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Willywongka
09-03-2012, 05:41 PM
Upon starting this 'build' thread I wished I documented my progress with more pictures, so I will do my best with what I can scrounge up, so lets begin.

In the beginning of 2006 while I was still living in San Diego the clutch in my 88 Civic hatch decided to go out on me so I was in need of a car quick! I searched for all types of cars Civic EG hatches, 240sx's, MR2's, then my friend suggested I should take a look at some Miatas... I thought sure why not, since I wasn't in the position to be picky since I needed a car to get to work.

So I ended up buying the first Miata I saw, which was a 97 montego blue. It was in rough condition but it was just a car to get from point a to point b. I kept this car for about two years, in those two years all I really did to it was get a supercharger MP45 installed in it, hardtop, and some Enkei JS+M wheels for it.

Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the different stages my car went through. This is how my 97 looked before I sold it.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZqpSr57nfWk/UEUeY-yyjPI/AAAAAAAAAUU/bgCKrQ4oN60/s1000/1.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GKJmpJgt_Ns/UEUeaRPjAJI/AAAAAAAAAUc/iYMerPi4LaU/s1000/2.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HCjGrBteFSE/UEUebt1UfhI/AAAAAAAAAUk/Gg8_py7e0Hk/s1000/4.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-igJKiNXCQq4/UEUedkZ3FAI/AAAAAAAAAUs/QY7sU9Tg2B8/s1280/6.JPG

Then in Sept 2008 I was looking on craigslist just for fun and found this:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h5gjlrNtxYI/UEUhOiQHTBI/AAAAAAAAAU0/JwBPCC47WXI/s640/m1.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2YNi_kz3Zv4/UEUhRQE1AMI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/3ZX6jGJx9BI/s640/m2e.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vBmavG2y0XA/UEUhRol-WRI/AAAAAAAAAVY/xdCOSH8tkoo/s640/m3.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lrcG-4Jtr2M/UEUhSaZNTTI/AAAAAAAAAVg/Ip4mvfX_RpE/s640/m4e.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JOvEGoR6l2Y/UEUmc4EBHVI/AAAAAAAAAV4/rFnqfHwNDGo/s640/5.JPG

Keep in mind this is when I thought Miata.net was the ONLY Miata forum out there =). So I when I saw this car with the GV nostalgic rear panel I was blown away, I never seen anything like that in my life and I knew I had to have it. So I quickly called the owner up and made an appointment see the car the next day up in Los Angeles to check it out.

So the next day I drove up to LA to check it out and test drive it. It felt better than my current 97 that's for sure, so I bought it right after and brought it home. Then I quickly put my 97 on craigslist and after about 2 months finally sold it.

This is how it sat for a few months after I bought it.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CJ8qNxL9Lxc/UEUozSKEbAI/AAAAAAAAAWA/co_hAgv-drY/s640/3665096072_80ca5e56f9_b.jpg

Then I wanted to meet other people that were into Miata's as much as I was so I searched for other Miata forums and stumbled upon CR.net. It was ALLL over for me after finding that site. I got so much inspiration from seeing so many nicely built cars, especially our very own Phatmiata's 96 in LE interior and red Nakamae seats (my dream seats).

The first item I bought for my car was a set of M2-1028 door mirrors.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rRBnF72RLnw/UEUw4c-7irI/AAAAAAAAAW8/rylHqOnwFiQ/s800/DSC00603.JPG
Although I loved the look of the mirrors, it took a while for me to get used to the limited visibility compared to the OEM mirrors.

Not long after that I picked up the Jetstream hardtop spoiler through Tetsuya Garage.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yPoNuy2r0CU/UEUs5CcefXI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/yEaTCvURqW0/s640/DSC00617.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z59rivLDGzI/UEUtBwYZmTI/AAAAAAAAAWc/r9V0y7u8LNM/s640/DSC00615.JPG

more to come...

Willywongka
09-03-2012, 07:50 PM
So towards the end of 2008 I was laid off from my job and with my unemployment ending soon it was time for me to move out of San Diego and moved back up north to Berkeley.

2009-2010
The first two items I purchased after moving up to the bay was a set of Jetstream TSI's with carbonfiber overlay through REV9 and Garagestar's license plate relocation kit. I just want to say that I love these TSI's! I think these are the best looking TSI's on the market IMHO, but to each their own.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gpehvSKxHJc/TNkc1suNHgI/AAAAAAAAAHc/Mv_6g51YpXQ/s1024/p1.jpg

Picture at a parking lot in San Francisco.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6A88GUvmnR0/UEUtQMBGQKI/AAAAAAAAAWk/SxoQtMEhdUY/s1024/IMG00086-20100705-1946.jpg

After having the M2 door mirrors for a while I began to look for more M2-1028 pieces to put onto my car. I was getting a bit tired of the R-package spoiler on my trunk lid so I decided to look for a different trunk lid. I looked at the KG works spoiler, a few duckbills, Autokenexion lids, but I was looking for something a little more subtle so I scoured the net for more options and stumbled upon a Murakami M2-1028 inspired trunk lid on Randy's cardomain. I figured I was never going to be able to get an actual M2 trunk lid so decided to get the Murakami trunk lid and M2-1028 inspired pedals (which I don't have pictures of unfortunately).
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BlEaUzsNUew/TNkcvsZ-ppI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/vGKH0zguraU/s1024/p3.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qb6KrNdC2Zc/TNkczOHnnSI/AAAAAAAAAHk/1t-sd0ykaWI/s1024/p6.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HXiQY9DfjD0/TNkc3ndTu1I/AAAAAAAAAKc/m6Q8IobJ4sQ/s1024/p5.jpg
This is pretty much how it looked for few months.

I've been itching for a new set of wheels for my car and wasn't sure what to get. I looked at some Equips 01's, Equip 03's, but wasn't really sold on them. It was around that time I heard that Maxime of REV9 put his 14" RS Watanabe's type B on the market. So I contacted him and got them a month or so later. After receiving them from Maxime, they sat in my room for a few months. I wanted to get more use out of the current tires on my Enkei's before purchasing new tires. After about a few months of driving, I realized it was probably gonna be a while before the tires would go bald so I got impatient and decided to just slap those Wats on my car with some new tires.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w3FxDU0r7Ks/TuCmP61qkoI/AAAAAAAAAOM/BP5ZwK_Kn4Q/s1024/2011-08-26%252017.04.42.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t_LsuKRFa8Q/TkcnxhmFF3I/AAAAAAAAAMU/GN8EjcdQv0M/s1024/P1010243.JPG

2011
The next big purchase I made might be one of my best pieces I've bought for my car. The KG works gauge cluster with RS-products type-MG gauge faces.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dwwELcoXc_g/UEVE9-JOlsI/AAAAAAAAAXM/Y2Gge4hV81E/s1024/334252_10150954926293660_688027270_o.jpg

I love green backlit gauges, I wonder why the new cars don't use green anymore, its always some kind of orange or red.

The gauges during the the day.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Ei5UDbPNMYk/UEVHA3jhNOI/AAAAAAAAAXc/A4EENDof820/s1280/20120509_194007.jpg

The gauges at night.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c1OlybNpcxA/UEVE-ZJ87gI/AAAAAAAAAXU/nK65YfluDEM/s1280/462401_10150745915978660_2036283918_o.jpg

I also picked up some cool S-special door cards (thanks for the correction Roadsternut, previously thought they were V-Special door cards) from Phatmiata a little while ago that I finally got around to installing after removing all that black silicone goop from the old ratty plastic weather sheets and replacing it with thicker mill sheets and using Tyvek tape instead of that gorilla snot. It was such a pain in the ass, either way the rain shouldn't damage these cool door cards now! (I hope).
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tu1RO7K1EQU/UJsHqDMzvhI/AAAAAAAAAhI/SVlsz5gQJ7E/s1280/20121107_162120.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D87yhDc2aR4/UEVM9hSTU7I/AAAAAAAAAX4/xKX65REb2gE/s1280/20120503_110958.jpg

etikoner
09-03-2012, 08:11 PM
YES!

This car is so sweet, seriously one of the cleanest nicely modded Miatas i've seen. Love the Watanabe's on there as well.

Try looking for the zoom blue mirror for your M2 Mirrors, you'll have a much better view with them on!

And that trunk is pretty sweet. Ugh haha. Can't wait for you to post up moar!!!11oneone

Willywongka
09-03-2012, 09:03 PM
2012
I got in on a FM frame rail GB and brought them to Retromodern to have them installed as well as some RangeRover fender sidemarkers
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Cp6usbnXCQs/T1Mr8MEnfTI/AAAAAAAAAPk/DhqtXno23Hc/s912/20120303_173057.jpg

This is how it stayed for a few months.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--M2IMl9IShU/T5SP0QOGblI/AAAAAAAAAQU/6C_0XYo0b1w/s912/20120421_174422.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ndKSBZnd5zo/T5SPUd5AK4I/AAAAAAAAAQM/cLjWmN0JSoU/s1280/20120421_173937E.jpg

I think it was back in 2010, Phatmiata was selling a rare carbon fiber Monsterflow intake that I missed out on buying. I was a bit sad that I couldn't get that piece and told myself that if I ever saw it again I would not let it go next time. So in 2012 a little after MazdaRoadster started, it popped up again in the FS section and it just so happens Phatmiata was selling it again! I wasted no time this time and quickly contacted him and made a quick payment for the piece I missed out on 2 years prior.

Monsterflow CAI installed with heatshield.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aA3f8-7Ap8k/T9ZwhLRhYvI/AAAAAAAAAQo/s2aCEQsPM8I/s912/20120611_133905.jpg

I'm sure many of you have grown attached to your car over the years or even months of owning it and you'd hope that nothing will EVER happen to it. Well that dreaded day came at the end of July 2012 like the grim reaper. I parked in front of my girlfriends house and was just hanging out and watching tv when we heard knocking on the door. My GF answered it and she yelled for me to come down saying its about your car... I was like what could it be? Once I got down there, her neighbor was standing there and told me that she backed into my car and she was admitting fault.

I calmly walked out to assess the damage to my car. Some how I kept my calm and didn't go buck wild on her neighbor. Even my girlfriend said 'Oh no! He loves that car!' The whole time I was just telling myself to calm down.

So I walked out to this.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iK_1N6ibKS4/UEUD4PaZ2gI/AAAAAAAAASg/M9MOQ8oYgsI/s1280/20120720_201752.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-JYDxEBjyXoc/UEUEJ7MoH1I/AAAAAAAAASw/b6g9J61VjBM/s1280/20120720_201801.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wjnfgltVrGo/UEUEIlyYLqI/AAAAAAAAASo/pez6E0yLzJ0/s1024/20120721_134608.jpg

So I got all her info and stuff. So I guess I was lucky that someone honest damaged my car, it could have been worse. So I called my insurance the next day and started the process of looking for a reliable body/paint shop. I don't know about you guys but I don't trust just any old body/paint shop with my car. So after a bunch of research and asking around, Kenjo at Garagestar referred me to a shop not far from me called Car N Bike Moto in Vallejo. So I ended up bringing it there, where it stayed for 3 weeks.

