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I have a 2001 NB. Recently when I'm at a stop light I see steam coming out from under the hood, but the temp gauge is showing normal. I topped off the radiator, but it persists. It stops if I run the heat at full blast with the windows open. Is my thermostat wonky or something? TIA.
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Mar 31, 2012 07:02
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going to look at what has become my dream Miata tomorrow morning, a 2001 SE in british racing green, couldn't be more excited  I've only got maybe 4-5 hours of driving experience with a standard transmission, all in a 5-speed, would adjusting to a 6-speed be much of a problem?
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Mar 31, 2012 07:12
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Solosilent posted:Long shot... but anyone have a 4 wire 1.8L ignition coil in the Scranton, PA area? Mine decided to eat itself on my way home to Massachusetts and now I'm 400 miles from home and I'm pretty sure no one will have one in stock in the morning. I did some googling and this place claims to have one for a 97 in stock http://www.morganhighway.com/. Maybe give them a call?
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Mar 31, 2012 07:33
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8th-samurai posted:I did some googling and this place claims to have one for a 97 in stock http://www.morganhighway.com/. Maybe give them a call? Good call, but a 97 won't work, that's a 3 wire coil. 94-95 have wires from the igniter to run the tach, 95.5-97 don't. But, it seems like the coil might not be bad. After fiddling with the coil and the spark wires and then pulling the fuel pump relay and clearing it a little bit, it appears to be firing on all 4 but just super rich. I'm thinking a fuel injector or two are leaking. I'm going to try pulling the rail in the morning. Thanks for the effort though! 
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Mar 31, 2012 09:06
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Deus Rex posted:would adjusting to a 6-speed be much of a problem? You have to shift a lot more in the 6speed, that's all. <--- 2002 SE 6speed owner. Also, when you go for tires, slap on some 205/50/16 instead of the stock 195/45/16s on there. It's amazing the difference wide summer tires make. Sockington fucked around with this message at 11:52 on Mar 31, 2012 |
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Mar 31, 2012 11:50
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Star spec's on 205/50/15's, holy jesus its like a whole new car. That's coming from something like 10-11 year old chinese all seasons. I've never had a tire where so much dirt sticks to the tread before 
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Mar 31, 2012 17:49
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Welp, the MX-5 that I was going to buy fell through. My friend updated the megasquirt firmware in the car to the latest version and it decided to wipe out the tune on it and he can't find the backups. So, we spent the majority of the day today getting the car to run decently, our first drive around the block resulted in a loving quart of oil being dumped all over the ground. To make matters worse, when I hopped out of the car to make a phone call, a neighborhood cat decided that the passenger seat would make an awesome place to take a piss... I'm going to consider that to be my sign to just forget about this car. There is no way that we will be able to get the car in condition where it can reliably make the eight hour trek back home with me since my friend deploys to Afganistan next week. And I honestly don't have the mechanical skill to be able to get this car into tip-top shape. Here's the list of what has been done it: 4-2-1 headers Megasquirt v2 560cc Injectors new timing belt, oil pump, RMS, starter, clutch, slave cylinder, and probably a few other items Semi-new (used) transmission Semi-new top. The bad: Needs an O2, MAF sensor and an intake. Is leaking oil from some place. It shouldn't be from the oil pan or RMS because those are brand new, but since it can't be driven to my friend's work, we can't figure out what it is. The meh: No A/C or P/S. The P/S pump is still in the car, but it is not hooked up because the mount broke. The interior has been completely detailed, but it is not in the car ATM. (Yes, the cat piss was cleaned up) This would probably make for a good racecar and/or engine swap candidate. The body is straight but has some peeling paint and general wear on it. This also means that I have some brand new wheels and tires sitting 600 miles from where I live that need to go as well. Wheels: http://clarksville.craigslist.org/pts/2933500957.html Car: http://clarksville.craigslist.org/cto/2933500162.html
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Apr 1, 2012 02:16
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The guys running the inspection station today offered to trade me a nice TransAm for my 99 today. I said no, but it was weird hearing someone say 'I'm going to put a LS1 in this car'. Feels good
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Apr 1, 2012 04:31
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You too can own a V8 Miata(With less HP than the stock engine)! http://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/2920843450.html In stock form they were rated between 150 and 200hp in the 1960s. Apparently you can get over 300hp on a modern dyno if you build it up right, but I think he would have mentioned if it was anything more than something he pulled from a parts car.
