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2001 LS - Now with Stupidcharger
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I had a Miata before, I called her Roxanne. We drove all the way across the US and back across Canada before I killed Roxanne.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1466201778 I planned to rebuild Roxanne, got a donor shell and everything. Employment mess ensued, and I no longer felt like moving two junk cars across state lines to get one old 1.6 that needed a paint job. So I bought this grandma owned 2001 Miata LS for the princely sum of $3500 and left three Miatas to rot in my parents driveway while I moved to Detroit. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1466201778 It's cleaaaann. There's some surface rust on zinc plated surfaces such as bolts and nuts which I blame on the fact that it spent a lot of time in Myrtle Beach, but the underbody is minty fresh. The wheels gotta go, gonna get some 6UL's I think. I got to drive these in the meantime, so I wasn't totally bereft of a Miata. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1466201778 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1466201778 I finally got the damn thing to Mitchygan after months of waiting. My dad swapped the leaky radiator hose, replaced the thermostat, then I bought a one way ticket and drove it back. Insurance up here is ridiculous, the roads are flat and poorly maintained, and the only good thing about it is the summer weather. This car is basically my friend and I's excuse to drink some wobble sodas and play with dangerous tools on the weekend. I like to think we've done a pretty good job of getting it back up to snuff. What's been done so far...
Last week we had fun making our own master cylinder brace out of the factory shock tower brace. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1466201778 The brakes feel much improved, but I've got SS brake lines to be delivered this weekend and plan on rebuilding the calipers as well. My next steps are to swap over some more parts off my NA like the FM frame rails, the 1.6 interior, and maybe weld up some fender braces. Also leather seats are gross, anyone got a line on cloth seat covers? Not sure I wanna swap over my Momo Start yet. I'm definitely looking at a steering rack depower and weld, my old Miata had manual steering and it was way more awesome. Next weekend I should be dodging cones in Toledo, but I'm not so sure I wanna pay the Detroit SCCA fees for tomorrow in Livonia. $50 bucks is a lot to pay for a few minutes of driving and a lot of chasing knocked over cones. I'd post elsewhere since no trubo, but M.net is... yeah, and clubroadster is full of the kind of people that list their used parts for more than new. |
I enjoyed the read! Although you deserved to be knee capped by not having more info on the Fiata :firedevil
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The Fiata... It's got turbo chooch straight from the factory. I've only driven the automatic, and I hadn't driven a Miata in months by that point. I was just giggling the whole time behind the wheel.
I have since installed SS brake lines and took it to the 4th NWOR autocross. My first one looks to be the cleanest, so I'll share that video. Sawing at the wheel or no, first place in the novice catagory isn't too bad for my first hard drive in a new car. My '90 never wanted to oversteer, not the case with this car. I had to work hard to keep the tail in line on corner entry - maybe I'm just not used to power steering, or maybe it needs an alignment, or maybe I shouldn't pretend I'm a vehicle dynamics expert after my third autocross. |
So I've got a dilemma - I'm thinking of buying wheels as a Christmas present to myself. I've been happy with the 195/50R15 BFG Sport Comp 2s I ran before, but I also want to be able to run 205s for sticky rubber. Every online discussion declares me an idiot for not running crazy sticky 225s on 15x9s. I'm not looking to force myself to spend $130 on a single tire, not gonna happen.There are plenty of sticky tires in 205 should I choose to go that route, and this car is not about chasing class records/large diddly status.
Am I a fool for thinking 15x7.5 is pretty darn perfect for my goals? Konig Hypergrams are light, the right offset, cheap, and not vaporware like 6ULs. Otherwise, motivation is flagging. I didn't get the parts off the old car that I wanted over Thanksgiving, and that's where the cheap mods I want to do are sitting. Not having a garage SUCKS; renting my new place without one was a terrible decision. I just don't want to work on my car when it's raining/cold/snowing out and my hands are frozen. |
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With the big service out of the way, other things have gotten done.
The engine bay needed some cleanup - it's gotten 1.6L chrome VC bolts and some stainless bolts to replace crusty OEM bolts on the radiator shroud and tower brace. Attachment 231822 Attachment 231823 Attachment 231824 The middle pedal was pretty firm by this point, but the brakes needed a bit more work. I started to get some squealing, which disappeared when I hit the brakes. Time to change out the pads! I got some StopTech Sport pads and decided to get the brakes rebuilt just this past weekend before the season's last autocross. The rears were easy, the fronts... a bit more complicated. This was the first time I took the wheels off of it in 8 months of ownership... not proud of that. Two wheel studs broke off, and one caliper slider pin was seized. Attachment 231825 The pins in question doesn't really look that bad, but it was tight in there like a tick. The rest of the brakes were in great shape. With no reman'd Sport calipers in town, I used valve grinding compound and the old pin to clean up the slider bore before throwing a new pin in there. Attachment 231826 The usual shifter boots were torn. I cut a Ziploc to keep out dirt and made due for a while... Attachment 231827 Until a MiataRoadster short shifter turned up on Craigslist. Not sure how I feel about this one... It partially blocks the AC controls, and IMO it didn't really improve the shift quality. Possibly because it was beat to shit by the previous owners - the pivot ball has clearly been damaged by dirt getting in and wearing away at it. Attachment 231828 But it does look fantastic. It's got that classic long stick look you see in older cars, which I love. Attachment 231829 Speaking of Craigslist, I've been watching it like a hawk for deals. This barely used RoadsterSport3 exhaust was listed for half price, and the heat insulation came already installed. Again, not sure how much I like this. The tone is great at low speed, but it can be annoying on long highway drives even with the muffling tip installed. Attachment 231830 The cataract headlight look really annoys me. Fortunately, this NB2 headlight was only $20 because of some broken mounting tabs, but that's nothing a little JB Weld can't fix. Attachment 231831 I really like being able to see at night, so I installed a Morimoto 55W 4500K HID kit from The Retrofit Source - you can see it hanging out in the engine bay shot if you look close. Over the winter I'm going to pull the headlights apart and paint the insides. The projectors have a great cut off, but there's clearly some reflection from the plastichrome. Free wind blocker! I also scored some engine mounts and a soft top frame with latches for the same price. You can see my extra 12V outlet next to the console - by far my best Miata mod in terms of effort/cost to benefit. Attachment 231832 |
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I had a brief stint with the MiataRoadster shifter, I took it out. The height just didn't work for me, so I rebuilt the stock shifter with a 5X Racing kit and am so much happier. I didn't realize how much my usual shifting technique relied on the shifter being so close to the console. I'll be posting the angled shifter for sale shortly if anyone is interested.
Over the holidays I was able to do a bit more parts gathering, both new and old. I returned to Roxanne's rotting carcass to do some graverobbing. My uncle practically runs his own junkyard, which has its pros and cons. This is her current resting place, propped up on cinder blocks. Attachment 231817 I took a bunch of stuff, including the 1.6 dash, console, door card tops. But I also nabbed the oil pressure gauge and sender to swap them over. My thoroughly beat up frame rails came out too. They're going to need to be straightened out, and I need to come up with a new way of mounting the fuel lines. They were predictably damaged by the stupid way FM mounts them, but the "rock crawling" I did in Colorado probably had something to do with it too. :giggle: Attachment 231818 I HATE not having a garage. Since I don't care to work on cold metal things when it's either 40* and raining, or 10* and snowing, I won't. Apartment living in Michigan has its downsides. At least I have the Jeep. :D Attachment 231819 Meanwhile, the parts are piling up. Attachment 231820 What's in there?
Attachment 231821 I also picked up McGard lug nuts, hubcentric spacers, and 949 Racing valvestems. I can't wait for spring to get all of this on the car! My next purchases are probably going to be a Blackbird Fabworx Single Diagonal NA roll bar, tires, and an oil cooler. After that, it's time for track days! |
Originally Posted by OptionXIII
(Post 1384787)
I had a brief stint with the MiataRoadster shifter, I took it out. The height just didn't work for me, so I rebuilt the stock shifter with a 5X Racing kit and am so much happier. I didn't realize how much my usual shifting technique relied on the shifter being so close to the console. I'll be posting the angled shifter for sale shortly if anyone is interested.
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I love my extended, angled MR shifter. :dunno:
nice progress. Really like those hypergrams. |
Quick help needed!
The interior is taken apart currently - the dash and dash wiring, carpet, seats, and basically whole interior are out. For some reason, I left the drivers window down, and now it won't go up. I'm not with the car right now, but it's gonna rain tomorrow and I need a quick fix that doesn't involve plastic sheeting and duct tape. Is this a case of just needing to put the dash harness back in temporarily? Anyone ever manually raised a power window? |
6x8 tarp and some bungies.
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A tarp is more ghetto than a trash bag. But it turns out, having the ignition switch plugged in is important. Turns out I'm an idiot. I unplugged it to drop the steering column.
