"Third times a charm" or - watch me fuck this one up too.
12-02-2019, 01:19 PM
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Las Cruces, NM
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"Third times a charm" or - watch me **** this one up too.
Hi. I write captions above pictures. Enjoy.
I've owned 2 previous Miatas. First one was a Spec Miata that I crudely, and usually very drunkenly, un-spec'd and turned into an HPDE warrior, second one was supposed to be "the one" but it wasn't... We got pregnant and it needed more work than I wanted to deal with at the time so I ended up flipping it (for profit, not upside down).
I guess that means that this one is "the one" now, so here it goes...
The whole build kinda centers around a local time attack series that my friends and I put on here in Southern NM called ASR Super Lap. Competitors are broken down into 3 classes based on their power:weight ratio. I'm building this one for the lower class (Class A) so I'm limited to a maximum P:W ratio or 15:1. I've built/am building a VVT swapped 95 Miata, purely copying the existing SPM blueprint that we've all seen so many times on this forum. I campaigned it the year I purchased it (2017) with a stock powertrain but we swapped my buddies gen1 XIDAS, Recaro SPG, hardtop (and mirrors for some reason?) over. It was fun but, obviously, very slow.
I had picked up a junkyard 02 engine around the same time I got the car with the intent of starting the build after the 2017 season.
Pulled the engine and got to work, I did my best to de-clutter the bay without entering "wire tuck" territory. Sprayed the bay a grey that would play a little nicer with the planned exterior color of the car.
Engine got all new seals, gaskets, etc... Tried my best to knock out all the "while I'm in there" stuff.
Added some heat protection.
Knew from the beginning that this would be a flared car because well, I've always wanted a flared Miata. Scored some eBay "Carbon Miata" flares because what could possibly go wrong with fiberglass copies of fiberglass copies...
Cleaned up and painted the engine before dropping it in.
Plugged in.
I've owned 2 previous Miatas. First one was a Spec Miata that I crudely, and usually very drunkenly, un-spec'd and turned into an HPDE warrior, second one was supposed to be "the one" but it wasn't... We got pregnant and it needed more work than I wanted to deal with at the time so I ended up flipping it (for profit, not upside down).
I guess that means that this one is "the one" now, so here it goes...
The whole build kinda centers around a local time attack series that my friends and I put on here in Southern NM called ASR Super Lap. Competitors are broken down into 3 classes based on their power:weight ratio. I'm building this one for the lower class (Class A) so I'm limited to a maximum P:W ratio or 15:1. I've built/am building a VVT swapped 95 Miata, purely copying the existing SPM blueprint that we've all seen so many times on this forum. I campaigned it the year I purchased it (2017) with a stock powertrain but we swapped my buddies gen1 XIDAS, Recaro SPG, hardtop (and mirrors for some reason?) over. It was fun but, obviously, very slow.
I had picked up a junkyard 02 engine around the same time I got the car with the intent of starting the build after the 2017 season.
Pulled the engine and got to work, I did my best to de-clutter the bay without entering "wire tuck" territory. Sprayed the bay a grey that would play a little nicer with the planned exterior color of the car.
Engine got all new seals, gaskets, etc... Tried my best to knock out all the "while I'm in there" stuff.
Added some heat protection.
Knew from the beginning that this would be a flared car because well, I've always wanted a flared Miata. Scored some eBay "Carbon Miata" flares because what could possibly go wrong with fiberglass copies of fiberglass copies...
Cleaned up and painted the engine before dropping it in.
Plugged in.
Last edited by Stock; 12-02-2019 at 03:46 PM.
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12-02-2019, 01:20 PM
#2
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Las Cruces, NM
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Total Cats: 113
Repurposed the "sixshooter hood" off my first Miata.
For when I inevitably couldn't figure out how to get my OEM tach working with the MS3.
Always wanted RS ctive low-pros too.
Scored a RB header, this isn't it.
There it is.
Pulled the dash to get rid of all the HVAC stuff.
And then the car kinda just sat for a year while I did nothing but snap the occasional pic...
For when I inevitably couldn't figure out how to get my OEM tach working with the MS3.
Always wanted RS ctive low-pros too.
Scored a RB header, this isn't it.
