Rick's 91 Smurf - Rekindling the Romance

[RoadsterTech]

I have been asked by a few people if I had a build thread... well no. So now after 21 years I guess its time.
First I need to say that I am a rare bird... I am the original owner of this old car.
As a kid I drove and loved MG's

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-vFw7m4g/0/M/Old-MG-M.jpg

But when Miata's came out I really thought I needed something more practical like a Civic. My wife the girl in the first pic actually drove a Miata first. She got to drive one up in the mountains of West Virginia. When she came home "She" told me we needed to get one. Sorry no pic's of the car when it was brand new.

Many things have been tried and have been removed in the years past, but I will give you a list of the major items.

To start off the car is a late 1991 Mariner Blue with the AB option package. Power Steering, Power Windows, cruise control and AC.
There were a few things we got right off the bat.

Low profile Luggage rack... OK don't laugh this was 21 years ago and it helped us take several long trips
A Great Water resistant duffle bag by a company called Atlantic Designs. They were one of the first companies to make accessory products in the US for Miata's
we still use this today. It fit very well on the Luggage rack. Leaving a lot of room for my wife and I.

The first added option after that was an item to make the shift shorter... no not a short shifter, Miata Magazine had a special knob they developed that would drop the shifting point down by about 1/2" over original. This came in looking like a knob off of a Farberware frying pan. The first shift up to 3rd gear bruised my palm...
the knob disappeared, :| (FAIL)

Next was a power remote trunk release. This worked great we still use it today.

Then a swing out cup holder... another great little item, we still use it today.

When the car was only two years old someone hit me in a parking lot... not much damage but it needed to get fixed. When I went to the body shop I asked the owner what could be done about the small little blemishes the car had. He told me that it was Acid Rain damage and that Mazda was repainting cars that had it... I took the car in to see the Mazda rep. Sure enough they gave me a new paint job. Its the paint I still have on the car today. The paint was a German paint called Glykin Plast. It has held up remarkably well.

Shortly after that the BMW Z3 came out... I really wanted one... so instead I got Leather seats, these were from that same company Atlantic Design. These were all black leather and felt like a soft leather coat. :8):

To add to that I got a short ~16" power antenna.. I loved this but someone broke it off of the car. :cry:

I also got a Hard Dog Hard Bar. This was the best thing for stiffening up the chassis I have ever put on the car.

When the car celebrated its 100K mile birthday I gave it new Tokiko HP Shocks and High Performance Springs from (if I remember ) HKX..
Along with the springs I gave it a set of MSW type 45 16" wheels and Dunlop SP Sport 2000's. The wheels looked great but weighed a ton.

Then Disaster struck I hit a Pneumatic Actuator that dropped off of a truck at 80 mph. I just grazed the actuator with the front tire... it spun around and it caught it squarely on my back passenger tire. The actuator punctured the tire passed through the tire and pushed right up through the rim of the wheel.. The car was lifted up in the air and I was facing the asphalt. fortunately my girl remained more composed than I and came done flat on the ground... I was able to get her off of the road safely. The wheel as ruined and I had bent both control arms on the back passenger side. MSW no longer made the type 45's so I was forced to buy another set of wheels.

I got a set of ATS Planets. These are the wheels I have on the car today. They are not too heavy and have held up well.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-WQZmB2m/0/M/IMG20110120203901-M.jpg

You can also see the Hard Dog Hard Bar here.

At 200K miles I got a wood steering wheel, Brake handle and Gear shift knob from Moss Motors. They are on the car today.

I also added Fog Lights, and Daytime running lights. I copied a write up from Miata.net. on the running lights... H2 halogens went into the main portion of the turn signal lenses... I then put the turn signal lights in that little unused space. To top this off, I tied them into the lighting circuit so that they would turn on with the parking lights and off with the regular lights... they were cool but also hot the turn lights melted the plastic of the lenses... :| (FAIL)

To add to this I replaced the Exhaust System with a custom one to allow me to place the spare tire under the car... I will get a picture of this later.. The first rendition of this exhaust used a small turbo muffler. The thing set off car alarms in my complex. So I went back and got a regular muffler off of an Isuzu if I remember. That was a little bit better but was still loud. This arrangement does not have any 90 degree bends so the gas is really flowing when it hits the muffler. I blew the baffles out of two more mufflers even after adding a resonator into the mid pipe. I finally had Midas Muffler make me a new setup with a resonator and canister muffler.. Sounds nice and has held up well.

The car drove like this for years... The biggest thing I had to do was replace Soft Tops. I have gone through 7 in the 21 years I have owned the car. The first two replacements were done under warranty. The vinyl strip that holds the top to the frame kept tearing off. I replaced 4 of the next 5 tops myself.. I have done frame on and frame off... I like frame off the best. The last two tops were knifed! I did the replacement on the first knifed top... a year later when the second one was knifed I had it done.

Then 5 years ago the rear dif blew out and the car sat in the parking lot of my office for 3 years... and rotted! :cry:

The next post is my recent rebuild. over the last two years.

[Phatmiata]

me gusta! Did you do the motor swap yet Rick? Post some pics of that new motor when you get it installed if you have not done so already.

[RoadsterTech]

Not yet I am still gathering things for it.

[RoadsterTech]

Okay, so the car sat at my office for 3 years, it's paint was very oxidized, the rear end was still broken and my sweet Atlantic Design seats were trashed. Way to much time alone in the Florida sun!

I was moving my office to another new building so the car had to go.... It was a very troubling time. Do I get rid of this car after I had kept for so long? or try to fix it. I chose to fix it...

Now the problem I was moving my office while doing projects so I had no time to work on the car so I took the car to an old mechanic that had done work on my cars for years. He wanted to argue with me about getting the car fixed. I actually had to prove to him that the car could be repaired and was wroth fixing. Six months later I get the car back with a new "used" rear-end, a new instrument pod (they broke mine) and a very leaky radiator. The paint was still oxidized and now had over spray from some painting the mechanic must have been doing.

I looked at this sad car and again wondered if I should just get rid of it..... But I decided to rekindle the love affair... So the rebuild begains.

1. I replaced the Radiator
2. I found that the water pump was leaking so the car got a timing belt and water pump job along with new seals... It was leaking like an old pipe.
3, A compression test wass done and the car was putting out 175, 175,180,175 not bad for 280,000 miles.

