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My car had a slightly longer than usual winter hibernation, which is quite shameful, but here we are... Of course it had started raining when I got it out of the garage, so the first stop was self-evident... So much dust and grime accumulated during the winter 
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May 22, 2019 19:26
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For the last two years I've been picking away at my cheap project NB, and I think I'm finally about to throw in the towel. Mechanically it's fine but I keep finding more and more hidden surprises from the 'minor fender bender'. -The passenger side frame rail forward of the subframe is about 1" too long and is bent downward maybe 3-4 degrees. -The passenger side sway bar mount is about 2" forward of the driver side which pinches the sway bar in the bushings. -The bumper (hard plastic/foam) support was cut lengthwise in half, presumably to remove the damaged section -The front cross brace/frame (not sure what to call it - supports the rad, hood latch, and headlights) was insanely twisted and riveted in place, once removed and replaced nothing lines up any more - The fenders were massaged so hard in to place that after removing them I can't for the life of me get them back on with anything even approaching a constant gap - Once the engine was out (doing the water pump, seals, etc) I noticed the entire loving passenger side frame rail had been replaced or reinforced with some box section steel, either that or they wrote "2 3/4in" on it in the factory (later confirmed) - The bumper support/lateral member connecting the frame rails at the front of the car is absolutely trashed. Once the bumper cover, bumper, and rad were off you could see that the entire thing snapped in half, was bent back in to shape then welded back together with a tack the size of an M&M. seriously, I think it'll snap if I hit a pothole too hard. I've finally reached the acceptance stage, I don't think I'll ever be happy with the final result, I *hate* body work, and even if I put a ton of work in I genuinely don't think the car will ever be fully safe to drive. No real point to this rant, I think I'm going to start looking for an NA with tons of miles or engine problems then frankenstein it all together and pretend all of this was on purpose, I'll leave some lessons learned for when looking at potential projects: 1) Look at the fenders - check where they're bolted down for signs that the holes in the fenders have been ovaled/widened. This is a huge red flag - if I'd noticed and understood what it meant at the time I would have realized that none of the stock mount points underneath were lining up properly 2) Turn on the headlights, if one or both are pointing at the moon take a second look 3) Check the paint on the doors - at some point the fenders were pushed far enough back that the door would catch on them when opening then pop free, chipping paint off. 4) Check the hinges on the hood - if they have pristine Mazda part # stickers on them on a 20 year old car ask questions 5) (obvious, but easy to miss if you're excited) Check the gap between fenders & doors on both sides of the car, make sure they're reasonably consistent 6) Don't blindly trust carfax/carproof - this car came up clean except for a windshield claim in 2001 7) Never trust the PO or anything they say, ever
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May 23, 2019 23:00
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No one buys a Miata without the intention to have some fun with it. Always have a professional check it out, its worth the 50-75 most will charge.
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May 24, 2019 00:01
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Nocheez posted:No one buys a Miata without the intention to have some fun with it. Always have a professional check it out, its worth the 50-75 most will charge. 100% This was cheap and rushed so it's on me, and I'm not too mad - I'll do something fun when I find the right deal. The only thing that bugs me is the balls on someone knowingly offloading such a pile of shoddy repairs.
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May 24, 2019 02:16
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I just managed a diff swap in an afternoon by myself. Now with a 4.3 back in, the car feels just right, along with a bump in timing, full exhaust, and the 1.6 clutch and light flywheel.    Also did a coolant reroute, which made me come up with a creative solution for the egr tube.   As previously mentioned, the timing cog was a disaster. Pictured is the result of retapping the crank for the bolt to screw in by hand. I used the good loctite afterwards but this still makes me nervous.  A few more shots, can't wait to run the poo poo out of this car!    
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May 24, 2019 12:59
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Bud posted:Also did a coolant reroute, which made me come up with a creative solution for the egr tube. What did you use to build that contraption? What kind of hose/tube/snake is it, how is the fitting to the exhaust manifold done? I recently coolant-rerouted my NB (2002 1.8 VVT), and just removed and blocked my EGR tube. While it didn't throw any error codes, I'd still like to be able to put it back on if a reason arises. I did a really ugly job bending the stock tube and welding in some extra pipe for the detour needed, but it turned out rather lovely and does not fit too well (gets too close for comfort to heater hose and water temp sensor wire).
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May 29, 2019 09:18
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I'm looking for a roll bar for my 10AE (glass window vinyl top, also have a hardtop), can buy from both US and UK as I live in  ... any recommendations?
