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kimbo305 posted:S. Tanaka: "When we were fighting over the [complex and expensive design of the] tail lamp, I never thought it would be accepted as a piece of art. When I was asked by the curator of MOMA what was the most memorable part of the car, I answered: 'The entire car is, of course, but if you ask for a specific part, then it is the tail lamp.' The curator said: 'I agree. Because of this tail lamp, we do not want the whole car, just the tail lamp. The whole essence of the car is concentrated in the tail lamp.' This is incredible and has absolutely convinced me to buy an MX-5. 
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Nov 19, 2009 03:09
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I'm going to have a final look at an NB series 1 tomorrow with a mechanic friend of mine. If all goes well I should be a proud owner by the end of the week.  I've had an RACQ inspection done, and the only troubling things mentioned on the report are: "Oil wetness - clean and rectify source" I assume this would be typical of a car this age? "roof latches faulty.Do not lock in place". I didn't notice this before - I'll look at it tomorrow. "Non standard exhaust manifold fitted" - This won't affect anything (apart from my insurance premiums) right? it's done 170,000km and he wants AUD 10,800 for it. Does it sound ok? Are there any major pitfalls I'm missing?
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Nov 24, 2009 10:31
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Well I bought a black 1998 NB a few days ago. My first car purchase (after two crappy hand-me-downs) It's lots of fun to drive. Still learning manual though :P Pictures will come soon. Here is a list of crap to fix (for my own records mainly)
I'm sure there's more. I'll post pictures as I progress. I think it'll be slow going though; having too much fun driving it around 
Granite Octopus fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Dec 2, 2009 |
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Dec 2, 2009 04:01
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Yeah I think mine was coming from a small hole (you can just see it in the centre of that pic) which leads up underneath the parcel shelf. I think water couldn't get down the drain tube so was filling up underneath the parcel shelf and running out of that hole I poured water all over the boot and the tail lights and it was all good, and that small hole had wetness around it, so that's still my hypothesis 
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Dec 3, 2009 02:43
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televiper posted:General question/musing: what is up with the Miata not having adjustable intermittent wipers? Every other car in the current line-up has it, and (according to a salesman at a local Mazda dealer who is also a miata lover) the MX-5 currently shares the same computer as the RX-8, and that swapping in the wiper stalk from the RX-8 will give you adjustable intermittent. I did this, it works. the gently caress? this has annoyed me greatly with my '99, but christ, a car built in 2009 without intermittent wipers? Incidentally, is it at all possible to do the same trick and get intermittent wipers in my 99 (NA)? rx parts again perhaps?
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Jan 5, 2010 10:36
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Atomizer posted:Plus, I know that the car really shouldn't drive like that. I might have this same problem... (98 NB), though I have only been driving stick for about 4 months now, so it could still be operator error. I'm going to have a listen for the clack this arvo.
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Feb 5, 2010 03:28
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buzzomatic posted:How about putting some 8" two way speakers in the door? Powered by a good amp, you should have enough bass to satisfy anyone. this is what I'm going to do. Focal make some very nice 8" coaxials. They go down to 50 real hz i haven't found any other manufacturers of 8" drivers in Australia 
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Mar 2, 2010 13:29
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Weinertron posted:Are you glad you did it? Worth fixing my torn as hell shift boots? Going into 5th / reverse is really lovely for me, but I'm never going to be shifting hard into those gears so I can most definitely live with it. This was one of the first things I did on my 99. Turret fluid was very dirty and cloudy. I also did the trans fluid as well. For me it didn't really make much difference at all. I haven't replaced my boots yet, though I can't see how they would help much.
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Mar 21, 2010 01:35
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Phone posted:I also painted my wiper blade arms so now I'm cool as gently caress. Hey cool buddy  I re-painted mine last weekend, as the paint was all flaking off. They look stock now. Just got some matt black Dulux rattlecan. I only had a few shreds of sandpaper left so if you look closely you can still see the edges of the old chipped paint, but for someone who sucks at painting I reckon they turned out pretty well. My only worry was how durable it would be, but considering it's been out in the weather all week they still look great.
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Apr 18, 2010 04:04
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I use white lithium grease in a spray can. I think I read about it either here or on miata.net. I used to use wd40 on everything
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Apr 20, 2010 06:14
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Could it be something belt related? Maybe it can't "keep up" at high rpms? e:fb.
