16 replies to this topic

[Brizzle]

This is my second Miata. I have gone through a few other cars but when I bought an auto 93 sight unseen it changed my life. The way the car responded to every turn and it was so elemental, Mazda only gave you what you needed and that was it. Eventually I sold the autotragic car, and got into an Impreza wagon. Slowly I went throught withdrawls and started to search for another Roadster.

I found this car in Tuscon, on donk-ass 17's and the Previous owner weighed more than the car! However, the motor had been rebuilt with around 60k on it and came with a coveted hardtop.



Drove the car back to Albuquerque without a hitch, and immediately tore of the Lexani's for some off brand 13's i had laying around



Drove the car pretty stock for a few months, as I was getting ready for a move to Phoenix.



Before I left however, I snagged some E21 BMW wheels and put them on after the move. These wheels where the inspiration to build an old-school style Roadster. I'm not even sure why they are 13x5.5 and in retrospect sort of ugly.


Around this time my girlfriend decided that it was a better idea to stay in Albuquerque. So I sold the Merlot M-edition I had on the side and got ready to move back to the Land of Entrapment. A few weeks before I was to move back I stumbled upon some Eibach Springs, a Jackson Racing front sway bar, a Racing Bear rear sway bar.

I also cut a piece of aluminum and used it as a block-off plate for the pass. mirror

[Brizzle]

First thing I did when I got myself situated back in Albuquerque was hack the rear bumper, in plans for a center exit exhaust in the style of the old Jags and such. I did a horrible job of documenting this so hopefully you get the idea.

I then picked up some Miata specific Panasports from a friend, and swapped my rear brakes over to the larger 1.8 ones.

In pursuit of a more "hardcore" Roadster, I pulled my soft top out and made these little door pull things out of leather. I need to run to Hobby Lobby to get vinyl so I can recover my door skins without the extra holes for the old arm rest.

Most recently I put a set of 1999 Miata rear top hats on to even out my rake and give me some more suspension travel.

With taxes I ordered some mad tyte JDM parts and a part off an AC Cobra, so now we wait on the mythical UPS fairy before my next update.

Edited by Brizzle, 01 March 2012 - 05:18 PM.

[BoostedGreaseMonkey]

Great progress!! But why move back from Phoenix? I want to move out that way, desperately lol!

[T-5 Killer]

Nice looking Miata I love the minilite looking wheels!

[Porch]

Nice car! Keep it up.

Those original wheels were terrible

[Brizzle]

Originally when I moved out there the plan was that my girl was gonna go too. After talking it was smarter for her to stay in Albuquerque to finish school then go and pay out of state tuition in Arizona, so I moved back. I still can't believe that someone would put those wheels on a Miata to begin with.

[Brizzle]

Got my Raydot mirror in and on! visibility sucked with the little glass so i used a fish eye mirror from Vatozone .

[T-5 Killer]

Looking great what brand of wheels are those?

[Brizzle]

They are Panasport wheels, not sure of the exact model though

[bignickmetro]

car looks good. I'd ditch the hardtop and get rid of the rear sway bar. get a set of Porterfield brake pads, they are the shit for miatas.

[Brizzle]

Doesnt getting rid of the rear sway bar contribute to understeer? I'm planning on doing 1.8 front brakes and some Hawk Pads soon.

Earlier this week I got a few packages...

Zoom headlight scoop intake thing..... so fuckin jdm

and a Grip Royal Hino, I guess this is one of the first laser engraved ones. You'll also noticed the PO's rigged power wire to my stereo, I'll be addressing this problem as soon as the mailman brings my damn package.

[bignickmetro]

is yours equipped with a LSD?

I've heard from several Miata guys to run a stock rear sway, or no sway at all for increased traction. And run a pretty big front sway. Mine is lowered a tiny bit on mazda springs and koni yellows. I don't have any problems with understeer. If anything my issue is traction from the shitty tires, they break away and the rear gets all over the place.

trust me, Porterfield R4-S are the shit. no noise, little dust, great cold bite and insano when they are warm.

[Sequoyah]

Good progress! You definitely saved that miata.

[BenR]

is yours equipped with a LSD?

I've heard from several Miata guys to run a stock rear sway, or no sway at all for increased traction. And run a pretty big front sway. Mine is lowered a tiny bit on mazda springs and koni yellows. I don't have any problems with understeer. If anything my issue is traction from the shitty tires, they break away and the rear gets all over the place.

trust me, Porterfield R4-S are the shit. no noise, little dust, great cold bite and insano when they are warm.

Unless you have a very specific reason, most of the time you'll be faster with a rear sway bar attached. Shitty tires are not a valid reason. You don't need to go giant on the rear bar, stock is usually good. A large front bar is really helpful for autocross.


I have my rear sway bar removed most of the time, but that is specifically to get a slight bit more droop travel for turn 6 at sandia, this allows me to get on the gas sooner. But this is specific to that one corner on this one track with my car specifically. If I had something close to stock power, something better than the stock torsen, or much stiffer springs I would reconnect the rear sway bar.

[Brizzle]

I the car has a vlsd. Yesterday I picked up the 1.8 diff and driveshaft. Haven't checked if it is a torsen. I was thinking about doing the 4.778 torsen out of the sportage, but that seems like some really short gears