The Ailish Build

[Demon I Am]

I found her in a barn in rural N.C. She had only traveled 1200 miles in the last 11 years, and was in need of TLC. The interior was apparently a barn cat's home, or litter box. The engine had a very wobbly crank, and was leaking like a submarine with a screen door.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4066/4529345457_39bc2b2e6e_b.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4049/4529356873_217877ca08_b.jpg


I purchased and installed a used 1.6 with the same amount of miles, Delrin motor mounts, New clutch, F1 lightweight flywheel, OBX Header, BF Test Pipe, CF Randall intake, HDHCM1DD bar, and all the regular maintenance bits.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4042/4533055129_66edd99cbe_m.jpg
3991

So I rolled around like this for a bit:
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1305/4707811772_c6ca850c71_z.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4050/4707208127_c865095061_z.jpg

I had the wonderfully talented Revlimiter build me a custom set of gauge faces, and hid them behind a set of RS Refine gauge rings.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4103/4848234124_573867f89c_z.jpg
Until I scored a KG Works wavy panel. I have no clue why I like this one so much, but I do!
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5155/7366711250_f61820cb54_z.jpg

[Demon I Am]

The carpet would not quit stinking, and the top was a bit leaky, so I drove it stripped out for a while. The floor pans were not pretty, so that needed to be fixed.
Before:
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4087/5207778161_1c7a081ed1_z.jpg
After:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/6905040492_3b8482945a_z.jpg

Now that the intereior was nice and fresh, I threw in a fresh 10AE blue carpet, some Injoy door pulls, Sazaire Key hole trim, and Revlimiter AC rings.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5112/6908078716_3336b85ac1_z.jpg
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5112/6908078716_3336b85ac1_z.jpg

[Demon I Am]

I also left the soft top off, since it had been slashed. I have a ratty old hard top that I scored for insanely cheap.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6736658319_4f7074811a_z.jpg

I have also purchased, and had restored a set of RAYS Mazdaspeed MS01-R wheels. I don't think there are many sets in the US (I have yet to find any online, anyhow).
BEFORE:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5450/7052354627_abb4436eba_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/7338417594_613670855b_z.jpg

And here is how the car sits today (on DGR coilovers)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7351479850_856bd73076_c.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7349920370_6012f7478e_c.jpg

[Demon I Am]

My next plan is to look for paint, or a supercharger. Looks vs fun, I suppose.

I have an unbroken dash, waiting for a leather treatment, and am currently looking for a gauge hood, and tombstone.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

brOugHt that car back to life! Never seen someone use the blue interior. Nice car :D

[Demon I Am]

Planet Miata sent me a nice tombstone, and I got the Injoy blanking plate installed. It is a top quality piece!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/7421133216_c8a0d58056_c.jpg

[kung fu jesus]

Nice! I never noticed the 10ae bits in your car!

We need to bring more Raleigh people over here.

[Demon I Am]

yeah, this place is pretty nice. Let's get a Raleigh thread going. I almost had 10ae seats but waited a week too long before pulling the trigger.

If I go with the 1.8 swap, what other incidentals should I start stockpiling?
The 1.6 in the car now was installed last year. I did all of the main seals, vacuum lines, hoses, and etc with that engine.

I'll be getting


Long block
Motor mount brackets
Exhaust manifold
Intake manifold
Fuel Rail
Injectors
Water neck
Alternator mounting bracket
Additional parts list:
FM swap kit
I can re-use my 1.6 clutch/f1 flywheel, as they are only 1 year old
New flywheel bolts?
Timing belt/WP kit/gaskets/belts *if not already done
trans fluid
front/rear main seals
manifold gaskets
CAS Oring
Cam Seals


Can't remember what else needs replacing. I'll do a little looking around tonight, too.

[Phatmiata]

Really Loving the rare MS-01 Mazdaspeed wheels and the 10AE Blue interior!! Would be sick to do a full 10AE interior swap in a white Miata!

[Doward]

Please tell me you found blue leather for the dash to match the 10AE bits! I've always lusted for a white 1.6 car with red or blue interior swapped in, so thank you.
I just got finished wrapping a 1.6 dash in suede. Its one of the most tedious/detail oriented jobs I've ever tackled. I wish you good luck! :)

[Demon I Am]

Adam (Revlimiter) gave me the name of the leather company he used. They do have something close to 10ae blue, but I might stick with black. Do you have any tips/tricks to share?

