My NB Daily Driver - Harbinger

[RotorNutFD3S]

I'm pulling my current journal over from our local Miata forum, so some of this are the older entries, starting from 3/14/10. I'll compile them into as few posts as possible. Pretty picture heavy though. Reading over this I've seen how much my goals for this car have changed. lol

You'll see me reference someone named Dave quite a bit, he's known as OldGrayFrog on the forums. For a majority of the time I've owned this car, I was building his '91 from the ground up. Almost everything on that car has been replaced with something newer or better: built 1.8, GT2871R turbo, Hydra, LSx coil packs, 3.636 rear end, 6-speed, Nakamae interior, Racing Beat body parts, Simpson hood, Garage Vary rear panel, Wilwood brakes, 6ULs, Exige seats, you get the idea. I'll try to copy over that build thread too at some point.

3/14/10
Main Entry: har·bin·ger
Pronunciation: \ˈhär-bən-jər\
a : precursor b : one that presages or foreshadows what is to come


So after thinking about what I want out of my next project Miata and knowing that it will be another NA platform, I decided that I wanted a more enjoyable daily driver than my '91 Toyota Previa (aka The Space Egg). That thing is great for hauling parts or people, but not so much fun to drive. I love Miatas and can fix or modify most anything on them now, so it only made sense to get another one. I can enjoy the reliability and even though I'll have a Project Miata, I won't miss the fun summer months of top down driving.

So here's my new daily driver, a 1999 Miata. Some will recognize this as OldGrayFrog's prior vehicle. It's in great shape, has 114k miles, handles great, and will work perfectly for what I want out of a daily. I really wasn't looking for an NB for a daily (it's well known I prefer an NA over an NB), but this one came along at the right time and is actually one of the few comfortable ones I've been in. I'm addicted to looking in the mirrors over the rear fenders and spoiler, same feeling as looking over the flares on my prior NA. Just something about the curves...

Current Mod List:

- Garage Vary Replica Front Bumper
- IL Motorsports Eyelids
- Track Dog Racing Front Splitter
- KG Works Side Markers
- MazdaSpeed Miata Rear Spoiler
- MazdaSpeed Miata Rear Diffuser
- IL Motorsports LED 3rd Brake Light
- Spoon Fuel Lid
- Bilstein PSS Coilover System
- Flyin' Miata Front and Rear Sway Bars and Adjustable End Links
- DBA Cross Drilled and Slotted Rotors
- EBC Green Stuff Brake Pads
- SS Brake Lines
- OBX Header, 2.5" Roadster Midpipe, and Cobalt Polished Stainless Steel Exhaust System
- Brainstorm Solo I Roll Bar
- Katskinz Covered NB Seats
- Innovate LC-1 WBo2
- Gauge cluster with NB2 white faces and KG Works Vintage Aviation Bezel
- VooDoo Smooth Piano Black Shift Knob

This weekend I:

- Installed 15x7.5 +34 6ULs wrapped with 205/50/15 Nitto Neo Gens
- Swapped the tail lights for 01+ assemblies
- Installed my Nautilus Air Horn
- Installed a black soft top (Thanks Joe and Sean!)
- Lowered the car (Thanks Mike and Sean!)

In the near future, I'd like to tint the windows, install a stainless steel braided clutch line, a Cobalt 3-point shock tower brace, frame rail reinforcements, and a MazdaSpeed Miata pedal set. Maybe an aftermarket steering wheel. Probably not much more than that though, just enough to assist in handling and durability.
I may have to pull the Brainstorm bar and install a more glass-window friendly rollbar. It didn't interfere with the tan cloth top with glass at all, but the vinyl top doesn't go down as easily.

So enough talking, onto the pictures.

Before shot:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4433432855_14de2df92b_z.jpg

And now:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/4434154214_7d30e4a100_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4433352735_debcd003fb_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4434149178_7aff4853f4_z.jpg

With Doppelgänger:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/4433385509_09396e8de9_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4433357921_71fe6b1030_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4433362841_1625cb2351_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4433367631_bd8f29e009_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4433372585_2b8ea36e95_z.jpg

Slapped on the SportMax 002s from my '95 on there just for sh**s and giggles, poor fitment:

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/RotorNutFD3S/DSC_1937.jpg

Editor's Notes: Right after I got this car and proclaimed it my daily driver, I had visions of an LSx swap and an NB daily. I set out to find an NA with a blown engine that I could swap the 99's engine into, but it didn't pan out then.

3/21/10
Installed SMT LED tail light bulbs from V-LEDs

LED Bulb:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4452469956_bb1a87eb36_o.jpg

Running Lights (LED on left, OEM on right):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4451712517_7ce650e31c_o.jpg

Brake Lights (LED on left, OEM on right):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/4452486544_ce213626b9_o.jpg

The brake lights almost look the same until you notice that you can see the gridlines in the housing on the right light, and not so much on the left light. And they're really red, not orange. lol

Popped the SlickAuto APR CF Mirrors from my NA onto the NB:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4479848389_c4a5b0409a_z.jpg

4/4/10
Yesterday Sean (wonton) and I drove up to Panic Motorsports in SC to get the parts I needed to start my interior swap. Steve is a great guy to do business with and the drive was well worth it.

This is what we saw when we pulled up, so we knew we made it to the right place:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4488160289_5b4b436710_z.jpg

To the project at hand, the tan interior was nice, but I wasn't satisfied with it and I don't enjoy leather in a convertible. I'm also not a big fan of chrome and wood accents on the interior. I already had black floormats and center console, so it was looking a little mismatched. Here's the before pictures:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4488813980_fe3906b4bf_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4488817836_4bcb5d137a_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4488171349_7f8e423557_z.jpg

And after the swap. I have to modify the inside door pulls so that they fit into the holes in the MSM door panels and I'll have to create new linkages so it all works, but that won't be too hard to do once I get the parts. Here's the after:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2683/4491376762_c7784a002e_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4491381818_9e0f54563f_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4490746093_da3212e70c_z.jpg

If you look at the before pictures, you can see that there was a wood piece adhered to the OEM shifter surround. When I took that off there was hardened residue from the adhesive that wouldn't come off, even with a razor. So I sanded it smooth and wrapped it with the Neffy Wrap:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2775/4490750403_30ec23b646_z.jpg

4/13/10
I realized I didn't have any pictures that really showed off the the mirrors against the rest of the car and I also got the windows tinted (38 on the sides and 18 on the rear). I installed my old Revlight and ScanGauge II last week too.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4519525074_604a05ff11_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4519537872_86a101d67f_z.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2799/4519511260_ac5d5ecf0c_z.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/4519517788_2d1c117254_z.jpg

I unexpectedly received a set of larger brakes so those will be going on ASAP.

And yes, those are rock chips in the front bumper, the result of getting peppered with fine gravel during a mountain run combined with a not so hot paint job.

5/3/10
Snagged a set of NB Sport Brakes for an awesome deal.

Here's a few quick comparison shots of the brakes off the car, shots of the car will come when the weather improves:

Fronts:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4575004782_dbd52f3f35_z.jpg

Rears:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4575010604_1ed7613b8b_z.jpg

Rear Rotors:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4575016500_a8d38c75b5_z.jpg

The brakes are a little more touchy and stop the car better than the stock setup did, both using EBC Green Stuff pads, so a pretty fair comparison. A worthwhile swap if you can get the parts cheap enough, but the stock setup does work very well. The fronts will soon be replaced with a set of Wilwood Dynalite calipers and Corrodo 11" rotors. Lots of weight can be lost there and I'm preparing the car for a lot more power.