The FM frame rails are in, and I fixed their stupid mount location where they put the fuel line mounts on the lowest part of the car. They're now mounted directly to the floor pan. The interior is completely out and getting sound deadened with Noico 50mil dyanamat knockoff as the weather and work allows. It's been beautiful up here recently. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1ed171952d.jpg Got the interior out. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...446e5aa957.jpg Got this bad boy test fitted. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...fc32bf2055.jpg Then took it back out for some Alcantara wrap. Next steps are to figure out which AC controls I'm going to use. Probably gonna go with NA controls and make a jumper harness to make everything happy. I hate electrical work... |
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The weather was nice up here a few days back, so I planned the work, waiting for the weekend, then pounced. I pulled out the "old" dash and wasted no time in test fitting the NA's.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...446e5aa957.jpg ohhhhhh yeaaaahhhh. This provided all the inspiration I needed to keep going. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1ed171952d.jpg I next got the interior stripped down, and you can see my work in progress NA style door cards. They're gonna get wrapped in something soon enough, but right now they're just bare particleboard Attachment 231811 Then I installed some sound deadening. I used Noico 50mil sound deadening off amazon. It's not full coverage, but there are multiple layers installed in some places depending on how loud the panel reverberated when I hit it. This butyl stuff is apparently supposed to dampen panel vibrations, not be a do-all sound deadening. So I used it as such. You can also see the frame rail bolts sticking through - they got straightened out and installed before any sound deadening. Also, I love FM, but there is a HUGE DESIGN FLAW in the frame rails. As delivered, they want you to bolt the fuel and brake lines to the lowest point of the car, the bottom of the frame rail. I FIND THIS INCREDIBLY IDIOTIC. I bottomed out the old NA several times on my cross country trip with the metal hardlines installed as recommended, and the mounting bolts were ripped clean off. So at the very bottom of the car, all the way across the middle, the lines holding my TWO MOST CRITICAL FLUIDS TO KEEP CONTAINED were completely free floating. I hate to write in all caps, but I feel this is a gross oversight and poor decision made in the name of installation convenience. Yes, I was doing far from typical Miata stuff - crawling and dodging around decent sized rocks in national forests, parks, and camping sites. But if you're going to fiddle with these critical components, you need to think worst case scenarios. If anything had have pulled them away after the mounts broke... If the lines had vibrated around and been abraded to failure... I could have watch my car burn in a puddle of its own fuel. Or gotten into an accident due to brake failure. Or get heavily injured in a accident due to brake failure, then become a well roasted kebab in my car. Instead of following FM's instructions again, I fiddled around with the plastic and metal mounts for these lines and mounted them directly to the floor pan. I did this very close to the frame rail and floor, so they are tucked away as safely as stock, with room to vibrate and still not hit anything. FM really needs to provide a better solution to this issue. I've gotten the floor pan, doors, rear bulkhead, and transmission tunnel all covered with sound deadening. I didn't want to further take apart the interior, so the firewall mounted stuff stayed in place. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...fc32bf2055.jpg Here we are in the process of gluing and wrapping the ultrasuede. I did it alone and a second set of hands would have made the job so much easier. Then I moved the NB specific stuff over - The dash wiring harness was taped to the bar... Attachment 231812 ...and I decided to go with installing the NB HVAC controls in the stock radio location for now. I much prefer the NA setup, but this bolts in easily for now, requires no wiring modifications, and it slides right into a DIN slot. With no AUX input and junky radio reception, I saw no reason to keep the Bose system at all. I think I'll replace the Bose system with two speakers and an amp to plug in my iPod. That NB dash is heavy! Attachment 231813 Then there wasn't much else to do but install it. I referred to revlimiter's dash restoration and Jeffbucc's INCREDIBLE rebuild for a lot of ideas, inspiration, and guidance. I sourced some black floor carpet in great condition out of a 1999. The parcel shelf carpet and rear bulkhead carpet will be out of an NA, got them for free off CL. My old cars carpet is really ratty, so I got some upgrades! Obviously there's a lot still left to do, but they can now be taken on as small after work projects rather then roadblocks to moving forward. Attachment 231814 The driver side mirror cover was horribly broken and rattled all the time - super annoying! And, with the NA dash install I'd lose the location for my power mirror adjustment switch. I couldn't find a replacement mirror at a price I liked, so I decided to go aftermarket. Attachment 231815 Now this is what you see when you walk up to the car. Raydyot replica mirrors from Moss, and Advance Autosports vent windows on both sides. I'm probably one of the first with the NB mirror kit installed, they weren't for sale until last week. And once you open the door... Attachment 231816 I've got lots more to do to finish it up, but I'm driving around with a 1.6 dash installed in an NB. No warning lights on the dash, and other than my completely absent sound system, everything works. I picked up a new Rspeed gauge hood since my old one was shattered in the accident. In case anyone wants to follow along at home, I've had very few issues getting everything to fit.
Honestly, if you don't want to do anything other than throw the dash in as is, this is a super simple project. Most of my time was spent on fixing broken bits and the alcantara wrap. Next things are installing new motor mounts, installing fresh tires and the new wheels, maybe welding up some fender braces, and obviously finishing up the interior. I need to get some mechanical stuff done, all this interior work and appearance mods have me feeling quite the swagster. Like one of those form>function guys. Ugh. Hopefully... I'll get a rollbar ordered and be hitting the track this spring! |
Cool Progress!
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Well, stuff has happened. Most importantly in regards to this post, I got internet and moved to a place with a garage.
Since my old NA had manual windows, I needed to find a window switch. I came across a good deal on some RevLimiter window switches and plunked down the cash. The cast plastic bracket is clearly based on a stock part... but whatever material it was cast in warped pretty badly. Attachment 231803 I had the block off plate from my old car, so I cut that up and replaced the RevLimiter bracket with it. After some careful trimming, they sit almost perfectly flush now. Once I get a matching pigtail to splice into the NB wire harness, I'll have a center console again. Attachment 231804 Oooooo... Blackbird Fabworx NB Single Diagonal roll bar in satin black, grey sticker for a little less contrast. Attachment 231805 Teamwork on the install. Attachment 231806 We put in a lot of effort to cut as little metal as possible. Keeps sound out, looks OEM. None of that "cut a 6" strip out of your car" nonsense. Attachment 231807 Finished product! I took the time to apply sound deadening on the parcel shelf and in the trunk spare tire well. It's so much nicer on the freeway, especially with the hardtop in place. With some gasketing to cut down on air leakage, it's going to be much quieter in there. So nice. I was somewhat disappointed to find the hardtop side strikers wouldn't clear the roll bar. I got tired of toiling away with an angle grinder, so my roommate custom made a CNC to remove a bit more material. Seemed faster. Attachment 231808 Yeah yeah I know vertical video. The hardtop fits now, but it's a pain in the diddly to install because the clearances are so tight to the roll bar. The roll bar is a pain - the soft top takes forever now, seatbelts don't retract as well, visibility is cut down. It looks cool though, gotta admit, and it's very well made. I'm so glad I didn't get the GT3 double diagonal, that would cut down my visibility far too much. Attachment 231809 So this is what a 195/50R15 Dunlop Direzza looks like on a 7.5" wheel. I didn't think they'd have that much stretch, might have to go for 205s next time. She's got a name now - Rosalita. Attachment 231810 So here she sits, just outside her new home. No more gravel driveway! I celebrated by giving Rosie her first bath in the 15 months I've owned her. And with this garage thing, I can take my time polishing and waxing. It's nice. Next steps - I replaced the motor mounts without separating the exhaust, and now it's got an absolutely awful vibration when cold at low RPM. Something is fucky in there, gotta fix that. |
That's about perfect stretch but 205's would be good too. A 195 RS3 (if they still made them) would fit better since 200TW tires run a bit wider.
Same if you went to a Direzza star spec rather than just the ZII. |
I am confused at your claim that the GT3 roll bar would reduce visibility. Moti made that specifically to INCREASE rear vision. I have a HD double diagonal roll bar and I have to duck my head a large amount to see out the back because they meet right in my line of sight. The GT3 meets below the line of sight because of the X shape.
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I got 15x7.5" wheels because I figured I'd be able to go between 195 and 205 section tires. I think it worked out okay!
The GT3 may increase visibility over a Hard Dog style double diagonal, it's still a bar in your line of sight if you look over your shoulder. I do that a lot. A while back I almost bought a new in wrapper NA GT3 in silver. With my NA top and silver car, it would have been perfect to most people. I'm glad I ordered one that was specifically what I wanted though. |
More tinkertoys off the List of Craig. That guy really helps me out. A local guy was parting out his turbo track car after three events and two blown engines. Said he was moving on to, you guessed it, a C5Z. He gave me a great deal on some stuff.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...159706b28b.jpg |
Jeez, I thought I got a good score in a similar setup. I bet you stole it!
Install it before you get to the track! You can do it over a weekend! |
I think I did pretty well - I got it all for well below than my 50% "good deal" threshold on used parts, not including the life left in the tires.
I've installed the radiator because it's a no-brainer. It seems everyone has a different experience with the Koyos. I had to bend the AC mounting brackets up top, bend an AC line on the bottom, and slot the radiator brackets on top to make it fit with no touching. Changed that dumb 180* thermostat out for a 195 and the coolant temp is rock steady now. Also bled the brakes and clutch, changed the oil, and cleaned the engine bay real good like. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...aaa7b6cd5f.jpg Anyone know of a good alignment shop in the Ann Arbor area? Hoping to hit the track for the first time this weekend! |
Whelp, super bummer weekend. Got wait listed for the track day, but I still got an alignment beforehand. Rather than say they couldn't meet my targets for caster and camber in the front, they just hit the caster target and left camber at the max they could get. Less than a degree on either side, with the back at 2.0 degrees. :mad: If the alignment had have been right, I would have shown up early to try and get a spot.
