(copied with the kind owner's permission from here)

MG  B Year: 1967 Convertible 1800 cc Petrol Gear box: Manual

Owner story:

I bought my car way back in 1994. Back then I used it as my daily driver, through wind and rain, snow and ice. Then in 1999 life took over and it got parked in my mums garage. Fast forward 23years (my car was still parked in my mums garage) and although she made it through Covid, my mum died. I then had a big decision to make as my MG was looking a little tired. Do I sell it or do I start on the long journey of bringing it back to life? I chose the latter.

Day one

With the help of my nephews and a big hammer we managed to free up the wheels and drag it out of the garage. On first inspection I found that it had been a home to many families of mice, who had feasted well on my carpets. We managed to get it onto a trailer and transport it to its new home in my garage down south. So begins the long journey.

Strip down and respray

After many weeks in the garage it was stripped down, flatted and ready to be sent off for a new coat of paint 🥳

Upholstering

Whilst my car was getting a new coat of paint I decided to teach myself how to upholster car seats. They were originally black with white piping and looked past their best. I decided to go bold and change this to red with white piping.

All red

With my seats now transformed from black to red it was time to do the rest of the interior. Go big or go home, so I put red everything to do with the interior, carpets, door cards etc.

Many a long night under the bonnet

With the body work now in fine fettle I set about teaching myself home car mechanics. Tidying up the engine bay, tuning and balancing carbs.

Undo stick/ fitting new wheels

I discovered that my tyres were a little past their sell by date. My right rear tire was made by a company called India tire company back in 1988 !! They were also the original wire wheels that back in 1967 had inner tubes and so weren’t easy to repair if I got a puncture. After long deliberation I decided to change these for a more modern variant by MWS. MWS wheels are made to the original spec but can be fitted without inner tubes. I put on new rubber from a company called Brockley which makes period correct tread tires with a modern rubber compound.

After putting new chrome wire wheels on I noticed that my locking nuts had taken a good hammering over the years and so I replaced those too. With lead hammers not easy to come by (a lead hammer was what was needed to tighten the nuts up ) I decided to go down a rabbit hole of how to tighten up my wheel nuts without damaging them or using a hammer. I found a man in America who produced a device called a “undo stick”. This is an amazing piece of kit and well worth the $90 I paid for it.

https://undostick.com/

(copied with the author's kind permission from here)

Steering wheel upgrade

After doing so much to make the interior look good I felt that one of the main things that I will look at and feel as I drive the car was looking a bit tired. The steering wheel was the original bakerlite and had chipped paint on the central hub.

I started by stripping off the remaining paint on the central aluminium hub. A quick rub down with some wet and dry and it was ready to by resprayed. 2 Coates of primer and 3 Coates of top coat black gloss and it was looking almost new.

I was looking through a magazine and noticed that MGC steering wheels were covered in leather. These steering wheels were identical to my early three spoke MGB steering wheels.

So after falling down a rabbit hole I realised that I could get a DIY kit to upgrade my steering wheel even though it was only supposed to be for MGCs. When it arrived I was a little apprehensive as it was just a strip of leather, some strong thread and a needle. Oh well here goes nothing and after several hours of head scratching, YouTube video watching and many many knot unpicking I was happy with my new upgrade.

After refitting and a quick drive a found that those MGC owners have been keeping a good secret. It felt so much better and easier to grip.

Easier start

I was beginning to get picky and noticed that my MG was sounding rather sluggish on starting, especially after sitting for a few weeks, even though it was plugged into a trickle charger.

Several evenings later I decided to change the battery from 2 6Vs to a single 12V. Upgrade the starter motor (still the original one) to a high torque starter motor and upgrade the dynamo (still the original one) to an alternator.

MGOC Spares sells a complete kit for the battery conversion so that didn’t end up being as daunting as I originally thought. Although it did take the best part of 3hrs.

The starter motor I got from power spark and was a simple 2 bolt plug and play. To be honest I was worried I must have done it wrong it was that easy. The new one is about ⅔rds the size and half the weight, with twice as much start up speed.

The dynamo conversion to alternator I also got from power spark as they do an alternator in an original dynamo case so the it kept its original look, at first glance. The original dynamo when new would have produced about 22amps, on a good day. The new alternator produces 45amps which would now allow me to run better and maybe support a radio. I also had to change the pulley wheel to get the correct ratio for the alternator to work to its best and change out the voltage regulator to make it all work correctly.

Music On The Go

After upgrading to an alternator I thought it would give me enough power on the go to put in a radio, so that those longer journeys would be a little easier. The big question was which radio. After being anal enough to want to keep it looking original-ish under the bonnet I didn’t want to mess it up and put a modern radio in.

Whilst researching how to do other things a came across a company called Reluxe. They were a new start up producing retro looking radios for older cars but with all the aspects that you find in a new car. It has DAB+/FM radio, Bluetooth connectivity, full Apple & Android CarPlay, usb-a & usb-c charging and can take and make phone calls.

