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MatosMiata's build, turning a booger into something worth looking at

Old Mar 5, 2016 | 10:05 PM
  #121  
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Loving all the progress so far. I really dig your custom interior stuff that you make. PM me if you're willing to do some on commission, I'd love some custom pieces for VRRMPSH.
Old Mar 9, 2016 | 08:30 PM
  #122  
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Just for reference, this is what the new engine looked like before I started tweaking it. Never mind the mess
in the garage, I'm tweaking that as well.

Attached Thumbnails MatosMiata's build, turning a booger into something worth looking at-gopr1032.jpg  
Old Mar 9, 2016 | 08:31 PM
  #123  
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Video number three of the Miata engine series is up on my channel now.
Old Mar 9, 2016 | 08:31 PM
  #124  
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...and just like that, episode 4 is up and you finally get to see the engine start up
Old Mar 9, 2016 | 08:32 PM
  #125  
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I suspected for a while that my coolant bottle might be leaking as I would always find it empty. It also looked ugly and yellow, so I had painted it black. This meant that I actually had to open it to check the level...annoying. So I went to Moss Miata and got a brand new one. Now I get to see the pretty green fluid in it.
Attached Thumbnails MatosMiata's build, turning a booger into something worth looking at-20160221_171849.jpg  
Old Mar 9, 2016 | 08:33 PM
  #126  
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It looks much, much nicer than the old junk I had in the car.


Here is the finished product in my engine bay
Attached Thumbnails MatosMiata's build, turning a booger into something worth looking at-20160221_172801.jpg   MatosMiata's build, turning a booger into something worth looking at-20160221_173455.jpg  
Old Mar 9, 2016 | 08:34 PM
  #127  
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Now if only someone sold a brand new windshield washer bottle that wasn't that overpriced Suzuki Cappuccino one...
Old Mar 10, 2016 | 02:55 AM
  #128  
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Originally Posted by MatosMiata
Now if only someone sold a brand new windshield washer bottle that wasn't that overpriced Suzuki Cappuccino one...
I wouldn't count $35 as expensive...

https://www.miataturbo.net/general-m...ght=cappuccino
Old Mar 12, 2016 | 08:06 AM
  #129  
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Originally Posted by Zaphod
I wouldn't count $35 as expensive...

https://www.miataturbo.net/general-m...ght=cappuccino
Never seen one for less than $164 before, thanks for the info!
Old Mar 12, 2016 | 09:29 AM
  #130  
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I was finally enjoying my Miata when this happened:


I was leaving work and coming down the right through lane. Guy cuts over from the left lane, side swipes me, and his tire has its way with my door and fender. He was coming so fast he almost went through the intersection and best of all, he has the nerve to get out and yell at me. All that happened to his 4Runner is the fender flare came loose, but in anger he went and ripped it off. He yelled a bunch of incoherent accusations and went to go get a picture of my tag and threatened me saying I was lucky his buddy was busy and couldn't come help him. I called him out and told him he ought to be embarrassed. This is a 64 yr old man, acting like a high school age bully, for shame! Worst of all, I looked him up and he works at my company, wonderful. Public service aid came over, got us to pull off the road, asked a bunch of questions, and handed us a report. Dude looks at me as we're getting in our cars and says "take it easy." He had cooled down by then, likely realized how silly he looked threatening a kid less than half his age that works at the same company as him.



When I got home, I was wondering how his flare came loose since his flare is a good deal higher than the top of my fender, then I saw a tiny nick on my side mirror. So his fender flare basically slapped the corner of my mirror and instead of the mirror housing breaking, the flare came loose. He literally could have bought two clips at the auto parts and reattached that flare, but he chose to rip it off instead smh. Poor 4Runner, it deserves another driver. We all know I love Toyota trucks. For shame!

Attached Thumbnails MatosMiata's build, turning a booger into something worth looking at-20160311_161526.jpg   MatosMiata's build, turning a booger into something worth looking at-evidence.jpg   MatosMiata's build, turning a booger into something worth looking at-20160311_174301.jpg  
Old May 8, 2016 | 09:48 PM
  #131  
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Old May 8, 2016 | 09:49 PM
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Filmed this a long time ago when I did the mirrors and never got around to editing it all. After many months, here it is.

Drove a new Mustang, it's not a Miata to say the least lol.


Last edited by MatosMiata; Jun 24, 2022 at 04:54 PM.
Old Sep 11, 2016 | 10:36 PM
  #133  
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I hit an autocross with both my Tacoma and Miata a few weeks back. It was my brother's first time at an autocross and he drove the Miata. I slapped some 17x10 RPF1s on bald 255 width Hankook RS3s on the Tacoma to try them out. I should have kept my regular wheels on as my 235 Michelin PSS are in much better shape. I would have gotten better times. Oh well, new tires for the RPF1s are on their way.



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Got some love on Instagram
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My buddy Aaron brought his Evo out and got surrounded by STIs... Day 5, they still haven't noticed I'm not a Subaru...
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Old Oct 15, 2016 | 09:49 PM
  #134  
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Mazda put on a test day for the new ND Miata. I went over with my brother and checked it out. They allowed us to do a braking test, slalom, and a mini autocross. Pretty sweet.
Old Oct 15, 2016 | 09:51 PM
  #135  
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More miata mods coming soon...
Old Nov 27, 2016 | 09:22 PM
  #136  
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I went to have lunch and forgot to turn the fan off. Of course, the battery was dead when I got out, but push starting didn't help because my ignition cylinder broke inside somehow. Two annoying problems at once meant that I had to have the car towed back home. I made it right as my dinner guests began to arrive lol.
Old Dec 27, 2017 | 11:12 PM
  #137  
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As it turns out, the metal tab that turns the electric switch portion just snapped. My buddy gave me the ignition cylinder out of his NB2 and fortunately, with slight modification, I was able to mount it and turn my car on with it.
Old Dec 27, 2017 | 11:12 PM
  #138  
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My Miata has done a lot of sitting and not much driving lately, save for the occasional spin around the block. I decided it was time to fix all the chips in the paint and make the car look nice again.

I sanded down the edges of all the chips and added some glazing putty. It looks like my car lost a fight lol!


I also decided to paint the windshield header black to match my mirrors. However, knowing that the paint here was rather thick, I was not about to add any more without removing the old paint first. It was chipping on its own, so I used a flathead screwdriver as a chisel and finished the job. I would tap it with a hammer and paint would fly off in big chunks.


Just look how thick this paint was!
Old Jun 20, 2022 | 01:50 PM
  #139  
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I realized I neglected this thread at some point. My Miata project has actually seen quite a few updates over the subsequent years. I will try and list them all out here.

Apr 8, 2017I got it all down to the factory rust proofing





Then I sanded it with course grit sand paper and coated it in self-etching primer





Followed by a thicker, filler primer

Old Jun 20, 2022 | 01:50 PM
  #140  
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Apr 8, 2017
From here, I sanded all of the glazing putty down and followed the same self-etching and filler primer process





Then, I sanded the primer with a fine grit paper. This is how it sits currently (except that I removed all of the over spray dust)


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