Noob from Santa Rosa, CA
 

Well I've been browsing this forum for a few months now and figured it was about time for this topic.

I'm 33, my parents opened an auto parts store in Santa Rosa, CA when I was 1. Spent a lot of my childhood and after school hours hanging out at the store, stocking shelves and riding along with parts drivers. Kragen, Grand Auto, and several other corporate giants moved into the area and ended that after about 15 years.

My first car was a 66 mustang with a straight 6. With the help of my dad I put a 302 from a 77 Mustang II in it. Rebuilt the front end, converted to front wheel disc brakes. Later I took my first bank loan for $1000 for a cam, exhaust, and 4 barrel carb. Being a dumb 19 year old, I decided I was too good a driver for insurance, ended up rear ended and pushed into the car in front of me, game over.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...r.jpg~original

Throughout the years I've always wanted to get something fast, or something I could make fast, being young and broke living in apartments with no garage I was stuck with pickups and the like. I honestly never considered a Miata until recently, it seems like the popularity has increased and I see them everywhere now. I checked craigslist daily in multiple areas. After 3 months I came to the realization that 90% of the cars on CL are junk, or already slammed to the ground on ebay coils with who knows what else done to them. Anything nice or stock is literally sold within hours or overpriced.

I came to the realization that I may need to travel to find a good Miata, so when I found one I found myself flying to Seattle and driving one home 13 hours sight unseen. It's a 1994 A package with hardtop and 128k. By the time I bought this I would have settled for any interior/exterior colors but I always wanted black on black so I'm super happy it worked out.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...3.jpg~original

So far I've changed all the fluids with redline gl4 in the trans and gl5 in the rear. I raised the steering column by removing the spacers and metal bracket between the column bracket and dash. I installed a Nardi Classic 330mm wheel. Painted the valve cover, replaced the radiator which could have blown out at anytime on my trip back to CA. I installed the DDMWorks radio surround with a temp gauge, vac/boost gauge, and a innovate AFR gauge.

I know I'm forgetting a lot of little misc things I've done. I am in the middle of a coolant reroute right now with the Begi spacer. I had to replace the clutch line with the 949 braided one so I could fit the napa hose but that hose is sitting right under my throttle preventing it from opening, I've ordered a new gates hose which will hopefully fit better.

I have room in my budget for an MSPNP2 and an FM happy meal, after that I will need to save up for injectors, fuel pump?, and (crosses fingers) MKTurbo kit if they are still available when I'm ready. I read all 62 pages of the group buy thread and am really glad I found it considering I was expecting to shell out big money for a Bell or FM kit, but if this works out I could be boosted much sooner.

I'm still a noob when it comes to Miata's but I'm enjoying the car and really cant wait to get a turbo on it. I'll end this with some pictures and I'm using instagram as a build log of sorts if anyone is interested https://www.instagram.com/alivemx5/ thanks for reading.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...1.jpg~original

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...2.jpg~original

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...9.jpg~original

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...1.jpg~original

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...7.jpg~original

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...4.jpg~original

Skip instagram. Put a build thread on here. MT is where all the real kids hang out.