Flyin 92's "Modern-Classic" build thread

[Flyin 92]

Thanks!

It's hard to roll topless because it looks so good with the hardtop. I'll eventually put another soft top on so I can feel better about rolling around topless.

[— Grip Driver —]

Wats or no wats, car looks great!

[—atank—]

Looking Good, and Love those Shoes!!!!!!!!

[Ihatecars]

I got a call Saturday barely two hours after my interview saying I got the job and I start tomorrow

Freaking awesome. Congradulations!

[Flyin 92]

It's been waaaaaayyyyyyyy too long since I've updated this thread (no internet at the house).

Some of you may have seen this on CR, but for those that haven't keep reading.

Classic Miata tail light deserved one final close up


After a bit of fiddling and a steady hand...



She came free. No cracks or broken anything. I was shocked.

"What replaced it?" some of you are asking. If you're not, then oh well. You must not like surprises.

*insert drum roll*
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TA DAAAAAA!!!!!!!!



I'm so JDM it hurts. Hurts so good that is

I'm beyond excited to finally have GV tails. I've wanted them for years and now I have them. Build quality is top notch. It feels much sturdier than the stock finish panel.

And the functional-ish bit I mentioned earlier?

Well here it is...



Fitment was good. Price wasn't bad either. Needs a little massaging to get it to fit right, but overall I'm pleased. For those that have a short memory... I do have an RB elbow and now the filter gets a direct shot of cold air.

Does it look good? Yes.
Does it lower intake temps? 95% sure.
How much? No idea. A few degrees I imagine.

[Flyin 92]

Next order of business was taking care of the tired stock shifter boots.

The lever had all but separated from the boot. When I removed the boot it ended up as seen below:



After removing the stock assembly I noticed everything else seemed to be in good working order. The stock bushing looked good enough to re-use, which I ended up doing.

Step two was to remove the old, dirty fluid. Buuuutttttt, there wasn't any No matter, a quick top off and all was well.



After a quick intermission (I had a quick bite to eat)...

I installed the new MiataRoadster SS kit I bought during the group buy.

Compared to stock:


With its new boot:


Test fit:


All buttoned up:


Looks good, eh? I think so. It has the brushed finish, which adds a nice touch. It also sits an 1 1/2" higher than stock.

On to the review.

Right after I installed it - minus the console - I took the car for a quick spin to break in the new steez. Once I got to the highway I noticed immediately the throw wasn't only shorter (30-40% would be a safe bet) they felt 1000000x smoother as well. Shifting was effortless. As in, it took 70-80% less effort to knock the lever around the gate. I also liked the fact the knob sat higher, thus making reaching for the gear leaver easier. A quick flick of the wrist and I was on to the next gear. It was like a hot knife through butter.

Down shifting was also easier. Darting into a corner and dropping down a gear or two felt quicker, smoother, better. It required at least 60% less effort, which in my book is a big difference.

Overall I'm extremely impressed with it. All the reviews I read that raved about it where spot on.

I'll finish with a Revlimiter-esk overall rating:

Quality: A+
-It's sturdy. Very sturdy.
Looks: A-/B+
-It's a shame only a small part of the lever is seen because it does look quite nice.
Functionality: A
-Shifting is easier, smoother and feels soooo much better than stock.
Install: A
-It was pretty straight forward. Except for the shifter bushing, which was for an NB. You'll need to swap over the stock/replacement.

Overall: A

I highly recommend this kit for anyone looking for an upgrade. It's well worth the money. Even more so if Bill does another group buy.
......................

Off topic. I'm hoping I can talk my roommates into getting internet so I can post more.

[Flyin 92]

Made a small update to the gauge cluster this past weekend.

Before:



After:



Not a big change (that'll come later), but just enough to add a touch of "bling". They're old BSP pieces Bo took off his red M.Net car. They're brushed aluminum and glue onto the stock needles. Their subtlety was a big reason I bought them. They don't detract from the overall combo either. In fact, I think it ties everything together perfectly.

………………………………

With that small detail finished up I can move onto the next items on my "To-Do" list for the interior.

The only big projects left are (in no particular order):
-Working with PCI to prototype Lotus seat mounts
-Installing the Redline Goods leather interior. Yes, the entire interior. Save for the armrests and seatbelt stalks.
-Fixing and installing the J-Limited II door cards w/ Nakamae door pulls.
-Buy and install Revlimiter window switches.

Somewhere in there I'll remove the airbag stuff and install my Nardi hub and sell the Daikei to whomever is in need of one.

[atxsbigwalt]

loving the headlight lid, I need to get me one.

[Flyin 92]

loving the headlight lid, I need to get me one.

It was a good buy for the money. Can't remember for the life of me who made it.

[— Dandy —]

Those BSP gauge needle buttons are a nice touch. I had them on my '92. I also like that they are subtle. I was hoping another vendor would produce them again but it hasn't happened.

[—atank—]

Ohoooooo, Yeah NICEeeee!!!!!!!

[Flyin 92]

I forgot to mention I ordered disabled veteran plate, which are permanent here in the state of Oregon. That means no more registration and no more DEQ!!! Test pipe, here I come!!!!

[★ revlimiter ★]

Brainstorm needle buttons? Anyone have more photos? Those are GORGEOUS.

Also, lovely shifter. I'm waiting for the mail to deliver mine. Quite excite.

[Flyin 92]

Brainstorm needle buttons? Anyone have more photos? Those are GORGEOUS.

Also, lovely shifter. I'm waiting for the mail to deliver mine. Quite excite.

I wish I took photos of them before I installed them, but I was really eager to get them on. Plus, it was like 95* in my parents garage.

They aren't very thick. Maybe a mm or two, with a slight convex shape. They fit on the flat part of the needle beautifully, thus leaving even spacing on the beveled part.

As for the shifter. It's easily in my top 5 favorite functional mods. Shifting is effortless and smooth. I'm hoping you got an extended lever to add more of a vintage feel. I need to get a spherical shift knob and ditch the voodoo. The neck makes it look odd with the extended lever.

[★ revlimiter ★]

Ahhhh, I see how it goes. The bevel on the plastic needle center is still visible. VERY interesting.

I've been thinking of making something like this for months. Just had no idea how it might look. And now I can see!