Super nice.
Printable View
Super nice.
My middle brother and his son did a roadtrip down from Vancouver in their A3 sportback to visit us. Gave me the chance to bring him to KINOD so he could see what this mad community is all about as well as experience the LA roads absent the typically horrible traffic. As a total bonus, also pushed for us to go out on a convoy in our Miata’s so we could take some group shots. Something we’d just never gotten around to before. Drove up to Palos Verdes for the views and found a couple spots to pull over and knab some pics…
http://i.imgur.com/D5x8Wz5.jpg
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http://i.imgur.com/IAwmHPn.jpg
Good to have a camera vehicle…
http://i.imgur.com/6tI9Lo6.jpg
Probably our best family photo though I may be a bit biased…
http://i.imgur.com/LjUhgpQ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/doE4e84.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qoavcoe.jpg
Also had Martha from Bethania make another cover for the Blackbird bar which was turned around lightning fast and fits as perfectly as the first one did
http://i.imgur.com/Y8Zulll.jpg
School’s now back in session but enjoying a little time off before the end of year crush. Atleast there’s JCCS and MRLS on the near term horizon!
Jealous, although I have to admit that I do not like the stripe in Benny after all. Looks kinda out of place to me. :(
I agree. I understand the appeal of stripes, but I have difficulty with this one. I know cars like these are constantly a work in progress, so I usually reserve comments until it comes together.
That Sunburst is too nice.
I had to give it a shot and even received replacement navy stripes (the first ones were essentially Mariner) as well as the additional red to do the hardtop, rear spoiler and the rest of the bumper. In my head the nod to the Martini livery had the potential to be great and if it worked in vinyl would have laid it down in paint. I was also reserving judgement but it just hasn't grown on me. Some body work and a little paint will be happening in the next month to usher in Benny's next stage.
The point that probably sealed it was when some kid said "awesome Captain America scheme you've got going on". :roll:
I generally try to stay away from vibrating colors on vehicles. It's not a flattering contrast.
Cars are looking great!
Been feeling really grateful for our collection, its perfectly suited to our family and we all have so much fun enjoying the hell out of these little roadsters…
https://i.imgur.com/lfs4Ibk.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jW2sWcv.jpg
That said, this is an update I’ve really, really been looking forward to. For a while now, I’ve known the next direction I wanted to take Benny. It was going to require some cosmetic surgery that I know not everyone is a fan of, but with the BRG I felt I had the chance to take a bit more of an extreme direction with the smurf. It was also going to require time and a healthy dose of luck. There were some other benefits.. once I finally managed to track down my favorite bumper of all time, I’d be able to hand down the TSI’s to the BRG. I’ve also been looking for my dream wheels since shortly after getting Benny but knew the 4x100 set-up would mean I’d have to get lucky. Really, really lucky. Depending on the fitment, cutting the fenders and installing bigger flares might be necessary but I also knew moving the Rev9 flares and Mk2’s to the BRG would work very well. My dream was to amass all these bits and get them installed for MRLS in October. Then JCCS invited Miata’s so I had a new deadline that was a couple weeks earlier. With time scheduled at Seven Apple (an abso-bloody-lutely fantastic one man show for paint and bodywork in Torrance) it was time to move these parts over to the BRG.
https://i.imgur.com/Bjzb8Ii.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VvielSg.jpg
I think it works even better than on a Mariner. Only problem we had was the TSI’s kept blowing the fuse so switched back to the stock signals. My plan was to tackle that in short order but this week we had a pretty big set back. More on that later. While I was at it, I decided I needed to pay a little attention to the sunburst and put to use the learnings from 96BRG’s write up about clearing out the fog in the rear plastic OEM window.
https://i.imgur.com/tAsMSwL.jpg
So I got lucky. Very very lucky. For the wheels, I’d recently lost two sets. One to a Montego blue owner in the PNW since I couldn’t figure out how to bid on an auction with Buyee when the seller had a really low rating. He got em for a steal but I was thrilled for him. There was another set a forum member was finally selling and I put my hand up but they were already off to a better home. I’d never been so close but wasn’t going to be discouraged. Then Sean’s car in Hawaii was totaled and he was parting it out. That’s where I got some of the tan parts for the BRG. While we were going back and forth on the parts I was helping him find a new home for, he mentioned he was having Barrel Bros in Australia work on a set of wheels for him but that he wouldn’t need them any more. They were my dream wheels and they hadn’t yet started the work. BB soon posted them for sale and I managed to get my down payment in before anyone else could try and knab them.
I had these and was going to have to make some very important decisions on color and sizing…
https://i.imgur.com/OxU95Ri.jpg
I’d never imagined that I’d actually be able to spec my own Star Sharks since I knew that if I ever sourced an original pair I wouldn’t imagine tweaking them. I landed on square fitment of 14x8.5 -8 after consulting with my most trusted JDM advisors (fwdtamiya and Brian from SF along with a load of other people). I also toyed with the idea of red but stayed with my original plan of going gold. Am I ever glad I didn’t get red as it was predicated on my Martini inspired livery idea. The one that didn’t really work. At all.
Mark very kindly kept me updated on the progress which only made my anticipation grow. The lips were made…
https://i.imgur.com/JOllExI.jpg
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Then back in for paint…
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And the completed set. Just needed to jump a plane for ‘merica…
https://i.imgur.com/T4BQoSO.jpg
Pretty soon these arrived at the door …
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https://i.imgur.com/YSpy1wI.jpg
Barrel Bros did such an amazing job with these. I couldn’t be happier!
The R888's were ordered with square fitament.. 225/50/14’s. Pretty hefty next to the tower of daisies!
https://i.imgur.com/oB2KQWI.jpg
After finding a shop I trusted to mount and balance the tires, they were ready to go…
https://i.imgur.com/ruaBEZf.jpg
For the bumper, I’d also been trolling YJA and FB groups for a while and got a bite when I posted in the Wanted section. Somehow I missed a Barchetta GT that had finally come up on YJA and enlisting Bo’s help we managed to win the bidding. This worked out perfectly as he was also arranging for my CMC exhaust to come over in his next container. It arrived a few days before the wheels showed up (sorry in advance for this chronological mishap)
https://i.imgur.com/EhSjy0B.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/txkDjYG.jpg
It was cracked but that didn’t raise a major concern for Seven Apple. I’d ordered some flares and the mounting kit from Carbon Miata and those and the GV headlight lid went off for paint prep.
https://i.imgur.com/EvLeXaV.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/EMiaLqB.jpg
And test fit of the R lip…
https://i.imgur.com/pd064AH.jpg
Before taking off the GV lid I did a test fit of the Sharks. No question that the flares were a necessity…
https://i.imgur.com/7o82j8j.jpg
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The most miserable part of the process was the hours it took getting the vinyl stripes off. Didn’t help that using a hairdryer in your garage on a hot day just isn’t the best combination
https://i.imgur.com/z8Is0fr.jpg
But we were finally ready to go in for our appointment with just six short days before JCCS.
Makito kindly kept me updated with pictures along the way and I reached out a few times to Ihatecars for tips on his install. Confirming the FRP cover had to be removed and that the outer lights wouldn’t fit without adjsutments to the housing or structural area. There was also the metal fastener between the fender and bumper that required a trim. I also ordered the same orange covers he got from Moss from the classic mini section that I would get to when I had the chance.
The KGW spoiler finally attached properly…
https://i.imgur.com/KIWuRHa.jpg
The first cuts
https://i.imgur.com/wbeyt5g.jpg
And some of the areas that would be too close…
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I picked up the car just after midnight on Friday. A quick trip past the car wash place and then home. I was too tired to even think of taking any pictures and we had to be up early to get into JCCS for staging.
Willywongka arrived with a couple friends from Norcal a few hours earlier and we were ready to head out to the show after a few hours sleep.
Sadly on Thursday night my son called to inform me that a careless driver turned into him and drove him up on a curb. Three wheels were curbed badly and one smashed even worse along with a couple of the Rev9 flares and the driver’s side quarter panel. <sigh> back to dealing with insurance again…
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Back to JCCS, I didn’t have any time for a detail but managed to pass a vacuum cleaner over the interior before we set off. I only took a few pics but needless to say, getting everything done in time for the show felt like such a major achievement. We brought both Benny and the Sunburst and it was fantastic to be on the lawn parked up next to Willywongka’s white NA, Mike’s stunning red NA and a few others…
https://i.imgur.com/2kczBMi.jpg
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After the show we had some people back for a JDM BBQ with a street covered in NA’s, a Subaru, a synchro Westfalia, an Alfa 4C and a stunning 510 wagon.
https://i.imgur.com/viGmpcq.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/2bDl46f.jpg?1
Thankfully I have a couple weeks to tweak Benny before heading up to MRLS and hitting Laguna Seca in October for more Miata shenanigans with this incredible group of Roadster fans!
What an update! If it wasn’t for the accident this would be one of the largest and most extensive changes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great transformation!
Sorry to hear about your son's car.
Benny looks superb! Have you considered leaving the edge trimming out? It distracts my eye a bit...
Really sad on what happened to the BRG. Did you have an estimate over the damage? Any plans?
Thanks all! Harry, are you talking about the black trim between the fender and the flare? I reported the accident Thursday night and haven't received the call yet for the company to confirm the other driver has accepted fault. Pretty typical for how it goes here unfortunately. Hopefully this won't be as much of a hassle as the last one was... :cry:
Yes, that's what I mean. Hope you figure it out soon; I have been in minor fender benders 3 times now with people not really willing to accept their fault, so I feel you. :(
Wow Benny looks fantastic!! :frantic: Really great work, Pete! :drinkto:
P.S.-Yup I need a set of 225/50/14 R888's!! :slayer:
So the BRG is out of commission while insurance gets things sorted… <le sigh> never an easy process. Talked to the adjuster on Friday (eight days after the accident!!) to ask WTF was up and he noted that their policy owner hadn’t gotten in touch with them yet or returned their calls. He was clear that his job was to represent their policy holder but couldn’t help but agree that typically if someone was innocent in an accident they would be quick to report their claim and when they were perhaps not so innocent it wasn’t unusual that they might take a long bloody time to get in touch and accept liability.
Anyways, so while BRG (“Berg” as he’s now become called) is out for the count my eldest son hasn’t had anything to drive since he’s very clear that after all the work was done to Benny that he was completely off limits. I’d complained a bit about how I’m a crap photographer and my phone isn’t the best apparatus and he jumped at the chance. Two birds. One stone… As a fairly capable photographer he said why don’t I take your car somewhere with great vistas so I can capture some shots of all the progress you’ve made. Never imagined I’d become a sucker. Or a softie. My dad certainly wasn’t either and it didn’t hurt me none but with a smirk I handed him the keys. Super happy with where Benny has got to and happy to be able to share it with something better than my poor photo skills on a phone demonstrate..
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I'm glad you were able to find a set of Sharks. Gold was definitely the right choice :8): The progress is turning out great.
I was super bummed I didn't make it down to JCCS but I'm just about set for MRLS. I can't wait to check out Benny in person.
Those wheels!!! I'm looking forward to seeing them in a few short days.
^i second Adam. Looking forward to the craziness of MRLS!
So beautiful!
Thanks everyone - I'm couldn't be happier with how Benny has turned out and just in time for MRLS (though won't have had any track time with the new setup :roll:).
Can't wait to see some of you very very soon!
https://i.imgur.com/8AEHqzJ.jpg
I just got to TPA. Fun day of travel ahead and then see you in a few days.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
will be i think 4-5 sets of sharks at mrls this year !
Just randomly found this miata in a garage
https://imgur.com/Yzm6FpC.jpeg
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
Still recuperating from another exceptional Laguna Seca weekend. 717 miles between the drive up and back and time on track. Excellent meeting so more MR.Netters in person that I met here first and still blown away RevLimiter and Corifto made the trek. Planning to try and share as much of the weekend as I can after I get a bit more rest and sort through all the pics.
https://i.imgur.com/uF8MRX3.jpg
Yes! I'm still recuperating. 2461 miles. Will likely post more when I'm back home this weekend.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
You guys in Cali have all the fun ...............
So I took Monday off after MRLS which shortened the week ahead of a Saturday flight to the UK only to be on the ground for 48 hours (travel like that is certainly a younger man’s game . That hasn’t given me much of a chance to get to an update but jetlag and the lack of sleep gave me some time back when I least expected it.
Revlimiter and Corifto arrived at my house on Thursday evening after the long drive from New Mexico. It gave us just enough time for a great reunion, a meal and a good catch-up before hitting the hay for our ~5am departure. KINOD leaves from the City of Industry and meets at 4:30 but that’s about 45 miles in the wrong direction so we decided it best to meet the convoy en route. Its essential to be on the road that early to avoid LA rush hour and we made it up to the valley in about 35 minutes (typically closer to 2.5-3 hours if we’d left even at 6. Bonkers for the 25-ish miles). There we picked up Bromungandr at the Coffee Bean in Encino to ensure our quartet was balanced. Two green (ish.. if you can call Montego green) with white stripes and two smurfs. The one with the ITB’s certainly had the better sound. We fueled up ourselves and our cars and were off…
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Our next stop was about another 110 miles on to Paula’s Pancake house – I didn’t know Danish pancakes were a thing but they were exceptional. The early start and long drive up the 101 probably helped with our appetites but we were treated with a few wonderfully windy roads heading into town. The rest of the KINDO crew had eaten but were happy to wait for us to have our feed. Then the seventeen of us set out. I contest that there’s almost nothing more spectacular than seeing a fleet of Roadster’s peppering the highway. Our crazy little Miata tribe.
