[rccardude04]

Well, it's not official yet but I've committed to buy a '94 Miata as a toy. I've been looking for MONTHS... Actually years trying to find the right car at the right time and it's finally happened. Actually, this car kinda found me since I put a WTB ad on craigslist and got a text from a guy with a car that literally matched my description exactly, even the items that I left out of the ad hoping to generate replies...

'94 1.8 car, 125000 miles, fresh waterpump/timing belt, B-Package with Torsen diff, AC, power windows, keyless entry, etc. Interior is in really good shape, tires/brakes are good, I couldn't find any rust other than the normal surface flakes on the exhaust. The body is kinda rough. It needs front fenders and some bending/fixing/welding/whatever on the left rear fender, but I was looking for a cosmetically "fair" car so I don't have to worry about cone streaks or door dings.

What do you guys think?

-Eric

[Admin2]

Nice, They are fun to drive. I was actually quite surprised how they handle the first time I drove one.
Looks like a fun project/toy car.

[rccardude04]

It will be the autocrosser/nice day car. Also probably going to fix a lot of the body work. It used to be red but is now metallic gray... I kinda like the color. Wish I had the paint code to re-paint fenders but may just find something really close and do the whole thing when the time comes.

Now just waiting for the state on paperwork... It's really tempting to order the front swaybar/mount brace and some Koni shocks but I must behave myself.

-Eric

[Lille Buller]

Congrats m8.

Looks like a pyle´O´fun.

So when the fixes are done, whats one the to do list performance-wice?

[Lille Buller]

Inspiration:
http://speedhunters.com/archive/2010...-roadster.aspx

[atm92484_3]

Nice!

I love how Miatas are not impressive on paper but once you get behind the wheel you can fully understand why the bragging numbers 14 year old boys drool over are completely pointless. You'll enjoy it.

If I had room I'd be looking for one just like yours.

[TopSpin]

I think you will love it. This is my wifes MX-5, it is not as fast but actually can corner better than the Z4 we just sold. If there is one gripe I have it is that lack of leg room but they drive like a million bucks.

[rccardude04]

Cool link Buller! I'm not into the cosmetics so much but that's a slick looking car. My plans are to build the car up through the SCCA Solo II rulebook at first... until I get bored and call FlyinMiata for a turbo kit.

For now, front swaybar and stereo as well as seat foam removal and probably a smaller steering wheel and figuring out how to get my 4-point harness in there are the only things on the list. After I burn the all-season tires off, I'll probably pick up a set of star specs (not gonna drive this in the cold weather anyway unless it's that entertaining drifting in the snow). Then for STR, coilovers, headers, intake, ...

Then maybe cams, built internals, 2.0L kit, ... or a 13b? Never know!

It'll be a slow process I'm sure either way. Stock for probably 1/4-1/2 the season at least. Maybe STR by the end of the year we'll see how it goes.
atm, just get one anyway. Sell whatever is necessary.

TopSpin: Nice! I wonder how the automatics are in these cars... The manual box in the one I'm getting is really tight and quick. I'm used to front-drive econobox gearboxes and my Ford Ranger's manual box where there's play, and if you go quick from 2-3 you have to be really careful. This car seemed to just go straight from 2-3 without having to think about pushing the stick to the right. Also, I'd love to have one of the 2012 models with the retractable hard top but the budget does not allow. Maybe in a few years when this one becomes a track-only car and I can't live with it on the street if I'm making more money haha.

I also managed to get a Flowmaster catback with the deal. It sounds like it's not one of the factory flowmaster ones but a custom mandrel-bent, welded catback. I haven't physically seen it but the seller's uncle wants the OEM replacement on the car so I get the upgrade. Hopefully it's not too noisy...

-Eric

[Lille Buller]

http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009...6ce-in-bc.aspx

Better?
Liking the NA 13b with webers..

[TopSpin]

Originally Posted by rccardude04

Cool link Buller! I'm not into the cosmetics so much but that's a slick looking car. My plans are to build the car up through the SCCA Solo II rulebook at first... until I get bored and call FlyinMiata for a turbo kit.

