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California brought a lot of things together. It gave me more time and money to start refreshing the Miata. It also introduced me to KINOD. I believe my first KINOD meet was in November or December of ’06.
The turbo was no longer legal and I had pulled it off before the move and sold it off. With some of that money, I bought a used JRSC. I sent the inlet manifold to the company in Charlotte that powdercoated the VC and intake manifold and had them match the SC’s manifold. It looked great!
I also got a pair of slashed M seats from Chris("Moxnix"). He was now stationed at Camp Pendelton. He was soon being reassigned to Germany, so he really gave me no choice. He had picked up a BRG hardtop for me while on vacation on his drive from Atlanta to California. He also coerced me into buying the Watanabes off him too. I relented. :)
The seats were in terrible shape, but I work with upholstery a lot and worked with a sample maker at my last job to remake these. As a huge fan of customs, these seats were done with great materials and modified a little to sit a tad lower in the car. Modifying the foam and altering the patterns was pretty easy for me, but I wanted a nice, clean top stitch and crisp tailoring, so I let my coworker handle that.
I was asked a LOT about these seats, and they really had to be seen (and in Sean Jay's opinion,
SMELLED) to be appreciated. People would look at them, stop, sort of recognize them, then look again, and finally ask about them. They are out of a '95 M edition, and were only tan. They are also the only OEM Miata seats with an adjustable headrest. Scott (slevin) bought these from me. I was sad to see them go, but I wanted something that made the car easier to track AND daily drive. I'm a little too tall with a helmet on.
I also had bought a set of turn signal intakes. I had those, the hardtop and a cleaner rear bumper painted to match the car. My rear bumper was a bit rubbed up from track days.
http://i.imgur.com/CfPigFL.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SGdfMQn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IsKL06w.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8znd1EG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Rwl1CoK.jpg
So, right off the bat, I was starting to modify the Miata more. I was inspired by KINOD and the cars I was seeing weekly. This is how the car looked at that time:
http://i.imgur.com/AjVGqTz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aMhVS5x.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aiGfQ1i.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ipFf46b.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IMv9Bv1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/N837HwF.jpg
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Suspension project:
I am strong believer that the Miata is a platform you should enjoy in stock form before your start modifying it. This is especially true if you are a novice driver. However, slam culture being what it is, it's rare to find someone actually doing that.
I’ve read quite a lot about suspension tuning and geometry many years ago. I used to compete in a Macpherson strut car. It truly is a black art with many, many variables going on. It’s a study of physics, energy transfer, geometry, trigonometry and a little calculus. I think it also involves a good amount of understanding spatial relationships and a healthy dose of voodoo. :)
I started looking into addressing my needs both in performance and maintenance. The car, at that time, being 14-15 years old needed some serious freshening. I was bottoming out in the rear going over train tracks and given what i was doing to the car in past years, these shocks were toast. The only addition since was a Racing Beat solid front sway I bought soon after moving here (thanks, Sean!). I added the frame blocks/braces and the adjustable endlinks with that purchase.
I was researching coilovers and consulting with other owners about Teins and spring rates. I had long, very
informative conversations with Steve at Gearhead’s Garage and Emilio at 949Racing. Both these guys are THE guys to talk to about giving you the straight dope about chassis tuning a Miata.
I researched the HELL out of coilovers. Spherical bearings vs Pillow ball, monotube vs dual tube, spring rates, adjustable bodies, shock dynos, etc. I read through a LOT of posts by Sheikh(?) on m.n about learning the nuances and deciphering dyno results. It hurt my head, but I re-read a lot of it until I grasped it. I have forgotten most of it now, probably subconsciously.
I was looking originally for a set of Tein Flex. It seems to be the coilover of choice here in SOCAL and I was pleased with the cars I tested riding on them.
Fortunately, Sideshow popped an ad on here for a brand new set of JIC FLT-A2s for $1000. I pulled the trigger.
http://i.imgur.com/xdDYcWp.jpg
The JIC's ARE beautiful, though, aesthetically and mechanically. They are 18 way single adjustable, aluminum bodies, monotube, pillowball mounts with an extended travel design in the rear, perfect for a Miata. They come with 9kg in the front 8kg in the rear. 8 is a bit stiffer than I wanted to run, so I sourced a set of 350# 7" long springs from Eibach. This effectively put me at 9kg F/ 6.5ish kg R.
