Hello to the Forum. Name here is George, location Colorado. This whole car thing started for me back in the early 70’s, with 3 ½ hp mini bikes and go karts. Mostly tinkering to keep em goin, and the mystery of what made them go. That grew into the first car that needed quite a bit of TLC to get her goin again, kind of like the kid in the Advance auto parts commercial. Chilton’s manuals were the tutors. First car either smoked like a dog, or wouldn’t run. A Go Motor 350, my definition of GM at the time. Thought it was the heads for whatever reason, turned out to be the lobes worn off the cam. I kept that cam for over 25 years as a Souvenir. Got the heads done, and a new cam, (carried those heads 11 miles on my lap, one at a time, on a moped to the shop) ran like a champ, lucky to be here today. In the late 70’s, a buddy and I painted cars at night after school to keep the Go Motor habit satisfied. During that time we came across a, If I remember correctly, a 71 TR6. Buddy completely restored it, from top to bottom. I remember the car had a totally different fun feel than anything we were driving, Firebirds, and Buick Gran Sports. I think it reminded me of go karts, sharp responsive, etc. We lived about 60 miles from downtown New York, and zippin in and out of traffic was a blast down there, and fun on the highway goin home. I also remember there was always expensive little issues goin on with the car. So I just parked those memories in the back of the mind for many years, until I came across a fellow workmate with a Miata. I was curious about the car and its reliability of course. He had a 90 for quite a few years and had never had to do much more than the fair wear and tear type stuff, I was sold. At the time I had a 97 Buick Regal Gran Sport with the 3600 Go Motor. Always wanted to turbo it, love the 3600, but could not find a complete kit, or anyone doing it with a track record. Found a Base 90, Feb 05, drove it for a while, found it to be a fun car. Found out there was a turbo shop in Colorado who was doin it with a track record, and couldn’t resist having a turbo installed a year later. Wow!!! I think I blew the head gasket shortly after the install, and never figured that out until recently, no time and bike projects. Did a coolant re-route thinking I had a coolant issue. What I think now is, I have a pin hole head gasket leak allowing an exhaust to coolant passage issue, based on the engine temps remain steady until she reaches normal operating temp, once there for a while, the engine temps get way erratic. 88, 106, 97, 108, 88, 109, looks like a bearcat scanner scanning frequencies from several different bands. So, gud to meet you all, and to be among the vast treasure of experience, background, knowledge, and bulls>>>t, that I am sure, reside here!!!

 

Welcome, that's one hell of a story. Love the image of a riding a moped with a head on your lap, sounds like fun. And **** only has four letters, not five.

Pictures of your car/engine? Blown head gasket shouldn't give erratic coolant temperatures like you're describing, if it's at operating temperatures it should be around 160-180*, not 100. Take it back to FM (they've moved btw) or give us some more information, and we could help you diagnosis it. Just a heads up though, we're going to tell you to get rid of your link and buy a MS, it's what we do.

Again, welcome.

 

welcome to the forum! good into.....you will find vasts amounts of knowledge on here, just make sure you do a **** load of searching before you ask a question so you wont get flamed.

enjoy your stay here!

 

Not in a rush to post a pic, needs paint, total sleeper, a couple beemer guys really scratched their heads after a romp!!! Temps are in Celcius. Not sure if it's possible for exhaust to get into the coollant passage? It's either that or the heater core is clogged up? Temps hold steady until she's been at 190F for 10 minutes, then the temps go into a scan search mode. High rpm highway beautiful, low rpm around town, horrible. Almost like there is no, or insufficient circulation of coolant at low rpm. Where head meets the block, front and rear hot side, always slightly wet and once saw tiny bubbles.

Hey Thanks WonTon!!! Roger on searchin before question!

 

Gonna go run it on the highway and see if she still runs smooth (temps hold steady) at the higher rpms... Current outside temp, 61F.

 

Hello fellow noob. As a noob I don't really have much to tell you other than my first car was a '67 Buick GS400; 400 cubic inch big block with 10 1/4 : 1 compression and 340 hp from the factory. I paid $300 for it and it looked like **** and probably had 150 hp when I got it. As a kid I had all these dreams of fixing it up like in Hot Rod magazine; but never did.

Welcome to the forum.

 

Hello 1drum, they don't make them like that anymore. Those 400's were monsters. I had the '69 Buick GS 350. Some came with the 455 option, and with a little work were wicked as well. I liked the 350 and its ability to haul a massive amount of weight for extended periods of time with little or no effort. Never really got interested in power mods as the 350 was pretty much bullet proof stock if maintained. I also appreciated how easy the 350's were to work on, pretty simple and straight forward. Lots of room in those old engine bays... I got lucky with the GS, the body and interior was in very good shape, got it super cheap cause it wasn’t runnin.

 

The Buick GS's have a certain appeal to me since it was my first; but in actuality lightweight good handling cars like the Miata or even more the Lotus Seven have always been my main automotive enthusiasm.

 

Pretty much the same here. That TR6 bought me to the Miata. That car was a blast to drive. I've always had those memories in the back of the brain. The MX-5 has allowed the enjoyment, one can only get from a roadster...