For now, front swaybar and stereo as well as seat foam removal and probably a smaller steering wheel and figuring out how to get my 4-point harness in there are the only things on the list. After I burn the all-season tires off, I'll probably pick up a set of star specs (not gonna drive this in the cold weather anyway unless it's that entertaining drifting in the snow). Then for STR, coilovers, headers, intake, ...

Then maybe cams, built internals, 2.0L kit, ... or a 13b? Never know!

It'll be a slow process I'm sure either way. Stock for probably 1/4-1/2 the season at least. Maybe STR by the end of the year we'll see how it goes.
atm, just get one anyway. Sell whatever is necessary.

TopSpin: Nice! I wonder how the automatics are in these cars... The manual box in the one I'm getting is really tight and quick. I'm used to front-drive econobox gearboxes and my Ford Ranger's manual box where there's play, and if you go quick from 2-3 you have to be really careful. This car seemed to just go straight from 2-3 without having to think about pushing the stick to the right. Also, I'd love to have one of the 2012 models with the retractable hard top but the budget does not allow. Maybe in a few years when this one becomes a track-only car and I can't live with it on the street if I'm making more money haha.

I also managed to get a Flowmaster catback with the deal. It sounds like it's not one of the factory flowmaster ones but a custom mandrel-bent, welded catback. I haven't physically seen it but the seller's uncle wants the OEM replacement on the car so I get the upgrade. Hopefully it's not too noisy...

-Eric

Eric, my wifes is a 6 speed auto. If you look at the picture you can see the paddle shifters. All I cab say is I am impressed, it's as fast as the stick. A lot of my friends race Miatas and I have been thinking about picking one up. There is a turbo kit that can crank them up to 210 HP safely. You could get more but the reliability goes down quickly.

[rccardude04]

Lile Buller: Nice 13b car! N/A would be neat on one of those. Hello throttle response!

Top Spin: At least they give it a quick tranny with paddle shifters. Might be kinda neat at track days; saves some work after several laps I'm sure.

-Eric

[rccardude04]

I was so excited I forgot to share...

I haz mx5.

Picked it up 2 saturdays ago. Has a bunch of little stuff to go through and fix like the keyless entry, lame aftermarket stereo/install, electrical-taped hoses going to the windshield squirters, back window, airbag module ... Should keep me entertained.

Only really annoying issue so far is that it doesn't seem to want to pull fuel very well when turning left as the fuel gage runs below a little over half. I am not convinced it's pulling fuel away from the pickup since that's not exactly common on these cars. Hopefully the pickup sock is dirty but I'm almost afraid the pump is getting weak or there's a baffle in the tank that's broken loose.

Aside from that, it needs a valve cover gasket.

-Eric

[rccardude04]

I was too tall for the car, so I cut out some foam behind the seat back, shortened the E-Brake handle, reduced throttle pedal travel, and cheated the steering column upwards a little bit. Trying to avoid replacing the steering wheel because it pushes me out of stock class... Oh well.

Got a set of Koni Yellow Sport shocks and it made 150% difference. Much more planted, and the adjustability is nice for getting a little over/understeer where I want it.

Was planning on a swaybar this/next week but managed to find a set of OEM '92 Special Edition BBS "basketweave" wheels. Should be a good 3 pounds lighter each than what's on the car now. Just need some tires for them. The ones on there are DONE.

Also got to design the course last weekend at the autocross. Very cool experience. Will definitely do it again!

Video and photos attached.

Mazda Miata Autocross 4/29/2012 Run #3 - YouTube

Mazda Miata Autocross 4/29/2012 Run #3 - YouTube

-Eric

[CarterTG]

Soooo... no one's gonna ask why there isn't a matching Tamiya Eunos body shell in this thread?!?

Congrats! Roadsters are awesome rides. I've spent the better part of a decade running my two-seater through amazing roads... Blue Ridge, Cherohala Skyway, The Dragon, etc. Working a 5-speed 4-banger through the hairpin turns and elevation changes is a hoot. HIGHLY recommend checking out that region.

[rccardude04]

lol...