There it is.
Pulled the dash to get rid of all the HVAC stuff.
And then the car kinda just sat for a year while I did nothing but snap the occasional pic...
Last edited by Stock; 12-02-2019 at 02:09 PM.
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12-02-2019, 01:20 PM
#3
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Las Cruces, NM
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While it was sitting I'd tinker with it here and there... I "installed" 3/4 flares before my Amazon riv-nut gun broke. Installed is in quotation marks because I've yet to cut the fenders, it's on the list but I'm still not that car along in the build yet... While I wasn't really doing anything I started slowly wrapping the car. I went with Avery Supreme Gloss Blue because it's a pretty close match to Porsche Voodoo Blue but I've come to find out it's a pretty close match to Mariner Blue as well. 
As soon as I can source another front bumper it'll get the airdam treatment but I've always loved the GV large canards...
Picked up a fiberglass top that suffered some damage in shipping from a friend of mine.
And that gets us pretty much current... Car is 90% wrapped right now and I've driven it two or three times, still working on a bunch of kinks, my main one being my lack of MS understanding. 99Mmx5 built my MS3 and has helped me a ton along the way from getting it started to some general info but I've still got a lot the read/understand.
As soon as I can source another front bumper it'll get the airdam treatment but I've always loved the GV large canards...
Picked up a fiberglass top that suffered some damage in shipping from a friend of mine.
And that gets us pretty much current... Car is 90% wrapped right now and I've driven it two or three times, still working on a bunch of kinks, my main one being my lack of MS understanding. 99Mmx5 built my MS3 and has helped me a ton along the way from getting it started to some general info but I've still got a lot the read/understand.
Last edited by Stock; 12-02-2019 at 03:55 PM.
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12-02-2019, 02:06 PM
#4
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Las Cruces, NM
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So here's where I am - trying to figure out how I seemingly lost Cam signal after driving the car this last time: https://www.miataturbo.net/megasquir...inside-101659/
Last edited by Stock; 12-02-2019 at 03:58 PM.
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12-02-2019, 05:33 PM
#7
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Sierra Vista, AZ
Posts: 1,198
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Always good to see more of us here in the Southwest! 
I built basically the same setup (VVT swapped '92), and run it in HPDE and the ProAutosports Hot Laps (their version of TT/ Time Attack). Trying to get a 6 speed swapped in and some aero going for next season...
I pulled my hair out for a few days over a dropped crank signal when I did my swap. About the 30th time I checked the wiring for continuity I found the problem... be persisitent and double, triple and quadruple check everything!
I built basically the same setup (VVT swapped '92), and run it in HPDE and the ProAutosports Hot Laps (their version of TT/ Time Attack). Trying to get a 6 speed swapped in and some aero going for next season...
I pulled my hair out for a few days over a dropped crank signal when I did my swap. About the 30th time I checked the wiring for continuity I found the problem... be persisitent and double, triple and quadruple check everything!
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12-02-2019, 09:37 PM
#9
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Las Cruces, NM
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Always good to see more of us here in the Southwest!
I built basically the same setup (VVT swapped '92), and run it in HPDE and the ProAutosports Hot Laps (their version of TT/ Time Attack). Trying to get a 6 speed swapped in and some aero going for next season...
I pulled my hair out for a few days over a dropped crank signal when I did my swap. About the 30th time I checked the wiring for continuity I found the problem... be persisitent and double, triple and quadruple check everything!
I built basically the same setup (VVT swapped '92), and run it in HPDE and the ProAutosports Hot Laps (their version of TT/ Time Attack). Trying to get a 6 speed swapped in and some aero going for next season...
I pulled my hair out for a few days over a dropped crank signal when I did my swap. About the 30th time I checked the wiring for continuity I found the problem... be persisitent and double, triple and quadruple check everything!
Thanks! Honestly, probably only 6-8 hours into it, if that. I think almost anyone could wrap a car and have it look good in pictures, it's when you get close that you start to notice blemishes... There's a few spots that bug me and I might even re-wrap later now that I'm better at it than I was when I started on the front end but I'd honestly rate it a 7-7.5/10 so far.