Now the car was running but the thing looked like crap, Bad Paint, Rotted Seats, Cracked Dash and faulty AC :fp:


Here comes the fun stuff:

The Dash

I called around with not much luck to find a dash until I got a hold of "The Parts Group" They had a 94 Tan dash that was in fairly good shape but the black top was getting sad looking and sticky. I bought it.

The Dash came in with as advertised bad paint on its top. But it also had the start of cracks.

Further inspection proved that all of the connection tabs were cracking as well. So I set out to fix them.

1. I cleaned the dash first with Simple Green and then with a mixture of 50% Ammonia and 50% Denatured Alcohol. This mixture is great for pulling out the old plastic treatments like Armor-all.

2. The Supper cleaner had the added benefit of being a paint stripper. It removed all of the old black paint from the dash.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-7HTq9mC/0/L/IMG20101010175526-L.jpg

3. I Then went to work on the Cracks.

Using a Hot tip plastic welder I tacked the dash crack closed.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-M3Ntg4t/0/L/IMG20101008174856-L.jpg

I then added some wire mesh and epoxied the back side of the crack. I also reinforced the mounting tab.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-7G3SXWW/0/L/IMG20101010144117-L.jpg

Going through several types of epoxy I found Permatex Plastic Weld worked the best. Here are a few pics of the other tabs.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-FzdwcdD/0/L/IMG20101010144123-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-nbwc4zB/0/L/IMG20101010144136-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-sbmpCQz/0/L/IMG20101010144148-L.jpg

After the Cracks were repaired I was still left with a Tan Dash. So, I looked for Paint... Krylon Fusion Paint looked promising so I chose to use it
I used the Semi- Gloss

The results were much better than I expected.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-hbpHjs9/0/L/IMG20101010185704-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-Z3c2WV6/0/L/IMG20101010185726-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-5TZ6Gh9/0/L/IMG20101010185758-L.jpg

I left the visible crack alone on the outside... I did not want to have to mess with matching the grain...

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Cars/New-Miata-Dash/i-V38H6JF/0/L/IMG20101010185858-L.jpg

Next Posting will be the seats...

[Phatmiata]

that looks great! I would have liked to see the Tan interior inside the Mariner blue. That must have come from a 92 or 93 C-pkg car, the 94+ had the dual airbags didnt they?

[RoadsterTech]

I spent some time thinking "Tan", but cheaped out. It must have been a 93. When did power mirrors come along? It had a Power Mirror switch

[RoadsterTech]

As I said before my seats were shot... not only the leather but the foam on the drivers side had broken down...
So they were next on the list.

First I tried to find Atlantic Designs again... no luck, they must have gone out of business.
I then looked at Katskins these looked nice. I found that Crazy Red Italian had the best price on them so that's how I went.

I wanted something a little different so I went with Pacific Blue inserts and Black on the sides.

I had to do something with the foam so I contacted Treasure Coast Miata and got an old drivers seat foam insert... they were nice enough to just send the foam.

I sit kinda high in the saddle so I decided a foamectomy would be a good thing to do. I used a hot wire knife and sliced the shovel off of the bottom of the foam. I then added back a 1/2" piece of very soft foam onto the top of the seats to fill in the space on the leather. This makes the seats very comfortable and keeps the leather smooth. The foamectomy helps lower me down some.

Here are the results:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-26TzdDQ/0/L/IMG20101225011540-L.jpg

I then added some extra leather from Redline Products

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-XPZ9Dbn/0/L/IMG20110120203729-L.jpg

[RoadsterTech]

Like many of you I changed out my radio for a new unit.

The Panasonic unit that I have works nice and I was able to add in an Ipod interface.

the big hangup was the crappy looking surround that was sent to make it fit with the Miata

So... I decided to make my own surround...

I work quite a bit with HDPE plastics and had a piece of plastic that looked like a good match with the Miata Plastic.
So I designed up a replacement piece.
Using a mill I machined these out to fit into the existing tombstone and match up with the existing screw tabs. Here are the results:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-XPZ9Dbn/0/L/IMG20110120203729-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-fCkjbjw/0/L/IMG7423f-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-H8MC987/0/L/IMG7426-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-QDqS9sQ/0/L/IMG7428-L.jpg

[RoadsterTech]

The last big thing was the very oxidized paint. It also had white over spray on it. Ugh! :(

I worked for seven evenings with a clay bar and polishing compound to bring the paint back to a shine.

I then used 7 coats of Liquid Glass. This stuff is great in that it does not have cleaners in it so multiple coats really help. :D

Here are the results:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-RGcXWXm/0/L/IMG20111221212024-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-WQZmB2m/0/L/IMG20110120203901-L.jpg

Here is another picture of the car when it was used in my God Daughters Wedding: (Thanks Gerry for the detail job)

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-wGJDdGW/0/L/IMG8520-L.jpg

I would have to classify the car as a good 10 footer or perhaps a good 6 footer in the right light. The only problem is some chips and spots where I took the paint down too far, showing the old paint. :fp:

Luckily the paints matched well but...in the right light you can see the transition up close...:(

[RoadsterTech]

As I said before I had Tokiko HP's and a set of performance springs which I thought were HKX's or was it HKK's.
Anyway the Tokiko's were starting to fail... I guess almost 200K will do that to a shock. :lol:

I started looking a shocks, Tokiko's, Konis, Bilsteins? I could not decide... the only thing is that I knew the HP's were too light.
The old shocks were under damped for the existing springs...
Along came Flyin Miata with the V-Maxx coil-overs. I thought cool... I can get a tuned package and get the ride height I want.

I also decided to go with a set of frame rails while I was at it.

Here are some pics:

Sweet!
http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-trsQvn8/0/L/IMG20110924125912-L.jpg

Here are the Frame Rails:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-8nkdMZF/0/L/IMG20110913213728-L.jpg

The fronts were a pain to do by myself but I managed using a coil compressor to get them out without disassembling the suspension.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-zd5Mqh5/0/L/IMG20110924200517-L.jpg

The rears were a piece of cake!

I got the Miata to 12.5" front and 13" in the rear

I thought that would work well but they started to sag a little... so back under to raise them back to 12.5/13 the FM recommended setting.

