Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

I use my phone to stream Pandora in the garage, so I never think to get pictures until I'm packing up for the evening. Last weekend, with a the help of a friend, I got the motor dropped in and wired the COP's for sequential firing. I also eliminated a "sub-harness" that I thought was going to be helpful but really just made the wiring too damn long.

Turned the motor over a few times without fuel get oil up into the motor. As soon as I prime the fuel pump I get a whiff of gas. Well once I get the motor started gas is pouring out of the #3 injector. Guess I should have ordered those o-rings when I thought about it. Even though I never removed the fuel injectors from the rail, the o-ring was fubared.

So wait a few days due to the weather and work to get the injectors pulled, new o-rings, spacers, and grommets. Prime the pump and its good to go. Fired the motor up and let it come up to temp with no issues. I accidentally left my plate on a car I sold, so now I have to wait for it to come back before I can start putting some miles on the motor. I did do a little break-in work around the neighborhood and the mid range feels much stronger so far. Hopefully I'll get it on a dyno before my first track day in May.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

It has been a busy past few months. I put about 1000 break in miles on the new motor. The only problem was a VVT actuator that failed a week before a track day at Atlanta Motorsports Park on Memorial Day weekend. So an overnight delivery the day before the event got me back in running order. The new found power really made a difference. Unfortanely I still haven't setup a lap timer in the car. That and running on 6 year old Toyo R1R's really put a damper on the lap times (somewhere in the 1:37-1:38 range based on following others with lap timers).

Also during that time I officially joined a Chump Car team. My first task was to turn it from a "red Miata" to something more recognizable. After some discussion we decided to play a little psycological game and paint the car different on opposite sides of the car. With all the late night hours I forgot to get good photos of the car before it was finished.

This weekend was our first race of the year and the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park for a Double 7. On Friday I got in for the 2nd stint. With only 4 laps in the car at the AMP track day, never driving the track, and first time wheel-to-wheel racing, my only goal was to keep from making an *** of myself and keep it clean. After about 30mins I was within 1 sec of the teams fast times last year. At the end of the day we finished up in 5th place (with 6 place right on our bumper) and a Class A win.

The 2nd race started smoothly. I took the 2nd stint again and was able to move us up a few spots in the ranking and take over a second off my personal best (1:46.33). The last 45 mins of my stint I was keeping the lead car behind me (without any dirty moves, just using traffic to my advantage). After my stint, our 2 fastest drivers got in the car and moved us up to 3rd place. We pushed hard but just ran out of time and pulled back to save the car. The only contact of the weekend happened in the last 30min when the 5th place E30 didn't see us along side and they went mirror to mirror and messed up my fresh paint job. Then in impound the leading car was bumped to EC for running Ford EV injectors, so officially we finished 2nd. Our best finish ever for the team.




Next up is Barber in August. We are planning on leaving the car alone and improve the driver comfort with a blower system and drink system to battle through those hot Alabama summer days.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

Barber Track Day prep:


The morning before the drama:


Well yesterday I got to join the prestigious broken throttle shaft club. While doing a track day at Barber Motorsports Park, coming out of the "corkscrew" I matted the throttle and then I felt it go a little further with a little "pop". I though maybe something had gotten under the throttle (had the fuse box cover come off the day before). There was a little more vibration in my foot, but I thought that was just where the pedal was against the floor.

I finished my session and started inspecting the TPS wiring (an intermittent issue) when I noticed the throttle return springs didn't look right to me. While trying to move them, this happened:



Pulled the intake in hopes the epoxy on the screw kept it attached the shaft with no luck...


I pulled the upper intake as well and didn't see anything. I loaded the car up for the trip home. When I got home I pulled the spark plugs and the #3 plug gap is less than the other 3. After some hindsight, I had the motor idling while inspecting the TPS wiring and I didn't notice any metallic "tinking" noises while it was running. I'm hoping the screw is sitting some where safe or it went through-and-through with minimal damage. I'm going to borrow a boroscope this week and check all the cylinders. I didn't feel any power loss and still a ran a lap within .6sec of my fastest from the day before. Fingers crossed...

kero

Where did you purchase that rb2 replica bumper? I'm having trouble finding it, places that list it want 185 dollars for shipping, making it nearly $500 for a rep.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

EBay. User name jhconcepts-2007.

kero

Seems like they're not around anymore, that user has nothing for sale

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

I borrowed a boroscope from a friend and removed the intake manifold to only find a small piece of the throttle plate screw in the resonance camber. I also found some damage to the top of the #3 piston as well. After I checked everything out and life got busy (Chump Car races, business trip to Australia, and a vacation in California). Finally blocked up a few evenings the last two weeks to wrap everything back up. I fixed the TPS wiring with a new connector from Ballenger. I fired it up this evening and adjusted the new to me throttle body and IACV. Runs just as good as before. Tomorrow I'll do a compression and leak down tests.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

Its hard to believe it's been over two years since I've updated this thread. Not too much has changed on the car. Mostly just small updates, changes, and maintaince.