6/28/10
Well the stock radiator's plastic endtank started separating from the core (no big surprise there), so I put up a few WTB ads and patiently waited. I just scored a barely used PWR for less than a brand new Mishimoto aluminum rad! Should be here this week, hopefully I'll get some time to install it so I can make Caffeine and Octane this weekend, I've missed the last two.

It showed up and was installed on 7/1/10:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4753828350_394fc607d1_z.jpg

[RotorNutFD3S]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4765711149_41cdf35dd5_z.jpg

8/30/10
Hosted a tech day at my house, ended up being able to pull the old roll bar out and installed my new Hard Dog M2HCHTDD roll bar. Also threw on my Beatrush diff. brace.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4943238499_7c58ec1221_z.jpg

Here's a couple shots of the car with the roll bar, was losing my light after changing the oil and installing the brace though, so sorry for the noise.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4943299327_44382458b9_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4943886126_74052656aa_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/4943300587_bb92bd5e05_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4943925002_a288c95293_z.jpg

9/4/10
Finally got tired of the foggy headlight syndrome, so I got the Turtle Wax kit and went to town on them this morning. Didn't actually need the pads they have in the kit, just used the compound. Was going to take the headlight housings apart and paint the insides black, but the GV bumper is going to have to come off for that and I'm not feeling that motivated today.

Before and After:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4957232603_e3e7444daf_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/4957824804_fa384cece1_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4957232869_fe5a85a3d3_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/4957233607_01f729290c_z.jpg

Now I just have to get the eyelids back on. The nylon hardware for the TDR splitter showed up today so the car should be in good shape for C&O tomorrow.

9/24/10
Things are about to get a little brighter:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/5021006991_773873a844.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5021008285_86736d5a6c.jpg

They're Morimoto Mini H1 Bi-Xenon Projectors from TheRetrofitSource.

10/16/10
Got an I.L. Motorsport pedal set at R*Speed today and in typical fashion didn't waste any time installing them. Install on the gas and dead pedal is easy, getting the covers on the brake and clutch pedals is a little more difficult. Really small flat head screwdriver helps there. If you've ever installed a set of MSM pedals, you know what I'm talking about. Very nice parts though!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5087746629_1e3d5fb474_z.jpg

12/27/10
So I haven't really done much to the car, not much to do really unless I make it faster. :lol: But I did get a black MSM rear view mirror:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5298436320_f24c1a3729_z.jpg

I also got a pair of MSM door sills. The stainless on the sills helps break up some of the solid black of the interior, I like them a lot better than I thought I would.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5298435872_ca24ceef46_z.jpg

1/21/11
Last night I installed the D-Techniques kit which deleted the center console. I'm going to try it out for a bit to see if I like it more than having a center console, but so far it's pretty nice.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5376089069_a7956ba7d6_z.jpg

1/24/10
Meanwhile I've been silently accumulating parts to turbo the car on a budget, I've missed boost like crazy, and some good deals have come along:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5218/5385758771_dacde969b9_z.jpg

So far I have:
- MSM manifold, turbo, and downpipe elbow (very low mileage parts)
- MSM water pump inlet
- MSM turbine brace
- Stock 99-00 "downpipe"
- Enthuza Turbo XR Lightweight from an MSM
- Walbro 250lph fuel pump
- Supra Green Top injectors
- FM Happy Meal w/ Level 1 Clutch Kit and 10.3lb flywheel (lightly used, about 3-4,000 miles)
- MSM engine mounts (Christmas present from Britt's grandmother)

The MSM turbo assembly bolts up to the stock 99-00 downpipe as seen and lets me retain my existing exhaust and the XR bolts up to the midpipe normally as well. So from the downpipe back I'll have my RoadsterSport midpipe and the XR, all 2.5". I'm going to send the turbine housing to BEGi to get the wastegate ported to prevent boost issues.

Right now I have very little total invested in the system, around a few hundred dollars. At this point I need an MSM EGR pipe, intercooler and piping, oil and water lines, and something for engine management. Should be ready to install after that. Hate to say it, but I'll probably go with a piggyback of some sort. Not going to be running a ton of boost on a turbo this small and I need to stay OBDII compliant, so a standalone isn't currently fitting the bill and no one has gotten a parallel setup running consistently without a CEL. The nice thing is I won't have to fight with the ECU as badly as MSM owners do.

The goal is to make around the same power as the MSM owners do with intake, injector, exhaust, and intercooler upgrades. So just a hair over 200rwhp, anything better is icing on the cake. Granted this won't be as powerful as my red NA was but it will be a ton more fun than n/a.

2/3/11
I has new steering wheel. Momo Competition 350mm. Can still see the whole gauge cluster but yet it doesn't rub on my knees. So much nicer!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/5414212469_7af10f5d4f_z.jpg

2/15/11
I finally got around to reinstalling my ScanGauge since the center console delete removed its old mounting spot. I'll see if I like this new spot:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5216/5449616356_0fa02cf2bc_z.jpg

Snapped a quick shot of the car as I walked back inside (this was post projector retrofit, which there is a walkthrough for here on MiataRoadster.net):

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5014/5449617112_65aed05e82_z.jpg

4/15/10
I has more bracing! Thanks Dave! :D After last weekend's wheel rotate/balance and alignment I still had a tiny hint of "60mph Shimmy" between 60-70mph. Now it is gone.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5145/5623032469_1689e759b3_z.jpg

And a red Mazdaspeed oil cap, which was given to me by a Honda tech because he didn't have anything to put it on. lol

4/18/11
Just because I take pictures of just about every project I do or part I install, I was going to take a picture of the new 3.9 diff but I realized it was pretty dirty (not caked oil, just normal accumulated grime from life on the road), and everyone who knows me knows I'm OCD about installing clean parts. Out came the degreaser...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5632544255_9d58be3ebe_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5633128542_ee8417191f_z.jpg

Much better!

4/22/11
So tonight I decided to absolutely slam my car...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5642129513_bd95c30d89_z.jpg

Just kidding... With the help of Danny (theothersawyer) we got my 3.9 TorSen installed, not much to show here, just the "old" vs. the "new":

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5270/5642699452_2336ce0436_z.jpg

And a shot of the 3.9 carrier hanging in its new home:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5642130299_d000340d7f_z.jpg

Danny's idea of helping was creating towers with sockets while the diff., PPF, ladder brace, and assorted other tools all fell on my face:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5642130755_3c1159b2cb_z.jpg

I kid, he helped a lot and I'm lucky since I asked for help at the last minute. Definitely appreciated! We knocked the job out in just a little over 5 hours, had a few stubborn bolts and those pesky PPF pieces, but no major issues thankfully. We got done, took it for a test drive, and while I was enjoying the lower RPMs we heard a horrible rattle. Got it back home, turns out I left the trunk unlatched. Oh well, that's what you get for being tired sometimes.