My first Autocross with good tires and these coil-overs I was all over the place... I would get immediate under steer and the snap over steer... Ugh!

After talking with Keith Tanner at FM we decided that we were getting coil bind. Keith recommended 12"/12.5" to get away from the coil bind...

12"/12.5" works well at the Autocross I am not getting coil bind anymore but... I can't get over the speed bumps at my condo complex without scraping the new Frame Rails.

I may come up with some spacers to put in front of the bump stops to raise the car 1/4".

If it weren't for the very low max ride height I would rate these well. except for one thing.
the shocks do not do well damping very fast compression strokes. Like raise concrete slabs.. a 1 inch slab will cause the suspension to go to the bump stops at parking lot speeds. This allows fairly stiff springs to have good road manners but is just a little to under damped for my tastes...
I wish they had come out with the adjustable ones a little sooner!

Next Flood... Rust... and Spaceship Miata...

[RoadsterTech]

Just before I was going to put on the frame rails we had a major rain storm...
But hey its Florida so whats new.

Opening my trunk I found 1" of water... Argh! the car is flooded...the rain rail was shot...
so I pulled out the carpet in the trunk to let it dry. There were a few places with rust... these I hit with some Rustoleum.

Looking closer the inside of the car had water damage as well. So, Out comes all of the carpet... Not bad it needed to come out anyway for the Frame rails.

If you are taking your carpet out on an NA you will either have to pull your dash or cut the carpet under the Heater... here is a pic of the offending area:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-xdW4p5c/0/L/IMG20110908210638-L.jpg

The carpets out and here is the damage:

Look at the soggy padding thats got to go!

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-g4Q9rK6/0/L/IMG20110908215549-L.jpg

The back bulkhead cover is rusting through the galvanizing

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-cMsTmb3/0/L/IMG20110908214850-L.jpg

The drivers side foot well had the most damage... I used some rust chelator that dissolved the rust leaving bar metal it started to rust almost immediately.
I painted on some Rust Inhibitor and all was well:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/imiata/i-NSXZt9F/2/L/IMG20110913213646-L.jpg

I was able to get a new to me back bulkhead cover that looked pristine. It replaced the rusted one.

I then painted the entire floorboard inside of the car with Flat Black Rustoleum... Sorry no pic's.

All is well now in the car... I purchased a heavy duty rain rail from one of the guys at TBM. And Gerry came by to help install it.

Now what to do with the carpet and padding?



Anyone heard of Reflectix?

I decided to pad the car with Reflectix... Under the seats and in the foot well I added 1/4" of closed cell foam.
This made a very nice lightweight padding that was both a good heat barrier and a noise block..

Space Ship Miata

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-wMJf3mJ/0/L/IMG7886-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-BNjt9bK/0/L/IMG7887-L.jpg

The carpet cleaned up nicely and no longer smells like a dorm room.
When I put it back in I used strips of Velcro loop to tie the carpet together under the heater.

The Reflectix works great... Interior heat is down and High frequency noise is drastically reduced.

Next... Engine Compartment Cleanup

[RoadsterTech]

Okay the Engine compartment looked like crap...:shocked:
what did you expect... it had 290,000 miles on it...

I had Rust on the shelf under the Master Cylinders and oil every where.

The valve cover was leaking, the PC Valve was clogged and the from main seals and cam seals were leaking.

Add to that the water pump sprung a leak and the radiator was cracked and just got replaced.

First I got the seals fixed and oil hemorrhage. while I was at it I did a timing belt and fixed the water pump.

So the engine is running so now I look at the compartment .

1. Rust removal:
First I removed the loose rust.
Then I put on the Kelating agent again this dissolved the rust.
I then painted the offending areas with mat black rustoleum

2. Cleanup:
I used Contractors grade Orange Oil to clean up all of the oil on the engine compartment and the inside of the hood.
The valve cover, intake manifold and cruise control aluminum housings were corroded and had oil stains that would not go away.
I used a 3M pad and more orange oil to semi-polish the aluminum. The valve cover got the most work.
I then cleaned the hoses checking for leaks. fortunately there were none.
A new set of NGK spark plugs

Here is a picture of the results:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/GoPro-Miata/i-cQ2FSVf/0/M/GOPR0135-M.jpg

Not show room quality but not bad for 300,000 miles

Next... I made a couple of plastic pieces...

[tsingson]

I'm glad I got to see this thing in person. And now I am reading the story of how it came to be.

[RoadsterTech]

Miata Wind Blocker

I really did not like any of the wind blockers on the market. They either looked cheep or did not store away very well.
So I decided to make my own...
Here were my guidelines:
1. The top section had to be clear so it would not block view.
2. The blocker had to be tall enough to really work
3. The blocker had to fold down and fit under the top if not in use.
4. It needed to be easy to remove.

Here is what I came up with:

A sandwich of HDPE with a sliding Lexan wind blocker

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-GhnXS7f/0/M/CA10031218122716-M.jpg

Friction Hinges allow it to fold down:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-9vGXkJD/0/M/CA10031218053214-M.jpg

Magnets hold it up:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-NGgkGMB/0/M/CA10031218035867-M.jpg

A locking handle allows the wind blocker to slide up:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-W7S5NKW/0/M/CA10031218425726-M.jpg

Here is what it looks like up:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-3NC3XLz/0/M/CA10031218000978-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-Qq3WCsj/0/M/CA10031218020731-M.jpg

Here are a few shots of it on the car:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Florida-Miata-Meet-2011/i-Whn794b/0/M/IMG7527-M.jpg

My God Daughter used it at her wedding:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-xgFgsnw/0/M/IMG8527-M.jpg

It works very well... no buffeting with a little air in the hair to let me know its a convertible.

The next one will have more of a radius on the Lexan corners.


Cooling System Shroud

While I was at it I decided to make a shroud out of some ABS I had lying around.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-2vLLcg9/1/M/CA10031218282686-M.jpg

Next ....The Hardtop Conundrum....

[RoadsterTech]

I'm glad I got to see this thing in person. And now I am reading the story of how it came to be.

It was good to met you and see your car as well, up there in Raleigh Land...
too bad I could not have met more of the Raleigh guys...

