Jazz

[snake520]

I don't like the gap between my blox knob and shift boot either... Need to find a way to fix that lol

[— Grip Driver —]

lovin the retro look you have going on

[—Martin—]

Re: gap between knob & boot. You can cut the threads down farther and lop off the top of the shifter.



Or, you can add something (short piece of rubber hose?) to top of the shifter to force the boot to stay up higher.

[speedypenguin]

Thanks for the suggestion Martin. I might try cutting the top of the shifter, but I'll see what it looks like with a Joyfast shift knob.

Blox actually supplied a threaded and collared nut, which can help the shift boot stay higher, but it really stretches the shift boot. I did that with the stock shift boot, and it eventually developed tears and holes from the shifting movements (especially from shifting into 5th).

[speedypenguin]

Quick update. I've been enjoying driving Jazz for the past month or so. Jazz is reminding me why driving a Miata is so special. Got to love that right?

I acquired a couple of parts, but you'll all have to wait awhile till I take pics of these parts. I'm having lots of fun driving Jazz now.

But here a couple of pictures my friend shot of Jazz recently at a local Miata tech day event:

[Ihatecars]

Jazz looks great!
I hope one day i can get Shin, my roadster, on the same level as Jazz.

[—atank—]

Yeah Man, I also enjoy every minute that I drive my Roadster!!!!!!

[theothersawyer]

Absolutely beautiful car!!!

[speedypenguin]

Jazz looks great!
I hope one day i can get Shin, my roadster, on the same level as Jazz.

Thanks man. I have to admit I was inspired by many other inspiring builds. I'm sure you and Shin will share great moments with our community.

Yeah Man, I also enjoy every minute that I drive my Roadster!!!!!!

Cheers!

Absolutely beautiful car!!!

Thank you.

It's been some time since my last update. As mentioned in one of my past posts, I wanted to take a "break" from modifying Jazz. So for November, Jazz remained the same, and I enjoyed every moment driving Jazz around. Whether is going to local tech days, meets, and even just running errands, Jazz managed to put a smile on my face every time we went driving.

But the fun in having a car such as the Miata/Roadster is the endless possibilities of personalizing your car right? Well, thanks to "Black Friday"/"Cyber Monday"/Christmas deals, who can pass up on opportunities to acquire more mods?? Certainly not me.

So here's some updates/additions since last time:

I acquired a KG Works cluster for Jazz at the beginning of December. I had seen countless pictures online, and even had the opportunity to see the cluster in my friends' cars, but receiving one for Jazz was a special moment.


The details...the retro lenses/enclosures...the individual pieces of glass...the gauge rings...the KG Works cluster is one of the most beautiful interior pieces ever made.

[speedypenguin]

I also gave Jazz some interior bits. As mentioned in an earlier post, I decided to get a Joyfast shift knob. Specifically, Jazz received a "Long" shift knob, mainly because I really like the machined collar and that I still wanted some weight in the shift knob. Compared with the previous Blox shift knob, the Joyfast knob weighs 50g less (440g vs 490g). It still feels hefty, the slimmer shape is so much nicer to use. I can't wait to see how it feels while driving on track.



Another addition were some RSpeed Vent Rings. I really like the concave design, and the diamond-tooled finish is a nice touch. Thank you to "IHateCars" (and Shin!) for the find. Jazz is very happy.

Also, switched out the stock hazard switches with a black anodized Revlimiter Retro Hazard switch. A subtle touch, but classes up the interior very nicely. Thank you Adam for sharing these parts with our community.

[Ihatecars]

KG Works cluster cluster looks really great.

Those vent rings are super nice also. I'm glad Shin and I were able to help contribute a little something to this build!

[speedypenguin]

The last update of 2013 was one of the best, if not the best mod for Jazz: a set of Revlimiter gauges. I have long been a fan of Adam and his blog. Adam makes many cool and tasteful gauge designs, and in all honestly, it was very difficult to pick a design for Jazz!

Now I don't want to come across as "snobbish", but I decided if I were to get Jazz some gauges, I wanted to get him a unique/modified set. I know not many people have Revlimiter gauges (more people should though!), but Jazz is a unique roadster. He has his own distinct personality. So I narrowed it down to one design and collaborated with Adam to design Jazz' gauges. It was a pleasure and fun experience bouncing ideas back and forth with Adam, and this post will showcase pics of the day the gauges arrived.

A package arrived.


Look who it is from.


Thanks Adam! (From Brian and Jazz)


Package contents.


Enjoy.


Needle stopper practice. (I practiced on all the dots. Necessary? No, but practice makes perfect.)


Tachometer.


Speedometer.


Gauges.


Modified "Version Stirling" Revlimiter gauges. Thank you very much, Adam.


In the next post, I'll share pictures I snapped during the installation process.

[speedypenguin]

Here is Jazz' stock cluster. 164K miles young and hopefully many more to go. The stock cluster is nice, and being a '94 car, Jazz' cluster came with the "metal" (are the rings metal?) cluster trim rings. Looks nice, but something much, much classier was to come.


Addendum: I followed Adam's DIY install, but it indicated there are three connectors to disconnect. I'm pretty sure it's not just my car...but I found a fourth connection. I found out that this was the rear defroster light/indictator. Now for some reason, I couldn't figure out for the life of me how to disconnect it. In slight frustration, I kind of tore away the foam wrapping the connector and discovered...there's a tab in the middle of the connector. Maybe I was having a fail moment...but I'm glad I figured it out. Whew.)

I don't like you.


I decided to remove the connector, mainly because the KG Works cluster doesn't have a lens/window to see the light, if it ever would turn on...


Anyways, let's get back on track.

These little guys arrived in the package. I don't know how Adam keeps them under control, but I didn't think I'd have to "care and feed" these guys.


I didn't take pictures of every step, since Adam wrote such a thorough write-up on his blog. But, here is a pic I took of removing the plastic from within the cluster.


Placing the needle stoppers. Make sure to practice at least a few times, folks.


New gauges are in. Still more to add...


Sidenote: So I went down to SoCal during Thanksgiving to attend the LA Auto Show, and while I was down there, I picked up a set of JDM S-Special door cards. The guy selling the cards was very nice, and threw in these needle caps with the door cards. Now, I'm not 100% sure which needle caps these are, but I think that these are AWD needle caps. I only say this because...one of the caps fell off and made a "metal" resonating noise. Whether they're actually AWD caps, they look nice regardless.


Installing the needle caps.


Ooohhh...shiny...


Finished gauges w/KG Works cluster!


These are lovely.


Crappy installed shot. I will take better pictures sometime soon.


I love the new 6-o-clock "zero" position. It's a very slight change, but completely changes the feel of the gauges. I'm sure you can tell I'm a huge fan of Revlimiter gauges, but I highly recommend that everyone should get a set of Adam's gauges.

[speedypenguin]

2013 was a good year for me and Jazz. I never thought Jazz would've transformed (haha, get it?) to where he is now. My passion for modifying cars grew more than I could ever fathom, and I met and made many friends who share the same passion. Thank you all for making our Roadster community special. Jazz and I hope to meet each and every one of you in the future. Cheers everyone.

So Jazz and I look forward to 2014 with eager anticipation. What is in store for Jazz? Definitely at least a couple of track days and autocrosses. After all, the Miata/Roadster is a driver's car. In terms of modifications, we don't know exactly where we'll go, but we will always make sure to enjoy the Roadster life.

[Ihatecars]

Jazz looks excellent! Nothing too over the top, but enough to allow him to stand out from the pack. Just perfect in my opinion.

I'm really excited for what the future has in store for you and Jazz.