I'm also just planning to stick with the 5 speed. It keeps the gears longer which I enjoy for cruising at interstate speeds/keeping the RPMs down (it still accelerates nicely) and with the MSM turbo stuff I won't even be near the breaking point of this transmission. But I'll be able to stay in boost in each gear just a little bit longer. :)

[RotorNutFD3S]

4/23/11
My windshield developed some nasty lines after an existing impact started spider webbing.

New glass is awesome! It's almost as if the glass really isn't there, it's so clear.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5647103088_d33bafbcbd_z.jpg

And I just decided to trim a convertible boot I had for the rollbar, much cleaner look IMO:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5647697366_470d190ae1_z.jpg

5/5/11
I got jealous of the Carbing tow hooks I put on Dave's car, plus some people kept asking why I hadn't deleted the "baby teeth" yet, so I got myself some hooks as well, although a less expensive option from RennenMetal. I have done business with him before and as always the customer service is top notch. For whatever reason the first shipment attempted never made it to me and the tracking information never updated from "shipped" so he immediately sent another set to me using a different shipping company. Don't get that level of service much anymore.

Anyway, onto the quick pictures:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5025/5691569493_604abbe909_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5691570087_25c8b23726_z.jpg

The rear hook is bent specifically to clear the MSM rear lip and does require drilling one hole for installation (easy though):

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5692141388_9e0523c366_z.jpg

6/24/11
I was walking up to my car today and I decided I finally had enough of the gap between the hood and the bumper. It's not as noticeable to most people, but I'm pretty sure I'm OCD and it bugged the sh** out of me.

About a year ago the bumper was sagging because the big plastic bumper support piece wasn't installed when the bumper went on. Mike, having an authentic Garage Vary bumper on his NB, knew what needed to be trimmed/modified on the plastic piece and took my bumper off and fixed it for me. For a while it looked great but there wasn't much supporting the lower half of the bumper and the gap started to widen again, but not as bad as it originally had been.

So tonight I adjusted the bumper where I wanted it to be, took my Dremel and drilled out 3 holes in the bumper that line up with the holes in the car where the forward air dam used to attach, and secured it with some nuts and bolts. Result: no more sagging bumper, even after pushing down on it, and a hugely reduced gap. Looks like it shouldn't move again. That should cure me for a bit...

7/29/11
Dave let me try out the SSR Type-C wheels he has (I really like them on my car), but tonight before they came off I took a few shots of them installed, just with my Sony PnS, but better than the cell phone:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5986201603_f3e895f70a_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/5986760746_26a5ca2300_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5986760194_01d41a724a_b.jpg

Now I'm back on my Nickel 6ULs. :)

8/15/11
I installed a set of Mitsubishi Eclipse vents to replace the eyeballs.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6064/6046950053_4980616b3a_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6208/6046949397_d2a6bd3487_z.jpg

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http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6079/6046950979_f90eb7d4df_z.jpg

9/6/11
I finally installed my Pioneer radio tonight, I thought the Bose head unit died on me this evening, but turns out the harness unplugged itself somehow. Regardless I didn't want to drive without music and since I was already halfway through the install I decided to finish it. I've had the car for a year and a half and the radio has been sitting on a shelf the whole time, so it's about damn time I installed it.

So now I have much better sound, satellite radio, AUX input (for iPod and Pandora), and I'm a happier driver because of it. Also pulled the power antenna and installed the Shark Attack II antenna that I had installed on Britt's car before it was totaled.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6205/6120295443_294e5c1fcf_z.jpghttp://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6120838214_a8e9ce37ff_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6120838340_3d9ab2401f_z.jpghttp://farm7.static.flickr.com/6086/6120838398_88e73c94f6_z.jpg

9/22/11

I snagged a set of brand new FM frame rails silly cheap on one of the other forums, I've wanted them for quite some time, and they showed up today:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6173808370_53f1b3cb7c_z.jpg

Because of another awesome deal I snagged a set of brand new Forged Wilwood calipers. The original plan was to keep these as a back up for the Billet Wilwood set that I've been cleaning up, but I'm going to just run these instead.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6173280469_0217680d59_z.jpg

These have 1.62" diameter pistons as opposed to the 1.38" pistons (comparison photo below) in the calipers that come with the standard $600 Wilwood brake kit. Probably won't be a huge difference in pedal feel, but the clamping force will be slightly more evenly distributed on the pads, which is always a good thing.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6173807354_1c24f48f97_z.jpg

And thanks to Dave for an awesome deal, I now have the Wilwood mounting brackets and 2-pc directional vane rotors to go with it:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6173280823_2577170ce8_z.jpg

These should work great with the Sport rear brakes, although a bias valve (and maybe a larger master cylinder) is most likely in my future. Now I'll be ready when the extra power is added under the hood and this thing sees more track time (not that Miata brakes don't do a good job), whenever that happens anyway.

9/26/11
The Wilwoods were thrown on Friday night. Upgrading from standard 1.8 brakes to the Sport brakes was a very noticeable change, these even more so. They easily and very quickly stop the car, they'll give you whiplash if you aren't ready. lol I'm going to get a proportioning valve as it's very easy to lock these up before the rears, but relearning threshold braking with them was easy too.

The install is straightforward and explained well in the instruction manual, anyone who has changed brake pads and rotors can tackle this job quickly. I had already assembled the rotors to the hats and safety wired the bolts, so that prevented delays too.

Quick cell phone picture:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6184785151_d18043e65b_b.jpg

10/15/11
I got a great deal on a set of Morette tail lights and a while back I left the shrouds with a friend who works at a body shop, asked for paint whenever there was spare time and they came out nice! I think they're going to be nicer than the paint on the car though. We'll see how it looks later, for now they'll sit until I have time to reassemble, install, and weatherseal them. Also need to do a bit more polishing on the lenses, however, they look a ton better than when I got them!

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6245080963_03b7fa7efa_z.jpg

10/31/11
I installed a set of 949Racing lugs along with a new set of Yokohama S-Drive tires:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6101/6298903244_a9f3b09e91_z.jpg

12/23/11
Well I'm a sucker for abuse, aka more car projects. There's nothing wrong with my headlight retrofit but I apparently felt the need to change them as I brought this setup home with me after visiting TheRetrofitSource's new shop in Atlanta the other day. It's basically the same as what I already have except these new shrouds are slightly redesigned and are a smoked clear plastic. They are also compatible with CCFL angel eyes (the white rings in the picture below), which reside inside the shroud. I have a pair of Garage Vary eyelids on the way to replace the ILs so I'm hoping that it'll look pretty menacing when everything is done. We'll see I guess.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6562178377_3b3af15b6c_z.jpg

[RotorNutFD3S]

1/7/12
This is just a crappy teaser shot but I was excited my GV eyelids finally showed up, so I set them on the car and took a picture, little more attitude on the front end and the projector retrofits really do look like eyeballs with them on there:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6651448283_4baa4c9f6a_z.jpg

1/16/12
I got the eyelids back from paint today, it was too late for any decent light, but this is an ok preview. I think it looks mean. :D

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6712653523_0b21a5e03a_z.jpg

They're not "installed" yet though, I need to install my new projectors before I attach the eyelids to the headlights.