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Jul 20, 2010 23:07
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Guinness posted:That was one of my thoughts. I said it kind of sounds like it's coming from the rear of the car, but considering it's a convertible with almost no sound-deadening and going WOT, that could be totally deceiving. Next time I'm out for a drive I'll try to pay extra special close attention to where it's coming from. I can't test at a stand-still since if I rev it to the limiter in neutral it doesn't put any real load on the drivetrain and doesn't make the sound - however that definitely does not rule out slipping belts under high load. I will try to investigate further. YOu could try simulating it at low speed by putting the air con on high, moving at very low speed and turning lock to lock (putting strain on the ac compressor and power steering system). Load up the electrical system as well by turning on the blower, high-beams, defroster etc
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Jul 21, 2010 05:48
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poisoned pie posted:Some footage of my car from the last round here: That looks like a lot of fun. I wish there was an autox track near me
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Aug 2, 2010 09:32
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Mine isn't broken... Is it just the yellow plastic that snaps off at the base?
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Sep 6, 2010 03:29
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Tactical Bonnet posted:The way to work today, my head unit decided it wasn't going to tolerate my cassette adaptor anymore. Can anyone recommend a good(dirt cheap) head unit with aux in, maybe a USB port, as well as a decent dash kit with a stuff bin? In an ideal world the total for head unit+dash kit is <$100. What about one of the mini amplifiers, just running a 3.5mm to 2x RCA cable to the inputs? You won't get a radio, but it will probably sound better, and is far less tempting for thieves.
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Nov 14, 2010 23:29
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Not interested in a windscreen mount?
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Dec 1, 2010 12:07
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Phone posted:He couldn't understand why it's in MOMA. Perhaps it was a carefully executed artistic statement? The fragility of all that we find beautiful.
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Dec 5, 2010 09:03
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I've started seriously considering painting the stock wheels on my '99. I don't really like any aftermarket wheels (or want to spend any money) but want something a bit different. Car is black, so I'm thinking black wheels. Would white look stupid?
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May 29, 2011 09:30
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Wow, they look really good. Guess I should have clicked one page back in the thread  I'd probably need to get them done professionally, as I don't really have a garage or anywhere to spray anymore
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May 29, 2011 12:56
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IOwnCalculus posted:The only other '99-specific issue I can think of is the fuel filler issue, but almost all of them have had it fixed as far as I know. If you encounter it, get familiar with spending a lot of time at the gas pump filling it up a tenth of a gallon at a time. This is infuriating, but I at least know which pumps nearby exhibit the problem less, and I've figured out that if you angle the hose towards the back-left corner of the car it happens far less often. Yep, too lazy to really fix it :P
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Jun 25, 2011 02:18
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I was wondering when that would show up in here... I cried a little E: Oh god there's an eMac in the foreground! This is pretty much the most traumatic picture ever captured.
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Aug 9, 2011 12:45
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That looks really clean, and sounds like you're on top of maintenance. And don't apologise - NBs need to represent!
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Aug 25, 2011 13:22
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So I went on a little road trip from Melbourne to Brisbane last week (2300km / 1500 miles) Unfortunately, in my quest to find interesting backroads along the way, I ended up on a logging track used only by huge semi-trailers. Victoria had a lot of rain the previous week and washed a lot of the roads away (I had no idea this happened) so there were a lot of gravel roads that consisted of only sharp rocks. It was fine until I came across the first bit of mud. I got through it, but it was deeper than the ride height of my car. Fortunately I mashed the Loud pedal quickly enough to get enough momentum to make it through. It was at this point I realised how stupid I am. Here I was, at least 2 hours drive from the nearest paved road, in my stupid little sports car, trying to cross terrain only used by heavy vehicles, at the start of a weekend. (I wouldn't see another car or house for 80km) and mobile reception had disappeared about an hour ago. I prayed there would be no more mud. There was more. Much more. I spent most of my time going sideways through it and trying not to slip off the edge of the road or into the cliff face on the other side. This went on for another 3 hours and about 80 km. Gravel gravel gravel, holy poo poo mud, grave gravel, gently caress more mud, gravel gravel etc. Through absolute sheer luck I made it through. All the stretches of mud (some up to 25m long) were uphill. Had they been down-hill, I would have easily slid off the embankment and become terribly inconvenienced. You may be wondering why I didn't just turn around at the first sign of trouble. The reason is, I am quite stupid. When I saw the next patch of paved road I was elated. I celebrated by having a bit of fun on the twisties between Armidale and Coffs Harbour. Anyway, here are some pics of my wonderful little car that did things it was never designed to do. Unfortunately it rained the past few days so most of the mud has been washed off, but the entire underside was covered and dripping. You can see in the last pic how high it was.   