With all that going on I was then left wondering how I could fit speakers that would allow me to hear all that whilst not cutting big holes in any of the internal panels. After a deep dive into how classic car speakers I came across a website called CEN that sold a single 5”x7” speaker that could do the job (RetroSound Premium Single Triax Speaker 5x7 Inch with Bracket RS-UB1KT 60w RMS). This would give me stereo sound through one speaker, which would allow me to put it in the central console in front of the gear stick, which is where a speaker was originally designed to go in the 60s if it ever had one fitted.

As much as I have dabbled in the car’s electrics before, I considered this beyond my abilities, so I got this all fitted by a professional.

As my MG had never had a radio fitted before, this meant that it didn’t have an aerial either. With all the work put in so far and the fact that it had had a new paint job, I was reluctant to go drilling holes in the bodywork. I then discovered a simple DAB/DAB+ aerial at Halfords that was magnet. So I threaded it under the carpets from just in front of the boots (for best signal and to protect it from the wind when I was driving). Who would have thought that a £11.99 magnet aerial would pick up better than a panel fitted or wind screen fitted one (accorded to the fitter).

https://www.reluxedesign.com/index?gad_source=1&ga

Overdrive

Up until the 1970s overdrive was an optional extra along with a heater and several other things on MGBs, one which the original owner of my car never purchased. However, about 2 years ago I managed to track down and buy an original 3 synchro gear box with overdrive for a secondhand MG specialist in Hampshire (Andy Jennings). It then sat in my garage with great intention of swapping it out with my original non-overdrive gear if or when it broke or the clutch needed changing. As time went by I became less and patient for this to happen.

So in June 2026 I bit the bullet and being a great lover of the TV car restoration programme Car SOS, I enquired where they took there gearboxes for restoration and maybe fitting. This lead me to Harding Engineering in Leatherhead. Not knowing the condition of the overdrive gearbox I asked Hardings to work their magic and completely rebuild it and make it like new. Due to it being over the summer holiday period it was 6 weeks before I got the call to bring my car up to have the gearboxes swapped over. This was not a job I had the courage, space, knowledge or skill to do, no matter how many YouTube videos I watched. I asked them to change the clutch and engine and gearbox rubber bush mountings too while they had the engine and gearbox out. It now runs a lot quieter with less revs on long journeys.

https://www.hardyengineering.co.uk/

(copied with the author's kind permission from here)

Steering wheel upgrade

After doing so much to make the interior look good I felt that one of the main things that I will look at and feel as I drive the car was looking a bit tired. The steering wheel was the original bakerlite and had chipped paint on the central hub.

I started by stripping off the remaining paint on the central aluminium hub. A quick rub down with some wet and dry and it was ready to by resprayed. 2 Coates of primer and 3 Coates of top coat black gloss and it was looking almost new.

I was looking through a magazine and noticed that MGC steering wheels were covered in leather. These steering wheels were identical to my early three spoke MGB steering wheels.

So after falling down a rabbit hole I realised that I could get a DIY kit to upgrade my steering wheel even though it was only supposed to be for MGCs. When it arrived I was a little apprehensive as it was just a strip of leather, some strong thread and a needle. Oh well here goes nothing and after several hours of head scratching, YouTube video watching and many many knot unpicking I was happy with my new upgrade.

After refitting and a quick drive a found that those MGC owners have been keeping a good secret. It felt so much better and easier to grip.

Easier start

I was beginning to get picky and noticed that my MG was sounding rather sluggish on starting, especially after sitting for a few weeks, even though it was plugged into a trickle charger.

Several evenings later I decided to change the battery from 2 6Vs to a single 12V. Upgrade the starter motor (still the original one) to a high torque starter motor and upgrade the dynamo (still the original one) to an alternator.

MGOC Spares sells a complete kit for the battery conversion so that didn’t end up being as daunting as I originally thought. Although it did take the best part of 3hrs.

The starter motor I got from power spark and was a simple 2 bolt plug and play. To be honest I was worried I must have done it wrong it was that easy. The new one is about ⅔rds the size and half the weight, with twice as much start up speed.

The dynamo conversion to alternator I also got from power spark as they do an alternator in an original dynamo case so the it kept its original look, at first glance. The original dynamo when new would have produced about 22amps, on a good day. The new alternator produces 45amps which would now allow me to run better and maybe support a radio. I also had to change the pulley wheel to get the correct ratio for the alternator to work to its best and change out the voltage regulator to make it all work correctly.

Music On The Go

After upgrading to an alternator I thought it would give me enough power on the go to put in a radio, so that those longer journeys would be a little easier. The big question was which radio. After being anal enough to want to keep it looking original-ish under the bonnet I didn’t want to mess it up and put a modern radio in.

Whilst researching how to do other things a came across a company called Reluxe. They were a new start up producing retro looking radios for older cars but with all the aspects that you find in a new car. It has DAB+/FM radio, Bluetooth connectivity, full Apple & Android CarPlay, usb-a & usb-c charging and can take and make phone calls.

