Miata Barn Find rehab 1993 Limited Edition saved

[mrmustang]

So I picked up another Barn Find, less than 90K miles, four flat tires, not running, however rust free, carrying 90% of it's original paint. Passenger fender had been replaced (OEM Mazda unit) back in March of 1998 at 24,088 miles after a minor front end collision.

I'll attempt to document items I replace as I get the car ready for the road:

So far:

Yesterdays work:
New Battery
New Tires
New Plugs
New Wires

Todays planned work
Fluid Flush to include:
Brake/clutch/coolant/rear differential

Items to still be checked:
Coolant leak (undetermined at this time)
Brakes
Suspension bits and pieces
Minor crease in right rear quarter panel, will be taking around to a body shop or two for estimates. Will be interesting to be on the other side of the equation in an area with no real connections.

Car currently airing out in the sun with top and windows down after it's 9+ year slumber.

No pictures at the moment as I still have yet to acquire secure internet access in my current location.


Bill S.

[Andy]

How can you tell us all about this and not even bother to give us photos.

[mrmustang]

How can you tell us all about this and not even bother to give us photos.

No pictures due to no real internet access at the moment. 5 days (today is day 6) trying to have it hooked up at our temporary place has gone round and round in circles with one dept blaming the other. I bought the car to work on to keep me from throttling the next ATT customer service rep I speak with.

Bill S.

[mrmustang]

Forgot to add fuel filter..........I'm going to be a mess in another hour or two :D

[MX5RACER]

11562

[ScratchNSniff]

Was this the LE that was posted???

[Agent☣Orange]

Just did a Miata fuel filter a couple weeks ago and didn't drink too much gas this time.

[Phatmiata]

Cool sounds like a fun find for sure!! Please post lots of photos when you get back to good internet connections!

We should call you the Miata Hunter :teehee:

[Rogue]

My wife drives a '97PEP we pulled out of a barn.
She spent a bunch of time cleaning it up and I did the maintenance.
We drive it all over now and she even autocrosses it when she can.

[mrmustang]

We should call you the Miata Hunter


There are some on here that have called me worse. :toomuch:

I prefer Miata Trader (I trade one garage space taken up with a Miata for another one when there is nothing left to tinker with) :D



Cool sounds like a fun find for sure!! Please post lots of photos when you get back to good internet connections!

Car I bought is 9.8 miles away in a RV storage unit with no power or real ventilation. Hence the fun I am currently having, and no pictures to back anything up.



As for todays fun, all fluids accept the coolant has been thoroughly flushed and changed out. The coolant will be done some time on Monday when I replace an engine plug under the manifold that has a light weep to it that I do not want to deal with today.

Brakes are at 80-90%, rotors are surface rusted, but once I put three or four miles on them, they will clean right up.

Pictures sooner or later, just not high on my list of other things I still need to do (like get my U vers (or whatever ATT calls it) internet service which they now promise on Monday so I can get a secure set up with my one client).

Bill S.

[mrmustang]

Ok, could not wait till Monday, nice and cool out, and I decided to pulled the exhaust manifold off (not one stud broke) and tackled the freeze plug which was weeping coolant. Changed the air filter while I was at it.

As some of you have already deduced, the car is indeed the 93 LE barn find out of Alabama. I happened to be responding to a PM here about the area in which we are currently residing in SC, when the seller made his post. I believe his thread was maybe two or three minutes old at the time before I called on it. Right time, right place, I really was not planning on buying anything while we are down here, but had been spending a few days going stir crazy with nothing to work on as the cars are in PA still...The seller and his wife were great to work with, they both could have turned around and sold the car for more money, but kept their word while I worked out the Mothers Day logistics of heading out for a 5+ hour one way trip.


Now for the behind the scenes of how such a car actually makes it back to the ground and under it's own power:
For those that believe they could have flown in and driven the car home with a little TLC were deluding themselves, (I'll touch on the major items that I went through the past few days, but there was much more than what I will post here) The car was almost unsafe to put air in (15psi is all that I did in all four tires by the way to protect the rims) and roll on to my trailer. Same goes for just changing fluids and expecting to safely start the car after such a long slumber. Extreme care must (and was) taken to clean up, lubricate, and make sure the motor was not frozen solid before initial start up. Plugs were pulled, a few drops of marvels was dropped in to each plug hole, and the engine was hand cranked back and forth to make sure the rings were not fused to the cylinder walls. When they would move freely, hand cranking the motor for several full revolutions was done to be sure things worked as they should. A bore scope was used both through the valve cover filler, the plug holes, and the drain plug hole. Injectors could not be trusted and were pulled and sent out to be cleaned. When I was satisfied with that I proceeded to check the brake and fuel lines, along with the brakes, suspension pieces, and just about anything else I could think of, one corner at a time as I had to borrow a floor jack and one jack stand from a neighbor in the storage complex. When all of that and more checked out, new fluids were installed, bled properly (ever bleed an ABS equipped Miata), and the new battery was connected. At that time I fired up the car for the first time since 2005/2006 (last registration tag shows a 2006 expiration) and watched it go right to idle with excellent oil pressure, no lifter tick was detected and I am thrilled with that.

