golftdibrad's builds: how many cars can I ruin in my lifetime
 

[sarcasm]
So back when I was REALLY pissed at the green car (https://www.miataturbo.net/insert-bs...ar-pics-60097/) I started looking for another miata. The plan was to buy car, boost, then fix / build up other stuff. I know that's a crappy plan, but I was tired of driving slow crap. The green machine is not really super fast (0-60 ~6 seconds). Plus I missed the miata. And I want turbo boost.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1351870675

So I find this 91 with a hardtop that seems to have been well cared for. Only immediate issues that I could see is the paint, dented fender, and power steering fluid leak. It also came with pretty fresh falken rt615's, an act stg 3 clutch, racing beat header, tokicos and some lowering springs, and the AC was converted to 134a and works great. It was mine for 1850. I mean it ONLY had 314,000 miles on it.

I'd like to add, that my first miata always had boost, and power, and was a 1.8. The 1.6l engine even with a header and exhaust SUUUUCKSSS. I bet the 1.8 aint much better. These cars deserve 150 WHP, and then they are a hoot.

So then I got it inspected, and it passed! Wheel skinz steering wheel to make it not gross to drive, and started looking for used turbo stuff on my favorite car message board, miata.net. :party: I got an old used FMII from a user on here for like 700 somethin bucks, a pretty complete kit down to the fuel pressure regulator; not that I'll use that crap. The turbo is a watercooled gt2560 I think. And it even came with the 9 miles of intercooler pipe that FM used to use. What ev, its the right price for now. FM was great and hooked me up with great service; I got correct hose, clamps, and heat shielding for the turbo for like 80 bucks. Also on the MT. net used market I picked up some ev14's, 650 cc I think for 300. I'll have to verify before I like scale the maps. All this crap is going to be controlled my a reverant built enhanced ms2 with a innovate mtx wideband.

A couple of weeks ago I started taking apart a perfectly good car. Life gets in the way, including wrecking the green car at an autox (I'll update that thread...later), wimmen, bills, etc, but I finially did some work that will directly lead to turbo boost last night.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1351870675

Sunday the car is coming off the jack-stands one way or another, can't have my house looking like a Mexican lives there.

So bros, wnet to bolt up the trubo and ran into an issue; the manifold has these thicker bosses on the 4 corners and the stock studs are not long enough. To make it worse, the m10X1.25 is an odd size to get longer studs in.

Any pro tips to getting some longer exhaust studs that don't involve getting threaded rod and cutting them myself?

Ask FM.

Also why in the ever living fuck did you go from an ok car to a horrible POS miata?????

I did; they dont have anymore. And like the thread title, it was a good idea.

and the cars not THAT bad, just needs some love.

I just ordered the threaded rod from mcmaster-carr. Guess I have to break out the metal working tools :/

It is a 1.6. Fail

the early 1.6 motor is the best motor ever. :noob:

You should buy your old car back. I'll take $1,000,000...obo.

trade plus cash for shitty 1.6? But I'm already about 3500 deep into this one sooo.....

PM me how many monies if you're serious. I'll include the Ubercharger and a set of ultra bitchin 13x6 Exim Mesh wheels. Plus I've fixed/ replaced almost everything on teh car since you owned it.

Wow, might as well dig up the olde build thread. The white car above was miata #2

this was miata #1
94 c pkg and by the time i sold it it had a mp62 with MS2PNP, koins w/ground control coils, etc.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ffd8ac26d2.jpg


This is miata #3
95 1.8l a pkg basic bitch
I cant find early pics but bought her ROUGH. Wrecked lightly in rear. Fixed it up and got a hardtop before covid. Car cleaned up to be a nice 10 footer but motor was eating oil but not really smoking, ran strong otherwise. oh, its stock.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...67eef5c525.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...476e4649dd.jpg

Well this is current status, lost garage in the big move from LA to TN so driveway engine swaps. After me beating in the tired motor for a few more thousand miles it started knocking. Was going to put in that escort gt motor in the background, but that one is DOA. Leaking compression on exhaust valves on #3, and another cylinder has effectively no compression even spinning by hand. So its going back today and going to get a kia motor from a different junkyard friday.

