Oh well. I'll probably see if I can just remove the lower leg bolts and pry it out of the way a little.

Driveshaft sanded to pull the rust off and given a quick lick of paint.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392611443

At this point, laziness is not an option. Let the OCD flow.

I want to let the laziness flow...This OCD hurts after a while!

Well that wasn't fun. I still need to put on the passenger motor mount and then go to the hardware store to find a 14mm flare nut. I cant seem to find one with the right thread pitch and diameter.

Also need to install the PPF, but Ill do that tomorrow.

But it is in, and I did it solo for better or worse. Sorry for no pictures, it was a stress-filled hour trying to get it in with out damaging anything in the process. I should have waited for my brother tomorrow....but, for some reason I wanted to do it by myself. I have done the rest of the car myself, might as well make life harder and do this myself!

First time I dropped it in I didn't realize that it wouldn't fit with both motor mounts still attached to the engine. So after winching it back up and removing the passenger mount, it dropped right in.

So weird that I can't find that other 14mm flare nut.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392634166

I haven't checked this thread in a week and I missed EIGHT pages. Insanity.

Steering wheel: Just refinish the leather yourself. It's extremely easy.

You're going to finish this build, take it out for the maiden voyage, and then stare at the dashboard as you hear a faint rattle that grows louder and louder as you contemplate its source and wonder why could you never find that 14mm flare nut.

So what led you to run water into the mixing manifold rather than block it off and run a straight shot to the cold side?

Honestly? No idea. I haven't looked into his coolant routing very much.

Looking good! Only thing I didn't like was the overflow tank. Just get a nice new white one from the dealer. The painted on looks, well.... painted as opposed to the clean OEM look everything else is.

Who cleans/restores seat belts?

Seriously

Who does this?

I am so utterly impressed every time I open this thread

I've said it before, but this thread has gone from impressive to disgusting. I love you Jeff, but i really don't know how you will even enjoy this car with your level of OCD. Good luck, lol.

In for first start :P

True, I was going to rewrap it but after seeing the results from refinishing your Protipo I'll go that direction. Especially since mine isn't nearly as gnarly as yours. Did you buy a kit with everything all together?

I'll replace it some time later, it works for now and it doesn't bother me that much honestly.

You'd see my point of view if you were standing next to me when all the shit started to ooze out of the seat belts. It was honestly disgusting.

The restoration part? Yeah, that was crazy even for me.

I'm ok with being disgusting.

I've already said it multiple times but I'm only being this OCD once. I'll maintain things and clean them and detail them as I own the car over its life, but I won't go to this detail ever again until something needs to be replaced or fixed.

I was talking to my dad about this earlier this week and he agreed it is better to do it this way when you are "in that mode for restoration and cleaning" since you have no rush to do it, and you might as well do it while you have the part out of the car already.

The problem with restoring a car is you have to pick your baseline. if you start restoring your car at 6/10ths you have room to fluctuate between that and perfection.

When you start at 10/10ths, you have to keep adding to the craziness since the parts that you DON'T do perfect become an eye-sore to otherwise perfect surroundings.

Saying that, as much as I know I have to put the seat belts back in. I really don't want to tear apart the roll bar since it is such an awkward job for one person.

Saying all that, this is how I feel after a session of working on the car.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392663550
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392663474
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392663474

I've been doing the "OCD" cleaning myself, including the washing of the seatbelts so I absolutely understand why you are doing this. You've made much more progress in a much shorter time than I have, that's for sure.

It's good to see someone who hates a dirty piece of equipment as much as I do.

This is officially my favorite thread. :party:

Thanks Diesel, crazy understands crazy. ;)


So I have a question about the timing of the engine. Do I need to worry about timing being off at all, if I have never removed the timing belt? Just want to make sure.

If you never removed the belt, everything should be fine.

mechanical timing should be spot on, BUT i always recommend verifying the timing with MS before you hit big boosts.

Doesn't hurt to check timing at this stage. Do the following:

1. Turn the cranshaft bolt clockwise until the mark on the damper lines up with 0 degrees.
2. Verify that the camshaft sprockets are in the correct relationship to the indentations on the rear, sheet metal shield (I next to I, E next to E). They aren't? Then turn the crankshaft bolt on full turn and look again.
3. Remove the #1 spark plug, stick your dipstick into the hole (i.e., the engine's dipstick into the spark plug hole you perv), and verify the piston is at TDC.

All of the above good? Then proceed with confidence. And, once you're running, double check that MS's timing is correct.

Luke this one is for you.:giggle:

You know how I always say I never go into a project thinking I'm going to fully tear it apart and rebuild it so it is perfect?
.
.
.
This one was on the "list" for a long time but I didn't want to do it until I was ready to install it due to it being scratched up a ton just sitting in the garage.

Wet sanded with 400
Wet sanded with 1000
Copious amounts of aluminum polish
2 layers of Menzerna Powerlock sealant

This is my "bling" for the bottom of the car. I know it will only last a couple drives but it made me happy to do it; so...that is all that matters!

Before

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392679327

After

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392679327

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392679327

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392679327

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1392679327

Oh... My... God...

I'm shocked each and every time I see an update!