[Doward]

Latex gloves and change them often when gluing.
Adam's blog pretty much sums everything else up great. I used cheap costume suede on a beat up freebie dash. So I may end up having to redo it for not doing it 'right'(quality) the first time. we'll see. That seems to be a theme with me. :p
There's a bunch of pics in my build thread, though not nearly as nice as Adam's lol.

[Demon I Am]

I have some info on my future motor:

1995 with 131K
Compression numbers are 180-188
There is no evidence to suggest that the timing belt has been completed

So I think my parts list will be:
FM swap kit (purchased)
Throttle body gasket $4.15
New flywheel bolts- (6) $21.36
New crank pulley bolt (Needed?)
CAS Oring $5.40
-- Transmission rear seal $16.32

Timing belt/WP kit $199.95- Includes: Timing Belt, Valve Cover Gasket, 2 Cam Seals, Front Crank Seal, Tension Spring, Tensioner Pulley, Idler Pulley, Water Pump, 2 OEM Water Pump Gaskets, Water Pipe O-Ring, Thermostat Housing to Block O-Ring, Alternator Belt, and Power Steering / Air Conditioner Belts as needed.

[Demon I Am]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8021/7658153748_60a141a8f6_b.jpg

It's a filthy beast, but should clean up well, I hope.

I ordered pretty much everything above..

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7658148998_68a7d87c17_b.jpg

[ScreaminE]

Good stuff happening here.

[tsingson]

Nice man. When is this bad boy going in?

[Demon I Am]

not sure. gonna take some time with it

[tsingson]

Well thats good.

[Demon I Am]

So, I hopped in the car today, and the AC and Wipers were both inop. I pulled every fuse that I could, and they are all good. Did a little research, and M.net says that my ignition switch is either dirty or failing. So, I guess I'll be pulling that out today or tomorrow. Hopefully a cleaning is all it needs.

[tsingson]

Good luck. I remember when I was searching on why my horn wasn't working. Turned out the horn was gone. And then the relay was bad. Now I have 2 loud ass horns that make it sound like a truck. But at least people will know that I am there. Especially the ones in Priuses.

[roy obanion]

It's about time I started following you on here. Get a lot of pics on the dash job, I need to deal with that on my BRG.

[Demon I Am]

So, the starter has been taking a long slow shit on me over the last week or so, and today it finally pushed daisies. That job is a complete fucking pain in the ass hole. It took me about 4 hours, most of that time trying to remove/reinstall 2 bolts.

I also learned some very ugly things about my car. Either I did a poor job at torquing bolts, or these engine mounts really do rattle the car apart. Both engine mount bolts are gone. I used the 2-bolt method on the Delrin mounts, and the 2 outer ones have gone the way of the dodo. Also, the missing oil is exiting from the lower part of engine. most likely the pan seal and rear seal(?). This engine swap, I will take my time and make sure everything isfixed properly.

[Demon I Am]

Just got this puppy in the mail this morning. Signature did an excellent job of removing a ton of flashing, grinding everything down, then blasting it to give it the natural aluminum look. It is powder coated in White Aluminum on the outside, and Micro-Slick ceramic coating on the inside.

The Micro-Slick coating "has nano particles of a super slippery resin that bonds and fills in any micro lesions. It has a dry film thickness of only .002" making it ideal for bearings, cams, and any parts that make metal to metal contact, but shouldn't. Even piston skirts! Another great way it works is by coating intake passages to make them super smooth. Its better than polishing because of its thermal rejection properties."

The White Aluminum color is much brighter in person,(almost pearlescent silver) and I am super excited to get this thing installed. I will end up having him do more pieces in the future. I'm very happy to have done business with Brian, and highly recommend his work!

http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr344/brianrlawlor_photobucket/20120927_170701.jpg
http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr344/brianrlawlor_photobucket/20120927_170735.jpg

The Micro-Slick is also on the bottom of my valve cover, as well as in the intake
http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr344/brianrlawlor_photobucket/20120929_112933.jpg

[tsingson]

Nice man!

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Those look nice, but what did you get with the MotM money????

[tsingson]

Stickers.........Lots of them.....And air fresheners....JDM ones.....

[Demon I Am]

Boring stuff from Planet-Miata. Gaskets, transmissions seals and that kinda stuff. Had to go with need, over want, this time around.

[roy obanion]

The signature parts look amazing, and understated..

[Demon I Am]

Valve cover is going to be titties. I can't wait

[treeafodo]

I'm usually not a fan of white roadsters, but this one is different to me. I like the 10AE bits added in.

[Demon I Am]

Thanks. I hope to have fresh paint coming in the next year.