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May 29, 2019 11:54
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ionn posted:What did you use to build that contraption? What kind of hose/tube/snake is it, how is the fitting to the exhaust manifold done? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012TPJWX4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - 18 Inch Flexible Gas Line Connector with 1/2 Inch Outer Diameter & 1/2 Inch FIP x 1/2 Inch MIP Fittings Plus a 1/2" compression to MIP adapter from the HD The NB2 exhaust mani is a direct fit (1/2" MIP). Unfortunately mine also comes too close to the heater hose. A guy I race with told me of another solution; cut both ends off the tube, leaving maybe an inch and half of tubing and just join them with high temp silicone tubing. He insists it will hold up.
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May 29, 2019 12:06
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Bud posted:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012TPJWX4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - 18 Inch Flexible Gas Line Connector with 1/2 Inch Outer Diameter & 1/2 Inch FIP x 1/2 Inch MIP Fittings Was that fitting (which I assume has some inch-derived thread) an actual proper fit on the exhaust manifold, or just "close enough to work"? I know there are a couple variations on the thread of the EGR port on the manifold, but mine is definitely M18x1.5 (same as O2 sensor). I guess 16TPI or so would be close enough to thread on a couple of turns, especially if something is tapered. Though making an adapter from christian to heathen threads shouldn't be too hard, really. I can't really find anything like that in Europeland, but I've seen what I think is the same kind of tubing (just much larger dimensions) for water/heating installations, so maybe I can get one made with fittings I can actually find. There are lots of inchie dimensions used here for pipe fittings as well (they've just been given names referring to the closest 5-millimeter dimension), and chances are they match those "iron pipe" ones. Even if the exhaust gases can cool down rather quickly (at least in those situations where anything would actually be flowing through the tube) and the known-good reliability of second-hand sources on internet forums, I still would not use silicone tubing.  Edit: Pondering it further, I think I could just use regular copper pipe (the kind commonly used for water pipes, at least here). It bends nicely and easily, and I can solder on whatever fittings I need on the ends. Ideal would be to use the nut from the old pipe and flare the end of the pipe, solder the stock flange from the other end. It wouldn't be as flexible, but if I can bend it where it needs to go just once it should suffice. ionn fucked around with this message at 20:25 on May 29, 2019 |
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May 29, 2019 17:09
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Wibla posted:I'm looking for a roll bar for my 10AE (glass window vinyl top, also have a hardtop), can buy from both US and UK as I live in Hard-dog is basically the go to name for rollbars in the Miata world as far as I know. I personally have the M2 bar in my car with a hard top and don't have any issues other than my head coming into contact with the top of the bar if I'm sitting in an upright position (I'm also somewhere between 6'2"-6'3" for what it's worth) https://www.flyinmiata.com/1990-05-hard-dog-sport-5632.html Install video: https://youtu.be/pLLzxB-KlfY
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May 29, 2019 20:31
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So I'm pondering buying an old miata next time a wad is burning a hole in my pocket. I'd like to treat it as a project car, however, I've never worked on a car before outside extremely basic maintenance. I am well aware that this is not a "good" idea, but I really want to learn how to do this. Where should I start reading?
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May 29, 2019 21:49
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A first gen Miata, or a second gen, I guess, would make an excellent wrenching car. It's by far the easiest one I've ever worked on. Anything I learned how to do basically started with a YouTube tutorial then just going at it.
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May 29, 2019 22:00
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Head Bee Guy posted:So I'm pondering buying an old miata next time a wad is burning a hole in my pocket. I'd like to treat it as a project car, however, I've never worked on a car before outside extremely basic maintenance. I am well aware that this is not a "good" idea, but I really want to learn how to do this. Where should I start reading? Everything on a na or nb Miata is stupid easy. Forums and YouTube are really all you need and a metric socket set.
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May 29, 2019 22:54
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Diametunim posted:I personally have the M2 bar in my car with a hard top and don't have any issues other than my head coming into contact with the top of the bar if I'm sitting in an upright position Rip you in a rear end collision
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May 30, 2019 00:57
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puberty worked me over fucked around with this message at 07:17 on Jan 4, 2020 |
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May 30, 2019 02:48
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puberty worked me over posted:Do not buy a roll bar for your Miata unless you're willing to wear a helmet every single time you drive the car anywhere. This man has an intact brain.