The process:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uVLh2m1JsPM/UEVYBORQaoI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/0d-7lXiOiGM/s960/1.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7olMabR2Icg/UEVYBVZUwjI/AAAAAAAAAYU/vIsQ8cEILZA/s960/2.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rbRks7-MFbw/UEVYB16_2GI/AAAAAAAAAYg/Z4DQSnyM6yg/s960/3.jpg

When I brought it in, I talked to the guys there and told them about some fitment issues I had with my trunk lid and GV rear panel and asked them to see what they could do about it. Before bringing my car in, I thought my car was perfectly straight and it was the trunk lid and GV panel that was the problem. So In the middle of fixing my car they found that the right side of my car was tweaked a little bit which was causing the ill fitment of my parts.

After straightening out the right side and welding on the rear quarter panel they had to shave off some areas of the GV panel for it to fit flush with the car.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yp_YERy4JMo/UEVYCKnBl-I/AAAAAAAAAYo/_ovvQKcYexk/s960/4.jpg

After countless hours of shaving and test fitting the trunk we end up with this. It seems the Murakami trunk lid was made perfectly and it sits on my car perfectly even with two trunk springs - amazing! And this WHOLE time I was cursing them for claiming their trunk fits perfectly when it didn't on my car, guess it was my car's fault! =).
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IB1wcf8DQDM/UEVYCfbYFWI/AAAAAAAAAYs/Hf1rymdlglQ/s480/5.jpg

Car all painted and ready be pieced together within the next few days.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KQ_rJ6bRE4A/UEVYDuXXvdI/AAAAAAAAAZA/v0daHkqLpEA/s1280/7.jpg

Car assembled and ready for me to pick up... and better than EVER!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MG3S8sO4UMw/UEVdc-KyYwI/AAAAAAAAAZY/71vkkuMuE7E/s1024/IMG_5261.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XLAevescAZM/UEVddrj0WcI/AAAAAAAAAZg/zk4VcWaNank/s1024/IMG_7776.jpg

Who would have thought my car getting hit would be a blessing in disguise!? Now everyone don't go and purposely get into accidents all at once =). I was more than happy with the results than I thought I would. If you guys live in the bay and need a shop for your car, look no further!

This is the first picture I took of my car after getting it out of the shop. I normally hate the pictures I take of my car, but I thought this one was decent.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IIfJrRJpwvI/UEUFBg6yO6I/AAAAAAAAATw/mlKxsYBmifo/s1280/20120822_154936e.jpg

This is how my car looks as of 9/3/2012. These pictures were taken at 'The Function' this past weekend with some local Miata owners including Kenjo of GarageStar.

Thank you for these cool pictures of my car Justin.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YD-HzMYyYJs/UEVgtBLv0GI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/rZxsnbCdTX8/s1280/191700_10151155488642996_1514440375_oe.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MRUPg08AgoQ/UET_RVkXqBI/AAAAAAAAAR8/TDocky8f2vI/s1280/241605_10151155488992996_1686875575_o.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-K9BLE2-Pxu8/UET_TmkOFGI/AAAAAAAAASE/Udfz-pFxmHE/s1280/277463_10151155489312996_1095475580_o.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xVaqxQypjmA/UEVgvCtCZHI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/wcuJH9iZkq0/s1280/329042_10151155488817996_172846051_oe.jpg

The Platypus
09-03-2012, 09:10 PM
Damn, I'm impressed. Especially with the rear quarter repair.

etikoner
09-03-2012, 09:30 PM
Wow, that body shop was really thorough, Good thing Kenjo recommended them!
Getting your baby hurt sucks, but that shop really did a good job lol. Good thing the lady was honest :)

A 1.6 dash would be icing on the cake interior wise..

Willywongka
09-03-2012, 09:43 PM
Yeah man! I would love to install a 1.6 dash in my car... Ahhh. We'll see what the future holds for my car. Thanks for the compliments Etikoner btw!

wannafbody
09-03-2012, 10:34 PM
Good move losing the grapes

Gene Rodriguez
09-09-2012, 12:17 PM
wow so lucky on the gv tail coming with your buy...

atank
09-09-2012, 12:44 PM
Man that repair job is one of the best that I have seen, and your Roadster looks wonderful!!

ctrench
09-09-2012, 01:11 PM
oh ma gawsh!! it looked pretty cool without the rear quarter skin!! and i want GV tails SOOO bad!!

iRoadster
09-09-2012, 02:43 PM
One of my muse cars.
I had no idea you had picked this thing up way back in '06 with the GV rear end already on the car.

artcentermiata
09-09-2012, 04:58 PM
This car is very classically sexy! me like!

Justin
09-10-2012, 10:40 PM
Your car is one of my inspirations, I felt refreshed reading this thread and finally reading up on its progress since Day 1

maharaj
09-10-2012, 10:48 PM
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome car! All of the attention to detail. Good work.

tanakapz
09-11-2012, 12:57 AM
Shoulda gone to your shop when I needed my quarter panel repaired. The shop I used didn't do perfect work, there are minor imperfections that I can still notice.

Great build, looks really clean. How an NA should be built.

Madaboutmx5s
09-11-2012, 01:09 AM
Very nice car. Done right.

hippari
09-11-2012, 01:52 AM
woah; car is so quality it's ridiculous. too nice lol

Willywongka
09-11-2012, 04:14 AM
wow so lucky on the gv tail coming with your buy...
Yeah, I think around when I bought it - it was still around 500. Pretty lucky now that its about double now I think.


Man that repair job is one of the best that I have seen, and your Roadster looks wonderful!!
Yeah I am truly lucky that Kenjo referred me to that place. They so a bit of car restoration, so they have a lot of experience with this sort of work and thank you for the compliment.


oh ma gawsh!! it looked pretty cool without the rear quarter skin!! and i want GV tails SOOO bad!!
Yeah I liked how it looked as well, almost road warrior style or those high grade gundam models where you can see the mechanics under the shell =).


One of my muse cars. I had no idea you had picked this thing up way back in '06 with the GV rear end already on the car.
Thanks! I have more muses than I can even mention, I take inspiration from all of you guys as well. Dunno how my car would be without all the proper examples out there.

Actually I picked up the 97 Montego Blue in 06... sorry my build thread may be a little confusing showing the white car before the montego =). Maybe I should redo that section so it will be less confusing.


This car is very classically sexy! me like!
Thank you, I also love all the little touches you put on your car - especially your custom tan diamond quilted center console cover. I'm sad to see you put your car on the market, but I am not worried since I know you'll one up your current one with the next.


Your car is one of my inspirations, I felt refreshed reading this thread and finally reading up on its progress since Day 1
Thanks Justin =) and thank you again for the most recent pictures of my car. Yeah this is the first build thread I have ever done. Didn't realize it took so much work to do, had to dig up some old pictures, receipts, access my old memory banks! In the end it was well worth it... sometimes you forget how long you've had the car and how far it has come. I'm hoping I will be able to update this build thread every once in a while and I'll be sure to better document my progress!


Awesome! Awesome! Awesome car! All of the attention to detail. Good work.
Thank you! I try man... So many more things I want to do but of course there's that thing call money and time that you need =)


Shoulda gone to your shop when I needed my quarter panel repaired. The shop I used didn't do perfect work, there are minor imperfections that I can still notice. Great build, looks really clean. How an NA should be built.

You got hit in the same spot I did on your MSM? You also live in the East Bay right? Surprised we haven't met at a local meet yet.

I know nobody has a perfect car, everyone has those imperfections that only the owner would know about. I guess its that fact keeps me from being too hard on myself. Thanks for the compliment, definitely put some time into this car... I wonder whats next.


Very nice car. Done right.

Thank you Mad, Your Corns' car was one of my inspirations for sure... so that really means a lot to me. I'm glad your roadsters have your full attention again =).


woah; car is so quality it's ridiculous. too nice lol
Thanks! The only thing bad about having a clean car is the worries that come with it... its like maaan I don't even wanna drive it cause it might get hit/dinged or whatever. I guess after a few nicks I'd be fully comfortable driving it around everywhere again =).

roadsternut
09-15-2012, 04:10 PM
Very nice car.

Minor correction; the door cards are not off a V-Special. They've come from a S-Special, circa 1993-1994.

Caoboy
09-17-2012, 09:51 AM
Always been a fan of your car will. So clean.

Willywongka
09-17-2012, 04:22 PM
Very nice car.

Minor correction; the door cards are not off a V-Special. They've come from a S-Special, circa 1993-1994.

Thanks for the correction Roadster! I'll make the changes in my thread!


Always been a fan of your car will. So clean.
Thanks Alex! Next time we meet I'll have to try out your Recaro. Your car is definitely well built and looks good... all business.

Willywongka
10-01-2012, 03:58 AM
Just yesterday I swapped out my 4:1 Torsen for a 4:3 Torsen with a RX-7 housing and Garagestar diff bushings. I owe it all to TJ for giving me first dibs on the torsen and installation. Thanks also goes to Justin for giving a hand on installation.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-x2sWOHTLl7U/UGlZ9G7iMGI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/zp0jX3R1C64/s1280/20120929_164422.jpg

This upgrade definitely increases the acceleration of my car quite a bit... now all I wanna do is floor it everywhere! BYE BYE MPG!

Caoboy
10-01-2012, 08:12 AM
Just made a trek from norcal, to socal, tracked, then back to norcal with a 4.3. It sucked. I can't imagine how people live with the 4.77

Willywongka
10-03-2012, 12:45 PM
Just made a trek from norcal, to socal, tracked, then back to norcal with a 4.3. It sucked. I can't imagine how people live with the 4.77

Hmmmmm, I'm supposed to head down to LA again next weekend... I hope its not as bad as you say Alex! I'm assuming you had a 4.1 before?

Willywongka
10-03-2012, 12:53 PM
After riding on the Tokico blues with racing beat springs since I got the car about 4 years ago I figured it was time for an upgrade of sorts. The Tokico's felt a little harsh to me so I've always wanted something that was more on the comfortable side, that I could take to the track if I ever wanted to. So I bought a used set of Tein Flex with a spring rate of 7 / 6 off a guy on craiglist that just upgraded to a Fat Cat Elite Coil.

I'm waiting on the Fat Cat bumpstops that were included with the sale but he forgot to bring when he sold the Teins to me, then hopefully I can get these suckers installed. I'm hoping for a big change in the car, we'll see.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zfVQRT__DPs/UGx5LwF3YoI/AAAAAAAAAbA/S9upfo1vjpM/s1280/20121003_103710.jpg

Willywongka
10-03-2012, 01:03 PM
When removing one of my struts a while ago with my uncle I noticed that it did not have that plastic slips that goes inbetween the tophat and the chassis. This always bothered me, because the thought of metal on metal just didn't sit right with me.