My MOTM winnings arrived. Intake/Exhaust gaskets, transmission seals, front main seal, drain plug, and a few other bits.
Now I just need to get my Valve Cover back, and schedule a few vacation days so I can get this swap finished.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8070700022_c4343b7079_c.jpg

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Awesome stuff man, good to see the money going to great things!

[tsingson]

Didn't I say stickers?

[Demon I Am]

Loads of em!

[atank]

Very nice project, it has come a long way!

[Demon I Am]

Just got a pic from my powder coating genius:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8095730233_182a15148e_b.jpg

Gulf themed glory!

[tsingson]

This Thanksgiving I'm going back to Philadelphia and going to get in touch with my powder coater. I need to get my VC done also. He always hooked me up good on prices. Your VC just pushes me to get mine done asap.

[roy obanion]

That is beautiful.

[tsingson]

Tony how much did he charge for the VC?

[Demon I Am]

I worked out a trade with Brian for some 1.6 parts, and paid a little cash, since he had to order custom colors for me. You can find him on themazdaforum.com S/n is Signature Sound. This is his photbucket/portfolio. Tons of beautiful stuff. http://s498.photobucket.com/profile/brianrlawlor_photobucket

[tsingson]

Is he local?

[Demon I Am]

Indiana. So there there was shipping as an added cost; but to me it was worth the end result!

[treeafodo]

I said it in the other thread, but this looks amazing. You definitely should do the white bay.

[Demon I Am]

Anthony, this is who I go through: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Signature-Products-Intl/212395365481050

oh wait, you are anti-facebook, aren't you?

[tsingson]

I did see his work. But I was able to get in touch with my powdercoater in Jersey. He quoted me $55 for my VC and that will give me a reason to go and chill with my family up North.

[roy obanion]

Is this your car?

http://injoycarlife.com/images/customer_brushed_aluminum_visor_plate_1.jpg

I was thinking about the brushed visor plates, and hoping you have more photos.

[Demon I Am]

Yep, that's me! The only bad thing about the injoy set, is that the black hardware rusts up when it gets humid. Otherwise they are completely worth it. can get you a closer pic later today

[tsingson]

I think I am one of the only ones still using my visors. Tony, did you get in touch with Mikael?

[Demon I Am]

yeah, he is busy till the middle of Dec. not sure if I want to wait that long

[tsingson]

Oh ok. I am working this weekend but if I was available I would be down to help you out.

[Demon I Am]

Another step closer:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/8165225775_e8dac61cdc_c.jpg

[Demon I Am]

Is this your car?
I was thinking about the brushed visor plates, and hoping you have more photos.

This is a closer pic. The black hardware that they provided has some surface rust, as it's pretty humid down here. I'm thinking about hitting them with some black paint and a fine brush.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8489/8211151383_3bee2d9f19_c.jpg

[wannafbody]

Another step closer:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/8165225775_e8dac61cdc_c.jpg

That looks cool providing the rest of the car has the same scheme.

[Demon I Am]

not yet, but maybe one day. the colors will really pop in the white engine bay, i bet

[roy obanion]

Thanks for that shot!

[Grip Driver]

Lovin the valve cover :)

[Gene Rodriguez]

ford gt40 color scheme :O:lol:

[Demon I Am]

I got a little bit bored the other week, and decided I was going to look into replacing the defunct cigarette lighter socket. So, I've ordered a new one. While everything was apart, I took a good look at the aluminum lighter shroud. It was oxidized, pitted, and cruddy looking. I hand sanded the black coating off, and briefly attempted to polish it up. I could not get it looking clean enough, so I hit it up with some silver paint that was a close match to the Revlimiter AC rings, and the KGW meter panel. The Sazaire ring is polished, but is in a less noticeable place.
Not sure If I will keep it this way, or paint it black, but for now I like it a lot.

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/45370_4965160726868_1341719426_n.jpg

[tsingson]

Looks good man. I need to get mine on the road again.

[Demon I Am]

I have a solid date for the motor install at a friend's shop. It should be a day some fun work, good friends, and home brewed refreshments.
I sourced some fully-threaded bolts to run through my motor mounts, which should not fall out like the last ones.

My shopping list beforehand is down to: oil, tranny fluid, antifreeze, t-stat gasket, washers/nuts for the MM bolts.

I'll probably get the Motorcraft trans fluid again, as it seems to do it's job well. It should, for the cost...

Can't wait to get this thing put in.

[Demon I Am]

fwiw, on the "newold" 1.8 engine, I have degreased the hell out of it, as good as I could get without a sandblaster. I've done the front main seal, tb/wp/cam seals, vc gasket, p/ced the vc and IM, Painted the Fuel Rail in truck bedliner black, rebuilt, and cleaned up the old 1.8 injectors, installed the FM 1.8 conversion parts. I'll probably hit a few of the accessory pieces with some high-temp silver, if we get another day or 2 of decent weather. I have a few questions though.