[RoadsterTech]

So here is the Conundrum
When is a viable hardtop not a viable hardtop?

Okay I will admit it I am cheep... I did not want to get just any top and then have to spend money to get it repainted.:fp:

So I spent several months looking for a smurf blue hardtop.

I finally found one...

But when I went out to see the top there were some minor paint issues, no biggie my car has a few nicks and scratches the top will fit right in.

The Biggest issue was the rear glass...

http://tampabaymiatas.net/forum/download/file.php?id=2166&t=1

As you can see there was some strange etching on the glass. I looks like the original owner (not the guy I bought it from) had tried to etch a checkered flag on the glass.

Well, I pondered this over did some internet searches and determined with a little bit of elbow grease I could polish this out.

When I got the top home I found it had some additional damage (from my transport?) Some pieces had broken off of the bottom of the top and were being held in place by the bottom molding. So, some fiberglass work was also in store. not bad I only paid $750.00 for the top.

Well here comes the fun part. This wasn't etching it was engraving. Much deeper than etching would have ever been.

I started on the glass with 60 grit sand paper by hand. I got the engraving removed and started up in grades to polish the glass.
All was going fine until I hit 600 grit. the glass was too hard for any sand paper I could get locally.
I purchase some 3m glass polishing pads in various grits and a final polish designed for glass.
the glass would remove the cutting edge on the pads in almost no time. I ran proper speed and keep the glass wet to keep the temp down, still no luck.

$150.00 in material later here was the result.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-q2SS6fz/1/M/IMG20110928194110-M.jpg

Looks okay in the shop but when I got it outside there were flares every where light hit the glass. The glass was not viable.
Perhaps I could have spent more time with this but time is a luxury I just don't have much of.

Here are some details of the glass:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-86WMJPh/0/M/CA07111217341144-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-j7vskZH/0/M/CA07111217354568-M.jpg

A close up macro shot of the glass:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-xNfvwbD/0/M/CA07111217375252-M.jpg

I finally gave up...

I looked around and Miata Roadster had the best price around at $375.00. I bought the glass and new seals. Seals cost me around $75.00.

A WORD OF WARNING! Glass back windows cost about $250.00 to ship from California. :shock:

I then went to fix the bottom of the top.

To all that may not know this is not Fiberglass. It is SMC, normal fiberglass won't work... But the Epoxy I used on the Dash would I repaired the bad spots with the Epoxy. this repair got a bit more extensive when I found that the chips were cracks that traveled under the paint. I was able to repair this but the entire bottom of the top had to be repainted.

I contacted Tower Paints... they sent me out a really nice spray can with the Mariner Blue paint (or at least I thought it was)

Here is a picture of the result:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-f3VHvhS/0/M/CA10071217463660-M.jpg

Fortunately there was a paint supply house close by. I got some Wanda single stage Mariner Blue paint that matched perfectly.... Unfortunatey I had to use a Prevail Sprayer to paint the section... not a good as the Tower spray can but it worked out okay... Total outlay $50.00

(Tower did make good on the paint and sent me the proper paint at no charge.)

Total outlay $750.00
$150.00
$375.00
$ 75.00
$250.00
$ 50.00
-----------
$1,650.00

A note to others... If the glass is intact but scratched up, treat the top as if it had bad glass to start with!

I guess that it is still cheaper than if I had purchased a $1400.00 top and had to have it painted... but not by much!

The one last thing I needed was side latches. I decided to make my own:

Here is a picture of them:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-5fqLXRD/0/M/IMG20110928194421-M.jpg

Here are a few pics of the completed top:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-NT6qSbh/0/M/CA07301222223175-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-4LrRMPd/0/M/CA07301222224717-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-JG9Zp9M/0/M/CA08031221575782-M.jpg

Next: Engine Replacement in the Works!

[atank]

Your Roadster really looks good, and how is the dash paint holding up?

[Phatmiata]

I like those side latches!! Add some security screws and you will be all set!

[RoadsterTech]

Your Roadster really looks good, and how is the dash paint holding up?

Thanks! The Dash Paint is holding up very well... No lifts, bubbles, fade or scratches...

[RoadsterTech]

I like those side latches!! Add some security screws and you will be all set!

Thanks! Phats...
Next design will have full security with a custom Key instead of the standard security key you can get a Harbor Freight....
When I get it done we see if there is any interest on the Net..l

[treeafodo]

It's great to see that you're the original owner and you're still giving it love.

[RoadsterTech]

It's great to see that you're the original owner and you're still giving it love.

Thanks!
There were a few moments there that I almost got rid of it but Its like that old coat you have in your closet you can never get rid of...
the difference is that every time I want to get rid of it I do something to it instead...

[Phatmiata]

Miata Wind Blocker

I really did not like any of the wind blockers on the market. They either looked cheep or did not store away very well.
So I decided to make my own...
Here were my guidelines:
1. The top section had to be clear so it would not block view.
2. The blocker had to be tall enough to really work
3. The blocker had to fold down and fit under the top if not in use.
4. It needed to be easy to remove.

Here is what I came up with:

A sandwich of HDPE with a sliding Lexan wind blocker


http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-3NC3XLz/0/M/CA10031218000978-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-Qq3WCsj/0/M/CA10031218020731-M.jpg





That wind blocker is pretty damn cool! I want to check that out in person next time I see your Miata!

[RoadsterTech]

I'll be glad to show you... It goes back on the car when the HT goes off.. in a few weeks.

[RoadsterTech]

I was going to go with a 1.8 conversion but I just couldn't pass this opportunity up. I was able to get a 1.6L engine with less than 49,000 miles on it.
So looks like there is a new 1.6 in my future.

Here is a Picture of it:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-xsJrW8M/0/M/CA09211215324342-M.jpg

Just a little bit of oil seepage from the Valve Cover gasket.
But look at the intake:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-6xHpVFB/0/M/CA09211215303029-M.jpg


Other things to get before I do the install

1. New Clutch
2. New Exhaust manifold (Racelands or OBX)
3. New fabricated heat shield
4. Replacement TB
5. Replacement Intake Manifold
6. Replacement fuel Injectors
7. New Timing belt, Water pump, idler bearings and seals

Once I have all of these things I will do the install.