Plans for this car? Well I thought it would be my forever miata. (This is MY miata, there are many like it but this one is MINE) but alas I have a good wife that suggested buying my buddy's vvt swapped turbo NA. Also red, so serendipitous. So my plan is to fix it and sell her as a good runner, hopefully to a good home. For being such a shitbox when I got it this car has good bones for what it is; it will make the new owner happy.

Anyway, life happens and i had to step away from cars for a long time. I'm not in a place where I enjoy spinning wrenches anymore, but its a means to an end to keep the hobby affordable and saves tons on our DD's too. So not sure how much upgrade content I will generate but I'll keep it as more of a journal. Cheers.

Update, engine is back in and is running well, got a pretty bad oil leak to find/address but it could be worse.

Oil leak fixed, valvetrain has got a couple noisy bois but it runs strong. gonna send it.

This weeks journal entry is a shoutout to details and Marvel mystery oil.

After fixing the oil leak and resetting timing...car never ran as good as it did at first. it was ok but not excellent. Got flashing CEL too. If i would turn the car on and off quickly it would go away. Turns out it was flash codes, member days before obd2? Code 25, something for the FPR solenoid that mazda has a fancy name for. All looked well. Traced some vac lines and ended up at the egr. hey, i remember not being sure where those 2 went and just kinda sent it. Dug up the 'before pics' (ps digital cameras are the great unsung tool of the modern DIY mechanic.) and they were reversed. So thats fixed but still got the cel flashing codes at me intermittently. Runs kinda meh when it does especially with ac on.

Remember how i said I reset the timing? DUH, never took the jumper out the connector. Acting like a champ now. WIN.

Now about those noisy bois in the valvetrain. Last night I put a cup of Marvels world famous mystery oil in the engine. Drove to work. Gave it some revs to get some oil pressure once good and hot. Valve noise already clearing up. WIN#2.

Also deal on other miata fell through. Spun a rod bearing during test drive from what we can tell. I was driving but still feel terrible. Tis what it tis. So this is back to being my forever miata unless I upgrade during the pending economic downturn. Probably wont.

So time to give this one some TLC. First order is to get the good tires and wheels back on. Get a radio into it. Get a cluster hood thats not shity looking. replace dryrotted window scrape seals. that should be a good start.

Update, why not?

The valvetrain got worse again, so i sourced some NB solid lifters and installed them. HLA's are ok, but i was not into tryin to clean them just to have them be noisy again. Valves sound good now, if not slightly loose.

OH, and I'm selling the car again. Got a great deal on a Lava orange Mazdaspeed miata. Getting the tires done this week and gonna clean her up and list for sale. I'll do a "remember that time I owned 2 miatas for a month" photo shoot in the next few weeks.

Well, the red car is onto its new owner. Sold in like 5 hours after listing. Great little machine that will be missed.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...945a036259.jpg


First repair to the MSM was a bum wheel bearing, probably damaged from the tap it had on the rear back in the day. Easy peasy with the right tools. Unexpected result of the day: the MAC breaker bar couldn't take the axle nut off and broke, while ICON by hazzard freight got the job done. Had a good 20 degree bend going with the cheater and still went back to straight. Also, the HF wheel bearing press tool.... its 120 bucks. Just buy it.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e0a187aea9.jpg


The orange car with a fresh bath and its new, quiet running wheel bearing. This thing is so much fun. Next up: temporary fix the window glass to the softtop.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...345d52ca73.jpg

The MSM is doing great. Broke the midpipe this weekend. I also had to manage the temps at the dragon, could not full send without the temp gauge creeping. Guess I need to blend down the coolant to 70-30