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Modern features I wish I could add to my miata

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Old Apr 13, 2012 | 03:48 PM
  #81  
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Whenever I think about features I think of the old subaru xt...

Fighter jet inspired cockpit

Retractable door-handle flaps

Steering wheel with a single vertical and a single horizontal spoke

jet fighter shifter joystick

Digital instrument cluster that tilted with the steering wheel

Headlight Washers

Pneumatic suspension with height control

Push-button four-wheel drive (later changed to all-wheel drive)

Hill holder brake system, prevented rolling on hills in the manual transmission version."

Old Apr 13, 2012 | 03:51 PM
  #82  
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Originally Posted by Scrappy Jack
Are there electronics involved with the MR shocks?
Yes, by definition they require electronics to operate.

An MR damper is built like a conventional oil-filled unit, except that it is filled with a much lighter oil than usual, and the oil contains teeny tiny little magnetic particles (like iron dust) in suspension. Then, a big electric coil is wrapped around the damper.

When the coil is de-energized, the damper is "soft". When the magnetic field is energized, all the little magnetic particles align themselves, which effectively increases the viscosity of the oil, thus "firming up" the damper. The stronger the field, the greater the change in viscosity.

The control of this system is extremely complex.
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 03:55 PM
  #83  
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Originally Posted by Joe Perez
Yes, by definition they require electronics to operate.

An MR damper is built like a conventional oil-filled unit, except that it is filled with a much lighter oil than usual, and the oil contains teeny tiny little magnetic particles (like iron dust) in suspension. Then, a big electric coil is wrapped around the damper.

When the coil is de-energized, the damper is "soft". When the magnetic field is energized, all the little magnetic particles align themselves, which effectively increases the viscosity of the oil, thus "firming up" the damper. The stronger the field, the greater the change in viscosity.

The control of this system is extremely complex.
That seems like it would be very expensive.

Do not want.
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 03:55 PM
  #84  
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Originally Posted by y8s
standard mode allows drive-by-wire to override your jackassery for economy and

awesome mode (TM) simply duplicates the movement of the first butterfly aside from optimizing air fuel delivery for performance reasons.
That's sort of how the Suzuki system works. From what I understand, they use it to smooth out the performance of the engine, limiting torque in 1st gear and preventing you from bogging it down with sudden, massive throttle inputs, but essentially you could program it any way you wanted to.

BTW, props for Awesome Mode™.
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 04:08 PM
  #85  
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really, why does my 99 not have power locks.
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 04:10 PM
  #86  
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RX7 FC's had a similar dual throttle system to what you two are describing, Joe and Y8s.

/They were made in the mid to late 80s too.
//All the real serious RX7 guys removed the second throttle so as to help with airflow and other factors.
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 04:10 PM
  #87  
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Originally Posted by Faeflora
really, why does my 99 not have power locks.
Because it's a two-seat convertible, and even if you were fool-hardy enough to want to lock it, you can easily reach both locks from the driver's seat.

Next?
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 04:59 PM
  #88  
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Originally Posted by Faeflora
really, why does my 99 not have power locks.
because it's not the one that came with them.

oh sheet whats this:

Old Apr 13, 2012 | 07:27 PM
  #89  
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:(
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 08:00 PM
  #90  
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Originally Posted by Joe Perez
Yeah, this is the one thing which most bothers me, both about the whole concept of "unintended acceleration" and about the idea of incorporating new technological fixes to "solve" it.

I've seen this test performed several times on different cars by different testers. In every case, the end result is the same: if you step on the brakes, even with the throttle wide open, the car stops. (Everyone try this test yourself. Even a 250HP turbo Miata will stop on its own stock brakes at WOT.)
Ya, IF you step hard enough so the car stops quickly enough, before the brakes fade.

If you are lame (like most drivers) and don't step hard the brakes will fade first.

AND there is an EASIER way - PUT THE DAMN CAR IN NEUTRAL.

I did a quick survey of random friends, more than HALF did not know what 'N' and '1' and '2' were for!!! They only knew P, D, and R.
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 08:34 PM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by Faeflora
really, why does my 99 not have power locks.
Sawzall yourself a time machine out of rust and Burning Man ticket stubs and use it to go back and make better life decisions while purchasing your car.
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 08:52 PM
  #92  
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If you can touch the passenger door without leaning, you don't need power locks, lol.
Old Apr 13, 2012 | 09:16 PM
  #93  
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Originally Posted by JasonC SBB
Ya, IF you step hard enough so the car stops quickly enough, before the brakes fade.