The next traditional stop is Morro bay for a fill-up and some photos. Also at the rock was Tomio Watanabe and part of his crew from Car Make Corns! Free stickers is about all it takes to see a bunch of grown men get all giddy. After a nice visit and some pics we were again on our way
https://i.imgur.com/9uQGo2C.jpg
And of course a group Boyfriend pose in honor or Marco…
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When we got to Monterey we took over the local car wash to tidy up before pulling into the Parking lot at the hotel for the Moss Miata BBQ, registration and a chance to reconnect with a whole lot of other nutters including Bo and some of the crew from the Pacific North West…
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Happy Hour at the Embassy Suites was well and truly taken advantage of and I got to spend some time with Chris (formerly of Moss Miata) who is such an exceptionally wonderful person. We also made a trek to In N out for a late night snack with the crew and new to MR.net Thejohnson.
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Then it was time for sleep before the big day ahead.
There’s something about driving to the track as the sun’s rising and making our way up the hill to then be greated by the most amazing view just over the crest. I can’t tell you how exceptionally fortunate I felt being back for more track time at that amazing circuit. We all sat through the race prep, emptied our cars and got ready for our sessions.
The track photographers again managed to get some great pics of Benny. This was when I went out for some tips with a fantastic Aussie driving instructor (“don’t really fit in the seats mate but ah… par for the course”)
https://i.imgur.com/uF8MRX3.jpg
Tom Matano was at the Moss both signing hats but unfortunately that was happening right on top of my next session. Corey (big man, massive heart) took my Ignition Model NA that Mrs. R got me for by birthday to have it signed. Coming back with the exhilaration from some laps to see this? Still speechless…
https://i.imgur.com/U3ovffZ.jpg
Adam, Corey and I went out for the parade laps and it was fantastic to see Sharka and Bucky out enjoying the track together!
https://i.imgur.com/OadsIZ7.jpg
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Taking the corkscrew at 5-10mph in the wrong lane does not make for great pics…
https://i.imgur.com/qMM94JX.jpg
Back to more laps in the afternoon
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Fantastic to finally get to meet Brian (Speedypenguin) and Jazz in person when we were hanging out at Garage RevLimiter: https://i.imgur.com/zFBZPwV.jpg as well as Druz, his mental Orange V8 and his lovely other half.
After I got back there were a couple pics I saw on FB from a SoCal photographer from Resuka Media that are actually my two favorites. He was kind enough to send me the hi-res versions.
https://i.imgur.com/hkogc5y.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uP2PVJr.jpg
There is another optional Saturday night feast with awards, live music and more celebration that a number of us joined in. Got a chance to meet Iain Johnson who had come over from the UK MX5 club to see how we did things on this side of the pond. Tom was also there and Rick and crew pulled off a surprise celebration because it was his 70th birthday! So amazing Tom chose to spend his birthday with us. I decided that was a fantastic goal so loving the idea of making it to MRLS 2040! Dates were announced for MRLS 2018 so calendar is already marked for the weekend of Sept 15-16.
Tom is such an incredibly kind and humble man who passes on the credit to the community for making the Miata what it has become. Hard to even get him to acknowledge that we couldn’t have done that without him designing it in the first place. He was sat at a table with the President of Miata Philippines along with some of their local Miata club. I couldn’t believe it but Marlonthegreat was there. Have enjoyed pouring through his thread many a time and incredible to be able to talk to him in person!
Fwdtamiya and JonB were an integral part of the weekend and to me are a massive part of the heart and soul of KINOD. I don’t know how it happened but can only guess it had something to do with Jon but we got a call for some pictures with Tom.. to do the boyfriend post.
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After the BBQ we ended up back in their room with a ton of people and a not insignificant amount of alcohol which fueled us on for longer than we (I) probably should have.
Sunday morning started with the 17 mile historic drive with six of us making our way through Pebble Beach and its breathtaking vistas.
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We then meandered into Carmel for a mid-day feed before heading back to the track.
This was a pick of Adam getting ready for his last laps on Laguna Seca to commemorate crossing the 60k mile milestone in Sharka.
https://i.imgur.com/0MPBFB3.jpg
After Corey did his last passengering session in an S1 car we were off to make some tracks. A lot of the KINOD crew waited around so we could convoy back south together. Along the way I took us of course to this small town gas station that only had 87 Octane gas which was no good for most of our tuned crew but atleast it provided a great photo-op (courtesy of Adam).
https://i.imgur.com/rdT3juD.jpg
Our final group stop was a feed at Pea Soup Anderson’s before we drove the rest of the way back. Adam and Corey had the long trek to New Mexico early the next morning but that didn’t stop me from keeping them up late for some final reminiscing.
This is my favorite weekend of the year – sharing in the pilgrimage to our roadster Mecca with friends old and new and celebrating what we love about these mad little cars is such a privilege. I can’t thank each and everyone that was a part of this. Only 329 days until we do it all again!
Jealous to say the least. Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful pictures and write up Pete. What an event, I would love to come along next year.
I have always wanted to go to Laguna Seca, and the thought of it full of miatas is even better!
Great post, it really captures the emotions of such a weekend and what draws people from all over the world now. I only manage time for 10% of the fun and it's an amazing time.
Do I even need to blog from my own perspective?? That was outstanding.
I wanna go back.
I better write some blogs...
Now you’re committed. I wish I were there.
Great write-up, Pete! Fantastic meeting you and Benny, we will have to do this again! I will definitely be at MRLS next year, and will try my best to go to JCCS too!
I second that, thanks for a great write up. It was like I was there.
Now I need to figure out an angle to convince the wife that SHE wants to go to MRLS next year.
awesome pics!! love the idea of TM signing a model car too!
One of the inevitabilities of experiencing something like MRLS is being exposed to exceptional parts that you've only perhaps heard of.. possibly seen a few pixelated jpeg's of but never seen. Touched. Experienced.
So today. Today was a very special day. Spectacular in fact. Every one of the stainless steel bolts for my Carbon Miata flares had rusted but Marc immediately expedited replacements to me flagging his concern that an oversight must have happened from his supplier. So I started by replacing all the rusted bolts in my flares and rear spoiler. Quick and incredibly satisfying in equal measure. I also swapped out the blue bulbs in my Barchetta bumper driving lights for standard bulbs that would have a more yellow/ incandescent look. Then the vacuum cleaner came out for a heavy duty scrub up of the interior. And then. And only then Benny was finally ready.
You see, I had the opportunity to really examine Adam's (Rev) Falcon wheel when he was west coasted for our convoy to mecca. Finally I understood why he and many others had an unnatural obsession with RS Watanabe's limited run of steering wheels. Truth be told, when I discovered Adam's blog the one thing I never really got was why he had a collection of steering wheels. I mean, you find one you really like and then you put it on. And drive with it. And enjoy the hell out of it. Why-ever would you have several? Would you swap them out regularly? It's not like a t-shirt is it?! (Damn, I now have two minty OEM wheels that for some reason I can't part with. A wooden Nardi that looks exceptional, is great for slow cruises with it's 360mm diameter but horrible on track when it gets slippery. A 350mm Momo Prototipo that has been a mainstay. And a 330mm Nardi leather wheel for the BRG).
So acknowledging my surprise, delight and adulation of his Falcon after perhaps too much fondling, Adam let me know that he had some connections. That there were other Watanabe's out in the wild. And some that might even be coerced out of their custodians grasps. Ouff. There was a catch. Crazy money would be required if I wanted an original box. Thankfully no need, I am not a collector, nor speculator, nor hoarder. A horn button and ring would also add top dollar. But someone may have noted that they had the capability to provide a workable alternative. Hnnnnnggg
So then one magical day I came home to a massive box from EMS (also fueled by MRLS inspiration.. more on that later) and a large, square, flat box...
https://i.imgur.com/u3V25S4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xMgEDfJ.jpg
This. This had actually happened.
Very shortly after this also happened
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Fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff! For those of you that know, you know. Adam's artistry, craftsmanship and attention to detail is second to none. He had produced a seductively nearly pearlescent horn button. And a horn ring modeled after the one that originally came with the wheel. Again, Fffffffffffffffffff!
I love my Prototipo. Especially with the custom Safety Drive horn button Adam crafted for it and the BRG's Nardi (seemed like the responsible father thing to do for a car his 17, going on 25, year old son was mostly piloting)
https://i.imgur.com/TnPW1YS.jpg
It was perfect to me for the interior. Loved the fact the red tied in to Rev's lighter cover of the vintage Mazda 'm'.
https://i.imgur.com/RIjgQca.jpg
But this? This is at an altogether different level. In all honesty it has to be held to be understood.
https://i.imgur.com/vdEQJjG.jpg
It's 340mm which is perfect. The shape of the wheel contours to your hand's natural grip position. There are even divots for your thumb at the 3 and 9 position!
https://i.imgur.com/GfvtVUx.jpg
Once installed I took Mrs. R for a drive up to Palos Verdes so she could enjoy the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island while I could soak up the feel of this wheel. The perfection of this wheel with its patina and all. The occasional glance at that gleaming horn button and ring. It had actually happened. I finally had the absolutely perfect physical connection with Benny. The diameter? Perfection. The extra millimeters that placed my fingers within perfect reach to the turn signal stalk. The contours. The thumbs rests. Everything. And that horn button. The shiny. The perfect. I had to share with Adam first but this was my next stop...
Phenomenal!
The right patina, and amout of it, makes the right parts even better. I'm of the opinion that a car should look as nice as possible yet still show signs of it's use and enjoyment. A little fading here, a light scratch there, and/or wear marks in just the right places can all add to the character of a car.
Your car has become such a visually pleasing car from when I last saw it! Love everything about it:slayer:
my only gripe with the falcon is how bendy it is
looks great man!! loving all the rare parts on this Miata!
So yesterday many thanks were given reflecting on the past year and beyond. Truth be told, a killer turkey induced coma kept me from posting earlier but I was thinking about a lot of you throughout the day.
I am very thankful for the expanded collection of Miati with all their enhancements and the sheer joy they bring to our family.
(I am thankful too that by getting Mrs. R and son #1 hooked, they can understand and share in my passion.. will never forget Jen supporting the fact I " needed" to get the sharks because it was possible I wouldn't ever find another set)
I'm thankful for all the years I had with my brother Dan and that this tribute to him has had such a positive and unexpected impact on my life while serving as a constant reminder of all the wonderful memories we had together. He is and always will be my co-pilot.
I'm thankful for the incredible community surrounding our cars. Our crazy little tribe. And especially that this year laid down more exceptional memories and experiences together, connecting faces to names to the cars I've know from MR.net. I really have made some incredible friendships from here and at KINOD and the many people I've met at MRLS, JCCS and beyond.
I'm also thankful that as part of Thanksgiving it was a given I would be enjoying some time in the garage. I'd read a ton of posts exuding the pros and cons of strut bars. Some of the best track pilots I've known see no point so I was convinced there was no need. Perhaps a way to reduce some NVH at best but possible merely a vanity item. But what pretty items they are (and I did say it was time to turn my attention to some of the things under the hood). It also just so happened a local nut was clearing out some of his parts so I couldn't resist helping his efforts so relieved him of a Carbing front and rear strut bar.
The rear, particularly driver side, were a lot harder to get in than I expected. It helped a ton to separate the risers from the cross bar but the lack of space and ease of which I found myself dropping the suspension nuts into that one little crevice they fit in so perfectly. You know the one? The one that's completely out of reach? Yeah, that one. Eventually I got it in and as usual am sure I could do it in half the time if I had to again. The front was a lot easier...
https://i.imgur.com/1xSRUnA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dX7tFK5.jpg
I also removed my roundels. I loved them but at 14" they were too small and to be honest, I didn't install them as well as I'd liked so they were removed...
https://i.imgur.com/FIIztFa.jpg
But they were replaced with 20" circles that I think are perfect. They were an unexpected gift from a dear friend who knew as well as I did that they were too diminutive. A spray bottle with a couple drops of soap worked wonders.
https://i.imgur.com/nfaSoYw.jpg
To cap off this wondrous holiday of thanks, Mrs. R this morning asked when we were going to go for a drive so I could see if the bars had any impact on how the car felt. So off we went up to Palos Verdes, down to San Pedro and then back up on the clear freeway. Still has the 65mph shimmy but placebo effect or not it did feel more planted. If I'm unsure I can just pop the hood and look at the pretty shiny-ness of it all and feel just fine. KINOD Black Friday edition was the best way to end a day of fresh air and staying far far away from the madness in the shops...
Usefulness of these bars on Miatae are doubtful. However, that front bar is pure sex, have been looking for one for myself like forever. I also hear they help with scuttle shake over bumps, although I doubt I will feel it with fender braces installed.
Bumpity Bump...
How is the poor BRG? Any thoughts of putting the RPF1's back on while the SSR's are fixed? And also... not to be rude but... how bad is the damage to the frame / panels etc...
Many Tanks!
Thanks for the nudge MX5Wisher, its about bloody time I updated the thread! To assist with that, this weekend youngest son got out to help me wash up the SB and continue to reinforce the family’s affinity for the Roadster.
https://i.imgur.com/oEFJqYi.jpg
Nice and clean back at home: https://i.imgur.com/urzr7yN.jpg
We had a killer sunset that my new potato managed to do a decent job of capturing though I’m still amazed at the capabilities other non-Apple phones have for focus, aperture, etc, etc.
https://i.imgur.com/XOnt2Dg.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pnm6lRe.jpg
For what’s next? Received some missing hardware from a friend and fellow nut in Washington for an upcoming project :winky:https://i.imgur.com/9vcPzac.jpg?1Also, was blown away when the good folks at RDB welcomed me to their tribe with a pair of decals https://i.imgur.com/1ynoNXi.jpg?1Now just need to find a good spot to mount em.
I’ve also been busy polishing a lot of things… https://i.imgur.com/scGWnwT.jpg
And crossed probably the last milestone with the current set-up https://i.imgur.com/uX2sWxM.jpg
(before anyone gets their hopes up, the KGW cluster and RS needle caps are already destined to go onto the BRG.)
