Welcome to the story of my daily driver.
-Miss Blue-
If you're wondering, "why Miss Blue?"
Well, it's origin is less complex than my other more intimidating build, Kimochi Cruiser. Miss Blue is the name held to my favorite song from a band i grew up with, Filter. While the song's lyrics don't quite meet the feeling of this build, being overwhelmingly solemn and empty- The car is indeed very blue, and i have grown so attached to it in the recent months that this pretty Laguna Blue C-Package has forced its grip on my heart.
More related to the name, is the story foreshadowing my purchase of Miss Blue. I had sold my Toyota Rav4 to aid in some financial needs; soon after i had realized how hard life becomes when your daily vehicle returns to being a supercharged and incredibly modified silver Miata... So the search for something a little more affordable than buying back the Rav4 began.
I had come across -what seemed to be- a well taken care of Mariner Blue NA6; high mileage with a few cosmetic woes. After a thorough inspection i decided to add it to the stable. For a few weeks it served its purpose- transporting me to campus alongside my supplies. Shortly after, the bugs swept under the rug began to show themselves- Idle became uneven, lack of power, overheating... After a once over inside the engine bay i discovered that the crank pulley had all but vibrated into a broken mess of ugliness (the dreaded 1.6SNC wobble).
The Mariner was promptly disposed of and i found myself partnered with this pretty Laguna- Praying that she'll breathe long enough to become my inspired daily runabout; Miss Blue.
Let's start
Pretty on the Outside
This 1994 Laguna Blue C-Package while seemingly glossy and preserved, presented a few issues when i first brought it home. It seems the owner might have left the top down in a rain storm... or two- as the seats are rigid and discolored beyond any help. Upon further inspection, i came to the conclusion that Miss Blue has been re-cleared; while not bothersome to me (it seems well done), its something to note.
Otherwise, the 80,000 miles it has traveled certainly do not show. Healthy power delivery and no signs of burning liquids left me in joy.
Earning Her Keep
Shortly after getting acclimated to driving an NA, the opportunity arrived to test its reliability on a small kart track in the middle of nowhere, Grange Motor Circuit. The travel and abuse would stand to be her first demonstration of well being.
We left early morning, its always good to see the glowing fluorescent colors of California's sunrise.
Soon the sun cast was high and the mountains of the valley began to show- This is a nice change from the rocky peaks surrounding Pasadena.
We had arrived- but not without traversing a 2 mile and uninhabited rally ready road. When i said middle of nowhere, i meant it!
The day was hot! Not entirely sure why i chose to drop the top and enhance my farmer's tan... Blue seemed to be handling the intense heat index well- A few sessions revealed that my shock absorbers were blown, powersteering fluid was aging, and a stock Miata sheds light on drivers who might still have skills to learn- issues that were previously being hidden by a much more capable car (Kimochi...)
We tried adding a passenger to balance the incredible body roll...
And of course, you'll never make a trip home without someone having a technical issue!
Overall, It was a great experience. Learning to compensate for the lack of grip (even with a new set of Dunlop Direzza Star Specs, body roll and a poor alignment took their toll) was fun. A car that makes you work to maintain speed actually seems more enjoyable than having the backhand of supercharged grunt and unlimited surface staying power.
Something Straight from Japan
Ever since laying eyes on Madaboutmx5s Kanspo equipped cars, i knew i needed to track down one of these uniquely stout lightweight hardtops. Just my luck that JDMpalace had been storing one for a few years, hoping to add it to one of his vehicles.
After conveying my deepest interest to Mr. Palace- myself practically begging; he made arrangements with me to meet him in the Sacramento area for pickup.
It had a few heavily damaged edges from shipment and storage as well as some very corroded rivnut inserts.
While i didn't have the funds to repair or properly paint the top, i did fork out for these nifty garage star front brackets matched with his security bolts. To add another layer of protection, Beatrush Locking Latches were added with some heavyweight padlocks.
While searching around, i had also come across a nice little interior touch from the Japanese market Roadster.
Medic!
To this date, Miss Blue had been reliable- but a trip to Indotech Motorsports for an alignment led to the discovery of a pretty heavy waterpump leak. Because i trust Alex of Indotech, i let him take care of business here; with school becoming more time consuming i have since let him take over most of my in depth repairs.
Quite the Donation
Being occupied with Facebook can sometimes be rewarding. A friend of ours had been repainting his Miata and found this vented hood did not satisfy the direction of aesthetics (mainly do to fit and finish). He made a post offering it to anyone who would enjoy the challenge of improving its quality- I raised my hand swiftly. (Kimochi making a guest appearance.)
Im not sure of what brand it is- a hint to its origin is the SAE hardware. But i enjoyed the muscular high risen front vent surface.
Stay Tuned!
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