If you are lame (like most drivers) and don't step hard the brakes will fade first.
Well, I'm assuming that most cars have power brakes with a greater assist ratio than on the Miata, and that the natural, instinctive reaction of any driver to such an event would be to immediately stand on the brakes with all their might when this occurred.

Based on the data that has actually been made public about the Toyota case, it would seem that this is in fact true, with one glaring exception- the drivers who claimed that they were standing on the brakes were in fact standing on the gas.

Unfortunately, you can't fix stupid, either with legislation or with engineering. If the driver presses down on the gas pedal without pressing down on the brake pedal, the car is going to accelerate. This is what we call "functioning as designed."

AND there is an EASIER way - PUT THE DAMN CAR IN NEUTRAL.
Yeah, there's that too. I guess I can grant people the benefit of the doubt, and assume that in a panic situation they may not be thinking clearly. I did once have the throttle on my Beetle stick open, and once I'd figured out what was happening (Beetles do not accelerate rapidly) it was a simple matter to turn off the engine, depress the clutch, shift into neutral, and coast to a stop at the side of the road.

But like I said, I'm assuming that people are panicky and stupid.

I did a quick survey of random friends, more than HALF did not know what 'N' and '1' and '2' were for!!! They only knew P, D, and R.
Well heck, even P or R would suffice in a pinch. Granted that you'd destroy the transmission in the process, but it would get you stopped.

Of course, there's one fundamental problem with that idea. In order to shift a modern automatic into P or R, you must first step on the brake pedal. And as I've stated above, the poor fools who seem to be having this problem weren't doing that in the first place.





Originally Posted by Savington
Sawzall yourself a time machine out of rust and Burning Man ticket stubs and use it to go back and make better life decisions while purchasing your car.
Old Apr 14, 2012 | 02:41 AM
  #94  
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Originally Posted by Savington
Sawzall yourself a time machine out of rust and Burning Man ticket stubs and use it to go back and make better life decisions while purchasing your car.
You have been paying attention!

BTW


Burning Man is VERY similar to Lemons Racing.

Art Cars
Cheap
DIY
Hot
Absurdity
Camaraderie

I have been to both and the vibe is eerily similar.
Old Apr 14, 2012 | 09:33 AM
  #95  
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Originally Posted by Faeflora
You have been paying attention!

BTW


Burning Man is VERY similar to Lemons Racing.

Art Cars
Cheap
DIY
Hot
Absurdity
Camaraderie

I have been to both and the vibe is eerily similar.
LSD and herpes aren't standard issue at Lemons.
Old Apr 14, 2012 | 04:01 PM
  #96  
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Originally Posted by hustler
LSD and herpes aren't standard issue at Lemons.
Not to mention all the goddamn hippies.
Old Apr 14, 2012 | 04:52 PM
  #97  
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Originally Posted by blaen99


So, you want a 1.8, you even say that you wished you installed one, that it would be easy and cheap, and would take you less than a day....

And then admit the only thing stopping you is the manifold?!? Braaaiiinnyyyy....

i mean, this wasn't a debate how brainy should spend his money thread. this is the modern feature i want in my miata...specifically a vvt 1.8L motor

thats about it.
Old Apr 14, 2012 | 05:56 PM
  #98  
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Originally Posted by hustler
LSD and herpes aren't standard issue at Lemons.
LSD may be but the herpes rate is probably fairly close to the mean for sexually active people.

Originally Posted by Shearhead_3:16
Not to mention all the goddamn hippies.
thank fuking god there are very few hippies at burning man. in my experience, hippies are whining irritable bitches and the desert for a week is not a good place for them. Also, fact of the matter is that burning man is expensive. $350 ticket, airfare/bus/carfare out there, a week of no pay (unless you have leave), event specific supplies etc deter a lot of the fuking bums.
Old Apr 14, 2012 | 11:24 PM
  #99  
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Originally Posted by Braineack
i mean, this wasn't a debate how brainy should spend his money thread. this is the modern feature i want in my miata...specifically a vvt 1.8L motor

thats about it.
And unlike the rest of us, yours is easily attainable ;b
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