moerdogg
06-15-2012, 04:28 PM
Finally doing up a build thread, thanks to some motivation from the MOTM lotto!
I got my Smurf in May of 2009. It had been a hectic year: got married in October 2008 thinking we would be headed to Switzerland for 6 months for work, found out the trip was cancelled due to worldwide economic disaster, company got shut down in March, but thankfully landed another job reasonably quickly. I had been wanting a Miata for about 3 years at that point, and my wife had said I could get one in the fall, after our wedding was done (shotgun courthouse marriage in October, white dress and family celebration in August 2009).
The Craigslist ad for this one had two crappy, tiny pics that showed almost nothing, but the car was 15 mins away. This is after looking at cars as far as 5 hrs away, mind you. I met the guy, and the car was perfect for what I wanted. 88k miles, zero rust, maintenance records back to 1994. I wanted to find faults, but there were none to be had. After promising the owner I knew how to drive stick, I proceeded to step on the clutch and brake, and saw the tach hit the red line when I started it. Turns out the spacing in my old S10 was a lot wider, and I had grabbed clutch and GAS. The rest of the test drive was great, and I begged and pleaded that night for an early wedding present. And also a Miata. Proving why I married her, Mrs Moerdogg relented and the next day we went to pick it up.
I have taken the mods fairly slowly, trying to focus on performance mods and cheap/free aesthetics.
Right after I got it, bumper dimples, all-black wheels, and HD air dam:
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4045/4485228643_c5fae49ccc_z.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DxqE7Ni6a_g/S2S-Iqk4gfI/AAAAAAAABV4/vq7GT5Fonnc/s1152/DSC_0692.JPG
Nice day at my old job:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-THBWItVDGtA/St87HwPsqPI/AAAAAAAABGc/0jvlbyO65wo/s640/Picture%2520cars.jpg
It had dry-rotted wheels when I got it, and after getting Bridgestone Pole Positions (damn good all-seasons, if I may say so) installed, the shop chipped the paint at the edge of the wheels. I polished the edges with Scotch-Brite and liberal applications of elbow grease:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R9ydIKfkABY/SvIvoSO4OBI/AAAAAAAABIY/QKW87LFXM1k/s912/DSCN1075.JPG
First major DIY: gauges based on Revliimters instructions. Her gave invaluable photography advice when I was trying to share my work
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4015/4485228627_9ef0c056f3_z.jpg
Moved back up to Massachusetts in 2010 so my wife could start grad school, and I got my first taste of autocross. Hoo boy is that fun! I run with the Renegade Miata Club, generally get about 10 runs in on the big Devens course.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4023/4674214317_2e1653f8ec_z.jpg
Drove up to Maine with the wife and our dog, proving that the Miata CAN be a practical car
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6232259057_78613727ee_z.jpg
Turned 100k last summer
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AMpU1JBQuqs/Tn38kM9TBBI/AAAAAAAACFc/6qsSbpGMvAY/s1024/DSCN1550.JPG
As she sits now, with HDHCDD bar, Bilstein shocks and FM springs, and a 24mm Eibach sway.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5155/6954314172_c35fb6f48f_z.jpg
Blog: http://carsfoodandbeer.blogspot.com
So far she has been great, never any issues that weren't my fault to begin with. Next on the list of mods are new suspension bushings, possibly a shock re-valve, and a nice garage to store and work on her.
I got my Smurf in May of 2009. It had been a hectic year: got married in October 2008 thinking we would be headed to Switzerland for 6 months for work, found out the trip was cancelled due to worldwide economic disaster, company got shut down in March, but thankfully landed another job reasonably quickly. I had been wanting a Miata for about 3 years at that point, and my wife had said I could get one in the fall, after our wedding was done (shotgun courthouse marriage in October, white dress and family celebration in August 2009).
The Craigslist ad for this one had two crappy, tiny pics that showed almost nothing, but the car was 15 mins away. This is after looking at cars as far as 5 hrs away, mind you. I met the guy, and the car was perfect for what I wanted. 88k miles, zero rust, maintenance records back to 1994. I wanted to find faults, but there were none to be had. After promising the owner I knew how to drive stick, I proceeded to step on the clutch and brake, and saw the tach hit the red line when I started it. Turns out the spacing in my old S10 was a lot wider, and I had grabbed clutch and GAS. The rest of the test drive was great, and I begged and pleaded that night for an early wedding present. And also a Miata. Proving why I married her, Mrs Moerdogg relented and the next day we went to pick it up.
I have taken the mods fairly slowly, trying to focus on performance mods and cheap/free aesthetics.
Right after I got it, bumper dimples, all-black wheels, and HD air dam:
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4045/4485228643_c5fae49ccc_z.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DxqE7Ni6a_g/S2S-Iqk4gfI/AAAAAAAABV4/vq7GT5Fonnc/s1152/DSC_0692.JPG
Nice day at my old job:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-THBWItVDGtA/St87HwPsqPI/AAAAAAAABGc/0jvlbyO65wo/s640/Picture%2520cars.jpg
It had dry-rotted wheels when I got it, and after getting Bridgestone Pole Positions (damn good all-seasons, if I may say so) installed, the shop chipped the paint at the edge of the wheels. I polished the edges with Scotch-Brite and liberal applications of elbow grease:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R9ydIKfkABY/SvIvoSO4OBI/AAAAAAAABIY/QKW87LFXM1k/s912/DSCN1075.JPG
First major DIY: gauges based on Revliimters instructions. Her gave invaluable photography advice when I was trying to share my work
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4015/4485228627_9ef0c056f3_z.jpg
Moved back up to Massachusetts in 2010 so my wife could start grad school, and I got my first taste of autocross. Hoo boy is that fun! I run with the Renegade Miata Club, generally get about 10 runs in on the big Devens course.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4023/4674214317_2e1653f8ec_z.jpg
Drove up to Maine with the wife and our dog, proving that the Miata CAN be a practical car
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6232259057_78613727ee_z.jpg
Turned 100k last summer
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AMpU1JBQuqs/Tn38kM9TBBI/AAAAAAAACFc/6qsSbpGMvAY/s1024/DSCN1550.JPG
As she sits now, with HDHCDD bar, Bilstein shocks and FM springs, and a 24mm Eibach sway.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5155/6954314172_c35fb6f48f_z.jpg
Blog: http://carsfoodandbeer.blogspot.com
So far she has been great, never any issues that weren't my fault to begin with. Next on the list of mods are new suspension bushings, possibly a shock re-valve, and a nice garage to store and work on her.