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Nov 2, 2011 02:58
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My NB has the same issue where it seems pretty unsure of what the oil level is I'll have to try this next time. Seems a bit illogical though?
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Dec 22, 2011 01:52
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She's all grown up 
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Dec 30, 2011 07:59
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That's a great colour, and the polished(?) wheels go well with it. Very tidy
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Jan 17, 2012 00:54
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oRenj9 posted:Alright, today I started digging into the Miata. Does the car even run?! That's an alarming number of unplugged things. The white plastic bit sticking out of the valve cover is the PVC valve, and it should connect to the top of the intake manifold. I don't know enough about NAs to answer anything else.
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Apr 20, 2012 07:46
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Changed the drive belts today. Started at 2pm thinking it would be a fairly quick job. Only problem was a dropped the stupid tensioner bolt down behind the power steering pump. 2 hours later i had the wheel off and the plastic engine pan thing off, and I finally found it (along with 2 other bolts and a nut in the process). I really should have done this ages ago; the belts looked awful. 
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Apr 27, 2012 08:43
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I've tried to pry them out of my NB a few times, but never had any luck. The whole dash was clearly moving towards me but they still wouldn't budge. Maybe I just need to pull harder?
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Jun 6, 2012 03:22
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This is my worst fear when someone is tailgating. I leave a few extra car gaps in front, and hope I possess the mental ability to slow down more gradually during an emergency. (Though I have a sneaking suspicion I'll just mash that brake pedal to the floor if/when the time comes)
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Sep 7, 2012 12:44
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My 99 broke down for the first time in my 3 years of ownership. Parked it this morning, came back to leave work and it would crank but no start. Got the RACQ guy out and he checked the spark, then we tried to find the fuel pump. He ended up hitting the front wall of the boot (fuel tank?) and it started right up. He said he's never heard of MX5s having fuel pumps die like that. Which I guess means a replacement is going to be expensive if its a rare occurrence Edit: Managed to find one for $60 on ebay. Granite Octopus fucked around with this message at 12:39 on Sep 26, 2012 |
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Sep 26, 2012 12:13
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There's a gearbox/clutch noise in my NB that I'd like to diagnose... With the car in neutral and the clutch engaged there is a whirring noise. When I disengage the clutch the noise quickly stops and the whole driveline is much quieter. I'm assuming it's some kind of bearing related to the clutch, but I don't think it's the throwout bearing since it would make itself known with the clutch disengaged, correct? It's progressively gotten louder over the past 6 months or so, and it's not a particularly alarming sort of noise, but I thought it would be best to work out what it is and if I should ignore it.
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Dec 9, 2012 07:15
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Over the weekend I decided to refresh my soft-top latches. The old ones had a very strange corrosion underneath the paint. I sanded off all the old paint, applied primer, and then two layers of the finest, cheapest spray paint I could find. I added a few layers of clearcoat, for what good it will do. I also sanded off all the paint from the bolts, and polished them. I think the look is somewhat unique, and it was easier than painting them.     It think it looks better than before, and cheaper than paying $145 each just for the handle latches (not even for the receivers!)
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Mar 18, 2013 07:53
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Konrad posted:My '90 won't start after having been stored over the winter. It cranks over strongly, but only occasionally fires for a few seconds. The longer I let the car sit between tries, the longer it runs. I put in some new gas and and flushed a about a half gallon of the old stuff out of the fuel line using a jumper between the F/P and GND diagnostic terminals, but the flow seemed kind of slower than I expected. I can hear a relay click when I make the jumper connection, and I'm getting 12v to the fuel pump, but no sound that would indicate the pump is running. Tried banging on the parcel shelf? The fuel pump died in my 99 after about 215,000km. A swift beating on the parcel shelf above the fuel tank with a rubber mallet brought it back to life long enough to drive home. A replacement was only ~ $50 on eBay and I installed it in about an hour. Could it just be old gas still?
