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View Full Version : From Rice to Classic roadster... I have finally arrived!



wongmic75
12-20-2012, 10:43 AM
In 2008.. I fell in love with my first miata… a 2002 SE with saddle brown seats and full racing beat intake header and exhaust… it was an amazing first car… which I happened to total coming down a decreasing radius turn one early morning after a nice drive in the mountains….

I had to get back into the scene… so I scoured craigslist for weeks…. I really could not appreciate the NA shape initially and having test drove a few… could not get over the lack of power….

Finally one day I saw a craigslist ad, it was a black miata with full racing beat body kit…. I liked what I saw… but was kind of scared of a car with no AC, no PS and the interior was a little rough….

I decided to call and met up with the guy in the Costco parking lot… asking price 2k…..
The car drove so much better than all the other NA’s that I had driven… suspension was done, there was no rear finishing panel and a crack in the front bumper.. but other wise I liked it….
He asked me how much I wanted to pay.. .and would easily have takend 1500…. But I chickened out and told him I would call him in the the next couple of days..
That night.. I decided I would take it… when I called him…. He told me he had just sold it….
I was heart broken….

I manically searched craigslist for 2 weeks straight… you know how it is when you lose some thing you really wanted…..

IT so happens the same car pops up 2 weeks later… I go to meet the guy who says his girl friend won’t let him keep it… so I pick it up for 2k… and finally got my racing beat miata……!!!!!

According the the previous owner, the engine had been rebuilt with forged internals, and the previous owner to him worked at racing beat, which is why it had racing beat braces, intake, header and exhaust along with springs and koni shocks…

3 years laters… I had purchased a hard top and the paint on the car was dying… picked up one of those amazing G-wings too….
As you can see in the pics below……

I played with different wheels…. Started with some 16 inch black subzeros…..
Then tried some rota RB 13 inchers….in black….
Finally pulled the trigger on some 14X7 +28 RPF-1 on star specs… and I knew this was the set I had been waiting for… classic yet functional….

Threw some tein flex coilovers for good measure and the car was so much more plush then my racing beat springs and koni yellows…

Picked up a removable trunk rack… which just made the black car too busy with the racing beat spoiler….and the G-wing…
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wongmic75
12-20-2012, 10:51 AM
This year I finally decided that after having the cooling system replaced, and the headgasket replaced… this was the car I loved the most… of all my cars…

It deserved a new paint job….
I had loved British racing green,
I could stay black…
Or my favorite color was white…. But I wanted to do something a little different… so with some great input from friends …. Thanks Adam (Rev limiter) and Mike (Roadster)

The choice was clear…. Mini cooper chilli pepper white

But when I first got it back… there seemed to be way too much white….


So I snatched up a pair of east coast miata mirrors…..
And that helped…..

Then added a little chrome fuel cap… and things were shaping up…..

The rear racing beat wing…. Seemed to always not quite fit with the look I was going for… so I had a stock trunk lid painted… and soon the clean classic lines were coming back….
Here is the repaint with racing beat front bumper and TSIs... also cut out some meatballs to see how it would look!
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Actually looks ok with the new trunk… but still I love the simplicity most of all…

wongmic75
12-20-2012, 10:54 AM
Decided to put on the East coast miata chrome mirrors and have always loved the adore front bumper... so it had to be done! Tried the luggage rack too! 595659575958595959605961

wongmic75
12-20-2012, 11:02 AM
Started working on the interior....KG works starter panel.... Garage star shift extender and nylon knob... Momo prototipo and AWD blue gauges and brushed aluminium overlay... leather gauge hood, e brake boot and center console lid.
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atank
12-20-2012, 11:15 AM
Looking good man, love those door panels!

wongmic75
12-20-2012, 11:19 AM
Some pics on my favorite mountain road!
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atank
12-20-2012, 11:22 AM
I have lost good deals also and never recovered the loss, glad you got the Roadster. The white just pops!!!!! :8): Do you have plans to put driving lights in the front bumper, or are you gonna use the openings for a cold air intake?

tsingson
12-20-2012, 11:27 AM
Looking good! I love that front bumper.

wongmic75
12-20-2012, 11:30 AM
Thanks Man! Loving every second... waiting to install my miataroadster short shifter...
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wongmic75
12-20-2012, 11:32 AM
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Phatmiata
12-20-2012, 01:31 PM
Sweet NA what year is it! Looks like you have done a ton of work to it!! Glad to see you figured out how to get the pictures up!

Willywongka
12-20-2012, 02:08 PM
It looks a lot better after being painted white =). This is also the first time I actually thought the Adore bumper looked good on a car. Good work!

Heyitsryan
12-20-2012, 03:51 PM
Dude, sick color man. I might try and emulate your paint color, I'm getting a bit bored of my "bland" white on the 95. I've always thought flat white would be a great color as well. Awesome progress, I can't wait to see you do more!

SpeedWorks
12-22-2012, 10:13 PM
The "Adore" front bumper looks great on your car. Can't wait to get mine on my project.

morr
12-22-2012, 10:58 PM
Loooove that color! The whole car is super clean, but I liked the RB bumper more than the Adore bumper.

Grip Driver
12-23-2012, 12:09 AM
Looks great, love the front bumper

artcentermiata
12-23-2012, 09:36 AM
Looks awesome man! Glad to see you went with the off white color choice!

wongmic75
12-23-2012, 10:04 AM
Thanks All! It's a 1990 and creaks like one! But it all adds to that nostalgic feeling!
Next project is a Miataroadster short shifter tall with no bend! will post when it is in...

theothersawyer
12-24-2012, 01:24 PM
Looking good!!! I like the Adore bumper, but that's because I have one! :D