I only had two of those plastic slips that I got from a pick and pull, so I needed two more but no one seemed to have them in stock in the bay area. I had a big plastic sheet I laying around the house so I decided I would make my own.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mRmjLFG1OrQ/UGx5IC7myeI/AAAAAAAAAa4/xiDo6wACEds/s1280/20121003_103633.jpg

The oem slip is literally as thick as a piece of paper, the plastic I cut them out in was about 3-4 times thicker than the oem slip.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Cf_AFNtPnxM/UGx5SjpxQMI/AAAAAAAAAbI/eHNCb3N-fo8/s1280/20121003_103044.jpg

Here is a comparison of the oem and the one I cut out.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6Mav9TT-Tic/UGx49LWGgII/AAAAAAAAAaw/dgQ6W1Z-ck8/s1280/20121003_102907.jpg

I can't wait to get the Fat Cat bump stops so I can get these installed!

snake520
10-03-2012, 02:35 PM
nice! I'm sure it'll be a good upgrade.

Hopefully I'll get a torsen in someday... lol

The Driver
10-03-2012, 03:00 PM
It wasn't the shocks, RB springs are trash. Cool story ans a truly awesome build up!

etikoner
10-03-2012, 09:17 PM
Tokico blues don't damp for shit at your ride height.
Very nice move on the flex. It's gonna transform your car nicely, especially with the fcm bump stops.

I lost those plastic isolators a while ago. Maybe I should follow suit.

Willywongka
10-03-2012, 09:50 PM
nice! I'm sure it'll be a good upgrade.

Hopefully I'll get a torsen in someday... lol

Definitely a nice add on if you like whipping corners =)... which I'm sure you do.


It wasn't the shocks, RB springs are trash. Cool story ans a truly awesome build up!

It all makes sense then... guess people were kind enough to not tell me that when I told them what suspension I was running =).


Tokico blues don't damp for shit at your ride height.
Very nice move on the flex. It's gonna transform your car nicely, especially with the fcm bump stops.

I lost those plastic isolators a while ago. Maybe I should follow suit.

Yeah I've always wanted at least a Tein Flex, though I really wanted the Mono, but I'm sure it'll work out just fine. I actually talked to Shaikh at Fat Cat and he said he recommended running the 36mm on the fronts and 46mm on the rear.

Willywongka
10-03-2012, 09:55 PM
So I brought my car over to my buddy's house today to get the Teins in today... you don't know how excited I was. I mean I was having dreams of driving my car on them, it was that bad.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-sIww_Dppjvw/UGz1b-GIfNI/AAAAAAAAAcA/Tdn9Vsz4QSk/s1024/20121003_152957.jpg

There was quite a difference in ride comfort for sure over the tokico blue / RB springs. This is my first time running a Coilover so being able to adjust the damper and height is quite nice.

This last upgrade may be the last for a little while, though I have been noticing a strange 'clung~clank' sound when I engage the clutch / shift etc. My friends have been saying that my motor mounts may have to be changed, so that may be my next update... though a boring one =).

Phatmiata
10-03-2012, 10:09 PM
awesome!! I need to get some coilovers on my Miata. Your Miata is coming along really nicely!

Willywongka
11-05-2012, 08:55 PM
A lot has happened between October and November... I guess I'll start with the BAD news!

So in the middle of October I drove my car down to LA with my girlfriend to visit some friends and just get away from the Bay for a few days. While driving around Little Tokyo in in downtown LA I get into my baby gets into another fender bender. My ONLY defense was that I was a bit absent minded, stressed, and didn't know my way around, which contributed to my foolish driving. I was on a one way street, when I attempted to make a left on the second lane thinking the cars in the furthest most lane had to make a left... which lead to this.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qGPk2182qq4/UJKayJzf1oI/AAAAAAAAAc0/iB4QJJPRlfo/s1280/20121016_112307.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-JKwNFRiXayc/UJKa0baBttI/AAAAAAAAAdE/Fea4ZbEz_sw/s1024/20121016_112338.jpg

This picture was actually taken after I got home.

Luckily I was able to just pay the guy off so I didn't have to deal with insurance. It could have been much worse than just a dent in the fender, so I am grateful and happy that my girl and I was not harmed. This really killed me inside, since it was my fault I have nobody to blame but myself.

Either way I had to use the ratchets I had in my car to bend the fender out so the fender wouldn't rub on my tires when I hit potholes and the such.

At least this time I got hit on a fender that can be unbolted! So I was able to hunt down a excellent condition fender in chaste white from a 94. The only section I had to sand and respray was the black exterior trim on the bottom.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BITYm-4paN0/UJKbOtt1CvI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/MjbaZfq9or4/s1024/20121019_143737.jpg

After I got the fender all fixed up I hit up my buddy Ken at Retro Modern to help me remove and install the fender.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HwYVO1suj-k/UJKdGLf8i2I/AAAAAAAAAeE/0muyAo-H8l8/s1280/20121027_171536.jpg

We quickly found out that it wasn't going to be as easy as unbolting the fender and installing the new one. After taking all of the bolts out we realized that there was one bolt that is actually connected to the front bumper, which required us to unbolt the front bumper also!!!! =(

https://picasaweb.google.com/110899593496504254180/November212011#slideshow/5805874293679274274

After taking off the front bumper we were able to finally remove the damaged fender!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-P3FbZk6X0Tw/UJKcOo0UU2I/AAAAAAAAAd0/5_u6w3d6zXc/s1280/20121027_163408.jpg

After removing the fender, Ken suggested stitch welding that section of the chassis while it was off so we went and removed the other fender as well.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4K4yCjXTu_o/UJKb8-x-xgI/AAAAAAAAAdo/Z-JX-5CZIp4/s1280/20121027_162652.jpg
Note: look at all that crap that has accumulated in the front rocker panels!! Clear those sections once in a while esp before the rainy season to avoid possible rust!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q_ok5M8aOzs/UJKdI6NdibI/AAAAAAAAAeM/un1O8-LmI4Y/s1280/20121027_163636.jpg

Unfortunately previous engagements did not allow us to stitch weld the passenger side, so I guess I was gonna have to live with just the drivers side done for now.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-J5gM3cIBlN8/UJKdSJ61CZI/AAAAAAAAAeg/pRwhCHXVRG4/s1280/20121027_174450.jpg

I would have to thank Ken for re-cutting that hole for the side markers in the new fender as well as helping me install the replacement fender!

This is how the fender looks a few days after the replacement! I feel loads better!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JcFwcOBkBK8/UJhivHMVhTI/AAAAAAAAAe8/L6X7S-Vubfk/s1280/20121105_162429.jpg

Willywongka
11-05-2012, 09:05 PM
I figured it was time I did something about that R-lip that came with the car when I bought it about 4 years ago. It looked like it had 3-4 layers of random paint and primer just sprayed on by the previous owners.

So yesterday I had it removed with the help of my buddy Justin. We sanded the lip for a good 30-40 mins to get those layers of paint off... I swear I saw this part's history as we sanded down the layers.

After the sanding was finished we sprayed about 2 coats of primer... and today I saw some sections that we missed so I had to sand it down some more to make sure it is done properly. I try to follow the "Do it right the first time" rule.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TYHx6oWk7UM/UJhi2lS6THI/AAAAAAAAAfI/MHUtwakctd0/s1280/20121105_153255.jpg

That's it for now, hopefully I'll find some time to spray the lip tomorrow and steer free of anymore accidents! My car has been through enough this year!

etikoner
11-06-2012, 07:27 AM
Sucks that happened. I know how demoralizing it can feel especially after having your car look all good and fresh. :(
I need to repaint my lip too haha, it's all scratched up now..

Keep on keeping on!

morr
11-06-2012, 10:28 AM
Love the progress of this build so far. Your car is a perfect example of a clean and classy NA. Definitely a muse for when I get an NA!

Willywongka
11-07-2012, 08:23 PM
Sucks that happened. I know how demoralizing it can feel especially after having your car look all good and fresh. :(
I need to repaint my lip too haha, it's all scratched up now..

Keep on keeping on!

Yuuuup... the only way to keep it from getting damaged is to keep it in a box on a shelf and not enjoy it. But that would just be a waste!

Yeah man it took me like 4 years to FINALLY remove that stupid lip, sand it, primer, and paint! I'm such a lazy ass.


Love the progress of this build so far. Your car is a perfect example of a clean and classy NA. Definitely a muse for when I get an NA!

Thank you morr! Progress will come to a crawl till about January... that's when I should be getting a nice treat from Japan =).

ChrisJuliano
11-07-2012, 08:36 PM
AWESOME build! Love everything !!!

Willywongka
11-07-2012, 08:42 PM
So after about a day of drying outside... I think the lip is ready to at least be installed. The instructions on the paint said that it will take 48 hours to fully harden.

My R-lip never looked this good!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_99A0cSOCWg/UJsG2-bXkcI/AAAAAAAAAhU/8wRrMxpV-gk/s1280/20121107_100431.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-F0b45wOpR1s/UJ4MOYyx5CI/AAAAAAAAAiI/Puc4TfV7hg8/s912/20121107_120148.jpg

Two more shots before I go.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PGPb7lmleO4/UJsMWPwe8CI/AAAAAAAAAh0/Sh44q089FZI/s1280/20121107_133643e.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GCTjiwsSrps/UJsHEfKaD6I/AAAAAAAAAgc/iZzFbuccRy0/s1280/20121107_131224.jpg

Willywongka
11-14-2012, 01:01 PM
I recently got a free day to go hang out with my buddy Justin and his friend Ricky out in San Francisco and came back with more than I expected. I am truly grateful of Ricky's generosity and don't feel I deserve it.

First off some truly rare and iconic stickers.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Roc45eeiY04/UKARDRtA4QI/AAAAAAAAAio/NtI6OSxEVy8/s1280/20121111_121712.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S3nq_tmbBqo/UKPYDP5ph1I/AAAAAAAAAkg/28KyBfPqxe4/s1280/20121114_092757.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9s1Fw3sdH1Y/UKPYBRrRRVI/AAAAAAAAAkY/EmqUUj-mDSw/s1280/20121114_092745.jpg

I've been wanting to take off my rusted wiper blades so I could sand it down and respray them black, Ricky saved me trouble by giving me a NOS set from his stash of goodies as well as a red powder coated jack wrench (or whatever you call that damned thing).
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3fXbXKOOwHY/UKPXn1kpi3I/AAAAAAAAAkI/35H-0eih_dQ/s1280/20121114_092638.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QLdDGvEHOkE/UKPYIWI2brI/AAAAAAAAAko/ONFPatNYidk/s1280/20121114_092833.jpg

And finally, but not least he sold me one of his Momo Retro 360mm wheels. I have a KG works vintage horn button I want to eventually throw on there, but I'm gonna have to find the horn adapter for the Momo wheel before I can do that.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Owol8fKmpZI/UKARjcPvAAI/AAAAAAAAAjM/w62mDYVXFq4/s1024/20121111_121836.jpg

etikoner
11-14-2012, 09:05 PM
Badass.