Speaking of which, BRG (pronounced Berg) is back after six weeks from the accident (damned adjusters and insurance company delays). Very happy with the new fender and Rev9 flare, paint blending (also got the mirrors done at the same time) et al. The report back was that there was no damage to the frame, just the fender itself. The replacement pair of Mark 2’s have been ordered but have been quoted a lead time of 4 months (!!) so did swap back to the Enkei’s for now. Feel lucky to have the option, other than the 100% stock SB think it would be very hard to go back to driving on daisies for either BRG or the Smurf. Actually, especially for the Mariner given the flares.
https://i.imgur.com/JbOgWS0.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zcPwzrH.jpg
I let my eldest son pick up and install a set of smoked markers front and rear to minimize the amount of colors going on. Never bothered me but don’t mind him having a say on where that car goes. We closed out the weekend installing one of Joe’s Rspeed rear lips
https://i.imgur.com/i2FswVJ.jpg
Tough to tell with this lighting but a perfect complement for the front. I secured an OEM R-lip for Benny which had been painted and was pretty badly scraped. I’d thought they were urethane and didn’t realize they were actually painted so was surprised when the small side piece I was removing paint from ended up white! Will install another one of Rspeed’s when it arrives and figure out what to do with the OEM one later.
My silent little protest I suppose but I continue to post all my updates first on MR.Net given I believe the growth of other, more superficial social media is hammering the forums too much (only exacerbated by photobucket). Maybe its time for MR.net to join the Instagram party or Facebook groups while still ultimately directing people back to the site? Amazing for me to see the change from 2016 to 2017 in terms of the 10x engagement.
Best nine 2016:
https://i.imgur.com/0Cf76go.jpg
Best nine 2017:
https://i.imgur.com/AhoEyWA.jpg
Would love to find ways to bolster this site as its been both an amazing resource for me to learn all things Miati as well as somewhere that’s facilitated engagement with fellow nets which has lead to some incredible friendships.
we are on IG and FB but I feel it really takes members away from the forum vs sending new members here. It also feels rather fake and you can't get a feeling for the person with just a bunch of random photos, but I could be wrong, however I'm open to any / all ideas
100% agree with the limits of FB/ IG for building community but believe the draw of instant gratification/ superficial touch points only seems to be gaining momentum. Have some idea I’ll PM you about separately. This site and its awesome members has educated and fueled my passion. IG/ FB could never have accomplished that and only gives me another touch point with many of the same nuts :).
Awesome! Kinda like the gold RPF1's on the BRG though... :whistle: lol. Glad to see it back on the road! I kinda like the coloured side markers for the exact opposite of why your son dislikes them... anyway. Glad to see progression and more awesomness being added!
Great updates as always Peter! I am in both IG and FB, and although their format makes it easier to share photos, I am more of an old-fashioned forum guy. There's pretty much no way to have a structured, traceable discussion or build thread in any social media nowadays, which is frustrating.
Even though its 80 degrees today in Southern California with zero chance of snow, it’s actually starting to feel like the festive season is upon us once again. Yesterday’s mail call highlighted an unexpected surprise from a very kind ihatecars. Considering he’d already helped me anticipate and work through the challenges of installing the Barchetta front I couldn’t have been happier to receive another pair of awesome stickers for my collection. Need to figure out the best place to put these…
https://i.imgur.com/ImqMlgR.jpg?2
I’ve been picking up stickers pretty much from the beginning – wonder how many others out there have been amassing their own personal collections? The irony is I typically don’t like many stickers on a car but the ones that have significance should be there. I’m long overdue for adding some RevLimiter branding along with figuring out a solution to the KINOD stickers that only last on my roll bar for a month at best. Hopefully one of the easier projects to tackle over the break,
https://i.imgur.com/AYBZ9gF.jpg
Anyways, back to Christmas, the other thing we did on the weekend was start to get the house ready for the holidays…
https://i.imgur.com/ownrZTO.jpg
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In the hopes that EMS deliveries soon would be there..
https://i.imgur.com/JVS1XSJ.jpg
In looking at the living room and thinking back on the year I really wanted to give credit to my wife who’s truly the most incredible supporter of my habit.. erm hobby. When she saw the Silverstone map on my office wall (leaving gift from my old team in the UK) she thought it was amazing and asked if we could put it up at home. I’d just presumed she wouldn’t be remotely interested in having my car hobbies extending past the garage. She also loved the idea of using the Laguna Seca anniversary blanket I picked up at MRLS on our sofa for the cool winter evenings (my plan was to put it to good use in the man cave attached to the garage) and more often than not our countertops are covered in parts I’m refinishing or working on that I don’t want subjected to the dust in the garage.
I’m sincerely hoping all of you and yours are safe and happy and starting to wind down for a restful winter break filled with much joy.
Hoping you all have had or are still having a fantastic break with friends, family and of course your Miati.
Mrs. Claus may have had some help tracking down the last missing KGW parts from Alan in the UK which meant I’d be able to get to work on Christmas day to change up the interior.
https://i.imgur.com/bbARtPK.jpg
I remember when Randy installed his Nielex vents which I thought were a stunning complement to the Nielex tombstone I’d found on YJA. It was pretty worn but managed to get it all polished up after removing years of grime, a few stickers and a coin holder for toll routes. The brushed metal doesn’t at all match with the RS Products HVAC panel so had found a used AWD HVAC set (unfortunately missing the ring).
https://i.imgur.com/pes1GmO.jpg
Bayley had already sent me the hardware so we were ready to get to work…
https://i.imgur.com/9vcPzac.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/1rgFa0z.jpg
YJA also helped me track down a complete AWD cluster with gauges, needle caps, etc to which I added some RS Refine rings from a friend in the UK.
https://i.imgur.com/NA2AWby.jpg
Before
https://i.imgur.com/PuIOo6Q.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/po1PxMj.jpg
Much, much more shiny and certainly less inconspicuous than before.
Also took the time to finally put on some stickers:
https://i.imgur.com/FatEuGU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dOicOf4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eQSTCdN.jpg
Eldest son wanted a shorty antennae which found its way into his stocking with some vent rings from YJA along with a set of H4 headlights and bulbs from Rspeed to help improve BRG’s visibility at night. The hand-me-downs from Benny gave us both plenty to work on so the two of us hunkered down in the garage with some eggnog and got to work. The last bit was swapping out the black RS HVAC panel for the silver one and we called it a day. A pretty damned successful and wonderful day where the two of us and the roadsters were thoroughly spoiled. Of course the best bit was getting to spend the time together tinkering while we visted.
https://i.imgur.com/zNCttuj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VeTfl9I.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1Rj3DOp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0do38T2.jpg
I have that same antenna on my NA. I like it.
That is awesome to know that you and your son are spending time together with the Miatas. I'm excited to see how the BRG will turn out with your son, and to see how much more epic Benny is becoming.
Quite the transition this car is going through, great updates!
Even better that your son gets to participate. Not only for father-son bonding, but to develop his mechanical aptitude.
My son went on to college to be an engineer, got a job, got married, and now I have two grandchildren. Working on his car through high school and summers from college really helped him with his career.
He still has his high school car that we worked on together. It has been sitting in the garage since he went off to college.
This may be the year to re-new the father-son bond and get it back up and running.
Looks great!
I think i "might have a spare ArtWorks Dewa A/C button trim ring if I can locate it to help complete your look.
You can still order the Blue High Beam bulbs from KGW, that is what I did to replace the bland looking white bulb in the center of the ArtWorks Dewa panel.
I plan to swap out the RS A/C Panel on my tombstone as well, just as soon as I figure out where I put the old one. :fp:
Looking great though! Keep it up! Thank you for rocking the MR sticker on your window too! :wink:
Thanks my friend. Eldest son has his own points of view and dreams of a Pitcrew front ended, GV rear and proper flares housing a nice fat set of Watanbe's just like yours. Clearly he's pulling his influences from the right places!
My hopes for you both is that this is the year! My dad taught me a lot about woodworking but didn't know much about mechanical/ electrical things. I still have a load of knowledge with wood but am loving learning about the oily bits alongside my son. Hoping it continues with the younger two and for many years to come!
thanks Randy. The MRNet sticker is the first one I ever placed on the smurf given the sheer amount of influence this site has had on what I know and love about our roadsters. Not surprised you have many goodies you have lost track of. If you find a spare ring, please count of me being incredibly interested!! Ironically, the blue (purple) lens from the KGW when the brights were on was something I never warmed up to. I didn't like the frosted cover on the AWD but actually love how it looks lit up.
So maybe someone with an insanely large collection of parts may have just found the missing AWD trim ring so really looking forward to tying up that loose end. Back on the vents that Mrs R got from the UK, a bit of a debate kicked off as to their origin. Randy's Neilex ones look notably different but there were 2-3 camps for who else may have produced. Several people that have had them had conviction/ religion they were from KGW. Then a few dissenters claimed they were from IL Motorsports and shared this link https://i.imgur.com/e3qxfDT.jpg
That group noted that IL historically carried parts from other manufacturers and didn't always give credit and had dug up a scan from Road&ster and claimed they were in fact made by Hayashi...
https://i.imgur.com/j8uTuce.jpg
I'm sure that the knowledge exists here to settle this. Any takers?
In other news...
Mrs R and I enjoyed a fantastic drive to finally dine at my favourite Italian restaurant in Santa Monica (Capo) top down there and back. Spoiled to be year round convertible weather here.
https://i.imgur.com/Wt9wCgH.jpg
Hit 75k miles (25k since I've owned it during which time the "daily" has done less than 6k).
https://i.imgur.com/zFPGcAu.jpg
The kindest guy in our whole roadster community surprised me with a shipment of stickers for KINOD and to commemorate our road trip to MRLS (poignant given MRLS won't be under the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca moniker). We've been stickerless for ages and the group went bonkers for them. Adam truly is the best..
https://i.imgur.com/hS7YuhP.jpg
Fuel up on the return trip from KINOD
https://i.imgur.com/FxbSeXf.jpg
And had the chance for some sunrise shots of a few of my favorite details
https://i.imgur.com/AdFnwhc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eF0Mzw8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JoX1DI8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yzX7p04.jpg (well I had to take one for myself, right?)
That Roll bar needs a Blue MazdaRoadster Sticker hahahahaha
Your car looks amazing man!!!
As for the settling the debate on the vents, the First offered was by KGW, Nielex, and Jack Hayashi, no offense to opposing views but it was common knowledge back then that someone copied the Jack Hayashi version in Europe and then IL came out with those near identical vents a year later. :whistle:
The IL vents look great too, but if we are talking about who created them first I would argue it was Jack Hayashi of Bodyshop Hayashi Japan. Quite sure I can find some VERY old magazine publications to back up my argument.
I have all 3 vents, KGW, the Jack Hayashi and the Nielex vents here in my stash of parts, the Nielex are Aluminum, the KGW are Chromed Plastic, and the Hayashi are some type of metal that had been Chromed, all of them came out in the mid 1990's
Thank you Phat! :bow:
I was hoping that knowledgeable somebody would chime in! Now the killer question.. how do you tell the difference? Mine are chromed metal and heavy. Definitely not chromed plastic and not aluminum. Is there a way to tell the Hayashi's apart from the IL Sport rip-offs?
A good magnet.
I finally received my leatherwrapped joyfast from DarylSibcy. He shipped it mid November and we both presumed it missing. It arrived mid-January and the package was labeled by Royal Post noting that based on contents it required "ground freight only" so guessing it went by boat.
https://i.imgur.com/Va0luw0.jpg
I love the weight, shape and size of the joyfast but my polished one was often too hot/ cold depending on the weather. I like the leather but think the polished one suits the car better. The stitching also doesn't line-up perfectly which I'd need to sort out if I stick with it. Will have to see.
Also from the UK I received a very specifically sized package...
https://i.imgur.com/9FGLpOP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/O9oZGol.jpg
Part of my commitment to turn some much needed attention to what's under the bonnet along with a pretty powdercoated valve cover I got from Ryoku Rob.
The true highlight of the year so far was getting an image from Tomio at CarMakeCorns from the latest issue of RoadsterBros (#13) which had an expose on MRLS. He'd taken a pic of a specific page that featured Bo and my roadsters!
https://i.imgur.com/DjmQ0RJ.jpg
I'd pre-ordered my copy from amazon.co.jp and it was at home that night. Gotta say, totally blown away to see my car in print especially in a Japanese publication.
Phat, are you clairvoyant or something?! Just checked the mail and the swanky Nielex handbrake handle and button were in the mail along with a ??? you guessed it. A blue MR.net decal (well and a red and grey one.. and a HotWheels ND). Hmmm, looks almost rollbar sized. :winky:
https://i.imgur.com/8iskGU2.jpg
The sign behind came from Kadin who's set up CarMakeCorns USA and has helped with a few choice goodies like the tan Nakamae cupholder the BRG needed (no pics) and the knee pad/ phone holder I've been testing out. Works at full tilt and unnoticeable otherwise. The Nakamae mesh panel I used to have there fits perfectly between the two seats.
https://i.imgur.com/Mynd1ME.jpg
Oh and yesterday? Eldest son texted me to ask where my 27mm socket was. A schoolmate had picked up his second NA (first one was totaled) and needed help replacing his steering wheel with a Nardi and hub he'd got. Since we'd done a couple already sounds like it was easy peasy. And so it begins...
Benny is on the way to legendary status, if it hasn't reached there already,. Nice job Pete!
Wow Drew,... kinda speechless and deeply flattered. I don’t think Benny will ever be legendary. That term for me is reserved for the likes of Sharka, Rooster, the Blue Potato, Scrat among others. Cars that have been an inspiration for me along with Mike Gaite’s, Willis’, Garret’s, Woolery’s, Randy’s, the RDB guys and on and on. And yours was what gave me absolute conviction for flares and wide Sharks. I wouldn’t have learned about any of those builds without MR.net and KINOD’s help.
As a lifelong petrolhead that had never turned a wrench or considered a mod, the Miata community has given me ideas to explore and enjoy this perfect platform.
Looking forward to the next time we meet.
