Hi everyone. I’ve been lurking for a long time, about 2 years now with a post here or there. Figured it was time to introduce myself. My name is Cory Braconnier, but everyone calls me “Billy”. I’m a Journeyman red seal mechanic in Alberta Canada. I’m 24 years old and have been working as an apprentice/ mechanic since I was 18. In 2014 I decided man I really enjoy the way Miatas look and perform and their aftermarket support, thus the hunt began to find a clean rust free miata. Search was specific wanted a 96-97 with lsd and a 5spd, that was rust free and low mileage, any tasteful aftermarket mods done already were a bonus. Well the market in Canada is a little more pricey than in the states anything with 120k kms or less was asking $12k or more. So my search went over seas. I talked with a local import shop near me they had an NB6 at their shop I took for a test drive, that car handled great but being a jdm NB6 they got de-tuned to less then 100hp so that one was going to work. I searched through the Japanese auctions for a couple months and found this.
Attachment 218663 it is a 1997 Eunos Roadster with hardtop that only has 76000kms (“Mia” I know very original...), and rims being the only aftermarket mod. Actual price of the car from Japan was around $2800 plus freight and import fees etc. totalled our at around $8k so still ahead of buying one locally. In my third year of college I got to play around with a dyno and got a baseline run of her videos and pics hiding somewhere made 110hp at rear wheels on a mustang dyno. So naturally what the first thing you do with a miata, buy a rollbar and some decent street tires.
Attachment 218665Attachment 218666 Attachment 218668 looks not bad if I’d say so myself. But there’s always something more you want to do
Attachment 218669 Oh look cat delete. At this point I was around 100k kms on the car and needed to do my timing belt. Forgot to take pics... Now time for some autocross.
Attachment 218674Attachment 218677 was a blast and did pretty decent even the girlfriend had fun for our first time auto crossing
Attachment 218672 hey look at that I even won in the lowest class.
Attachment 218671 but the next day ouch happened
Attachment 218676, backed into stopped at a red light on my way to enter a car show... But oh well bad things happen so better things can come from it.
Attachment 218673 found a cheap hood for Mia
Attachment 218680 lookin’ good waited till some of the snow melted and brought her in for the good things I mentioned earlier
Attachment 218683Attachment 218684 got the whole front end painted, including filling in the emblem hole and front license plate holes as well as having the turn signals smoked and a set of TSI’s, now we’re getting places. Time for more upgrades
Attachment 218682 set of front and rear drilled and slotted rotors, brake pads good for 1500 celsius. Kind of overkill for me but I live close to curvey mountain roads and like the security of knowing I won’t have brake fade. Also got a set of steel braided brake lines and a set of Yonaka coilovers (they were only $450 Canadian and didn’t have any experience with coilovers before)
Attachment 218681 also added some colour to the engine bay that’s pretty boring stock. Then a few months later more grip
Attachment 218675 Toyo r888’s very impressed with them but they follow the groves in the road like crazy. Wouldn’t recommend daily driving these like I did.
Attachment 218690 Bonus cat pic, did you guys know that you can fit skis in a miata and drive it to a ski hill
Attachment 218693Attachment 218689 and you can park them anywhere
Attachment 218688 Fast forward to today Mia is at about 183k kms just did a compression test and still at 175-180 across the board (hot). So I’ve done what most want to do I talked to Lars and ordered up a complete Mkturbo kit from him, hoping to have it all by the end of the year. I have plenty of mechanical experience but zero with tuning but I’ve been reading a lot over the last couple of years. Another bonus cat pic
Attachment 218687