So, in they went, probably around 2008. The car took a back burner soon after and I didn't get the car aligned OR corner balanced for quite some time after. Despite the jacked alignment and unbalanced corners, I still did a few track events.
http://i.imgur.com/GmK8E6S.jpg
That winter, I scored another rare bargain. I found a set of BRAND NEW control arms off an NB racer who had installed Superpro bushings in them. When he learned he couldn't use them on his spec Miata, he cut his loses. The part number stickers were STILL on the arms! I quickly picked these up for around 700-800. Unfortunately, they sat in a container in my garage for the next 18 months or so.
http://i.imgur.com/Sk6Ff1j.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sZO85H6.jpg
The following spring, Emmi tried to align it, or get it close to spec. He noticed the front subframe was tweaked and couldn't get the adjustment right on the front right. I think I probably damaged the subframe on an "off" I had a track event a few years before. The stockish setup I ran before was aligned close to where I wanted, but now the coilovers were allowing more adjustment and the alignment couldn't handle it in it's current form.
Lucky for me, living in SOCAL has some great advantages. One of them being Emilio's swap meets at his shop near my home. I bought a clean and straight front subframe from a gentleman who pulled it off his wife's '93.
I was gathering the parts to COMPLETELY refurb the suspension. Using the NB control arms, I wanted to do this right, so I sourced a set of NB front knuckles from Planet Miata.
Not having the desire or the means to raise the engine for the subframe replacement, I talked to a shop have the whole shebang done and the car aligned.
Here's what was done at:
Straight front subframe installed
NB control arms (all 8), new (means new upper ball jonts, too!)
Superpro P/U bushings with offset steel inserts
Inner tie rods
Outer tie rods
Lower ball joints
Front NB knuckles (uprights)
Superpro steering rack bushings
Energy Suspension P/U dust boots on the upper & lower ball joints
Energy Suspension P/U dust boots on the outer tie rod ends
New control arm mounting bolts
New camber bolts
Install stock NB rear swaybar
Steering rack rebuilt and P/S system flushed
Alignment
Some gaffs I had done to the wiring were also fixed.
Words can't explain how the car feels. I really didn't notice how much play I had become accustomed to in the aging components. I was literally turning too soon now because I was so used to the slop and play in the suspension. I have enjoyed this upgrade more than any power upgrade. The car is TRANSFORMED. By far, one of the most satisfying upgrades I have done to date
I really believe the glory of this upgrade is in the details. If you are doing this, I REALLY suggest spending the extra money on the new OEM hardware and P/U boots.
Here is a mantra I like to live by on car builds, "DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE."
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I was regularly attending KINOD during my time in California. I was enjoying the car culture there. As a gearhead and enthusiast, I was in car heaven! :)
I am always sheepish about compliments. There are so_many clean cars in SOCAL, it is kind of embarrassing to me to receive praise for my car.
I made a lot great friends and had a LOT of fun!
My car was getting a lot of attention from other enthusaists at the meets. My car always seemed to get a few shots taken. I also attended extracurricular KINOD-associated meets, too. Social events, tech days, dyno days, track days. Here are some shots of those over the years I am honored to have been a part of:
http://i.imgur.com/3cb0PdU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3VGwc9d.jpg
(OC KINOD at Shabu Shabu)
http://i.imgur.com/a3kSKkW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/F0ysRYk.jpg
Dyno day photos:
http://i.imgur.com/wbDABt9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/51I0xlh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZGOEhhZ.jpg
Super Autobacs meet:
http://i.imgur.com/P4ODzdE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/nAcgxzD.jpg
NOPI drift LA (07) with Jon Martin’s R*Speed drift Miata:
http://i.imgur.com/XowGTfm.jpg
Assorted other pics from KINOD meets:
http://i.imgur.com/BECb0rm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MFTiRlJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Go8TG1Z.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/n6iZEbj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MAQKFF0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/iFd0DQZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JwnoXAb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/x5z6vQs.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Wt6PBBK.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZO05xIj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1J3oNiG.jpg
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2010 was an interesting year.
I had driven to Miatas at Laguna Seca as a spectator, not comfortable with how my car was set up to run the track. I vowed to return the next year to drive.
In grand KINOD style, we gathered at the Krispy Kreme at an hour WAAAY too early to be deemed humane to drive up the 101 to the Pacific Coastal Highway into Monterrey. It was probably THE best Miata-based event I have ever been a part of.
The drive up was epic! There are sooo many stories and funny anecdotes. I wouldn’t know where to begin! That said, I’ll just try to show some pictures to illustrate the awesomeness:
Preparation!
http://i.imgur.com/csyXTRw.jpg
O' dark thirty at Krispy Kreme:
http://i.imgur.com/ddMB6Dl.jpg
The drive up:http://i.imgur.com/ijJnyG8.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/3T6P0WG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/b42bsYX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yuZ0NIj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/C2Wf4sT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xwLmiEU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dvJNJxH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bExQRlC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MHIbqI3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lKAuOON.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BtE13g6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kXQkBAp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/G4UQk8l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lOawdKM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3WSq8vt.jpg
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christ... im going there next year even if it costs me my job...
keep this thread going. im loving reading all this.