1/17/12
Took a couple quick shots in the overcast light this afternoon:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6718113473_2eb93eb5ef_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6718113699_7f26430ab5_z.jpg

1/25/12
I picked up a Tein Flex setup from atlnb tonight (lucky guy now has Xida CS coilovers, they're NICE!), I won't be installing them until I get a set of 9kg springs for the front (currently 7/6), so I cleaned them up instead. lol

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6763876327_3762a44e2b_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6763876537_c45a6668db_z.jpg

Now I just need to find a new home for the Bilstein PSS coilovers that are on the car, they're a great setup, just don't have the adjustability I now want. I also need to find the time to work on my own car, the parts are piling up.

2/3/12
Got my 9kg springs for the Flexes in the mail today, I'm really itching to install my FM frame rails and the Teins, but gotta focus on Dave's car for the time being:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6815076647_58706ed41f_z.jpg

2/14/12
I made time to install my frame rails tonight:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6873705153_5d2f4d6b5f_z.jpg

Ran into a couple of snags: one of the fuel/brake line retainer studs that FM welds to the passenger side rail was missing, so had to create a solution, easy enough with a drill bit and a self-tapping bolt. They also shorted the bag by two or three mounting bolts, but I tore through my parts bins until I found the spare bolts I had, fortunately the right size.

I didn't drive the car tonight after finishing, but I remember the difference they made on my NA, so I'm prepared for what I'll experience tomorrow morning during the drive to work. :)

And a word of advice, if you're doing anything that requires drilling through the body (frame rails, roll bar, etc.) pick yourself up a Dewalt Pilot Point bit or the set, I got the 16-pc set (up to 1/2") last night for $20 at Home Depot as it's the better buy than buying just one bit and I'll use them. But they go through our cars like butter, even the layered sections of metal, and they stay true to where you start drilling:

http://mcdn.toolking.com/catalog/product/d/w/dw1956_1.jpg

2/16/12
Just a quick preview, obviously not mounted or quite in the proper location, but it does give an idea of things to come. :D

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/6889649413_88413e118b_z.jpg

2/19/12
Well, the Teins are in and the Bilstein coilovers have a nice new home. For once, I don't have any pictures of the install, but after some more adjusting today, they're finally where I want them and they are definitely an awesome setup!

Meanwhile I got the painting done on the test retrofit shroud. The paint is curing, but as far as we can tell the light won't be able to bleed through the painted portion, so it looks promising. More work on that tomorrow, and some other projects, as I have the day off from work.

Danny, being the awesome friend he is, ordered a set of the RevLimiter FC gauges for me and we installed those tonight (crappy night time shots ahead):

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6908178023_ed5286d1cb_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6908178159_a9381846e1_z.jpg

I love them! Although I'm going to have to relocate my ScanGauge for the 3rd time. lol

2/20/12
Here's the gauges with some natural lighting:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6913419793_3f983b73c0_z.jpg

I also messed with the retrofit a bit today but didn't get to do much with it this weekend. I spent yesterday messing with my suspension and gauges and today helping Danny swap his radiator and his gauges.

The original smoked graphite shroud is on the right, I didn't think I'd like being able to see through it when the HIDs would be on, so I set about coating them. I masked off the accents and the front ring and I painted it. I put an HID up to it and there was no light bleed-through in the painted portion, so that's good.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/6913420695_bd6c3603a7_z.jpg

Here's with the CCFL in place:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/6913420285_e2a6f57036_z.jpg

You can see how the accents will light up with the CCFLs or the HIDs:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6913420465_f75674d3a4_z.jpg

And with one of the projectors in place:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7051/6913420007_4f807b4159_z.jpg

3/27/12
I've had occasional issues with the radiator hoses sealing properly to my PWR radiator, at least one of them wants to seep fluid sometimes. I don't use worm clamps, oddly enough the OEM clamps weren't working and neither were the ABA reverse torque clamps (same as BEGi uses, usually work without issue). So I went to the next step: t-bolt clamps. Now there are no more problems. And hey, they look cool. :)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7139/6875118576_d60d21bc9f.jpg

4/19/12
I was tired of being blinded in the mornings while driving into the rising sun, always seems to hit where the visors don't cover, so I got a 5% upper strip of tint installed. The installer talked me into a light tint on the whole windshield at the same time. Overall it's much better and I can still see clearly at night, I was concerned about that when we were talking about installing it, but now I don't get as blinded by jacked up trucks and cars with HIDs in reflector housings. And the car stays a little bit cooler during the day now too.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7094964149_e4d7b8a881_z.jpg

I also decided to work on the Morette tail lights again, I had to make a repair on the shroud on one side, so while that was curing I polished the lenses and sealed/assembled the other side:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5455/6948892352_fca42f762c_z.jpg

Compared to faded lenses:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5305/5646540887_be814b62a6_z.jpg

Hopefully I'll be able to assemble the other side tomorrow after work. Maybe even install them.

4/20/12
The passenger's side part of the rear bumper has not always lined up with the rear quarter panel, it's been like this for about as long as I can recall having the car. While I had the tail lights out tonight I noticed that the clip on the inside of the bumper wasn't attached to the clip on the chassis. So I popped the wheel off, removed some screws, and put the bumper into place. Now it looks better and doesn't bother my OCD self anymore. lol I like simple fixes.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5326/7097664179_551226f71d_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6951594212_3bb88197c5_z.jpg

And the Morette tail lights are installed and weathersealed. I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep them, at least for a while. I do like them though!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7209/6951601892_11b006c819_z.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5335/7097671609_be3572ae82_z.jpg

And that's where the car is at as of today. :)

[morr]

Love this build! Your car is a perfect example of a clean NB. I've been considering the upper window tint myself since I ditched the visors.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks! The tint is worth it, I find myself not using the visors much anymore while driving. Now all they do is hold up the sun shade while I'm at work.

[Agent☣Orange]

This thread inspires wood.

[psulja]

Great looking build! Definitely one of my favorite NB's out there.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Now one step closer to boost:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7154944789_7a672e9d6b_z.jpg

It's not a standalone but probably is one of the best piggybacks out there. For a daily driver that might make 225whp at the most and that also needs to pass yearly emissions without a fuss, this should work perfectly.

[RotorNutFD3S]

This thread lacks recent updates. So plans changed and my car went up to DIYAutoTune and was the test platform for the new MSPnP for the 99-00 chassis. A lot of people have been waiting for this to come out. So now I'll be using that instead of the eManage for engine control with the turbo.

Meanwhile, the front bumper loses paint if you look at it wrong and the rear decklid wasn't painted correctly before the MSM spoiler was installed, two things that I've wanted to fix for a while, so they were pulled and taken to my paint guy while the car was up at DIY.

Here's the new sporty look:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7444254200_7e62e5cacf_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7452581226_f444e43ca0_c.jpg

I've also gained access to a blasting booth and powdercoating equipment, so I'm starting with a few small projects to learn with, currently in the raw state:

4583

My Carbing front tow hook was used when I got it, still in great shape, but missing its coating in some small spots. Daily driving with it has worn it a bit more. I'm also redoing the rear tow hook as the coating was damaged in the mail and I just put a coat of gloss red paint on it to cover that up. Both are getting coated gloss red.

The valve cover had been painted well with silver wheel paint and then clearcoated, but aircraft stripper and some work with the sandblaster took care of all that. It's going to get a black base coat with a translucent red top coat. In dark lighting it will look black and in brighter lighting it will look red to dark red depending on the angle you look at it.