Bauer ELBJs on the way, then we will try again. |
Let's see, what's happened recently. Kind of went down the rabbit hole...
ELBJs went in, and I also rebooted the other ball joints/tie rods with the Energy Suspension replacements. Since it needed an alignment, why not change over to that welded steering rack I had lying around? Out with this nonsense. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6b6ad2135b.jpg Got the Icehawk alignment and kind of regretted it, as the car understeered. Given that I was changing alignment and steering at the same time, I couldn't pin down why. But with the Rivals and a proper alignment, my next autocross went well. There is someone that was consistently about 2 seconds faster than me on a 30 second course. Those two things put me ahead of him, but one blown corner cooked my left front tire, and from there it only understeered more and more. Disappointment was the mood of the day as he quickly took over the lead and I dropped back down the ranks. Trying to fix the understeer, I put in just the rear 5X Racing 14mm bar. I noticed it shifted from side to side to the point that it was contacting the subframe, so after eBay failed me and sent me collars that were way too big, my roomie whipped up some that fit just right. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...06ff1a443f.jpg The car felt way better, so I took it to a Test and Tune event with the NWOR SCCA at Toledo Express airport. It was by far the biggest autocross I've ever been on, by the end I was doing 51 seconds and bumping the limiter in 2nd (60 mph) at at least two points on track. What a difference back to back runs makes - I've never really learned a whole lot at an autocross until this one. It really helped me get a feel for the car, experimenting with what driving style would really help it scootch. Slowing my inputs to match the roll rate of the car seemed to make all the difference. My best time of 51.5 seconds put me two tenths ahead of a 1.6 NA with 700/400 XIDAs, Elise seats to hold you in place, a big honking wing, and was also on 225 Rivals. Pretty proud of that one given that my car has a sway bar as it's only real performance mod! Also, Test and Tunes may have ruined a regular autocross for me. I can't wait for a real track day. |
Managed to squeeze in a track day at Waterford Hills this past weekend! Last OTD of the season, glad I got some use out of the rollbar and it wasn't installed for nothing. Since it was going to rain, I set the rear bar to full soft as a precaution and kept my street tires on.
Super cool parking buddy. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...06986b64b9.jpg Waterford Hills itself, great view from the tower. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4fcbe0623d.jpg It ended up being wet for the first two of my sessions, and dry the last two. I love driving in the rain, it really puts a lot more emphasis on car control IMO. I had one off because my feet got tangled, and rather than try to save it I just took the escape road. Never left the pavement! Next year I'm definitely going to try to be out there a lot more. I've also done some work making the interior look less ratty and more to suit my end goals. First, a gauge swap to the OPG off my 1990. I missed having a real oil pressure gauge, something that moves with the tach every time you blip the throttle. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2dfc0392cc.jpg So the "alcantara" wrapped dash is faded AF, but it still doesn't reflect in the windshield so I am happy. Also got some Eclipse vents in there, leather parking brake and shifter boots, black floormats and under dash trim, the oil pressure gauge itself, and door straps. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d92a04539d.jpg Unfortunately even though it doesn't feel like it, winter is coming. I've got a whole bunch of projects lined up to keep me entertained. Gonna finish off the interior, install gauges and a radio, make the NA HVAC controls fit, and try to remove all traces of tan Performance wise, I'm definitely going to install some bumpstops and weld up some fender braces. The car is really well balanced but rolls all over the place. |
Another stupid good deal on parts. This time, Craigslist fell through, but Facebook Marketplace picked up the slack in my old stomping grounds around Richmond VA. I had my dad trade a crisp $100 bill for these guys.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4cba32189b.jpg Mazdaspeed shocks and springs, but the seller described them as off of a '99 he had a brief fling with, but also described them as having never been on his car. Whatever, they look to be in good shape. With replacements not quite in hand but functionally so, we got some Dutch Courage in our system and took apart the shock that was damaged when I totalled my NA. The finer details are lost in a haze, but it was a bitch to get this thing apart. We got tired of playing nice and cut one of the circlips out, and basically destroyed every single part of it. Oh well, I have another one with a scored shaft we can learn on and be nicer when taking it apart. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6960ad5106.jpg Despite the fact that I have 450/300 7" springs and Allstar threaded sleeves sitting on a shelf, the 'Speed shocks are going to stay with their OEM spring friends for now. In the future I'd like to get some FM springs and revalve the Billies, but Michigan roads are terribad so I'm not going to rush into a harsh suspension setup. Fresh bumpstops and bushings should do me just fine. I might do some playing around with extended rear top hats to get some more bump travel since I've got a spare set of NB top hats I can cut up and not feel bad about. |
Sort of a slow winter.. Most of the projects I've had in mind are plastic or paint related, and my garage is seperate from the house, unheated. Makes for easy excuses.
On the return trip from Thanskgiving, My alternator started to go south. When the battery light first came on, I stopped to check the belt tension and such in a Kroger in Ohio. A few miles later, all the gauge lights dimmed and it was clear that at that point, the car was only running on 12v from the battery, and I hadn't even made it into Michigan. With 20 miles to go, the HIDs began flickering when the turn signals came on. With 10 miles to go, one headlight went out completely, so I started drafting close to people and turning off the lights completely. By the time I pulled into the house, the other headlight was flickering on its own as well. On a 700 mile trip it just barely got me home, and finally earned its place in my heart. So, she's gotten a reman'd alternator first thing. Then I put a set of these in. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6620b9d34d.jpg 50 miles on them so far... shifting is awesome, but oh my god is it loud in the car now. Highway speeds are fine and just like before, but under 2000 RPM it's absolutely ridiculously loud. So many things rattling! I'll be taking the interior apart again when we get a warm day, and putting a ton of soft foam or velcro between things that are rattling. Hopefully it will settle in more, but I'm having a hard time it will become an order of magnitude better. Found and bought a set of FM springs for sale right here on Miataturbo in RVA... They're kinda sorta really ugly. The tightly coiled section must have smashed dirt through the powdercoating and let water in, cause it was all rusted out. I'm going to repaint them, and if I like the results, consider getting a new set. The free length checked out, but rust pocked springs aren't going to last forever. Still gotta pick up some bumpstops, perhaps new spring seat isolators before they go in. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9259c5fce6.jpg A while back I decided those Raydyot replica mirrors were bullshit. Can't see nothing, too smol, and too hidden behind a window guide. I tried the NA mirrors to get a bigger manual mirror, but the window guide was still in the way. Time to fix that. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9bf01d5dcc.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4ed203983e.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6c0189a55e.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ce04dd0df6.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...99c0325365.jpg |
Megasquirt Woes
Well, big step. I bought this from Vteckiller2000:
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6c6f5e8192.jpg MSLabs MS3 Basic. Not pictured is the VICS intake manifold I got with it. And I've already fucked up. After plugging it in, I had no issues. So, I figured I'd start by flashing in a base cal from DIYAutoTune, since I have no idea what vteckiller was running. This is where the problems began, and of course I didn't save his tune. At that point, I had an error code for spark/VVT PWM function, so I changed to the 4G63 wheel setting. Then it said VVT was unable to function in this mode. Naturally, rather than slow down and pay attention, I tried to reflash the firmware. When prompted to install a boot jumper, I realized I had no idea what that was and I was way in over my head. So I exited that menu, and now it seems I have corrupted the firmware, as the fuel pump no longer primes nor does TunerStudio recognize the ECU in the main window. When I open up the firmware update tool, it does recognize that it is connected to a Megasquirt 3. I recognize that I am a moron. Can someone help me figure out next steps? Seems like I need to open up the case, find the Boot Jumper and jump it, then reflash the firmware. At this point though I am trying to put down the shovel and stop digging the hole deeper. Thanks |
Haha I am dumb.
Reflashed new firmware, MS now shows many errors with a base tune. Time to email Reverant and ask for the appropriate firmware and base tune. |
Things escalated quickly around here.
Firstly, I got the MS3 working all proper. The CAN box it came with hadn't been working, and I managed to get all the settings right so that the ECU and CAN box are on speaking terms. The car has now had a basic road VEAL autotune, I'm trying to work on making it start and idle nice, etc etc. Much reading to do on VVT maps, startup, cold enrichment and the like. I took the time to remove the dash and clean up some of the janky wiring that had been in place since the dash was first "temporarily installed" last spring. It's pretty packed in there, but no longer a snake pit of disorganization. Then I accidentally did the worst thing ever according to miataturbo. I bought an MP62 hotside kit from emulsifide, who happens to be local. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d71e10d692.jpg Everything seems to be in great shape, but I'm going to take my sweet time on the install. I'm in no rush to nuke my engine due to ignorance. So I'm going to wade in slowly and not dive in the deep end. What it looked like on emulsifides gorgeous car. 125/65 mm pulleys, TDR intercooler, with the kit itself being a BRP R3 setup. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8b5ae30c59.jpg So how do my end goals differ from his setup? Not a whole lot! I'll be trying to make the most of the boost it's got, rather than making more. Setting up E85 capability will be a primary goal. Eventually, I'd like to address the supercharger plumbing. The corrugated intake hose may not be a restriction, but I'd like to make some hard piping and create an airbox for the filter to feed it cold air. This may eventually include relocating the 5th injector the kit came with to the supercharger inlet for a water injection system. I'm also on the hunt for the revised Moss MP62 outlet that is supposedly worth a few horsies. The goal is, as always, a reliable do anything car - 1000 mile road trips or track days. Just with more power and more whining. So, plan of attack.