Should I install the IM now, or wait until after the motor is in the car?

Is the support bracket for the exhaust dp needed when installing the stock exhast? That bracket has been lost to the ages, since I have a aftermarket header on the 1.6 engine.

Am I forgetting anything, when it comes to the re-install? I have to put in the rear main seal after the engine is off of the engine stand.

Thanks

[Demon I Am]

Eff it, since I couldn't get an answer, I bought a Raceland 1.8 header (I've had them in the past and have yet to have an issue)

I will wait for the install to put on the IM.

[tsingson]

I am ready to assist/stand there. I have that day off and I have cleared my schedule.

[Demon I Am]

Awesome. I should have 2 friends from Carolina Mazdas coming down to assist, as well as you, and Mikael. I'll bring some homebrew/sodas, and maybe order something for lunch.

Just got off the phone with Raceland, header is on back-order, and may not be here by the install date. No worries though. It'll be something to do later

[tsingson]

I am going to attempt to install my fog light bezels this weekend. So maybe it will be just my tranny and diff drain and fill on that date.

[Demon I Am]

Got the 1.8 in this weekend, with the help of some great people. Doing a swap with a car lift is the best thing ever! Things went rather smoothly, barring a few incidental trips.
I still using the 1.6 Exedy clutch and F1 lightweight flywheel, cleaned and rebuilt 1.8 injectors, and that was about it. Having the motor mounts actually bolted down is always a good thing, too.

Still waiting on my header to come in, and I have to get the temp sender swapped. I also want to put a timing light on it, just so I know it's where it should be. Not sure if I'll run advanced timing on this one, since mid-grade gas is 'spensive, heheh.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8371/8531020619_58d13ceb01_b.jpg

To get the stock intake tube to fit, we eliminated the helmholtz resonator. I disconnected it, and sealed the tube with a pipe cap, some sealant, and a hose clamp.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8381/8532135536_51ccb71705_b.jpg

[Demon I Am]

Revlimiter made me some fresh new gauges to replace the older ones that I was wearing. This is an in-progress shot, for comparison.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8675446627_d4d2a1dab5_c.jpg

I just finished gluing on the needles, and have all 5 installed. Time to set the needles.

[Demon I Am]

New gauges in. I recently shattered my gauge hood, so I have to buy a new one at some point.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8678347321_bda31839ca_c.jpg
http://revlimiter.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/warbird-indigo5.jpg

Also installed the RetroModern HVAC knobs, Revlimiter Warbird HVAC panel, Retromodern Lighter Plug, and RetroModern Dimmer Switch. I also had Retromodern Knurl my !njoy Door Pull Knobs.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8555/8699316931_212c483ca2_c.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8539/8705468048_981973de77_c.jpg

Yesterday, I picked up a front lip from a local guy for unbelievably cheap. Started the install today, but realized that I'm going to need some heat in order to massage the sides. Good thing the GF is out of town for the weekend. :D
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/8727243888_9a91e9ed95_c.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7305/8727243516_2f42684b07_c.jpg

[JLBMX5]

Tony this is first time I've red your build thread lol. On that lip. The corners are held in by self rapping screws you just force lip into position. And drill them in. I did this with my lip freshly painted so you could imaging how scary it was because both the lip and the car was freshly painted when I put mine on

[JLBMX5]

OK that's it damn auto correct on droid can kiss my ass I don't know what words it thought I was typing but its not rapping screws its tapping screws

[wannafbody]

You didn't use the FM throttle body spacer?

[Demon I Am]

Prego,baby. It's in there!

[Martin]

You need these:

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=501910

[Demon I Am]

I wish! That's a little above my pay grade right now. I do have a set of black Elise seats waiting for brackets.

Just received a silver GarageStar Oil Cap.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/9408559941_a1b3ca6633_c.jpg

[ScratchNSniff]

How much for the Elise seats...lol...get you close to the Exige seats...

[Demon I Am]

ha, would get me halfway there.

[ScratchNSniff]

They are $1700 Shipped...could get you a little closer then halfway probably...lol...

