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Thread: Cars, Coffee and California...

  1. #466
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    With a scant few days before work inevitably started to takeover again it was time to turn my attention to a few remaining projects I wanted to get done over the break. I've had a 1.6 ARC chamber that was destined for Benny until Turbo happened so decided it should be put to good use in Berg. Took all of 15 minutes but appreciated the new and improved shiny...



    The other job that was being passed down from Benny was the Racing Beat intake. Again, turbo but had it sitting in the cupboard for years because the PO's alarm was installed right where it needed to go. And... . I'd forgotten that Berg had cruise control which also meant it wasn't going to fit. Well, atleast the Arc Magic chamber was in.

    Saturday 949 Racing gwas having a swap meet so figured I'd easily be able to find a new home for it. Thankfully at Friday's OC KINOD I learned that RB actually make a kit to relocate the cruise control bits! So merely dealing with another delay, all was good again.

    Got home about half past midnight and for enough hours sleep before setting off back down to OC for the swap meet. Over my first morning espresso, Marlon had shared his appreciation of his matching Zoom console but wanted to know what I did to accommodate coffee so took a few pics of the Nakamae unit that works perfectly for me. Each of the cars has one since there are occasions when its convenient to be able to bring a drink.

    Puppers getting ready for another 100 mile blast down to Orange County...


    Stainless espresso travel cup courtesy of the lovely Mrs. R....


    And in, finally ready to go...

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  3. #467
    Admin / Pit Boss / Miataholic Phatmiata's Avatar
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    did you use anything on the backside of the zoom side marker to hold them on, other that the double sided tape they come with. I was trying to think of a way to mount mine with a backup on the backside to keep them from releasing later, it gets crazy hot and humid here.

  4. #468
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    Before heading out to the swap meet, Mrs. R inquired what it was that I was planning on selling... ... .... .....

    Um, well since I was taking the Miata there wasn't really a ton of room. Right? The OEM front and rear bumpers? Yeah, they take up a fair bit of space and aren't likely to ever go back on. The last set of Daisies? The OEM 1.6 exhaust? A pair of minty OEM seats? etc, etc. Yeah, I should do something with them but didn't want to commit to bringing that much stuff down and then hanging out all day to see if there was a buyer in need. For a while I was keeping things in case I wanted to go back to stock (ha) or if I was ever to sell the car and wanted to sell some of the parts separately to recoup the "investment". Yeah right, that is never going to happen. What if it got totaled? I'd buy it back from insurance and save everything I could for another car. Is there any real reason to keep the OEM parts? Honestly, I don't really know. I can't think of any real reason. Something to look into then I guess.

    Anyways, off we went with nothing to sell. Now I want to be clear that I 100% wasn't shopping for anything. There is nothing I need.
    I was only going for another drive with the dog and a chance to spend some more time with friends. I found a set of Rokyu Rob Elise seat brackets that a fellow nut has been looking for for ages so did a couple text exchanges followed by some cash and had those safely put into my trunk to mail off next week. And then a Miata nut from San Diego showed up. With some stuff. A lot of interesting stuff.

    Since I've never been sure the GV NB Fastback would actually fit on an NA... Test fit? Would have been rude not to...




    The fit was solid but like all fastbacks I've seen, there's still a bit of a gap over the rear fenders. It did look pretty great. Maybe mostly *different* or unique but kinda great. The rear quarter windows are similar in shape to that of Mazda's NB coupe. it would be really easy to put louvers on the rear window. Yum. But the windows all needed to be replaced. And it would be a lot louder. And I wasn't totally in love with it. I'm really glad I had the chance to test it out but left feeling that the only thing I'd replace the OEM top with would be a Mazdaspeed unit so with no regret took it off and moved it back to the seller's blanket.

    I said my farewells and we made our way home. When I showed Mrs. R the pics, her first comment was that she thought it looked great. Her second was stating she was kinda surprised I didn't buy it. I am indeed a very lucky man.

