OptionXIII

Last week I picked up a red 1991 shell to rebuild as a nice Sunday cruiser for my girlfriend. I'm looking for some advice and inspiration for mods, repairs, or upgrades to do while it's a bare shell and easy to work on, and tips for rebuilding all the parts that will go back on it as it comes together. This isn't supposed to be a concours restoration, and I'm not budgeting for a complete respray at this time. I'm really just looking to do things that will freshen it up for another few decades of service and make it a bit nicer to drive, without breaking the bank or turning it into a years long project. The parts donor is ready to go and I'd like for it to be back on the road by the summer.

Comfort and easy driving are the main goals here. My dual duty NB2 is great fun in the twisties and on track, but daily driving with poly mounts and a rollbar takes out a lot of the casual fun that a stock Miata is so good at.

My basic plan is:

• Weld in new frame rails as done by user miata2fast. My frame rail solution - Miata Turbo Forum. The originals are slightly crushed, and I love being able to use reinforced rails as a jacking point for the whole side of the car. I have the material on hand, my only concern is rust prevention with any future leaks. It's a convertible after all. This will be followed by paint, undercoating, and cavity wax as well.
• Rust removal and repaint. It's a pretty clean shell but there are a few spots that need surface rust removed.
• Seam sealer - I'll scrape off and reapply it to anywhere that is cracking. I'll also apply it to the new frame rail seams for more OEM levels of rust protection.
• DEI heat insulation on inside of transmission tunnel
• Butyl rubber sound deadening in key locations like the parcel shelf and on the trans tunnel.
• Mass loaded vinyl under the areas that can't be reached without removing everything behind the dash. I'm thinking I'll hit up the junkyard and see what I can find to take from luxury cars, as MLV seems to be a lot more expensive by area coverage compared to butyl rubber.

Of course, as I go deeper into this project I'll want to restore anything that has significantly degraded in the 32 years since this car was built.

If you've got any good build threads I should read (something like Jeffbucc's Stolen and Flipped build thread), tips for restoration of specific components, or other inspiration for me, I'd love to see it!



Here's the victim after a quick clean.

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

My tip and inspiration:

Bolt it back together and drive it. Your girlfriend doesn't care.

Add a rollbar anyway.