revlimiter

iTrader: (1)

Well done on the wheel restoration!!! I told ya you could do it.

Jeffbucc

Yup! Easy and super cheap. I think it was $20 shipped for the dye and the top coat.

OK, curiosity got the better of me and I couldn't wait.

Damn, sometimes, things just work out perfectly. So pleased with how this will look. The fitment is so tight you have to squeeze it in, I think I got lucky on this one!

turbofan

iTrader: (1)

Every time I think I've got a handle on this project, you go and do something that looks like that.

Props.

bikersam717

iTrader: (5)

Came out great! This whole thread hasn't let me down, the awesomeness torque curve is very flat with no dips. Props!

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Where's the condom dispenser?

Jeffbucc

You know the red vine dispenser Garth had in his gremlin in Wayne's World? It'll be right there.

black roadster

iTrader: (3)

eduTechnic

lol wut? You talking about Miatas or girls now? I, um, too easy.../8th grader giggle

Jeffbucc

Wow this is harder than I thought it would be.

Need to find a way to tension the gauges tight so they don't move around. Also need to buy some plexiglass to replace the glass with. But I think it should turn out pretty good once I can get those done.

Jeffbucc

Or just do it right and get matching VDO gauges...I'll admit I'm not extremely happy with how it looks.

BoostedSmurf

iTrader: (1)

Finally finished reading this thread from beginning to end. Can honestly say I didn't expect it to turn into an all out restoration at the beginning of the thread. Must say I am truly impressed to the attention to detail and how quickly things got done here.

Keep it up! INB4 startup video

Jeffbucc

Thanks!

Hah, it didn't start as a full blown restoration but it slowly evolved to that due to Turbofan/Hornetball/Vlad and several others dictating the level of OCD I would go to.

Got the radiator cleaned up and slotted into the car. It took a lot of work to get it all cleaned up.

First started with some degreaser and a steam cleaner to clean all the dirt/bugs/grease out of the radiator fins. Glad I did, there were so many bugs in the radiator the water wouldn't penetrate the other side in some places. Overheating is no bueno!



Dirt fans



Needed to put some epoxy on a broken fan leg



Cleaned the fans



There were a lot of hard water stains and other scuffs on the radiator. I know 90% is covered by the radiator shroud but I decided to give it a quick polish "while it was out of the car"



All polished up Also spent an hour and a half straightening all the radiator fins. I was amazed how many were bent. It isn't pretty since I don't have a radiator fin tool but I used a dentist pick to get them all straight.





One of the fan brackets had a broken bolt stud in it so I needed to redrill & tap it



all assembled (yes I know the brackets are on upside down, I fixed that!)



I had some clearance issues with the fan shrouds with the sway bar. So instead of messing with it for another hour I just drilled a new hole which gave me juuusssttt enough clearance of the sway bar.





And all slotted in the car! Looks really good. Decided to leave the Miataturbo.net sticker on...you know...gotta represent the only reason the car has gotten this far this quickly!



Next is the intercooler.

curly

iTrader: (25)

No no, the only reason the car has gotten this far this quickly is you're a freak of nature. Don't forget that Jeffy.

Jeffbucc

Well that and the help you guys have given me along the way! I would have been stuck at several points without you guys.

Zaphod

Hi Jeff, when you put the dashboard back in did you put on new wheaterstriping on the dashboard (I am just about to re-assemble mine and want to make sure there are no creaks and nasty noises afterwards)
Thanks!

Jeffbucc

I haven't put the dashboard back in yet, gonna get the engine bay all tidied up before I do.

From what I have read most recommend replacing the weather stripping under the defrost vents near the edge of the dash. Also I would just place it wherever you notice a potential rubbing point. I like to tap various plastic pieces and see if there are any rattling/odd noises that come from the area I shake/tap.

OK so here is the problem I'm having with the intercooler. It looks like the old intercooler was attached to the hood latching bracket. But seeing as I will be running hood pins, the top bracket on the intercooler is now kinda useless, unless I can come up with a bracket that will attach it to the 2 M6x1.0 bolt holes that were meant for the hood bracket.



Also this side bracket is odd...it looks like the intercooler was mounted off center to the very right of the radiator.



The left side is blank. There are only 2 mounting points for the intercooler, which seem about 2 too few for how damn heavy the thing is.



Anyone have any good ideas? I won't have access to a welder until next week, so hopefully a bolt & cut solution.

curly

iTrader: (25)

Stop while you're ahead and buy a fab9 intercooler. Pretty and perfectly new, bolt on to those diagonal threads on either side, and probably a better intercooler than that one.

BTMiata

iTrader: (5)

This is exactly what I was thinking. With the lengths you've gone through to make this car what it is... a perfect fitting intercooler would definitely be beneficial

Jeffbucc

Thanks Curly. I'll check it out. This one is so damn heavy. Swear its made of iron.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

that steering wheel restore friggen impressed me. I never knew you could "restore" leather wheels like that. props