With all that going on I was then left wondering how I could fit speakers that would allow me to hear all that whilst not cutting big holes in any of the internal panels. After a deep dive into how classic car speakers I came across a website called CEN that sold a single 5”x7” speaker that could do the job (RetroSound Premium Single Triax Speaker 5x7 Inch with Bracket RS-UB1KT 60w RMS). This would give me stereo sound through one speaker, which would allow me to put it in the central console in front of the gear stick, which is where a speaker was originally designed to go in the 60s if it ever had one fitted.

As much as I have dabbled in the car’s electrics before, I considered this beyond my abilities, so I got this all fitted by a professional.

As my MG had never had a radio fitted before, this meant that it didn’t have an aerial either. With all the work put in so far and the fact that it had had a new paint job, I was reluctant to go drilling holes in the bodywork. I then discovered a simple DAB/DAB+ aerial at Halfords that was magnet. So I threaded it under the carpets from just in front of the boots (for best signal and to protect it from the wind when I was driving). Who would have thought that a £11.99 magnet aerial would pick up better than a panel fitted or wind screen fitted one (accorded to the fitter).

https://www.reluxedesign.com/index?gad_source=1&ga

Overdrive

Up until the 1970s overdrive was an optional extra along with a heater and several other things on MGBs, one which the original owner of my car never purchased. However, about 2 years ago I managed to track down and buy an original 3 synchro gear box with overdrive for a secondhand MG specialist in Hampshire (Andy Jennings). It then sat in my garage with great intention of swapping it out with my original non-overdrive gear if or when it broke or the clutch needed changing. As time went by I became less and patient for this to happen.

So in June 2026 I bit the bullet and being a great lover of the TV car restoration programme Car SOS, I enquired where they took there gearboxes for restoration and maybe fitting. This lead me to Harding Engineering in Leatherhead. Not knowing the condition of the overdrive gearbox I asked Hardings to work their magic and completely rebuild it and make it like new. Due to it being over the summer holiday period it was 6 weeks before I got the call to bring my car up to have the gearboxes swapped over. This was not a job I had the courage, space, knowledge or skill to do, no matter how many YouTube videos I watched. I asked them to change the clutch and engine and gearbox rubber bush mountings too while they had the engine and gearbox out. It now runs a lot quieter with less revs on long journeys.

https://www.hardyengineering.co.uk/

(copied with the author's kind permission from here)

Steering wheel upgrade

After doing so much to make the interior look good I felt that one of the main things that I will look at and feel as I drive the car was looking a bit tired. The steering wheel was the original bakerlite and had chipped paint on the central hub.

I started by stripping off the remaining paint on the central aluminium hub. A quick rub down with some wet and dry and it was ready to by resprayed. 2 Coates of primer and 3 Coates of top coat black gloss and it was looking almost new.

I was looking through a magazine and noticed that MGC steering wheels were covered in leather. These steering wheels were identical to my early three spoke MGB steering wheels.

So after falling down a rabbit hole I realised that I could get a DIY kit to upgrade my steering wheel even though it was only supposed to be for MGCs. When it arrived I was a little apprehensive as it was just a strip of leather, some strong thread and a needle. Oh well here goes nothing and after several hours of head scratching, YouTube video watching and many many knot unpicking I was happy with my new upgrade.

After refitting and a quick drive a found that those MGC owners have been keeping a good secret. It felt so much better and easier to grip.

Easier start

I was beginning to get picky and noticed that my MG was sounding rather sluggish on starting, especially after sitting for a few weeks, even though it was plugged into a trickle charger.

Several evenings later I decided to change the battery from 2 6Vs to a single 12V. Upgrade the starter motor (still the original one) to a high torque starter motor and upgrade the dynamo (still the original one) to an alternator.

MGOC Spares sells a complete kit for the battery conversion so that didn’t end up being as daunting as I originally thought. Although it did take the best part of 3hrs.

The starter motor I got from power spark and was a simple 2 bolt plug and play. To be honest I was worried I must have done it wrong it was that easy. The new one is about ⅔rds the size and half the weight, with twice as much start up speed.

The dynamo conversion to alternator I also got from power spark as they do an alternator in an original dynamo case so the it kept its original look, at first glance. The original dynamo when new would have produced about 22amps, on a good day. The new alternator produces 45amps which would now allow me to run better and maybe support a radio. I also had to change the pulley wheel to get the correct ratio for the alternator to work to its best and change out the voltage regulator to make it all work correctly.

Music On The Go

After upgrading to an alternator I thought it would give me enough power on the go to put in a radio, so that those longer journeys would be a little easier. The big question was which radio. After being anal enough to want to keep it looking original-ish under the bonnet I didn’t want to mess it up and put a modern radio in.

Whilst researching how to do other things a came across a company called Reluxe. They were a new start up producing retro looking radios for older cars but with all the aspects that you find in a new car. It has DAB+/FM radio, Bluetooth connectivity, full Apple & Android CarPlay, usb-a & usb-c charging and can take and make phone calls.

