We assume that you will take all precautions and use proper personal protective equipment, ensuring you and anyone present is not in any danger. Obvious dangers include parts snapping, flying objects, heavy weights, sharp edges, fuel and electrics, The suspension springs on MX5’s are highly preloaded, removing them with the body in place holding them down is the way to go in the absence of spring compress tools.

If the donor is fitted with air bags then ensure the battery has been disconnected for an hour before removing them.

If the donor has air con then this needs the pressure releasing under control at the valve, not by cutting pipes!

Always have a first aid kit at hand and be in reach of a phone if working alone, always double check that your working environment is safe. You will need ear protection, eye protection and dust masks. You will also need axle stands, a decent jack and good quality spanners/tools that are up to the job. If bolts/nuts get tighter when coming out then wind them back in, clean the threads and spray releasing lubricant (WD40).

The aim is to remove the body shell and leave the front sub-frame with the engine, and the rear sub- frame with the differential, connected together via the alloy back bone, as seen in the picture below.

The picture below shows a 200mm long piece of tube that is inserted in to each corner of the suspension so that the rolling chassis may indeed roll without the engine and diff sinking.

The “skate” that you will have left can be stripped to replace bushes if required, and to properly detail, clean and paint all the suspension parts, brakes and sub-frames.

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First remove battery from the boot then push the cables down through the floor. Then jack up the car and place on good solid axle stands for access to the underside. Next, remove the seats, seat belts, and carpets.

Remove the speedometer plugs and cable and then remove the instrument unit.

Remove the 2 plastic caps from each side of the dash board and remove the 4 bolts. Remove the plastic cap from the top centre of the dash and remove the bolt below it. Remove the 2 air vents above the radio and remove the screws. Pull off radio panel. Remove the 2 bolts either side of the radio then remove the plastic surround. Next, remove the steering column and shaft that connects it to the rack.

Now lift out the whole dash unit to gain access to the wiring harness/loom. Unplug all the cables going to the fuse box to allow them through the bulkhead. All cables can now be pulled back from the engine bay and battery into the cockpit. It looks complicated but all you need to do is plug it all back where it was.

MAKE SURE YOU LABEL EVERYTHING. Labels on both ends of plugs may be useful.

Many of the plugs you see in the loom pictured below will not be re-connected. No heater, wipers, interior light, cig socket, radio, electric mirrors, speakers, window motors, headlight lift motors, glove box light, etc.

It is possible to drastically reduce the wiring loom, if you are going to do this then get the car running first and check all lights/features every time you cut a single wire. More information can be found in the wiring section

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There is a charcoal canister that you may wish to lose (black plastic round case in engine bay, see above) If you do then you can leave the pipe open after the check valve (see below) on the tank to allow for evaporation without a vacuum forming. You may also wish to replace the large fuel filter that is located near the tank, more information can be found in the fuel tank section

• Remove the throttle cable and clutch master cylinder leaving it attached to the gearbox via the pipe. Remove the brake/clutch pedal, master cylinder and servo. Keep the spring clips for the pedal pins.
• Remove all electrical connections and plugs from the engine. Label them as you go and remember to label the ones that were not plugged in and were in fact spare, otherwise you will be looking for somewhere to plug them in later.
• Disconnect the 2 fuel pipes that feed the fuel rail on the offside of the engine bay.
• Drain the fuel tank from the plug underside, it will be heavy and unbalanced to lift otherwise. Remove the rubbers holding the exhaust to the body and the lambda sensor plug or plugs.
• Remove the air box and un-plug the air flow meter that is attached to it.
• Remove the radiator, and air con if fitted. Careful as this may be pressurised.
• Unscrew the 2 front brake pipes noting where they are connected from. Cut or unscrew the rear brake pipe at the junction on the rear axle. Disconnect the handbrake cables from the rear callipers.
• Remove the 4 bolts holding the front antiroll bar to the body, there is provision for this on the Exocet.
• Support the underside of the front and rear sub-frames with substantial props or use short tubes to support the suspension as shown in the previous picture.
• Remove the speedometer cable from the gearbox.
• Remove the centre nut on the top of each shock absorber. If you remove the 2x8mm bolts on the top instead then the springs will be compressed and difficult to remove later for cleaning or painting.
• Remove the six bolts holding the rear sub-frame to the body shell.
• Remove the eight bolts holding the front sub-frame to the body shell.

The picture above shows the rear off side bolt being removed, this is one of 3. If they start getting tighter when being screwed out then back off, wire brush, spray WD40 or similar and try again.

Lift off body with an engine hoist leaving the 2 sub-frames connected by the alloy back bone. This is best achieved by attaching a lifting chain to the seat runner bolt holes as the balance is about right. Use front near side hole next to the transmission tunnel and rear off side next to the tunnel or, all the outside holes if you are using two straps crossed as below.

If there is fuel in the tank the balance will be poor but this should have been drained first.

THIS IS NOT A ONE MAN JOB! HELP IS NEEDED TO BALANCE THE BODY WHILST THE “skate” IS ROLLED OUT FROM UNDER. If it does not lift easily you may have left an engine earth attached.

I would strongly recommend that a lifting chain is used, the body shell weighs around 250 kgs. It is also suggested that the doors and boot lid/bonnet are removed first, these are very heavy too.

Don’t forget that once the load is taken from the top off the shock absorbers then the engine and diff frames will sink to the ground unless propped up or tubes are inserted as per the picture shown previously.

You can now remove the tank, filter, handbrake and cables.

The pipe near the edge of the pump is the return. Ideally you should have a trailer ready so the shell can be loaded and taken to a scrap metal merchant. Don’t forget any odd bolts or screws or rubber capping may well come in handy later.

Car scrap dealers may ask for your V5, don’t part with it!

Below is what Mazda call the power plant frame (PPF)

This method is dangerous and extreme care must be taken, sparks and fuel do not mix and you only have 2 hands, 10 fingers and 2 eyes, let’s keep it that way!

If you do not have a hoist available then it's possible to cut the body in to smaller sections using a reciprocating saw or similar. This method requires that you have strong people willing to help as lifting on your own is not advised at all.

Ideally you want 4 large pieces, however if you have a few strong people it's possible to remove in 2

When cutting be careful not to cut anything you need, like gearbox, PPF, subframes.

The above hoist method is by far the easiest and recommended.

On the G type chassis the suspension now has a more aggressive angle, which means the struts now face more towards the inside of the car. Because of this you should really cut the front top suspension arms, please see suspension section here for more info.

When assembling the front top suspension arm, please make sure to install the bolt from the rear to the front, so the nut is on the front face. Failure to follow this means that any future disassembly will require the frame removed or the bolt cut.