Next, a few misc pictures

[RoadsterTech]

Here are a few Pictures of past goodies:

Sisal car mats:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-hLq2xhL/0/M/CA10301216015338-M.jpg

Extra Cup Holder:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-TzqMPSZ/0/M/CA10301216094766-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-85GSFRF/0/M/CA10301216101776-M.jpg

Pneumatic Trunk Strut

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-9bDtC8q/0/M/CA10301216045852-M.jpg

Trunk Lid Storage (Great for Autocross)

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-vsxW9t5/0/M/CA10301216065704-M.jpg

New Carpet and Sisal mats in the Trunk. (I mounted the Spare tire under the car with a custom exhaust)

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-HmQNhTq/0/M/CA10301216074643-M.jpg

Lighted Mirror

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-GVqrspw/0/M/CA10301216271372-M.jpg

The Old Girl with her dancing shoes (just back from an autocross)

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-W7m46Q7/0/M/CA10301215563445-M.jpg

That's it for now... at least until I get more stuff for the engine.

[RoadsterTech]

Look what just rolled in....

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-7v7bsKX/0/M/CA_01141316284165-M.jpg

[wannafbody]

Looking good

[RoadsterTech]

I made some subtle changes to the interior...

What do you think?

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-WzLXx7R/0/M/CA_01211300314155-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-KX6nMKZ/0/M/CA_01211300310313-M.jpg

[RoadsterTech]

The Miata's has new shoes....


http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-JndDx3N/0/M/CA_01291317422639-M.jpg


I got a set of ZII's in yesterday and just now got them mounted.

Here they are next to my old Kumho's

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-Gv7KV79/0/M/CA_01301317061806-M.jpg

Here is a direct side shot to show the foot print.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-f7DmQGV/0/M/CA_01301317060463-M.jpg



I also picked up a new to me front sway bar... FM with only a little bit of mileage on it...

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-TNfmjVt/0/M/CA_01301317212618-M.jpg


I've ordered in end links there not here yet.

[RoadsterTech]

I Just go in two more shipments:

1.The key components of my new front Sway-bar End Links

2. A New to me set of rear NB Control Arms, I got these from atank.

The Control Arms need a very small bit of attention and some paint (Okay I'm Anal!) but mechanically they are in great shape.
Best of all the bushings are still flexible... and the adjusters are in great shape. :D


Now I need to order a second set of Rod Ends to go with these new Control Arms as well. :fp:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-gQDMcs3/0/M/CA_02081317344085-M.jpg

[wannafbody]

Maybe weld the extra sway bar tabs on the lower control arms.

[RoadsterTech]

I was kicking that around.... are the NB arms that much more susceptible to breaking with the single tab?

[RoadsterTech]

Here are a few new pictures:

I was told it passed the tennis shoe test: :slayer:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-h4LfdJf/0/M/IMG_0032-M.jpg

A fellow TBM'er called it a 1 AE I hope that was a compliment! :?

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-C6WLZZB/0/M/IMG_0031-M.jpg

[RoadsterTech]

I just put on my new "to me" sway bar

The Sway bar was from an NA8 and was a little long for my NA6 so I needed a new set of end links.
Here is a picture of the end links:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-N3W5PrP/0/M/CA_02151321285046-M.jpg

Here is a shot of them on the car...
I ended up removing the big spacer on the sway bar end of the rod end and taking alignment washer on the bolt head side of the rod end and moving it to the sway bar side.. This helped with clearance issues I had with my shocks.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-299Tvcv/0/M/CA_02151321280434-M.jpg

Here is a picture of the sway bar in place and at ride height.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-p9Ph2Cs/0/M/CA_02151321283215-M.jpg

Now I can't wait to see how it works at the autocross tomorrow.

[RoadsterTech]

Here's all of the rubber parts, water pump and Idler pulleys I was going to replace on the replacement motor:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-LpFSB28/0/M/CA_02151321323144-M.jpg

Time to Rock and Roll

[RoadsterTech]

I started to pull things apart to get the timing belt and water pump changed out and found this:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-HBsfQBs/0/M/CA_02251309360301-M.jpg

I would have sworn that it was a new head but the person I bought it from says that the original owner used Royal Purple oil. This is quite an endorsement of Royal Purple. :mrgreen:

Here are a few more shots:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-DBS8JNX/0/M/CA_02251316512256-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-MHDL9KV/0/M/CA_02251316552038-M.jpg

It looks as though the original owner already put in a new TB and water pump... they were not OEM.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-4Vg2PzM/0/M/CA_02251309362915-M.jpg
http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-jXMWczm/0/M/CA_02251309365272-M.jpg

Oh well I am putting in OEM so I'm happier with that.

Look what came out of the Thermostat I haven't heard about that in years.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-SMz8qWd/0/M/CA_02251310100155-M.jpg


One problem though the cam seal / bearing cap was either defective or cracked when the TB job was done.. It popped apart when I went to pull the seal out... :shock:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-L2cz4QK/0/M/CA_02251309355008-M.jpg

The other one appears to have flaws as well:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-QPjLc6P/0/M/CA_02251309364312-M.jpg


see my thread on this:

http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread.php?5251-Issue-with-a-cam-bearing-cap&p=79068#post79068

After much discussion and back and froths on this I decided to use an old cap from an old head and sand it into alignment.

I made a fixture on my mill to sand every thing parallel and then made a sanding mandrel that was just the right size.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-nrBgmsw/0/M/CA_03081319381326-M.jpg

I was able to get a 0.0035" gap evenly around the cap when it was torqued down.

So every thing is going back together. You have got the use the FM Cool tool and bottle opener!

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-ct7BrsL/0/M/CA_03081319471443-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-5kSkKT2/0/M/CA_03081319545140-M.jpg

Waiting for my new F1 Racing Flywheel

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-xjgQ256/0/M/CA_03081319534240-M.jpg

I hope to have everything together an into the car on the 16th... The big factor is whether the flywheel gets here or not.

[RoadsterTech]

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-8q6jdcq/0/M/CA_03131319070122-M.jpg

[Lesac]

Its always so awesome to see someone who has had a car for 20 years and still enjoys and works on it like it was new.