And then last night (7/26), Harbinger took an *** whooping. It's not exactly how I would have liked my workday to end, this happened while sitting at the exit at work. The Silverado in front of me decided he didn't want to turn right anymore but instead wanted to get into the other lane to go straight, so he backed up. Onto my hood. Halfway up it. He says he didn't see me in his mirrors or hear my Nautilus horn. No one was hurt though.

Fortunately my normal bumper hadn't come back from paint yet and I hadn't installed my GV eyelids yet either. But this will require a new hood, passenger headlight, probably passenger fender, and repair/replacement of the front bumper that is kindly being lent to me.

All that got hurt under the hood was the cam angle sensor and luckily I had one of those at the house. The rear ends on those single cab, short bed '08 Silverados sit so high that its spare tire was the first thing to contact my hood and you can see where that started. Could have been worse, but damn.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/7653289172_d17391d4b8_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/7653285082_898aea0b99_c.jpg

Going to have an insurance rep. do a shop repair estimate on Monday, but hopefully it'll be fixed soon.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Well, I brought it home today from the body shop. We figured that since there was already so much to paint with the bumper, trunk lid, and damage repair that we might as well go ahead and paint the whole car. Definitely worth it! There are still a few parts not back on the car yet (MSM spoiler, mirrors, etc.) but he'll have those done by the end of next week.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7859334438_6bc67f35bb_c.jpg

[ctrench]

I love the car!!!

[Big Red]

love what you have done with the car, its a pretty stealth looking machine.

[treeafodo]

This car is clean, functional and looks amazing! Very clean for a daily!

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks guys!

[atlnb]

glad you got back it looking like it's old self again!

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks Andre!

Last Saturday I picked up the final bits and brought them home, I snuck in a hardtop while everything was getting painted. I'll hopefully get some better pictures once this rainy weather goes away.

http://mazdaroadster.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=5131&d=1346868773

[WASABI]

She is looking good! Have you thought about painting the inside of the head lights? I have seen some pretty good results, and it can make them more unique.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks! I had considered painting them the last time I had them open, however I chose not to because the chrome provides a better "background" for the GV eyelids (which will go on permanently after I get the newest retrofit done) and it also helps break up the solid color on the front end.

[atank]

Very nice Roadster!

[Vegard]

Just went over the whole thread. I like and the new paint made it look even better!

[Vincent123]

So what exactly did you do to reduce the gap between the bumper and the hood? You used the metal mounting plate from the stock bumper and put it on your new one? Is it possible for you to take a pic under your hood so I can see? I have the same issue with a slight gap on my driver side

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks guys!

I will take some pictures of what I did to reduce the gap, easier to show than explain but simple to do. I do not have the metal mounting plate as that part is basically built into the GV bumper. When they did the body work and paint, they also closed the gap up some more by adding glass to the bumper in the places that needed it. The fit and lines are much improved.

[SteelReign]

Man, reminds me of an FD3S...except it actually is on the road and running!

I got the idea of replacing the A/C vents with 3rd gen Eclipse ones from this thread and they work great! Only thing is that my dash is really shiny and the dull plastic vents kinda stick out...strange, cuz they looked really good in your car!

[RotorNutFD3S]

Haha!

I don't use any shining product on my dash, just a cleaner, so that may have something to do with it. You could try lightly applying some Mother's Back to Black on the Eclipse vents, that'll add some shine to them. Just don't go too heavy with that stuff. :)

[tanakapz]

do you still have the D-Techniques center console delete you posted about here

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5376089069_a7956ba7d6_z.jpg

it's really cool and i'm wondering where / how / how much you sourced it for.

[atlnb]

i just realized that you kept the OEM rear brace with the Beatrush. I think you're supposed to remove the OEM for the Beatrush.

[RotorNutFD3S]

do you still have the D-Techniques center console delete you posted about here

it's really cool and i'm wondering where / how / how much you sourced it for.

I do still have it and it'll probably never come out of my car, I like it a lot! I got it from a local member but I think he bought it from someone in Australia IIRC.


i just realized that you kept the OEM rear brace with the Beatrush. I think you're supposed to remove the OEM for the Beatrush.

Nope, the stock bracing stays in place. I've seen people remove it but the kit comes with spacers specifically for clearing the OEM ladder brace.

[atlnb]

Ahh interesting.

[RotorNutFD3S]

So right before Christmas my fuel pump died, in the midst of towing the car to a friend's house to replace it, the tow strap had its way with my front bumper:

6482

Aside from that crack, there were at least 8 more small ones visible and from what the body shop said, many more stressed areas too. Thankfully I keep a TDR splitter on this bumper, if I had not had that, there would have been a large chunck missing from the bumper and it likely would not have been repairable. Anyway, I finally got it back this past weekend. My body guy didn't do the work himself the first time around so it had to be redone, thus the long time spent at the shop. I'm picky and he even wasn't satisfied with how it came out the first time. Regardless I definitely missed driving it.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8517/8425830012_722c3d1a72_c.jpg

I got this from YellowYata a while back, if nothing else it improves the look vs. the plastic tank:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8424731023_31540077a6_b.jpg

I still have a trunk lift kit to install but that's likely to be it for a while, I sold off all of the turbo parts I've been hoarding in order to further some investments into my future. The Car Fun Fund was the first unfortunate victim of that decision.

[Caoboy]

At first, I was not a fan of the Morette tail lights. But now seeing them on your car, holy shit they are awesome.

[theothersawyer]

Looking good! Glad you got it back!

[RotorNutFD3S]

Small update, last weekend I installed an MSM/BP5A intake cam, no crazy amounts of added power to report but mid-range power has improved as well as a bit more on the top end. Passing is a little more peppy now. Only shot I have of the work is the missing stock intake cam:

7067

I also finally got around to powdercoating my tow hooks:

7069

And just a quick shot of my car at work parked next to a friend's car, he just started working at the same facility:

7068

Next I'll be getting around to cutting open the front of my valve cover, powdercoating it, and installing a set of Toda adjustable cam gears. Going to try to make being naturally aspirated as fun as possible.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Oops, I haven't updated this in 4 months. Not that I've really done anything to the car at all except drive it.

Anyway, it's almost time for emissions and last year I had an issue with two stations not being able to see the CEL in the KG Works cluster, it was dim and not easily visible. Decided I didn't want to have to deal with that again this year and I haven't been pleased with the light output from behind the Revlimiter gauges (this is no fault of Adam's work whatsoever!, the bulbs were just old), so I bought some LED bulbs from V-LEDS and swapped things out today.

This is what I started with, this is turned all the way up. They are a bit brighter to the eye and especially at night, but still pretty dismal overall:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/9397843108_2e7f1491b6_b.jpg

Notice the very dim CEL over to the right above the temp gauge:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7450/9395076655_81b7e58a65_b.jpg

Comparison of the incandescent bulb and the surface mount 3-LED bulb (the main bulbs are 5-LED bulbs, just didn't take a picture of them):

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/9397842922_8b4813fca4_b.jpg

Incandescent on the left, LED on the right:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7356/9395076501_97c942d79b_b.jpg

Same again left and right. There's some light spill from behind the needle which accents the rings on the KG Works cluster, which is pretty neat looking IMO:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5493/9395076397_f9efcf910b_b.jpg

Both sides done (the 2 in 20 isn't dim, the Revlight got in the way):

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5515/9397842710_e6cfcac74d_b.jpg

All of the indicators are definitely brighter as well:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/9397842638_a4483a9143_b.jpg

And in the evening light the lighting is still very visible:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/9395076139_16861944b2_b.jpg

Overall, much improved.

