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Thread: Miata Barn Find rehab 1993 Limited Edition saved

  1. #1
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here!
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    Miata Barn Find rehab 1993 Limited Edition saved

    So I picked up another Barn Find, less than 90K miles, four flat tires, not running, however rust free, carrying 90% of it's original paint. Passenger fender had been replaced (OEM Mazda unit) back in March of 1998 at 24,088 miles after a minor front end collision.

    I'll attempt to document items I replace as I get the car ready for the road:

    So far:

    Yesterdays work:
    New Battery
    New Tires
    New Plugs
    New Wires

    Todays planned work
    Fluid Flush to include:
    Brake/clutch/coolant/rear differential

    Items to still be checked:
    Coolant leak (undetermined at this time)
    Brakes
    Suspension bits and pieces
    Minor crease in right rear quarter panel, will be taking around to a body shop or two for estimates. Will be interesting to be on the other side of the equation in an area with no real connections.

    Car currently airing out in the sun with top and windows down after it's 9+ year slumber.

    No pictures at the moment as I still have yet to acquire secure internet access in my current location.


    Bill S.
    Too many to list
    Instead of being part of the problem, why not be a part of a successful solution.

  2. The Following User Says Thank You to mrmustang For This Useful Post:

    Agent☣Orange (05-16-2014)

  3. #2
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power Andy's Avatar
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    How can you tell us all about this and not even bother to give us photos.

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    The Driver (05-16-2014)

  5. #3
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here!
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    Several Miatas, a 69 GT500 Shelby
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy View Post
    How can you tell us all about this and not even bother to give us photos.
    No pictures due to no real internet access at the moment. 5 days (today is day 6) trying to have it hooked up at our temporary place has gone round and round in circles with one dept blaming the other. I bought the car to work on to keep me from throttling the next ATT customer service rep I speak with.

    Bill S.
    Too many to list
    Instead of being part of the problem, why not be a part of a successful solution.

  6. #4
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here!
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    Forgot to add fuel filter..........I'm going to be a mess in another hour or two
    Too many to list
    Instead of being part of the problem, why not be a part of a successful solution.

  7. #5
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here! MX5RACER's Avatar
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    The Driver (05-16-2014)

  9. #6
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone ScratchNSniff's Avatar
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    Was this the LE that was posted???

  10. #7
    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
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    Just did a Miata fuel filter a couple weeks ago and didn't drink too much gas this time.


    No todo que es oro brilla.

  11. #8
    Admin / Pit Boss / Miataholic Phatmiata's Avatar
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    Cool sounds like a fun find for sure!! Please post lots of photos when you get back to good internet connections!

    We should call you the Miata Hunter

  12. #9
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power Rogue's Avatar
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    My wife drives a '97PEP we pulled out of a barn.
    She spent a bunch of time cleaning it up and I did the maintenance.
    We drive it all over now and she even autocrosses it when she can.
    1992 BnT, 93LE #737, 94M, 95M, 96M, 97PEP, and a few 90s

  13. #10
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here!
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    Several Miatas, a 69 GT500 Shelby
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    Greenville, SC
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phatmiata View Post

    We should call you the Miata Hunter

    There are some on here that have called me worse.

    I prefer Miata Trader (I trade one garage space taken up with a Miata for another one when there is nothing left to tinker with)


    Quote Originally Posted by Phatmiata View Post
    Cool sounds like a fun find for sure!! Please post lots of photos when you get back to good internet connections!
    Car I bought is 9.8 miles away in a RV storage unit with no power or real ventilation. Hence the fun I am currently having, and no pictures to back anything up.



    As for todays fun, all fluids accept the coolant has been thoroughly flushed and changed out. The coolant will be done some time on Monday when I replace an engine plug under the manifold that has a light weep to it that I do not want to deal with today.

    Brakes are at 80-90%, rotors are surface rusted, but once I put three or four miles on them, they will clean right up.

    Pictures sooner or later, just not high on my list of other things I still need to do (like get my U vers (or whatever ATT calls it) internet service which they now promise on Monday so I can get a secure set up with my one client).

    Bill S.
    Too many to list
    Instead of being part of the problem, why not be a part of a successful solution.