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Well... Not as much progress as I would like. I'd really like to dial in the Megasquirt running NA before I put on the supercharger, and apparently I suck at tuning, so this is taking longer than expected. Lots of reading and buying parts, very little driving.
In the meantime, I blew a ton of money on parts and wasted time doing other things. The supercharger outlet paint had seen better days, so I took it back to base metal for a respray. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...30e4da7e64.jpg Ew. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ae82ed4c00.jpg Ta da! They match! The VICS intake manifold got painted at the same time, after many hours of cleaning, removing casting flash, and soaking in solvent to remove the EGR boogers. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...fb8d62b5aa.jpg Also gave at home anodizing a try. It turned out pretty great! No more worries about oxidation or polishing for me. This is the mirror mount I had previously made enjoying a nice, relaxing sulfuric acid bath. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6be3672d88.jpg On the car, I'm currently trying to figure out why my AFRs seem to change fairly dramatically from day to day. One day it will read rich, then really lean. My ideas on possible causes: 1. I'm thinking my stock IAT sensor may be miscalibrated, as I've found different values for the OE one in different instruction sets. Even though spring has finally arrived, the weather is still inconsistent here in SE Michigan. I'm going to throw the GM one in the airbox and wire it up to eliminate this possibility. 2. Wideband power/ground connections aren't so great. The wideband is talking to the MS3 through an MSLabs CAN box, so signal offset shouldn't be an issue. But I did wire in a connector between the ECU and the Innovate wideband rather than solder them directly together. Given that the CAN box handles direct communication between the wideband and the ECU, is there any reason I can't change the power/ground wire feeds to make sure the wideband is getting a clean, consistent power feed? |
Honestly thinking about giving up on this boost project. Failures, frustrations, and misdirection at every turn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of my coils died late last week. I diagnosed it by switching back to the stock ECU, then swapping the coils and following the misfire code. I bought two coils off rockauto, and it started and idled fine once more. But then I switched back to the MS3, and found the WBO2 gauge and tunerstudio to disagree on the AFR. I spent two hours over two days trying to diagnose issues, verify settings, and check connections. Turns out the serial connector at the CAN case would work if I pushed one way, and fail if I pushed the other. It seems to be working okay now, but who knows how long that will last. I no longer have faith in it to say the least. Then I finally got to taking it for a drive and noticed some loss of power in the higher rev range. I pulled over to fiddle with and check the fuel map. Two minutes later, it started missing at low engine speeds. Holding the engine at 4k for 10 seconds seemed to make that behavior go away. I want to fiddle/increase my dwell timing but not if it's going to blow up my second set of coils, and of course there is conflicting info out there on VVT coil dwell time. These cheap coils probably aren't as good as the Mazda OEM ones anyway. I just want to drive the thing. I've been waiting all winter and now track days and autocrosses are passing me by, and every step I take to make the car better set up for megasquirt makes it more difficult to go back to stock. The long hours at work don't leave me much time to troubleshoot. I love wrenching, but fiddling with computer settings and hoping I don't blow up my motor with a wrong 1 or 0 doesn't qualify as wrenching to me. I used to be completely unafraid to drive this car across the country, now I barely trust it to take me 5 miles from home. |
Right in the feelz, bro.
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I'm back on the wagon. It's been an anxious few weeks as I researched, bought parts, and waited for them to arrive.
I saw a lot of people saying they had issues with cheap coils, and I definitely had the cheapest of the cheap. Well, time to upgrade to something stronger and easily available in the junkyard for OEM replacements. Everyone says D585 LS truck coils are the ones to have, so I got four of those and a harness to hack up from the junkyard. I decided to go with the Hawley coil mounts to keep my strut tower brace intact, and I got their Magnecor wires as well. I got some nice crimpers and the appropriate Sumitumo connectors from Corsa Technic to avoid cutting into the stock wiring harness. And tonight, I did the most janky, awful wiring I have ever seen. This post from Savington is where I got the appropriate dwell settings. I can't find the original post that I had open last night, but Reverant posted this somewhere. Someone else quoted it for an MSLabs MS2, but it worked just fine on my MS3 as well. The wire for ignition on cylinders 1 + 4, becomes cylinder 1. The wire for ignition on cylinders 2 + 3, becomes cylinder 3. Connect cylinder 4 to the DB-37, pin 6 (Ign C). Connect cylinder 2 to the DB-37, pin 7 (Ign D). Yes, the engine was running when this was taken. Those wires were making it spark. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2dcf7ae99e.jpg The next steps are to make a harness that doesn't resemble a birds nest, and get back to tuning. I've got a bunch of parts that arrived just as the car died, but held off on installing these until I knew my car was going to run decently well on the Megasquirt. So much wasted time!
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Two years later, I guess I'll update as I'm getting back into the forum. I've hated to see the decline of forums as other forms of social media take over, so I should do my part.
I gave up on Megasquirt in August of 2018. Last year I finally got around to selling the supercharger, this year I finally sold the MS3. After I went back to stock, the spark issue was traced to a loose terminal at the coil connector. I tightened that up a bit with a hammer and punch, and it's been a non-issue for the last 13k miles, including many track days. I have no regrets, I really like the get in and go reliability. In the spring of 2019 I removed the Blackbird mounts and went with Mazdacomp rubber mounts, and that was probably the single greatest improvement I ever made to a car. Despite several track days and 7,000 miles of break in, they never seemed to soften up as promised. That said, based on recent posts in the drop mounts thread, I may be giving them another shot after trimming the bushings a bit. Recently I sat in a car with Innovative Motorsports engine mounts and could not believe they were poly mounts, it was such a night and day difference compared to my experience. Later that summer, I finally got around to installing the Mazdaspeed Miata take off suspension and RB 1.125"F/5/8"R sway bars last year, and I've been very happy with it for $260 invested in hard parts. It's definitely better than 135k base model suspension missing rear bumpstops! I made some custom sway bar clamps and brace blocks as well, you can see them in this thread. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0a1bfcebb3.jpg Fall '19, I watched an S2000 smash into the wall at Waterford. At that point, I decided to start taking safety more seriously. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2dffcf0c46.png So as a result, I tried to eliminate any mechanical failure point I could over the winter. I had already addressed the lower ball joints with the Bauer ELBJs, but wanted to freshen up everything else.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...19f0b197b0.jpg I installed a new condenser as the original one had fins that fell off with a harsh glance (and it contains the accumulator as well), replaced some o-rings, vacuumed it out and charged it up. Having AC makes me smile every time I drive! I did some work to seal up the 36mm Koyo radiator. I've got basically $5 invested and it should be a good improvement for track work. While the Koyo should not be strained by a stock NB2 engine, I am always happy to make detail improvements. I figure this will improve cooling, drag, and reduce front lift. Wins all the way around! Then after 10k miles and several track days without any issues, this happened. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...42c885ec4d.jpg What you can't see in that picture is that the control arm mount could be flexed by hand. A combination of running the sway bar links backwards (didn't know better, and it made for a better link angle), a cold weld that never fused (see left side of end link mount), and stiff swaybars meant this was only a matter of time. My belief is that the mount fatigued almost to the point of complete failure, but it torqued the swaybar end link past what it could deal with and broke that off instead. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ac0df16854.jpg Anyway, I rewelded the driver side back on, and additionally squirted some weld into the lil gooch area on the back of the end link mount on both sides for added strength. Passenger side shown below. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...637865812c.jpg I'd been waiting for the endlinks to fail so I could swap on FM adjustable ones. Thankfully this was just an afternoon repair. And I've got the endlinks on properly towards the front this time. Another unexpected benefit is that the suspension clunk/rattle I've had since it was stock going over Michigan potholes has finally disappeared. I think that cold/incomplete weld was the source of it, and my car is better off now than it was before the endlink failure! The car is a riot to drive and pretty well balanced. Maybe a little oversteer prone for some peoples tastes, but I love it. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0ab569762c.jpg Here's an example of why I stress daily reliability and durability. I use this car for anything. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...eebadd51d0.jpg I also got out to Grattan for the first time. What an incredible track! Here's a decent lap - not my fastest, but clean and it was easy to find on the GoPro. Anyway, more coming soon. I've got an oil cooler and race seat install to show off as well. |
Great thread, I really enjoyed reading through it. How difficult was it to replace the condenser, vacuum and recharge the ac? Mine works, but I'm really dreading having to touch it if anything goes wrong.
