I thought about it but my drawing skills suks, as you can imagine from the address label...

So...yeah. Minor setback today. Had a clearance issue on the rear quarters. Sucks cutting on brand new paint.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1398658821

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1398658821

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1398658821

:cringe: How do you blend the paint in?

Repaint the whole fender. Not a big deal. Apparently the 205/50 Rivals are quite a bit wider than the cheap 205/50 all seasons that I mocked the fenders up with.

Ah man, sucks losing that sweet line across the fenders! Still going to look incredible though.

John, you can keep that sanding gear a while longer if you need it for that fender work

I know, considering the ton of hours invested to keep it only to hack it out in 20 minutes pained me. I'm just winging it now, will see how it shapes up. Well, I was winging it before but at least I had a plan then.

Holy awesome!!!!!!!

Bummer about the fenders. :(


How heavy was that roll of Reflectix and did you just lay it down then tape the chunks together with foil tape or something? I'm guessing it's mostly heat first, deadening second?

The whole roll 24" x 25' is maybe a pound and it does one full interior. It's basically bubble wrap with foil over it. Yes, heat first but it does help sound a bit. I've used it on two other Miatas including my V8 car. It's dirt cheap, lay it in, cut and I just use quality duct tape. Foil tape would work, super sticky but it's more fragile when trying to use it to hold things together. Once a tear starts it just rips through. Just have to hold it in place until the carpet is back in.

So, worked on it again tonight. No matter what I do it isn't going to look as good as it did. Got the basic lines roughed in and it looks out of place to have the body line start and stop and then start again. No pics. I'm kind of disheartened a bit. Will keep working on it. Painter is going to be in town this weekend so I'm trying to get them done so he can take them home with him but my motivation was pretty low tonight. Worst it's been since I started two years ago.

have you thought about removing the two body lines completely? or going back to this and adjusting the body line so it follows the upper bulge rather than through the middle?

No updates? Need saaaaaab.

Hell yeah Stein! Well deserved.

Saab 96 / Mazda MX5 | Build Threads

Hell yeah Stein! Well deserved.

http://www.build-threads.com/build-t...-96-mazda-mx5/

Been thinking about this build, and realized we haven't gotten any updates since spring.

What's up with it? Any progress at all?

Did you bolt up both ends and tack weld or clamp in your bracing and pieces with diff and trans in "proper" position?

What an amazing build. I just read from the first post, and I was like "no way", then I was like "huh, is he actually going to do it?", then I was like "wow, nice", then finally "OMFG that is amazing!".

After the fender fiasco I lost momentum and walked away from cars for a bit. Haven't touched it since April. Well, I needed to get my windshield replaced in my truck and while he was there he installed the new windshield and used back glass. It got me moving again.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422852473

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422852473

Finished fixing the tire rub problem that I started back in April. Some back photos for those who forgot where it left off.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422852473

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422852473

Ready to go back to the paint shop. I lost the style line that I worked so hard to keep but it still looks good and flows well.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422852473

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422852473

I need to finish this. Not just because I want to, but I just bought me next project. An early 260Z. The "early" ones are the 240Z body and the "late" are the 280Z which are quite large. It needs a head gasket and that's it. Don't know exactly what I'm going to do with it yet...

Last I read in GRM, 240s were competative choices, but their cooling system was fragile, or was it the entire motor? I forget. Nice looking cars either way, and anything with a straight 6 is win in my book.

Cooling. I had a buddy with one. He constantly overheated.

I love the way you tapered that line off. It really worked out well.

= I love the stitching on the stump where your penis was.

Are you working on this? You had such a great start, and now it's just pining for the road.

Finally got back onto it and re-did the rear fenders. It actually came out looking better.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1429411476

Sitting on it's own feet today. Don't mind the panel gaps. The fenders are just zip-tied on as they need to come off for more wiring. I installed all new door and truck seals, need to do the window wiper seals but need to get some trim adhesive.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1429411476

Got the hood on. Pleased to see the turbo and intercooler charge pipes all cleared the hinged rod that connects the front tilt hood.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1429411476

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1429411476

Just need to tidy up some wiring and the lights and it will be driveable. It's close.

After I drive it I need to install the Megasquirt, run on base tune, install bigger injectors and scale fuel and then I can hook up the wastegate and start tuning.

drool...

So happy this is still happening.

And that's the complicated part... :D

Nice to see it moving again :party:

It's been five years, Stein. I was daydreaming about old cars and cool conversions and recalled this one. Where are you now? I think I recall you bought a private island and were becoming a hermit.

Isn’t like everyone a hermit these days?

Whatever happened to that car in your signature?

@Stein Any updates?

Amazing. After 5 years you post this. And something made me want to log into the old forum today. I haven't been here for years. So, a lot has happened lately.

Let the island go and bought a lake house down on Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas preparing for my retirement four years ago. Then a year or so later I decided that I didn't want to be married any longer. It was a tough (expensive) decision that I thought about for a year. Finally I decided that you can put a price on happiness. It was seven figures. She kept the acerage and my shops, plus a bucket of cash. I got the lake house.

Fast forward a year and I moved all of my outsourcing for our company in US from China to Vietnam. Started to travel to Vietnam every two months and met someone. Moved to Vietnam fulltime in January 2019 and got married April 2019. We are in the process of getting her and her daughter's visas complete to immmigrate to the US. Planning on returning to the US June 2021.