That wheel looks awesome on there.

I'm also jealous of your sweet-ass retro stickers lol.

Willywongka
12-11-2012, 06:18 AM
Recently fitted my KG works vintage horn button and I must say I am very pleased with how it looks!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KTXWKy4iP98/UMVVNWxrqaI/AAAAAAAAApU/n3nXj_BOvcs/s1280/20121209_141454.jpg

And a few shots before I go:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-87KCtQQN2_w/ULFHyK_tpXI/AAAAAAAAAls/78Yl_VCon6w/s1280/20121122_162154.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eMYQ3x1ODe8/ULFHakoQlCI/AAAAAAAAAlM/7y16HmGuG1g/s1280/20121122_162051.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BHEKWow7Gs8/UMcWgL-oxAI/AAAAAAAAApw/2HkTJoSmoOI/s1152/20121122_162122e.jpg

Madaboutmx5s
12-12-2012, 02:51 AM
Looks very nice, I like the new steering wheel, especially with the new kg works horn push.

maharaj
12-12-2012, 11:02 AM
Definately one of, if not the cleanest white NA's I have seen....even with you playing bumper cars :lol: it is perfect!

Willywongka
12-12-2012, 12:26 PM
Looks very nice, I like the new steering wheel, especially with the new kg works horn push.
Thanks Mad,

It has definitely been a long slow process adding and removing pieces from the car, I hope I'll never get to the point when I'll run out of things to add to the car. Do you ever have that problem? =)


Definately one of, if not the cleanest white NA's I have seen....even with you playing bumper cars :lol: it is perfect!
Thanks! 2012 has definitely been one of those years I do not want to repeat car wise! I can only imagine how fast a V8 in our small cars would be like, that would be one scary bumper car! =)

Willywongka
12-12-2012, 04:29 PM
Yes! Just gotta wait till the flipside custom seat brackets arrive and I will try to install them.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5yZ96IrFItU/UMj20Uzb-vI/AAAAAAAAAqI/EUSvsSeSjA0/s1024/20121212_125812.jpg

Tabasco
12-14-2012, 10:55 AM
I love your wheels! Sadely they are really expensive!

Your ride looks really clean.

Willywongka
12-14-2012, 01:59 PM
I love your wheels! Sadely they are really expensive!

Your ride looks really clean.

Thanks Tabasco,

Well all you have to do is slowly save up a 'Miata fund' so when a good deal pops up you will be able to jump on it. I'm not gonna lie its an expensive hobby.

When I feel I am spending too much money on this hobby of mine I just think of what my GF told me once, "It could be worse, you could be addicted to drugs or gambling or something."

etikoner
12-14-2012, 03:36 PM
This is shaping up to be one of my favorite roadsters ever.
So good, everything goes together nicely.

Jealous of those Elise seats, they should make an awesome addition into that sweet interior of yours.

Willywongka
01-24-2013, 05:24 AM
Been a while since my last update. Only addition were the Elise seats and I also modded the seats with some air2gel kemmler padding that I saw a lot of people doing on the Lotustalk forum. The mod makes the regular seats a bit more comfortable to sit in, definitely worth doing.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q_DO3OEvlr8/UQEJglOnV5I/AAAAAAAAAtU/YGc4EL8M1-E/s1280/20130120_132505.jpg

I love the look of the seats, but the drivers seat will soon be swapped out with another seat soon. If all goes well I will get a matching seat, then I will most likely sell my Elise seats.

etikoner
01-24-2013, 10:28 AM
Loving that interior. Any plans for more power?

Caoboy
01-24-2013, 11:18 AM
Holla at them seats. My back is killing me.

Willywongka
01-24-2013, 02:15 PM
Loving that interior. Any plans for more power?

I've considered it, but I was just thinking about staying N/A. But I've also thought about slapping on a 99 head for more N/A power.

If anything MAYBE another supercharger down the road, though I would have loved to do IRTB's but of course that isn't CARB legal in CA =). Either way I just want NO headaches when it comes to more power. How about you, any plans for FI?


Holla at them seats. My back is killing me.

What seats do you have in your car right now?

etikoner
01-24-2013, 02:26 PM
Yeah, maybe the the new super charger might be good for you. When I think of your car it's really one of those basic simple but really awesome roadster builds. Makes me wish everyone had money for a $15k engine build to keep with the roadster spirit, just sucks that Cali laws suck in that regard.

I'm building a high comp itb engine for my car. I thought I had some pics in my thread.. Lol I just saw half the pics are missing cause of stupid face book..

Caoboy
01-25-2013, 01:56 PM
I have a Momo Start.

Willywongka
01-25-2013, 02:09 PM
Yeah, maybe the the new super charger might be good for you. When I think of your car it's really one of those basic simple but really awesome roadster builds. Makes me wish everyone had money for a $15k engine build to keep with the roadster spirit, just sucks that Cali laws suck in that regard.

I'm building a high comp itb engine for my car. I thought I had some pics in my thread.. Lol I just saw half the pics are missing cause of stupid face book..

I just love the look and sound of ITB's... I've been down that road of going through some middle man to get my shit smogged every year, and all I gotta say is that its NOT worth the headache. Well the good thing is I can live vicariously though you and the few others that have successfully installed ITB's on their car!

I'm gonna drive my car in stock mode for quite a while... and after my next update I'm gonna really slow down on the spending on my hobby car. If I sat down and looked at how much I spent on my car over the last 4-5 years I'd probably have a heart attack.


I have a Momo Start.

I think I've seen it in your car before, is it pretty comfy?

Phatmiata
01-25-2013, 03:21 PM
Recently fitted my KG works vintage horn button and I must say I am very pleased with how it looks!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KTXWKy4iP98/UMVVNWxrqaI/AAAAAAAAApU/n3nXj_BOvcs/s1280/20121209_141454.jpg





Ricky is selling off everything...... :cry:

that wheel looks pimp with the old school Mazda logo, you need these shiny bits to jazz up the area around the horn button.

http://performancedoneright.biz/?p=72

Next time you see Ricky tell him I still have to send him some more Hot Wheels LOL

Caoboy
01-25-2013, 03:53 PM
I think I've seen it in your car before, is it pretty comfy?

It's in the NB I just picked up.


Honestly it sucks if you're a small guy. My boney ass can't deal with the lack of cushioning in the wide seat. And I don't want to add a cushion because I'm already sitting higher than I was in my NA and I hate it.

Willywongka
01-25-2013, 09:08 PM
Ricky is selling off everything...... :cry:

that wheel looks pimp with the old school Mazda logo, you need these shiny bits to jazz up the area around the horn button.

http://performancedoneright.biz/?p=72

Next time you see Ricky tell him I still have to send him some more Hot Wheels LOL

Yeah, at least the stuff he is selling will be taken care of as long as they are in my possession =). It took a little getting use to since it is a 360mm and my previous Momo Tuner was a 350mm, those extra 10mm actually changes the feel of driving slightly. It felt like I was driving a bus for little bit. It took me about a week or so to get use to it.

I may have to get a set of those steering wheel bolts later, thanks for the link!

I may have to pick up a set of those bolts for my steering wheel.


It's in the NB I just picked up.


Honestly it sucks if you're a small guy. My boney ass can't deal with the lack of cushioning in the wide seat. And I don't want to add a cushion because I'm already sitting higher than I was in my NA and I hate it.

Yeah us slim Asian guys need to get those Asian seats that fit our tiny butts!

So are you done with your NA then?

Willywongka
01-25-2013, 09:17 PM
After a few months of waiting, my dream seat has finally arrived!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-owWozzctr6g/UQM49MDFhQI/AAAAAAAAAuA/M0dOR7W5ckA/s1024/20130125_161234.jpg

Originally I was just gonna buy a seat for the drivers side but after after seeing it up close and sitting in it, I knew I had to get a matching one. This might be THE one item that I don't think I will ever get sick of in my car, and after drooling over Nakamae seats on Minkara I am finally an owner of one of these amazing seats.

As soon as I got home from picking the seat up from JDMP (Thank you very much on helping me purchase the seat!) I got straight to work on installing it. I had to remove my Elise seat to get my oem sliders off of them.

Here is a picture of the seat installed in my car, sorry for the poor quality. The sun was setting when I finally finished installing it, it also doesn't help that I REALLY suck at taking pictures.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Q0VvvtEQaYs/UQM5BylVnuI/AAAAAAAAAuI/CZ-z-CBYbPw/s1280/20130125_173017.jpg

The seat sits SUPER low to the ground, lower than my Elise seat on flipside custom bracket and oem sliders. The fitment of the seat is so snug in the car... its PERFECT. Now I must get a matching seat so my GF won't feel left out.

My Elise seats will be up for sale as soon as I get a matching seat, it'll probably take a few months unfortunately.

Caoboy
01-25-2013, 09:50 PM
Quite classy.


My NA is now cut up into tiny bits, and it's guts are being sold to Spec Miata guys.

etikoner
01-28-2013, 12:17 AM
Damn. Fucking nice.

I think I'm following you on IG. You need to post on there !! lol

I wish I had the $$ for beautiful tan nakamae seats. UGH lol

Willywongka
01-28-2013, 10:33 PM
Thanks =).

Yeah, I remember I was thinking of buying the Tan ones that Phatmiata has now a few years ago, but they wouldn't go very well with my car... but I almost did anyways!

What is IG?

Phatmiata
02-09-2013, 09:37 AM
After a few months of waiting, my dream seat has finally arrived!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-owWozzctr6g/UQM49MDFhQI/AAAAAAAAAuA/M0dOR7W5ckA/s1024/20130125_161234.jpg





wowowowowwwwwwwooooooooo!!!!!!!! How did I miss this post! hahahhaa so awesome!!! :frantic: Congrats!!!

WASABI
02-09-2013, 12:38 PM
Dang those look so comfy! They must fit like a glove...and they look tits! :slayer:

Willywongka
02-11-2013, 01:22 PM
wowowowowwwwwwwooooooooo!!!!!!!! How did I miss this post! hahahhaa so awesome!!! :frantic: Congrats!!!

=) Yeah man, sitting in this seat totally changes the driving experience almost more than any of the other aftermarket parts I've thrown on the car for sure. I wonder if the Type-R's feel any different than these. I'm still waiting back on word of sourcing a matching seat to see if I can afford it or not. Either way, I've happy to own at least one Nakamae that's for sure.

BTW - did the position of the adjustable headrests ever concern you? They feel a little too far back, I've thought of making a strap on cushion about an inch thick so my head doesn't have to lean that far back till my head reaches the headrest. I wonder if Nakamae ever made an add-on cushion.


Dang those look so comfy! They must fit like a glove...and they look tits! :slayer:
They are pretty damn comfy, though I have thought of adding just a tad of padding for an added lumbar effect. Aside from that, they do fit my slim Asian frame quite well =).

Willywongka
02-11-2013, 01:27 PM
Added shots of my current seat setup.

