Sounds like someone needs to "sell" their Miata to a 501(c)(3) non-profit LLC and claim expenditures as donations and write them off on their taxes.

(Actually, I'm pretty sure that's illegal. I gotta stop drinking my lunch )

 

I suggested using the Miata as a advertising/sponsorship car for racing as a tax write-off and my accountant laughed and asked, "Just how desperate are you to get audited?"

I guess it is slightly more suspicious when your business is making bread instead of automotive accessories/parts....

 

Don't you deliver? Expand out into pizza or something?

 

This is how you rebuild an alternator. Wow. Looks like I just ordered a brand new OEM unit.

Easy $100 well spent.

 

... i thought the purpose of rebuilding VS. replacing was to keep the powder coated casing?

 

Sorry maybe I didn't make myself to clear.

It is an OEM alternator off a 95 that the shop had ordered and replaced. He rebuilt it last night to ensure it was working properly, but he said the tolerances on the powdercoated housing wasn't ideal for the bearings. So we just decided to use the new housing, rather than the old black one I had, so that there wasn't any chance of premature damage to new the core.

 

I personally think the aluminum looks better anyways. Now go driving!

 

Wait... So is this the last thing? You've sorted everything else?

 

Almost. Throttle is displaying 500 at low input for some reason and my IAT sensor is displaying an absurdly high temp. Then I need to make sure that tach is working.

So it isn't ready to drive just yet.

We'll see. I should have everything back together in a couple hours. Just hoping it will crank over!

 

I will be here waiting.

 

Which VTPS are you using?

 

99 tps connector which after much reading should be wired correctly and set at 511 hz.

 

Well a nap and the headliner absorbed all my time tonight. I did get the alternator hooked back up but I'm going to do all the engine stuff tomorrow. I've been super tired lately so I'm not going to kill myself by staying up all night.

The headliner was a bitch to get decent. It isn't perfect and I need to do a little refinement over the weekend to make it look more perfect. I still need to vacuum it and work the edges over with some goof-off so if it looks like ****, that is why. Just going to let it cure for a couple hours before I do so.

Anyways, not super happy with it, but I didn't have enough material length-wise to pull it under the rubber seals so I had to improvise a little. As I said before though, it is a headliner, so I'm ok with how it looks. Mostly did this so it would clear the roll bar.

 

I think it looks fine. If it bugs you down the road, easy enough to pull the hardtop and redo it over a weekend. Even us mortals could accomplish that. Once you're up and driving, I'll bet you'll never look at it again.

 

I'd run it. lookin good jeff.

 

You'll likely end up re-doing it, but honestly you won't even notice it if you run it as is. Hardtop headliner is really not something easily visible and in your sight when driving the car or even getting in

 

Thanks guys, sometimes my neurosis goes a little into overdrive when I finish stuff.

Saying that, it shifted into a higher gear and I cleaned it up to the point where I'm quite happy with it now.

After removing all the excess glue and then putting 2 layers of sealant on the plastic/interior glass it really makes it look nice. I also put an edge to it with friction tape to hide the edges and give it a nice sharp finish to it.

Also, there is this little seam that goes around the center panel so I decided to church it up a bit by heating up a wider diameter dentist pick and running it around the seam to give it a nice little design. Totally unnecessary, but ain't that the theme of this thread?



Now on to the engine stuff after a short nap!

 

Lookin good, in for a running car!

 

No luck so far. Starting to think maybe my starter died? How can your car go from cranking just fine, starting up, to no cranking, with no tuning changes?

I keep hearing a click from the passenger engine fuse box, like a relay turning on and off when I cycle the key...not sure. All wires are plugged in, grounds all checked out, checked all the fuses...doesn't even give a hint of turning over.

I need to step away from the car for a bit....

 

Hell. Yes.

We have a running engine again.

Some how the spade connector on the starter didn't have continuity so I ran a new wire it started right up.

Glad I can actually start doing some **** with tuning now.