With all that going on I was then left wondering how I could fit speakers that would allow me to hear all that whilst not cutting big holes in any of the internal panels. After a deep dive into how classic car speakers I came across a website called CEN that sold a single 5”x7” speaker that could do the job (RetroSound Premium Single Triax Speaker 5x7 Inch with Bracket RS-UB1KT 60w RMS). This would give me stereo sound through one speaker, which would allow me to put it in the central console in front of the gear stick, which is where a speaker was originally designed to go in the 60s if it ever had one fitted.

As much as I have dabbled in the car’s electrics before, I considered this beyond my abilities, so I got this all fitted by a professional.

As my MG had never had a radio fitted before, this meant that it didn’t have an aerial either. With all the work put in so far and the fact that it had had a new paint job, I was reluctant to go drilling holes in the bodywork. I then discovered a simple DAB/DAB+ aerial at Halfords that was magnet. So I threaded it under the carpets from just in front of the boots (for best signal and to protect it from the wind when I was driving). Who would have thought that a £11.99 magnet aerial would pick up better than a panel fitted or wind screen fitted one (accorded to the fitter).

https://www.reluxedesign.com/index?gad_source=1&ga

Overdrive

Up until the 1970s overdrive was an optional extra along with a heater and several other things on MGBs, one which the original owner of my car never purchased. However, about 2 years ago I managed to track down and buy an original 3 synchro gear box with overdrive for a secondhand MG specialist in Hampshire (Andy Jennings). It then sat in my garage with great intention of swapping it out with my original non-overdrive gear if or when it broke or the clutch needed changing. As time went by I became less and patient for this to happen.

So in June 2026 I bit the bullet and being a great lover of the TV car restoration programme Car SOS, I enquired where they took there gearboxes for restoration and maybe fitting. This lead me to Harding Engineering in Leatherhead. Not knowing the condition of the overdrive gearbox I asked Hardings to work their magic and completely rebuild it and make it like new. Due to it being over the summer holiday period it was 6 weeks before I got the call to bring my car up to have the gearboxes swapped over. This was not a job I had the courage, space, knowledge or skill to do, no matter how many YouTube videos I watched. I asked them to change the clutch and engine and gearbox rubber bush mountings too while they had the engine and gearbox out. It now runs a lot quieter with less revs on long journeys.

https://www.hardyengineering.co.uk/

Ideal condition of the true Japanese classic!

Practical part

I found a good second-hand Hormann RollMatic door in full working order to modify my existing garage to be car-port + shorter workshop/storage. The bargain price of 200£ (the new one costs from 1500£ and higher) made them the best option around me to take.

The only obstacles were the need to go 100 miles to pick them up + relatively big size with the length of 2.3 meters and weight of 50 kg + So, I converted my UnExeptional to be a cargo-van again!

When the front seat is removed, there is approx 2.4 meters of loading length available to count towards the floor under the glove box and approx 2.2 meters towards the front panel.

If you want directing the load towards the floor - better to remove the rear seat bench as well, as the backrest is directed upwards when lying on it.

I ended up removing the glove box entirely to allow the fixation hook of the gates to go further and the rear door to be closed.

All-in-all it is a 10 minute job to remove and 10 minutes to put back the front seat. Fuel expenses approx 15£. To hire a small van would cost 90£...

Philosophical part

I'm a skeptical/pessemistic person by nature. But what if not the 4-hour-round journey to buy something I've never seen before from unknown private seller says that my trust in humanity is staying strong!

So, who still needs a big SUV other than to compensate the lack of something else in life? (joking, just joking)

Practical part

I found a good second-hand Hormann RollMatic door in full working order to modify my existing garage to be car-port + shorter workshop/storage. Bargain price of 200£ (new one costs from 1500£ and higher) made them the best option around me to take.

The only obstacles was the need to go 100 miles to pick them up + relatively big size with the length of 2.3 meters and weight of 50 kg + So, I converted my UnExeptional to be a cargo-van again!

When the front seat removed, there is approx 2.4 meters of loading length available if to count towards the floor under the glove box and approx 2.2 meters towards front panel.

If you want directing the load towards the floor - better to remove rear seat bench as well, as the backrest is directed upwards when lying on it.

I ended up removing glove box entirely to allow fixation hook of the gates to go further and rear door to be closed.

All-in-all it is 10 minutes job to remove and 10 minutes to put back the front seat. Fuel expenses approx 15£. To hire a small van would cost 90£...

Philosophical part

I'm a skeptical/pessemistic person by nature. But what if not the 4-hour-round journey to buy something I've never seen before from unknown private seller says that my trust in humanity is staying strong!

So, who still needs a big SUV other than to compensate the lack of something else in life? (joking, just joking)

Spotted at Beaulieu, UK on Simply Japanese day.

Spotted at Beaulieu Simple Japanese day, UK

On Simply Japanese day 2026, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

1973 Mazda RX-4

Spotted this rare RX-4 recently, and the owner’s display board gave it a proper story.

It was supplied new in the UK in August 1973 and is said to be one of only 400 imported by Mazda. Under the bonnet is the original 1152cc 12A rotary engine.

