Brak

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys, my miata is the first car that is officially in my name. The first car I drove was a 1971 Cadillac El Dorado and throughout high school and college I never got to own a manual or RWD car because I had to share with the family. Now that I'm a big boy it's miata time. I bought my 97 Montego Blue. Mistake #1 was getting OBDII but oh well. The exterior is pretty worn but I managed to get the car off a guy who was prepping it for autocross so he already took care of a new radiator & clutch. I got it in July and I've been loving it. It was between a miata or an e30 bimmer- once I saw that I can get a new miata tranny for like $75, I was sold. I've been lurking since July as well, and I figure it's time to introduce myself after getting myself acquainted with the forum.

I started with a Hard Dog Ace w/ single diagonal (for maximum rear view mirror blockage) and a harness bar. Then I put a set of FM springs and KYB AGX shocks in. I have power mirrors and headrest speakers, so according to the miata.net guys I have a torsen. I've launched with one wheel in gravel and another on the road with barely any slippage, so I'm 99% sure I have a torsen. The next step is a set of sway bars and I'll be ready for autocross in the Spring. Then, once I see how slow my car is, I'll be turbo'ing the sucker.

The goal is to keep this as my DD for the next few years while learning how to drive in autocross, rallycross, and maybe ice track racing this winter. As you can see, I have no money but I'm going to get the best I can afford- hence no cheap-*** "coil overs." Over the next year I want to get all my turbo parts together for the build. I'll be installing and tuning megasquirt first- I'm going to do this right, which probably means slow too, but oh well. The car is at 133K alrady, so the ultimate plan will be to turn it into a full-on racecar once I retire it from DD duty.

And get this: for some reason the PO removed the windshield washer system. WHAT. THE. ****? Shame on me for forgetting to test it when I bought it.

Excuse the pic, it's before I got the shocks & springs in so it's at baja ride height...




Crappy picture, but after the springs & shocks



Yup, it's a plasti-dip hardtop. It was worn out red- a few more coats and it might look nice.

soviet

iTrader: (10)

don't put it into a tree like I did with my first miata. It was also montego blue.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

Thanks for joining, Brak!

Brak

iTrader: (1)

Not around a pole, but today it slipped out of gear at the top of my steep driveway and put a ******* hole through my garage door. WTB thread for replacement body parts coming...

Fireindc

iTrader: (13)

lmfao, you jinxed him. Sorry to hear this OP.

Alpod

iTrader: (2)

lmfao.. In4pics.

Canipete

My miata was the first car i ever bought too! Cheers!

Brak

iTrader: (1)

Oh gosh how things change. I still haven't wrapped my Miata around a tree, but I sure have come close a few times... Here's a recent pic chillin out with my buddy's 1st gen CRX Si. No Honda hate here, I love driving that little CRX around when I get a chance.




Yes, that's duct tape holding on the lip. I hit a raccoon and it ripped off the mounting point on the bumper and the lip itself. This car is jinxed a bit..


So maybe I'll eventually post pics of the car post-garage accident, but the car was also backed into twice (no note left either time), so I had to bondo the trunk. It was then hit while parked again, but my dad did it- and I still liveunder his roof so no reimbursement there. It then got hit why parked again by my uncle's trailer while he was parking on my street. I pocketed some insurance money and installed a Chinese fender.

So at that point, I had a primered grey good, primered black fenders, and a beat up black bumper. The rest of the car was Montego Blue.

So I plasti-dipped that bitch! first green, then black. Then blue pearl. I installed Flyin Miata Springs and KYB (Kill Your Back) shocks. Then I chopped the fenders and installed AK V1 flares. I had to buy Rota Grid Concave wheels and meaty 225/45 RS3 tires.

Then I hit a deer. **** jumped right out in front of me, I had no chance to avoid him.



So I took the insurance money and bought some Jass Low-Profile Headlights with the proceeds!


I have some more plans pre-turbo:

-install frame rails (which I have already)
-plasti-dip it again
-go 15x8 with a bit more aggressive offset (not et0, I ran et0 and hated it) along with 205 width tires. Maybe I'll just get some 14" wheels and buy cheap tires...


My exhaust is 2.5" so it's turbo-ready for my modest power goals of 175-200whp. My turbo plans are to have someone here build me a megasquirt or get one second hand, then I'l install it, buy VEAL, and learn to tune in a vacuum like a good boy.

Then I'll slowly accumulate a GT2560, FM log manifold and downpipe (maybe custom downpipe if it won't fit my Enthuza exhaust), CX racing or FM intercooler & piping, ID750cc injectors, and that's all I really have pinned down for now. BTW I'm at 169,000 miles and burning a little oil. I plan on running on the stock motor until it blows.

albuquerquefx

No shame (from me, anyway) for plastidip done right. I know a lot of folks consider it played out, but if I was going to get truly serious about racing, I'd probably do the same.

Especially if people keeping driving into it like fools

Brak

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, lots of people have bad opinions on dipping, but I did it out of necessity! After I realized the car was cursed I decided not to put too much effort into the aestchetics... And this thing is rusting to bits between the rear wheel well and the door jamb on both sides, so dipping it was far more cost-efficient than painting it- I would have needed to replace that metal before painting. And I can dip my car in my garage while painting my car is not so easily done! Properly at least. It's moving quickly to function > form here.

I just found EFI tuning in CT and it looks like they tune Miatas using MS. Anyone have any experience with them?

albuquerquefx

MS = MegaSquirt? If so, there's a bunch of 'em here on this site if you bump Dat Search Button.

Semi-related to our plastidip tangent; ever considered having it wrapped? I know it's a bit pricier, but I'm actually considering having mine done next spring. My paint is in very good shape, minus a few expected imperfections after seven years of driving, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Was thinking about either something flamboyant like purple or doing the uber-played-out, wiggah-gangsta-wannabe, murdered-out look with flat black everywhere to match with the eventually-incoming TE37SL's

Brak

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I mean Megasquirt. I really want to find a PNP one so it's minimal effort to install.

I can't wrap this car, there's too much rust on the bottom rockers and the paint is shot in several places. I wouldn't even be able to wrap the rusted parts, and the crappy paint would show. If you've got nice paint, then a wrap wouldn't be too tough. I've always liked the grey-khaki color myself. I've seen some very nice wrapped miatas.

I'm jealous of your TE37SL's!