Friday night I took the Mrs' Sunburst to KINOD since it hasn't been out to stretch its legs for a while. Still only 43k miles which is just 5k since it became ours nearly three years ago!
https://i.imgur.com/hefCm8K.jpg
Since she still wants to keep it 100% stock I had Jeff Anderson overhaul the stereo deck to fix the cassette deck, add an aux and get a bit more power out of it. A couple months ago after going over a small bump the stereo stopped working only to repair itself after going over another bump. Then last weekend it just stopped. I took it out and tried to clean the connectors with an eraser but not luck. The only downside of the KINOD trip was the lack of music. Not sure what to try next - any su/ggestions?
https://i.imgur.com/kd71y9e.jpg
I suppose without any music it did give me more time and less distractions to appreciate how these cars were without any modifications. Lots more body roll, much more compliant suspension, no scraping on anything. Stock interior was so well thought out. Evreything just works, the seats are comfortable and green glow from all the lights really is pleasant. All in all a much more relaxed late night drive on the freeways.
Since KINOD isn't at Krispy Kreme anymore I decided to swing by and get a dozen donuts for whoever might join...
https://i.imgur.com/PPzsP5u.jpg
The turnouts seem to be getting larger pretty regularly and its always nice to welcome new people.
I also got half a dozen the family the next morning. Thankfully my trusty co-pilot knows better than to even consider tampering with people food.
https://i.imgur.com/RjdVcpB.jpg
For all of you suffering through winter we've just been suffering through two days of it here... 57 degrees and rain!
https://i.imgur.com/LhAvmMb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8Y9QERz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rZaIqmE.jpg
Well, we are truly spoiled on the weather front. It turned out to be a great excuse to put on some warm clothes, update the thread and then to curl up with some of the new Road&sters I haven't yet touched.
https://i.imgur.com/dNz6rnD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LhAvmMb.jpg
Those star sharks have good looking lips. I like how aggressive they look. And awesome collection of Roadster magazines and goodies!
The suspension on Berg is awful so have been thinking about what to do to fix that problem. Xidas so completely transformed the smurf.. but at a cost. I've been talking myself into the need to make a decision knowing that with Spring break coming up, eldest son will have more time to get involved with the swap. The good news was Xidas were out of stock. The bad news was that 949 told me they were receiving a delivery this week. The temptation.. soo strong. Then yesterday on a SoCal Miata FB group a guy posted a minty set of 550/ 350 for sale with the helper springs. Pretty much the exact set-up except for the NB style mounts vs the Billet Coaxials. They'd only seen 3,500 miles, no track time and offered a significant savings. Must have been a sign...
https://i.imgur.com/XSjl3xY.jpg
Last night I confirmed that I wanted them and Ray kindly met me at the Santa Monica DMV parking lot so I could nip out over lunch. Everything checked out as expected.. they actually didn't look like they'd even been installed. We talked Miati for a while, exchanged some cash and boxes and I was on my way. Probably the first and last time I'll ever have a positive association with being at the DMV. :lol:
https://i.imgur.com/ARyfhTD.jpg
On the way home, this all white NA was in front of me. Hadn't seen a white convertible top before. If it didn't discolor so much could be the ultimate Smurf mod, right? Then again, suppose at my age the Papa Smurf thing is probably more fitting but a red top just isn't going to happen (after the experiment with stripes I think I'll forever stay away from red on the outside - haha).
https://i.imgur.com/UZcQteF.jpg
So now need to empty out the garage, order some sway bars and end links and get this project started. Don't know if I'm more excited about the prospects of tackling this with my son or seeing how much it improves the driving experience for Berg.
https://i.imgur.com/7ZFczW7.jpg
Truly feeling blessed. Today? Today is a great day!
Dat front bumper.
dem Xidas.
I have the same Xidas. I had them on my NA and transferred them to my NB. They are amazing in all driving conditions. The best way I can describe them in daily driving conditions is "elegant". On the track, they shine. It's going to ruin your driving impressions of other Miatas without them. ;)
I took Friday off to help with youngest son's 11th birthday in our backyard before the weekend could take on its more normal course. Friday night KINOD is always so very good for my soul…
https://i.imgur.com/ZSqqs6l.jpg
… and that of my trusty co-pilot:
https://i.imgur.com/0vfT5WI.jpg
It was great that a fabled car I’ve heard the OG speak of showed up to make a surprise appearance.. always great to see other people’s work in person
https://i.imgur.com/fzZloPc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Xc1agND.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MoESEjY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oIXxJjj.jpg
Not unusually, time got away on me and again it was after 12:30 before I was headed home.
On Saturday morning, we finally got around to finishing the suspension on BRG. We did it over two weekends starting with the sway bars and endlinks. I thought it would be helpful to spread the workload out since whenever working on cars at home, there’s usually some chores around the house I get co-opted into. What I didn’t think through was the hassle of removing some of those parts to install the coilovers (the worst of which was the Racing Beat bracing h/w that’s such a hassle to get in.. which had to be taken out to accomodate the long bolt method).
So last weekend we swapped over the sway bars (Racing Beat 1.125” front and Supermiata rear 14mm) along with the 949 endlinks.
Jacked up and ready to go
https://i.imgur.com/O8DXenP.jpg
New and old endlinks (is there any reason to keep these??)…
https://i.imgur.com/JgLpVTY.jpg
Front sway bar – in!
https://i.imgur.com/iXy8uSZ.jpg
The best part was doing the work together and having eldest son do much of it himself.
https://i.imgur.com/dxNnMJS.jpg
Then onto the suspension itself. Those old shocks were toast.
https://i.imgur.com/7Qa0jhJ.jpg
Ah, more better.
https://i.imgur.com/tR8Iw0D.jpg
Final adjustments to get the pinch weld heights at 5” front, 5.25” rear.
https://i.imgur.com/JWYf9AR.jpg
The first real test drive was phenomenal. With the Xidas, BRG’s driving characteristics were finally much closer to Benny’s for both my eldest and my delight. Now I just need work to ease off a bit so I can get some track days planned for eldest and I since I have this dream of bringing him to MRLS this year with me. Oh, and an alignment.
Got to wrap up another awesome Miata-filled weekend with a good ol Sunday clean.
https://i.imgur.com/8JoplBd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/gHPKeOw.jpg
Mmm, dat fitment.
Geez, Pete, the roadsters just keep getting better! :slayer::bow:
Yesterday EMS delivered something wonderful to the office…
https://i.imgur.com/SW14DR0.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vznYpFU.jpg
The KG Works made its way to BRG when I received my AWD TypeA set-up for Benny upgraded with RS Refine rings. I always preferred the TypeB version given the contrasting black and silver so when one showed up on YJA along with the type 独立型” rings (!!) and a set of needle caps I put in a "reasonable" offer. I ended up winning it so the metal panel from the Premium G series will move over leaving just sizing up the gauges so I can order some RevLimiter glass! Oh happy days...
I've always thought BRG was the perfect color for GV's. And then, someone online posted up a black panel with the reverse and porter lights for sale. I deliberated briefly and then contacted him and bought it. Shipping was a hassle and ended up being more expensive than it should have been but it was on its way. Two days after it was shipped a local guy posted the same set-up for sale.. BUT it was already painted BRG. Feck. That would save money. So I met him Thursday after work and picked up a third set. Today eldest son and I got to business...
https://i.imgur.com/7g0anHT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AmjdUfe.jpg
Pealed off the old decrepit gaskets and replaced them with spanky brand new ones (thanks Priority Mazda for the quick shipping!).
https://i.imgur.com/NYlatfx.jpg
GV all the things...
https://i.imgur.com/fHttQCK.jpg
And done!
https://i.imgur.com/eQz0OHw.jpg
Not really twinning, one's wide, one's not. One is quite content being bone stock.
https://i.imgur.com/62Et9qv.jpg
BERG was really not supposed to change much but now? I think I need to spend more time driving that car!
https://i.imgur.com/V3SsxOV.jpg
Now just need to figure out what to do with the spare set. Even though I've never bought anything I wasn't going to install, maybe like Phat I'll just pack it away for another day...
Loverly!! :shocked::slayer::frantic:
Love the GV tails, they both look great!
What did you do for paint? Rattle can? Other?
I am asking because I have a set I will install in the next couple months.
You remember to apply some silicone between the panel and car above the taillights?
http://i.imgur.com/9fbKoSV.jpg
Thanks you!
As Greasemonkey picked up, this one did come pre-painted in perfectly matching BRG and had been done properly.
Even though it never rains here I did indeed remember this important step. Then after getting it all sealed up, I remembered that I'd forgotten to add a few washers to the lock mechanism to bring it forward. :roll:
After Saturday's install, late that night I enticed a couple KINODers to come round for waffles and sausages early Sunday am and for some pointers on how to hook-up the reverse light (electrical things have always intimidated the hell out of me). We got our start around 6am while the cars had just a little morning dew.
https://i.imgur.com/ZPkLxUr.jpg
Gutted I failed to capture a picture of the whole crew with two smurfs, two BRG's and the Sunburst. Every time there's more Miati around I think my neighbors get nervous we're adding more cars to the collection. haha
With a vamp clamp, hooking up the light was super easy but really appreciated the experienced onlookers to ensure I didn't mess it up. They also finally helped me figure out how to remove the crappy alarm that was in Benny when I got him. Appreciated getting the extra junk out of the engine bay even if I only figured out the Racing Beat intake that's been sitting on my shelf for a few years wouldn't fit with the Carbing three point bar. :oops:
Also got to try JonB's gstring on. Always thought it was the perfect balance for semi-open air motoring but given I almost never drive with the top up not sure how much I'd actually use one. It does look pretty!
https://i.imgur.com/flWmlF8.jpg
All told wrapped yet another another great car filled weekend. Monday mornings never feel as bad when they start with a full tank of gas and the top down...
https://i.imgur.com/y0tu3AI.jpg
Another great Roadster weekend. I managed to persuade Jeo to make it down to KINOD since it had been too long since BlueJay and Benny got together. (Truth be told, I bribed him with KINOD stickers that Adam so very kindly made up for the meets.) Thankfully Jeo acquiesced and made the 45+ mile trip down to meet-up…
https://i.imgur.com/vDVsRu4.jpg
So much fancy going on under the hood of that car and the sound of those ITB’s.
https://i.imgur.com/N33vxrA.jpg
Co-pilot approved
https://i.imgur.com/gIvWcMz.jpg
Sometime past midnight and after saying good-byes and seeing Jeo off, I came back to my car only to be completely stumped. I couldn’t get Frodo into the car as there was something on the co-pilot seat. Shiny.. light… familiar. Fwdtamiya, Sonny and some others that were hanging around had a knowing smirk which only confused me more. Turns out Jeo left a little surprise. He ended up with a few sets of Chad’s drilled wiper arms as he’d built for Warbird and Jeo was kind enough to gift me a set! I cannot tell you how deeply I was/ am touched.
Chad’s original post: https://goo.gl/4Wr3U9
And back at home
https://i.imgur.com/CHK6VVG.jpg
Got them installed first thing Saturday…
https://i.imgur.com/4QS5ED2.jpg
I also fixed an issue with the driver’s side Nakamae door handle popping because the top thread had been stripped. Discovered while I was at it that the screw on the door handle cup had also been stripped (not by me) so I couldn’t remove the door panel. There’s no space to get in there so not even sure how I’m going to fix that issue but will see to it another day.
Eldest son added a Roadster badge he’d got for the back of Berg…
https://i.imgur.com/JSZ5ROe.jpg
… and youngest son helped me put Benny’s old Garagestar aluminum radiator cowl into Berg since it didn’t fit with the Barchetta front installed.
https://i.imgur.com/SxB7k70.jpg
loving this thread so much !!! keep it up!!
I'm so happy Jeo was kind enough to gift the other sets of Warbird drilled wiper arms to two other great guys, Adam and yourself, with beautiful roadsters. Really hope you enjoy them, Pete! :bow:
I am pretty proud of them(despite the imperfections) and need to get back on the ball and make more, get the process down and make other enthusiasts smile over a small and insignificant detail. :slayer:
Lately its not uncommon I'm the last one leaving the office but knowing I'll be able to clear my head in a late night, top down drive with light traffic is certainly a just reward!
https://i.imgur.com/mBelqYL.jpg
Another great KINOD on Friday. Attendance has been growing steadily and it now seems like the meets are consistently having 20+ cars (and I’m consistently not leaving until after 1am which means in bed by 2). Got to meet a new SoCal MRnet member that Randy sent our way (:bow:). Ahead of finding the LE he wants as a basis for his build he’s been amassing an exciting collection of rare parts (including some of Randy’s latest sales). Given that It was fun to see his reaction to Fwdtamiya’s “into the blue” gauges since he’d never seen them lit up.
I listed a stack of duplicates I had of Road&ster which immediately found a home so felt like that might help offset a couple additions. It doesn’t help that CarMakeCorns’ US head frequents the meet and is starting to bring in more and more goods from Japan (and shows up weekly in his minty red RHD NA). I’d been toying with the possibly of finding a Runabout fuel lid for Berg for some variety but I’ve always been a fan of the Zoom lid and CMC happened to have a new one in stock. I also picked up a MS radiator cap for my imminent radiator upgrade and since I haven’t decided how I want to install my KG starter panel also picked up a Zoom starter button.
https://i.imgur.com/ZXblFRm.jpg
Thankfully an easy install as sadly this is of absolutely no use to me…
https://i.imgur.com/N55eoyV.jpg
The one I installed on Benny oxidized really badly and required weekly polishing. I had that one brushed and then clear coated and was super happy with the results. Wanted this one to remain shiny so applied a couple coats of clear before installing.
https://i.imgur.com/v6fDPMO.jpg
Eldest son and I got it done in about 10 minutes and even though Berg really needed a wash was super happy with the upgrade.
https://i.imgur.com/XQgNnSE.jpg
There’s no pics of the Zoom starter button install since crawling underneath the dash and messing around with wires doesn’t provide for great photo opps. While I was in there I popped out the cluster brightness knob so I could finally remove the green condom and have fully matching lighting for the interior. Only reason I didn’t get to it before was I was only reminded at night when the lights were on but then it was always too dark and usually too late to bother getting up under the dash. The zoom button looks great and is kinda fun though no one in the household can understand why I intentionally added a step to getting the car started.