[RoadsterTech]

:D

[ozzie84]

You give me inspiration to hero the 1.6, great job..and Super clean

[RoadsterTech]

Thanks!

[theothersawyer]

Good looking car! I like the valve cover, very clean and simple!

[RoadsterTech]

Thank you sir... that's kinda the way I like the car to be.. nice but not in your face..

[Dave737]

"Look what came out of the Thermostat I haven't heard about that in years."

I just found the same thing in my thermostat housing yesterday while doing a timing belt. :shock:

What is that from?

PS great story, love the valve cover

[RoadsterTech]

The shavings in the thermostat are from the original machining of the head...

Mazda did not remove all of the flashing from the cooling passages. :fp:

Oh and thanks about the story and Valve Cover... One guy in our weekly meets said it reminded him of a Jaguar XKE valve cover.

I didn't think about that, but... cool!

[RoadsterTech]

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-6kkW3gC/0/M/CA_03201311354831-M.jpg

Just waiting for the new Flywheel it should be in tomorrow..

I plan on putting everything back in this coming Saturday.

[tsingson]

Engine is looking great, Rick!

When are you coming up this way again? I have a hardtop on the car now. Let me know so I can schedule something in advance.

[theothersawyer]

The engine looks fantastic!

[RoadsterTech]

Engine is looking great, Rick!

When are you coming up this way again? I have a hardtop on the car now. Let me know so I can schedule something in advance.

Thanks!
It's great you got a hardtop. You will really enjoy it!
Unfortunately I don't see any trips in the near future into the Raleigh area. Only over by Maggie Valley.
You guys should caravan down to Miatapalooza.

[RoadsterTech]

The engine looks fantastic!

Thanks! It's been a lot of work. But somewhat cathartic!

[Demon I Am]

What an awesome build! A-class stuff

[tsingson]

You guys should caravan down to Miatapalooza.


I tried to generate interest but money was a big factor.

[RoadsterTech]

What an awesome build! A-class stuff
Thanks!
You are too kind.


I tried to generate interest but money was a big factor.

That't too bad... its going to be a great bash

[tsingson]

Believe me. I wanted to go.

[RoadsterTech]

Some Pic's

Engine and Transmission Bolted together:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-xGwWMdV/0/M/CA_03241321084761-M.jpg

Ready to go!

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-Srwsx82/0/M/CA_03241321114912-M.jpg

Got to have the I was here picture...
Standing with my new baby:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-rGHsWMg/0/M/CA_03241321035702-M.jpg

Ben from TBM getting Hoses Ready to go:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-JzkzhdG/0/M/CA_03241321030674-M.jpg

Steve (our local MX3 guy) getting the motor set into place:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-WvQ97Kx/0/M/CA_03241321071019-M.jpg

Loren from TBM manning the hoist:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-hzRH8jV/0/M/CA_03241321024821-M.jpg

Andy from TBM was under the car guiding the trany into place.... Sorry Andy no picture.

In my excitement and fatigue I did not ge a picture of the final thing so I will post one tomorrow.

The car started right up... I was not there, I was getting hose clamps and new spark plugs, but Ben got a video of it... now if I could get the Video.

The only thing bad was the brake master Cylinder I put in with my old reservoir. The Reservoir leaked. :fp:

[RoadsterTech]

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i173/hankhizzle/th_A52BC954-534F-4E2B-A0B6-22329052389D-2294-0000016C6D2C4CE9_zpse78a6fce.jpg (http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i173/hankhizzle/A52BC954-534F-4E2B-A0B6-22329052389D-2294-0000016C6D2C4CE9_zpse78a6fce.mp4)


the Lifter tick went away after I drove it and went above 3000 rpm

[RoadsterTech]

Here is a shot of the completed Engine Compartment.
I am still battling a slow leak in the Brake Master Cyl but I think I have won that battle.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-ZRz9tKp/0/M/CA_03261308484628-M.jpg

[Andy]

I really like this build. I read the whole thing and it looks awesome.

How did you get the valve cover the way you did? Looks amazing.

[tsingson]

Great Job Rick! Engine looks good in the bay.

[RoadsterTech]

:fp:
I really like this build. I read the whole thing and it looks awesome.

How did you get the valve cover the way you did? Looks amazing.

Thanks! To get the Valve Cover like that I started with an Orange oil cleaner then 800 grit sand paper and knocked off the tops of the casting roughness. I then switched over to a scotch bright disc on a drill. I took the finish down with that. Finally I went over it with a little mothers aluminum polish. Finally I put on some ICE polish... that is silicone based so I thought it would hold up better in the engine compartment.

BTW, I was doing the intake that way, I took it down to the final polish and decided to try some satin clear for aluminum to protect it... first I used some paint prep to clean off all grease and debris. The paint prep turned the intake a grey magnesium color :fp: so I used Eastwood's Aluma-Blast on it.. it turned out well I think. (I am so glad I tried the paint prep on the intake and not the valve cover)



Great Job Rick! Engine looks good in the bay.

Thanks!
I spent a few hours cleaning the in some cases painting the bay to prep it for the engine...
Not bad for a 300K car...:8):

[maharaj]

Looks like you are ready for another 300k!

[RoadsterTech]

That would be my hope!

[RoadsterTech]

Cold Air Valve Delete:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-gNbxBgK/0/M/CA_04011316513429-M.jpg

New Flex Hose 1 pc from the clutch Master Cylinder to Slave Cylinder

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/miata/i-D6bvsjz/0/M/CA_04011316512060-M.jpg

The one pc clutch hose will allow me to do an easy Randal intake.

[Martin]

Your car is looking very good, sir.

May I ask what you gain by removing the air valve?

[RoadsterTech]

Thanks!
Having to replace it. Mine had become stuck and did not function well. Also, as a side note it cleaned up the engine a bit.

[RoadsterTech]

To elucidate on the matter a little bit more... In Florida the cold air valve is somewhat vestigial.
So, removing it when it fails is like removing an appendix.
This saves trying to get a viable one from the junk yard or spending a lot of money on a new one.

[Phatmiata]

Good stuff!! I wanted to see all these goodys at the miatapalooza but just got too busy.

[RoadsterTech]

That's the problem with doing something more than hanging out.
Ben came by and gave me a little time away from the table to wander.
I hardly had time to see one small section of cars before the raffle.

