Scary run in with a rock.
 

Well as the title says, I had a scary run in with a rock. I was driving down the freeway and a semi truck kicked up a rock, which found it's way into the mouth of my Miata.

The rock slammed into the intercoolers end tank which bent the bracket and sent the corner of the intercooler through the radiator. Fantastic. I replaced the radiator with a stock new one, put in a 180 degree thermostat and built some beefy ass brackets for the intercooler. Thankfully the intercoolers end tank was dented but came out relatively un damaged.

On to pictures of the carnage.

Attachment 215863

Attachment 215864

The new stuff.

Attachment 215865

This radiator has the automatic trans cooler in the bottom. Should I just plug it for now?

driving on a track, wrx wagon in front of me. he decided since he has awd that driving on the gravel was a smart idea. put a crack in my windshield right in front of my face, scared the crap out of me.

bay looks good, plugs or no plug, doesn't matter.

Kinda weird not seeing the other fan in there.

I have an aftermarket fan that was given to me. I plan to put it on once I get some tools to make some brackets.

just use a sheet of plumbers tape (metal tape) or something like it, bolt it down at each of the stock radiator bracket locations, and bolt your fan any way you want?

:rofl: a documented case of a FMIC fubaring a miata :p and a rock helping it.

Wow! You're fortunate it didn't come through the windshield. A few years back a lady here in San Antonio was almost killed by a large rock that fell off of a dump truck, came through the windshield, and crushed the side of her skull.

Intercoolers and radiators can be replaced; your brain can't.

Barry

I cant wait for the day your WI bottle springs a leak. :nono::gay: j/k

they make ziptie things specifically for that application.

Now that I think of it, does a Protoge or something have the same A/C fan? There is a junkyard near by that has every mazda from 1980 to 2000, except rx-7's and Miatas.

Yeah I'm really glad the radiator was the only thing damaged. It could have been much worse.

looks like my engine bay....god i need a better fan.

Just wondering, did you buy an OEM plastic tank radiator for 3X the price of a larger all metal generic???

no he bought an auto it said. it's an all metal Rad.

It is a CSF plastic OEM style. I got it at cost through work. This was an emergency repair, I needed the car the next day. I couldn't wait for shipping.

I wasn't having any cooling issues at all, so I will wait to upgrade down the road.

thats a koyo. did you buy it at bma

So CSF = Koyo? I don't know what bma is, but I bought it through S&G Autoparts.