Wow on the rims. Really like your focus. Jealous of your parts availability.
Wow on the rims. Really like your focus. Jealous of your parts availability.
The new door panels look great, Joel! Ya those Wats...geez i thought my mind was made up on 15x10 6UL but those banana spoke design wheels are just so gorgeous!
'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
Thank you! New Zealand is pretty great for Japanese parts, the vast majority of our cars are second hand imported ones. Everything else we get shipped over.
Thanks! very happy with the door panels myself. On the wats, you wouldn't get the weight saving benefit but I think the aesthetics of the wheel are almost unmatched.
Hey Joel - just saw your IG post that you were coming stateside. Can we tempt you to join a KINOD meet when you're here to get a sense of some of the SoCal Miata culture?
My build thread and my Instagram.
Yeahhhhhhhhh come join us! ill bring hotwheels and nerf guns
Sweet Ride! Are you up in Wellington? Jealous that you're close to MX5Mart. They has nice things.
Hammerhead (12-05-2017),HarryB (12-05-2017),MiataQuest (12-05-2017),MikeA (12-06-2017),MX5Wisher (12-07-2017),oldgrayleather (12-05-2017),Phatmiata (12-13-2017),Roadster7 (12-05-2017),tsingson (12-05-2017)
Glad to hear MX5mart is still around. Thought they must have closed up as they never responded to many emails to them trying to buy some parts. And car looks awesome.
Car looks nice, albeit I am feeling that a thread title change is necessary
Hammerhead (12-05-2017),oldgrayleather (12-05-2017)
Lots of changes since a year ago.
First of all I sold my Wats to a friend in Cali when i visited in Feb this year, they're now on a turbo charged NA8 wrapped in thicc tires, much different setup to how I had it but still a good look. Thanks again Mark
I actually took the set of Wats with me as check in baggage, saved Mark some money on shipping them over. Just spent a short week there, enjoyed some good cars and hung out with good people
Also got to see some of KINOD's finest
I made sure to grab a pair of USDM front indicators while I was there, since they're the only ones without the orange painted inner housing. It's a small change that makes a big difference in the end
With the R-Types gone (which i regret now) I had the money to widen my XR4. I used the small wheel specialist Pine Engineering for the third time. I decided on a diamond cut face along with a brushed lip to try and replicate the anodized lips on some old SSR wheels. The new specs are 8.5j -4 and 9j -11.
First test fit
With new wheels a new look was coming, I went and picked up a few parts.
First, another pair of porter tails. I originally had a Garage Vary panel and porters but I sold it shortly after I bought my Wats to fund something else.
But I've missed them and wanted to try fit them a different way without any aftermarket panel
Second, a KG Works wavy panel. Got from Japan at a reasonable price, always regretted selling my original Stainless one
Third, an old 80's FRP bottom mount bucket seat from Japan.
With those purchased the next big change was body work. That included smoothing out holes from badges that I've removed, some paint issues, smoothing out the body line and creating a new rear tail.
Started with the Body line and holes, for this I used fibreglass reinforced filler, not the best stuff but works pretty well
I moved on to the rear after that, this is how i wanted the tails to sit
I knew I wanted a completely flush tail section with only the frenched Porters so i bought a bunch of expanding foam and went to work getting the shape. Next I would use fibreglass sheets and that FRP filler to finalize the shape.
Originally I filled the bumper line to match the side of the car but a great deal on an aftermarket Zoom bumper came up and I had to take it.
With the tail of the car completed I moved on to the final body modification, venting my front guards.
I've always liked the look of a simple vent on kaido racers but there's not many Roadsters that have it the same way so I decided to try it on my factory guards. It was pretty simple
Once that was finished, got a few cans of grey primer to spray it just because I wanted to see it one color.
Was happy
JamieH (12-12-2017),MiataQuest (12-13-2017),MikeA (12-13-2017),oldgrayleather (12-13-2017),Roadster7 (12-12-2017),ueru (12-16-2017)
Pulled out the CUSCO roll bar to strip the yellow paint off and go back to the polished bar I felt like the yellow will clash too much with where I want the interior to be in the future. PLus at the same time it gave me the opportunity to install a pair of frame rails designed and produced by PRD in NZ. I originally had Garage Star ones but they sat too low, these PRD ones sit around 5mm closer to the original floor rails. Along with the rails I also installed a pair of steering rack risers to try help with the bump steer I get.
With that done I moved on to the interior. New additions include a black panel KG Works cluster (sold off the wavy panel, didn't like it as much), a ROAD KIDS shifter gate (no short shifter with it), Roadster checkered floor mats, Revlimiter vent rings, OBX short shifter, 80's audio indicator (like a lowrider color bar), other various stainless accents and a custom made RDB Family horn button
Finally, the color change.
Went with wrap, to put it bluntly, it fucking sucks to wrap a car.
HarryB (12-13-2017),JamieH (12-12-2017),MiataQuest (12-13-2017),MikeA (12-13-2017),MX5Wisher (12-13-2017),oldgrayleather (12-13-2017),Phatmiata (12-13-2017),Roadster7 (12-12-2017),speedypenguin (12-13-2017),ueru (12-16-2017)
I hate to be the one to say it, but I wish you would have spent some more time on the tail lights so the original outline wouldn't be seen...
With that said though, I like your roadster. Great updates! I haven't seen any Road Kids products before, so thanks for sharing!
I agree with you. It was very taxing for me to get the rear to work seamlessly and in the end i just gave up and went with it. It's just a temporary look since i'm not completely happy given all the little imperfections. Returning to a GV panel might not be a bad idea as long as I mold it into the rear similarly to this.
Sorry mate, didn't mean to bash your work. I know that shit is not easy. Body work might look flawless until the first coat of paint, and then lol.
Sometimes you do have to just go with it, like you said. Life's to short to not be able to enjoy your own roadster. I do love the body line removal, I've only seen a few guys do that. Very cool and unique look.
Besides the recent update, I'm in love with the Ducatro front end, and the Zoom rear bumper is on my bucket list. Can't wait to see what else you do in the future.
Joelioooo (12-13-2017)