  14. #11
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here!
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    Several Miatas, a 69 GT500 Shelby
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    Greenville, SC
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    Ok, could not wait till Monday, nice and cool out, and I decided to pulled the exhaust manifold off (not one stud broke) and tackled the freeze plug which was weeping coolant. Changed the air filter while I was at it.

    As some of you have already deduced, the car is indeed the 93 LE barn find out of Alabama. I happened to be responding to a PM here about the area in which we are currently residing in SC, when the seller made his post. I believe his thread was maybe two or three minutes old at the time before I called on it. Right time, right place, I really was not planning on buying anything while we are down here, but had been spending a few days going stir crazy with nothing to work on as the cars are in PA still...The seller and his wife were great to work with, they both could have turned around and sold the car for more money, but kept their word while I worked out the Mothers Day logistics of heading out for a 5+ hour one way trip.


    Now for the behind the scenes of how such a car actually makes it back to the ground and under it's own power:
    For those that believe they could have flown in and driven the car home with a little TLC were deluding themselves, (I'll touch on the major items that I went through the past few days, but there was much more than what I will post here) The car was almost unsafe to put air in (15psi is all that I did in all four tires by the way to protect the rims) and roll on to my trailer. Same goes for just changing fluids and expecting to safely start the car after such a long slumber. Extreme care must (and was) taken to clean up, lubricate, and make sure the motor was not frozen solid before initial start up. Plugs were pulled, a few drops of marvels was dropped in to each plug hole, and the engine was hand cranked back and forth to make sure the rings were not fused to the cylinder walls. When they would move freely, hand cranking the motor for several full revolutions was done to be sure things worked as they should. A bore scope was used both through the valve cover filler, the plug holes, and the drain plug hole. Injectors could not be trusted and were pulled and sent out to be cleaned. When I was satisfied with that I proceeded to check the brake and fuel lines, along with the brakes, suspension pieces, and just about anything else I could think of, one corner at a time as I had to borrow a floor jack and one jack stand from a neighbor in the storage complex. When all of that and more checked out, new fluids were installed, bled properly (ever bleed an ABS equipped Miata), and the new battery was connected. At that time I fired up the car for the first time since 2005/2006 (last registration tag shows a 2006 expiration) and watched it go right to idle with excellent oil pressure, no lifter tick was detected and I am thrilled with that.

    Took the car around the back roads (yes, I already have insurance on it, would not take it out without it) around the storage facility, put 2.4 miles on it, AC works, heater works, radio (stock radio still needs to be cleaned in and out with electric contact cleaner, maybe this week if I really get motivated to do it), power windows all work. Car was not taken over 50mph for it's maiden voyage....... Trying to figure out how I can register the car here without giving up my current state residency (it's complicated). If that does not happen, I'll make the trip northwards soon and get my plates and title work done there..

    Was the purchase a crap shoot, you bet, the timing belt could have been broken (reason for a lot of these cars being parked suddenly), the car could have been rusted to death underneath, brakes rusted solid, etc and so forth. Yet, I've rolled those dice before and been burned (traveled 1,300 miles one way only to find the rust free part of the car is because they cut all the rust out, but never installed replacement panels was the worst one), but in this case, I decided to take that chance. After all, parts are inexpensive, my labor is free, and I needed something to work on to keep my sanity in check.

    Pictures are now attached, car still needs a really good cleaning in and out, but is pretty much ready for the road once I get a legit set of plates on it.

    Bill S.

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    Too many to list
    Instead of being part of the problem, why not be a part of a successful solution.

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    Agent☣Orange (05-17-2014),jux (05-17-2014),Phatmiata (05-18-2014),WASABI (05-17-2014)

  16. #12
    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! WASABI's Avatar
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    Wow, great deal, on a clean car. Congratulations.

  17. #13
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here!
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    I forgot to add, I now have real internet access again
    Too many to list
    Instead of being part of the problem, why not be a part of a successful solution.

  18. #14
    Idling - Listen to it purr... Filipe Dias's Avatar
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    Awsome!

  19. #15
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone speedypenguin's Avatar
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    I'm glad that LE is getting a second chance to shine again!
    My Eunos Roadster, Jazz

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