It was recovered and repainted rather than fully restored, with no welding needed to the body or floor. The engine and interior also remain original, with the aftermarket wheels being the main change.

Since being recommissioned in 2007, it has covered more than 20,000 miles and is still regularly driven to shows and track days

1973 Mazda RX-4

Spotted this rare RX-4 recently, and the owner’s display board gave it a proper story.

It was supplied new in the UK in August 1973 and is said to be one of only 400 imported by Mazda. Under the bonnet is the original 1152cc 12A rotary engine.

It was recovered and repainted rather than fully restored, with no welding needed to the body or floor. The engine and interior also remain original, with the aftermarket wheels being the main change.

Since being recommissioned in 2007, it has covered more than 20,000 miles and is still regularly driven to shows and track days.

Adding Some Rugged and Sporty Details to My Celerio

I bought several exterior accessories to give my Suzuki Celerio a slightly tougher, more rugged appearance, with a few subtle sporty details.

The main additions were aftermarket mudguards, rubber protection strips around the lower edges and wheel arches, genuine Suzuki door mouldings, a shorter aerial and a small Japanese flag badge on the rear of the car.

Some of these modifications had a practical purpose, such as protecting the paintwork and reducing the amount of road dirt reaching the sides of the car. Others were mainly about adding more detail and character to the fairly plain white bodywork.

Fitting the Red Mudguards

I bought a set of universal mudguards from Amazon UK for £23. Later, I discovered that very similar sets could be bought from Chinese marketplaces for less than half that price.

The kit came with a selection of fairly universal-looking plastic clips. The mudguards themselves were quite large, particularly the front ones. To make them fit the Celerio properly, I had to cut away more than half of their original length.

I started by partially removing the rear section of the front wheel-arch liner. This was quite straightforward. The original Suzuki plastic push clips can be released with a screwdriver by carefully lifting their central inserts. If removed without damaging them, they can be reused, although the mudguard kit also included replacement clips.

With the liner pulled back, I positioned the mudguard, roughly marked the section that needed to be removed and cut it to shape using a sharp utility knife.

I also added an extra hole through both the mudguard and the plastic liner to create a fourth fixing point. As there was no metal bodywork behind this position, I used a suitable grommet-style fixing to secure it properly.

While the wheel-arch liner was open, I found a collection of dirt and old autumn leaves trapped behind it. This is not a problem unique to the Suzuki Celerio and can happen on many cars, so these hidden areas are worth checking and cleaning occasionally.

I found no visible corrosion, but the dirt was still surprisingly damp despite there having been almost no rain for around a month. It is easy to imagine moisture remaining trapped there for quite a long time.

Once the area had been cleaned, I refitted the liner and secured the mudguard.

The rear mudguards were easier because they did not need to be shortened. Their full width gives the rear of the car a slightly broader and sportier appearance.

One of the original rear-liner fixings was integrated into the plastic rather than being a separate reusable clip. I drilled a new hole through the liner and mudguard and used one of the clips supplied with the kit.

I positioned both the front and rear mudguards with a small amount of outward offset. From a practical point of view, they should reduce the amount of water, dirt and road debris thrown onto the sides of the car. Visually, the extra width and red colour also add a noticeable sporty accent.

I have included the Amazon UK link, although the same or very similar mudguards can usually be found more cheaply on eBay or Chinese marketplaces.

Adding Rubber Protection Strips

The next modification was adding rubber protection strips around the lower edges of the car.

I fitted them around the wheel arches, along the lower edges of the wings, the bottom edges of the bodywork and the lower section of the front bumper.

In theory, these strips help protect the paint from minor knocks, scratches and road debris. In practice, they also allowed me to cover a few existing imperfections in the paintwork and make those areas look neater.

Before fitting them, I thoroughly cleaned and degreased every surface. I also used the same adhesion promoter that I had previously used when fitting additional door-seal protection.

The adhesive backing on the rubber strips was already quite strong, but proper preparation should help them remain attached for longer.

For longer sections, especially on a larger car, it would be sensible to apply masking tape first as a temporary guide. This makes it easier to keep the strip straight and aligned with the surrounding body lines rather than relying only on sight while attaching it.

I fitted the rubber protection at the same time as the red mudguards. The finished combination is quite satisfying to me. It gives the Celerio a slightly more rugged, SUV-like character and adds some extra definition to the otherwise plain white sides of the car.

Fitting Genuine Suzuki Door Mouldings

The largest and most time-consuming part of this exterior update was fitting genuine Suzuki Celerio door mouldings.

The job itself was not technically difficult, but their position needed to be measured carefully.

Surprisingly, genuine Celerio accessories are still available through Suzuki dealerships, even though the model has not been sold new in the UK since around 2020.

Quite a few accessories can still be found, but the official prices remain unusually high. These mouldings, without the optional Celerio badge on the front sections, can still cost around £120 to £140 or more.

It is difficult to understand who would pay that much for an accessory for an older, discontinued city car, especially as the number of these cars still in use will naturally decrease over time.