Took the car around the back roads (yes, I already have insurance on it, would not take it out without it) around the storage facility, put 2.4 miles on it, AC works, heater works, radio (stock radio still needs to be cleaned in and out with electric contact cleaner, maybe this week if I really get motivated to do it), power windows all work. Car was not taken over 50mph for it's maiden voyage....... Trying to figure out how I can register the car here without giving up my current state residency (it's complicated). If that does not happen, I'll make the trip northwards soon and get my plates and title work done there..

Was the purchase a crap shoot, you bet, the timing belt could have been broken (reason for a lot of these cars being parked suddenly), the car could have been rusted to death underneath, brakes rusted solid, etc and so forth. Yet, I've rolled those dice before and been burned (traveled 1,300 miles one way only to find the rust free part of the car is because they cut all the rust out, but never installed replacement panels was the worst one), but in this case, I decided to take that chance. After all, parts are inexpensive, my labor is free, and I needed something to work on to keep my sanity in check.

Pictures are now attached, car still needs a really good cleaning in and out, but is pretty much ready for the road once I get a legit set of plates on it.

Bill S.

11582
11590
11589
11588
11587
11586
11585
11584
11583
11591

[WASABI]

Wow, great deal, on a clean car. Congratulations.

[mrmustang]

I forgot to add, I now have real internet access again :smileybounce:

[Filipe Dias]

Awsome!

[speedypenguin]

I'm glad that LE is getting a second chance to shine again!

[Phatmiata]

Wo so great and a 1993 LE that you saved too!! Even better!! Any Idea what production number it is?

[mrmustang]

Wo so great and a 1993 LE that you saved too!! Even better!! Any Idea what production number it is?


Subtly it is in my sig :D

90 Mariner Blue 01473, 91 BRG #1759, 93LE #1216

[Sharpie]

Awesome. Glad you got it. Those seats are beautiful. Congrats.

[mrmustang]

Awesome. Glad you got it. Those seats are beautiful. Congrats.

There is some slight cracking in the leather, but nothing too serious.


Bill S.

[mrmustang]

Just a quick update.

First real time out on the public roads in just short of ten years. Car was taken up to highway speeds (70mph) and run through stop and go traffic on the way from my storage locker to my temporary housing. Ran fantastic, no shimmy or shakes, no strange noises, oil pressure perfect, coolant temp perfect. I was so pleased with it, I stopped at the local car wash and let them do an inside and out cleaning. Paint still needs a good compounding and buff to bring it back to where it should be, but I'm satisfied with it for now. All in all I should put about 50-60 miles on it today....

11681

Future plans for next week are a stop at two body shops that were highly recommended so I can get the small crease in the passenger rear quarter repaired (PDR guys are busy with hail work, so I have not stopped to see any of them yet to see about just floating it out, but I will).

After that and a quality detailing, I'll reinstall the stock MSS radio......Perhaps an upgraded top as the back window has a light haze on it that is not up to my standards.

Bill S.

[MX595]

Fantastic job!

[mrmustang]

No real updates, got the dings taken out PDR, got the quarter panel crease taken care of, have not had a chance to detail the car yet Sooner or later I'll get it detailed and then take some updated shots of it.


Bill S.

[ScratchNSniff]

Console is at the house Bill...I lost your #...sorry about that...didn't forget ya...

[mrmustang]

Console is at the house Bill...I lost your #...sorry about that...didn't forget ya...


No worries, it's for the 92 B&T that is collecting dust in my storage locker. I'll call you in a little bit to see what your schedule is like

[ScratchNSniff]

No worries, it's for the 92 B&T that is collecting dust in my storage locker. I'll call you in a little bit to see what your schedule is like

Off Wed/Thurs this week...

[mrmustang]

Off Wed/Thurs this week...

In case you did not get my VM yet.

PM me an let me know what time works for you and I'll meet you there.