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Recharging the AC was pretty straightforward. I just replaced every o-ring I could access, poured an ounce of oil into the condenser before installing it, and pulled a vacuum on it for an hour. By the time I finished up it was getting dark, so I left it overnight and it held a perfect vacuum until morning. The only anxiety came from recharging it, which I did by weight rather than pressure. The gauge readings I got as a result were higher than the service manual recommendations, so I was a bit concerned at first. Other than some disconcerting noises from low belt tension and an AC clutch that hadn't been engaged in years, it's been working great ever since. Drove it to North Carolina and back and was happy to still get 29.5 MPG on the way there going 80+ mph with the AC on the whole time
The oil cooler was installed late in winter, just as our new covid reality was setting in. I purchased a Trackspeed kit when I still had supercharged dreams, but had never gotten around to installing it. I spent way too long trying to decide where to put it before deciding to just jam it in the heat exchanger box, behind the bumper. It made for easy mounting, protection from debris, and will be easy to duct/block based on ambient temps. If I could do it again, I'd probably try to mount the cooler horizontally on the floor of the "mouth" and let it vent out behind the radiator. My oil pressure takes a little bit longer to jump up on cold starts, I assume due to drainback. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c06d22bb26.jpg The mount location I decided on. The cooler mounts share bolts with the hood latch. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6ab6895f4e.jpg I had to clearance the intake manifold brace to keep running the longer Millenia filters. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1203c2ef81.jpg Another view. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0bc65fff34.jpg View of the sandwich plate. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0f97dae493.jpg These are the brackets I made to hold the cooler itself in the radiator mouth. They work well, but definitely could be lighter. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...178f702213.jpg To support the lines, I made this dohickey. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ab824c6391.jpg Note the notch, it locates the hose clamp that holds the lines in place https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...042ccf5978.jpg It shares one bolt with the AC lines, the other goes into a nutsert. I used wiring loom to provide some additional abrasion protection to the nylon braided lines. I don't have an oil temperature gauge, but it's so commonly recommended for track work that I don't see a downside. I'll be working on getting my interior into good shape, and will try to add a gauge in the future once I've found a good mounting solution. |
Yesterday I finally got the latest big project wrapped up, following through on what I had said about being more safety focused. After 3 years of driving like an idiot at HPDEs, I've finally got a race seat in this car. In my previous car, I had a Momo Start side mount seat and Garagestar seat rails holding it in, for all of a few weeks before I crashed it. Not wanting to go down that road again, I intended to get a Sparco Sprint and be able to swap back and forth between street and race seats. But while I was in Charlotte NC, I swung by a race shop that had a QRT-R in stock and left with a lighter wallet.
While I knew I could make it fit based on some other threads here, I also knew it would be a lot more work to install. Based on the comfort of the seat, it's worth it. I'll do some work on the foam to make it as comfortable as my last seat was. As for the seat rails, I tried to get my hands on some Jerfspeed seat rails which didn't go so well. Buying small batch parts from private individuals or boutique stores feels less like exchanging currency for goods, and more like begging other people for attention and their pity. Some people make you feel like you're wasting their time by trying to buy their parts. If you're not interested in responding to people trying to buy your stuff... just stop telling people you're still selling it! I ended up with Bell Engineering rails. I can't say I'm thrilled with the quality, but they're half the price of the competition at $108 shipped to my door and still mount on the floor, behind the rear seat humps. On to the work! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...410c86f33f.jpg I used a spot weld drill to remove the rear seat humps. As you can tell, my handiwork wasn't perfect. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4bb1415859.jpg No matter. All welded back up. Note there are some missing bolts for the FM frame rails... foreshadowing! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b64cdc86cc.jpg Look at the slot they cut into the rail at every bend point. Maybe it makes for easier manufacturing and a cheaper product, but it would certainly seem to sap some strength out of them. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...240b02e86f.jpg Most of my work was done to the front of the seat. I also "shaved" the logo. Cutting your logo into structural parts is a huge pet peeve of mine. I really do not understand Miata seat rail design. Both of the ones I have handled have had tunnel side adjustment slots that border on useless. Even with heavy tunnel bashing, most of the adjustment slot can't be used as the seat rail will be a good 1/2" through the tunnel. So I moved the adjustment slot inboard and cut off the corner that was bumping into the tunnel and welded on a much more gradual slop to vertical. Also note the already peeling powdercoat at the rear adjustment slots. While I expect to take some flak for the cut and welded seat rails, I don't think it's any less strong than the slotted bends as delivered. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6f4c890b9c.jpg Making some backing plates, contoured to fit the underbody. These are for the 5/6pt harness sub belts. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4a208f1574.jpg Maybe not ideal by the book, but I don't have any fear of it pulling through the frame rail. Since the best spot for a 5 point was in the middle of this rail, I decided to make a bracket topside out of 1/4" hot rolled angle iron. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1ca3e7f343.jpg Here's one of my favorite tricks for painting small parts. Three coats of Rustoleum satin black, and then bake the parts in the oven for 2-3 hours starting at 200F, rising to 350F as the paint smell dissipates. The end result is quite tough, especially compared to how soft the Rustoleum is uncured. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cf39d78070.jpg Completed backing plates. One is missing from the picture. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7637e1ba82.jpg Floor holes touched up with paint. I eventually covered this up with more sound deadening, if only to protect the still soft paint from scuffing and fusing to the carpet. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...845c2c136a.jpg The original 5 point I had intended to use. I purchased never installed, out of date, for $20 from a LeMons team. The problem with it was that the 3" lap belt adjusters would not go through the seat slots, and the fixed length lap belts were juuuuuuuuust shy of fitting. Basically, when I got the belt tight, it was tight to the seat body where the adjuster was hung up. The belt length from the seat to the chassis looked tight, but it wasn't under tension. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...85b3e5899b.jpg The new hotness - Crow Quick Change endurance, 2" lap, 2/3" dogbone shoulder belts, made to order. I also picked up a Schroth HANS / FHR and an HJC AR10 helmet. No more fear of going out like Dale! What I didn't take pictures of is that all the backing plates are secured to the car with smaller set screws. If you remove the seat or the harness bolts, the backing plates stay in place. I can remove and install the seat in short order - not as fast as the stocker obviously, but I had the seat out in 5 minutes when I swapped the belts. Install doesn't take much longer. Long term, I'll modify the stock seat rails to bolt into the same location so switching back and forth will still be possible. And I'm working on a way to keep both the 3 point and 6 point belts in place at the same time. Hopefully, swapping seats will be a 20 minute affair that won't involve wearing out the threads on the stock seatbelt receiver. |
I've rolled almost 2k miles on the odometer since the last update, which in my mind is a good bit for less than a month in your weekend car. Unfortunately, not all of it was trouble free. Soon after mounting the seat, I took it on a 1200 mile round trip.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0692ff1827.jpg Race seats can be pretty comfy if you do some work. This is the second seat I have put the same pieces of Confor foam from Aircraft Spruce in, and both are 8+ hour drive comfortable. Note the massive 5/6 point slot hole as a sign that this foam has been around for a few experiments! Anyway, I definitely recommend it. I'll get the blue bottom cushion sewn into a cover so that it's not so... distinctive. On the trip, I noticed the brake pedal not only had a vibration/pulsation that I had been trying to get rid of, but now the pedal travel was longer. In fact, I reached the bottom of the pedal before lockup. When I got back home, I set about to rebuilding the front calipers because it costs all of $8. The situation escalated quickly... I had two unrelated issues - an interference fit on the drivers side that introduced aluminum shavings into the bearing, and a bearing that developed play on the passenger side. Disappointing for sure on a kit that was supposed to make things bulletproof. BronsonM came to the rescue. Less than two hours after I had sent him a request to sell me replacement wheel bearings in preparation for my next track day, he had already created a shipping label for a complete fix - two new WJB poverty spec bearings, 1mm thinner washers to prevent any more interference/shavings, a stud remover/installer tool, and a delrin plug so that I could machine my own bearings. For free. I cannot overstate how nice it is to get this level of customer service. Like I said last post, lots of small time vendors are difficult to communicate with. Not Bronson. I wholeheartedly recommend his products, even with the issues I had. Not like he can control QC on the cheap bearings that I chose, and the washers - we'll call that teething issues. Buy his stuff, you won't regret it. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6ee713382d.jpg Make sure to run a tap through any threaded holes when you buy cheap Chinese BMW parts. I got lots of shavings out of each one. At this point, I figured I had the long pedal travel fixed, but went ahead with the caliper rebuild anyway. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b0ff0509ed.jpg Here's my new favorite way to keep fluid from draining out of the lines with a caliper off - just depress the pedal enough to cover the fill port in the master cylinder. A spare vise works fine. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...64d17a64dc.jpg Bores looked good. Just a tiny bit of wear on the bore. No lip or any sort of roughness. I polished it a bit with valve lapping compound just to be sure. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...53147bf584.jpg I cleaned out the thick old grease on the brackets, regreased, and replaced the slider boots. While fiddling about to prep, I decided to clean up the engine bay. Good call... https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a18b2718fc.jpg Something made me check the air filter. Wish I had done that at the start of the season... because I totally curbstomped a mouse into the snow when I spotted it running out of my garage this winter. I knew he had been near my car. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9bb742ee48.jpg Oh look, the wiring harness just about wore a hole through the intake resonator. Slap some velcro on there to keep it from happening again. As part of the prep, I wanted to present the inspectors a car that didn't draw too much attention and nit-picking to a fresh race seat install. So, it was time to clean up the interior. The race seat did not clear the door card topper, so I ran without a door card for a while. I had removed the vapor barrier during the 1.6 interior swap years ago, and covered the butyl rubber that remained with duct tape and shopping bag plastic. It was horrid to look at, and to worry about touching without a card in there. Side note: I really need to get better at taking pictures of how my projects start! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4191463f76.jpg What you see here is over an hours worth of work with Goo Gone and a plastic scraper to get all the butyl off. I wish I knew why they spec'd that specific formulation for the doors. Seriously, the aftermarket sound deadener stuff I used is plenty sticky without forming endless strands of butyl that coat EVERYTHING. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7c176c3874.jpg I used a hole saw to give the seat shoulder wing a place to tuck into. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6ad77b965e.jpg Here's the backside of the old door card. Check out the lovely mold, water damage, warpage, and missing chunks - the vapor barriers definitely work. I'll have one back in there before I let it rain on the car. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b684c71a4f.jpg Not perfect, but it's better than cutting off the back portion! Check out that nice new door card. I'll make a vapor barrier for the door before I let it get rained on again so I don't have to waste an hour cutting out and test fitting another panel out of $2.50 worth of particle board. But what else can we do to draw attention away from our race seat? Well... find out next post. |