Fortunately, I found an eBay seller who had several Suzuki parts available and agreed to sell me the set for £30. The packaging was slightly damaged, but the mouldings themselves were in good condition.

I had expected them to be made from hard plastic, but they turned out to be made from a softer, rubber-like material.

I spent some time deciding where to position them. One option was the officially recommended location, roughly around the middle of the doors. The other was to place them lower down, closer to the sills.

I liked both versions, but eventually decided to keep them close to the position intended by Suzuki.

Before attaching anything permanently, I temporarily held the mouldings in place with masking tape. This allowed me to step away from the car and check the alignment from different angles.

Once I was satisfied, I carefully measured and fitted the mouldings on one side. I then used those measurements to reproduce the same position on the opposite side.

The final result, together with the red mudguards and rubber protection strips, can be seen in the photos.

I am pleased with how it all came together. I was slightly concerned that the combination might look overdone or as though I was trying too hard to make the car appear more rugged, but I think the details still work well together and suit the character of the Celerio.

Replacing the Long Aerial

The next addition was much smaller: a replacement aerial.

The original aerial provided a good radio signal, but it was ridiculously long. It looked more like something from a car of the 1980s or early 1990s, or simply like a fishing rod.

Whenever I carried something on the roof rack, particularly bicycles, the aerial would catch against it, move around in the airflow and make various irritating noises.

As I hardly listen to the radio anymore, I decided to replace it with a much shorter version.

These aerials are widely available and usually quite inexpensive. They normally come with several threaded adapters, allowing them to fit many different cars.

The replacement is much shorter and works perfectly well. It is perhaps slightly thicker than I would ideally like, but it suits the car reasonably well and I have no plans to replace it again.

A Small Reference to Japan

The final detail was added shortly before I attended the Simply Japanese event at Beaulieu.

I wanted to add a small reference to the car’s Japanese origins, so I bought a set of Japanese flag badges.

Most of them turned out to be larger and less subtle than I had expected, but one fitted neatly beneath the Suzuki badge on the rear of the car.

It has a small Japanese flag, a chrome-style finish and the word “Japan.”

Together with the discreet cursive “Unexceptional” badge—the nickname I gave the Celerio—I think it finishes the rear of the car nicely without making it look overdecorated.

The Final Result

Individually, most of these additions are quite small. Together, however, they have changed the appearance of the car more noticeably than I expected.

The mudguards add width and a red sporty accent. The rubber strips provide some protection and add more definition around the lower edges and wheel arches. The genuine door mouldings break up the plain sides of the car, while the shorter aerial and small Japanese badge complete the details.

I was slightly cautious that the final result might look too busy or overdone, but overall I am happy with it. The Celerio still looks like a simple and unexceptional city car, but now it has a little more personality, a slightly tougher appearance and a few details that make it feel more personal to me.

More related links and photos are here

Adding Some Rugged and Sporty Details to My Celerio

I bought several exterior accessories to give my Suzuki Celerio a slightly tougher, more rugged appearance, with a few subtle sporty details.

The main additions were aftermarket mudguards, rubber protection strips around the lower edges and wheel arches, genuine Suzuki door mouldings, a shorter aerial and a small Japanese flag badge on the rear of the car.

Some of these modifications had a practical purpose, such as protecting the paintwork and reducing the amount of road dirt reaching the sides of the car. Others were mainly about adding more detail and character to the fairly plain white bodywork.

Fitting the Red Mudguards

I bought a set of universal mudguards from Amazon UK for £23. Later, I discovered that very similar sets could be bought from Chinese marketplaces for less than half that price.

The kit came with a selection of fairly universal-looking plastic clips. The mudguards themselves were quite large, particularly the front ones. To make them fit the Celerio properly, I had to cut away more than half of their original length.

I started by partially removing the rear section of the front wheel-arch liner. This was quite straightforward. The original Suzuki plastic push clips can be released with a screwdriver by carefully lifting their central inserts. If removed without damaging them, they can be reused, although the mudguard kit also included replacement clips.

With the liner pulled back, I positioned the mudguard, roughly marked the section that needed to be removed and cut it to shape using a sharp utility knife.

I also added an extra hole through both the mudguard and the plastic liner to create a fourth fixing point. As there was no metal bodywork behind this position, I used a suitable grommet-style fixing to secure it properly.

While the wheel-arch liner was open, I found a collection of dirt and old autumn leaves trapped behind it. This is not a problem unique to the Suzuki Celerio and can happen on many cars, so these hidden areas are worth checking and cleaning occasionally.

I found no visible corrosion, but the dirt was still surprisingly damp despite there having been almost no rain for around a month. It is easy to imagine moisture remaining trapped there for quite a long time.

Once the area had been cleaned, I refitted the liner and secured the mudguard.

The rear mudguards were easier because they did not need to be shortened. Their full width gives the rear of the car a slightly broader and sportier appearance.

One of the original rear-liner fixings was integrated into the plastic rather than being a separate reusable clip. I drilled a new hole through the liner and mudguard and used one of the clips supplied with the kit.