[pacman 99]

Looks way better with LED'S !

Which reminds me, I don't think I ever upgraded my bulbs to LED's on mine....even though I have some from my gauge testing days.

[Radiohead]

Dude, I'm so envious! Positively meticulous attention to detail, very, very clean! I can only aspire to get mine looking half as nice! Keep the posts coming!

[RotorNutFD3S]

I finally got an Enthuza XR Lightweight muffler which I've wanted for a while. Excuse the filthy car pictured below, the weather here has been terrible lately.

The car had a Cobalt muffler, which sounded great with a nice deep tone and just slightly louder than stock, but it just wasn't very aggressive. This muffler is the other side of the coin for sure, but I like it.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7352/11911603964_8efde3bbd2_c.jpg

[Dandy]

Wow! Thanks for posting. I hadn't visited your build thread before. I really like what you have done. That nose really sets this car apart in my opinion.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks for the compliments!

[atank]

Hey I know that XR exhaust................ It looks really good Eric!!!!!!!!!!

[theothersawyer]

Can't wait to hear it in person!

[Hyper]

the car looks really good. great job putting it together

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks guys!


Hey I know that XR exhaust................

Yes, yes you do! lol

[RotorNutFD3S]

I was thinking about the timing belt job that I'm going to have to do soon and when I got home I saw the stripped valve cover I've had. Suddenly I decided I wanted to have exposed cam gears so I pulled out the cutoff wheel, eyeballed what I wanted, and cut:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3709/11988616175_2ab95299fa_z.jpg

Originally I was going to do a two-stage powdercoat on this cover, the result would be a translucent dark red/black, but now I'm not sure what I want to do. Need to figure it out soon I suppose.

[theothersawyer]

Paint it!!!!

[RotorNutFD3S]

That's not what I'm trying to figure out! lol It's getting powdercoated regardless, I'm just trying to figure out the color scheme.

[theothersawyer]

Ahh well, then what are you thinking between????

[RotorNutFD3S]

Originally some mix of black, red, and silver, silver being the cam gears. But now I'm considering other colors. lol Indecisive as always.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Today I removed the DIY coldside intake I've had and installed a DDMWorks "Stage 2" intake. The butt dyno claims the DIY intake lost a little low end power but gained some up top vs stock. The DDM intake seems to have recovered that low end power and has kept the top end power too. I only took a short test drive so I have yet to decide how I'll like it long term.

I can't say I'd recommend it at $350 new (especially with no one having any dyno charts of it vs. stock), but if you can find one used like I did that's definitely the way to go. It cleans up the engine bay quite nicely as well. My only gripe is that the intake pipe rests pretty firmly against the upper radiator hose, going to see if I can do something about that to prevent some of the heat transference. *edit* I actually fixed this. It was a matter of loosening the clamps at the throttle body and MAF, holding the pipe up away from the hose slightly, and then tightening the clamps. Keeps a good gap between the two now. Cars with a stock sized radiator probably won't even have this issue.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5549/12260425123_602d33a4ae_c.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/12260259355_e71e866f80_c.jpg

[RotorNutFD3S]

As of a few days ago I've had this car for 4 years. When I bought it in 2010 it was only going to be a temporary daily driver until I found another NA to turn into a permanent/project car. Funny how plans change, I also got somewhat attached as I molded this car into something of my own.

Anyway, this showed up a couple weeks ago, had to wait a bit for shipping from the other side of the world. I'm having the brake master cylinder brace welded onto the "correct" side and then I'll strip the whole thing and apply fresh powdercoat. It's not bad but it's showing some age (scratches and missing spots of coating). It's also crazy light, I was really surprised when I picked it up.

11067

11068

I had a bit of a scare recently when I noticed that my OPG was showing very low oil pressure, as in 1-2 psi at hot idle. I picked up an external gauge and found that the pressure was still very much ok (whew), but discovered that a replacement sender for my gauge was about $100 since I'm well out of the warranty period, by about 8 years. lol A little research revealed that Autometer used the same sender for the similar full sweep electric fuel pressure gauges, which is something I had a spare of, so swapped that in last night and all is well with the gauge again. Kinda nice knowing that the lifeblood of the engine is ok.

[atank]

Loving this build, so very nice!!!!!!!! Great work Eric!!!!!!!!!

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks Anthony!!!

[RotorNutFD3S]

The time finally came to take care of my front/rear main seals, timing belt, clutch, engine mounts, etc. Started the day off with a compression test, right around 185 across the board, so good there. Then we proceeded to yank the drivetrain out as I find it to be a much easier method for this type of project in a home garage environment. It also lets me get everything good and clean.

Getting the last little bits out of the way:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3699/13657239535_d06a722b80_c.jpg

The engine put up a bit of a fight, but we got it. The car is now making 1 RotorNutPower.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7366/13657588094_d64f7540e1_c.jpg

Tomorrow I'll be doing the actual timing belt, seals, etc., I'm waiting for some parts from the coaters and I have some other small projects to do over the week while the car is down, so I should have everything wrapped up and back on the road next weekend. In the meantime I'm stuck driving my little brother's MP62 10AE, so you know, I'll basically be miserable.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8068/8198035653_777f0d2374_c.jpg

[RotorNutFD3S]

If you happened to be in town and attended The Mitty this weekend and made your way past the FM tent, then you probably saw my car hanging out with Whiskers, which is FM's Catfish kit car.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7335/14070378383_807c26b732_b.jpg

I'll be writing a more detailed post later on outlining the project as I usually do, but over the past couple of weeks I secretly stuffed some more power in the form of a turbo and other new parts into the engine bay just in time for The Mitty:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/14050809524_59abb260f1_b.jpg

[Phatmiata]

teaser shot? what kinda horsepower tricks are you talking about?

[RotorNutFD3S]

One evening I was discussing V8 swaps with my wife and how I had basically written one off for a couple years when she surprised me and told me that I should just install a turbo for the meantime. I didn't give her a chance to change her mind. I've pieced together quite a few "budget" kits and while I thought about going that route again, I realized this time I wanted new parts and didn't want to take the time to chase parts down, so I ordered a kit directly from FM. Since my car was used as a test mule by DIYAutoTune for the MSPnP Gen2 I decided to buy one of those for my car, but in the meantime I'm utilizing the Voodoo box that came with the kit and enjoying 8psi. There will be more on the MS when I get a chance to order larger injectors and have the time to install and tune.