[RoadsterTech]

The car has not been driving quite as good as I had hoped. So, I was talked into doing a new Timing check...
I learned three things.
1. Don't drop a wrench in the back of the engine compartment in the dark
2. My car is lower than I thought I could hardly get my arm under the car to look for the wrench
3. Miata's don't like 20 deg of timing.

I set it back to 14 deg.
The car runs much better, it has a little bit less mid range but much better top end, and well it will probably last a little longer.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

That wrench made the scariest noise. Can't believe you were at 20 degrees of timing. That is insane.

[RoadsterTech]

That wrench made the scariest noise. Can't believe you were at 20 degrees of timing. That is insane.

I think it cartwheeled down the entire length of the under carriage! So far no leaks and I've still got brakes!
Just tells you how forgiving our little engines are!

[atank]

Rick, your Roadster is looking great!!

[RoadsterTech]

Thanks! Now if I could just get some good pictures.

[Ihatecars]

This build is pretty awesome. I'm glad to see somebody still enjoying their Miata after such a long ownership.

[RoadsterTech]

Thanks!
I had a few years where the passion lapsed, but I have to say this has been a wonderful car!

[afc2112]

Thanks! Now if I could just get some good pictures.

Next time you have a gathering at your workshop, we should all drive over to the industrial complex behind Autoway. Which is where I shot Flippy's MOTM winning photo...PS, you also have the perfect photog car in the SUV...Perhaps, I'll make Gavin shoot, so he'll learn more.

[RoadsterTech]

That's a great idea!

[RoadsterTech]

As some of you may have already seen my little smurf was molested by a Hit and Run Driver :fp:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-mHt7Nkw/2/L/CA_06251315382289-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-bBsmT4f/0/L/CA_06251315401843-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-8crrFvQ/1/L/CA_06251315412588-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-VvWH6rT/0/L/CA_06251315430980-L.jpg

Fortunately a good Samaritan followed the guy and got his plate number. So I had his Insurance.

While it didn't look too bad the Insurance companies felt it would cost more than the car was worth to fix it.

My insurance company came back with only $2,800 in value for the car with $3,000 to fix it.
The other company came back with $3,600 in value with $4,000 to fix it. so it was going to be totaled.
After a significant amount of work to justify the value of the car I got it up to $3,800 from the other company.

Unfortunately my insurance company would not accept the valuation from the other guys company. So.... It was going to be totaled.

I agreed to have the offending party's Insurance pay for it with me keeping the title as salvage. Unfortunately Florida considered a car as non viable if it is totaled and the cost is over $1,500.. So I was to get a certificate of destruction. Such is life.

Amazing as it is on the day my paperwork came for the exchange of title with the guys insurance. My Insurance company emailed with a change of heart. They were going to accept the valuation of the other company and send me a check to repair the car. :lol:

So... the car is now going to be repaired.

Several great guys in the TBM group decided that the car needed to be made as it should be not just cobbled back together again.
So, two guys offered to give me the back section of their parts cars. Thanks Miata Bicker Guy, and Boris... Another individual offered to facilitate getting the parts, thanks Loren,

Here are the parts after I got them form Loren.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-vGzGRzq/0/L/CA_08201310293121-L.jpg

And yet another friend who works for LKQ offered to get me paint at cost and lined up a frame straightener and paint shop. Then as a final plus he offered to take the car on to get the body back "straight" after the Frame Guy does his magic! (A big thanks to Andy!!!)

It took a bit of doing but Andy and I got the trunk open and were able to get everything out to it. (All of my RoadsterTech guides were in the trunk).

Here is a pic just before we took it to the Frame guy for a quote.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-RVBzBVm/0/L/CA_08101315072260-L.jpg

So here is how things are adding up...

1. Frame straightening and welding on the back trunk section... $1,200.00
2. Paint and supplies less than $600.00
3. Painter (we shall see)
4. Body work ? priceless...

Here is the car as it is now ready for the Frame Guy.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-rkRbZzV/0/L/CA_08241319150633-L.jpg

The coilovers are raised to full height. And the car is shod with a pair of junker wheels (thanks Andy for the wheels)
An interesting story about these wheels they have been on at least five different TBM guys cars now still shod with the same rock hard Starspec's..

Here is the back end of the car ready to be pulled.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-Wc5MzMW/0/L/CA_08241319142775-L.jpg

Kinda Sad right now but good is soon to follow.

[Martin]

Glad you're getting it fixed. Keep the updates coming.

[Dandy]

Glad to see things going your way now. Kudos to those who chipped in to help out. Keep a Smurf alive!

[WASABI]

Great news about the insurance coming through for you! Looks like you'll have a sweet looking ride when it's all said and done... with an interesting story to tell.

[tsingson]

Rick, I am glad to see this. Good luck with it and let me know if there is anything I can help you with.

[RoadsterTech]

I put some tail lights and a plate on the beastey and off she went to the straighteners.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-FQwjhGH/1/L/CA_11111312113692-L.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-2LwQxBv/0/L/CA_11111312120697-L.jpg

Now I wait some more...
It might be late this week or first thing next week... But at least were making forward motion again.

[RoadsterTech]

They finally got it on the Rack:

Day 1:

Cars is up on the rack: (Day 1 morning)

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-7vHzTwN/1/L/IMG_0208-L.jpg

Getting ready to work: (Day 1 afternoon)

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-z8wMjVC/1/L/IMG_0210-L.jpg

Even with the coilovers up full the car is still too low for the jacks....

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-hJ5mj3r/1/L/IMG_0211-L.jpg

They had to use a floor jack to get the car up high enough.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-T7L5tVR/1/L/IMG_0212-L.jpg


There was no activity on the car for a few days...

Day 4: (Some activity)

The car is up on the frame locks and is ready to be pulled out.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-FW9z7MN/0/L/IMG_0214-L.jpg

A lot of banging with a big hammer is getting ready to commence:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-2WRRqF7/0/L/IMG_0216-L.jpg

Day 5: (Things are starting to look straighter)

They think they are going to be able to save the rear trunk facia panel... Yay!

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-6QbPmNq/0/L/IMG_0217-L.jpg

Now they need to de-crumple the trunk floor:

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-stPB86Q/0/L/IMG_0219-L.jpg

That's were it was on Friday. Very slow but at least in the right direction.

