kung fu jesus (01-03-2022)
Man these pictures are so awesome! I hope to be able to take my Miata down to SoCal one of these days.
Follow My Build Thread!
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1997 Mazda Miata M-Edition
http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread....1997-M-Edition
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On Instagram: @97NA8M
oldgrayleather (01-08-2022)
It's cars like these that make me question my NB. I miss my NA. Love the wats, the flares, and the front bumper. It's pretty much how I'd do my NA. Beau.ti.ful. Hoping I can make it out to a KINOD again soon! Kids just tire me out by the time it's 9PM. #excuses.
oldgrayleather (01-26-2023)
New year, time to at least make a valiant effort in staying away from the bad habits and starting off in earnest on the goods ones. Returning to California has made exercising a lot easier. At least I can't blame the weather to not get out on my bike every morning. Eating healthier isn't as easy when I'm back to cooking for myself but I am trying to buy healthy. And there's no time like the present to not leave my build thread to languish for months at a time. Not much new to report other than its a shock to the system to go from -20 to 70. But the nice kind of shock. As much as I'd intended to avoid it, I've had to be honest with myself that year round Roadster-ing kind of had become taken for granted. And roads that aren't covered in salt and grit. Not no more!!
The connecting flight through Seattle was delayed five hours then cancelled but I managed to get back in just over 20 hours. When I landed I took an Uber straight to Integrated to pick up my car which was a hell of a nice way to be welcomed back! I'd cracked my windshield trying to replace the molding so had a new one installed. Lost my MRLS numbers and a few of the other decals but will be able to remedy that before long. Not having to look through 30 years of pitting has been a true delight. I particularly notice it at night with my first drive up to PV just about sundown. You all know I'm terrible with a camera but feel pretty good about these. That first weekend had several drives as will the days and weeks to come before heading back to see the family...
Sunday was a 5 year old's birthday party for a close KINOD friend and then hanging with JonB and Bill Wilner into the evening. As much as I miss Mrs. R and my boys it is so nice to get time with the Roadster Family here...
Cermivelli (01-13-2022),Greasemonkey2000 (01-29-2023),HarryB (01-13-2022),MiataQuest (01-22-2022),Slampen (01-13-2022),speedypenguin (04-24-2023),ueru (01-14-2022)
I can't believe its been over a year. I quit my job, started a project to rebuild a house, worked on relocating and decompressing but there's been a lot of time that's passed without any updates. Because IG is easy and life is busy and busy+easy facilitates excuses. I couldn't believe when I logged on that I was informed I was no longer a Supporting Member?! How'd I let that lapse without even knowing? Oh wait, I think I've still got some excuses left. And it's not like the last year hasn't been filled with a ton of Roadster shenanigans. KINOD's and more hangs with Roadster family than I've ever had the time to. And roadtripping Benny the 1500 miles up to Canada (joining some of the Oregon crew for the drive from NorCal to Portland)...
...and turning around a week later to drive my new to me NB6 coupe back to LA so I could start putting on the parts I'd been collecting for the two years since we bought the place north of the wall and I started my hunt for a RHD "retirement" project.
.
My roadster journey would not have ever taken off like it did if it weren't for mazdaroadster.net. So much knowledge, and connections and fun. Damn. I never wanted to become that old guy ("git off my lawn") but the good days were so damned amazing weren't they? I'm so glad it did and that it continues and so very appreciative of Randy and you all for your help along the way. xo
(NB picture credit TJ aka Respark_garage)
Belgarath (01-30-2023),Cermivelli (01-28-2023),Greasemonkey2000 (01-29-2023),LagBlu (02-10-2023),MaRcOp01o (01-27-2023),Satisaii (01-26-2023),speedypenguin (04-24-2023)
Nice house!
The house needs its own build thread.
oldgrayleather (04-12-2023)
Belgarath (01-30-2023)
With my first Canadian winter in over 20 years behind me, I finally have a lot more empathy for the rest of you who are used to hibernating your Roadsters for the winter. This year may have been exceptional with the rains and snow but for all the years I lived in Southern California we truly were blessed to be able to daily a Miata, with R888’s and take advantage of the great driving roads pretty much whenever we pleased.
Last Tuesday I was more than ready to embrace spring. I tuned my bike for my first outdoor ride since December (exercise bikes just don’t compare and the Gravel trails here are fantastic). I’d also checked all the fluids on Benny, pumped up the tires and was finally ready to get him out for the first spring drive as well.
Of course things don’t always go as planned. On the ride home there’s a section where the bike lane ends ahead of a roundabout. I shoulder checked while I was starting to merge but wasn’t confident the truck pulling it’s trailer had seen me or would have enough room to share so I pulled back over at the last second. Into a curb. And over the bars. A nasty crunch. Some sympathy from the onlookers and a builder who pulled over to ask if I needed a bandaid. So I dusted myself off, finished the 2 miles home and then got Mrs. R to take me to the hospital.
