I’m blessed to be able to work with product as part of my profession. Hardcore football fans will remember the Nike Joga Bonito series of 2006, and for me this was the beginning for my appreciation of product energy and culture. The beautiful game of football, the athletes that symbolised the right way to play, wearing the products that relayed this message. Fast-forward close to fifteen years, and my entire career has revolved around product.
In its most fundamental form, we purchase products to fulfil basic needs. We wear clothes to cover ourselves and stay warm, invest in a wallet to keep our cards and cash in a safe, compact place. Cars of course, get us from A to B, football boots are purchased to… play football.
Of course, in an attempt to sell product and derive competitive advantages through product differentiation, products have evolved that they now evoke significant psychological responses and additional purposes. It’s self expression, finding community, showcasing status and success.
In marketing, we’re taught from high school the power of the persona and why brands need to use them to target the specific demographics for a product. As much as people want to deny being pigeonholed as a particular person, we all just want to belong, be part of a community or movement and be appreciated by others for who we are and what we strive to represent.
Naturally, as brands market to customers based on personas, those looking to find an identity attach themselves to products as a way to project themselves in a manner they see fit. It goes both ways, brand-to-consumer and consumer-to-brand.
What gets overlooked by those looking to associate themselves to a particular lifestyle or persona through product however, is that a true, authentic involvement requires taste and personal application. You can’t just slap a “starter pack” together and connect, it needs to come from an organic interest and curiosity into the subject matter.
Stephen’s five-year Miata restomod is indicative of this. You can read the step-by-step build here, or follow his latest updates on Facebook, but throughout our shoot on a warm, daylight-savings morning out in the Hills area in Sydney, we were entranced by Stephen’s journey to the current, almost-finished article.
“It never started out to be this way,” Stephen recalls his earliest plans for his NA, “once I decided to replace and refresh the parts on my then twenty year-old car, I began sourcing modern interpretations and the abundance of aftermarket options allowed me to build to my taste”.
I’ve been infatuated with British Racing Green (BRG) for the past couple years, and it seems that Stephen has the same passion for the colour too, “as a BRG car, I wanted the car to pay homage to the British roadsters”.
The key to a good vibe through product, is to be meticulous in how you create and curate. I talked about starter packs above, and Stephen noted on our shoot, that “restomod starter packs definitely exist for the NA Miata”.
Association by product can easily become tacky and in bad taste if the details don’t provide depth. You can’t have it good at a glance, but go missing when it’s time for a closer look. Unfortunately it’s like that for the majority of cookie-cutter builds today, good from far but far from good. An amazing paint job, just don’t look at the engine bay… or the interior. Sometimes the paint job is an eyesore in the right light and angle too.
It’s a theme that I’ve touched on before on the blog, microwave and social media culture is a breeding ground for polished turds, lacking any sort of proper foundation and a bandaid for not really imperfections, but rather neglect. Skimping over the minute because grabbing attention is priority one.
96BRG is the antithesis of this. I touched on Stephen’s diamond-stitched leather as the piece in the build that does it for me in terms of vibe, and he topped that with his favourite addition. “I love my toggle switches and the cluster, they’re a small detail that really give off the retro/vintage vibe”, he explained as I dissected his opinions on his own build and why it’s such a significant car for him.
Each touchpoint for an observer, passenger and the driver has been altered in some way to enhance the vehicle’s mood whether its sitting outside a cafe, or stretching its legs on a winding B-road. There’s no pretending here, Stephen’s built the car as an experience, a product that puts you in a time and place in the most immersive way possible. Add a couple percent across all facets, and the complete picture ends up much richer.
He’s gone so far down the rabbit hole, an unlikely situation given that he “never intended to own a green car, nor an MX5”. I think in some ways his lack of previous history with the car makes it what it is today, carefully put together a result of incessant research and an understanding of what his homage actually means.
Stephen has this to say about this journey:
“A vision of what I wanted the car to be/look like has been achieved. That’s probably the most gratifying. Carefully mapping out the mods, costs etc. A ‘measure twice, cut once – do it right the first time around’ mantra.“
Name brands or the latest kit don’t make you cool. Respect the game, learn about what came before you and develop an understanding of what your self expression actually means. It’ll make the product much more special!