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  6. #469
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phatmiata View Post
    did you use anything on the backside of the zoom side marker to hold them on, other that the double sided tape they come with. I was trying to think of a way to mount mine with a backup on the backside to keep them from releasing later, it gets crazy hot and humid here.
    I actually just used Adam's trick of uprated 5lb double sided tape on the "ring" and "column" and then bent a metal retainer on the inside.

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  8. #470
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    I was motivated to keep crossing things off my list so immediately got to installing the Nielex exhaust trim on Berg.





    Small detail but super happy with how it came out.

    Last one before scrubbing up was supposed to be my Cappuccino washer bottle relocation to tidy-up Benny's bay a little bit more. Everything was going swimmingly until I realized 1) the electrical wire I had to extend power to the pump wasn't long enough and 2) the t-joint to the passenger washer had actually disintegrated and needed to be replaced. Will be quick to finish it off once the parts arrive so a perfect time to login and get some updates here...

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  10. #471
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    *WARNING* this post isn't intended to sound as if it was written by my fifteen year old daughter but it may. Actually, I don't have a daughter which makes it all that more strange...

    This morning before leaving I was catching up on Instagram and saw a comment to one of my posts from Peter Brusa...



    Squeeeee! I can't think of a bigger complement from a guy that's pretty much only a legend to me. Peter had already moved on so was never active on here from the time I started down this particular rabbit hole. I only learned about the Blue Potato posthumously since that car had long since been parted out but along with Scrat and others I got so much inspiration reading through the history and what they envisioned and accomplished with their cars.

    That said, I am truly thankful there are still many others Roadster nuts that are still active here with a great willingness to share their knowledge and stories.

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  12. #472
    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! Greasemonkey2000's Avatar
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    Was that GV hardtop Jacey's aka the shiz aka daricerocket? I sure would like to see it go to a "good home".
    '01 NB2 aka MisF1re: http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread....218#post207218
    '97 M aka Warbird, gone but not forgotten: http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread....B&goto=newpost
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  13. #473
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greasemonkey2000 View Post
    Was that GV hardtop Jacey's aka the shiz aka daricerocket? I sure would like to see it go to a "good home".
    Good eye Chad, it is indeed JC’s.

  14. #474
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    Unquestionably the best thing about these Roadsters is the connections. Dan indeed was the inspiration behind Benny. A guiding force and my spiritual co-pilot. That spread to Miati becoming a connection for our family. Eldest son getting his driver’s license and learning to drive stick in an NA was a catalyst for his appreciation of motoring and countless Roadster memories he and I have shared together.

    I’ve only once mentioned my other brother Steve when he and his son were down for a visit but he and I also have a shared passions for cars, Lego and most importantly music.

    With three sons, five nephews and a niece, I’ve always hoped that a shared automotive passion might extend beyond my siblings and blossom with as many of the next generation as possible.

    Nearly nineteen years ago, Steve’s son was born. Jen was already pregnant with our first so we became Dads just seven months apart. Despite my desire to make those petrol-fueled connections, my own son didn’t show as much interest in cars as my nephew did from the earliest ages. With Adam, there was a gravitational pull as an early picture of us has reminded me.



    Fast forward a *few* years, when it came time for Adam to purchase his first car after a lot of work and diligent saving. There was a long list of potential JDM motors but unsurprisingly (atleast to me) there was one model in particular that rose to the top to meet all the needs … budget, reliability and fun. And that pursuit lead him to Red. As in the Red Baron. Classic Red with black stripes that initially wore steelies and winter tires. It came from a different province so just a few hassles with registration but not enough to dampen the excitement. Red was a fantastic first car…



    As a Canadian spec, it benefitted from the non-airbag wheel and straight stalks shared with its JDM brethren and sisteren.


    Unfortunately Red wasn’t long for this world given an errant U-turn on a four lane road that had a half-wit driver place their car directly in his path, Red was totaled but thankfully no one was hurt and the determination of fault (not his) wasn’t drawn out as with some other accounts. He and his dad had the car towed to the house (and back) just so they could preserve some of the important upgrades that had already been added.

