Am I the last to see this Miata mod?

First of all, sorry about the lack of a picture for this.

Second, since I can't (easily?) fit into a 1st or 2nd gen. Miata, my interest in them is not quite as great as the interest others here have, so maybe this has been around awhile....and I've just not seen it before?

Yesterday afternoon, while driving in my neighborhood, I saw a 1st gen. Miata coming towards me that while it was red, had "something" going on with the headlight doors(?). At first, I thought somewhere along the line someone had covered the doors with that chrome-like sheeting that you often see attached to the lower part of the door on older cars. What a "novel" idea, chroming a horizontal panel of your car. But as the Miata in question got closer, I could see that it wasn't chrome, but now looked more like someone had scrapped the red paint that should be there...off. Sanding / scrapping the paint almost to the bare metal. THEN, when it got right up close / opposite me in traffic, I could see that the "doors" were CLEAR PLASTIC and under them / behind them were 2 projector-style light bulbs (on each side, tho I couldn't really see the passenger side. In other words, these plastic panels and projector-style lights were in place of the "pop-up" panel and somewhat large headlights. In this mod, the panels were fixed in place, as were the lights.

Has anyone else seen this before, or am I the last person to see these after all others?

Flush mount mods have been around for a long time.

mndsm wrote: Flush mount mods have been around for a long time.

Yes. And they're always ugly.

You're the last

It's a common mod for pop-up light cars. It gives you the lights-closed low drag even when you're using your lights, and reduces weight. Downsides are that you usually don't get a great light pattern...and doesn't look as cool IMO

Some are better than others. I'm a big fan of the Bodyshop Hayashi flush mounts....

Have fun finding a set, though.

They raise up in the back when on so you can actually, you know... see.

And here's video. I want a set pretty badly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvByOsxgTKo#at=27

In reply to Swank Force One:

Those are hawt. I want some for my 240SX.

I don't get it. I like pop-up headlights. My kids LOVE to watch them pop up.

Bodyshop Hayashi has built some interesting Miatas/Roadsters. But as you said, good luck finding that stuff (unless you get lucky like the one guy in the UK on CR who went to look at a Roadster, only to find that it was a full Bodyshop Hayashi car, less the correct wheels and hot engine).

DrBoost wrote: I don't get it. I like pop-up headlights. My kids LOVE to watch them pop up.

they kill the aero when they pop up, and they make the car look stupid when one of them gets stuck half way..

Yeah, 'cause you need all that aero on the way to work. And the mall, and the parts store and....

DrBoost wrote: I don't get it. I like pop-up headlights. My kids LOVE to watch them pop up.

+1 This is exactly why I'll be getting whooped on in E Stock/Street next year. My kids would never let me trade the NA for an NB because it doesn't come with pop up lights.

The flush lights are a functional downgrade with questionable aesthetic qualities. Stick with the big round reflector.

The Atomic Hairball came with flush-mounts, although the covers had long ago gone missing.

To me, the drawbacks are the fact that I miss my pop-ups, and as others have mentioned, the light pattern is less than ideal. Straight-ahead is fine, but if you enjoy seeing objects that may be at the sides of the road, stick with the barn doors.

Since this car is obviously not about aesthetics, they do have a couple positives. A bit less weight on the nose of the car, and without the plastic covers, I'm not really worried about getting enough air to the engine.

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Once the louvers are installed in the hood, it should also help lower engine-bay temps.

You will pay out your ass for those lights...if you can even find them.