A new fastback top coming to the Miata market....
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Cayman?
That looks pretty damn good actually, but the b-pillar is an issue.
If I can get a decent 3d model of an NC I can start playing with it.
Anyone one know of any decent free NC models? Preferably .lwo .dxf or .obj, or anything that isnt a 3dsmax scene.
That looks pretty damn good actually, but the b-pillar is an issue.
If I can get a decent 3d model of an NC I can start playing with it.
Anyone one know of any decent free NC models? Preferably .lwo .dxf or .obj, or anything that isnt a 3dsmax scene.
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From: Central Florida, Land of the Giant Rat.
The NA was completely retrostyled. Nb,c, et al are all incarnations of their predecesors. They are Mazda's modern interpretation on what the Elan could have been had it been kept in production. At least that's my take.
My point is to take liberties. Don't get 'target fixation' on a design. Don't get caught up in trying to be 'original'. Go ahead and build off of past/present design, and tweek it to make it yours. To be blunt, at this stage it's going to be hard to do something 'original' that couldn't be compared to cars past or present anyway.
I think, hope, most everyone here understands your top is a done deal, at least in the NA. You need to do what is prudent for manufacture, costs and mass appeal for your NB/C.
To further beat Mr. Ed, I think HBC was just having fun.
You're making a top. We're p-shoping and drawing. Big difference.
I'm clear as mud, aren't I?
My point is to take liberties. Don't get 'target fixation' on a design. Don't get caught up in trying to be 'original'. Go ahead and build off of past/present design, and tweek it to make it yours. To be blunt, at this stage it's going to be hard to do something 'original' that couldn't be compared to cars past or present anyway.
I think, hope, most everyone here understands your top is a done deal, at least in the NA. You need to do what is prudent for manufacture, costs and mass appeal for your NB/C.
To further beat Mr. Ed, I think HBC was just having fun.
You're making a top. We're p-shoping and drawing. Big difference.
I'm clear as mud, aren't I?
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The NA was completely retrostyled. Nb,c, et al are all incarnations of their predecesors. They are Mazda's modern interpretation on what the Elan could have been had it been kept in production. At least that's my take.
My point is to take liberties. Don't get 'target fixation' on a design. Don't get caught up in trying to be 'original'. Go ahead and build off of past/present design. To be blunt, at this stage it's going to be hard to do something 'original' that couldn't be compared to cars past or present anyway.
I think, hope, most everyone here understands your top is a done deal, at least in the NA. You need to do what is prudent for manufacture, costs and mass appeal for your NB/C.
To further beat Mr. Ed, I think HBC was just having fun.
You're making a top. We're p-shoping and drawing. Big difference.
I'm clear as mud, aren't I?
My point is to take liberties. Don't get 'target fixation' on a design. Don't get caught up in trying to be 'original'. Go ahead and build off of past/present design. To be blunt, at this stage it's going to be hard to do something 'original' that couldn't be compared to cars past or present anyway.
I think, hope, most everyone here understands your top is a done deal, at least in the NA. You need to do what is prudent for manufacture, costs and mass appeal for your NB/C.
To further beat Mr. Ed, I think HBC was just having fun.
You're making a top. We're p-shoping and drawing. Big difference.
I'm clear as mud, aren't I?
My problem is recognizing the difference between p-shopping for kicks and people saying "make it this way!"
The only thing we are getting caught up in is trying to make the top look like mazda designed it with the rest of the car, while as you said, being prudent.
The NB is basically a done deal, the NA will be based on it pretty closely. I cant wait to get a 3d model and start playing with the NC.
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From: Central Florida, Land of the Giant Rat.
Ah! NB is done!
I got it backards! Hey! Then make the NA top look like a 2+2 Mustang, that way I can get that Mustang 'kit'......
My only 'want' is to be able to place the rollbar back a bit and maybe higher than a stock top. But most people are not going to like the way that looks and I know it.
There's that mass appeal thing again!
"My problem is recognizing the difference between p-shopping for kicks and people saying "make it this way!"
As Captain Ron would say, "Hey, no problem, Could happen to anyone!"
Mazda brought this style of car out again because they knew it would be fun. Don't let it get to ya, have fun with it. It's not worth letting it bug ya!
I got it backards! Hey! Then make the NA top look like a 2+2 Mustang, that way I can get that Mustang 'kit'......
My only 'want' is to be able to place the rollbar back a bit and maybe higher than a stock top. But most people are not going to like the way that looks and I know it.
There's that mass appeal thing again!
"My problem is recognizing the difference between p-shopping for kicks and people saying "make it this way!"
As Captain Ron would say, "Hey, no problem, Could happen to anyone!"
Mazda brought this style of car out again because they knew it would be fun. Don't let it get to ya, have fun with it. It's not worth letting it bug ya!
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I think we need a seperate thread where people can knock themselves out with photoshop and what they think a fastback miata should look like.
This thread is not for that iirc
This thread is not for that iirc
Last edited by 18psi; Jan 9, 2011 at 01:22 AM.
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I just spit beer on my keyboard.
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The problem area is the b-pillar and the top of the side window. The top of the NC window is a straight line where the cayman slopes down pretty quickly. I tried to play with it in this chop but the line across the top of both windows still looks sloppy. I pulled the roofline out farther, adjusted the 1/4, got rid of seams and added an invisible b-pillar.
One possibility would be arching the outer shell slightly higher (maybe 1/2 in?) above the side window giving the illusion of a rounder top edge. Inside the arch will be the window seal on black fiberglass, so the appropriate attention to detail in there should make it look pretty clean. The OEM na/nb hardtop sort of does this... I havent looked very closely at an NC top yet.
The aero chop looks great, but the massive carrera gt wheels just throw it off for me haha.
One possibility would be arching the outer shell slightly higher (maybe 1/2 in?) above the side window giving the illusion of a rounder top edge. Inside the arch will be the window seal on black fiberglass, so the appropriate attention to detail in there should make it look pretty clean. The OEM na/nb hardtop sort of does this... I havent looked very closely at an NC top yet.
The aero chop looks great, but the massive carrera gt wheels just throw it off for me haha.
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Top window line fixed. I think if we use some sort of reinforcement through the roof and b-pillars we can pull this off. It would be nice to have the coin to tool up to do a pre-preg cf version... but cnc'd nickel plated molds are well beyond my means at the moment 
I have been talking with the "chief naval architect" of one of the worlds top composite companies about designing CF tops for over a year now, but I dont know if the market would support a 4.5-5k NC top when we can do a nice fglass top for under 3k.
I have been talking with the "chief naval architect" of one of the worlds top composite companies about designing CF tops for over a year now, but I dont know if the market would support a 4.5-5k NC top when we can do a nice fglass top for under 3k.
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