[Dandy]

:popcorn:

[tsingson]

Great progress so far!

[atank]

Yes, some things take time to get just right!!!! In the end it will be ALL GOOD!!!!!!

[Phatmiata]

Rick, make sure you check that you are still able to remove/install the hardtop after they stretch the car like that! It makes think they would mess up the top if its latched on via the Frankenstein bolts while they are pulling on the car like that.

I had this done on my first NA (the Black & tan), but it was a front impact, and the top never fit properly again, ended up selling it as it leaked during the rain all the time. :cry2:

[RoadsterTech]

Day 11,
A lot of activity happened today...

They welded pulling points on the bottom of the trunk fascia to pull out the trunk floor.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-MrKpFGc/0/L/01ed0508bc1d0e220a55f18fca9bbf48cc908f9b0e-L.jpg

Here's what the floor looks like now... Just as a reference the floor was bunched up to the big drain holes and the holes were bent in half.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-NVtRNQ3/0/L/0191b80faa0fe4a3638544d48d2711c443494746e2-L.jpg

Now he's getting ready to straighten out the sides of the bumper rails.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-K39Hmft/0/L/01a0f4bff2b46cf9ddaa9082be4ab3ad289da659cc-L.jpg

A close up of the support bar. A plate has been put inside of the bumper rail and it will be sandwiched to another plate to force the rail back straight.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-hmdTzXk/0/L/01b1f7e6446168dbfccf064f15f1e5367c254300a9-L.jpg

Ready to start the screw pressure... He is actually doing this with a wrench and all-thread.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-MrKpFGc/0/L/01ed0508bc1d0e220a55f18fca9bbf48cc908f9b0e-L.jpg

Here is a shot of the rear quarter panel.. It still has its crease... I hope Andy can work his magic.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-Zk5xxXn/0/L/01a42d85f43b5467f526bd4798dc53eb94cf5352e3-L.jpg

They got the door space set perfectly..

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-xLc8x3K/0/L/0105d9aa6d208fc46f685b15b79020b0a6e3466e6d-L.jpg
http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-BVFDLXD/0/L/0193f2b588026c48dcf56d408638ef4d820989c198-L.jpg

that's where we stand now...

[WASABI]

Wow, that's amazing work so far! I hope everything continues to improve.

[RoadsterTech]

Day 12
The bumper has been fitted and they are putting the rubber trunk gasket on to test fit the trunk lid.

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-Kn4dLzd/0/M/010cde45258c8ae4bae17508526152bfab5013cfc4_00001-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-n9DTVqx/0/M/018c0959706e8d04bed1f40e012b6c7ac260d2b570-M.jpg

http://rabrillhart.smugmug.com/Other/Miata/i-rhFmMNb/0/M/01ee8ec3d08a679804b99aebde1f0e32aa96280c14-M.jpg

I talked to the Owner. He is going to weld on some studs onto the quarter panel and tease it back into shape and he is going to open the drain holes up.

Should be done soon!

[RoadsterTech]

Well did the rebuild sound too good to be true... it was. Andy left LKQ and the final bodywork and repaint never happened. The car languished in my shop for almost 4 years.

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Fast forward to 2017. Miatapalooza was coming up and became the impetus for finally getting the car completed.

The rear end was a disaster. I removed the sound deadening tar and attacked it with a hammer. Some Judicious body filler on the rear panel and it looked okay.

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I painted the trunk with Eastwood Rubber Rust Encapsulator.

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The 94 is becoming my Parts car I stole its rear finish panel.

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She was finally ready for paint.

One of the local Facebook Miata guys worked at a restoration shop and got me in. Here are some shots of the process.

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[RoadsterTech]

Here are some more shots.
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With all this attention it should have been great. But, the Miata guy who was working on the car was replaced by a new employee and he quit. The new painter did not do a great job with the clear coat and there was some orange peal. Ugh! I needed the car for Miatapalooza before the shop could make things right, so, it goes back in a few days for a rework.

[NCGreasemonkey]

Fast forward to 2017. Miatapalooza was coming up and became the impetus for finally getting the car completed.

Hope you were one of the ones I got to shake hands with at 'Palooza!

Peace fellow Nut!

[tsingson]

Rick! Glad to see you are still around. Let me know if you are ever in the area again. Still got your number too.

[TNRooster3]

I believe this is the Smurf Blue car my wife went nuts for and all googly eyes for:frantic: , we saw it at both the Pre-Palooza at Rick's on the River and Miatapalooza? I salute you sir for a job well done. :bow:

[TNRooster3]

I took several pix of your car at Rick's on the River and could post them here if ya want? :worship:

[RoadsterTech]

I took several pix of your car at Rick's on the River and could post them here if ya want? :worship:

I would love that!
BTW. With your wonderful car it makes me quite humble.

[RoadsterTech]

I believe this is the Smurf Blue car my wife went nuts for and all googly eyes for:frantic: , we saw it at both the Pre-Palooza at Rick's on the River and Miatapalooza? I salute you sir for a job well done. :bow:

Thank you!

[TNRooster3]

Ok we went to the pre-Palooza event that Tampa Bay Miata Club had put together down at Rick's on the River and we saw several really nice cars, but my wife spotted one that she just went all googly eyes for! Why do you ask, well the 1st Miata we ever owned was a Smurf Blue '91 that we called Jellybean and my wife fell in love with that car so when she sees this one she just went crazy over it. Here are some pix we took:
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This one I think Adam took:
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These two pix we took at the MIATAPALOOZA event:
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[TNRooster3]

Here is one from Tampa Bay Miatas' Facebook post from the pre-Palooza event:
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[RoadsterTech]

Awesome pictures. Thanks for posting them.

[TNRooster3]

You are very welcome, glad we could do it.

Awesome pictures. Thanks for posting them.

[RoadsterTech]

I guess it doesn't look too bad for 310,000 miles.

[oldgrayleather]

Hey Rick! Gutted I didn't realize you were at Palooza. Would have been great to meet a fellow smurf owner and pay respect to the life you've helped that car have (310k!!!). I promise, if that had happened I wouldn't have even mentioned the RT rack system I've been emailing you about far too much..