2016:
Upgraded to a S2 throttle body and ported my flat top intake. Took the time to clean up some of the castings flash as well.


I did a track day with Mustang Club of America at Atlanta Motorsports Park and made it into their coverage for the 2nd year:


We also moved into a new house with ample garage space:


Attended a track day at the Nashville Super Speedway for old times sake. The track was unused for a year or two and was super dirty. My front bumper took a rock blasting. A bunch of Corvettes and Porsches left with similar damage and were not happy


2017
Started off the year with big plans. I was going to switch over to ITBs and design my own intake manifold to work with Toyota AE101 throttle bodies I've had on the shelf for years.


Then we found out we were going to have our first child!


So that changed my plans for the year. I was only able to attend one Chump Car race. This year we took advantage of the engine swap and ECU rules and put in a refreshed BP4W running on a Microsquirt. They also updated the rules to allow more aero, so we went with a plastic air dam. I also through a new coat of paint on the car after replacing panels damaged by the Drive network E30 @ Barber in 2016. Made a knock-down paint booth in my garage. We competed at NCM in June with a newly installed surge tank. After burning up a pump on Day 1 going flatout, I had to drive Day 2 conserving fuel so the tank would stay fuel. We still finished in the top 10 and qualified for the Eastern Chumpionship:










The only other event I was planning to attend with Grid Life South. My only major change to the car was to swap in a 6 speed and 3.9 final drive (was a 5 speed and 4.3). While I was at it I swapped in a FM 10.3lb flywheel (aluminum one is going on a SuperMiata S2 I'm collecting parts for) and switched out the PITA BEGi spacer for a Hawley. I did find that the Hawley put the temp sender very close to the heater hose.






Tired of high intake temperatures and hot foot. I decided it was time for an air box/heat shield and some floor insulation:








Murphy's Law found its way into the garage. My freshly build 6 speed with a mix of parts was a failure. Apparently you can't mix parts from the MSM with standard parts. 5 days before Grid Life I had to pull swap transmissions. Come to find out my spare tranmission didn't have a working reverse. Went to the event anyway and just couldn't back the car up.



Grid Life South was a lot of fun. I turned a 1:46.2XX in traffic. There is a low 1:45. or high 1:44 in the setup, but I kept getting parked in the corners by slow Mustangs who would just motor me on the straights. I mounted up some 245 Maxxis VR-1's on my 9" wheels. Looking at some of the data, the 245's weren't gaining me enough time in the corners to overcome the loss in accel down the straights. I'll go back to 225's next year:





Had to ask my 7 month pregnant wife to help me back the car off the trailer.



Finally on 10/31 our first child, Shelby was born. Dog for scale:

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

Pro-ish photos from my best friend at Team Rowdy from GridLife South:

https://flic.kr/p/WZQW45https://flic.kr/p/WZQW45 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/marlowmarlowmarlow/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/XNWetUhttps://flic.kr/p/XNWetU by https://www.flickr.com/photos/marlowmarlowmarlow/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/XStHgXhttps://flic.kr/p/XStHgX by https://www.flickr.com/photos/marlowmarlowmarlow/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/XNY3VAhttps://flic.kr/p/XNY3VA by https://www.flickr.com/photos/marlowmarlowmarlow/, on Flickr

Chasing Matt Farrah of the Smoking Tire while he was commentating live:
https://flic.kr/p/BMDLFNhttps://flic.kr/p/BMDLFN by https://www.flickr.com/photos/marlowmarlowmarlow/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/BMDMbAhttps://flic.kr/p/BMDMbA by https://www.flickr.com/photos/marlowmarlowmarlow/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/BMDMMAhttps://flic.kr/p/BMDMMA by https://www.flickr.com/photos/marlowmarlowmarlow/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/BMDNjNhttps://flic.kr/p/BMDNjN by https://www.flickr.com/photos/marlowmarlowmarlow/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/BMDNTohttps://flic.kr/p/BMDNTo by https://www.flickr.com/photos/marlowmarlowmarlow/, on Flickr

nickt93

iTrader: (5)

That was quite an update! Nicely done man, glad to see you continue to enjoy this car.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

Thanks. Every so often I think about selling is and moving on to another project, but I don't think I could do it. Too much time and experiences wrapped up into it.