    While waiting to hear the verdict of the settlement, the hunt began for a replacement. His mother felt a “safer more modern car” would be a better choice but the bug had already taken hold. Insurance did an unsurprising thing and assessed the value at an amount that meant there was the opportunity to actually buy a solid replacement. In fact, potentially a much better car than what it was replacing.

    After much searching and many messages later it seemed Adam had found the one. The PPI stood things up mechanically and this NA had received a quality repaint in a stunning shade of red (in person it looks close to NC Copper Red with an incredibly deep pearl). So Ruby’s title soon exchanged hands. I think these were the shots on the day he first picked her up.



    As recounted last fall, Adam and a friend did the 3,000 miles trek down to SoCal to join the KINOD caravan up to MRLS and back before turning around home again. I have a hunch that only strengthened the passion for Miati with an even broader view of what different people were doing to their cars to add a personal touch. There were already a number of tasteful upgrades but since then the trend has continued. As of now there’s a rollbar for safety (rigidity) along with SSR Mk 2’s and upgraded rubber, JDM floor mats, a Zoom center console, Rev9 flares, Zoom rear lights along with a reverse light, a couple sets of RevLimiter’s gauges, an HVAC panel and a cluster overlay from SNS, vent rings, steering wheels, new shift knobs and hand brake cover as well as a couple different spoilers (the duckbill currently holding court).










    The best part for me though is that there’s another connection through both blood and passion on our journeys with these spectacular little cars.
    Last edited by oldgrayleather; 01-06-2019 at 04:36 AM.

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  16. #475
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift HarryB's Avatar
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    There must be something in your family bloodline, pushing you to build amazing NAs, cannot be explained otherwise! Jokes aside, that was an excellent Sunday morning read, thanks for taking the time to actually write all these back stories Peter; they are much appreciated!

    BTW Jacey's hardtop looks great on Benny! And I am quite sure he had some more cool parts to trade; his car was a big inspiration, especially under the hood. The Nielex exhaust/bumper trim looks the part too, although I feel that a larger diameter exhaust tip would compliment it nicely!

    Quote Originally Posted by Phatmiata View Post
    did you use anything on the backside of the zoom side marker to hold them on, other that the double sided tape they come with. I was trying to think of a way to mount mine with a backup on the backside to keep them from releasing later, it gets crazy hot and humid here.
    Randy, Peter (or anyone for that matter), if you can measure the outer diameter of the "stem" on the back side of these, I can design/3D print a small OEM-style mount for them so they can clip in place. I would do it in the exact same outer dimensions as the OEM ones, so they can exchange easily on EUDM/JDM cars as well. Just send me the measurement and pay postage ;)

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  18. #476
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HarryB View Post
    There must be something in your family bloodline, pushing you to build amazing NAs, cannot be explained otherwise! Jokes aside, that was an excellent Sunday morning read, thanks for taking the time to actually write all these back stories Peter; they are much appreciated!
    Thanks Harry, you are too kind. I also really appreciate how active you are on here, I miss the days where everyone would weigh in on just about every thread. Trying to do my part in keeping the content coming and enjoying the process in cataloging it for myself (:.

    I do have another update I've been meaning to get to on Lola's story (Dan's NA) that will show not all our family's Miati have gone down the same path. Haha.

    Quote Originally Posted by HarryB View Post
    Randy, Peter (or anyone for that matter), if you can measure the outer diameter of the "stem" on the back side of these, I can design/3D print a small OEM-style mount for them so they can clip in place. I would do it in the exact same outer dimensions as the OEM ones, so they can exchange easily on EUDM/JDM cars as well. Just send me the measurement and pay postage ;)
    I've never actually seen the OEM style mount for the side winkers since the US is the only country that didn't install them. Do you happen to have a pic?

    Before install I did measure and the stem was 36mm and I followed Adam's directions cutting the hole to 38mm to accommodate the 5lb double sided tape.
    Last edited by oldgrayleather; 01-06-2019 at 03:14 PM.

