil and water (never overlook the obvious!) and the mileage for changing service parts.
5. There are many helpful hints and tips throughout that you only get from experience
6. It’s clearly sectioned and easily laid out

Bad points:

1. It’s a little vague in places especially on the bigger jobs such as clutch replacement
2. There is very little in the way of diagnostics and troubleshooting – you need it on these older cars
3. You get very little if any explanation of what the parts do and how they interact
4. It concentrates on the cosmetic and maintenance

All in all it’s a great book to start with, if you have an MX5 that already runs well and is just in need of some TLC, a tidy up and service or the odd part replacing. There isn’t enough to do a full renovation as the title suggests – I wouldn’t attempt an engine stripdown, which to me, is the most vital part of the car and the essential part of the driving experience.

Being a Haynes manual it is user friendly and a great book to start with to familiarise yourself with the basics. The author Paul Hardiman obviously has a great passion for these little motors that comes across in the writing, so if you want to keep your MX5 running sweetly or tart it up a bit and give it a bit of a facelift this is the book for you.

Other stuff you might like.

• Have a free guide to buying a used MX5 on me…
• MX5 Miata Enthusiast’s Workshop Manual