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Apr 1, 2012 05:32
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Piano posted:Any of ya'll at VIR today? I know that's a silly thing to ask everyone but at the same time there's like 250 miatas here. I was there all day with a Chumpcar.
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Apr 1, 2012 18:35
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 Turned out that the radiator thermoswitch was lazy and my radiator fan wasn't running anywhere near top speed when engaged. I put that down to the earth problem the car had for a while. Replaced radiator as the old one was full of crud, flushed the rubbish out of the block with a hose, buttoned the whole thing back up again then blew the waterpump seal with a final pressure-test 
meltie fucked around with this message at 19:54 on Apr 1, 2012 |
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Apr 1, 2012 18:42
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Better to blow it on a test than out in the middle of nowhere. Just replace the water pump and timing belt, it's an easy job.
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Apr 1, 2012 19:04
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leica posted:Better to blow it on a test than out in the middle of nowhere. Just replace the water pump and timing belt, it's an easy job. Yeah, I know. It's just a drag it all happened at once. The car's been off the road for a month now with various odds and sods going on. We did the WP and belt last weekend, this week i've been too grumpy at the car to really do much to it - the thermostat cover has been weeping since we put it back together. Oh, that reminds me, the PO put a cheap thermostat in, it warms up much quicker now with a new Mazda stat back in it. I've cut a new gasket for it and re-sealed it today; I just want to drive the drat thing whilst England still has some sunshine!
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Apr 1, 2012 19:52
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test-drove a 5-speed NA earlier tonight, my first ever drive in a Miata. hoooooooly poo poo, I had so much fun taking it around corners I forgot to even ask about the rear diff. I'm pretty sure it's not the Torsen, so I can only imagine what driving one with an LSD would be like  I also couldn't believe how easy it was to pull off smooth gear changes, and that the clutch pedal wasn't pushing back with tons of force. I guess it really is best to learn clutch control and shifting on a bad car, so you can truly appreciate driving the good ones 
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Apr 2, 2012 08:11
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So I got a good deal on a track training day, and I will need a roll bar if I want to drive my miata. A friend of mine wants to sell me his hard dog M1 bar for $300. My worry is that I sit pretty high in the miata. I dont think id pass the broomstick test. The car is a 95M so I'd hate to foamectomy it and ruin the seat. Is the foamectomy and/or bolting my seat to the floor my only options? Also this is a DD, what sort of high density impact foam should I wrap the bar in? I was recommended dual density impact foam. EDIT: Also how bad of an idea of an idea is it to run some 680 tread wear rating all seasons? As in would that be dangerous? Im not looking to set lap records, just get some track time. Track would be Carolina Motorsport Park.
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Apr 2, 2012 21:58
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You got in on the Groupon, good deal. If you really wanted to, I'll sell you my stock 94 seats. The driver has a mild foamectomy, and you can cut out more if you wanted. It also has a set of Blauplankt speakers in both of the headrests. The all-seasons will be destroyed on the shoulders, and it might be a bit loose as well.
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Apr 2, 2012 22:05
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How tall are you? I tried cutting into the foam on my seat and it didn't do much (I'm 6'1") I had to get racing seats and bolt them to the floor, removing the rear humps. Then, I hated getting in and out of the car and sold it.
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Apr 2, 2012 23:43
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There is a decent chance that your all seasons will chunk and be destroyed. If you do use them just take it easy and don't push them too hard. What brand/style are the tires? Also invest in a somewhat agressive pad. With all seasons and a first time driver HP+s would likely be fine. If you stick with it you'll quickly outgrow them and will need a real track pad.
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Apr 3, 2012 00:21
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craig588 posted:My car developed a weird security "feature": It will not crank unless the heater fan is set to off. I checked the battery,starter and alternator connections and those are all secure. I guess the next thing would be seeing if the starter's actually getting full power with a multimeter, but that doesn't seem like the easiest thing to do so I was hoping there was a power distribution bus I could poke at to see if anything's loose there. An update on this. I went through and checked the ground points and they all seemed fine too, so I just lived with it for a while. Then it started happening even when the fan was set to off and I saw a brand new NB starter on sale so I figured it's a good excuse to swap it out. I know everyone says the NB starter is lighter, but the difference when I held both of them was surprising. Now it cranks up reliably no matter what. I guess my solenoid was just right on the edge of failing and the slight change from the fan was enough to go between working and dead for a little while.
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Apr 3, 2012 02:11
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For those of you who couldn't attend Miatas at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend, you missed out big time. Racing in the pouring rain was amazing (and poop-inducing).
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Apr 3, 2012 03:39
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Just took my 1991 NA out of storage. Battery was alive enough to beep, but not start. I guess I forgot to disconnect it over the winter! My Honda Fit's battery doesn't have enough cranking amps to get it started so I push started it down a hill. That was fun. Need new ('OEM like') battery, plugs and wires, oil change. Shop quoted me 'under' $375 for parts and labor. Seems reasonable enough to me, is this a fair price? Second, I want to purchase new tires but I have no idea where to start. I'm reading stuff on the miata.net forums but there is a lot to absorb. The ones recommended in the miata.net FAQ don't seem to be produced anymore. Is there a 'go to' for grippy tires on the NA stock wheels? This is purely a weekend dry weather car. Tirerack gives an amazing two options for my size wheels that aren't all seasons. The Yoko AVS ES100 and Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec. Are the Dunlops worth the $160 premium? Considering this is a toy car and I'm probably a terrible driver, the Dunlops aren't terribly convincing. Edit: forgot to include oil change in the quote horse_ebookmarklet fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Apr 3, 2012 |
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Apr 3, 2012 03:47
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NotHet posted:Need new ('OEM like') battery, plugs and wires. Shop quoted me 'under' $375 for parts and labor. Seems reasonable enough to me, is this a fair price? None of that is hard at all, plugs and wires on the 1.6 are ridiculously easy. Estimates: NGK Blue wires: ~35 NGK plugs: ~10 Battery: ~110 Plug socket if you don't have one: ~3 Time: 30 minutes, tops So round up to 175 in parts, leaves $200 for labor is ridiculous.
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Apr 3, 2012 04:02
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Ooops, I forgot to list an oil change as well.
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Apr 3, 2012 04:24
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NotHet posted:Ooops, I forgot to list an oil change as well. That's only like $20.
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Apr 3, 2012 04:28
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Phone posted:You got in on the Groupon, good deal. DreamOn13 posted:How tall are you? I tried cutting into the foam on my seat and it didn't do much (I'm 6'1") I had to get racing seats and bolt them to the floor, removing the rear humps. Then, I hated getting in and out of the car and sold it. Im 5'11" but sit pretty high for how tall I am. FatCow posted:There is a decent chance that your all seasons will chunk and be destroyed. If you do use them just take it easy and don't push them too hard. What brand/style are the tires? My tires are BFG Touring T/As. I dont plan on tracking the much yet, I mostly am doing autocross. Ill be starting grad school soon so money will be short. Ill be looking at HP+ when it comes time for new pads though, I hear good things.
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Apr 3, 2012 04:32
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beatdown posted:None of that is hard at all, plugs and wires on the 1.6 are ridiculously easy. Yea do it yourself. Nothing difficult there, just don't cross-thread your spark plugs. Dunno where you're located but Advance Auto has a miata replacement battery for ~$105, a bit easier to stomach than the ~$140 for an AGM. I need to do mine as well and I just got a coupon for $10 off for advance in the mail. Yay.
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Apr 3, 2012 15:25
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NotHet posted:Tirerack gives an amazing two options for my size wheels that aren't all seasons. The Yoko AVS ES100 and Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec. Are the Dunlops worth the $160 premium? I used to have AVS ES100's on a different car and I loved them, but keep in mind that those are closeout specials on tirerack, and it says they are 2007 manufacture, so they're already 5 years old. I don't know how tire rubber handles long-term storage, can anyone weigh in here? I've heard you should replace tires around 6 years even if they still have tread left, but I don't know that I've ever gotten that long out of a pair of tires before so I've never encountered that situation. Also that's 6 years of driving and exposed to UV, temperature changes, and weather, not storage in a warehouse.
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Apr 3, 2012 16:11
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Sadi posted:My tires are BFG Touring T/As. I dont plan on tracking the much yet, I mostly am doing autocross. Ill be starting grad school soon so money will be short. Ill be looking at HP+ when it comes time for new pads though, I hear good things. How old are the tires? I did two autocross events and my tires went from okay lovely old all seasons to destroyed shoulders and scary to drive. I put my winters on immediately after the last autox because of how bad the all seasons were. Mine were like 9 years old though. Ive got star specs now, and they're wonderful.
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Apr 3, 2012 17:35
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TrueChaos posted:How old are the tires? I did two autocross events and my tires went from okay lovely old all seasons to destroyed shoulders and scary to drive. I put my winters on immediately after the last autox because of how bad the all seasons were. Mine were like 9 years old though. Ive got star specs now, and they're wonderful.
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Apr 3, 2012 17:37
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You can check the date code on the sidewall, that will tell you the manufacturing date.
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Apr 3, 2012 17:39
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Ahhhhh! This is ridiculous. I own 3 miatas right now:  1. '92 Sunburst - Daily driver, love it 2. '93 LE turbo - Track Car 3. '99 I bought with damage, not quite done fixing it as I've been busy with my house. My Sunburst is pretty much exactly the car I want to drive every day. I do need to install a new top (already got it) and a torsen (got it), it's otherwise perfect mechanically and in every sense of 'fun to drive.' I love that it's slow, I love the balance with the suspension setup, etc etc. However, it's in poor shape cosmetically: -Front End was repainted 5 years ago after a minor altercation with an animal (this is good except it doesn't match) -Right door and quarter panel were repainted poorly and are peeling clearcoat badly -Left Quarter Panel was hit and run (creased) -Whole car is covered in hail damage Enter Sunburst #2. It's bone stock, 135k miles, well maintained, comes with a hard top, and is clean cosmetically. Being offered to me for $3000 by a friend. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v89/meblaise/Yellowmiatatopless.jpg Somebody tell me I'm completely insane for considering buying this and swapping all my goodies (lights, sound system, suspension, brakes/tires) and putting my new top and torsen on this instead and selling my current sunburst. That would be four miatas ahhhhh 
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Apr 3, 2012 18:16
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You would probably end up with a nicer car and a little bit of change in your pocket after selling yours. It isn't *that* crazy.
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Apr 3, 2012 19:05
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Phone posted:You got in on the Groupon, good deal. You willing to ship those seats? My seats are fairly trashed.
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Apr 3, 2012 20:01
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My passenger is doing fairly well, the driver is a bit used... as in the foam isn't nearly as spring/form-fitting as the passenger, but no tears on the seats whatsoever. What zipcode?
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Apr 3, 2012 20:04
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98801 PM me the info so we don't shite up the thread.
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Apr 3, 2012 20:18
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Well today I got my Flyin' Miata clutch kit installed thanks to a friend who takes automotive classes at school with access to a bay and lifts. Sweet lightweight flywheel  Manly pink clutch The car feels so different now, and I love it. I can't wait to get past this break-in period so I can play with it!
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Apr 4, 2012 03:59
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I just wanna say that the Sensa-Trac shocks the PO put on my car are loving horrible. Kinda sucks because I'm not gonna be able to afford to replace them any time soon 
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Apr 4, 2012 06:02
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Hey guys i've got a pretty bad misfire/ rough running that people from outside the car said makes it "Smell like gas". I changed the spark plugs and wires recently (oil and water were getting on top of the spark plugs), what other troubleshooting should i do?
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Apr 4, 2012 06:07
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mattdizzleZ28 posted:Hey guys i've got a pretty bad misfire/ rough running that people from outside the car said makes it "Smell like gas". I changed the spark plugs and wires recently (oil and water were getting on top of the spark plugs), what other troubleshooting should i do? Any check engine lights? I'd check your VC gasket to see if it's leaking into the spark plug wells. Test your coil to make sure it's still good. Check ignition timing, too.
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Apr 4, 2012 11:54
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| # ? Jun 5, 2024 09:12 |
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Its got a CEL (OBD-II car, it keeps throwing codes for neutral switch, but i havent had this one checked). Im on my third valve cover gasket, and i went to the stealership for this part just to be sure.
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Apr 4, 2012 13:59
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