ChrisLol

I don't know how I missed this car at GLS. That front bumper gives the car a great look. You ran the car in HPDE+ class then? How'd you do?

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

I ran in Time Attack - Street Modified. For some reason I couldn't run HDPE+ (motor swap maybe?) I spent most of my weekend in Group D. I was pretty much the back of the field of Time Attack cars (71 of 92). Correction my time was a 1:46.4XX I did have a few great sessions with the FRS/BRZ group out there. I plan on going back next year, but just running the HDPE group. TA was too frustrating when you have low power on a straight intensive track. When your highlight of the weekend is passing a Mustang going into turn 1, I think rather be W2W racing.

skylinecalvin

iTrader: (2)

Regarding your 2nd gear, is it possible the last owner unbolted the wrong bolt when trying to change the transmission fluid? I know that unbolting the passanger side bolt on the 6 speed will result in no reverse.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

That is my assumption as well. That transmission is out of the car and getting an inspection and refresh in a few weeks anyways.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

I really should update this more often. So upon tear down of the reverse-less 6 speed, we found that one of the bushings on the 5-R shift fork had almost completely slid out of the fork. In doing so, it was blocking the fork from actually engaging the reverse gear. We also found that between the NB1 and NB2 six speeds, they has moved the shifter select detentes. On the NB1's they were down in the lower shift rods (in the case, near the gears). On the NB2, they are on the shift select rod in the tail shaft housing. That explains why the NB2 transmissions have a better shifter feel. So we went nuts and put both sets in my transmission. With both sets of detentes and a MR shifter, it's super tight now.

My wife bought my some Revlimiter goodies for Christmas. I still have a HVAC panel I am installing this weekend.




Then in May I ended being the last car in a 3 car accident. It pushed in the bumper hard enough to buckle the rear body panel and shove trunk lid up an 1/8".




After a bunch of back and forth with the body shop and multiple estimates, they agreed to fix it. The body shop straightened the rear body panel, patched up the finish panel, and got a new bumper skin and core from Mazda. Sadly, on the day it was finished, my father passed away after a 10 month battle with cancer. He is the one who first taught me to work on my own cars. In a way he's responsible for this build thread. On the day of his funeral, I took sometime to clear my head and went for a "get lost drive" to find some new back roads. Stopped a park for a think and took a few shots. Laughed like crazy when not 30mins after I took these pictures I got caught in a huge downpour.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

Current projects. Getting the car ready for its first track day of the year, Miatas Before The Gap @ AMP and Miatas at The Gap

I finished up my AN fuel lines from my Grid Life prep last year. The return line is a little dumb, but until I can find a better place for the AFPR, it works. The tube adapters are nice, but now I'm kind of rethinking adding additional leak points.


Tired of killing main relays, I went with the DW relay kit and power the pump directly off the battery. I'm also making a bracket for the ECU since the hook & loop is failing and fixing some wiring. The vampire clips are from my days when I didn't know any better and thought they were a good idea (10+ years ago). Now I'm only slightly smart and use butt splices and heat shrink.

SpartanSV

Sorry about your dad. Beautiful car.

What's the reasoning for going to a switched source for 86 instead of running it to the battery with 30?

curly

iTrader: (25)

Some people don't like that trick? Or at least don't know about it. I was iffy about it too until I saw BMW does this for their main relays. Sold!

Congrats on the kid, condolences on the dad.

On the topic of tires, my endurance team is even considering the 195 RS4s, we're already the fastest in the corners, straight line speed is where we need to improve, hence our 195 consideration, which for the RS4 is pretty much a 205.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

No reasoning really. Just setting it up similar to what Mazda did. In theory you could run straight battery to the one side of the OE relay, I just didn't want to rewire the junction box under dash.

From talking without our electrical engineers, it could depend on if the relay has a protection built in. In the case of the Miata, the OE main relay has a diode in it and the fuel pump has a resistor. This is likely to protect the system from sudden voltage changes within the range of the fuel (like turning the pump on and off)

We ran the 245 VR1's for a race but found our acceleration at higher speeds suffered and we didn't gain much in cornering speeds. The lap times were a little faster, but in a race environment, we were loosing ground at the end of the straights and couldn't put the car in position to make passes on competitive cars with our improved corner speeds. After that, we switched to 225 RS3's on 9's and found a good balance. However, we are looking at moving to 225's on 8's to reduce the rotating mass further. We have talked about testing a set of 205's on our 8's to see if there is an improvement there too.