The Taurus is gone and the Miata is back. They fixed almost everything on my list and came close on the other two, so I got our car back and will learn to live with a couple of minor imperfections.
The trunk lid is off kilter by just a little. Funny thing is that the gap changes noticeably on one side while it is hardly perceptible on the other side. Is the trunk itself crooked? They bought it through the local Mazda dealer… The thing that worries me the most is the thing that is supposed to reassure me, a sticker on the inside of the lid that says “Mazda.” Like that really confirms it is a genuine Mazda part. After only a month or so with my original Miata in 1989, I got a cracked windshield from rock kicked up by a big truck. The glass replacement guy made a big deal of showing me the little white lettering that said Mazda to prove he was installing an OEM piece of glass. Neither of my subsequent Miatas had that white lettering on the windshield.
They got most of the scratches out of the shift knob, I think after a while I’ll not notice the leftovers. But it is now summertime and each afternoon when I get in the car and burn my hand trying to shift with that hot metal ball I think about getting something different anyway. I wonder if I could get an upholstery shop to cover it with leather? I really like the round shape.
Actually, all in all, it is better than when it went in because they fixed the two small dents and 2 small scratches on the right rear fender. Now that they are through fooling with the car I’ll go ahead and put the replacement Calvin & Hobbes sticker on the bumper.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 178