So a broken collarbone has me back in a sling for 4-6 weeks (or longer depending on what the Surgeon says on Friday). April and May trips to California will be postponed as will any driving that requires a third pedal or at least a right arm for shifting. So, on Geff’s suggestion rather than lament my delayed return to Roadster life I thought I’d share some of another build we’ve been working on. Or at least the garage part of it…
Just as the pandemic kicked off we were finishing the process of buying a house in Canada. After twenty years of moving countries for my career, we’d decided it was time to start charting a course ‘home’. The house was going to need some updating but it was set back on a creek with plenty of space to enjoy nature and critically be close to our families after decades of living thousands of miles away. I spent my first summer there facilitated by work-from-home and while we were driving up to quarantine my Dad was moved from hospital to hospice. As I still reflect, I was incredibly lucky to spend my parents’ last four months with them and trying to be of some help. Following my Dad, Mom had to go in to hospital with what her Dr believed was pneumonia but as it turned out her body was rife with cancer. They passed a month apart and I’m still thankful there was exceptional care, that the pain management was so well taken care of and that I could be there. Strange but in a pre-pandemic world I realistically wouldn’t have easily been able to have participated more than weekends with all the flights in between like I had with my eldest brother.
Jen’s parents were also not getting younger with her Dad tackling his battle with cancer and her Mother’s now diagnosed Parkinsons starting to take hold. Losing siblings and parents had a proud effect in getting us to rethink our priorities and to feel more confident in making big changes. We decided it was important for us to get Jern and the boys back as soon as practical and that I’d follow after my work commitments had been fulfilled. And while we were going all in, the reno decided to turn in to a complete rebuild. Demolition started in earnest and we got the family settled into a local rental while work got underway.
Throughout this journey Mrs. R was kind enough to encourage me to be a lot more ambitious with the garage than I’d planned. Who was I to argue. Besides, trying to restart a community the likes SoCal and KINOD in particular facilitated would take time and I’d heard one of the best ways to make car friends was having a lift ;). I’d certainly experienced the joys of Woolery tech days first hand and we always loved hosting large Roadster gatherings in LA so plans got underway.
The original 23x22’ garage would take care of the family hauler and let Jen’s sunburst be protected year ‘round. We’d add a third double height bay to accommodate a lift and a good sized shop beside that. And so it began…
The real start
Plenty of room for a lift
And the shop
Belgarath (04-12-2023),HarryB (04-13-2023),MaRcOp01o (04-19-2023),speedypenguin (04-24-2023)
Since I don’t really want this to be *that* kind of build thread, I’ll save you all the details of the hammering, nailing, swearing, siding, roofing, shouting, cost overruns, material delays, labor shortages, etc but end with a “happily ever after”.
I will however get into sharing some of the details of the garage space…
atank (04-20-2023),Belgarath (04-12-2023),HarryB (04-13-2023),speedypenguin (04-24-2023)
Ouch. Hope your shoulder is better now - and I envy you for the Canadian winters. We should have winters here, but in the last decades climate change has transformed them into some grey and wet months mostly without snow. So hiking in the woods is basically a no go in that time …
oldgrayleather (04-15-2023)
Hope that your shoulder gets better soon! And as we are also looking to get a place we can call home, really appreciate the house updates!
oldgrayleather (04-15-2023)
Sorry to hear about the shoulder. Things like that are the exact reason I quit riding IRL 4 years ago. I ride VR and have not had a flat since.
Nice garage. I have a friend in SC who has what appears to be a modest detached garage from the street. In reality, it is built into a hill and has room for 17 cars if you pack them in. The bad news is that it is full of junk that has not been maintained well.
oldgrayleather (04-15-2023)
Getting a lift was going to accomplish two key goals, increasing the indoor storage space for the Roadsters and making working on them easier. I’d never pulled a wrench on my own cars until I got my Miata and I’m old enough that crawling on the ground under a car on jack stands isn’t ideal. I’ve also been lucky enough to work on cars at Woolery’s and 949 with a lift and loved how much easier it made everything. Given the storage need a four post lift was the only way to go and the extra height ceiling meant I could get one with a max rise to 82” to make it easiest to work underneath. That lead to ordering a Bendpak HD-9XW (standard width, extra tall) with the Low Profile Rolling bridge jack (RJ45LP). Eldest son who was taking care of BRG drove out from college to visit and was the first car to try it out.
The tricky bit was going to be figuring out how to fit everything into the spaces
So BRG went back to College, the coupe did a road trip to California and Benny joined the ol’ daily to settle down for the winter snow season.
speedypenguin (04-24-2023)