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  20. #477
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    Dan had two sons. Aidan the eldest and Lach. Aidan is an incredibly talented musician and a free spirit. Not so jazzed up about cars and such. Lach is the one that always loved to make things work. Or figure out how things work. In their workshop, he and Dan tinkered for hours on bikes and motorbikes and anything else. Back in 2014 a friend of Lach’s was in the market for a first car and came across a ’96 Montego parked on the street with a for sale sign. IIRC it had 300k+ kilometers with an asking price of $750. Canadian dollars. He took a pic and sent it around.



    He was interested but it didn’t quite fit the bill. Needed more practicality. Something like the 5 speed 2nd gen Jetta Dan had. Dan’s brain started whirring and he hatched a plan to sell him the Jetta so he could buy the Miata.

    It didn’t take long before Dan finally had a reliable roadster and had it parked up at their house after its first clean-up. On July 18th Dan sent over the first shot of Lola.


    Lola. L. O. L. A. Lola. (cue the Kinks). I actually don’t come from a family that has ever named our cars. But somehow every one of the Miati has been named. Well, not the Sunburst. It was going to be Sunny but that was too common. Then “Eggs” but Mrs. R thought “Eggs and Benny” was too contrite so it remains nameless.

    Anyways, back to 2014. It was only a week later that Dan flew down for the week he and I celebrated his 50th. I later made a photo book for him and a copy for myself that captured our escapades. Cars and Coffee, Cruise in at Ruby’s, the Peterson, Mulholland Hwy, etc. Cars and California seemed fitting.


    Despite the 959 and so many of our lifelong dream cars, Dan spent a lot of time checking out the details on this NA…


    And a red 124 that rekindled our memories of his orange Fiat that I learned to drive stick on…


    Dan headed home and I distinctly remember a call with him while he was out on a highway drive with the top down. I could barely hear a word he was saying but the rapture in his voice was unmistakable. He finally had a Miata and was enjoying it to the fullest. Lach later shared Dan’s copious files on the NA that I enjoyed as in typical fashion he went deep. He had to look into everything about the car and what things he could start working on. Cataloging all the options and potential upgrades that would be fitting. He also registered for MRLS 2014 so he and Lach could attend. That was certainly one of the most heart wrenching mementos I came across. He wasn’t feeling well but hadn’t been fully diagnosed at the time so must have amended those with notes after the fact. I can’t imagine how much he would have loved the road trip down with his son, being there and the chance to be part of such an incredible gathering.



    The 25th MRLS meet was Sept 5-7th but he called me on the 10th to let me know he’d been diagnosed with cancer and the prognosis wasn’t good. It would be a couple weeks of him in hospital before I would be allowed to visit so set a date to fly up with the family on the 26th. The first few days of waiting were excruciating as I was trying to come to terms with what was going to happen while being a thousand miles away. On Monday the 15th, one of our execs said they urgently needed me in Tokyo and ideally if possible I’d fly out that night. At the time the trip was such a welcomed distraction. Tokyo does a phenomenal job of overloading your senses and on this trip it again didn’t disappoint. Over the course of the next two months I was lucky enough to fly up to Vancouver almost every weekend to see him. He didn’t waste any time being sad or angry or in denial. He only focused on how he could get the most out of the limited time he had left. That has been one of the most incredible lessons in my life and I look back feeling privileged to have eked out a few more special memories with him before he was gone. At the time, Aidan and Lach were 19 and 17 respectively. Lach had just got his license and during some of the trips we’d go for a drive with Lola since he needed to be accompanied and it was a great chance to spend some 1:1 time together.

    During that time and beyond I really think Lola provided an exceptional escape and support for Lach while he was coping with the hardship he’d been dealt. Better than any amount of therapy could have provided. It has to be said that of all our family, Lach has an exceptional sense of humor. Probably one of the most fun loving adults I know and he never fails to make me laugh every time we connect. As in side-splitting laughter. His approach extended to the fun that was in Lola’s future.