Still feel so very blessed to have this group of cars…
https://i.imgur.com/TetBSaj.jpg
A gorgeous lot of NA's it is!
I've been thinking a black/black ZOOM starter button would work for me... I might need to get on that.
-Matt
Some very nice additions Pete.
I am not sure how you manage it, keeping 3 Miatas looking perfect must be a tough job. Keep it up!
On another thread someone asked what keeps our interest up. Wanted to share here to keep it as part of my thread and as a record of where my head and heart is at...
Bought the first one only 3+ years ago but have an answer of what keeps my Roadster love-affair so strong.
After many years of moving around the world with work we relocated to the US and my wife encouraged me to finally buy my dream car, a 997 Carrera S. My boys at the time were 11, 6 and 4 which meant it was also completely usable for father son road trips. We regularly took advantage of SoCal’s amazing car culture.. the Peterson Automobile museum, Cars and Coffee and drives in general to soak up the beautiful coastline. What I didn’t find with the 911 was a Porsche community I was falling in love with. The guys I most related to were the outlaw guys. Modding their 356’s or classic 911’s to make them look like R editions. R Gruppe (“our group”) were the best. They didn’t fit in but clearly showed the most passion, always tinkering and trying new things. My car was too new and classic Porsche’s had skyrocketed so trying to join that tribe was ruled out (not to mention membership was limited and not just anybody would be considered for admission). I also spent a little time with Magnus Walker and loved his similar approach to his builds along with his unmistakable passion for the cars, brand et al. I ended up having a blast tracking my 911 with petrolhead work colleagues with a wide range of car vs PCNA or any other Porsche club.
A bunch of years later we were looking for a convertible because, well SoCal. We wanted a classic. With three boys it wasn’t practical to have as anything other than as an “occasional” car but 60’s Mustangs among others didn’t strike a chord. Then fate happed and I lost my brother so we decided to get our first NA as a tribute to him (he was a huge fan, my car mentor and a Montego was the last car he owned). The plan was for my wife and I to share it with the expectation it would not get much use.
From my extensive research to track down the first one I stumbled across this amazing forum (and some other decent ones) which fueled my insights, knowledge and passion. I started getting ideas of what I could do and was inspired by so many different directions people had taken their cars. Mrs R and I were both attached to the Miata by this point and argued over who’s turn it was to use the car and she loved that it was 100% stock. That lead to finding her a minty Sunburst so I could be unleashed.
Enough back story, what has made me fall hard for this little roadster:
1. This amazing community. I love the Miata tribe and have met incredible people in Japan, UK, Canada and across the US from Florida to California and up the Pacific coast. There is a Miata meet every Friday (KINOD) from 9:30 til late. Its a ~80 mile round trip and I rarely miss it. Last year a friend convinced me to fly out to Florida for Randy’s Miatapalooza and some friendships there lead to two nuts from FL and NM join us on the annual Laguna Seca pilgrimage, hands down my favorite weekend of the year. Events like the Japanese Classic Car Show has given other diversions to the passion of cars up to the late 80’s.
2. My eldest is now 17 but he learned to drive stick on our Miatas. My wife and I were too attached to our cars to let him continue driving them so he and I flew to Phoenix, bought a 3rd car (mine not his) and had the most amazing roadtrip home. I’m fine letting him drive it now.
3. I got into working on cars for the first time in my life (thanks again amazing community) and its something I do regularly with my eldest. We learn on one car then get better on the other. We just put new suspension on the 3rd car.
4. My youngest boys are always wanting to help and love going for drives. Heart warming for me as statistically, kids are increasingly disinterested in cars, delaying getting their licenses, preferring public transit and inspired by autonomous cars so they can be more glued to their screens. My kids are growing up being curious, excited and interested in cars.
5. It’s simple. And it’s fun even with hardly any power. I treat is well and it treats me well back. I’ve never owned a more reliable car or one so inexpensive to maintain
And the 911 “dream car”? I drove the “daily“ about 2k miles last year while my Miata racked up over 10k.
Simple pleasures - the zoom starter button. After using it for a week, certain now that I'm going to install the KG starter panel...
https://i.imgur.com/U4Ouh2f.jpg
... and finally remembering to take the green condom off the brightness switch...
https://i.imgur.com/d8vHeyZ.jpg?1
Work has literally been kicking my ass. Too hard. Missed KINOD last Friday because I was in the office. Was on conference calls all Saturday so missed Mattel's HotWheels open house/ car show. Missing out on family and great car things never makes me love work more. Sunday I did get a couple short drives in. Thankfully youngest son is developing a healthy obsession with the pop-ups...
https://i.imgur.com/ksU5FnK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/O7iOWGX.jpg
Then yesterday Berg's clutch all but died. Started slipping in nearly ever gear and with 85k miles on the clock and a 17 year old that drives it the most I wasn't hugely surprised. I have no time to try doing it myself so back into Integrated to swap in an OEM clutch (+ master/ slave cylinders and the rear seal). There's another cosmetic restoration that will be happening at the same time and expect I'll be picking it up after work. Think I might bring it to OC KINOD tonight...
https://i.imgur.com/I9tNVoF.jpg
But the issue with that is the one I'm growing more and more attached to every day. Each and every morning nearly starts the same. I go into the garage, walk past my "dream car" and go straight out to Benny...
https://i.imgur.com/eG8rmz2.jpg
Same thing happens Friday night. Maybe I'll bring the Sunburst or Berg to KINOD and then convince myself, "nah, maybe next time"...
https://i.imgur.com/ahKMJhR.jpg
What a great read. Thank you. I always enjoy seeing this get updated. Hopefully my BRG is that nice one day...
I’d love to get your “dream car” out of your way, but my wife told me I can’t have a Porsche until my kids move out :(
I see 3 dream cars, yellow, blue, and green.
Integrated Performance always has a ton of NA's they're working on. Between his Brainstorm heritage and Doctor Miata email address was pretty sure I found a good place to take care of the work I needed help with when I either didn't have the skills or time to tackle.
There was only one parked outside when I dropped Berg off first thing in the morning but the garage was full of them.
https://i.imgur.com/CSs1KjI.jpg
After work showed up to pick up Berg with his brand new OEM clutch.
https://i.imgur.com/Xn5HCFu.jpg
Man, I forgot how smooth they feel. Like buttery smooth. Even better than in the Sunburst which already is fantastic.
The two Mk2's that were smashed and needed to be re-furbed were finally ready to go back on.
https://i.imgur.com/dxwHt4S.jpg
Took Berg to OC KINOD and loved the hell out of that new clutch on the Freeway. And today? Today my custom RevLimiter project begins!
TBH I preferred how the RPF1 looked on Berg, but that's just me. Custom revlimiter project...hmm! Care to share more? Pleaseee?
Well, the obvious solution would be to make KINOD a familiy event every now and then - your wife and eldest son could take the other ones and meet up with you for the KINOD - that way you could combine family and hobby, all having a good time, just keep in mind to get Miatae for your other family members in time, because they will most likely also get infectd (if they not already are).
Looking forward to your custom RevLimiter project - knowing Adam‘s 200% approach from my gauge face set I know this will be great! So sad I live thousands of miles away and won‘t be able to see your cars in person ever ... so keep the pics coming!
Klaus
Thanks Klaus, honored your first post was in my thread! If KINOD didn't end after 1am I would bring the whole family. Working on a plan for us all to show up in force for the Anniversary meet in June since schools out and it does start earlier. I certainly hope and plan to be able to introduce my youngest sons to the joys of driving Miati when they're of age. Time to start planning for more clutches..
I am so excited about the custom RevLimiter gauges and the design we landed on. I think its going to work really well with the new (to me) AWD cluster I'd been searching for and finally found.
Been driving Berg more often since the new clutch. My only gripe is the stock seats since I've gotten so used to the lower and more snug Nakamae R's. Have been bringing Berg to work ("what, you have another one?!"), KINOD ("what, you have another one?" and the beach ("cool Miata dude" or "oooh, isn't that cute").
https://i.imgur.com/odzyDGp.jpg
Ordered a replacement Safety Drive horn button since I broke the first one and wanted to put the Momo back on (the 330mm Nardi is just too small and blocks too much of Rev's stunning gauges)
https://i.imgur.com/o55ZPPv.jpg
With all the driving also now closer to 90k than 80k. To me, mileage is only a measure of enjoyment.
https://i.imgur.com/pcUfGzK.jpg
It's not like Benny is getting ignored as I've really been trading off the two. Such a difference in driving character mostly down to seats, clutch and tires.
https://i.imgur.com/YGekuMy.jpg
Work's still grinding (thus the late night post) but coming home tonight to a package from 949 helped with the unwind...
https://i.imgur.com/CUYnG8R.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/66uxql5.jpg
Very excited about things. Things that may make me unintentionally neglect Berg again for a while...
Oooh, I smell FI??
I really need to do that reroute.
Keep up the awesome work.
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Eldest son took dog and I for a drive up to Palos Verdes, such joy sharing the great roads, stunning views and love of Miati. I've never been a great passenger but for some reason not the case when I'm with him.
https://i.imgur.com/GUGgb5i.jpg
Thursday was a great day. Started off like most school days.. middle son and I off on the school run with Benny.
https://i.imgur.com/VzsdSUp.jpg
There was a work event announcing a new game so was wrapped up by 2pm. Given the hours we've been working, made the team take the rest of the day and Friday off to recuperate. Decided to swing by to see Makito and talk about when we could get Berg in for some paint and fitment work. There was a great collection of FC's, FD's and some S2K's. There was only one parking spot for me, beside this...
https://i.imgur.com/N9zA8Fd.jpg
I'd never seen a Simpson Design car in person. Really impressed...
https://i.imgur.com/FMrltLE.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8YATZcx.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NM0WDim.jpg
Got home and there was a little package from Randy-san with the Sazaire keyhole cover and an aluminum odometer reset button...
https://i.imgur.com/ylgk8DE.jpg
Small details but super happy with them.
https://i.imgur.com/YIxrtsW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JLKv5wl.jpg
I'd taken off the AWD aluminum overlays from the speedo and tach to scan them for my custom RevLimiter gauge project and have been loving driving around seeing all the 1013 gauge faces. Now really torn about putting them back on just out of principle. I think its going to be hard to cover up the beautiful design Adam's been coming up with. For any of you that have shared the thrill of getting his gauges, the process of making your own personalized gauges is at a completely different level.
Thursday night ended with a wash and much contentment...
https://i.imgur.com/TGsnbah.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qPUVY8F.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mRMiYFI.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tvcYohY.jpg
Benny is beautiful as ever, Pete! :bow: The wheels are 7" wide and the r888s are 225 correct? They look so meaty, jelly for sure.
Oh wow, didn't realize the rear wheels were that wide...were they widened? I didn't think they made them wide from ssr. Really makes me want to stick to my plan of getting 14"×8.5" or 9" Watanabe's....
No driving pics yet this week but just got confirmation on a couple orders that are on their way and decided not to wait until they arrived to share...
Karo mats from Japan. Super excited about these though I'm sure many will think I went with the most boring of options they had. I believe the black check originally was a special edition only provided to Recaro for the NSX. Bill over at MiataRoadster was the one to have them measured up and made specifically for LHD models.
https://i.imgur.com/vcPoZRB.jpg
And being a good samaritan I'm "helping" out a friend who's parting out his third NA that's been written off in the last year and a bit. He's moving onto a new project which I can understand given the luck he (hasn't) had. Looking forward to some MS and RetroModern goodies...
https://i.imgur.com/mvtFm8E.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TFbOmoT.jpg
Aaron?
Friday was kinda crap. KINOD started out as usual and it looked like there was going to be a good turn out when five police cruisers showed up. Apparently there's been a lot of car related shenanigans (closing down intersections for donuts and freeways for races) and some fatalities in City of Industry so they've been instructed to shut down all car meets. They were decent about it and all but frustrating that some morons have to ruin it for the rest of us.
Saturday went out for a drive with eldest son who brought along his DSLR. First time I'd ever tried using one.. it shows :)
https://i.imgur.com/1jM2eu7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/p2UaJZf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oR4No9U.jpg
Design for my first set of custom RevLimiter gauges are just about finished so those with the new cluster will probably going in before too long. Already prepped the other cluster but was a lot harder to get Adam's lenses installed but only because of the cleaning and trying to ensure every bit of silicone was off them. Have really been enjoying looking at the full AWD gauges for a bit...
https://i.imgur.com/mjmYd6H.jpg
Also really noticed how happy I am with the M2 mirrors especially after driving Berg. They have the right balance of size without totally compromising visibility. The Zoom's are also good with the wide/blue lenses but they droop all the time no matter how hard I've tried to tighten them up. Gotta figure that out.. anyone have any tips?
https://i.imgur.com/CX0pX2u.jpg
I was super excited a couple years ago to win a set of black JDM mats from YJA. Unfortunately they didn’t match color-wise and didn’t wear terribly well either.. driver’s side got a snag and ran badly and then it developed a hump right in front of the pedals. I flatted them under some weights for 48 hours but the problem returned shortly after. Then I tried putting Velcro on the backside and on the floor but that didn’t work either. I’d seen a lot more JDM mats showing up but guessed the issue was that RHD fitment wasn’t a perfect match for LHD so didn’t want to again take the risk. Sad mats…
https://i.imgur.com/sFhQm1t.jpg
After a bunch of research (mainly on NSX forums since they seemed to have been adopted as a great upgrade) I finally bit the bullet and ordered a set of Karo mats from Bill at http://www.miataroadster.com.