[Demon I Am]

NEED To Do:

*Tie Rod Ends--Worn, could be related to the alignment issue? FFR: http://revlimiter.net/blog/2011/03/tie-rod-end-swap/
----Not sure if I need to do the inners, or just the outer ones. FFR: http://miataroadster.com/mazda/mazda_1993_le_/_19941995_r_package_tie_rod_end_ball_joints/mzn02132280apr/i-412314.aspx
*Alignment-Car recently started pulling hard to the left, most likely due to tie rod issue.
*Compression check/leakdown. Pinpoint where the oil is going. FFR: http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=375375
*Motor Mounts---Done with Delrin!
*Rear Main Seal replacement--Overlooked accidentally during motor swap.
*Rear Brakes/Fluid flush
*Clean and fix window tracks


WANT To Do:
*Sound/heat deaden interior/doors
---Reflectix purchased
*Replace broken dash (insulate and soundproof under dash wires)
---New dash sitting in storage for 2 years :/
*Replace Broken gauge hood
*Add line-in audio
---Need speakers, Line-in amp
*New Door Cards and trim
*Paint- Gulf blue/orange, or stay white
*wheel bearings
*replace bushings/ball joints/alignment bolts

[Demon I Am]

so yeah, none of that stuff has been completed :P

I contemplated selling it. Unregistered and uninsured it all winter. Ended up selling the rollbar and the lotus seats for a few non-car projects. Bought an actual dd car (KFJ's RSX).

Then spring came.
Oh Spring, you are a wonderful curse. So beautiful and invting, yet so yellow and itchy.
So now I'm keeping the ol' girl.

I've begun working on my door cards. I cut new ones out of seaboard (basically a whipped pvc material used in sign making). Driver side is cut out and test fitted. Needs final trimming, and some sort of interior covering.

Bought a new roll bar, after realizing how much stiffening was lost by removing the old one. I was told that I was buying a used Ace bar. I wanted the Ace because it sits back further, and I don't ever have a plan of installing a 5pt harness. The bar was p/c black, then spray painted purple, then white. In pretty rough shape. I sent the bar to Elite Custom Coatings in Garner, and they took good care of it. Media blasted, sanded then PCed gold. It's not a perfect match to the wheels, but still looks decent.

Anyways, pix:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/13899684856_40cd8058c2_c.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2895/13899667621_8a4000439d_c.jpg

[tsingson]

Looks good Tony. Does that bar allow you to use the side latches?

[Demon I Am]

Don't know yet. Have not hacked up the quarter trim yet, but it looks like the side strikers should fit

[atank]

Looking good Tony!!!!!!

[Demon I Am]

I've really slacked off/Life's really gotten in the way. Thee car has taken to fairweather status, since I picked up a 2002 Acura RSX for a DD.

No real progress, other than putting the trim panels in. The hard top side latches work with the rollbar, but it's a tight fit. The top being bolted down on all 4s really eliminates a bunch of racket.
Tsingson and I rebuilt our window guides. My 25 year old plastics were disintegrated; I think we found 2 or 3 pieces total.
I finished making the door cards, but have not covered them yet. Still waiting on the right look/material I guess. Or maybe I'm dragging my feet because I don't want to quilt fabric?
I have Mazda Comp motor mounts coming soon, which I have been looking forward to for a long time.
Also ordered a set of the 1993 Tie rod ends, to replace the original ones.

I can't wait for this weather to warm up, and knock out some projects.

[etikoner]

You will like Mazda Comp mounts. They feel great imo.
I also have a set of R-Package tie rod ends I'm looking forward to installing. Can't wait to get em on!

[Demon I Am]

OK, so Ailish is up for sale, as I have another car waiting for me.

Today was the first nice weather weekend day in an unusually cold and wet winter.

Getting the car up for sale has meant trying to make it look a little better to appeal to a broader audience.

Today I had the coolant flushed, it was looking pretty heinous.
I also installed a windshield fluid tank and ran some hoses.
I also finally recovered the door skins, after waiting way too long to do so. I need to get a better pic that shows the texture of the vinyl used, it's very appealing.

Funny how just getting the doorcards fixed turned the car from looking like a budget racer to almost a daily driver. Now if only I could get a gauge hood on the cheap.

quick pic showing the Injoy door pulls and new door cards:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7596/16721910616_461f8807a4_s.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rtEarJ)IMG_20150307_175246598 (https://flic.kr/p/rtEarJ) by demon1am (https://www.flickr.com/people/13981880@N07/), on Flickr

It's amazing how just doing those door cards made me fall in love with the interior all over again.

[Demon I Am]

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8575/16129239083_6d551f2a1b_s.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qzhyR2)IMG_20150307_175227899 (https://flic.kr/p/qzhyR2) by demon1am (https://www.flickr.com/people/13981880@N07/), on Flickr

[Demon I Am]

She's gone in the night. No more rattletrap... :roll: