Building Moriah

[Imontalto]

Hello all! I've decided to give a build thread a try! So I am a fairly new miata owner; I think I've had it for almost a year now. I was kind of forced into buying it after my truck decided to finally fall apart.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404759175.882532.jpg
It's a 1968 Ford F-100 Short Bed and I had just recently rebuilt the engine, completely.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404759244.198093.jpg
The mounts that hold the cab to the frame, rusted out and broke. So now if I hit something, it will be like ejecting the cockpit out of a fighter jet. Seeing as this was going to be VERY expensive to fix (I can't weld), and it still wouldn't have been the most reliable vehicle when fixed, I decided I needed something else. My good friend Brandon, who just opened a mechanic shop in Harrisburg, (My Honest Mechanic! It's a really great shop and I wouldn't trust my car with anyone else! Shameless plug!!! mhmauto.com) had just bought a 93 miata that's transmission was stuck in reverse. After placing a new transmission and clutch in it, he intended to sell it and make a little money off of it. Instead he recognized my need for a vehicle and sold it to me for 2500 dollars. After giving it a complete tune up for me, I bought it and drove it home!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404759823.781175.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404759840.482275.jpg
Sorry for the crappy pictures, I don't have a fancy camera :/
Anyway, I immediately fell in love with this little car! I began creeping around on multiple forums and started reading everything I could on the first generation miata! I stumbled upon RevLimiter.net and probably had Adams blog open on my phone for about a week straight! The amount of incredibly awesome things that were available for my car were astounding! I got bit by the bug and needed to start working on my car immediately!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404760620.286609.jpg
My first modification was a wooden shift knob that I found on eBay. I liked the idea of the wood with the tan interior. I didn't like the tan door toppers and crash pad, however. So that was my next project!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404760835.635305.jpg
Since I didn't care for the tan, I painted them black!
I don't really have a good picture of a lot of this stuff, as I never intended on doing an actual build thread!
So, to hold me over until I could get new wheels, I cleaned and painted my stock ones!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404761171.098627.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404761185.732441.jpg
I was actually really happy with the way they turned out!!
Let's see... Next I was inspired by Adams cobra style shift surround, so I endeavored to try it myself!
I ordered a second center console off of eBay, so that I didn't ruin my normal one; and I bought some ABS plastic, also from eBay. I buy a lot of things from eBay... Anyway, I measured out and cut the circle in the ABS plastic and sanded and shaped it until it was perfect. Then I JB Welded it to the bottom of the new center console.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404761642.381459.jpg

[Imontalto]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404761751.216159.jpg
I then proceeded to fill the area with bondo
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404761806.149935.jpg
That's the day, or month rather, that I realized that I suck with bondo... I spent way too much time, sanding, and painting, and getting aggravated with the tiny bondo cracks, and re-sanding, and re-painting. After a while I decided to give it a rest and just order some leather from redlinegoods! I'm still waiting for some free time to put that on, but here is what I have in the meantime
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404762284.509389.jpg
In this picture are a couple of the other upgrades that I forgot to mention! I put the double DIN radio in there, and I absolutely love it!! I also put a back up camera in, because why not. Surprisingly, I do have a theme in mind! I'm going for a kind of retro modern look for the majority of the interior. I love the retro look, but I love my radio more than having holes and clocks in its place.
I also purchased a wooden ebrake handle and had Adam make a topper for my shift knob, which I am currently in love with!!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404762929.716948.jpg
I also had Adam make me some custom gauges!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404762993.851877.jpg
And the matching custom HVAC panel!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404763070.533093.jpg
My most recent purchase was a RS-Products knock off (Because I'm poor and don't have $500 to spend on a small piece of metal)
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404763149.916418.jpg
Looks pretty good, I think!
Lastly, I put on a new front and rear lip (don't have a picture of the rear) and installed a new top, as the old one ripped
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404763335.549144.jpg
Other than that, I have some new door cards in the mail and I still need to get the leather put on the center console!
She is definitely a work in progress, but I do absolutely love driving her and enjoy being a part of this awesome community!!

[Imontalto]

Oh yeah! I also tinted the tail lights and the front lights, but I decided I didn't like them, so I took the tail light tint off... The turn signal lights, I'm not bothering with because I plan on getting tsi's soon

[Imontalto]

So, I just got back from our staff retreat and I was greeted by some USPS early Christmas gifts!! My door cards, door pulls, and Jass Performance Cup Holder came in while I was gone. As soon as my giddiness had subsided, I began taking pictures and getting things installed!
First up were the door cards.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1405307820.190913.jpg
As you will recall, I had painted the toppers black, because I didn't like the tan anymore. My new door cards were the things that I was most excited about! It seems I was a little too excited, as I never snapped a picture of them before I installed them. Before I got my hands on them they were all tan, card and topper. Since I already had the toppers painted black, from earlier, I just swapped those for the tan toppers to end up with this;
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1405308144.390027.jpg
Notice the door pulls from RevLimiter.net!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1405308362.756005.jpg
I don't have a good interior shot of everything yet, as I am refinishing my crash pad, but I will get one as soon as the silicone sets!

I also got the Jass Performance Cup Holder, but will be waiting to install it until after I get the leather on my center console.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1405308343.072734.jpg

[Imontalto]

So, I finally got an opportunity to take my center console and tombstone to my upholstery guy, to have my redlinegoods kit installed. I would have put it on myself, but I can't even wrap Christmas gifts, so I thought this was a little out of my league... I picked it up from him yesterday, and my gosh is it beautiful!! He did a great job getting everything lined up!
So then I tried to install it, and I'm going to be perfectly honest, it was a pain in the butt! All the leather, tucked over the edge of everything, adds just enough space, when put together, to keep the screws from lining up with the holes in the center console. It still fits, but all the screws are in sideways, which bothers my perfectionism... However, I forget all about it, when I see it installed!! Personally, I think it looks phenomenal!!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406387741.569302.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406387887.836067.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406387968.719275.jpg
I also played around with painting one of my extra door cups. I think I like it, but I'm test driving it for a while before I commit.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406387985.819139.jpg
Painted
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406387997.852671.jpg
Not painted

[Imontalto]

Only question now, is if I should get some leather for my crash pad and door toppers...

[—atank—]

Great job, your Roadster looks nice!!!!!!!

[— vote4pedro —]

Only question now, is if I should get some leather for my crash pad and door toppers...

looks really nice. Why not just get the gauge hood covered to match the TS & console?

[Imontalto]

Great job, your Roadster looks nice!!!!!!!

Thanks!!!

looks really nice. Why not just get the gauge hood covered to match the TS & console?

I'm definitely looking in that direction! I really like the way that combo looks!

[Imontalto]

Got a package in the mail today containing some shiny new hazard switches!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1408507819.670785.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1408507828.568964.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1408507841.752268.jpg
I think I've personally funded Adams next vacation, as I've bought just about everything that he sells... I still need to get the window switches and the badge that I had made with my shift knob topper. Those will hopefully be ordered sooner, rather than later.

(Edit) Thinking I'm going to switch the front plate on the hazard switch to the brushed silver, to match the Jass cup holder. Still up in the air about it though. I kinda don't like that everything in my car is chrome, with the exception of the cupholder and the speaker covers.

[Imontalto]

So, I had to make a run to Home Depot the other day, for work, and I remembered an old thread I read about a DIY Randall Intake. I've always like the Randall style intake, and was going to save up to buy one before I found out I could do it myself. I figured, I was already at Home Depot, so why not give it a try. I used this (http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=457728) thread, bought supplies (which came out around $30), and got to work as soon as I got home!
The results are a good amount of cuts on my hands and a bit more response from the throttle!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1409192063.518956.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1409192075.150667.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1409192083.867979.jpg
Also, this is one of the first things I've done to my car, that I got right the first time
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1409192919.235118.jpg

[—Martin—]

Looks great, and I love the A-Team reference!

[Imontalto]

Looks great, and I love the A-Team reference!

Thank you, sir! I was hoping that someone would enjoy that.

[Imontalto]

So, it's been quite a busy week, making it hard to keep track of things here. I recently received some Zest style TSI's from mx5roadsters.net, and got them installed. I like the way they look, even though they were a bit of a pain to get painted. Though, I'm fairly confident that it was due to my less-than-great painting skills... Anywho, here's a quick picture I grabbed!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1410140309.879642.jpg
I need to invest in a decent camera...
Also, I apologize for never posting pictures of the installation process or anything. I do most of the work on my car after dark, when I get home from work, and that doesn't lend itself well to taking pictures with an iphone :/
And half the time I'm so freaking excited that I forget to take pictures of things until everything is done lol

[Imontalto]

So... I think that I need to rename my car... From Moriah, to Jirah! It was suggested by one of my students, and I think I like it better... Plus, it better conveys the meaning that I was going after in the first place!