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12-02-2019, 10:08 PM
#10
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Location: Sierra Vista, AZ
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12-03-2019, 10:55 AM
#13
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So you just bolted fenders on and the wrap makes the transition from fiberglass to metal fender that smooth. Almost looked like you shaved the fenders after bolting it together. If not then I'm sold on wraps.
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12-03-2019, 12:51 PM
#14
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Wouldn't be much of a showdown with your HONDA POWAH,
The flares aren't currently installed yet, I haven't actually cut the fenders to make the flares functional. You can see where I just wrapped over the riv-nuts in the last two 3/4 shots. Basically, the 6ULs fit just fine as-is and I'm more focused on getting the MS3 working as it should so I can have my tuner come tune the car. The fares and a few other things are on the backburner until then.
The flares aren't currently installed yet, I haven't actually cut the fenders to make the flares functional. You can see where I just wrapped over the riv-nuts in the last two 3/4 shots. Basically, the 6ULs fit just fine as-is and I'm more focused on getting the MS3 working as it should so I can have my tuner come tune the car. The fares and a few other things are on the backburner until then.
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12-04-2019, 12:18 AM
#16
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Location: Taos, New mexico
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Nice build, car looks great! Southwest miata's represent!
Funny that you chose that wrap, it's the same color I've been eyeballing to wrap my car with in the spring. I even bought some samples, and it's super close to mariner blue, so I wouldn't have to do my jams. Looks great.
Funny that you chose that wrap, it's the same color I've been eyeballing to wrap my car with in the spring. I even bought some samples, and it's super close to mariner blue, so I wouldn't have to do my jams. Looks great.
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12-04-2019, 01:04 PM
#17
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Almost positive it's Dupli-Color DE1650 Cast Coat Aluminum. I'll see if I can find a can to confirm.
The reason I now know it's a good mariner match is one showed up to spectate at the GTA Finals at Buttonwillow this year and I held my wrapped phone case next to it... It was pretty damned close, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have to do your jambs. My plan for jambs/trunk,etc was to follow what I did in the engine bay - grey. I got anxious and bored so I ended up wrapping the car before I sprayed the jambs and trunk but I fully intend to go back and do that soon.
Nice build, car looks great! Southwest miata's represent!
Funny that you chose that wrap, it's the same color I've been eyeballing to wrap my car with in the spring. I even bought some samples, and it's super close to mariner blue, so I wouldn't have to do my jams. Looks great.
Funny that you chose that wrap, it's the same color I've been eyeballing to wrap my car with in the spring. I even bought some samples, and it's super close to mariner blue, so I wouldn't have to do my jams. Looks great.
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12-17-2019, 03:52 PM
#18
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Location: Las Cruces, NM
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Quick pic before I beg for help. 
I'm still chasing my tail with my sync loss issues... I've triple checked timing and replaced a few used cam+cranks sensors with used cam+crank sensors but I'm still getting loss (31+32) OCCASIONALLY during a pull but ALWAYS after lifting from one. Did that make sense? Basically, if I'm doing a quick pull (not to redline - my tune sucks) when I lift, I get sync loss, dead throttle pedal, etc... Does this log maybe show something I'm missing?
I'm still chasing my tail with my sync loss issues... I've triple checked timing and replaced a few used cam+cranks sensors with used cam+crank sensors but I'm still getting loss (31+32) OCCASIONALLY during a pull but ALWAYS after lifting from one. Did that make sense? Basically, if I'm doing a quick pull (not to redline - my tune sucks) when I lift, I get sync loss, dead throttle pedal, etc... Does this log maybe show something I'm missing?
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12-17-2019, 04:32 PM
#19
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Location: Fort Worth
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Are the sensors on a separate/clean sensor ground wire or chassis ground? The reverse thrust (i.e. lifting) time period gives me suspicion to think along the lines of a grounding problem. I can’t look at your log because I’m running a different ECU program. Are all other sensors on the same ground circuit working perfectly?
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12-18-2019, 05:19 PM
#20
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Are the sensors on a separate/clean sensor ground wire or chassis ground? The reverse thrust (i.e. lifting) time period gives me suspicion to think along the lines of a grounding problem. I can’t look at your log because I’m running a different ECU program. Are all other sensors on the same ground circuit working perfectly?
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