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Amazing read, hope to shake your hand at MATG this year
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Awesome! I Wish I could go to KINOD some day lol..
I will forever miss those Watanabe's on your car.
14's look so perfect on it
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Great story man. Now I really feel that I know you. Don't worry man. We have our R.A.M.M. aka KINOD East.
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A few months later, Mazda wanted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Miata. They had a big party/open house at their R&D center in Irvine. It was an interesting mix of M.N and KINOD styles. Hugely entertaining and very, very cool! The R&D center showed the design progress of all three MX-5 generations, clay models, concept vehicles, rare and unusual builds, and the team that pushed the original Miata to be built. This included Tom Matano, the chief designer and Bob Hall. There was a BBQ with beverages and it was great, picnic/festival atmosphere.
http://i.imgur.com/k873Nsw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/p0z95Rk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KjjLWcW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rKI0eKb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JNd7tay.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bjHvUN7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7UphVXU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MJzMPyB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Kzfyzdu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Ba4c0x3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZD6RuwR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gofVnbZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KguHQcN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/phaWQnj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WVHSJXG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QvcYzQ6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/u5iLnXc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kv1hYpH.jpg
(Thanks to Daniel Lim and Tim Scribbles for the pictures!)
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Miatafest 2010 continued….
As an industrial designer, I was more excited to meet Mr. Matano. I had brought a silver marker to M@LSR in hopes I would meet him and ask him to sign my car. As big an impact KINOD had on the event, I was on the track when he came through our paddock…guh! :( I knew Tom’s health has been failing, so it really meant a lot to me to meet him and thank him for the great design I thoroughly enjoyed.
http://i.imgur.com/Dk89hFS.jpg
Mr. Matano was at Miatafest! I didn’t know this, so I went back to my car, frantically looking for the silver marker I brought to Laguna Seca. Thankfully it was still in my tool kit I keep in the trunk! So, I saw him walking down the rows of cars and I walked up to him, introduced myself and asked him to sign my Miata. He was happy to accommodate me! I spoke with him briefly and told him what I do for a living and he was genuinely interested and glad to hear about my enjoyment of his work. He sat in the passenger seat and gave me the best interior mod I could ever conceive:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._4202693_n.jpg
:) :) :) :)
I was tapped to participate in a focus group. I have been on the other side of many of these, so it was fun to be on the consumer side. It was interesting to listen to the answers of the other participants. I got a TON of free schwag for doing that…collector’s edition books (coffee table books), Mazda items, about $100 in gift cards, wearable’s and a wristwatch. Probably close to $300 in stuff! Awesome.
I also entered the car contest. It was $10, I think, and the proceeds went to a reputable charity. “Cool!” I thought, “I have no chance to win, but what the hell.” I had parked my car next to Chris Lee and Cody Chan, so I figured everyone that walked by was looking at those.
http://i.imgur.com/e6YaI3u.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/iXkkJWC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/uvAft9u.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1kwVN3q.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kgWPB9h.jpg
The awards ceremony began and I wandered around inside the design exhibit, listening to the ceremony. Those who won deserved it; Cody, Chris, Brian Goodwin, Woolery. Others won for interiors, ICE, etc.
http://i.imgur.com/kZfGon9.jpg
The last award was given to “Mazda’s Choice”, the entrant that the Mazda employees and guests of honor voted best represented the true spirit of the Miata. The MC called “#19”. I sort stopped what I was doing and froze. I couldn’t remember my entry number. Other guys from KINOD were telling me I won, but I didn’t believe it. I was waiting for someone else to walk up there. I had to walk out to my car to check. :lol: I actually DID win! I was in disbelief. It was such a humbling experience and honor!
In typical fashion, KINOD rolled deep and represented well at the event. We hall had a great time! Rob brought a popup, thankfully! It was sunny and a bit hot that day!
http://i.imgur.com/Ddw9QJ3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JfUIpAU.jpg
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Kinda reminds me of Miatapalooza that was held at PR Motorsports in Hayward. Rick Weldon was the founder of PR Motorsports and was one of the first test drivers of the Miata in 88 or 89. He was a great resource to have but I believe he has since retired and moved to New Zealand.
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Rick was the catalyst behind Miatas @ Laguna Seca. I heard something similar about his retirement.
