We had a fit come out to one of our last events. He was running in the A Class (advanced). It was awesome to see him overtake STI's, WRX's and RX-7s on the track. No one in his class could pass him.

 

Aidan and Ed you both need to go to the Portland Historic Races and use the in field auto-x course. I usually volunteer to help set it up with a friend that runs the mini event, and the course is usually a mix of high speed slalom with tight decreasing radius turns that require good grip and brake modulation.

The best part: runs are $1, the entry is included in your ticket to the venue, and you don't have to **** any cones.

The worst part: you have to wait until July 10th this year

Bonus: Jay Leno is supposed to bring something interesting this year. Two years ago it was a 1958 Mercedes race team bus.

2015 Portland Vintage Racing Festival | SVRA

 

Ok, now THAT looks cool. Is it worth getting me off my fatass and driving to Portlandia?

 

THREAD DRIFT!

Mike is that the one where the entire course is lined with cones? I think Martin took Laz there last year, looked really fun. Gave you an introduction to AutoX without having to memorize or think about a course.

 

Worth the 11 hour drive? Depends on how much of a vintage race car geek you are.

Worth going to from the Pacific North west (3-4 hour drive)? Absolutely.

The course is lined with lime and has many, many, many cones (we don't want our volunteers getting bored in the hot sun). You won't get lost. Last year I borrowed an 800 hp cobra kit car that was visiting to "test" the course for speed and car width.

There is such a thing as too much power.

Jeff, sorry for the continuation of off topic posts, but since your build is essentially done...

 

^Thanks for the info Miq, that sounds absolutely awesome. I'll be there.

 

Page 139. Should finish later tonight.

 

Drift away. Car Build has been done for a while. Just small updates as I pour more money into it.

 

I will be there too. Sounds epic.

 

Well, I'm done. Fully read, post by post. Such an amazing build Jeff. I hope to somehow see it some day.

Given I'm only in a parts buying stage right now, I've definitely added some things to my list/plans, including the Fab9 intercooler, zerks, and potentially some zinc-plated bolts. I'm sure I'm forgetting some.


So did I miss something that happened? I remember seeing how clean it was, but don't remember anything else happening to it.

 

He friggin' polished it. A POLISHED PPF. The only one in existence.

 

Lol ok, I definitely stared at that picture for a very extended period of time. Your #remembertheppf always worried me, thinking somewhere i was bound to see its demise.

 

Glad you enjoyed it, mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned, wanted to make an enjoyable build thread. Just don't go full OCD like me and I'm sure your car will still be great.


#Miataroadsterswagger

*looking back I have no god damn idea what I was thinking

 

how long did it take polishing that and not driving this beast?


:P

 

An hour? Somewhere around there. I have a really nice random orbital buffer that I used in conjunction with a sanding pad and a microfiber pad w/ aluminum polish.

Too much time was spent not driving the car though, agreed.

 

You know, I don't blame you. I was under my car last night taking the ppf bolts out and removing the wiring that's attached to it. It's a nice hunk of aluminum, and you had spit-shined everything else under there. Since you had the tools, what's an hour to make it perfect?

Is it bad that I can see your 'logic'?

 

 

No, it just means I've slowly changed your ability to think rationally over the time you have spent reading this build thread.

It is a slow yet effective virus.

 

Well it turned out great. I don't have much polishing experience, so I doubt I'll do the PPF, but I definitely plan on doing the Fab9 intercooler and a few other things I've seen on yours, rather than cheap out in other places.

I don't have garage space, and probably won't when I first get the car, so I won't be able to go too crazy for a while.

Maybe do yours a little backwards. Running and driving, and then clean it later on.

 

Well...there goes my weekend of fun.

Took my dad for a spin for his first time, just in case I crashed on the trip to SoW. Wasn't driving very hard(12 psi) and as we were 3 blocks from home I suddenly lost all boost pressure and looked behind me and I was crop dusting the entire road.

Literally couldn't see the road there was so much smoke. So I pulled over, and checked everything...no leaks, nothing to see. no bad noises while idling though so I figured it was safe to limp it home just being gentle.

Blew my oil seals in my CHRA and some how my bearings are pretty nasty sounding. Not sure how I avoided contacting the wheel with the turbo housing wall, but lucky me I guess.

My dad and I were laughing about how fortuitous my luck was that it happened the night before I drove out, rather than in the middle of the damn desert on the side of the road.

My pops in a haze of smoke laughing at how it failed on his first ride.



Just some of the oil I found past the oil seals.



Shaft play(it was this bad prior to removing 1-2 housing bolts)



I'm weirdly not even mad. Guess I'm more thankful that this happened prior to the trip, and not during.

-TSE inconel hadn't budged a MM
-All CHRA bolts were tight
-no blockage in oil feed or oil return lines

How the hell did this happen besides Murphey's Law?

Now what do I replace this thing with....I'd like this in the new turbo:
-faster spool
-V-bands...everywhere(I'm done messing with hard to reach bolts)
-total hp output isn't important as I have come to find the car more enjoyable at 12 psi.