Okay, I didn't see anything in the posting guidelines that specifically says this is verboten, so here you go. Mods can delete if necessary.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6bc7f3de5a.png You've been warned. I had a rather... distinctively carved piece of wood lying about for a few years. What you are about to see is completely home designed and built - a college friend modeled it in CAD. The design goal was to make it look like a cobra that was ready to strike. Another donated the locally sourced Apple wood "billet" it was carved from. A third friend cut it out on his CNC mill. It was finished the night before the track day and installed at 7AM the following morning to give the epoxy time to cure. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...db6b6b1c65.jpg Hey, look my odometer is at exactly 150k on the way to a track day! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...73095e0e26.jpg Showcasing the finest DP-420 epoxy that was used to secure the threaded insert. Yes, it passed tech inspection. Yes, I drove with it on track (only one session though). Honestly wasn't that bad to use. Having such a big shift knob certainly gives you a lot of options on where to hold it. And it definitely drew a lot of attention. Thankfully, it was all positive and everyone got a laugh. I hope you guys do too. |
Last weeks track day at Waterford went alright. The first session was plagued by understeer, and the brake vibration I was hoping would disappear with some serious heat... didn't.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5cd6603408.jpg Swapping rotors between sessions, feat. my pit crew. It's too bad, they still had half the service thickness left. I wasn't going to potentially be disappointed in another session just for the sake of being cheap on Miata rotors. My second session was the opposite of the first - oversteer everywhere. I probably should have come in halfway through, but kept going until I had a four off. I had juggled the tires and pressures around to what I'd been running recently with success, but not this time. After that, I adjusted tire pressures again, and the last two sessions were perfection. Car was well balanced and fun to drive, as it usually is. I was booked for another track day less than a week later at Gingerman Raceway. I knew it was a possibility that I might be able to get extra sessions in, so I wanted to make sure the oil cooler was working it's best if I was running back to back sessions. These past few months, I'd been spending way too much time trying to figure out a way to perfectly duct it from the nose. In the end, I decided just to put a "flick" on the underside of the cooler to throw some fresh air across the face of it. The sides and bottom are sealed to the AC condensor, so I'm hoping that will help force some fresh air through it. Maybe I should get an oil temp gauge to actually know whats going on? https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...71c05d21f7.jpg Fancy stuff here. The flick, backing plates, and bolts https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...366a88d78f.jpg View from the front. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...842786bcae.jpg A little closer. You can see I cut away some of the plastic "mouth" framework to give the air an easier path to the cooler. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9ee1ee30dd.jpg The cool kids hanging out together at Gingerman. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9ba536159d.jpg But the coolest kid was hanging out on his own. In the end I did end up running the equivalent of two track days in one - 8 sessions. No video though, just got lazy and with only 20 minute turnarounds between sessions I just wanted to focus on driving. By the end I was consistently in the 1:56 range, and Racechrono claims I ran a 1:54.9 one lap. I wouldn't mind a bit more consistency but I'm happy with the lap times, given that the performance mods basically consist of ARBs, a race seat, and different sized wheels running 400tw summer tires. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...950f3590bb.png I got home and checked the maintenance logs... Turns out I did almost 5k miles on this oil change, including 3 (or 4, if you're going by track time) track days. Oops. Got that swapped out and she's ready to go again. Hopefully I'll get one more track day in this year! |
Originally Posted by OptionXIII
(Post 1579749)
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...85b3e5899b.jpg The new hotness - Crow Quick Change endurance, 2" lap, 2/3" dogbone shoulder belts, made to order. |
They're pull down, and for the $10 extra Crow charges to switch to pull up, I think I'll go with that next time. It's not that hard to tighten the harness but it would definitely be more natural to pull up. I'd also switch to 5 point I think. The 6 point bottom strap is just stitched together, so I'm not sure what I gain from having extra strap material in an already... crowded area.
I haven't handled many different harnesses, but I'm still happy with my purchase. It's definitely a lot smoother and easier to adjust than the cheap RJS harness I had before. |
Another driving season has passed. I only got one track day this season, between life and maintenance issues I just haven't had the time to get out there. Let's catch up.
This other thing has been taking up most of my tinkering bandwidth for the past two years. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7639cf7140.jpg It's a 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ base model that I bought for $700 because I couldn't find a spec of rust on it. The low price was because it was RWD, had a cracked head, leaked every single fluid, and was absolutely disgusting on the inside. To make a long story short, it's basically been completely rebuilt. I 4wd swapped it with a full time transfer case, gave it a 3” lift, skid plates, WJ/ZJ front and rear brake swap, Truetrac helical rear diff, etc etc. I love it to death. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c1467e51c0.jpg Anyway, with that thing basically complete, I'm turning my attention back to the Miata, which has been pretty stable. My plans: Suspension:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...79d30e3673.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4b1ce8dd6b.jpg Engine:
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Innovative Engine Mounts
I traded my Blackbird mounts for these from a friend after sitting in his car and being dumbfounded at how much less vibration there was. That said, I'm disappointed with a lot of the design decisions. .
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c407251571.jpg Not the best angle, but you can see the adjustment slot. I really don't like this design and have no need to change the engine height https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9a6bc9933e.jpg So we cut out some disks to fill the raise and lower bolt locations, welded them in, and machined/ground the ear back smooth. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3cd3624185.jpg If you look at the bushing side of the bracket you'll see where the logo was cut out, and a plate was welded in. Then I cut that area back to clear the oil dipstick tube. They were a bit more of a struggle to install than the Blackbird mounts. A lot of that is down to my oil cooler install hiding some of the bolts. I think the bushings that squished out also made it more difficult to line it up fore/aft. But they're installed. Here's hoping they won't make for too much vibration. My Mazdacomp rubber mounts were perfectly fine. |
Skunk2 Throttle Body, Part 1
I have no high power goals. This is just for durability. I'm not on track as much as the guys that typically have the issue with eating a screw, but I didn't want to take chances. Of course, being a crappy part, it has a ton of issues of its own that should be addressed and will probably make my car worse overall. These are the issues I've encountered myself or am otherwise aware of through my internet research. .
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...08202b45d6.jpg The material that needed to be removed from the IM to match the new TB. I jammed a rag into the intake, then taped over top of it to be absolutely sure no shavings would get in. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7fe78ac823.jpg The patient after surgery. The die grinder made quick work of this. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7d29e2967a.jpg I also gave the IAC airflow path a bit of a port job. The stock throttle body has massive, high flow ports for this. The Skunk2, not so much. I wish I had hogged out a bit more, but it's loctited down now. Hopefully this will help mitigate some of the idle issues I've seen reported. Also, the bolt in the pocket there that really needs to be shortened or replaced. Other bolts will be fine with washers, as they are not covered up and height sensitive. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1a60f23f6b.jpg The stock IAC flow ports are MASSIVE in comparison. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5a8e697a0b.jpg I didn't want to use all the included bolts, the standard top studs make it easy to install. So these spacers were machined out, as washers look trashy. The nut will bottom out on the end of the stud threads before it tightens down on the S2 TB, you need something in there to take up the space. I used the included stainless allens on the bottom two bolt locations. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...376dc2dd90.jpg Mounted and ready to adjust. |
When I installed my $260 suspension back in 2019, I had to make some previously mentioned custom sway bar clamps and brace blocks. But with the Fox coilovers with more than triple the stock spring rate waiting to go on, the Racing Beat bars are a tad overkill. So, back to smaller stuff.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0e89486943.jpg The allthread studs were a terrible idea as the whole locknut idea only works if there isn't a soft spring (like those flexible sway bar mounts) in the mix that eats up all the preload you add. I threw that into the trash pile long ago. The clamps were designed for the bushings Racing Beat sent out. They won't work with the stock sway bars. At least the brace blocks can be reused. They're massively oversized though. Let's trim some weight. Before: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9644057b3c.jpg During: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0523a5c59f.jpg My friend made enough money off his homemade mill to buy a much bigger machine. It's pretty neat. After: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...bedd3bf760.jpg Much more better, and still complete overkill compared to what's commercially available. |
Well, I decided there was enough I wanted to do around the dash that it was a good idea to take it out. The list:
1. Remove the alcantara dash wrap 2. Swap to NA HVAC controls. They fit the dash better and will give me more room so I can ... 3. Add a radio. 4. Finish mounting fuse panel and OBD port, and generally tidy up and address rattles. 5. Stiffen the throttle pedal stop mount. 6. Clean out the blower motor. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d15dcf3708.jpg Dash is out. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8849999cee.jpg Man, it's gotten so bad. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f44f654fb0.jpg' The area covered by the VIN tag shows how bad the fading has been. It'd be one thing if it took years, but this began to fade within weeks. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...06a78141d2.jpg Goo gone made quick work of 90% of the contact cement residue. The last 10% is taking ages of scrubbing. |
It's amazing how much time gets eaten up by the little things. I spent most of the last weekend working on the pedal box.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...00c562a42a.jpg As described. I used an old tooth brush to lightly scrub the face of the evaporator and get 22 years of detritus off of it. The sound of the leaves had been bothering me for years. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8b1402f0f6.jpg Lowes Racing HVAC foam tape to reseal the fresh air duct. Not sure why a massive hole to the outside world needs to be sealed on the edges, but here we are. The dash is almost entirely cleaned free of the old contact cement. There are a few spots on the dash that have discolored from I don't know what. And of course, I had to knock off all the little slats on the defrost vents when I wrapped the dash. This is the dumbest mod I've ever done to a Miata, the dash was pristine before I fucked it up. Oh well, it tells a story I guess. Skunk2 TB Install, Part 2 I went to adjust the throttle pedal stop to keep stress off the linkage. The original plan was to use a set of feeler gauges to get the throttle just shy of hitting it's own stop when the gas pedal is pushed to the floor. That didn't quite work out because the pedal assembly has a massive amount of flex, resulting in more throttle cable travel even after you hit the pedal stop. With some homemade bracketry and TIG welding, the pedal box flex is sorted and now have the worlds stiffest Miata gas pedal mount. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cce5c1ae99.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8d466557b2.jpg With that taken care of, the max pedal travel was set so that the Skunk2 should never hit its own throttle stop. This should keep stress off of the throttle cable barrel. |
I've still been chipping away, getting the other winter projects done so that when the Supermiata poly bronze kit ships I can redo my whole suspension in one go.
