My parents are up for the weekend and we were playing with the V8 Miata. I adjusted the timing and took it for a drive. 1/2 into the drive the car stopped shifting gears. I drove it back home at 10 MPH in 1st. It has a 700 R4 tranny in it. We let it sit for an hour and took it out again. Everything was fine shift wise. I told dad that I could ask you guys and you would give me the answer within an hour. Prove to my dad that you guys aren't a bunch of dumb asses (no jokes about dumb asses buying automatic Miatas). So, who knows what is going on?

 

The 6 speed shift handle is missing.

 

Sounds like you need more cooler.

And a drain, filter, fill.

 

The 700R4 has a band adjustment, or is the servo thing non-adjustable? I seem to remember something about this from long long ago.

So yeah, what those guys said + band adjustment. If no adjustment, more cooler and better fluid as was stated previously. Good luck draining the torque converter, I frigging hate those things.

Also: y u autotragic?!

 

because he's old

 

One thing that I forgot to mention. The tranny was supposed to have been rebuilt and the normal 700R4 weak components replaced around 3600 miles ago when the car was built. The fluid looks new to me. Since I know nothing about auto trannys I will have to do some reading.

Why automatic? Besides just being old (my daily driver is a 3-cyl) I thought 6500 was a good deal for this:





I might be discovering there will be a few hidden costs. There are definitely problems with the car. I have found floorboard rust, a horribly tuned carb, bad convertible top, and timing.etc way off. It is turning into quite the experience.

 

Oh man, its been a while since I've seen a set of cast iron ram horn manifolds on anything. How well do those clear the framerails?

Also just thought of something else: shifter linkage adjustment? I'm willing to bet if it has one of those Hurst T shifters in it (because that's what I would have used) then its either out of adjustment or needs a new cable. If it is a cable, check the routing. I've seen the jackets both melt and fray making the shifter go all stupid. IE: you shift into 'Drive' but it's actually 1st, etc.

Anyway, just random ideas

 

Am I an ******* for laughing at whoever "built" that car? Mostly the 'speed holes' in the firewall. I'm clearly not laughing at Robert for owning the car...just whatever previous fucktard that 'modified' that car was thinking....

 

I've found some jewels on the car. Base timing was set to 21. Secondary float level adjustment nut was bottomed out to the point where I had to "modify" the nut to adjust it back to normal level. Every time I look at the car I find something else.

 

Well...I mean....you paid 6 grand for a v8 miata. Frankly I'm very impressed its together and actually running at all, so either way you're not doing too bad.

 

then replace the trans when it dies from replacing the fluid at this point.