Got home late last night and the package was propped up by the door. Packages from EMS really are the best.
https://i.imgur.com/cCnRsji.jpg?2
I loved the subtle black/ black check I opted for…
https://i.imgur.com/mo09vwG.jpg
This morning I went out early for a test fit. 10/10. Bill had to size them for Karo and they’re cut to accommodate NA + NB so my longer M2-inspired dead pedal works perfectly.
https://i.imgur.com/Ls0U56E.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XajorbR.jpg
OK, a whole post dedicated just to mats and too much gushing but I love them. Will see how they wear, how well they keep clean, etc but for now.. spanking brand new mats really feels like its transformed the interior.
Those are hot. Confirmed on my "need to buy" list.
Yea imma need these. Tough to spend that much $ on mats but they look great.
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This weekend I convinced youngest son to help me clean the cars. In fact, we cleaned all the cars. I did the Volvo on my own (mostly given how tall it was) but without complaint Jack was more than happy to help tackle the 911 and the three Miati. I kinda love everything about sharing anything car related with any of my family. Washing cars has always been somewhat therapeutic for me and today was no different. Loved having such a great helper to get everything cleaned up spic and span!
https://i.imgur.com/rrqQthg.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GA2zbby.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IVwcF63.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xKbMTkN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PEFSYdo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VaYV6ej.jpg
Now today was just the end of the weekend. Yesterday was Mrs. R’s birthday (lots of fun with a load of friends and the BBQ) but Friday, as with the first Friday of every month, KINOD takes place in Orange County. Thankfully that meant the issues we’ve faced with the City Of Industry’s Police force shutting down our meet didn’t apply. There’s still the outstanding question of what we do going forward and more importantly what is to be of the anniversary meet on June 22nd. That date was also my brother Dan’s birthday. He would have been 54 this year. And none of this crazy Miata journey would have happened without his inspiration.
This was Dan with his 1978 Fiat Spider back in 1985 a week or so after he’d picked it up and his first trip home from Vancouver. He showed up almost before the sun rose and convinced my mom in her housecoat to go out for a drive. This was the same car he let me learn driving stick and parallel parking with no power steering. It was also the first car we’d ever experienced true top down driving.
https://i.imgur.com/t5MitXW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/viR9G2T.png
I first reached out to Adam at RevLimiter not long after I picked up Benny. I’d loved reading about his journey with Sharka and was blown away by his gauges. I first got a set of Rosso-180 gauges from him along with Sharka’s JIS screwdriver set soon after and then a number of horn buttons, some badges, door sill inserts, hazard switches, and more. Most recently Adam made me a set of RevLimiter lenses for my AWD cluster with the thick rings. I regularly refer to him as the Patron Saint of our Miata tribe which I think is absolutely fitting. He was the first one I heard coin the phrase, “forever car” and I knew exactly what he meant. It was great to meet Adam for the first time at Miatapalooza 2017 though my delayed flight meant I didn’t arrive in time to help out at all in his booth as I’d offered. I also met Rick, Randy, AO, Joe and many others including Corifto. Adam had a family holiday to California later than year and added a visit to see Mazda R&D (including the secret basement), 949 and KINOD. Corey also managed to help convince Adam to make the trek back out to California for MRLS in September and they joined the KINOD crew in our pilgrimage and what has become my most memorable Miata inspired weekend ever.
Going back to 2015, Adam and I first started talking about a custom gauge project for Benny. Initially we discussed some Space Lego inspired designs but typically I wanted to take the time to really think about what would be perfect for Benny and a fitting tribute to Dan’s inspiration.
It took almost three years but last November it was about to begin…
But before that, dog and I ended up the day filling up on gas. Filling up ahead of finally putting pen to paper on my custom gauge project, many years in the making….
https://i.imgur.com/A5zqqPJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/loSiwPp.jpg
It started with two core elements. An Omega Speedmaster I received as a gift linked to an incredible project I worked on over twenty years ago at the very beginning of my career. It’s the only watch I’ve worn since…
https://i.imgur.com/OSIRChq.jpg
That and critically for me, finding a way to incorporate Dan’s initials so we could really make this a tribute. He had an incredible attention to detail so there was a lot between the two elements we had to work from.
https://i.imgur.com/h74Aelc.jpg
Adam and I did a ton of back and forth to talk about the details and I consistently was blown away by his different ideas. His design time was over six hours and I can’t be more thankful that he put up with all my feedback and suggestions along the way.
The center of the Omega has a guilloche pattern that I never imagined Adam could even possibly recreate. But of course he did. He actually did before I even had the chance to ask him if such a thing was possible. The font for all the dials is perfect. Speedo and Tach both mirrored the numbers on the watch face down to the slight yellow tint that the luminescence gave. The gas, oil and temp gauges pull the same font from other parts of my Chronometer. The Oil gauge at the top mirrors the top gauge on my Chrono down to the red numbers and specifically how the markers are denoted. Fuel and temp also use fonts from the letters and numbers of the smaller gauges on my watch. I asked Adam to design the gauges to accommodate my AWD metal overlays but given the finished product I don’t expect I will ever cover up the Speedo and Tach given how they turned out.
I could not be more touched by these. For me, they are perfect and to Dan I am certain he would have been very proud. Proud and excited that someone like Adam was out there to be able to tackle a project like this with such incredible results.
Truth be told, they’ve been sent but I haven’t received them yet. Installation will happen soon after but I just couldn’t wait to post this up
https://i.imgur.com/Totgf2v.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/4a5rR1a.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xPhHqGT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/s1UqHSv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jZPX1sh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Zlwy2v7.jpg
Adam has also kindly added them to his custom gauge page here. He remains one of the best contributors to our community, a dear friend and an incredibly talented human being. Thank you again and a million times more Adam.
http://revlimiter.net/store/gauges-custom.php
Amazing!
Cannot say enough good things about Adam.
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W O W. Just wow! Excellent idea, excellent execution, stunning result! I cannot help but thinking that some red needles would also look the part with these.
Can't wait to see them installed!
I never use the word "dope" but this gauge design is seriously dope. That texturized pattern in the inner circle is amazing!
That’s AMAZING.
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Both Adam's products and your posts are of brilliant quality.
That weave pattern looks amazing!!
Make sure to post these gauges in the Revlimiter Review for everyone to enjoy!
http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread.php?15028
I don’t know if any of us can!
That sir would be part of the master plan!
Me too!!
Me neither but dope? Hell yes!
Ευχαριστώ!
takk, du er for snill!
:bow:
You know that’s my next stop!
Thanks all – I truly appreciate having such an amazing community to share this journey with. xoxo
Now that I see it again; maybe keep the three small needles white, and the two main ones in red.
I also remembered what these reminded me of; a pic I have stored for a while now in my inspiration folder, only yours are better
https://i.imgur.com/Dnkubqj.png
Amazing gauges.
Peter, those gauges are perfect. An amazing tribute for your brother, like every other part of Benny. Can't wait to see Benny again.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
Just read through 18 pages, and I loved it, great looking roadsters! The wheels on benny are sooo good!
Oh man! Adam went above and beyond on those! Holy moly! They look great in your interior too! Beautifully done sir!
Will be good to see you and Jazz again at, erm Weather Tech Laguna Seca in just a few months
Us too. Totally understandable why you can’t make WTLS this year. (I’ll tell the organizers that it was because Mazda dropped the sponsorship)
Wow, thanks. I’m amazed you stuck through it all, lots of words ;)
I was merely the design direction, Adam clearly raised his already ridiculously high bar yet again!
Just when you think Adam can't out do himself....he does it once again! Spectacular outcome!:bow: The texture is just incredible! :slayer:
P.S.- Forgot to mention that I LOVE that the tach and speedo needles had the tails removed hope you do the same! :mrgreen:
I think those are Adam’s M2 1028 needles. However, the set I put in Berg had the tails shaved and RS Products black metal caps. I think I’m going to reclaim those. Haha. They needles aren’t red though.. yet. Probably going to play around with a few options between the three gauge clusters, the AWD overlays and various needle options.
I call it karma - mailman was very very good to me this week. This showed up which put a huge smile on my face. I was super happy when Moss decided to stock Adam's gauges and putting Sharka on the latest catalog was just awesome to see...
https://i.imgur.com/UJEg6zZ.jpg
and this also arrived...
https://i.imgur.com/7FzYgZj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/SZUknbb.jpg?1
I've stared at the gauges so much already but definitely can't better Adam's photography so not taking any pictures until I get them installed. Surprisingly I'm not totally ready. I've spent close to an hour trying to make sure the RevLimiter lenses are spotless but still struggling to remove every bit of silicone. I've also been researching painting the needles red but not wholly convinced I'll be completely thrilled with the results of either painting (after painstakingly removing the white on the backside) or using red light film. Wondered if NB needles could be an option and spent a while trying to find out if they were compatible or not. Randy kindly sent some pics of a side by side comparison and later confirmed with Adam that they should work.
https://i.imgur.com/rns1PdI.jpg
Interesting that both of these were NA so it seems the longer stems aren't an NB only thing...
https://i.imgur.com/2LNbSf6.jpg
KINOD happened at a new, undisclosed location so couldn’t take any pics besides the fill-up after getting home many hours later…
https://i.imgur.com/QTkjj09.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QfYJ67P.jpg
On Sunday, Eldest son and I enjoyed a bit of time together before I had to head off to our industry’s annual global event in LA (E3) which meant I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the Roadster for far too many days. He also brought his DLSR with a fish eye lens for a change of scenery…
https://i.imgur.com/IBamBUn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Qw7Kq39.jpg
Showing my MRNet loyalty
https://i.imgur.com/qz1GmJv.jpg
And the other tribe
https://i.imgur.com/tvxH29l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9IOtNco.jpg
My youngest son who crafted me a plush Miata a while back decided it needed an update to reflect my work in progress complete with the Barchetta bumper, roundels and a new windscreen.
https://i.imgur.com/qO9Wurg.jpg
I don't have the heart to tell him just yet that Benny has flares and wider wheel fitment but loving his attention to some of the details...
Love this build and love how you have your boys involved. Really really Hoping I can do the same with my son.
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KINOD anniversary is coming up and even though I've had the ambition to learn about detailing and get the equipment just haven't had the time. Some day. Anyways, with the car parked for a week while I was away felt it was a great time to have a paint correction service done and to try out a ceramic coating treatment.
This is the kind of thing that still photo’s don’t really capture but was so great to get home last night to see the swirls all gone and
how shiny it looks now...
https://i.imgur.com/LPibKTp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LoElSpH.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8gDleNf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GHXfJLr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/twZzXhI.jpg
Wow, that looks amazing in the photos! I imagine it looks even better in person.
[emoji173][emoji173]
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Work hasn’t left much (any) time for myself so coming back from five days in sweltering downtown LA for E3 I finally had a chance to install my custom RevLimiter gauges. I can't rave enough about the process, Adam's exquisite craftsmanship, or the stunning results. I've been touched to the point of my eyes leaking just a bit.
For prep I’d started a couple weeks before setting Adam’s custom cut lenses for the AWD thick rings. For those that know the process it’s a true test of patience. Letting the silicone fully cure before trying to clean it up helps but forces delays between application and tidying up. My aging eyes don’t really help in the process but mostly pleased with the results.
Setting up the work area with the freshly removed silver TypeA cluster with the RS Refine rings I’d added after getting them from the UK. Shortly after I got that one complete I found a type B cluster on YJA with the thick rings which was always my dream set-up so EMS had it delivered before long.
https://i.imgur.com/uH5bmGb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qFFbJTE.jpg
I took off the metal AWD overlays from my G-series 1013 cluster to scan them since I’d asked Adam to design the gauges to accommodate.
Attachment 18675Attachment 18676Attachment 18677
(courtesy of etherwiggles)
By the time we locked the final design, that inner pattern of the tach and speedo was so exceptional I knew I would never be able to cover those up but felt I’d still use the overlays on the fuel, oil and temp gauges.
https://i.imgur.com/Vuwk4QM.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/F2hTV8u.jpg
I did a ton of playing around with different options but once I accepted what looked best and acknowledged that the AWD overlays were only even a consideration because of their pedigree it was a super easy decision. I didn’t have time to snip needles and paint them but wanted to live with this approach for a while first to see how I felt about it. Berg has black anodized RS Products needle caps and cut tails so I may go that route. I think the silver caps are almost distracting over the stunning guilloche pattern but will see.
New gauges in
https://i.imgur.com/mPH4v16.jpg
Still had to try both clusters to be sure, to me there really wasn’t any question, I always appreciated the mix of black and silver.
https://i.imgur.com/1xYXfYO.jpg?1
and “Hello! Blue Sky”
https://i.imgur.com/Y006dEc.jpg?1
And in…
https://i.imgur.com/DJWyGpb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/USkK22Q.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nMiSiWj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZGV0DTj.jpg
This place really does make me so very happy. I really think Dan would have loved it in here…
https://i.imgur.com/OKrpY8h.jpg
Oh my, this looks even better than I would have imagined. Lost for words.
Simply beautiful. Great work.
Absolutely gorgeous!! :bow: Personally I like the all silver gauge panel and would like to see what it would look like with the silver small gauge covers and silver needle caps. :winky:
Looks incredible.
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Just wow! This is actually the first time I like the silver/black panel - had not thought that would ever happen. Really love where this project is going!
The in-laws came to visit and kindly offered to mind the house (can't use the word babysitting with a 17 year old in residence) offering Mrs. R and I a chance to get away on our own. After going on and on about how incredible the roadtrip to MRLS was for a couple years I may have finally gotten the hint it was something we should do together so off we went to our first stop at Pismo beach.
https://i.imgur.com/zCBuLV1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/e69VXl6.jpg
The next morning we made our way to Morro Bay and then on to Carmel. I didn’t manage to convince her to take a Miata as 800 miles of top-down driving was likely going to be too noisy with no break from the sun but staying off the motorways to enjoy the windy back roads was fantastic.
https://i.imgur.com/SsXtY5s.jpg
Carmel and the 17 mile drive never disappoint
https://i.imgur.com/2ZxMvqc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fvVWgFL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nIX2ClL.jpg
On our way back we stopped in Santa Barbara for a night and then got back in time to ensure I didn’t have to miss KINOD’s 12th anniversary.
