WINDSHIELD WIPER DELETE

Before my purchase, I determined to find a very well-cared for example, and give it equal care, and keep it until it's basically antique (and I will be too, by that time). That means keeping it out of the rain. I just don't want all that defilement mucking up the underside of my car! The original owner of this car had driven it in the rain once while he owned it, and then the day he drove it to work when I bought it from him, it was in the rain once more.

My rule is: never drive it locally on days when rain is possible, but go ahead and take it on trips, and if I get caught in the rain on a trip, so be it. I do want to enjoy having the car after all.

Then I noticed a fellow-member's comment on the forum mazda-speed.com, talking about how much nicer the view out the windshield was when he temporarily had the wipers off for a day. And wow he was right! Further, I'd used Rain-x a lot, and was completely comfortable relying on it alone for the few days I'd ever end up in the rain, so.....

That's right, my car is now wiperless! And looks great.

Having removed the wipers, I was then confronted with the bright bolts and plastic surround that stick up where the wipers mounted. Well, that doesn't look good. I needed to cap them with something that would fit perfectly, and not look like some garish add-on -- like the end of the actual wipers, for example. So I got a couple wipers from a Miata salvage company (partsgroup.com), and cut off the end pieces that cap those bolts, and mounted them. Kept my original wipers in case I ever decide to put them back on.


visible here: the cut side, pointed down toward the engine bay

From the driver's seat, I really like seeing the contours of the hood that had been partially obscured by the wipers, and the view of the car from the outside is great too. It just looks much cleaner inside and out!