Last shot of the "before" engine bay:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2938/14118017305_38a0ac30ed_c.jpg

After getting the engine out and cleaned up, the first order of business was removing the old exhaust manifold studs, a few put up a fight, but that didn't last long:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7177/14114728311_5720e84f33_c.jpg

New vs. old (from MiataRoadster):

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/14094852676_c0359dea61_c.jpg

New studs installed and torqued:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5523/14094852216_3ca5817331_c.jpg

Started working on the timing belt and such, front of the engine was still a bit dirty:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7320/13931360739_f953d65ee9_c.jpg

So I cleaned it up. It's not polished, but it's better. I also coated the cam gears:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2898/13931360589_338010aa2e_c.jpg

New timing belt and seals installed and the covers reinstalled, along with new MSM engine mounts:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7436/14114956152_009f102b75_c.jpg

Cleaned up and coated the upper half of the subframe, along with the entrance to the transmission tunnel. Can't always see it, but it's there:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5277/14118015465_fa8ab1c613_c.jpg

Meanwhile I was getting the hotside parts ceramic coated, more so for long term aesthetics:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/14094851066_c11efe93c9_c.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2909/14118370034_0c704c4959_c.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2924/14118369864_20103fdca5_c.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5327/14118014805_10d8d50197_c.jpg

Things getting buttoned up and checking to see what the new valve cover looks like:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2936/14094850446_accdddbf26_c.jpg

Installed the manifold:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2927/14094850326_2e315e67a5_c.jpg

And then hung the turbo:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7408/14138077583_7d796ab6ed_c.jpg

Stage 8 hardware between the manifold and turbo and and Nord-Lock washers for the rest:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7301/13931358829_56f817a7a0_c.jpg

This is the FM coldside piping with their prototype Throttle Body Inlet Elbow. The IAT port and blow-off/bypass valve are all integrated into the silicone pipe. There's a short 3" coupler in between the lower pipe and elbow:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7325/14118368984_204735a095_c.jpg

IAT port, will come in handy when the MS goes in:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7339/13931388720_e7d05626b8_c.jpg

Slightly used FM Happy Meal going in, starting with the 10.3 lb flywheel:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7316/14114725581_0ff87d81a7_c.jpg

The rest of the clutch:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/13931340187_b99fd1a64d_c.jpg

All buttoned up and ready to install in the engine bay:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/14114954092_b061ed63f8_c.jpg

Engine in the bay:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7340/14114953942_2e3854f936_c.jpg

Hotside all buttoned up, including the FM hardlines, along with the Fab9 COP kit:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2934/14094849216_6f701277b6_c.jpg

Everything installed, well aside from the hood and AutoEXE brace:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5465/13931398548_a84aa5d3f6_c.jpg

Finally got my FM Shroud and SPAL fans installed, I also linked the trigger wires so no matter which fan is coming on both fans run:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7177/14118368174_8f05a728fe_c.jpg

Front bumper trimmed for the intercooler piping and installed, the intercooler is black and hides very well in the mouth:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/14138076143_c5b6596709_c.jpg

And that's about it. The majority of the work was done over the course of two weekends with some help, along with a few days after work thrown in there as well. I have definitely missed having boost in my own car. The Voodoo is very capable but does have it's limitations too, not just in boost limit, but in terms of control. I knew all that going in, but it does play well with the stock ECU so passing yearly emissions and retaining boost will not be an issue at all.

Tonight I used larger weather sealing and sealed up the intake box as best as possible as I've noticed that when the fans run my IATs spike pretty quickly, so I'll see if that helps. One thing I definitely want to tackle is adding more shrouding so the heat exchangers are as efficient as possible. The car is in no danger of overheating in general daily driving or long drives or even Mitty parade laps, but I know it can be better.

[RotorNutFD3S]

And a previously posted photo, but you can see that I had the AutoEXE brace modified. The brake master cylinder brace was swapped and installed in the correct position for USDM cars and it makes a huge difference:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/14050809524_59abb260f1_c.jpg

[RotorNutFD3S]

Well 500 miles later and everything is great mechanically. The car runs and drives awesome, full throttle and 8 psi is an absolute blast, made me realize how much I missed having a boosted Miata. Ultimate plan is around 10-12 psi, seeing what that puts down on a dyno, and leaving it there.

Next items up on the to do list are buying larger injectors and installing the MS as well as installing the Wilwood brake proportioning valve.

[WASABI]

Nice work! Im in for video of the dyno pulls, and results page!

[atank]

Great work Eric, looks very clean and it was done right the first time!!!!!!!!!

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks fellas! I'm considering doing a few pulls on a dyno with the Voodoo just to get a baseline, waiting to see if any local shops host a dyno day now that the weather is nice.

[iamdallas]

Wow, Eric. It is looking fantastic! I had no idea to got all the turbo stuff on already!

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks Dallas! The kit arrived and got installed with about only 5 people knowing, at least up until The Mitty that is.

[iamdallas]

Thanks Dallas! The kit arrived and got installed with about only 5 people knowing, at least up until The Mitty that is.

If you don't mind me asking, and I'll ask here for anyone else who is curious, who did your ceramic coating? It looks so clean and gorgeous. I'd like to get mine done.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Performance Coatings in Jonesboro. They come very highly recommended and they did great work for me.

[RotorNutFD3S]

I ordered some special center cap inserts from Adam to support my inner nerd. This is what I started with:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5484/14023763268_2839e9a5f3_c.jpg

The old inserts had some heavy duty adhesive and were reinforced quite well, I think there might be a thin metal in there, they were really tough to remove and clean off:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2897/14230592583_84bebaf2ea_c.jpg

New insert in place, fits well with the 6 points on the center cap itself:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5318/14023798660_8c50bc3e9b_c.jpg

And in place on the wheel:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2914/14230592213_9d5e270514_c.jpg

[mini_fd]

Very clean install.

[RotorNutFD3S]

I haven't updated this in a while, but not much has changed as I'm simply daily driving the car. It's been almost a year turbocharged and no issues to report so far, I'm still just running the Voodoo and 7 psi and loving it.

I got the Retro NB Window Switches from Adam over the weekend and yesterday was able to work on the install. I was initially worried that they were not going to be compatible with my D-Techniques console because of how deep the switch body is and how it mounts but they actually fit great! Anyway, onto the pictures!

I opened the box and removed the upper layer of the bomb proof packaging and saw this. The bag simply says "NB", it's only two letters but I know that they're very significant as far as Adam's product offerings are concerned. This is a big deal and it's been a long time in the making:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8635/16521975488_3dfbfe315c_c.jpg

The rest of the needed installation goodies, a Hi-Chew candy (yay!), cards, stickers, and a little Xoddo figure:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8662/16708275061_af060e1687_c.jpg

Mocked up in my old NB1 console, all went well here:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8612/16709558835_e159c410da_c.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8633/16708277591_948055dbb9_c.jpg

And their final home in the D-T console:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8564/16709613925_35db123abf_c.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8650/16502274687_80a52e554d_c.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8609/16522159640_067138956e_c.jpg

That's all for now...

[atank]

WOW Eric that looks wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!

[Demon I Am]

That does look great!

With your console, do you have the passenger airbag disconnected, switched off, or is it on?

[Paul B]

Never seen that NB console before. I love it.

[RotorNutFD3S]

WOW Eric that looks wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Anthony!!!


That does look great!

With your console, do you have the passenger airbag disconnected, switched off, or is it on?

The airbag is still functional, the switch for it is just tucked up under the center console. The downside to that is that the airbag can't be easily switched off or on, but that's not a concern for me, so it's always on.


Never seen that NB console before. I love it.

It's made by a company called D-Technique. They aren't cheap (I think they are/were 70,000 JPY from D-T), a friend of mine bought this one "used" off one of the forums from a gentleman in Australia and couldn't use it in his project so he gave it to me in exchange for some car help. It's easily one of my favorite modifications in this car!

[tsingson]

Eric, it's looking great!