The dash is finally cleaned of alcantara and contact cement. That was a nightmare. I needed it in place while I figured out the wiring for using the NA HVAC controls. And I needed that so that I could get my radio slot back. I prefer the look of the NA controls and the feel of sliders as well, so it's a win all around. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6fe462af31.jpg This should work wonderfully. Finally, I own a modern radio that doesn't look like a discoteque. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c33c80ba55.jpg The test fit of a spare set of NA HVAC controls and the Continental radio. Below the radio I'll either put a storage cubby or a switch panel. Wearing headphones to listen to music was getting really old on road trips. The plan is to install a better set of NA HVAC controls that will eventually get Revlimiter JNC faces. I plan to do the same to the gauge cluster. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...afbbc1d6f.jpeg Not my picture, but since my car came with the Bose sound system, it came with 8" round speakers. The base model uses these adapter mounts to fit 6x8 speakers in the same place. If I have the space with my flat door cards, I'd like to find a set and use them to install aftermarket 6x8 speakers. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8e1aa062c6.jpg It was time for a new battery tray. I got this thicker one from Rspeed. |
I really like that continental HU. The only thing I do not like about it is that the lighting is orange, which does not match my interior.
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Originally Posted by HarryB
(Post 1618162)
I really like that continental HU. The only thing I do not like about it is that the lighting is orange, which does not match my interior.
Anyway, I've been travelling a lot for work lately so time has been precious. I've only got one week back home before I have to take off again. Time to play catch up. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1ec08db0ea.jpg I reinforced the front control arm sway bar mounts with a bit extra weld in the gooch. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c1b40f1365.jpg The rear swaybar mounts had already gotten that treatment, but I wanted to be able to run the end links "backwards" again as it gives way better linkage angles. This should keep them from ripping out again. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...af30e82de2.jpg Both rears, stripped clean and ready for paint. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5762f813b9.jpg I got some Superpro diff bushing inserts. These should complement the poly motor mounts well. They accidentally sent me two sets! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...16e91e4a6d.jpg Pretty easy to see how they fit in the part of the bushing that drops out. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...040ab5696e.jpg I eventually plan to swap out the fugly tan seat covers. The old seat hinges off the NA are better looking in my opinion, and not tan. That may even be this spring! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c0f844842e.jpg Don't think I've posted this previously, but I had to take it off to drop the diff far enough to slip in the little donuts in the bushing kit. The front ladder bar got bent back twice from impact with road debris, and it bends the chassis mounts with it, so I heavily reinforced it. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...89ccf0136a.jpg The S2 throttle body doesn't seem to have enough tension at idle. I drilled in some adjustment holes (stock is furthest left). Currently set to the least stiff new option, the second from left (red arrow) https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5898247319.jpg The HID retrofit throws out a great low beam, but the old halogen high beams were left looking pretty mediocre in comparison. I was looking for inexpensive relay harnesses when I realized the Morimoto HID relay harness happens to use 9005/9006 connectors. So I bought the same relay harness that powers my HIDs as a $20 closeout on eBay and hooked it up to the high beams. Hopefully this will be a good improvement, but if not, I'll try getting new bulbs. Blue arrow is the much more OEM looking mounting arrangement for the HID relay setup. Red is the new high beam relay harness. I was going to make a new bracket to mount it more cleanly, but the coolant overflow tank was too convenient to ignore. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4b76dce4b2.jpg So I've been trying to find a creative way to mount the 3 point and 6 point harnesses at the same time, so that I don't have to switch bolts. The crappy aftermarket harness tabs were a crappy fit on the stock shoulder bolt, lets take care of that. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f2470c430e.jpg Making what would be one of the most expensive harness tabs ever sold, if I was paying for it. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5f9ac41efc.jpg Left is the crappy harness tab, middle is the snap in tab, on the right is the much improved harness tab. It's thicker at 1/4", and an extremely tight fit to the stock shoulder bolt. This will take the place of one of the factory spacers. The factory belt will pivot just like normal, should be a nice fit. We'll be revisiting this later! More parts are on the way, and other projects are in progress. |
Did a hotboi mod. The lack of amber really ties the front end together. For $12 shipped to my door I had to give this eBay Racing set of side markers a try. Fit was a bit off, and they're a bit proud of the bumper at the rear. But I'm happy with the change.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b9a1d191e1.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7eaa7b63ad.jpg |
Today I got my hands on some decent crimps, and got the radio wiring done proper.
I went off of what I found online, but naturally, it was slightly wrong. I say that assuming that the aftermarket stuff is marked correctly. I trust audio suppliers to have their act together more than Miata forums though. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ad5c3ed06e.jpg This is my pinout, from the aftermarket radio right to the speaker connectors. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ce6680d8f5.jpg Here is the relevant factory wiring diagram. The black and orange wires are shielding for the not mentioned in most online writeups about a bosectomy, but there's no reason not to ground them as far as I can tell. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4b26442baa.jpg The pile of audio cables, still completely NB2 Bose stock. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c9a965e778.jpg The radio in and amp out wires crimped together with these super nice crimps. The remaining depinned black and orange wires are the signal wire shielding. The last wire to deal with is the amp power wire, its still in the connector for now. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...319c087dc2.jpg Shout out to this random single DIN radio bracket that came in my NA. It's probably 20 years old. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a47147936f.jpg The unpinned blue wire is the antenna power wire. I am going to put it on a switch, as the antenna goes up whenever the radio powers on, regardless of audio source. The black and orange wires have been hooked to a ground in this shot. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9a6bd24b4b.jpg As it sits now. There's some remaining wires that could be cleaned up and removed, but I'll trim them out after a few months of it working right. 1. Hazard lights. Still going to use a jumper for this. 2. HVAC controls 3. HVAC backlighting 4. Window switches 5. Aftermarket radio connector/jumper harness 6. Factory NB radio connector And since we're posting wiring diagrams, I might as well post the pinout for swapping NA climate controls into an NB. And the diode direction is corrected, because the wiring diagrams online are wrong. Imagine that. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...558d1f50c0.png Kinda makes me miss working on Jeeps. Reliable info is much easier to find. |
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f5f0c5c1f7.jpg
The NA HVAC climate controls got some attention today. I disassembled the sliders, cleaned them of the old grease, lubed them up with high viscosity damping grease, and lubed the cables with cable lube. They should be good for another 30 years of service! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7aa7b4b1c6.jpg Test fitting all the controls again. Man, the climate control face really could use some love from revlimiter. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ee54fe70a8.jpg Test fitting what will become the radio bezel. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2ca4a85ee4.jpg Two new harness tabs. Made from stainless! These were a total pain to machine, but I think they'll last the rest of my life and beyond. |
Gave up on posting there for a bit.