I positioned both the front and rear mudguards with a small amount of outward offset. From a practical point of view, they should reduce the amount of water, dirt and road debris thrown onto the sides of the car. Visually, the extra width and red colour also add a noticeable sporty accent.

I have included the Amazon UK link, although the same or very similar mudguards can usually be found more cheaply on eBay or Chinese marketplaces.

Adding Rubber Protection Strips

The next modification was adding rubber protection strips around the lower edges of the car.

I fitted them around the wheel arches, along the lower edges of the wings, the bottom edges of the bodywork and the lower section of the front bumper.

In theory, these strips help protect the paint from minor knocks, scratches and road debris. In practice, they also allowed me to cover a few existing imperfections in the paintwork and make those areas look neater.

Before fitting them, I thoroughly cleaned and degreased every surface. I also used the same adhesion promoter that I had previously used when fitting additional door-seal protection.

The adhesive backing on the rubber strips was already quite strong, but proper preparation should help them remain attached for longer.

For longer sections, especially on a larger car, it would be sensible to apply masking tape first as a temporary guide. This makes it easier to keep the strip straight and aligned with the surrounding body lines rather than relying only on sight while attaching it.

I fitted the rubber protection at the same time as the red mudguards. The finished combination is quite satisfying to me. It gives the Celerio a slightly more rugged, SUV-like character and adds some extra definition to the otherwise plain white sides of the car.

Fitting Genuine Suzuki Door Mouldings

The largest and most time-consuming part of this exterior update was fitting genuine Suzuki Celerio door mouldings.

The job itself was not technically difficult, but their position needed to be measured carefully.

Surprisingly, genuine Celerio accessories are still available through Suzuki dealerships, even though the model has not been sold new in the UK since around 2020.

Quite a few accessories can still be found, but the official prices remain unusually high. These mouldings, without the optional Celerio badge on the front sections, can still cost around £120 to £140 or more.

It is difficult to understand who would pay that much for an accessory for an older, discontinued city car, especially as the number of these cars still in use will naturally decrease over time.

Fortunately, I found an eBay seller who had several Suzuki parts available and agreed to sell me the set for £30. The packaging was slightly damaged, but the mouldings themselves were in good condition.

I had expected them to be made from hard plastic, but they turned out to be made from a softer, rubber-like material.

I spent some time deciding where to position them. One option was the officially recommended location, roughly around the middle of the doors. The other was to place them lower down, closer to the sills.

I liked both versions, but eventually decided to keep them close to the position intended by Suzuki.

Before attaching anything permanently, I temporarily held the mouldings in place with masking tape. This allowed me to step away from the car and check the alignment from different angles.

Once I was satisfied, I carefully measured and fitted the mouldings on one side. I then used those measurements to reproduce the same position on the opposite side.

The final result, together with the red mudguards and rubber protection strips, can be seen in the photos.

I am pleased with how it all came together. I was slightly concerned that the combination might look overdone or as though I was trying too hard to make the car appear more rugged, but I think the details still work well together and suit the character of the Celerio.

Replacing the Long Aerial

The next addition was much smaller: a replacement aerial.

The original aerial provided a good radio signal, but it was ridiculously long. It looked more like something from a car of the 1980s or early 1990s, or simply like a fishing rod.

Whenever I carried something on the roof rack, particularly bicycles, the aerial would catch against it, move around in the airflow and make various irritating noises.

As I hardly listen to the radio anymore, I decided to replace it with a much shorter version.

These aerials are widely available and usually quite inexpensive. They normally come with several threaded adapters, allowing them to fit many different cars.

The replacement is much shorter and works perfectly well. It is perhaps slightly thicker than I would ideally like, but it suits the car reasonably well and I have no plans to replace it again.

A Small Reference to Japan

The final detail was added shortly before I attended the Simply Japanese event at Beaulieu.

I wanted to add a small reference to the car’s Japanese origins, so I bought a set of Japanese flag badges.

Most of them turned out to be larger and less subtle than I had expected, but one fitted neatly beneath the Suzuki badge on the rear of the car.

It has a small Japanese flag, a chrome-style finish and the word “Japan.”

Together with the discreet cursive “Unexceptional” badge—the nickname I gave the Celerio—I think it finishes the rear of the car nicely without making it look overdecorated.

The Final Result

Individually, most of these additions are quite small. Together, however, they have changed the appearance of the car more noticeably than I expected.

The mudguards add width and a red sporty accent. The rubber strips provide some protection and add more definition around the lower edges and wheel arches. The genuine door mouldings break up the plain sides of the car, while the shorter aerial and small Japanese badge complete the details.

I was slightly cautious that the final result might look too busy or overdone, but overall I am happy with it. The Celerio still looks like a simple and unexceptional city car, but now it has a little more personality, a slightly tougher appearance and a few details that make it feel more personal to me.

More related links and photos are here

Observation

Skies to be blessed for one famous e-market, where any car-enthusiasts can find plenty of useless but pleasant stuff  for their cars.

UnExceptional

Let's start with the UnExceptional badge. There are plenty of sellers who offers personalised cutting of the metal plates with custom text in variety of sizes.