[CMP]

Your car sucks. Your window switches suck. Your console sucks. Your turbo badge sucks. You suck.

This hate was brought to you by Envy(TM).

[RotorNutFD3S]

Eric, it's looking great!

Thank you sir!!!


Your car sucks. Your window switches suck. Your console sucks. Your turbo badge sucks. You suck.

This hate was brought to you by Envy(TM).

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/a7/a79587336732556e8041bad6fda7016d972315375b2a0c735d 3f97946d949daa.jpg

[Silvernb03]

I haven't updated this in a while, but not much has changed as I'm simply daily driving the car. It's been almost a year turbocharged and no issues to report so far, I'm still just running the Voodoo and 7 psi and loving it.

I got the Retro NB Window Switches from Adam over the weekend and yesterday was able to work on the install. I was initially worried that they were not going to be compatible with my D-Techniques console because of how deep the switch body is and how it mounts but they actually fit great! Anyway, onto the pictures!

I opened the box and removed the upper layer of the bomb proof packaging and saw this. The bag simply says "NB", it's only two letters but I know that they're very significant as far as Adam's product offerings are concerned. This is a big deal and it's been a long time in the making:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8635/16521975488_3dfbfe315c_c.jpg

The rest of the needed installation goodies, a Hi-Chew candy (yay!), cards, stickers, and a little Xoddo figure:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8662/16708275061_af060e1687_c.jpg

Mocked up in my old NB1 console, all went well here:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8612/16709558835_e159c410da_c.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8633/16708277591_948055dbb9_c.jpg

And their final home in the D-T console:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8564/16709613925_35db123abf_c.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8650/16502274687_80a52e554d_c.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8609/16522159640_067138956e_c.jpg

That's all for now...
OMG. That console. Do you mind if I ask where to buy and how much it costs?

[pacman 99]

OMG. That console. Do you mind if I ask where to buy and how much it costs?

http://www.d-technique.co.jp/shop/products/detail.php?product_id=45

Where to buy...ask any JDM vendor(REV9...etc).

[RotorNutFD3S]

What do you do when you've run out of project ideas? Address the little things!

I've always hated the Miata washer nozzles, I was going through my to-do notes and realized I never ordered the "upgrades" I had read about on one of the forums. So last week I ordered them. Goodbye to the old dual streams and hello to the nice, strong fan pattern that modern vehicles have. Upgrade took all of 30 seconds as these drop right in where the old ones were, no mods needed. Mazda p/n EC01-67-50YA

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7789/17545345424_08a4516aaa_b.jpg

[theothersawyer]

Awesome!!!

[Wesramos]

this build man! :frantic: hope my nb looks this nice

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thanks!!!

[revlimiter]

I need to do those washer spray nozzles, even though I rarely use them. I've meant to do that upgrade for like... 10 years? lol

Also, I managed to never check this build thread before. Not sure how that happened.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Haha! When I worked for Honda ages ago I used to supply a certain Honda nozzle to the local Miata guys, it also fit with minimal fuss. And then I guess someone figured out which Mazda p/n dropped in.

Who knows. I rarely post updates because I don't do much but drive it anymore. lol

[Grip Driver]

no shame in that, that's what the car is there for :)

[RotorNutFD3S]

Yup! Also nice that it's pretty modified but still very reliable.

Oh Adam, found a couple pictures from when my car got resprayed, didn't want to litter your build thread with them. They repaired the damage that the other driver did (including refinishing the replacement hood), then they refitted the GV bumper, fixed a major dent in the rear quarter, and some other little things here and there:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7740/18051898528_f700d085d3_b.jpg

Then it got completely primed and resprayed. The shop was not close so I didn't get to drop by during the process very much:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7738/18051898418_1de22738c9_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7770/18051988590_8d05bc2da6_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8808/18241023131_0eafb058f2_c.jpg

And this is when I got it back home, still missing things like mirrors and such, but was still so excited:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7859334438_6bc67f35bb_b.jpg

[Demon I Am]

Damn, I want that front bumper

[revlimiter]

WOW!!! That's a great respray.

But it makes me want to have mine done that much sooner.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Update? Still daily driven with no problems. Except an alternator going bad at one point, fixed easily enough.

Adam made a custom horn button to match my center caps because he's awesome like that. I love this thing!!!

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5747/22274485552_7d417ec067_c.jpg

But the new horn button made me want a new wheel, which came in yesterday, so here's a teaser for now:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5822/21896756143_cc88cc2a31_b.jpg

[Demon I Am]

mmmm, wavy panel goodness!

[RotorNutFD3S]

I hit a small milestone yesterday, I guess this comes more quickly when the car is daily driven, although my round trip to and from work is only 9 miles.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1608/25180832971_92f1b96e3d_c.jpg

[theothersawyer]

That top picture is so "crisp"

[Greasemonkey2000]

Just read thru your build, fantastic work! Absolutely gorgeous NB! :drinkto:

[RotorNutFD3S]

Thank you very much!!

[RotorNutFD3S]

So I picked up a Garage Vary carbon fiber extraction hood over the weekend. Here's a little teaser for now, it needs some repair (removing hood pins/holes and fixing a small cutout in the vent area) and a repaint to black:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7174/26917195715_413749e406_c.jpg

[Demon I Am]

Very nice score!

[RotorNutFD3S]

So I was parked next to a buddy of mine, I typically park away from the general population and so we were out there by ourselves. He was leaving his parking spot and had to cut his turn sharply to avoid another driver who was not driving responsibly through the parking lot. But in focusing on them he forgot my car was there...

Before:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4199/34046733224_d37caee4f1_b.jpg

After:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4222/34757716371_900f6af19c_b.jpg

The fender took the brunt of the impact, as well as the hood. The headlight, bumper, and sideskirt escaped unscathed, although it did crack some paint on the bumper. The core support running over the headlight is a little bent as well.

The insurance adjuster looked at it today, just waiting on their paperwork so I can drop it off at the body shop. Again.

[HarryB]

Ouch. :(

[Paul B]

Good luck!! Sucks that is was your buddy, but good at the same time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TNRooster3]

Oh man, sorry about that, :( I got popped on the right rear fender, also while parked in a lot about 2 weeks after getting back from Palooza, some folks just can't drive on or off the streets. :?

[Agent☣Orange]

Damn damn damn! That had to be a sinking feeling.

[Martin]

Please tell us this has been fixed. Please?

[RotorNutFD3S]

It's actually in the shop currently, it should be done pretty soon too. The only person I trust to touch this car paint-wise is the owner of the shop and he was unavailable to work on it until July 5th. So he's had it since then and I told him to take his time with it, he knows how OCD I am about it so it should come out looking great! It got a brand new OE hood & fender and the whole front bumper is getting repainted too.

[Martin]

https://media.giphy.com/media/ltbKep9Ce8dBS/giphy-downsized-large.gif

[theothersawyer]

Sadly, so is Eric....

[revlimiter]

Here I was all excited for an update.

[RotorNutFD3S]

My patience is wearing ever so thin... They're definitely busy and doing me a few favors too but it's been enough time. Regardless, I'm hoping for this week.

[theothersawyer]

Here I was all excited for an update.

You will probably find out it’s finished before I do! Haha

[RotorNutFD3S]

You will probably find out it’s finished before I do! Haha

:lol: :lol: Here we go again...