I had this within a week of buying the real car...

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-p...327_215342.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g...324_191028.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...327_215347.jpg

LMK if the links don't work... I can't find them on my phone through the PC to upload quickly for some reason so I link to Google+

-Eric

[Lille Buller]

Lol, nice one!

[Old_School_RC_1]

Beauty! I'm on my second Miata - first was a '90, this one is a '99. These cars are so much fun. Sadly, it's getting traded in or sold off very shortly - family priorities come first. Have the feeling it won't be the last one though.

And yes, I have a 1/10 version as well. Actually have 2 - an M04 as my older red one and an M06 with the '99 HPI shell.

[rccardude04]

Originally Posted by CarterTG

Soooo... no one's gonna ask why there isn't a matching Tamiya Eunos body shell in this thread?!?

Congrats! Roadsters are awesome rides. I've spent the better part of a decade running my two-seater through amazing roads... Blue Ridge, Cherohala Skyway, The Dragon, etc. Working a 5-speed 4-banger through the hairpin turns and elevation changes is a hoot. HIGHLY recommend checking out that region.

I should ask you what region you're referring to... I don't ever seem to be able to figure out where the good roads are. I'm right in the middle of lame road land... It'd be nice to go tackle a few fun ones. I'd really like to go up Pikes Peak but I think the Mazda 3 will get that duty on a vacation sometime... Gotta be able to take mountain bikes when going to Colorado.

-Eric

[CarterTG]

Originally Posted by rccardude04

I should ask you what region you're referring to...

Being from Illinois we have our share of yawnsville roads too. Everything's laid out in a grid pattern. The closest we come to "exciting roads" around these parts are highway exit ramps!

Since 1997, the BMW factory in Greenville, SC would invite its roadsters back to its birthplace for a weekend-long reunion celebration. As this was a national invitation, owners from left and right coasts would form convoys. It didnt' take long for convoy leaders to find the best driving roads on the way to South Carolina.

The roads I mentioned are regions where North Carolina crosses into South Carolina. As a city slicker from IL, the jaw drops at the first sight of these roads. Ribbons of asphalt you thought only existed in movies or commercials. They're REAL and they're located in this spot! Spaghetti roads tightly hugging mountainsides rife with turns that fool your inner navigation senses into thinking you MUST'VE turned a full 360 degrees.

One of the famous stretches called The Dragon (US-129). 318 hairpin turns packed in 11 miles. There's even a site dedicated to it:

www.tailofthedragon.com

There's a gent that devotes his time to rooting himself at one of the turns snapping shots of bikers and sportscars that traverse this stretch. It's fun to see who's driving what:

www.killboy.com

It's been a few years since I've run that stretch... during the latter years, patrol presence has probably stepped up... definitely during holidays. There are plenty of other roads in that region that are lightly patrolled and IMO, equally spectacular drives.

http://www.cherohala.com/
http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/

One way to entice the missus to embark on this journey is to point out the number of antique handmade furniture shops in the region (they ship, so no worries about hauling it in a roadster!). Look into visiting destinations like Highlands, NC or a stay at the Biltmore Estate (NC) or even Greenville, SC itself to take a tour of the BMW factory (kewl visit for ANY car nut - they crank out X5 and X3s nowadays)

www.bmwusfactory.com/zentrum/

If THAT doesn't work, you can plan for destinations like Hilton Head or Myrtle Beach or DisneyWorld and "accidentally" get lost stumbling into those stretches of roads along the way.

Don't forget to pack Dramamine for your passenger!

[rccardude04]

Haha, thanks! It's too bad everything cool is so far away from me. I've been meaning to try and make it to Pikes Peak for a while... The hillclimb route is a tollroad.

I remember visiting the girlfriend's grandparents in Mississippi, and wishing I had an MX5 at the time... This was probably 7 years ago when I first visited. Too bad I didn't have the right car at the time. Was stuck in a minivan the first time and a newer Neon the second time...

One of these days I'll make it. I've seen video of the tail before. Will definitely look at the links you sent me tonight after work. Thanks!

-Eric