I'm not gonna lie, my Elise seats did not feel as comfortable as I thought they would. After adding a little cushion here and there, they actually feel quite comfy now... they actually give the Naka's a run for their money.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AgRkgDzu2uc/URk1MR0kBJI/AAAAAAAAAug/f7nKNanMPzw/s1280/20130209_163917.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hr8TytLRkhg/URk1M8gMAYI/AAAAAAAAAuo/8zrbuX-y0VA/s1280/20130209_163957.jpg

Phatmiata
02-11-2013, 02:50 PM
My Nakamae seats have the height adjustable headrest, does yours not move or something? Is that what you are asking? Mine feel like you are sitting on the ground, and my head was well underneath the rollbar which is why I didnt feel the need for rollbar padding.

Willywongka
02-11-2013, 03:00 PM
My Nakamae seats have the height adjustable headrest, does yours not move or something? Is that what you are asking? Mine feel like you are sitting on the ground, and my head was well underneath the rollbar which is why I didnt feel the need for rollbar padding.

Oh they are adjustable (up and down)... but the distance I need to lean my head back to touch the headrest is a bit far. In case I get in a car accident my neck will definitely be destroyed.

smac
02-21-2013, 03:27 PM
Just read through this, dont know how I missed this build!
Awesome car and really nice collection of parts.

Stealth97
02-21-2013, 08:07 PM
This care is awesome!

Willywongka
02-22-2013, 03:00 AM
Just read through this, dont know how I missed this build!
Awesome car and really nice collection of parts.

Thanks SMAC! I really want to make a front bumper just like you... BUT I don't think I can pull it off. I wonder how it would look on a white NA.



This care is awesome!

Thank you very much Stealth97... definitely inspired by all of the cool Roadsters out there =).

scsi
02-22-2013, 05:40 AM
wow, i love this car

smac
02-22-2013, 09:29 AM
Thanks SMAC! I really want to make a front bumper just like you... BUT I don't think I can pull it off. I wonder how it would look on a white NA.


I think you could pull it off, it was more time consuming than difficult tbh.
Check out Madaboutmx5s CORNS car for an idea of hhow that bumper looks in white, think he has a thread on here.

oldcafe
02-22-2013, 03:10 PM
Wow congratulation for the Naka ;)

Hyper
10-19-2013, 08:09 PM
I rated your thread 5 stars. I love your car!!!!!!

Willywongka
10-19-2013, 08:38 PM
Hahah thanks hyper! I havent updated this thread for such a long time. Not too much has changed aside from acquiring a matching nakamae seat and a zoom eng headlight lid.

Madaboutmx5s
10-20-2013, 01:05 AM
Nice one on the two nakamae seats, nice. Very nice! :frantic:

etikoner
10-20-2013, 01:09 AM
Pics of matching seat please :)
Love this car!

Willywongka
10-20-2013, 02:16 AM
If you guys must see it. This is the only picture I have that Ken P of RetroModern shot of the interior of my car. I wish I had a shot that shows more of the seats, but I guess this will have to do for now.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lVQERuIgMBM/UmOCo-Yy3CI/AAAAAAAAA10/mnvx5ZWJjtY/w1240-h842-no/1008332_4954134411509_759196469_o.jpg

etikoner
10-20-2013, 02:17 AM
So bad Ass

Hyper
10-20-2013, 08:28 AM
If you guys must see it. This is the only picture I have that Ken P of RetroModern shot of the interior of my car. I wish I had a shot that shows more of the seats, but I guess this will have to do for now.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lVQERuIgMBM/UmOCo-Yy3CI/AAAAAAAAA10/mnvx5ZWJjtY/w1240-h842-no/1008332_4954134411509_759196469_o.jpg

fucking beautiful!!!!!!!

Dandy
10-20-2013, 08:31 AM
Pure SEX.

Madaboutmx5s
10-21-2013, 01:07 AM
If you guys must see it. This is the only picture I have that Ken P of RetroModern shot of the interior of my car. I wish I had a shot that shows more of the seats, but I guess this will have to do for now.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lVQERuIgMBM/UmOCo-Yy3CI/AAAAAAAAA10/mnvx5ZWJjtY/w1240-h842-no/1008332_4954134411509_759196469_o.jpg


Top notch!

Willywongka
10-21-2013, 03:24 AM
Thank you for the positive feedback everyone! Definitely been a long time coming. Been an ongoing project for about 7-8 years now, didn't realize I've had this car for that long =).

I'll try to update my car when the next shipment of items land on my shore and THEN I am forcing myself to take a break from spending more money on my car, gatta be responsible and save for a house, a ring for my girl, retirement... you know big man shit =(.

Hyper
10-21-2013, 09:13 AM
Willywongka I have a small request, why don't you paint the hardtop black and a-pillars in black, the car will look even more sick that it is now. For reference, you have exactly all the modifications I wished to have done to my previous NA. great choices made man!!!

Willywongka
10-21-2013, 12:51 PM
Willywongka I have a small request, why don't you paint the hardtop black and a-pillars in black, the car will look even more sick that it is now. For reference, you have exactly all the modifications I wished to have done to my previous NA. great choices made man!!!

You know I have been considering that on and off for a little while, I just can't commit =). I also wondered if the HT was black, would it also get hotter in the sun than if it was just white?

You know, I remember looking at pictures of your silverstone NA when I was looking for examples of the M2 Murakami trunk lid on our cars and yours popped up with the GV tails also, so I was like... perfect! Have you considered picking up an NA again?

Here's another shot of my interior taken by my friend Speedypenguin:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jXeewI9g3a8/UmVkOlJp5bI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/nMxU2PfWSa0/w1508-h1006-no/1052727_10152965866625296_647478262_o.jpg

And another shot of the car taken on Treasure Island with another resident MR member (some of you may recognize the car):
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VZm4safnkE4/UmVkO1DVqSI/AAAAAAAAA2U/kfP0XTrTvew/w1598-h730-no/1040711_10152982314505296_795018445_o.jpg

Maybe I can have someone photoshop the top black just to get an idea of how it would look, but I know it looked damn good on James' Corn's car (especially with the Kanspo top). So I wouldn't doubt it would look good on mine.

Hyper
10-21-2013, 01:16 PM
You know I have been considering that on and off for a little while, I just can't commit =). I also wondered if the HT was black, would it also get hotter in the sun than if it was just white?

You know, I remember looking at pictures of your silverstone NA when I was looking for examples of the M2 Murakami trunk lid on our cars and yours popped up with the GV tails also, so I was like... perfect! Have you considered picking up an NA again?

Here's another shot of my interior taken by my friend Speedypenguin:


Maybe I can have someone photoshop the top black just to get an idea of how it would look, but I know it looked damn good on James' Corn's car (especially with the Kanspo top). So I wouldn't doubt it would look good on mine.

ja ja ja the Murakami trunk lid is sex you made a great choice! and thanks for remembering my silver NA. As much as I love NAs I love my NB too!!! and I won't be building any more miatas anymore. This is my last project i am too old, but perhaps my son will take over sometime after me when he begins to love at cars! he is only 11 years old tough.

some pictures for reference...
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4055/4682600859_d2968bc524.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/7978278029_1b738aa964_b.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8176/7978279103_6ffaf45cce_b.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/06/u5azutez.jpg

speedypenguin
10-21-2013, 04:43 PM
If you really want, next time we see each other, we can put on my black hardtop on your car. That'd be the best way to see if you'd like the look. :)

Hyper
10-21-2013, 08:21 PM
If you really want, next time we see each other, we can put on my black hardtop on your car. That'd be the best way to see if you'd like the look. :)

for reference you can also vinyl wrap the hardtop and a-pillar in black or carbon fiber or any other color but the finish look is not the same depends on material quality.

Willywongka
10-22-2013, 01:17 PM
James' car is just waaaay too cool and it one of the only cars that can pull off that Kanspo HT. Definitely an inspiration.

Hyper
10-22-2013, 01:27 PM
James' car is just waaaay too cool and it one of the only cars that can pull off that Kanspo HT. Definitely an inspiration.

I actually like your miata more now, his car was cool as hell with those mods above and the black hardtop. I think you can pull it off too, keep up the great work my friend!!

Madaboutmx5s
10-22-2013, 01:31 PM
James' car is just waaaay too cool and it one of the only cars that can pull off that Kanspo HT. Definitely an inspiration.

That's when it had a standard hard top mate. Kanspo is a recent addition, those interior shots of your car are sexy as hell. Very good work. Wish I had kept my nakamae seats now! Fdukin rx7 shite has a lot to answer for!

Flyin 92
10-22-2013, 01:54 PM
I need more GV and 1028 trunk in my life. *le sigh*

I'm thinking of emulating your understated styling cues for my car. I had a change of heart recently and this is the route I plan on going.

Willywongka
10-22-2013, 03:43 PM
That's when it had a standard hard top mate. Kanspo is a recent addition, those interior shots of your car are sexy as hell. Very good work. Wish I had kept my nakamae seats now! Fdukin rx7 shite has a lot to answer for!

Yeahi noticed that, i guess i didnt word that correctly. I was referring to the current state of your car, which i really like, only thing im waiting for you to do is to get another set of r type wats :). Im sorry the rx7 didnt pan out well, as much as i would love to own one some day i just hear more stories of pain than pleasure from those cars!

Flyin 92
10-22-2013, 03:53 PM
Rumor has it the N/A rotaries are MUCH more reliable than the turbo ones. Apparently Mazda knew this, but decided to turbo the 13b anyway. Probably to meet public demand.

Willywongka
10-22-2013, 04:14 PM
I actually like your miata more now, his car was cool as hell with those mods above and the black hardtop. I think you can pull it off too, keep up the great work my friend!!

Thanks! I think i am finally at a point where i can actually say i am almost 'done' with my car aside from a few little knick nacks.



I need more GV and 1028 trunk in my life. *le sigh*

I'm thinking of emulating your understated styling cues for my car. I had a change of heart recently and this is the route I plan on going.

Yeah, it helped a lot to have a car to model mine off of, which was the m2 1028. It really helped me focus and not stray too far from that. You are just two pieces away from that look! The trunk lid, the mirrors (which i think you sold a while back) and i guess the gv tails :). Are you finally back home to enjoy your car or are still serving?

Flyin 92
10-22-2013, 04:46 PM
Yeah, it helped a lot to have a car to model mine off of, which was the m2 1028. It really helped me focus and not stray too far from that. You are just two pieces away from that look! The trunk lid, the mirrors (which i think you sold a while back) and i guess the gv tails :). Are you finally back home to enjoy your car or are still serving?

I originally was shooting for the i-Styling concept (painted f/r lips and rockers) with an M2-ish interior. Then Scrat, Sharka and Rooster happened (includes Steve and Phat) and my plans went to hell lol I think I'll shoot for an M2-1001/i-Styling look when I get back from overseas. Part of me wants 1028 mirrors again and have them color matched (would look great on your car btw), but I'll stick with the Runabouts for now.

GV tails and 1028 trunk would be nice if I can find them for a decent price.

Willywongka
10-22-2013, 09:23 PM
I originally was shooting for the i-Styling concept (painted f/r lips and rockers) with an M2-ish interior. Then Scrat, Sharka and Rooster happened (includes Steve and Phat) and my plans went to hell lol I think I'll shoot for an M2-1001/i-Styling look when I get back from overseas. Part of me wants 1028 mirrors again and have them color matched (would look great on your car btw), but I'll stick with the Runabouts for now.

GV tails and 1028 trunk would be nice if I can find them for a decent price.

So does that mean you are gonna look into getting a Garage 101 front bumper and some i-r-f RPF-1's? I think you would be fine with your current mirrors if you are going for the M2-1001 look.

You know I thought about painting the covers of my vitaloni's white to match my car, but decided I will just leave the mirrors the way they are. They are actual M2 Incorporated mirrors, unfortunately the person I got them from painted the bases with a gloss black paint... though you can still barely make out the lettering.

Flyin 92
10-25-2013, 12:02 PM
So does that mean you are gonna look into getting a Garage 101 front bumper and some i-r-f RPF-1's? I think you would be fine with your current mirrors if you are going for the M2-1001 look.

You know I thought about painting the covers of my vitaloni's white to match my car, but decided I will just leave the mirrors the way they are. They are actual M2 Incorporated mirrors, unfortunately the person I got them from painted the bases with a gloss black paint... though you can still barely make out the lettering.

The 1001 bumper is cool, but not inline with what I want to do. The car will be a take on the i-Styling exterior with a 1001-styled interior. I'm holding out for an M2 tombstone and carpet to pop up on Yahoo JP for a decent price.

I'm sure you know this, but the 1028's mirrors had black bases and white housings. I know I'm being nitpicky, but it helps them look OEM and not aftermarket. I think I would have kept my 1028 mirrors if I painted them white.

Willywongka
10-27-2013, 04:16 AM
The 1001 bumper is cool, but not inline with what I want to do. The car will be a take on the i-Styling exterior with a 1001-styled interior. I'm holding out for an M2 tombstone and carpet to pop up on Yahoo JP for a decent price.

I'm sure you know this, but the 1028's mirrors had black bases and white housings. I know I'm being nitpicky, but it helps them look OEM and not aftermarket. I think I would have kept my 1028 mirrors if I painted them white.

You're trying to get a genuine M2 tombstone? Is the Trap version not close enough? Also what is the difference between the carpet in our cars and the M2's?

I don't think you're being nit picky, its the subtle details that makes the difference in cars. I'm actually happy to say that my car is nearly done with the cosmetics of the interior and the exterior. The last thing I will probably do to my car is slap a 99 head on the car and drive it like that for a long while.

On another note I just received some items from a person in Sweden that was parting out his Roadster:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B2bd5zZ-92I/UmzWnwKDqfI/AAAAAAAAA3c/7VWuOEiu2ik/w1341-h1006-no/20131027_011233.jpg
Nakamae door pulls, Daikei horn button that came with the wheel (that I will not use), and a Mazdaspeed 340mm D-cut wheel is decent condition, it'll do until I find a better condition one. It has some fading on some areas on the center metal and some leather that has come off, it makes me wonder about the history of the wheel before it landed in my hands.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OGt9-h_i8pY/UmzWlxAgaDI/AAAAAAAAA3U/ygsV7BSuuo8/w1341-h1006-no/20131027_011325.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YszMBXy_MV8/UmzWr4V4siI/AAAAAAAAA3k/YuYVlsuFl0U/w1341-h1006-no/20131027_011423.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BnYaXqG8Thk/UmzWwOmevzI/AAAAAAAAA3s/PKidZjxHUOM/w1341-h1006-no/20131027_013606.jpg
And a shot of the wheel with my KG works horn button fitted. Can't wait to try the wheel out on my car tomorrow! Bye bye 360mm... HELLO 340mm!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-C91FoLQQ-bY/UmzWgfU1PaI/AAAAAAAAA3M/9eziZWWbRVw/w1341-h1006-no/20131025_180905.jpg
Here is the only shot I took of my car when I met up with Kenjo (Garagestar) and Brian (Speedypenguin) for dinner yesterday.

Hyper
10-27-2013, 09:42 AM
I like the other wheel better.

Willywongka
10-27-2013, 03:13 PM
I like the other wheel better.

Other people have been telling me that it won't go with the theme or interior. I am gonna try it out and see how it goes.

Flyin 92
10-28-2013, 12:50 PM
You're trying to get a genuine M2 tombstone? Is the Trap version not close enough? Also what is the difference between the carpet in our cars and the M2's?

The Trap piece would work, but if a real M2 piece comes along I'll snag it. The carpet is the same type as in the car (loop or cut pile). I'm just lazy and don't feel like hacking up carpet to make my own "console".

Phatmiata
10-28-2013, 01:56 PM
So you can now sell me your old errrr, Ricky's old steering wheel now right? :whistle:

johnfett
10-28-2013, 02:32 PM
wow this car makes me want an NA now!

Phatmiata
03-23-2015, 08:43 AM
:bump: this thread needs an update with the new front bumper, :whistle: and I have a Mazdaspeed horn button if you need one???

I see you are going for the race look now, so sell me Ricky's old steering wheel hahhhaa and them Nakamaes :teehee:

etikoner
03-23-2015, 08:52 AM
Wow this thread has been quiet for too long

Willywongka
03-30-2015, 05:20 PM
Hello everyone!

Didn't realize I left this build thread untouched for almost two years! I figured I'd do my best to recap everything that I have done to the car since I last posted in here.

I removed the Maxim Works header that came with my car and went back to the stock header because I was having problems smogging my car. Long story short, that didn't solve the problem, it was something totally unrelated that was the culprit (I HATE OBD2!!!). When I finally fixed that problem I found a used Jackson Racing header to replace the OEM header. In the process of installing the header I also installed a used and slightly beat up Corn*s heat shield.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T3voa2Z2uPw/U6Rq0CMsG2I/AAAAAAAAA5o/pvQnt3q2GDM/w1300-h975-no/20140620_100439.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Yb57jV4PbxQ/U6Rq1dz85HI/AAAAAAAAA5w/EMRV1tlw1mQ/w1300-h975-no/20140620_100406.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MOQ532lctkU/U6Rq2V-Zn0I/AAAAAAAAA6M/nTRd268MVtM/w1300-h975-no/20140620_100344.jpg

Not long after that I finally got around to bringing my Integral Kobe Jet's exhaust to a muffler shop to have the mid pipe modified to fit properly in my car.

When I bought the exhaust from Japan, the previous owner added his own 'resonator' that supposedly quieted the exhaust down. I really don't know how he fitted the exhaust on the car, because when I tried, NOTHING lined up at all!

Either way, the muffler shop cut out the resonator and added a slimmer one that would fit down the transmission tunnel.

The exhaust sounds great, though I am not sure how it is supposed to sound naturally from the company. It does seem quieter than the RS*R I had on prior to that.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G1j50NKr2aY/U6frPmab6zI/AAAAAAAAA8k/wneCi3XfXpo/w1308-h872-no/DSC_0579.JPG

Willywongka
03-30-2015, 05:53 PM
I was finally able to score another cool genuine M2 1028 tower strut bar that I have been wanting for some time. So I was finally able to retire my RS*R red tower strut bar and install this gem! I think it makes the engine bay look a bit cleaner and more cohesive.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XT4TzP_Kk88/VIpLWnIgF7I/AAAAAAAACQQ/Qb2cHLSlxWs/w1308-h736-no/20141210_124544%5B1%5D.jpg

In this shipment I was also able to get a RS Watanabe steering wheel with silver spokes, I would much rather have one with the black spokes. I don't know which wheel I should run in my car. I am currently running the D-cut MS wheel since my car may be going away from the retro theme soon...

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y-7eIMhMtP0/VRnP7A92b6I/AAAAAAAACWI/W54-uIyDTQI/w1308-h736-no/20150330_153242.jpg

The last part that I received in this package was a set of RS Active Type 2 headlights in... semi rough condition. I had to scrub and scrap off all the rust from the metal frame for about 3 days and spray it with some primer then black rustoleum paint.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FhJNZ2_iuHw/VFUZEzz0bvI/AAAAAAAACPs/luWMz4pOEoo/w1300-h975-no/20141101_072926.jpg

It stayed like a little over a year till I got another present from my good friend JDMPalace...

Willywongka
03-30-2015, 06:07 PM
So after months of re-watching the R.S. Aizawa touge battle video, and staring at their shop car... they finally arrive!

R.S. Aizawa front bumper / R.S. Aizawa heat extraction hood / R.S. Aizawa headlight lid.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-r4myAMpkiys/VRnEnG7bSgI/AAAAAAAACVQ/tGnpLIascd0/w1308-h736-no/20150314_143200.jpg

The first part I installed was the headlight lid. I didn't think I would like the R.S. Aizawa lid as much as the Zoom eng lid, and I even thought about leaving the zoom lid to see if it would flow with the rest of the kit.

But in the end, I figured it was time for a change. I am actually happy with how it looks.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-55pGLASLYzY/VRnNbR5-XII/AAAAAAAACVk/htUsX-uv9ho/w1308-h736-no/20150319_122126.jpg

Willywongka
03-30-2015, 06:17 PM
When I finally found some time to work on my car I decided to try my luck at installing the front bumper first, while I waited for a set of Aerocatch key locks to arrive.

Since I never took off the front bumper myself, I was slightly intimidated. I found it was actually not that bad at all!

Test fitting.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-nRE_7_63XLQ/VRnDp-P8WTI/AAAAAAAACTs/XKzPEORr2f4/w1308-h736-no/20150319_164513.jpg

The fitment of this bumper is pretty damn good! Not 100% perfect, but not far off.

Everything installed and screwed in.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gWS1W57JfC4/VRnNb3Uk8oI/AAAAAAAACVo/e0_LNYQ4iGo/w1308-h736-no/20150319_182406.jpg

I must mention one problem with the front bumper. The turn signal cut outs are slightly smaller than the size of the oem bumper.

I did not get a chance to try out some regular turn signals, but the Jetstream tsi's definitely did not fit right. So I had to install them as best I could till I got a chance to decide how I wanted to go about modifying them to fit.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gWS1W57JfC4/VRnNb3Uk8oI/AAAAAAAACVo/e0_LNYQ4iGo/w1308-h736-no/20150319_182406.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eNIy2KS2iQw/VRnNcwG7uqI/AAAAAAAACVw/Xj9pvQ1Z0Kw/w1308-h736-no/20150320_085953.jpg

Willywongka
03-30-2015, 06:32 PM
And last but not least, I finally got around to installing the hood.