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May 30, 2019 02:49
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Head Bee Guy posted:So I'm pondering buying an old miata next time a wad is burning a hole in my pocket. I'd like to treat it as a project car, however, I've never worked on a car before outside extremely basic maintenance. I am well aware that this is not a "good" idea, but I really want to learn how to do this. Where should I start reading? If you have sockets in 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, and 17mm, as well as something resembling OKish googling skills, you can dismantle and reassemble a Miata.
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May 30, 2019 02:55
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I was sold until you mentioned the 10mm socket
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May 30, 2019 04:48
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Don Lapre posted:Rip you in a rear end collision We all have our own levels of acceptable risk. The bar being across my head is definitely sketchy. At the very least I've got SFI padding all across the bar and 9 times out of 10 I'm slouched so far down in the stock seat my head rests against the headrest. I need to find an aftermarket seat that will lower me further into the car while remaining tolerable on the road. E: buy a Miata. Do it. Parts are everywhere, the car is deadbeat simple, everything you need is on YouTube. Diametunim fucked around with this message at 05:13 on May 30, 2019 |
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May 30, 2019 05:11
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Head Bee Guy posted:So I'm pondering buying an old miata next time a wad is burning a hole in my pocket. I'd like to treat it as a project car, however, I've never worked on a car before outside extremely basic maintenance. I am well aware that this is not a "good" idea, but I really want to learn how to do this. Where should I start reading? If you're in Houston I'll give you a deal on a 95M
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May 30, 2019 17:13
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I've got an issue with my '90 Miata. I just put the battery back in. It starts after I push in the clutch and turn the key. Once I let go of the key the car immediately dies. Any ideas of what could be the issue? I tried giving it a little gas to keep it running but it didn't work. That has worked in the past before. Any ideas? Edit: I tried again and the car fired up right away. I turned the car off and then tried to turn it back on. It died immediately. Outside of the car, there's a heavy fuel smell after a few tries if that matters. It also has a full tank of gas. mariooncrack fucked around with this message at 02:11 on Jun 1, 2019 |
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Jun 1, 2019 01:59
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mariooncrack posted:I've got an issue with my '90 Miata. I just put the battery back in. It starts after I push in the clutch and turn the key. Once I let go of the key the car immediately dies. Any ideas of what could be the issue? I tried giving it a little gas to keep it running but it didn't work. That has worked in the past before. Any ideas? Complete shot in the dark but some cars of that era will sometimes forget how to run when the battery is disconnected. If that's the case you can probably just get it to run for a bit (extra throttle helps) and it will relearn how to manage on it's own. ...or it could be some other thing.
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Jun 1, 2019 02:45
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Adding a quart of oil to ye olde miata and I spun the cap with such fervor that it spun right off into the bowels of the engine bay and nestled itself between the block and the left side engine mount. Now I have to take the airbox out and the cruise control unit and all this bullshit has me ready to put this fucker on craigslist once I get it all back together.
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Jun 1, 2019 10:55
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BloodBag posted:If you're in Houston I'll give you a deal on a 95M Out of curiosity what would you want for that 95' M? I'm in Austin and have always wanted an NA. On another note, anyone have any advice for removing the bracket mounted to the transmission that holds the rubber + hard line for the clutch slave cyl? I'm trying to put in a new steel line and remove the other bits but the bolts for the bracket are covered by part of the electrical harness and I cannot for the life of me get the harness to move. E: got that stupid bracket! Time to bleed the system. Diametunim fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Jun 2, 2019 |
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Jun 2, 2019 16:59
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Has anyone here tried a supercharged Miata? I'm considering adding the Edelbrock one to my ND and I'm on the fence. It's my only car and even though I don't track it, the possible hit to reliability makes me hesitant. Also it'll be $6-7k installed and I'm not sure if it'll be worth it or if I should just put the money towards another car that's already fast. But I love the car and an extra 50hp would make it perfect.
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Jun 3, 2019 09:55
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I'm on the same fence but a few years away from making the decision. From Miata.net it seems like they're getting (more) reliable all the time and you can work with tuners to get a reliable tune going. I'm with you in that an extra 50 horse power would be awesome, but it's my daily and I need it to work.
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Jun 3, 2019 15:01
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Call your local tuner and ask what they've seen. They'll have the best advice, from experience, and be able to recommend the best course of action based on what you're trying to do. I know a tuner that has a spec Miata race team if you'd like me to give you their number. They're here in Connecticut but they're one of the best.
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Jun 3, 2019 15:04
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Yeah I'm planning to consult with my local shop that has done a lot of FI on Miatas. Seems like the kit is mostly reliable though. The worst thing I've read is a possible coolant leak last year which they've fixed with a revised reservoir. Actually my biggest worry with any kind of FI is blowing my v1 transmission, but I haven't had any trouble so far at stock power and I'm on the highway 90% of the time anyway. My other thought is that the value is not quite there. I bought my (now gone) NA for $2500. I could buy three of those for the price of adding the super. Or I could pay double and get a C5Z that has all the power I could want and not have to risk my daily. Too many options and not enough money.
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Jun 3, 2019 21:48
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https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/d/mount-ephraim-th-anniversary-edition/6896153952.html I want this so bad. Too bad my budget is... half of that.
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Jun 5, 2019 18:10
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Elysium posted:https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/d/mount-ephraim-th-anniversary-edition/6896153952.html Oh my god. Buy it, don't gently caress (mod) it up, drive it on nice days and enjoy the value increasing over time 
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Jun 5, 2019 19:03
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I was thinking about getting a ND but...
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Jun 5, 2019 19:24
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Elysium posted:https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/d/mount-ephraim-th-anniversary-edition/6896153952.html The only thing keeping me from cashing out all my hopes and dreams to go buy that car is that I need to be able to drive my third car in any weather if needed, and that car is way too special to drive down salted roads.
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Jun 5, 2019 20:39
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Has anyone driven the new ND with the extra umph here?
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Jun 8, 2019 18:53
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What do you guys think of this car https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mazda/mx-5-mk3/mazda-mx-5-nc--sprint-competition-or-track-car/9733724 A friend of mine is interested in it so he can do some trackdays along with me. I don't know much about mx-5s but some of the bits seem pretty trick, I mean the Ohlins new are pretty much half of the asking price? The guy had some expensive tillet carbon seats in there but he's going to put the std seats back in. In that case would it be better to just get him to remove the half cage for the time being for some money off and we'll sort out some seats+roll bar stuff instead.
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Jun 9, 2019 23:16
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track day bro! posted:What do you guys think of this car Buy it, drop in some sparco sprints for now while he looks for better long-term seats, don't gently caress with the current half cage etc. And yes, the ohlins are about half the asking price for the entire car + it has a hardtop.
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Jun 10, 2019 00:01
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Well I think that guys flaked out on him, haven't heard anything else since he asked for more pictures of the car. So we might be going with option B which is potentially the cheapest MK3.5 PHRT in the country at the moment instead which is bone stock. With 150k on the clock and a replacement engine fitted by a mazda dealership after a mechanic dropped something in the standard one and killed it. Also it's a 9 hour drive to the arse end of scotland which would be the other reason it's cheap. I think this option would be better to start with for my pal whos current car is a 1.0 Automatic micra.
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Jun 11, 2019 15:01
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I have a line on a super cheap 03 with motor problems (low compression, exact details are unknown) and it just so happens I have a good motor sitting on my garage floor next to a useless chassis (see my sad rambling a few pages back). If the body is as mint as the owner claims I'm considering picking it up, swapping my motor in, then over the winter I'll see what the 03 motor needs, fix it up, then swap it back come the spring (it has about 50,000km less on it). The question is - my floor motor is out of a '99, how much trouble will I be looking at getting it running in the 03? I've been googling about and there are lots of people talking about putting an NB2 motor in an NB1, but nobody going the other way. It sounds like the harness is pretty much the same so would it be as easy as dropping the floor motor in, swapping the ECM (if necessary), and calling it a day? edit: I'm seeing some hints of potential immobilizer issues - don't suppose anyone can chime in on that? edit edit: found some wiring/pinout diagrams - the ECM side connectors are completely different so it's not going to be as easy as I'd hoped Niven fucked around with this message at 12:26 on Jun 12, 2019 |
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Jun 12, 2019 01:29
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I have no idea how, but they did not total the Miata and I'm getting it back next week. Are the OEM hardtops as depreciation-proof as their legend? This ragtop is falling apart and I really don't want to put a 3rd top on it.
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Jun 12, 2019 02:42
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If you buy a hardtop for $1000 you should have no problem getting that back assuming condition does not change. Some countries have started using Miata hardtops as a form of currency.
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Jun 12, 2019 03:22
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| # ? May 26, 2024 18:13 |
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I finally got off my rear end and did it with the help of a friend. It only took blowing up my daily to get the motivation needed. It's getting a rebuild. Used engine sellers were selling engines with too many miles or being super sketchy. So head machining, possible rebore with new rings and back together it goes.
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Jun 12, 2019 06:16
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