Paul Cowland Mazda MX-5

So far: Wheels, tyres, brakes, exhaust, shiny bits, bushes, ICE This month: Time for some bodywork Next month: More bodywork! Thanks: www.mx5parts.co.uk

Ferris Bueller may have had a day off, but sadly for us car enthusiasts, his namesake, Ferrous Oxide, never does. The dreaded tinworm, or rust, as it’s more commonly known, never sleeps, and in the case of my little Mazda, it has really taken hold over the last few months.

Regular readers will remember that in the last update I had given a full Autoglym wipe-down to the old girl before covering the MX-5 with a tailored MX5parts cover wherever and whenever possible. This was a good move, of course, but I fear it may have been too little, too late. A quick squint at the car’s arches under decent light reveals that this problem really has reached a zenith now and needs to be rapidly addressed before it spreads throughout the car.