    A GV lip was added and some character added to the lights…


    So much canvas to have fun with…



    “Why the heck not”


    The eyes went through a number of transformations too…


    He added his own tribute to Dan with RIP DJR on the lip…


    The front bumper needed seeing to which gave Lach a canvas for him to play around.


    And polished lips with black centers






    He enjoyed Lola for as long as she was willing but increasing mechanical issues meant she was to be passed on to another Miata nut that spent a fair bit of time on track. I always imagine there are parts of Lola out there helping ensure other NA’s are still being enjoyed to their fullest. Lach moved on to Dan’s Tacoma which has become an exceptional vehicle for camping, hauling and every other pursuit he could imagine. And one thing for certain about Lach is that he has an absolutely brilliant imagination…

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  22. #478
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift HarryB's Avatar
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    Yet another amazing real-life story; this is what makes this forum (and especially this thread) rather special!

    Quote Originally Posted by oldgrayleather View Post
    I've never actually seen the OEM style mount for the side winkers since the US is the only country that didn't install them. Do you happen to have a pic?
    Not at this moment; will capture one once I get back, currently on yet another work-related trip.

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  24. #479
    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! Greasemonkey2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldgrayleather View Post
    I've never actually seen the OEM style mount for the side winkers since the US is the only country that didn't install them. Do you happen to have a pic?
    Post #73:
    http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread....39734%3B/page5

    Sorry I couldn't get just that pic to download to put it here, it just kept taking me to the fotobukit site. I'm losing my touch because it normally takes me a few minutes to find something in Warbird's build thread but this time it took like 15 minutes or more.
    '01 NB2 aka MisF1re: http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread....218#post207218
    '97 M aka Warbird, gone but not forgotten: http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread....B&goto=newpost
    Instagram: @greasemonkey2000

  25. #480
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift oldgrayleather's Avatar
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    Friday’s KINOD was a particularly welcome end to the first week back suffering work’s accelerated ramp into 2019. The 90-ish mile round trip delights on relatively clear LA freeways in stark contrast to 10-12 lanes of the usual stop and go traffic. As always though it is all about the people. I managed to park up next to Jon B’s NC with its stunning Mazdaspeed body kit.



    Gabele showed up and had brought me a length of Design Engineering fire sleeve for the little hose coming off the actuator. The one I was lamenting the week before because it had rubbed through and burst before and looked like that could happen again. So incredibly thoughtful. And then Nico showed up. With a present, wrapped and all. Inside was a print of my favorite picture he took of Benny on our Dec 31wts cruise. And it was framed! It’s been a delight to have someone both passionate and talented with a camera to capture and share their work but this? Sometimes you just get blown away by the best part of humanity. True surprise and delight. This crazy little roadster tribe really does have the best people. Good people. Kind people. Caring people.



    After the trip home it was after 1:30 when I finally retired knowing that I had a 6:30 wake-up call for the first Miata run of the year. I’m really really happy these are starting to become a regular thing. In the early days when KINOD was formed it stood for “Krispy Kreme, In-N-Out and Drive”. The three integral components of the meets. We’ve been booted from KK’s parking lot and for those that can meet for dinner beforehand I don’t think I-n-O has been a choice for years. And serious hard parking and visiting has replaced the trips to Azuza canyon.

    The next morning I was awake before the alarm and off just after seven to meet up at Seal Beach. It had poured buckets just after I’d got home the night before and nearly unthinkable for SoCal was a forecast calling for more rain. On the way to the meeting point at Javintini’s espresso I got my first opportunity to start exploring the dynamics of Rain + R888’s + turbo.

    We were off just after 8 running ten cars deep. Even more than NYE, great to see that the weather wasn’t the deterrent I was expecting. We had to stop for a couple cars to fuel up but as the station was empty a full takeover seemed in order. Just enough time for some pics before we cleared out for the perplexed drivers waiting for a pump.






    And then the heavens opened up but that had no impact on the smiles on our faces as we could see whenever we passed each other.




    Thanks to Kadin for grabbing some rolling shots in the wet


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