SKARs Pursuit of Happiness

[SKAR]

I bought my Miata nearly two years ago when I was really as more of a motivation to be happy/ look on the bright side. I went with as a Miata as I wanted a DD that I could also autocross and would be fun stock. The whole being sick and unemployed living at home situation didnt suit the loan payments. I took a job to finish my apprenticeship at a GM dealership. Found out techs make surprisingly decent money.

Pictures tell the story and I will attempt to put together a mod list. This build will never end, never had any goal or "vision" for the car. Just entertaining myself.

The whole story of buying a Miata started on my way home from this (I went to just hang out, parents were out of town and left their keys)





Ended up coming 13th out of 20-some cars (mental note the volvo, you will see it again)



On my way home myself and a friend (volvo) stopped at a shady used lot due to 2 seemngly identical Miatas sitting out front.







(I buy a better camera later on)

I wanted the other at first but after driving both settled on the one above due to overall condition. Both cars were rust free brought up from Florida. (big selling point) I ended up paying $4950, car had 69k on it and was all original.

After a few days it was at its new home







First thing done was removing the beige pin stripe and clay barring it.

(slightly better camera)





Decided to paint the wheels on it, couldnt stand them at all.



If you notice the car covered in the back ground, it was my old project which I miss.

Quick before and after with it, my first money pit. Got a bare shell for free from an old friend





Back to the Miata pic dump....

[SKAR]

Bad picture



Made a Miata suitable shift boot



I ended up with a clean Miata











Last time those wheels will ever be on it again.



Found a set of 16x7 Momo Arrows for iirc $250. I told the guy I wasnt a fan, He said $180 and I took them home.

(volvo lurking)

[SKAR]

Took some pictures







First sticker



Had a roll bar made (wet paint makes it look weird)



did that fun stuff







Used it in two autocrosses during the last few pictures, frist one before roll bar

This one would of been right before getting the momos







The second solo after roll bar

[img]http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/60184_447436893472_513208472_5352774_2573299_n.jpg[img]





And another event I forgot about

Removed all the ac stuff and air bag stuff from the car first



I didnt take pictures of that even besides the above





That brought me to about the end of 2010



Car was parked for winter

[imperfekt]

nice

[SKAR]

Im not one to leave things alone, this begins the end of my cars reliability and what little practicality it had

Picked up a 96' 1.8 with 70k on it for $400



random unneeded stuff



empty bay



This is the point where I had to wait a month and a half for a well known Miata company to ship my clutch (I mean the fast shipping I paid for was worthless due to them having to order it themselves)

Parts started showing up





I finally dropped the 1.8 in



Had a manifold made



More parts

Chinese turbo goodness





more stuff







Schoenfeld "muffler" (6" glass pack) Magnaflow spun cat and a 3" cut out



Bought a used mspnp for $400

synapse bov (the best if used properly)



and an aem wideband

[SKAR]

Things ive forgotten to mention, Its a stage 5 compclutch, injectors are 850cc somethings

I think this is when I first got it running



first start, it had like 3 signals 2 run off of, was surprised it started

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in24slxmM9g

first time driving it after a bit more work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcZBYZhIZPc

Drove it across town to a friends shop to do exhaust





First actual drive, crappy video but thread is only for those with nothing better to do, if you have made it this far congrats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hQ-b_A0ElE

I like the "yep, hasnt blown up yet, sounds like it wants to" and the epic fact that I forgot to refill my tranny meaning the vid was taken with maybe .5L of fluid in it.... Filled it later, seemed fine

In order to put my hood on I needed hood pins, settled with aerocatch latches. Would recommend.



Did a ton of tuning, buttoned things up, drove it a shit ton

vids from on the way to an autox last spring

Not even 8am trying to eat breakfast on the highway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BdWky034vY

my first run (off course) and my first time flogging it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23ZoX...eature=related

Not long after that I bought a 6spd from an 03' off ebay. Took like 4 days to arrive and an a few hours to throw in.

First drive with it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG56XIvykag

and that ends that chapter

[SKAR]

but thats not all

May 24th 2011 on a Monday afternoon on my way home from work



More pics provided by the volvo owner who was first to the scene

Me being proud







its trail



I had JUST sold my winter beater s/c'ed regal and was now stranded

this was just one of five holes



Im not a fan of down time



I sourced another complete bottom end from a wrecked low mileage car. Sent it out with the new forged insides....

Has it bored .020 over, crank sent out to be knife edged and polished, then sent the rotating assembly with clutch to be balanced. Machine work ended up being $900 at cost due to my work being a big customer at that machine shop (guy is a very well known mopar small block engine builder here and is said to be one of the best, he seemed hesitant with doing a mazda 4 cylinder at first)

Very busy machine shop and having to send it out twice resulted in about a month of having an engine less car sitting here, boredom leads to things

ordered wheels, of course Rota Aleicas that I had to have the second it were announced they would be made



car still torn apart I had the new wheels ready to go

[SKAR]

Pink wheels on a red car, wasnt feeling it









got cheap ebay marker lights



Ordered Megan Ez streets, read a lot of good reviews. Needed to roll my fenders, had been done a bit previously;









ebay gauges, are meh, worth the $20 as the original ones were showing their age



Got my fresh very expensive bottom end from the machine shop



Threw the engine together



Corksport timing gears that the dowel notched into the gears. Installed fine, soft aluminum? I know 100% they were installed properly and after a few short drives I was having surging, took a while but took them off to find the aluminum had squished.

waiting for the engine



got it back together







Girlfriend was over and once again boredom leads to things



hood bombs were all I had planned to begin with, tested the stencil made out of a cheerios box on the tail gate of my truck (which has long sold, waiting to see it in traffic with the bombs on it)

Took some pictures

[SKAR]

Bought a lip




bored at work











Last thing done to it in 2011 was a Ractive fart can, 2" inlet 4" tip. Was given to me at work as a joke. Cut the silencer out, removed all of the fiberglass. Cleaned it up, works mint as an exhaust tip and looks better than the chunk of 3"

Started it for the first time in nearly 3 months yesterday, let it warm up first. It was good to hear it, I had forgotten how it shakes the ground.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll_oNoLsaks

Waiting on a pair of seats now.

[SKAR]

Forgot about these

I had a very close call with a frost hump



The same volvo as the first post







Epic pic

[JSanker]

Awesome build so far!

Btw, where did you get the shark teeth vinyl from? It does a lot of good things for your miata.

[SKAR]

Thanks, the sharks mouth is a stencil.

[diabeetus]

sick car dude

[SKAR]

Some new stuff that came in the mail





Picked up a new LF caliper to replace my randomly sticking one too. Also a pair of "Scheel-Mann" seats for $75, drivers seat has a small tear. I can't pick them up until the end of April so more info on them then as well as them being re-upholstered.

[— Vegard —]

Always thought the shark teeth were cool, now I know the rest is also. A good read, end to end!