Anyways. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...00d0258744.jpg I had massive amounts of bushing slip. This made for a really noisy, clunky suspension over bumps. I bought some Supermiata poly bronze bushings on January 4th and just missed the first batch. Then the second batch was delayed from it's initial ship date of March 10 to April 27. This immensely pissed me off. Miss a group buy announced over the holidays, end up having your purchase not ship for almost three months. The communication after the purchase was good, and the product an excellent value... I just don't like the business model. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3defc0a49c.jpg My friend lathed out bushing sleeves based on SadFAB dimensions. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...562c9529ee.jpg Here are the homemade poly/bronze bushings installed, along with the Mazda Motorsports front lower control arm braces. All of the original control arms (not including the previously replaced upper control arms) were painted. Complete overkill for my grip level? Yes. Bulletproof is the goal! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8849d5a284.jpg I did some travel measurements front and rear with the Fox coilovers for future reference. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a5d74ff0bb.jpg FM got more of my money. I was sick of paying local tire shops that don't care to align my car. So I'll do it myself. I know there's cheaper solutions, but I've come to really appreciate these stands. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...406f206575.jpg I made some load spreading plates that are specific to the Miata bolt pattern. I know it works, but I don't like the overlapping stud patterns. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...00f0ccd1d9.jpg Close up. The interior has always been the ugliest part of this car. I'm sick of it! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...81d520b6c1.jpg Here was the passenger seats condition. Awful. Gross. The girlfriend was unimpressed and didn't particularly enjoy riding with me. :( https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0268c5f391.jpg This is the drivers seat after being reupholstered. IMO, this is the ideal combination of Miata seat parts. NB2 Surfboard seats, black NA seat hinges, and seat covers that won't get but so brutally hot in the sun. I'd prefer cloth, but I couldn't find any full replacement upholstery. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2f8be74924.jpg A face plate was made to fit around the radio. I will put some switches and doodads on the bottom of it. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7a0b6624cc.jpg I replaced the cracked and yellowed HVAC panel with a brand new one from Mazda. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7de2ef49eb.jpg I picked up some of the base model speaker mounts, as 8" round speakers like came on the LS are not exactly common. Then I got a case of analysis paralysis. So I improvised and finally got the radio working and get some momentum. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e9159aee07.jpg These are the speakers I had in my NA. They were purchased somewhere in the middle of nowhere on my cross country trip to get audio back on that car. They've been sitting around for years since. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d2ab157260.jpg The interior panels were trimmed to suit. It's still not loud enough for my liking at highway speeds with the top down. After 5 years without a radio, I get it working again and now I want to get picky. There's really no logic to it. But man is it nice to have a normal car again. The stiffer driveline mounts are not that bad. There's a large resonance when you engage the clutch to take off, and a pretty loud resonance at 3,000 RPM, which unfortunately is right at about 60 MPH in 5th. But outside of those ranges, it's really not that bad for poly mounts. I'm happy with the change. Next projects are doing a proper install of a set of 6x8" speakers, adding rear speakers, and attempting to fix the brakes again so I can finally get back out on track. |
Nice update.
Yeah the snafu with batch 2 of the 863 kit was a real nightmare. Glad you had the means to make your own! That seat looks great, love the color. |
I'm definitely lucky to have custom parts just a request away. After receiving the Supermiata parts I wish I could have gotten in on the first batch or waited longer, the quality of the sleeves is absolutely fantastic and they're definitely a great value. I'll keep these as spares.
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Almost a year since the last update!
I finally got my soft pedal sorted. I can't explain why other than giving the bubbles time to gather in one spot, and more brake bleeding over time. I was also getting a lot of brake pedal pulsation. Once again... it was time for new rotors. I am wondering if it's related to the Stoptech Sport brake pad compound. I might try a different pad next time. Anyways, with that fixed I've been able to get to the track both at VIR, and at Carolina Motorsports park as part of Gridlife. I used the latter as a way to force myself to finally "finish" the car. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1d8971ba07.jpg I pulled up the drivers side carpet a while back and unfortunately found some rust. I started by scraping off the tar sound deadening. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cb8ccee456.jpg A wire wheel and Goo Gone took care of most of the rust and leftover tar. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...007e5efab5.jpg Naval jelly and hand scrubbing with a wire brush took care of the remaining rust. The black spots are E-coat or paint. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6766200d48.jpg I put down two coats of Steel-It paint. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a493973bd6.jpg Before the bolts and washers went in, I sprayed undercoating on the bolt holes and back side of the washers. I used larger washers in some locations where the sheet metal had deformed. After the bolts were tightened down, the excess was wiped off. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6b7376f4c2.jpg I put down some butyl rubber sound deadening to replace the tar. Hopefully, this will also work as a replacement for the factory seam sealer that came off with the rust. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...207435e0b3.jpg The red mirrors were never a good look. I don't know why I waited for so long to paint them black. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7d2eaea6c4.jpg While the carpet was up and the floor pan paint was curing, I addressed the rust on the harness eye bolts. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ac91d59663.jpg To finish the door cards, I started by adding some 1/4" wood struts to them. This reinforced the card, gave me room to staple down the upholstery, and lined up the door card better with the door sill. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a4b532f5e0.jpg The finished result is so much better. I can't believe I waited 6 years to do this. Some new finish washers and speaker grilles off of eBay really make it pop. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...014dcd12b2.jpg Normally I like more color, but monchrome works well for cheap on a silver car. New 15x8 Konig Hexaforms are wrapped in 205/50R15 Falken RT660 tires. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f90671c48c.jpg The interior finally is close to what I've imagined for years. I've added an IL Motorsports center console, Hard Dog roll bar wrap, a custom brass shift knob, tucked an Element fire extinguisher by the seat, and finished up the radio install since the last update. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ef8be472a0.png A picture from Gridlife. All credit to NVUS images, I'll probably buy this picture or another after I've had more time to sort through them. I ended the day running consistently in the 1:56 range. There's always more time on the table, but I don't think it's too bad of a showing for a first timer running with the top down, on a car that's basically stock other than poly bronze bushings and coilovers in terms of actual speed improvemnts. Gridlife apparently sucks at traffic management despite years of practice running track days, so I didn't really get a lot of clean laps in until the last session, and the extra bonus round they threw in at the end for anyone that stuck around. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...49249ea9d7.jpg I didn't leave unscarred though. 8 years of service from this soft top is not that bad, but less than I wanted=. I think I'll get the hardtop painted and bolt it down for the summer while I figure out what I want to do about the soft top situation. I have since gotten another Miata that needs a top and don't think I want to put in the time and cash to replace two soft tops in one summer. |
Got out to the track again, this time I brought my GoPro! I went to the Charlotte Roval on a very rainy Thursday evening with Track Night in America.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...52fe51e298.jpg My experience with rainy track days is that a lot of people drop out. Luckily, that meant garage space was available for everyone. There were lots of faster cars here. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5e1c7b0f28.jpg My favorite though had to be this Plymouth Gran Fury with an aluminum headed SBC swap. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...dd8ef4509a.jpg Ready to take on the Roval! This is also actually my first time running the hardtop on track. With the rain, it was basically a necessity. Am I a liar for putting all these track stickers on a hardtop that hasn't actually been to those tracks? First session out, I wanted to do a run on my street tires. With so much rain, I was worried about water evacuation and didn't have to worry about my all season street tires getting eaten up by the heat. Well, I thought I didn't have to worry... https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b453fe8a09.jpg Turns out they still don't like getting locked up in the wet. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e9ed65bffc.jpg I ran with the fog lights on for extra visibility. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0a147a8ffe.jpg And also managed to lock up my RT660s. Thankfully the damage was much less dramatic. What was dramatic though was the difference in grip. I didn't think that even with so much water on track, the RT660's would have such incredible traction! This is a video from the second session. My buddy is in the RSX ahead of me, and due to traffic issues we asked and were able to move from intermediate to advanced. Probably the only guy on track faster than us in this session was in the C5 Corvette that passes us, and it's not like he was making up his time in the infield or braking zones! |
After the last track day lockups, and an exciting four off at an autocross due to cold brakes and cold tires, I've decided to start modifying my braking system. First step is to maximize what I already have – time to add a proportioning valve.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b55602d156.jpg I bought the FM kit as an easy button to get all the adapters. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5d2ee04e24.jpg I also sprung for a Speedway Motors remote cable adjuster. I've seen a few people install the Wilwood cable and complain about the plastic knob. Well, the Speedway is cheaper and comes with an anodized aluminum knob. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e2a180e11e.jpg The prop valve knob is held on with Loctite. I cut it off. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b5a7601f8a.jpg There's not much to say about my prop valve placement other than the Sport brake setup has a vertical prop valve arrangement, instead of the horizontal that I saw on all installs online for 1.6 and 1.8 brakes. Rather than Loctite the cable on as I saw in some how-tos, I drilled and tapped the cable end nut for a set screw, made a flat on the prop valve threads, and used that to keep the cable from loosening it's grip. Check out that extremely professional mounting bracket I made last minute! I'll get a 3d printed bracket on there some day. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...79a68cc322.jpg I think that vertical orientation worked out well for me though – the 5' long cable was the perfect length to install it and run it through the hole I had previously used for my Megasquirt MAP vacuum line, I couldn't have done that with it facing forward or to the right. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e2816098bb.jpg I installed the knob right under the radio. The cable will need some more support, right now it's only held up on the steering column to clear the pedals. If left to it's own devices, a few quarter turns have to get wasted on coiling up the cable sheathing. That doesn't matter for now, it's dialed all the way to max rear and still locking up the fronts first. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6b5818266c.jpg Another track day down, this time it was a private weekday event at CMP. Normally I drive the Miata to events, but with a 2.5 hour drive to and from the track on a work night, with no friend to act as a race tire hauler, and the possibility of up to 6 hours of track time I wanted the security of a second vehicle in case something happened. My XJ didn't skip a beat. I got there the night before, pretty sure I was the only person who spent the night on site. It's always a nice feeling to wake up next to your car at the track. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8e96804bf2.jpg Every day I'm glad I finally finished this interior. I never should have waited so long, it's such a nice feeling every time I get in the car, turn on the radio, and don't have to look at fiberboard door panels. The Miata did fine. I, however, decided that at the end of the day I really needed to carry a bit more speed into turn 8 to try and set a new personal best for the day. That didn't go so well. I got at least 4 hours of track time, including one session an hour long. No issue with anything. The only problem I have now is worn out tires made worse by not enough camber. This car kicks ass. |
Double post.
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