deevergote : 1990 Mazda Miata

[gloryaccordy]

Congrats man, should be a blast. I still dream of Exocets

[lbus9168]

Chop the springs

[deevergote]

Please don't flip it Those old NA and NB Miatas without roll hoops scare me.

A proper roll bar might be in its future. It has the usual convertible highway wobble, so I'm not opposed to anything that will add rigidity... and a good roll bar will do that, as well as protect me somewhat in a rollover!

Needs more stance.

Needs more STFU.

Congrats Mike, looks to be an awesome base to sit on or modify eventually. The Japanese cluster is also nice (reminds me of the honda). When are you getting a hardtop for it? :P have fun & stay safe

and thats crazy NJ people cant pump their own fuel

I do really want a hard top. They're $800-$1000 for half-decent ones, so it'll be a while before I bother with that expense! The soft top is thankfully in great shape.

The no self-serve in NJ is strange. I didn't realize how strange until I began venturing out of state. AccordWarrior had to teach me how to pump gas the first time I drove up to visit him in MA!

some good tires and it should be a great track day car

The previous owner had it set up for autocross, so it already has a decent suspension, chassis braces, sway bars, and some very nice Kumho tires (I'm not a fan of Kumho in general, but I never got their higher end summer tires!) As is, this thing is already set up to be pretty competitive on the autocross course, without sacrificing a bit of daily drivability. It's exactly how I wanted it!

Looks like you found a rare gem. 1990 with only 65k...

Everything done to it is very tasteful.

On the topic of gas pumps, I don't know which states are like that but Oregon is another state that doesn't allow you to put fuel in your vehicle yourself. I recently traveled to Vancouver WA and was fueling up at night not aware of the law and had a gas station attendant get pretty "concerned" we shall say.

Again, looks great Mike. You got lucky. Big score on this one.

Thank you, sir! I think NJ and OR are the only two that don't allow self-serve. It's really weird, and annoying once you get used to doing it yourself. I prefer pumping my own now!

I definitely got a good car. The previous owner took great care of it, and aside from the coilovers, he did pretty much all the mods I'd have wanted to do myself (and I don't hate the coilovers... I'm just not a big coilover guy, and I don't know where Flyin Miata sources their stuff!)

Relevant.

I'm totally putting that song on a tape (yes, a tape) so I can recreate that scene.

Chop the springs

It's got dem kerlovurz!
It's actually running NB springs in back, because the springs for the NA dropped it too low for the previous owner's liking.

[F22Chris]

I want to see pics of under the car.

[deevergote]

I'll get some... as soon as my fat old ass can get down that low!

[Fleetw00d]

I'll get some... as soon as my fat old ass can get down that low!

When I sold our Lincoln, I took it to a local tire shop and talked them into putting it up on a lift so I could take pictures of the underside (no charge but I left a tip).

Congratulations on the wedding and the car!

[deevergote]

Painted the lower portion of the replacement fender so it matches the rest of the car. Came out pretty good!




Next project: add bluetooth functionality to the original head unit, as described in this thread.
I'm probably going to look into doing it to the factory CB7 head unit as well. It could be a cool mod for anyone that doesn't want to lose the original interior appearance!

[F22Chris]

Who in their right mind would spray paint a perfectly good car?...

Looking good, sir. Got any more pictures?

[deevergote]

It's Plastidip!

I haven't been able to get any really good pictures yet, but I just added some to the second post here.

[HappyGilmore]

*Waits for Mike to put CB7Tuner sticker on his Miata*

[Raf99]

*scratches head...* , I was certain I posted a reply in here prior...

[deevergote]

Maybe in my other thread in OT... that tended to become mainly about the car.

[deevergote]

I did werk!
Got my hands dirty for the first time on the Miata. Changed the transmission and differential fluids. Used Mobil1 LS synthetic gear oil for the diff, and Motorcraft XT-M5-QS fluid in the transmission. Both are considered to be some of the best fluids on the market.
I hope I did it correctly. The diff didn't take the full quart, but it was definitely pouring out of the fill hole! I'm going to finish cleaning it up tomorrow and keep an eye out for leaks.

[Fleetw00d]

I did werk!
I hope I did it correctly. The diff didn't take the full quart, but it was definitely pouring out of the fill hole! I'm going to finish cleaning it up tomorrow and keep an eye out for leaks.

Like riding a bike!

I just did brakes (rotor/hubs, calipers, pads, parking brakes) at all four wheels and rear axle hub seals (have to take hubs off to do parking brakes) of my 99 Ford E350 - the differential is supposed to take 4 liters, I got most of 4 quarts in it even after tipping it to both sides to get fluid out to the hubs.

I've been resisting the urge to stop at a local Meineke Shop where there is a Miata that has been sitting for a while and see what's up with it - just what I need, another project.

[deevergote]

Can't have too many projects! (ok, time, money, energy, and budget can limit projects... but the desire remains!)
I'm loving my Miata. It's a bumpy little beast. I'm seriously contemplating ditching the coilovers in favor of some Bilsteins and quality springs (a 1" drop isn't bad... I think that's about what I have now.) The coilovers rattle, and it makes me feel like i'm driving a bucket.
Still, it's been SO easy to work on. The only weird socket sizes I've needed have been for the differential (23mm fill plug, 24mm drain plug) and transmission (24mm drain plug, square 14mm fill plug.) Everything else is standard. The center console is held together by 10 of the same screw... no weird sizes like the CB7 that you have to remember. All the same. So easy!
It's not a refined vehicle, though it's well-built. I'm really looking forward to getting the damaged bits (bumper, headlight covers, etc...) replaced and getting the whole car repainted. I don't want to sink too much into it, but I think a couple thousand bucks will make it practically perfect. Having the Miata and the Cadillac in my driveway gives me the best of both worlds. Current needs = met.