It was somewhat of a pain in the ass because whoever installed the aerocatch latches previously, installed them upside down, which forced me to drill new holes to install the hood pins as opposed to using the existing hole where the rubber stopper is. After hours of adjusting... I finally get to the point where I am happy with the fitment of the parts till a later day.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XEircGYwqJ8/VQ4Qq8FVECI/AAAAAAAACSU/BXiBVlzTwB8/w1308-h736-no/20150321_081326.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-O3Vw0AmInwU/VQ76Ewpw0tI/AAAAAAAACS8/9lDX-HWMVGg/w1308-h736-no/20150321_232840%5B1%5D.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lRFMdW0YJBw/VQ71zExizFI/AAAAAAAACSs/rZQkWYBT-4s/w1308-h736-no/20150322_002233%5B1%5D.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BsV_emTjgDw/VRnb49nRylI/AAAAAAAACWY/o8-DgP6SOZM/w1308-h736-no/20150328_143029.jpg

And here she sits and will probably stay this way for quite sometime... might be safe to say that the exterior is most likely complete.

Seems my car is sort of steering away from the retro theme I was originally going for and taking more of a race car theme.

Tkblazer
03-30-2015, 06:43 PM
Looks great Will, hope to see it again soon. You coming down again for jccs?

druz
03-30-2015, 07:10 PM
Great job, very cohesive look!

Hyper
03-30-2015, 08:56 PM
Great job and one of the best NA builds ever!

Phatmiata
03-30-2015, 10:07 PM
Engine bay looks great, interior looks great, exterior looks great!!! Love this car!! Thanks for updating!!

Willywongka
03-30-2015, 10:41 PM
Thanks everyone... its always a trip when you actually calculate how long you've actually owned a car and how long a project has gone for. I think it's been nearly 7 years!!!

Even scarier to think there are so many more mods I would like to do to the car!!! =(

I was actually wondering if the Miata has the most extensive aftermarket support than any other car out there.

Willywongka
03-30-2015, 10:42 PM
Looks great Will, hope to see it again soon. You coming down again for jccs?

Thanks man! Hmmm, there is a chance I may attend again this year. My GF might want to enter her vintage Honda motor cycle.

speedypenguin
03-30-2015, 11:45 PM
Looking great, man! It's been great seeing your car's transformation over the years. Keeps getting better and better!

atank
03-31-2015, 06:09 AM
Very Nice Will!!!!!!!

speedypenguin
04-06-2015, 01:38 AM
Speedypenguin here. Willywongka, another roadster friend, and I met up this weekend for a local Cars & Coffee event. This is the first time I've seen Willis' car since his latest (and very awesome) update. I know the car looks great in pictures, but trust me. In person, this car is fantastic. The complete RSA front end looks perfect for his roadster.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8730/17051165805_2af6dea488_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8735/17025154496_ae98e62a47_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7648/17051160355_d3e80387b7_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8750/16843735617_cbddb882be_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8713/17051157435_9afc29395b_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7692/16843732467_52ea787a92_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7705/16428706494_af18f02c8d_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8803/16430990633_7ed3175bb4_b.jpg

Willywongka
05-28-2015, 12:40 PM
As all of your RS Active owners know, the light output is definitely not the best and its a pain to do any kind of adjustments to it because it requires you to pretty much take everything off of the lights to make any changes.

Being fed up with the lack of visibility on the road at night, I figured it would be a good idea to take the time to change out the bulbs and re-adjust the lights at the same time.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YiJr_CfeuLE/VWWE_80dG8I/AAAAAAAACXk/ISh0g5fpCyk/w1598-h899-no/20150520_125144.jpg
I don't know what it is about being able to see everything with the headlight lids off, but I really liked the look.

To fine tune the angle of the lights I had to run without headlight lids for a few days.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D15hn7KwNFU/VWWE-M7DbBI/AAAAAAAACXU/KUms2W0R9sM/w562-h999-no/20150519_232337.jpg
Thought it looked sorta cool.

Few more updates on the way.

Paul B
05-28-2015, 04:53 PM
No hood and no headlight lids is the best.

Willywongka
06-02-2015, 04:02 AM
No hood and no headlight lids is the best.

I don't have the balls to run a car with no hood =).

Willywongka
06-02-2015, 04:41 AM
I've been looking for a fire extinguisher on and off for the last few years, but I could never decide where I wanted to mount it or even what kind of extinguisher I wanted to end up buying.

No matter what extinguisher I looked at, I always came back to the nice sleek look of the Safecraft 2.5lb P2B model in wrinkle black paint. So I pretty much knew I was going to eventually get one when the time comes.

I figured it was time after I got the full RS Aizawa treatment. Though I know the event of a car fire is HIGHLY unlikely, I just didn't want to be that person on the side of the road helplessly watch the car that I've been building for the last 7-8 years, burn to the ground.

After doing some research, I actually found out that their main office was only about a 20 minute drive from my house! So I gave them a call to see if its ok for me to drop by and just buy it from them directly. The gentleman told me that people normally don't do that, but that is perfectly fine to drop by.

So the next day I drove out there before heading to work, and I meet one of the owners of Safecraft, Grant. I told him I was the guy who called yesterday and wanted to pick up a fire extinguisher. He just grabbed one off the shelf, it seems they actually make these extinguishers in house in their Concord, CA homebase, so it was really cool to see all the machinery they use to make all the parts. Then the other owner, John, met up with me to ring up the extinguisher and I told him I wanted to mount it to my roll bar, so he showed me all the different options and ended up with this combination.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/aMkCm1kGhcEj_CINhyEm9Y44AzZ5-8zO90iNLetimiY=w1403-h789-no

I ended up chatting it up with John for quite awhile, he was telling me about how he and Grant use to work in a Aerospace company (if I remember correctly), and they quit that company because they were getting tired of the the whole corporate gig, and they decided to start a company together and that is how Safecraft came along. He told me that these specific extinguishers are their best sellers, but he said that when they first introduced them to the market 10 years ago, they didn't sell at all.

Anyways I was super juiced to finally have a fire extinguisher for my car, especially the safecraft one! It looks so amazing! Hopefully I won't ever have to use it. But if I do, I'll be putting fires out in style!

Here it is mounted in my car.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pJC1rCS1_4IYbnCQcv4LXSikchySEDV9uR2zoSHVFe8=w1184-h789-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JPKJiu_pVmAqzEiLgQbEL8tQ7336DzdwClPsxB2dXvY=w1184-h789-no
It was mounted in the middle just for the Car show I was attending called Offset Kings with the Garagestar crew. It will definitely be moved to a more discreet location.

Here are a few pictures of my car from the show.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5c0YkFDBFb721mQDwh57LO0sDsyDYvPjz4OwOmeq7WY=w444-h789-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0rzSVqUDMYU_miHlc4krZmPKctLAZHJRbeE6bSTVGDY=w1184-h789-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Tyc6c0oezJLsQ7YHjawAiqOQKPnKmRVym8kDmoqmdBU=w1184-h789-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uV1riHauwLxvk_3YyR-5kM_S2aLNdKsQRCUf5Tr5PN0=w1184-h789-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zVN6WsdbLpkzkKH-FrTFQzXGPU9aOQgK6ogl0IeBmEE=w1184-h789-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wE_tqJ4w0hEmZ9RH8At5qjeG-FxQBjykl55Yc0R1wNI=w1184-h789-no

And here is one that a photographer at the show took. I really liked how this one looked!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GFJf2lPpaA5Sf8qR9lFg3KrYu2eEOh8dnja7VL_bPeE=w1403-h789-no

druz
06-02-2015, 06:15 AM
That last pic is a nice one! I really like the new extinguisher too, the machined nozzle is very nice looking.

etikoner
06-02-2015, 07:23 AM
This car is so right

Greasemonkey2000
06-02-2015, 08:00 AM
Just read your whole build thread...fantastic work with top notch parts!! Those Nakame seats are gorgeous!! I too hsve been looking ar various fire extinguishers but looking for one with a satin/machined finish. I really wanted a white or black miata but alas....

wannafbody
06-02-2015, 08:47 AM
I really like that front bumper.

Willywongka
06-03-2015, 04:14 AM
Thank you everyone for your kind compliments!

In preparation to install a super rare piece that I will share with you guys on a later post, I decided to open up Revlimiters RS refine replacement glass package and install the glass.

Apparently I have the first set!!! You can always count on Adam slipping in some cool toy, which kind of reminds me of Cracker Jacks or Botan Rice Candy when they used to give actual plastic toys as surprises!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/H1c0WhYXggBVruhAG64V8t4ylRQi3UW8kqqqz0d9BTA=w1403-h789-no

Test fitting the glass with the protective film on them.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8FeCsov3ocpbYB9TU_sC9MjnwiIb_lb10KR5Kc5bWjw=w1403-h789-no

And my cat Dilla wanted to do a little quality control. He concluded that the fitment was PuuURfect =).
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AOlZaz8TFi69oTbA4BhnMcvyrYWiBIlG-y_EIC_Nnlc=w1403-h789-no

So I used the Tamiya glue that was included with the RS refine rings to glue the glass to the rings and let it sit over night.

Here is a picture of the glass glued to the rings, it looks as if there isn't glass there, I assure you there is. The rings are ready for installation.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nxW-BoSJyAKRlYbrIYpj8oH0Xz9YhHJvPIKodzvFJa8=w1184-h789-no

I would like to give a big shot out to Adam for bringing us another amazing product for our Roadsters! They turned out great... you'll see in my next post.

speedypenguin
06-03-2015, 03:50 PM
Stop teasing, man! Show where the rings ended up on...;)

Willywongka
06-03-2015, 06:16 PM
Stop teasing, man! Show where the rings ended up on...;)

Hold your horses! =)

Being happy and content with my KG works gauge cluster for the passed 4 or so years, I never even considered getting a AWD cluster. But after seeing Vote4pedro's AWD gauge cluster with black anodized RS refine rings mocked up, I was content because I didn't know what I was missing! Since I already had a set of black anodized RS Refine rings all I needed to get was a AWD panel... simple right?!... NOPE!

By the time I knew I had to have a AWD gauge panel, it was already too late since Artworks Dewa has closed its doors due to the untimely passing of Dewa-san. I have reached out to Rod at Tetsuya Garage to see if I could still order one, he told me that there may be a chance his Son would continue the company after his Dad's passing. As you all know that didn't happen. I don't blame him, maybe he wanted to move on and continuing his Dad's business may have made it harder to move on from the loss of his Father. Though it would have been cool if he did take over his business and put his own spin on things, who knows, maybe it could still happen in the future.

Since buying a one new wasn't an option, I went on YHJ, other forums, and reaching out to other venders for the passed 2 years with no luck of finding a black AWD NA panel. But all that searching has finally come to an end. As of last week, I am a proud owner of a beautiful, never mounted, black AWD NA panel and I have Vote4pedro to thank for that! He offered to sell his super rare black AWD panel to me after a few exchanges through PM's. I cannot express the feeling that came over me when he offered the opportunity to purchase it from him. I replied, doing my best to be calm and composed and assured him that it would be going to a good home.

