Andy's Build
 

So finally decided to make a build thread.

a little back story first in what got me into even thinking about getting a Miata non the less build it with my own hands (and help with others). when I was 17 I knew a friend with a turbo Miata (Phil) I made fun of him for having a girls car until he gave me a ride in it and it has changed my perspective... well i wasn't fully convinced by then... yet... several years later a good friend of mine Anton who also got into miata's because of Phil (I believe) had a Miata and started to do a whole lot of work on it. tweaking the engine, doing the suspension and slapping on a turbo (read his build).

Seeing his results really got the fire under my ass to now buy one.. but which year? color? package? well it wasn't until I met Jason (ironically a friend of Anton as well) after taking some photos of his car at the pinks all out before meeting him. Anton suggested e-mailing Jason the photo's from pinks all out and some how from there we just started talking and even met up with him a few times in regards to my shitty Honda needing a filter so we pieced one together ha-ha I dubbed it a warm Air intake have pics if any one cares to see what he conjured up. so a few months went by and in the dead of winter i finally stumbled upon a Miata i always was partial too, maybe not the year but the color and set up. I found a 1992 Brilliant black with tan int. power everything with a vicious rear end. good enough to start with.

The birthday (purchase date) of my first Miata was December 29th, 2009. after the first month I loved the car but the terrible fact being I never knew how to work on a car.. sadly never had a chance to learn except for changing a tire... I always had a deep passion for cars and racing them, just never thought i would ever be able to work on one. well thanks to Jason after the first month he was willing to help show me and not just do it while pushing me aside (thanks dad (; ). being very grateful and a rack of fat tire later, he had helped me by showing me how to change my oil, filter, and rear diff gear lube. not as scary as i once thought.

current to date now, When I first bought the car it came with a nice crack in the rear window and I had been scared by many people about how much it will take to either get it out or the ghastly cost to replace.. well thanks to a secret source I am getting it fixed with a new and almost unheard material in the auto industry called Stratoglass unlike isinglass which is what is used in most convertible top cars and boats. Stratoglass is haze, fog, and scratch resistant, well maybe not 100% but a lot more than isinglass (; anyways it took me a hour to unbolt everything drill out the rivets and take it down to my friends shop. He is stitching it in as we speak and i will have it back in a day or so. Mean while I found a hard dog roll Bar for cheap and having it shipped to my friends place where he will help walk me through the process of me installing it.

every moment spent working on this car it gives me a big smile in the fact of it fulfilling my long time childhood dream of knowing how to work on a car "like a MAN" and then taking it to the track and racing the piss out of it! well thats the plan.

I will post some pics at some point when I am ready. Sorry if this intro was too long, I felt it was needed.

Enjoy as my progress goes on

If you also want to learn, grab your toolbox and head to the nearest junkyard (those that let you pull the parts by yourself) and the first miata you see start tearing it apart.

Do not touch a domestic on a junkyard or else you will walk away and never touch a tool in your life. I have always said it, it is obvious the engineers who designed domestics had never touched a wrench as I guess they thought there cars would never break down and no need to work on them.

Miata is a cool platform, if you go the junkyard take a peak on the Escort GT, Protege LX, Mercury Capri and some Tracers who carry the same engine block but are front wheel drive.

Cheers

Thanks for the friendly advice!! I will do just that.. first I need to build up on my tool collection hahaha...

I just bought my first Gear Lube Pump, I think I probably didn't put enough gear lube in the Diff.. the book says to use 1 liter. I only put a half of a liter.

Dude you dont capitalize until after a comma...whats up with that? Just givin you shit. You may win the Magnamx5 grammar award.

Perhaps we should make Jason host a tech day at his place the weekend after next when Jacki is going to seattle and i'll bring the rollbar down there.

dude you were always notorious for being a grammar Nazi.. of course I am horrible with grammar.

but yes I agree! we should have a tech day given Jason is down for it!

Shoot.. I forgot one thing.. anyone have advice far as finding a cheap replacement for the rain rail to the soft top? I looked and the shit is like 150$

put the other half quart of oil in the differential....fill it until oil starts coming out of the fill port.

Was able to finally put in my new window and roll bar yesterday thanks to Anton, Jason, The Jeff's, and Ben for coming over to help and especially Jason for allowing us to use his place while serving burgers and a good times.

so now that I have those out of the way, my next projects are as follows;

new radiator

shocks

wheels and rubber

then TURBO

of course after taking care of a few bills first but I should be able to accomplish some of these along the way.

Was pretty fun yesterday and I wish we could have gotten more accomplished. Don't forget to add some track driving to you list of things to do, preferably starting right after the new radiator.

Seattle crew + beer = epic amounts of bullshitting/heckling. We should know better by now :).

I agree with Jeff, that was a combination asking for too much fun and little work.

but hey! at least I have a rollbar and that window in. I was getting fed up with putting on a car cover every time I drove it somewhere which was everyday...

and yes there will be a track use added to that list

Dude pics or fucking ban. We really need to learn you a thing or two.

Whoa whoa... how many threats were there yesterday about posting those pics online... almost all the pics were of us working on it...

but fine I will post tomorrow =P

there not their

ugh... go recycle something or eat your damn soy cheese

Ttiwwp

Here is some photos I took, I know it looks like I wasn't doing jack shit, but these picture were taken inbetween the process of working. Given Anton had a major helping hand in this (thanks!) I did have a hand in it (when I wasn't test driving Jeff's or Ben's cars)

that being said, I know what I will be looking for far as my down the road turbo project. I am not sure which turbo but I do want to have a set up where I will have boost at low RPM's. I have a lot of research to do seeing that I have very little knowledge compared to most of you out there.

Also this will be the last post of non parts, now looking at everything this thread is about motors and not rice. The direction for the motor is still up in the air. I know I need a turbo to keep me happy for the time being but down that road should I do a 1.8 or build my cureent 1.6?

Enjoy these pics.

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The next post might be a while so here is a parting and humorous video to exit out with.