Always been too shy to do a build thread because my car doesn't go through significant changes regularly, I have meagre if even existent technical ability and my direction with the car has been casual and generic at best, but PhatMiata said it'd be peachy, so why not? Any excuse for me to photowhore my car that I lubz so muuucchh.
So first, a little about how I came to have the Miata.
<--check them coords under my location? That's the longylatty for Guam. In a few words, Guam's like a tiny, tiny Hawaii with more stray dogs and ricers.
I moved here from Texas about 3 years ago and absolutely had to have a convertible. Coming from a Celica I also wanted to try out RWD. Oddly enough, a Miata was not on my shopping list. In fact, I actually spent months looking for a 240 vert, RX-7 cabrio, MR2 and nothing else. Guam being in no supply of any of them, made me change my plan and decide I wanted something with an A/C instead of an open roof.
So I went to a Toyota Dealership in search of an IS300. Of course that didn't pan out either, but I did spy something else in the corner...
Senator Judie Guthertz apparently came in a couple days before and traded in (one of) her Miatas towards a Lexus. 5Spd Base model + cheap paintjob + hard top for 7k. Might not be the deal of the century, but holy crap, I found the RWD convertible I've been searching for!
One drive and I fell in love with the car. To this day, I look at my NB and think, "Why don't they make cars like this anymore?" I was so stricken with the Miata I had to name her. So I think, "she's still gorgeous even after getting along in her age, she's been used by politicians, and I love getting inside her and going for a ride..." I had to name her after a porn star. Marina Matsushima: google if you're kinky and the kids are in bed.
Anyway, Marina would be my daily driver and happy funtime car all in one. Not that unique of a decision for most young men, I guess. But anyway, I did everything with this car, I even tried my hand at legitimate, legally sanctioned drag racing.
It didn't really pan out.
I also tried auto-crossing. I spent most of my time getting lost and wearing out my brakes.
Yeah, so uhhh, motorsports wasn't really working out for me and Marina. In fact the only thing I could do competently was parking. Hard parking. (okay, that was corny and I apologize)
Anyway, I'm also a clubroadster member, so you know what got bought. It'd be more funny if it wasn't so sad.
I ran the wheels with unrolled fenders, 205/50's and stock ride height. One canyon carving trip gave me a whole bunch of this:
My car also looked kinda funny from certain angles.
But whateva', I do wuh I want. So I found a fender roller and a person almost as dumb as I am and we got to work on ruining the resale value and mutilating the car. This is the only thing I truly regret doing to my car lol. I admit it and consider it an important lesson along a hopefully far reaching path of automotive enthusiasm. Stay in school kids, do drugs sparingly.
The important part was that I could drive the miata properly again and continue our happy journey together through my stay on Guam.
However, mobility is overrated and I absolutely HAD to do something about how convenient my ride height was. These things popped up on the scene and well, I wasn't gonna get ricelands, so I was willing to guinea pig.
I think I was the first NB of any repute to ride on these judging by how many dorky questions I got in my pm box for months on CR.net.
Especially since I don't really participate in race events anymore. T'was the dawning of the age of herd porking after all.
But it was cool. Since everyone on Guam was still in the style of putting fart cans and park benches on Hondas, Marina broke more necks than she really ought to.
The Guam ambassador to StanceNation even offered to shoot my car; Helen Keller fenders, XXRs and all. Nowhere being website worthy, but I appreciated the gesture.
(I actually have that rolling shot blown up and framed on my bedroom wall)