My Turbo NB Daily Driver
 

So after thinking about what I want out of my next project Miata and knowing that it will be another NA platform, I decided that I wanted a more enjoyable daily driver than my '91 Toyota Previa (aka The Space Egg). That thing is great for hauling parts or people, but not so much fun to drive. I love Miatas and have plenty of experience working on them, so it only made sense to get another one. I can enjoy the reliability of it and even though I'll have a Project Miata on the side, I won't miss out on the fun summer months of top down driving.

So here's my new daily driver, a 1999 Miata, bought from a local forum member. It did have an JR M45 s/c kit, but that was removed prior to me getting it. It's in great shape, has 114k miles, handles great, and will work perfectly for what I want out of a daily. I really wasn't looking for an NB as a daily (I tend to prefer an NA over an NB), but this one came along at the right time and is actually one of the few comfortable ones I've been in. I'm addicted to looking in the mirrors over the rear fenders and spoiler, same feeling as looking over the flares on my prior NA. Just something about the curves...

Current Mod List:

- Garage Vary Replica Front Bumper
- Garage Vary Eyelids
- Track Dog Racing Front Splitter
- KG Works Side Markers
- MazdaSpeed Miata Rear Spoiler
- MazdaSpeed Miata Rear Diffuser
- LED 3rd Brake Light
- Spoon Fuel Lid
- Bilstein PSS Coilover System
- Flyin' Miata Front and Rear Sway Bars and Adjustable End Links
- DBA Cross Drilled and Slotted Rotors
- EBC Green Stuff Brake Pads
- SS Brake Lines
- OBX Header, 2.5" Roadster Midpipe, and Cobalt Polished Stainless Steel Exhaust System
- Brainstorm Solo I Roll Bar
- Katskinz Covered NB Seats
- Innovate LC-1 WBo2
- Gauge cluster with NB2 white faces and KG Works Vintage Aviation Bezel
- VooDoo Smooth Piano Black Shift Knob

This past weekend I:

- Installed 15x7.5 +34 6ULs wrapped with 205/50/15 Nitto Neo Gens
- Swapped the tail lights for 01+ assemblies
- Installed my Nautilus Air Horn
- Installed a black soft top (didn't like the light tan top)
- Lowered the car

I'm going to tint the windows, install a stainless steel braided clutch line, a Cobalt 3-point shock tower brace, frame rail reinforcements, and a MazdaSpeed Miata pedal set. Maybe get an aftermarket steering wheel. Probably not much more than that though, just enough to assist in handling and durability.
I may have to pull the Brainstorm bar and install a more glass-window friendly rollbar. It didn't interfere with the tan cloth top with glass at all, but the vinyl top doesn't go down as easily.

So enough talking, onto the pictures.

Before shot:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/...de2df92b_b.jpg

And now:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/...30e4a100_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/...bcd003fb_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/...ff4853f4_b.jpg

With Doppelgänger (Mike):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/...396e8de9_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/...fe6b1030_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/...25cb2351_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/...8f29e009_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/...8ea36e95_b.jpg

And then Mike post-edited one of the photos:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2732/...b977e1f0_o.jpg

Damn nice looking daily driver man

Looks 100% better with the change of wheels and black soft top. So what was the reason for parting out your NA, too many mods & a little too hardcore?

C

Looks great. Funny how you say it's going to be your daily driver, you're only lying to yourself :firedevil

Thank ya sir!

Nope, I loved my NA a lot and didn't want to sacrifice it, but I also wanted to completely pay off all my old debt from school and be in better shape financially immediately rather than over a longer term. Parting it took care of that. Cars come and go, but a stable life is very important to me.

lol For the immediate future it will be. The V8 NA project will start soon enough and demand enough of my time and money. I need one that's not going to require wrench time and funds. I have good self control.

Good for you. Awesome looking car.

Bad ass!

Nice!

Jealousy consumes me, I'm now looking at black NBs for sell........ lol

That looks amazing...man I wish I had another miata!

i sell my na and buy an NB. You sell your Na and buy an NB. Biter lol. jk lol car looks soooo badass.

That shit's ugly and I'm not jealous.

Coño Eric. That car looks awesome! :bigtu:

Did you see the ebay LS1 and T56 trans link for $2000 in the other forum? (just some food for thought).

Again; that car looks beautiful!

Thanks for the compliments!

Great minds... of course I won't be cutting mine up. :p

lol

Haha! I had to look that up. Thanks! :)

I did and I want it. After driving this car so much lately, I wonder if I'd be happier with an NA daily and a V8 in this instead. Decisions decisions...

V8 the NB. I'm partial, though.

Buy an NA to daily drive, swap a V8 into the NB, sell the NA, profit.
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I has those tires ;)

Looking nice.

They're great tires, I'm hoping they last a while.

I'm starting to think this is the best idea, except at the end, swap the '99 engine into the NA (just for the benefit of the head), turbo it, and have two really fun Miatas. lol

That is a sweet ride. 6ULs are bomb.

Dang I like the GV front bumper from a cooling perspective ... I could swap them in an hour or so ... now just to find one. Wouldn't want to leave it on my car, don't think it would look right longterm since I have none of the side skirts etc. But for track cooling - sweetness.

that's way too fancy for a DD

LOL, What is fancy about a miata?