thanks for the comments and pointers guys
sgtmattie - yes, the hood is also a bit up toward the windshield... tried adjusting this a while back but coulnd't get it flush - I'll give the
headlight tug a try later on in the week
Fritchard: I got the car about a year ago... I think I'm the 5th or 6th owner... there is also no "miata" on the front bumper so it seems it was repainted sometime back - there was red paint coming off on the pad at most stages of the detailing... so seems like a 1 or 2 stage paint job with no clear coat - though it must not have been a cheap cheap job since the paint hasn't peeled or anything yet... and I'm not sure how many years it's been on