I chose black metal one, with no coat and now a little bit concern that it might be prone to rust.

The quality is decent, no metal slack and quite thick - approx 3 mm but still quite eased to bend it for the shape of surface you are going to attach it.  Again, I believe it should contain a sticky back side to attach it to the car, but it came without one.

So I tried two types of double-sided sticky tape with one attempt of precise cutting between the letters and failed.

Final and definitive solution was glue-gel. Yes, it was prone to escape narrow surface of the letters and spoiled view a bit (later I'll try cleaning it with glue solvent) but it hold the badge from the first seconds so firmly, that I failed to make final position adjustments. Not terrible, but still it might be much better.

Car door seal protector

Another small addition was door seal protector with Celerio model name. 4 strips, 2 front and 2 rear doors. Their profile was not tailored to the shape completely correct, but size allowed to put them nicely. Material feels quite resistant even though thickness is a bit on a thin side. Adhesive side feels quite sticky.

Installation front side

I like how it is easy to take apart interior in Suzuki Celerio. Most oftenly you need just gently pull panels from one side and clips are letting go with relatively easiness. And it is rare any of them to be broken!

Front decorative doors seal panels better to unclip from the front - just pull and push a bit sideways vertical panel first and then gently pull horizontal one.

The paint on the driver side was already scratched substantially when I bought the car - my suspicions that she was in some sort of local delivery services, as hazard light button sign was worn-off and only driver's seat was seem to be used - everything else was quite new. In addition decorative lid of the boot was absent.

Anyway, the size of covers was enough to hide all the worst bits of scratches. Before applying I washed all the surfaces, dried, washed again with nail varnish to degrease, applied some adhesive activator and carefully attached covers.

Reverse assembly even easier than dismantling - just push all the panels and clips to corresponding hols with gentle force.

Installation rear side

On the rear side, where panels are also easy to remove just by pulling them gently from the front, I discovered paint scratched made by the decorative panels themselves! It is not that uncommon to be honest, with other cars I saw in my life.

And the slight oversize of rear covers came handy - they protected the most of the bear metal which was exposed by plastic panels friction.

Washed - degrees - primer - apply cover - panel back - repeat

Final look

I am quite glad to achieve that result. If not aesthetically but as an additional protection from the potential rust appearance on the damaged paint.

And yes, red elements are matching the same accents on the floor mats and steering wheel and colour of the dashboard.

So not so bad! What do you think?

Keys cover

The final bit - keys cover. Feels like some sort of rubber. Quality is excellent and nice to touch. Plus more pleasant aesthetics than the stock cheap  black plastic. In the future I think of making foldable main key.

There are more photos and links provided - check UnExeptional story here

One MG B story...

One MG B story ... MG B Year: 1967 Convertible

MG  B Year: 1967 Convertible 1800 cc Petrol Gear box: Manual

Owner story:

I bought my car way back in 1994. Back then I used it as my daily driver, through wind and rain, snow and ice. Then in 1999 life took over and it got parked in my mums garage. Fast forward 23years (my car was still parked in my mums garage) and although she made it through Covid, my mum died. I then had a big decision to make as my MG was looking a little tired. Do I sell it or do I start on the long journey of bringing it back to life? I chose the latter.

Day one

With the help of my nephews and a big hammer we managed to free up the wheels and drag it out of the garage. On first inspection I found that it had been a home to many families of mice, who had feasted well on my carpets. We managed to get it onto a trailer and transport it to its new home in my garage down south. So begins the long journey.

Strip down and respray

After many weeks in the garage it was stripped down, flatted and ready to be sent off for a new coat of paint 🥳

Upholstering

Whilst my car was getting a new coat of paint I decided to teach myself how to upholster car seats. They were originally black with white piping and looked past their best. I decided to go bold and change this to red with white piping.

All red

With my seats now transformed from black to red it was time to do the rest of the interior. Go big or go home, so I put red everything to do with the interior, carpets, door cards etc.

Many a long night under the bonnet

With the body work now in fine fettle I set about teaching myself home car mechanics. Tidying up the engine bay, tuning and balancing carbs.

Undo stick/ fitting new wheels

I discovered that my tyres were a little past their sell by date. My right rear tire was made by a company called India tire company back in 1988 !! They were also the original wire wheels that back in 1967 had inner tubes and so weren’t easy to repair if I got a puncture. After long deliberation I decided to change these for a more modern variant by MWS. MWS wheels are made to the original spec but can be fitted without inner tubes. I put on new rubber from a company called Brockley which makes period correct tread tires with a modern rubber compound.

After putting new chrome wire wheels on I noticed that my locking nuts had taken a good hammering over the years and so I replaced those too. With lead hammers not easy to come by (a lead hammer was what was needed to tighten the nuts up ) I decided to go down a rabbit hole of how to tighten up my wheel nuts without damaging them or using a hammer. I found a man in America who produced a device called a “undo stick”. This is an amazing piece of kit and well worth the $90 I paid for it.

https://undostick.com/