Miata owner relocated to the SF Bay Area
 

Hey everyone,

I've long been reading this forum and posted occasionally in the past but I've never really done an intro thread. Basically, I started with a 1994 Miata which was essentially stock when I bought it. The intention was to start doing track days as well as keep it streetable. Of course as time progressed, the mods started to flow in.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4b0e5cd7f3.jpg

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2935dcccae.jpg

The mods were fairly straight forward with an intention to keep it reliable yet fun to drive:
MS3, RB intake, RB exhaust
Rebuilt cylinder head, coolant reroute
AST shocks, RB front sway bar, MSM 14mm rear sway bar, 949 end links
Roll bar, Ultrashield seats, harnesses w/ OEM seat belt still looped in
2 sets of 15x8 Jongbloed wheels that have seen NT01's, AD08R's, Extreme Contact Sports, and definitely more...

However, I recently moved to the SF Bay Area and I left the Miata out of state for the time being. I'm hesitant to attempt to bring this car from out of state and get it street legal due to CARB and vehicle inspections. I'm currently driving an RSX Type-S which is great but I am going to need to get another Miata eventually. I have a feeling it might be easier to sell the NA and just build the NB I've always kinda wanted. Any advice from the locals?

Anyways, it would be cool to meet the local Miata guys around here and start going to some track events (whether to hang out or drive). I've considered picking up HPDE instructing again which would be a great way to get back into the scene without currently owning a track car. I'm also interested in karting and I hear Sonoma Raceway has a good outdoor track? Looking forward to meeting you guys in the area!

I have been contemplating a similar situation to yours with my Miata. I moved to San Diego a few years back to continue school and eventually missed my Miata so much I had to bring it over. I basically saved the car from death and will refuse to get rid of it ever. I think smog requirements differ a lot from zip code to zip code. The guy I brought it to said mine would pass fine theoretically but I don't have racing seats or harnesses like you. Mine is basically stock except roll bar, coilovers, and exhaust of which I still have a catalytic converter. I would go to a smog place and talk about your issue and see what they say. Still have it in registered out of state however.

Sorry I couldn't be more useful. :P

There are no mandatory safety inspection in CA. Smog is a pain but lots of people swap in stock components every 2 years as needed. It should be easier because you have an OBD1 car, they will do a visual inspection to make sure smog components are intact and put it on the roller to check levels of specific pollutants.

Not 100% sure but you should be able to get it to pass with MS3, maybe someone else with more experience with that can chime in....

Legally the MS3 is not allowed even on an OBD1 car, however there are people who have successfully gotten one through the test.

--Ian

Thanks for the input everyone.

I guess its a matter of if my current MS3 tune is good enough to pass the sniffer test if they don't have to visually inspect the ECU.
As you guys pointed out, I noticed when taking my RSX through the process that there wasn't a safety inspection. I did have to do a "VIN Verification" at the DMV and I'm wondering if the employees would actually care about the aluminum seats while inspecting the VIN locations. I'm still debating if it's worth paying the ~$1500 to ship it across the country if I could get something rust free here...

I just noticed NASA was doing an event at Sonoma this weekend so maybe I'll check that out tomorrow.

I highly doubt then people at the DMV care, they really do just come out to read the VIN.

Are your seats attached to the factory mounting points? If so, would only take 5 minutes to swap them out for some stockers.

Also, $1500 seems high for shipping cost... I was looking at shopping a car from the East coast and I think it was a bit less...

It sounds like you are looking for reasons to get a new car :D

My gimmick for Cali DMV visual inspection was to go on a really hot Friday afternoon and park a block away. High probability they will rubber stamp it.

I believe shipping my Miata east to west coast was $1000-$1100. I don't remember exactly which. Try to find a trailer looking to fill up his last spot and you can get a good discount usually.

I'll definitely keep all these things in mind as I make my decision. In the mean time I'll keep browsing Craigslist for NB's...

Happy to meet up, keep watching CL, the rain helps for that. I hope to be at Sears Point on Wednesday, but who knows with the rain. I am usually there any Wednesday that racing is on.

AFAIK there are no state laws regarding the seats in the vehicle.

--Ian

Gotcha, well that's one nice thing about the registration process in CA.

I looked at the shipment of my RSX and it was about $1350. I didn't search very hard for trucking companies though so I'm sure there's a better price to be had.

The other problem is the fact that I chose to move into the city and garaging another car here would be stupidly expensive. I've thought about trying to find a place outside the city to store it but haven't really done much research yet.

Weekdays are usually pretty tough for me to make it up to Sonoma but I'll see how my work schedule ends up looking like. Definitely happy to meet up sometime, and I'm still looking to try the karts up there if there's a group of people who do that thing here.

Welcome. i host monthly miata meets in Concord if you're interested in meeting up and chatting. Also planning for sonoma and thunderhill in the coming weeks.

What type of inspection are you doing?
at a SMOG check, they wont physically check the ECU. the Check Engine light must come on when the key is initially turned on though. i dont know if your MS3 doesnt turn on the light period, like my MS2.
They will check the ignition timing, the cat, o2 sensor (note your wideband), and evap system. As well as the intake system and the header. i think that's it..

Cheers and hope to meet you soon.

What kind of gains did you see with the MS3?

If I were to start over again, I would find a clean NB2 and build that for the track. Welcome to the bay area!

I have seen a garage packed with those little carts, in the lower shops IIRC. I don't know anything about them though.

Welcome, where in the bay are you?

I don't remember if the MS3 does the CEL cycle in the beginning but I'm sure I can find out. Do you have a website or forum thread regarding the miata meets? Concord isn't too far from me and I could maybe make it on weekends.

Same here... I've been looking at NB2's ever since I realized that they are a much better platform to start with. The NA8's were definitely a bit cheaper at the time when I bought the car though. I'll definitely be looking at NB2's if I decide to sell my NA8.

I did the MS3 with an exhaust and intake change so it was hard to determine the gains strictly from the MS3. It was a lot of fun to play with though so I don't regret doing it. It was pretty easy to set up and I could reliably daily the car without fearing that it wouldn't start.

I'm currently in SF but not on an official lease. I'm trying to get a feel for the city first before deciding whether the parking/car situation is going to eventually take priority haha

Ah ok. Well I know a lot of us are in the south bay. You can also join facebook miata groups in our area. I actually have an NB2 that I am selling. It was going to be a track car but we decided against it (not my built car). PM me for more details.

I'll definitely keep your car in mind. An NB2 would be perfect. At the moment storing another car is not feasible but hopefully later this year.