KINOD’s been moving around since the police clamped down on the City of Industry which has actually been kinda fun. Its atleast got me out exploring parts of SoCal that I didn’t even know existed. Café86 was the spot for the Silk anniversary and typically a few of us meet for dinner early. Friday afternoon traffic meant the 55 mile trek was going to be almost two hours (ended up being 1h35) so sadly that meant the rest of the family opted out which meant it would just be Benny, my co-pilot and I.
https://i.imgur.com/x3fYirR.jpg
Since a lot of people don’t show up regularly I spent almost the whole time catching up with tons of people I hadn’t seen in ages and checking out the cars. I did a terrible job of taking pics but managed to get a couple.
Willner’s new FD with Bluejay and those delightful sounding ITB’s heading out
https://i.imgur.com/NLLopuF.jpg
Fantastic to see Regis’ MSM back up and running and man, the smile on his face said it all.
https://i.imgur.com/rpQg4dL.jpg
@lmphotoss stunning BRG, or atleast part of it..
https://i.imgur.com/oj46QI8.jpg
He also kindly took a pic of Benny since I didn’t get any…
https://i.imgur.com/pVftK3R.jpg
… except fueling up after the drive home.
https://i.imgur.com/hon4cVm.jpg
So many great roadsters and fantastic people all in one spot. I really do love our crazy little Miata tribe.
Excellent pictures Pete!
Can’t believe it’s been a month since I’ve posted – July was super busy but also a bloody tough month.
Discovering “small vehicle parking” near the beach was great for helping deal with the summer influx of tourists and congestion since typically its impossible to find a spot during the summer months.
https://i.imgur.com/H8fhzeU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7ixKAmJ.jpg
The best way to deal with the seasonal crush in fact was a trip of our own. We took a family holiday back to New Brunswick on Canada’s East coast where my parents have had a cottage since 1973. Despite all the moves growing up it was one place we typically spent our summers and to reconnect with family. My parents were there and my best friend from college rented a cottage nearby with his family. The plan was for total decompression since there’s not much more to do than visit while soaking up amazing views, walking the sandbars and enjoying the fresh seafood….
https://i.imgur.com/FLMVuoA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hn32iGM.jpg
I brought a BNIB (brand new in bag ;) HyperRev I’d been saving for such an occasion.
https://i.imgur.com/WpshxQd.jpg
Love reading through these and always discover something new. First time I’d seen that someone made a Cosmo conversion for the NA.
https://i.imgur.com/dX3BpgR.jpg
While we were away I used the opportunity to have Integrated Performance install the QMax coolant reroute from SuperMiata along with a Flyin Miata cross-flow radiator, stage 1 fan kit and an upgrade to the electrics so both fans run all the time. This was work I always intended to do myself but sadly time is still my least plentiful resource. Was funny to see Benny on the lift in one of their Instagram posts but great to come back to a clean job as always.
https://i.imgur.com/W6kR8B8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZMOOV6p.jpg
I was looking at SuperMiata's set-up since I love supporting local businesses but with some honest back and forth with them decided a larger rad/ upgraded fans was better suited to my intended usage. This is what they’d said…
“On track, and with proper ducting, our radiator provides plenty of cooling capacity and is several pounds lighter, as well as less expensive. We typically delete the AC fan and only use one OEM fan in our racecars, even the turbocharged ones.
For a street car in traffic, or with poor airflow management; AC, no ducting, no hood vents, a larger radiator and upgraded fans might be prudent.”
The car is now idling very smoothly and for some reason it *feels* like AC doesn’t sap the power as much as it used to.
Speaking of local businesses, have been loving the opportunity to support CarMakeCorns US branch (and KINOD regular) and the continued collaborations with SpiritRoad who we’ve also managed to get into being a KINOD regular with his beautiful NA and its growing list of parts from Corns, Maruha’s catalogue, etc.
https://i.imgur.com/9n3ST6b.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hObVeO3.jpg
In other community news, Roadster7 ever so generously sent off a few Okamoto SafetyDrive stickers he had made closer to the larger format size seen on many a classic Japanese Racer. Can’t wait to get these on Benny, just trying to decide if they should go on the lower rocker in front of the rear wheels or just behind the fronts.
https://i.imgur.com/0cuLt6g.jpg
And Paulo had a collection of RoyalClover keys for sale though I knew I definitely didn’t need any more… until I saw the back of a different kind of Queen key that was actually a 1987 Canadian penny. It arrived quickly thanks to France’s La Poste…
https://i.imgur.com/N9c0DPc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XpGrae8.jpg?1
JCCS just posted about the upcoming annual show down at the Queen Mary and I was humbled that they featured two of our Miati along with Willis’ stunning Roadster. Sadly they are running it on top of Laguna Seca so this will be the first time I miss out on JCCS though with only five weeks to go, starting to get excited about our imminent pilgrimage.
https://i.imgur.com/MYFtOud.png
Sadly we’re back in Canada for my brother-in-law’s memorial service later today. On July 28th he finally lost a six month battle against Lymphoma but was surrounded by family over his final days. I’m really thankful Jen was able to be there with him a few times over the last months. Unsurprisingly this has brought back a lot of emotions from losing Dan along with all the new one’s Mrs. R and her whole family are experiencing. Its so sad to see cancer yet again take someone prematurely and particularly heart breaking for his wife and their three year old daughter. Now the focus will be on how we can all come together to help each other with the healing.
Before heading back to Canada for this trip, we took the opportunity to clean up the cars so they’d be nice and shiny when we returned home. I think the top down drives with Jen have been really good for the soul and will continue to provide a welcomed escape.
https://i.imgur.com/ea2BHkB.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AZWiJpU.jpg
Great updates as always Peter! I would vote just the front fenders for the sticker.
BTW the Cosmo-style conversion is a NB as far as I know (note the door/side line). Outside is nice but the interior is hideous.
With MRLS just a few weeks away really looking forward to having some meaningful updates.. the KINOD convoy, reconnecting with fellow enthusiasts along with meeting new ones and the amazing Roadster love several hundred cars and nuts can have when all brought together. That said the interim update doesn’t hold much but cataloging for my own records…
It’s always a splendid day when an EMS package arrives from Japan
https://i.imgur.com/ZtvNCRY.jpg
Especially when it takes advantage of Buyee’s consolidation option. Shipping can be cost prohibitive for single items but if you can coordinate and make use of their 30 day storage policy it can save some significant ¥¥¥
https://i.imgur.com/NisycsY.jpg
A collection of post cards that I have a plan as part of adding some more Roadster inspiration in the garage…
https://i.imgur.com/O9LlDBb.jpg
A set of what I believe are likely Nakamae window cranks – as much as I like the Carbon Miata aluminum cranks these are close to the M2 design that had such a heavy influence on my initial ideas for where I wanted to go with this build.
https://i.imgur.com/8ZlFN5e.jpg
A Nielex exhaust trim
https://i.imgur.com/kNevGPa.jpg
And a Eunos 5310 bag for some storage behind the seats
https://i.imgur.com/jEIJmd5.jpg
As I’d noted before, Roadster7’s custom Okamoto Rubber Manufacturing Company was destined to finally find their place on the car. Harry, I did truly appreciate the vote but after some test placement landed on the rear rockers and am really happy with the result…
https://i.imgur.com/Un7Zw1m.jpg
At KINOD on Friday Circuit Sports showed up with a custom run we convinced them to do for a coolant reservoir tanks etched with the logo as well as the “boyfriends against cancer” tribute to Marco on the cap. Tommy and Peter from CS hand delivered and since I brought my 10mm socket with an extension we didn’t waste any time installing it on the spot.
https://i.imgur.com/ZmACwXS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zfFZoQX.jpg
Rounded out the weekend with a drive to the beach so Mrs. R to get the dog out for a walk before real life again set in…
https://i.imgur.com/biMbh7k.jpg
Benny is on point as usual, Pete!!! The tire/wheel/stance has me considering a set of SSR Sharks instead of Watanabe's. :bow: The tribute cap for Marco is pretty awesome! Bravo to Circuit Sports for doing that!
So you won the Nielex trim? Have been bidding against you I guess! Really curious how it will look on your car!
Long over due for some updates...
The week before MRLS, Kadin, Chaye and Kevin arranged for a small Sunday morning “Corns and Coffee” meet. I decided it was time to clean up the Sunburst and finally bring it along. It helped a lot that I had a loaner stereo from Domo since the upgraded unit from Jeff Anderson stopped working and has to be sent back to be re-repaired.
https://i.imgur.com/u18iL5A.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/e9R2Isk.jpg
Many of the usual SoCal suspects I know were there but one addition was a Mazda design employee with probably the cleanest BRG I’ve ever seen (~30k miles IIRC). Here’s what an excited group looks like checking out a super clean OEM engine bay ;)
https://i.imgur.com/cqsrovD.jpg
In order: Spirit Road’s Maruha Montego, Kadin’s stunning Black & Tan RHD, David’s beautiful LE, *that* BRG, our Sunburst, Pedro’s pretty Merlot, Garret’s awesome BRG and JonB’s period correct rusted pickup
https://i.imgur.com/LuubWzB.jpg
And shot from the other direction…
https://i.imgur.com/Z86hfjB.jpg
And the back…
https://i.imgur.com/MaGJizV.jpg
So much clean…
https://i.imgur.com/RhvCo78.jpg
As always, such a treat to get together with other roadster nuts and their cars.
Late Thursday night there was some last minute work on Benny since I had to reinstall my rear bumper (one of the updates I was hoping would be ready for MRLS didn’t quite work out - more on that later) but was already super excited about the weekend up in Monterey.
https://i.imgur.com/kYiUgP8.jpg
What followed was the 4:30 wake-up call on Friday morning so we could start our trek north.
We met up with the crew at the IHOP in Santa Barbara. When we arrived there were already 20+ drivers fueling up on coffee, pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc. Loved seeing Taxi was on the road and joining along with Andrew’s transformed NA that he completed just in time.
https://i.imgur.com/V4vSsc9.jpg
Unfortunately my eldest son had to be in SF a day earlier for a college tour so borrowed Berg and missed out on the KINOD convoy. I was lucky enough to be accompanied by my 18 year old nephew from Canada who had already planned to do the 3,000+ mile drive; join the pilgrimage to Laguna Seca and back before turning around to go home. A month or so earlier his first red NA was totaled when someone decided to make an illegal U-turn right in front of him (I actually think U-turns in general are pretty much illegal in Canada). Clearly didn’t bode well for his plans but after the hassles of dealing with insurance it turned out they gave him a healthy budget to find a replacement so he picked up Ruby just a couple weeks before his trip started. The car had been repainted by a prior owner and looked remarkably close to JonB’s Copper Red NC. The color really stands out in natural light but sadly none of my pictures do it justice. The best may have been the collection of hardtops?
https://i.imgur.com/8mbnO9q.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YwX3kAb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eDV5yC8.jpg
Interesting factoid: I knew early Canadian NA’s had DRL and the same non airbag steering wheel as Japan but didn’t realize it had straight light/ wiper stalks and a cleaner steering hub cover (no cover to pop out for some undetermined reason).
The next stop was gassing up in Morro bay before heading to the rock for some quick pictures. By the time we got there the count was 35 cars so ready for the last stretch up the 1 to Monterey. That road was wiped out from a landslide a couple years ago so it was fun to again take a break from the faster but less interesting freeways.
https://i.imgur.com/HWRaF4C.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8psO1So.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/b14FTJV.jpg
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As we were heading out it resembled a scene from MadMax with all the cars kicking up dust and converging on the little road out of town.
https://i.imgur.com/UkWU24D.jpg
Shortly after Benny crossed the 80,000 mile milestone. What an incredible ~30k mile journey it’s been with this car over the last bunch of years.
https://i.imgur.com/mI11QKu.jpg
A few hours and many many bends later we finally pulled into the parking lot at the Embassy Suites feeling exhausted and hungry but excited for the days ahead.
https://i.imgur.com/ZVcWYTM.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oEKfTW8.jpg
Moss’ BBQ is always a welcome treat for weary travelers followed by registration and then taking advantage of the hotel’s complementary drinks and reconnecting with fellow nuts from around the country. So great to be seeing all the familiar faces from Washington, Oregon, NorCal and meeting new ones from Idaho, Nevada, etc, etc. This year was already bringing me back to so many of the incredible feelings of the past meets.
Note to all. “Miatas at Weathertech Racing Laguna Seca” is confirmed for next year. Given it will be the 30th anniversary, Mazda is reportedly very much behind it and is trying to make it even bigger than the 25th. Start saving now, will be sure to broadcast the dates when they’re locked so you can get your time off requests in!
Early Saturday morning I left for the Laguna Seca though this would be the first year at MRLS without any track time behind the wheel.
https://i.imgur.com/xnFYyZq.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/K8Jx9en.jpg
This year there was something a bit special planned. My brother was a huge fan of Keith Tanner from the Newfoundland Targa to enjoying all his books (First it fix it trick it, Building a high performance Miata, etc) along with all the crazy things FM were getting up to. A few months ago Keith had been looking for a SoCal car that they could use to install their now CARB approved stage 1 turbo kit during the weekend. He and I talked. Then I went to tackle the real challenge… Mrs. R’s only reaction when I was testing the waters was “well of course you said yes, right?”. She understood the connection with Dan and the timing meant she was relieved of having to plan anything for my Birthday. Such a keeper!!
https://i.imgur.com/mD1Xrcs.jpg?1
I know some of you figured it out with the QMax Coolant Reroute and FM cross flow radiator/ fan upgrade. Since the clutch already had an ACT upgrade it would be reportedly fine with just a resurfaced flywheel. While they were at it, I also had Integrated Performance tap/ drill the oil pan since that would save enough time to give a buffer with confidence it could be installed in time for a relatively early departure on Sunday.