Sold the SAAB last fall to another turbo Miata guy that is local to me (not a forum member). He is just dropping it off at a shop for them to finish what is left. I still have my V8 Miata at my other house in Nebraska. Lake house is for sale so when we move back we can use that money to buy another house in Lincoln near the schools that have a lot of Vietnamese to make it easier for my daughter to adjust. She's 13 and didn't speak any English when I met her. My wife is fluent. Daughter has done well and has a pretty good grasp of English now.

So, I'll be back in a year and think of something new to build.

Some pics of the new family.

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Wow, you've been busy!

Congratulations on the new family and your newfound happiness! Life is too short and far too valuable to be miserable simply out of the convenience of circumstance. Good for you for gulping hard and making a tough choice. It's good to hear from you and we wish you all the best.

And please post progress pictures of that Saab if you ever receive any.

Don't be a stranger here.

I need to poke my head in now and again. And I know the guy that bought the SAAB so I know I'll see it when it is done.

Oh, and get after it! Only 5 more to a time-wasting 20,000 post milestone! I assume at least a few of those have merit.

So the new owner did exactly what he said he would do and dropped it off directly at The Shop, Inc and they finished it up. It's running and driving on MS on basemap, no turbo yet. Went to Ice Cream Cruise in Nebraska. Took a top 50 trophy out of 1,700 cars.

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New owner says it drives nice. He's looking for some wheels with more? less? offset so he can pull some of the negative camber. See last pic. Any suggestions for 15x7 wheels? Something that would look good on this car. When I mocked the fenders I had 15x7 other wheel and the RS3's are cheater width so they don't fit well.

This car is awesome, so glad to see it finished. And Stein, you are a legend.

As for wheels, lots of choices out there. I'd definitely keep it retro though, I think those watanabe/minilite style wheels fit it perfect. Just find some smaller and/or less aggressively offset ones.

That's beautiful. It must be nice to see it finished and appreciated!

C'mon gents, Post #395 needs way more than 2 :likecat:

Thanks for that. I'll be moving back to the US next June. I'll be building something again. Going stir crazy here not even owning a car. I haven't driven in 7 months! Motorycle, yes, anything with four wheels? Nope.

God that is a beautiful car

Really excited that we are moving back to the US in March now, instead of June. I have a 2001 Honda S2000 that has been sitting for me for a few years, one owner with less than 30,000 miles on it but has title issues. I can get the car for less than $3,000. What would you do with the 9K RPM drivetrain? Fix car and drive as epic daily as a stock S2000 AP1 or add a supercharger? Keep stock and give to 14 year old Vietnamese daughter and let her be the focus of all of the other Vietnamese boys' wet dreams in high school? Consider it a cheap drivetrain and put it into a Miata or build another LoCost?

GO!

Isn't untouched S2000 starting to get a little rare, worth to keep "functional" stockish?
The engine is at least here starting to get 2JZ prices (at least more than half of that)?

Mild Rotrex and suspension "correction" maybe?

I'd try my best to get a clean title for it, because a 30k mile AP1 has got to be worth north of 25k if you could sort that out.

Of course, if you get a salvage or rebuilt title for it, then it would be worth just driving the shit out of it.

I probably wouldn't give a s2000 to a 14 year old, they are pretty high strung snappy cars.

Give it to daughter to help overcome extra teenage awkwardness added by being from out of town. Give strict orders that no boy ever drives it or it becomes dad's toy and she gets a Schwinn.

I'm going to get the S2000 either way. I've debated hunting down the original owner and offer him $1,000 for the title. Even if he lost or threw it away it would be worth his time to go to DMV and get another one. The only risk is that if he has a clue what it's worth today he might try to get it back from the guys that have it. He bought a house from my friends and got the loan through my friends also. They do a lot of lending to people that can't get credit. After a year or so he was behind on the house payments and slipped away in the night, leaving the Honda behind. They foreclosed on the house and got it back and the car was in the garage so they got to keep it. They still have it 16 years later. Car still has 2002 California plates on it. He must have driven the crap out of it to put 30,000 miles on it in a year. It has some issues - smashed windshield and a dent in the rear quarter but nothing bad. Technically they put a lien on the car so he can't just come back and get it. I can buy the car for $3,000 as it is. They would have to get a mechanics lien on it to get a Nebraska title. But then it's a salvage or rebuilt title. If I can get him to sign the title over to me and I tell him that I'm also paying off the lien that's against it he might just take the $1,000 free money. Heck, I could go $2,000 if I had to.

Holy shit! Daughter isn't getting it.

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...le/honda/s2000

Das what I was sayin', man!

Lol, dude is def not signing over the title :rofl:

90's / early 00s Japanese stuff in good condition is selling for absolutely CRAZY money right now, just look at BAT https://bringatrailer.com/honda/s2000/

Lots of bored guys in their 30s/40s right now who finally have means are looking to relive their youths and these cars are at the top of the list. As the boomers die out a lot of the market for older, stinky hot rods and 50s cars is juuuust starting to tip over (although 60s/70s stuff is still going gangbusters) and while malaise era cars aren't appealing, 90s & 00 stuff is just going to climb higher. Haggerty had a pretty solid article in I think Hemmings about the surge in "collectors insurance" quotes for these things and also the "agreed upon value" averages. I'll see if I can find it and link it back here.

My old SAAB doing SAAB things on Rocky Mountain Race Week. I give the new owner props for setting out on such a long drive with no support vehicle with multiple drag races in between. Jump to 42:30 for the interview and an easy trip down the strip. No hard launch and he's at 218 whp. It's a stock bottom end with a lot of miles on it. His objective is to just finish race week. He said it drives great. I never drove it more than 50 feet in the driveway so I never knew how it would handle at speed as a 11" stretched Miata.
[[img]https://i.imgur.com/RjtKEX

Some pics

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