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Apr 8, 2013 04:05
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I had fully intended on doing the timing belt myself (had all the parts lined up and everything) but I'm travelling bris->melb in a few weeks so needed to just get it sorted. $AUD1100 for complete service including gear and diff oils, all belts, inspection, patch work on a tyre and parts+labour for the timing belt and new crankshaft seal (oil has been pissing into the timing cover apparently). This is an MX-5 specialist shop so I think the price is not completely outrageous, and this is the first time it's seen a "professional" mechanic since I bought it 3 years and 60,000km ago. I wanted a new top as well but it was going to be $1500 for parts and labour for a Robbins top. Prices seem way cheaper down south so I might get it done in Sydney or Melbourne instead. Can't wait for this road trip
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Jul 9, 2013 14:03
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Thanks to some relentless thieves in the area, I've purchased a GPS/mobile tracking alarm module for my NB. (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/131237241872?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649) Where would be a good spot to place it? It's about the size of 2 packs of cards. The external connections it needs are: 12v unswitched power, GPS and mobile antenna (thinking of just putting these on the dash) and the fuel pump power wire (to cut and connect to a supplied relay for remote fuel cut) What about under the dash near the steering column? The fuel pump relay is there, and I can snake the antennas up to the dash pretty easily. It would be pretty easy to find though so I was hoping there might be somewhere more inconspicuous. Is there any room under/near the parcel shelf?
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Sep 11, 2014 13:15
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meatpimp posted:You've got a spot pre-made for it behind the seats. Underneath the stamped metal cover under the carpet is a couple nice cavities where nobody would EVER find a tracker, unless they are actively cutting apart the chassis. Sounds perfect! Thanks! Btw these little trackers are pretty awesome. Lo jack and that kind of thing isnt very popular at the consumer level here in Australia. These things are so cheap though! I don't understand why cars don't just come with them?
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Sep 11, 2014 14:27
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They face inwards. Just checked my 99. The centre latch is on the right in the photo. Sorry I couldn't get a better one. Granite Octopus fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Mar 2, 2015 |
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Mar 2, 2015 01:56
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I've got a 1999 NB which I'm trying to get roadworthy. Got picked up for - number plate lights where blown - fine, fixed - handbrake needs adjustment - need to figure out if i can just do this from the lever itself or if i need to take the wheels off. whatever. - rear de-mister doesn't work. Sigh. It used to work, but one day I switched it on and heard a pop from inside the dashboard, like a fuse blowing, and it hasn't worked since then. I assumed it was a fuse, but I checked it (along with all the other fuses) and they are all fine... So I thought it might be the relay. Looking at the colour of the cables coming from the HVAC controls I narrowed it down to two relays up in the drivers side footwell. I took one out and the blower stopped working, so it must be the other one. I removed it and drove around and tested various things and everything seemed to work still except the de-mister so I have to assume I've got the right one. Tested it by putting 12v across the coil and I can hear it click, so I guess it isn't bad? Is there anything I can do apart from tracing the wiring back from the de-mister switch and diagnosing that way? I've had a hell of a time finding any information online about this, especially for an NB. And my work area is an underground car park with no light so I want to see if there is anything else I can try first.
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Jul 2, 2015 08:41
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 21:16 |
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I fixed my rear defroster/demister! After taking apart the whole dash and checking the switch was operating correctly, I traced the ground wire from the switch, as it wasn't making contact with actual ground according to my multimeter. I discovered the dinky little pressure switch behind the passengers seat which detects if the top is down and breaks the ground connection from the defrost switch, NOT the relay. Which explains why there are 3 wires, not 2, connecting the defrost lines on the glass to the car. The little switch was only hanging on by a few threads of a rusty screw, and not making good contact so the car thought the top was always down, preventing the defroster from working. I wish a knew about that little switch beforehand - would have saved me half a day of tracing wiring around the car Also, I fixed the handbrake by tightening the adjuster on the lever itself. Much, much easier than jacking the car up and taking the wheels off. Total spent making the car roadworthy: $2.70 for a some new bulbs. (my time is worthless lol) Now to see if someone will buy it!
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Jul 5, 2015 10:39
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