Along with Flyin Miata, vendor alley was still resplendent with the most impressive range of highly tuned cars. Rocketeer were there with their V6 Jag engine, KenAuto Japan, KSwap, Moss, Bilstein, 949, Integrated Performance, etc, etc.
https://i.imgur.com/BRp1pJN.jpg
Matt made quick work of getting out the old bits including the rusty header and notching the frame to fit the turbo.
https://i.imgur.com/iovaRGq.jpg
Sadly didn’t think about setting up a timelapse camera but swung by consistently over the weekend to see their progress. They really have designed this set up so well and were not surprisingly performing an incredibly clean install…
https://i.imgur.com/0b3G0pD.jpg
The Carbing bar even managed to fit and this is how it looked just before we were to go out for the second and last test.
https://i.imgur.com/LWqRxbF.jpg
While the turbo was going in, there was another KINOD install that had to happen. Some context, when Mazda stopped sponsoring the event the organizers weren’t sure what to call it. The email blast that went out to everyone that had ever attended (or registered interest) proudly announced the new name would be “Miatagasm”. I can’t remember if it was hours or a full day later but they retracted the name apologetically based on an “overwhelming response”. We’d all talked about how that hadn’t seemed like the best idea and were glad they thought better of it. Who could ever imagine wearing a shirt with Miatagasm on it?! But late on Friday, one KINOD member with a wicked sense of humor and access to some printing equipment had a plan to continue some of the group’s perceived irreverence. Windshield and bumper banners were made up and installed on many KINOD-ers cars early Saturday as a nod to that ill fated naming convention. Wonderful friends decided I needed mine put on while Matt worked on the Turbo. Much laughter continued to ensue throughout the weekend
https://i.imgur.com/rbO809f.jpg
Dustin brought his Cappuccino down and decided to give me a treat letting me take him for a spin around the ring road which was great since I'd accepted driving wasn’t really on my agenda.
https://i.imgur.com/nKPwN29.jpg
Driving a Capp for the first time was exhilerating. That 9500 RPM redline, the hill climb and back to shifting with my left hand in a snug cabin was just a blast. Reminded me of what the NA felt like the first time I’d moved over from something much bigger.
The days were focused on connecting with other Miata nuts and meeting new ones. Got to passenger with Pedro in his mostly stock NB pitted against much higher HP in the A class even if the thrill only lasted a couple of laps. I missed getting any pics of Drew’s amazing LS2 swapped Orange NA but got a great one of Willis doing a ride-along. So happy that Drew didn’t have any issues this year and got to enjoy every session of the day and enjoyed spending time with he and his better half. Continuing to build relationships with people I was introduced to on this forum is what will always make these events the very best.
https://i.imgur.com/vxxeXtB.jpg
Far too many I didn’t capture in pics but there were lots more interesting cars and even more interesting drivers. Real mud all the way from Nevada!
https://i.imgur.com/AW5kwuW.jpg
Before the Saturday night banquet I checked in one last time with FM and both Matt and Bill (FM’s owner) were still hard at work. I was asked the daunting question of how firm my targeted departure of 1pm was but the only answer had to be that there was no way I was leaving until they were satisfied and I’d rather they not rush it. Banquet was fun as always and a large group again ended up back at the bar until the wee hours. There *may* have been a lovely bottle of scotch that JonB had brought around the house one day that I remembered to bring to share with all the other nuts. We retired shortly after it was drained to get some rest before the last day and hopefully an enjoyable drive home.
Sunday morning Andrew picked me up for our annual trip along the 17 mile drive with its requisite stops for some pictures followed by a great brunch in Carmel. The Equip 40’s look so fantastic on his burgundy NA with its Barchetta front bumper.
https://i.imgur.com/JNgYNos.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xSpG6Ld.jpg
Interesting that the two cars looked as close as they did in color even though the difference in person is significant…
https://i.imgur.com/N5JSo4S.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wftrhGR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/M3DhmU0.jpg
At breakfast I declined a call from David and texted him back that I was eating and would call later. His reply “FM need to talk” got me out of my chair. I phoned Matt who lead with “did you friend tell you about the problem…” but before he could clarify we were cut off by the track announcer blasting some instructions to Group B which delayed our conversation by what felt like ten minutes. I’m sure it was seconds. He started again saying that they were really concerned that mounting the FM gauge on my A pillar wouldn’t be suitable given the care and attention paid to the interior and they recommended it just be put into the glove box until I found a different solution. Phew. Didn’t seem like a massive problem at all and I appreciated that they sought the input before forging ahead. He also confirmed they were wrapping up the install and that they’d soon be ready for the first test drive. So nothing but good news in fact!!
We made our way back to the track. I got to passenger while they did the first test. First time I think I've ever enjoyed riding shotgun! All the read-outs looked solid and Benny felt great. Boost was at 6psi but the measurements showed a bit more room so left them to some more fiddling while I went back to visiting and some final farewells. Ken from RetroModern also showed up so I managed to finally pick up the knurled dimmer assembly and a pair of Wiper Caps that do a stunning job of finishing off Chad’s brushed and drilled wiper arms. Also had a chance to talk to Ken in person about a few other commissions that we might collaborate on in the future…
https://i.imgur.com/0GHvfga.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AUser2r.jpg
By 3:30 FM landed totally satisfied with their work along with 6.5 psi and an estimated 160whp. Normally I dread the long drive home after being exhausted from this epic weekend but it was amazing. Early days but damn am I loving the boosted life so far! Initial feelings:
• Car is thirstier, by the time we got to our first fuel stop looked like I consumed 50% more gas than my nephew's car but was still getting a respectable 26mpg
• Loving uphill pulls! Mostly because I’ve never been able to before.
• In-gear acceleration is amazing. Middle son wants to know why it adds 20mph to any speed instantly.
• The turbo noises are subtle but ever so lovely
Home again, jiggity jig. It was over too quickly but what an amazing break
https://i.imgur.com/Tcaez4V.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Zak5vjz.jpg
Before my nephew and his friend started the return journey home wanted to catch a few pics of the multi-colored quartet
https://i.imgur.com/6dILqBI.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tIJMbUY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8xJrgut.jpg
For now I’m really looking forward to just enjoying learning the car all over again. KINOD and all the other meets. And probably a few other little additions to the cars...
Out of words once again in this thread! Hope you enjoy Benny even more now!
P.S. Your story writing skills are excellent, bravo!
Congrats on the whole new setup!! Last time our cars were together we were both n/a!
Next time around will be a great reunion :)
BOOST !!!!!!!! :frantic:
So jealous of everyone that made it to the event but great pics and wow to get boost installed by the makers themselves the same weekend!! :shocked::slayer: Super jealous and excited for Benny and you! :frantic: Hug your wife for me because finding a spouse that understanding and supportive is rare! :bow:
Carmel looked great. Next year I'll need to remember to set the alarm!
morning drive is always so early.. especially after a wild saturday night
The last pic is the best-
Wow! Nice Pictures...what a pretty sight 949 Racing Miata
I titled this thread “Cars, Coffee & California” after a photo book I made for my brother. It shared the same name and tried to capture the week we spent celebrating his 50th while soaking up as much of California’s incredible car culture as we could. What I’ve realized is that its missing another “C”. The one that is the single most important part of the car world and our crazy little Miata Tribe. Community. I’ve been looking forward to this post as a reference to another little update but critically on how these Roadsters have impacted me the most. I feel so fortunate to have discovered like-minded people that happen to share a passion for Miatas, made connections with them that ultimately lead to burgeoning friendships both at home and around the world…
Joelioooo (“Joel’s Kyusha inspired Laguna Blue na8”) is from New Zealand. He shares a passion for old school Japanese wheels and has had so many great examples for me to enjoy vicariously through his ever changing build. Advans A3A’s, Hoshinos, SSR Mk’s I and II’s and Longchamps and Wats and back again…
From his build thread I was intrigued to understand more about Shakotan (and how that clearly couldn’t work for my driveway or LA roads in general) Kaido, and Zokusha styles from Japan. A rabbit hole I didn’t really know existed but was so happy to start to explore. Those inspirations made me appreciate some of the special touches he added even more.. like how he mounted his GV lights. Joel’s cracked Trap lip (on top of Stoly’s and others) convinced me to stay away from the lip I knew looked best but might not last long. When he installed the Dcuatro bumper I was again totally inspired. Joel is bold in his approach and has put in a ton of work himself. His build has been so much fun to watch and I’m always surprised by his creativity including his trips to Japan and the new ideas that drives. His commentary about how strict NZ car modification regulations are reminds me that as much as California is harsh compared to the rest of this country there are much tougher rules elsewhere and we don’t have that much to complain about.
Early 2017 I saw a note from Joel with a picture of his passport and a boarding pass to LA. I reached out immediately to try and cajole him into coming to KINOD along with some of his local RDB friends. KINOD declared that the February 3rd meet would be a special Kiwi edition to show our guest from New Zealand a warm welcome.
https://i.imgur.com/GgQlspx.png
It was great to meet Joel face to face from a connection that started through his posts on MR.net but even better that since then we’ve had a ton of conversations about roadster pursuits, travels and life.
It was late July when he sent a PM asking if I was still looking for a Zoom rear bumper (of course I was, yes!). Since he was getting rid of his (?!?!). And offered me first dibs since he knew I’d be hunting for so long(!!!!!!). Thankfully happier circumstances than how he got his GV panel but to me the prospect of adding parts that were on someone else’s build has always been compelling. I love when people excitedly talk about something they’ve preserved from Scrat or Rooster or the Blue Potato. This is a way to pay tribute to builds that have inspired us and help them live on. (Man, maybe I’m just getting sentimental in my old age.) Anyways, this was the first pic he sent while I was still in shock.
https://i.imgur.com/meztWcd.jpg
Packaged up with care and with his Air NZ connections he was able to get it shipped off freight to LAX. Joel also did something that really struck a chord with me. Beyond the shipping costs, he insisted I couldn’t pay a penny more than he had (and he’d picked it up for a steal). He said it’s just how he felt about passing along parts to a fellow nut. I’m not begrudging anyone that has profited from their investments in rare JDM parts but the fact his refusal to even accept anything more was inspiring. If I’m ever to sell off things I’ve delighted in collecting I’ve decided I am going to uphold that idea.. it feels like the best way to focus on simply sharing in the joy of these out of production parts scored from a land far away with others that might just appreciate them in the same way.
https://i.imgur.com/VGZN5qd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WTAQHq8.jpg
A few days later I received the call from Air NewZealand cargo and showed up at the freight arrival depot to wait with the truckers picking up their imported wares. Coming straight from work I wasn’t really dressed the part but the grin on my face had me more out of place. After waiting through the cue I saw the agent who took some details and stamped some papers only to send me off to US customs that was a mile or so away. More red tape but at 10pm at night there were no lines (thankfully they keep flexible hours). Back to Air NZ cargo, handed off the paper work and then waited for the carrier to bring me the bumper on a forklift.
I didn’t bring the most practical vehicle for transporting it home which certainly generated some entertainment for the truck drivers when I brought my car around to load it up. I really don’t know what must have looked funnier, the bumper sticking out the passenger window or the crazed grin across my face as I drove away. Was back home in no time since we’re only a few miles away.
https://i.imgur.com/fFSTqAk.jpg
A few updates were shared with Joel and though it was already late there was no going to bed before taking the chance to look at it in person.
https://i.imgur.com/uCKCEGP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/OOZa0Eo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6kHpSqk.jpg
That vanishing line. The swage line that I was certain would work so incredibly well with the flares. The symmetrical notches for the rear tow hooks. Finally seeing this in person convinced me I may not have been wrong for all the reasons I’d felt this was going to be perfect on Benny.
Before taking it off for paint, the wrap had to come off…
https://i.imgur.com/ZlluCbf.jpg
Louis made quick work to get it ready for paint.
https://i.imgur.com/VwXWcjv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dgQn7di.jpg
Since I was going to the trouble of paint anyways, I’d also managed to find an early OEM hardtop for a good price (it was in really rough shape) so both could be taken care of at the same time. It always drove me nuts that my mariner top was so mis-matched that I’ve only ever used it on track + I also really liked the idea of a “period correct” hardtop without the headliner and rear defrost.
https://i.imgur.com/DliEodL.jpg
So much blue!!
https://i.imgur.com/pAYW5B7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fCdz7Ed.jpg
Made sure to take off my bumper before driving up to leave Benny behind for the final paint match.
https://i.imgur.com/ZzvE7Fh.jpg
It pained me to have the bumper cut to accommodate the dual tip Corns but after all the warnings about how much more a central St May’s ShotGun exhaust would scrape knew I was going to be happy keeping my current set-up. The 2 ¼” exhaust of the Corns is also perfect for the Stage 1 FM kit so no burning need to make a change there either. The results exceeded my hopes.
https://i.imgur.com/PTytBc7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/A3mgjXx.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/KpzfRP5.jpg
Tonight eldest son drove me the 50 miles to enjoy more conversations on life and to finally pick up Benny. The 50 miles back seemed to slip by in an instant with a quick fuel stop before getting back home.
https://i.imgur.com/TDcNebs.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vIWTupa.jpg
So here’s to these crazy cars, the creativity of all the different ways people change them up but most of all, to those very people that make this community what it is…
xoxo
So damned Jelly. So jelly. Bummed you couldn't get the whole kit though, but that is epic!
Can John steal that last pic for wallpapers?
You already know how much I love this, but it's so cool to see part of Joel's car here in the states. That bumper is the perfect fit for Benny, I'm really happy it ended up in your hands.
Dam, that bumper looks so nice. Great find!!!
Looks smart! And you are absolutely right; it is not about the car, it is about the people.
It matches the Corns so well. Another great addition.
The MX5Mart one is still not up for sale though. Damned slow progress but the guy is in and out of hospital at the moment...
How are you liking the FM turbo kit?
Would love to read about your review/impressions.