SPEC SHEET
POWERTRAIN
- Advanced Cam Timing +14 Degrees
- Arrive Intake Pipe Powdercoated Satin Black
- BeatRush Radiator Cooling Panel
- GarageStar Lightweight Alternator Pulley
- GarageStar Lightweight Water Pump Pulley
- Gates Racing Performance Timing Belt
- Koyorad 36mm Hyper-V Core Aluminium Radiator
- Maxim Works 4-2-1 Exhaust Manifold
- Mazdaspeed Ignition Leads
- Mazdaspeed Induction Air Box
- Mazdaspeed Oil Cap
- Mazdaspeed Panel Air Filter
- Mazdaspeed Radiator Cap (1.3 Bar)
- MiataRoadster Short Shifter
- OEM Mazda Intake Manifold Powdercoated Satin Black
- OEM Mazda Rocker Cover Powdercoated Satin Black
- RS Factory Stage N-Zero2 Catback Exhaust
- SARD Sports High Flow Catalytic Converter
- SARD Sports Racing Thermostat
- Toda Racing Lightweight Flywheel (4.5kg)
- Toda Racing Sports Clutch
SUSPENSION
- BeatRush Rear PPF Bar
- GarageStar Delrin Door Mounts
- Mazdaspeed Engine Mounts
- Mazdaspeed Front Strut Brace
- Mazdaspeed Front Sway Bar
- Mazdaspeed Rear Strut Brace
- Mazdaspeed Rear Sway Bar
- Ohlins DFV Coilovers
- RacingBeat Sway Bar End Links
- Dixcel Type M Brake Pads
- Dixcel Type SD Slotted Rotors
- Goodridge SS Braided Brake Lines
- Goodridge SS Braided Clutch Line
- Bridgestone RE71R Tyres (185/60/R14)
- RS-Watanabe Type-A (14×6.5 +4.5)
- RS-Watanabe Centre Caps
- RS-Watanabe Lug Nuts
- RS-Watanabe Valve Stems
INTERIOR
- ARRIVE Mahogany Wood Handbrake Handle
- ArtWork Dewa Cluster Needle Caps
- Carbing Foot Rest Pedal
- CocoMats Sisal Floor Mats
- Custom Re-Upholstered OEM Tan Seats with Diamond Quilt Stitch
- Garage5 Brushed Aluminium Vent Rings
- HKB Steering Wheel Boss Kit
- J-F Customs Tan Leather Gearshift Boot
- J-F Customs Tan Leather Handbrake Boot
- JASS Performance Sun Visor Plugs
- JDM Eunos Sunglass Holder
- JDM Eunos Chrome Door Sills
- Joyfast Chrome Gear Knob
- Joyfast Chrome Handbrake Button
- KG Works Retro Gauge Cluster
- Nakamae Aluminium Door Locks
- Nakamae Tan Diamond Quilt Mat Belt Line Trim
- Nakamae Tan Diamond Quilt Mat Lower Package Tray Trim
- Nakamae Tan Diamond Quilt Mat Side Step Trim
- Nakamae Tan Diamond Quilt Mat Transmission Tunnel Trim
- Nakamae Tan Diamond Quilt Mat Upper Package Tray Trim
- Nardi Classico 360mm Wood Steering Wheel
- Nardi “Tokyo” Horn Button
- RetroModern Knurled Dimmer Switch
- RetroModern Knurled A/C Fan Knob
- RetroModern Knurled Trip Reset Stalk
- RevLimiter Custom Gauge Faces (Type RS)
- RevLimiter Custom HVAC Panel (Version Stirling)
- RevLimiter Door Sill Inserts (Type MX-5, BRG)
- RevLimiter Retro Power Window Switch
- RS Products Classic A/C Fan Knob + Sliders
- RS Products Classic A/C Trim Ring
- RS Products Classic Cigarette Lighter Trim Ring
- RS Products Classic Retro Hazard Switch
- Vintage Mazda Cigarette Lighter
- Zeromotive M2-1002 Style Pedals
- Zoom Engine Start Push Button
- Nakamichi CD-400 Headunit
- Pioneer JDM MX-5 2″ Tweeters
- Polk Audio DB651 6.5″ Coaxial Speakers
- OEM Mazda Panasonic Battery Replacement
EXTERIOR
- B1 Hybrid Polarg Parkers + Tail Lamp Bulbs
- Bosch Aerotwin Wiper Blades
- Depo Clear Front Indicator Lamps
- Front Number Plate Mounting Bracket
- JDM Eunos Fog Lights
- KG Works Chrome Washer Nozzles
- NoPro Washer Bottle Relocation
- OEM Mazda Genuine Front Lip
- Philips 4300K Crystal Vision Headlamp Bulbs
- Raybrig Crystal Reflector Headlamps
- Runabout M2 Mirrors
- ZOOM Engineering Amber Side Indicators
- ZOOM Engineering Eunos Lotus Emblem
- ZOOM Engineering Retro Fuel Lid
