1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
This is my cage from miatacage.com prior to paint
It's a tough call going full cage since you enjoy driving the car on the street. With a setup like this, it becomes pretty tedious to get in and out. So there goes your street-ability factor. Catch 22.
And if your that far, you might as well dump the whole emissions thing, and go FI all the way. Then it's a full fledged track car. Enter truck/trailer. It's a tough choice and there's a fine line.
Just do it all safely.
Have fun!
That looks awesome! I don't think I'm ready to step up to that level yet. Definitely something to consider for the future. Thanks for the advice; I appreciate it.
1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
I haven't updated here in a while since not much has happened lately with the Miata. However, I did receive my XIDA coilovers after about two months of waiting. So pretty soon, I'll install these and get them all dialed in. I hope to do a few track days over the summer but we're doing some traveling as well, so we'll see what happens.
1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
It's been a while since my last update, so I figured I would check in. Not really any new mods although I did get a custom license plate to properly convey my love of Star Wars haha. And I did treat myself to a track day on my my birthday last weekend. It was my first time doing Thunderhill West only; previously I had done the full five-mile course and Thunderhill East. My next purchase will be related to timing equipment. I hadn't really concerned myself with lap times before but now I'm trying to focus on improving driving skills and lap times will help quantify that.
Thanks again to Bill Wang Photography (http://www.billwangphotos.com) for the cool pictures of my car on-track.
1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
My Blackbird Fabworx spoiler arrived today. I'm pretty excited about this! Installed pics to come after this weekend.
1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
Garagestar got their shifter extensions back in stock, so I picked one up along with a shift knob.
1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
Its been an extremely long time since updating this thread (or posting at all) but I have an update! After purchasing my Blackbird spoiler about 18 months ago, I finally installed it!
Last edited by debbid; 03-14-2017 at 12:32 AM.
1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
MiataQuest (03-14-2017),NCGreasemonkey (03-13-2017),oldgrayleather (03-14-2017),Phatmiata (03-13-2017),RustRat (03-14-2017),theothersawyer (03-13-2017)
I'm supposed to be going to the track tomorrow but my Miata's check engine light came on this morning! I'll scan it at lunch and cross my fingers that its something minor. Just needed to vent somewhere haha
1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
Do as the Bimmer guys, cover that light with a piece of electrical tape. ;)
Turns out the EGR tube broke at the header. I bought a plumbing cap at Home Depot to hopefully cap the opening a stop the exhaust leak. When the engine cools down, we'll see if actually fits.
UPDATE: Local Mazda dealer has the EGR tube in stock. Last minute repairs, here I come!
Last edited by debbid; 03-17-2017 at 05:10 PM.
1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
After fixing the the EGR issue, I had a great track day at Thunderhill. It rained a little but the track stayed try and the air was cool. Looking forward to the next, which will likely be May or June. My current goal is to do at least four track days a year. I think that's the most I can convince my wife into letting me do haha.
1996 Mazda Miata - The TIE MX5
MiataQuest (03-28-2017),NCGreasemonkey (03-28-2017)
Congrats! I have fond memories of Thunderhill, but most may be filtered by sleep deprivation.
I was able to do more track-oriented events by upgrading my safety equipment. This helped ease some of my wife's fears. She knows the risks, has seen some of it up close. I think showing her I was spending funds wisely on staying safe, rather than just mods to go faster was beneficial for everyone.