The box of dreams! I haven't been this excited to open a package in quite a while!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wQ6Mwv4HdyCDnsLjVnnq2xlhlc_c58dmGKFBeLJeJz0=w1580-h889-no

Behold! The AWD black vintage panel! I can't describe the feeling that I felt when I finally got to hold it in my hands. A multitude of emotions quickly came over me, it was a mix of happiness, excitement, as well as sadness as I thought of Dewa-san.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ryhqJChDqxCG3ZbghwaRwxCQldUUs3NVF90Ol8Yf0ss=w1580-h1054-no

A picture with my black anodized RS refine rings with Revlimiter's anti-glare glass.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sV09P8a4CrYh9wXfGgcUPPmdactNs0pTXoXTq7vbgYc=w1580-h1054-no

A picture of my KG works panel coupled with RS products MG gauge faces and AWD needle caps.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zx-u86YwYsaBj2TcT-qIaMrnbG4UhLZLsi6F_HPz5xE=w1580-h1054-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZS-GsYMn3AgYz4o3iqfl9oyNG_smYY1GjRrkodS40_c=w1580-h1054-no

Pics of them installed in my car.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qR4V5vEnhTFcF0eMNavnfbRAQ45Z3d18fjEI6ND-c2E=w1580-h1054-no

I am super happy with how they turned out! Thank you again Vote4pedro, you helped me get one step closer to completing my ever changing interior!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/C7CS0wx44Ekjo5cSAxzVPiwuDSBxQhgGSCdSo1ec2Qo=w1580-h1054-no

etikoner
06-03-2015, 06:35 PM
Wow. That is so pretty. You just basically ruined the KG works piece for me haha. (Not really, but still)

Demon I Am
06-03-2015, 07:45 PM
"aesthetically pleasing, or in other words, fly" :lol:

vote4pedro
06-04-2015, 07:42 PM
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/C7CS0wx44Ekjo5cSAxzVPiwuDSBxQhgGSCdSo1ec2Qo=w1580-h1054-no[/IMG]

Awesome looking install.
I am only too happy to see it put to such good use.
It completely fits your build direction. :mrgreen:

druz
06-04-2015, 11:57 PM
So subtle but so right.

Hyper
06-05-2015, 01:37 AM
Your car belongs to a special category of Epic Roadsters or some like that. All the mods are pretty much how I would build an NA. Thanks for the inspiration man!

Tkblazer
06-05-2015, 01:52 AM
So good Will

Willywongka
06-05-2015, 03:37 AM
Thanks guys! I got a feeling that this car may be a life long project =).

Well... it wouldn't be normal year without something terrible happening to my car...

So last night while I was working (I work the night shift), I heard an alarm go off. I was there thinking there was no way that is my car, but I went to check it out anyways. So I peeked out the side of my business, and I see my rear lights blaring. I was like OH shit that's my fucking car! So I quickly unlocked the door of my business and I see two guys walking by giggling and, so quickly ran over to to see what happened, and saw this:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5vw9z7op8JJ6NTEGNqwwH1PVKzobQ4SP_mzjY5sm4Ic=w1403-h789-no

Then it all clicked, those two that walked by giggling did it! So I started chasing them and they started running! By then it was already too late, they were already down the block and pretty much ran into the darkness and I figured its probably not safe to keep going after them, cause at this point I thought they did it with a bat. Later I realized it wasn't a good move to go chasing after them, especially since I forgot to carry my knife with me that night. So I went back to the car and called the police and filed a report, called my gf, and my uncle.

The cops got to the scene pretty fast surprisingly. In the beginning I thought they took a bat to the car, but later after further investigation I saw that there was a small dent on the passenger fender and there were two hand prints facing forward which leads me to think that he jumped off the fender and spun around and pretty much smashed my windshield with his ass. I am actually grateful that he didn't run up my hood or anything, so it was just a small dent on my fender and destroyed windshield.

So after the officer left I walked up to CVS and asked them if they had video cameras in the front of their store, sadly they didn't. But the manager said he would be my witness if they are apprehended, so I'll touch base with them later to see if they can give me some more info.

The crazy thing is, I normally park my car in front of my business so I can always see it while I'm working, I just figured it'll be fine where its at down a few parking spots. Let me just say that the area where I work is considered a pretty nice neighborhood and it has very little crime, just my luck this would happen to me of course.

So this morning I called the cops to see if they could grab some finger prints from the windshield, and they were able to grab some good prints!!! I don't know if the prints will ever come to play, but something is better than nothing. They were two homeless looking grungy white guys... didn't really get a good look at them, but I did my best to describe them to the cops. Anyways, this shit sucked... so this is how its sitting now:

Safe and sound...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ddek2k8JphlAJ4SF4LrQ7nOXMh0M_11mjrqJ600V4tI=w444-h789-no

I'll get you fixed up soon old girl.

Greasemonkey2000
06-05-2015, 06:43 AM
That really sucks!!! Sorry people take joy in destroying others hard work!!:angry: I hope they catch them!!

Martin
06-05-2015, 10:32 AM
Wow, that's terrible that somebody would do that :(

Jealousy can make people to awful things.

vote4pedro
06-05-2015, 11:22 AM
WTF?

RustRat
06-05-2015, 11:52 AM
Good thing you didn't chase them, maybe it would only get worse. Didn't you see them to give a description to the police? Really sucks that there are douchebags like that.

etikoner
08-12-2015, 08:37 PM
Bumppp

Willywongka
08-17-2015, 08:46 PM
Thanks for the bump =).

Sorry I haven't posted in here in a while. I guess after that whole thing with the vandalism kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.

Here is a pic that someone took of my car next to JDMpalace Sean's car at the BLOX event in SF a little while back.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/M7wtxp8BYBh1_raKWsxpHnjdErnihEn1P_NRJvJm3FI=w1467-h975-no

It's never good to park next to Sean's car if you want your car to get noticed. So many people walked up to Sean's car and then just walked off after that =).

Willywongka
08-18-2015, 04:20 AM
I also showed my car at Wekfest sometime last month and unfortunately on the drive back from San Jose my RS Aizawa headlight lid flew off my car =(. I knew it wasn't on SUPER tight, but thought it would be fine. I guess it would have been a good idea to change out the old bolts when they get stripped.

Later that night after work I decided to try to look for my poor lid... no luck, and it would have probably have been dangerous to even try to jump out of my car to retrieve it if I did see it, since it flew off while I was in the fast lane.

So until I get a replacement lid I figured I would either run my Zoom lid or oem. I decided to try out the ZOOM.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Qz0nyHFcUJwFuWEuYJOtA1fhQIf3CQ5Fx2RdNtWuq8g=w1421-h799-no

Honestly I didn't think it would work with the rest of the front end, but I actually think it looks pretty cool. What do you guys think?

Willywongka
08-18-2015, 04:50 AM
I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I wished I could carry more stuff in my car so you can drive your car (instead of the boring family van) on small road trips with your significant other. So my girl landed a gig doing live art at a festival in Lake Tahoe and I wanted to drive my car up there, but her canvas definitely wouldn't fit in my trunk, so I finally caved in and purchased a ZOOM luggage rack for my car.

I've always wanted one of these cause it is the only one that does not put all the weight onto the trunk, it instead disperses the load onto the rear fenders and frankenstein bolt areas. It can actually hold up to 110lbs without damaging the car, or so they say, though I'm not gonna try to max it out to find out if its true.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oDT-m59F53SCTs1bHtviQavAXEwWC14-GUw0c7CxYZ4=w1421-h799-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/joZYqX31IjwCrVulsU52oF0nb6WDET6i4jJKMlHGfGo=w1421-h799-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SRHB7WydSTGwxZRwwBc0bwTZiA5HUJz19CTcmVaSDuc=w1421-h799-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Rt-Rqvws90Thlf1mE9SM3XD69T1rQz9BwPvPFpj-RUM=w1421-h799-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/axTqo92TCqfw-tcEj8tD0KKBJoM_LiQK51E3KVVcap8=w1421-h799-no

So, my original plan was to remove it when I don't need it. But the way it installs actually makes it kind of a pain to uninstall, since you would have to leave the plates under the ht latches in the rear and the latches that you have to stick to the trunk lid that lifts the luggage rack up and down when you open and close (pretty cool design!). So I'm actually decided to leave it attached to my car kind of permanently for now.

My only concern is that I am kind of unsure how it all meshes in with the current theme of the car. I think it would work pretty well if I had a more retro themed exterior. I think it looks fine, what do you guys think?

Greasemonkey2000
08-18-2015, 05:16 AM
I like the Zoom headlight lid and luggage rack :drinkto: but not sure about the rack being a permanent fixture on your miata, which is really clean, just not sure it flows well with it. I wouldn't mind such a luggage rack, mind sharing how much it ran you and where you sourced it thru? If you don't want to share price publicly, can you send me a pm, thanks!

Dandy
08-18-2015, 05:45 AM
I'm guessing you like the RS Aizawa because the mesh in the lid matches with the mesh in your hood and bumper. That is a nice touch but I think I like the shape of the Zoom lid with your exterior. The mesh detail is not as noticeable from a distance but the shape of the Zoom lid is.

I like the Zoom luggage rack, especially with your description of the functionality. It looks like it would work with a trunk spoiler as well. As for leaving it on semi-permanently, I think it could grow on me . . . and it is. Functionality always has a way of subconsciously influencing how much I like styling details.

druz
08-18-2015, 08:17 AM
I've never really been a fan of the Zoom lid because of how it sticks up but it doesn't look too bad matching with the nose vent. The RSA lid is still my favorite, especially in yours.

The trunk rack is one of the nicer ones I've seen. I don't know if I could look at it everyday but it on the occasions it's needed it kinda looks cool.

speedypenguin
08-18-2015, 12:10 PM
Dang, I was wondering why you were selling your old luggage rack...:) Just being a baller as usual! Haha.

Like we discussed before, the Zoom lid does give your car a different look. It's amazing how just the headlight lid can change the vibe of the car.

bogaut
08-18-2015, 01:07 PM
ive got a passenger side one if you wanna be symmetrical, willis

Willywongka
08-20-2015, 02:33 AM
Thanks for the offer bogaut. Im just a fan of the offset vented look. I would love the other side if i ever get to throwing itbs on the car.

atlex
06-09-2018, 05:36 AM
Are those the JASS tsis on your RSA bumper ?

Phatmiata
06-09-2018, 02:16 PM
Need some updates like what seats are you using know?

I think you are on your third set now right?

oldgrayleather
06-09-2018, 02:41 PM
:popcorn:

MX5Wisher
06-09-2018, 08:14 PM
I've been egging him on IG, car is different now

sublevel01
03-22-2019, 04:44 AM
Need more updates. Love this build thread.

Greasemonkey2000
11-18-2019, 02:26 AM
:popcorn:


I've been egging him on IG, car is different now


Need more updates. Love this build thread.

+4

atlex
11-18-2019, 10:48 AM
Need updates.

Also need to paint the black part of the sills white ;)

Roadster7
11-18-2019, 02:42 PM
Also need to paint the black part of the sills white ;)

Noooooo