Switched to my silver Flatouts with the S-Drives yesterday since it’s getting colder, turns out two of them are right on the wear bars. After some research I discovered that Yokohama has discontinued that tire. Time to figure out a replacement. I also did some more autotuning, need to work on cold idle now.
NB MX-5 Hey, it's Minnie!
- Thread starter chiefmg
- Start date
I have been thinking about getting a pair of 3D printed visor blanking plates to replace the metal ones I have (don’t recall where I bought them without digging into my records). The machine screws that were used were just a little too small in diameter to hold properly so I wrapped them in Teflon tape to build them up. Not the greatest though as the driver’s side was continually loose. I ended up getting some from an Etsy seller who was close to me. My main concern with the 3D plates I saw is they seemed to be thick which I didn’t want them protruding. I’m happy to say the ones I got fit in the recess nicely. Here’s a comparison for the 3D and metal plates showing the screw difference:
Here is a shot showing the finish on the 3D plate, when it warms up I may sand them down smooth and then hit them with some paint:
Finally, a shot of it installed, you can see it’s in a good position:
I have noticed my wipers were slow, especially when using the one-sweep function. This morning I pulled my beauty plate off to access the linkage and lubed all moving points up with some PB Blaster Multi-Purpose Lube (Pro Grade, of course!). That took care of the issue.
Here is a shot showing the finish on the 3D plate, when it warms up I may sand them down smooth and then hit them with some paint:
Finally, a shot of it installed, you can see it’s in a good position:
I have noticed my wipers were slow, especially when using the one-sweep function. This morning I pulled my beauty plate off to access the linkage and lubed all moving points up with some PB Blaster Multi-Purpose Lube (Pro Grade, of course!). That took care of the issue.
Had to drive her in the snow yesterday, she’s a dirty girl now! Had an interesting moment on the way home, turning onto the road heading to my house and there was some slush piled up from the plows. Was going slow but not slow enough, she did not want to turn. I didn’t really want to kiss the front of the SUV sitting there so pumped the brakes some more and she finally bit and turned.
Since the Yoko S/drives I am running on my cold weather wheels are NLA, I decided to go with Yoko Fleva V701 in the same size (205/50-15). The $100 instant rebate for them from Tire Rack helped with that decision too. Those arrived today, will get them put on in the next few days.
Since the Yoko S/drives I am running on my cold weather wheels are NLA, I decided to go with Yoko Fleva V701 in the same size (205/50-15). The $100 instant rebate for them from Tire Rack helped with that decision too. Those arrived today, will get them put on in the next few days.
Got the Advan Fleva V701s (such a long name!) mounted today. Installer dinged up the lip of one valve stem not allowing me to put the metal cap on, I showed it to them and they are going to make it right once I get the new stem from 949 Racing. Drove them for about 50 miles, didn’t get too crazy as temps are mid-30s so a little outside their happy zone, and I was scrubbing the release agent off. They felt at least as grippy as the S/drives which isn’t a bad thing.
Used her as a truck to get my wife’s front wheel/tire home (she hit a pothole which had the rim slice through the sidewall, killing it). FYI, a 245/40-20 Camaro wheel/tire combo fits in the front seat. Probably would have slotted in without dropping the top, but that made it easier and got me some bonus looks on the way home.
Used her as a truck to get my wife’s front wheel/tire home (she hit a pothole which had the rim slice through the sidewall, killing it). FYI, a 245/40-20 Camaro wheel/tire combo fits in the front seat. Probably would have slotted in without dropping the top, but that made it easier and got me some bonus looks on the way home.
Proof that the Miata is a practical car. I recently did the same thing but with our daughter's CX-9 wheel/tire.Received my new valves and got the damaged one replaced a few weeks back. Weather has been poor and I have been undergoing some medical procedures which have drug me down. Not going into it a lot, but it’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Thankfully, that’s behind me now and I’m starting my recovery. I am not going to be able to go back to work as soon as hoped, but perhaps I will be able to move ahead on one project.
I have hinted about this a couple of times over the past few years. What with one thing or another, my friend who is producing this has had a few hiccups along with way. All good things come to he who waits though, and today was that day. My plan for this is to mock things up once it gets warmer and I have some energy, then the grand unveiling will happen. Stay tuned to this space, it will be worth the wait.
I have hinted about this a couple of times over the past few years. What with one thing or another, my friend who is producing this has had a few hiccups along with way. All good things come to he who waits though, and today was that day. My plan for this is to mock things up once it gets warmer and I have some energy, then the grand unveiling will happen. Stay tuned to this space, it will be worth the wait.
- :
- 92 & 16 Meyatas
Get well ship mate! Your car and boat needs you! Looking forward to more content in this thread too!
So after dealing with continued cold and having login issues with my flickr account (took I don't know how many tried to reset my password) I finally can post what I promised. First off here's a link to the page showing the item for sale. Note this is made to fit a NB2. Front Spats for MX5 NB2/NBFL
When I first saw these I noticed they were for a NB2 and wondered if they could be trimmed to fit NB1. That started some communication by my friend Harry of dcbe Tech to see what he might have planned. Fast forward to just recently and I got a nice box in the mail. Here is the set for the driver's side taped together and held up for mock-up for fitment.
Note there will be trimming required at the bottom so it will fit nicely along the bumper cover curvature. I will also be doing some fill-in work so I can paint them to match. That will take me a little time but hoping I can have it done by the summer.
When I first saw these I noticed they were for a NB2 and wondered if they could be trimmed to fit NB1. That started some communication by my friend Harry of dcbe Tech to see what he might have planned. Fast forward to just recently and I got a nice box in the mail. Here is the set for the driver's side taped together and held up for mock-up for fitment.
Note there will be trimming required at the bottom so it will fit nicely along the bumper cover curvature. I will also be doing some fill-in work so I can paint them to match. That will take me a little time but hoping I can have it done by the summer.
- :
- 92 & 16 Meyatas
The weather has warmed considerably, and my recovery has progressed to where I feel somewhat normal so I started preparing the spats for installation. I’ve been looking at how I needed to cut the bottom to fit and was nervous about screwing up since I can’t easily replace it at present. But onward and upward as the saying goes.
First step was to make a template. I tried running the outline of the bumper but that is difficult, plus the spat is angled on the front which meant anything I took off the wheel opening would not be correct. So I took an outline off the spat itself, looked like this:
After marking the angle where the spat would lie I put the template on the bumper to get my bottom line. Then took that template and transferred it to the spat. Made my first cuts to remove the points off the bottom so I could get the spat closer to the bumper. Then I marked the spat up and made the big cut. Once I had that done I put it on the bumper. Looked pretty good except for right at the bottom front, where there is a gap of about ¼”. Here is the cut one compared to the uncut one:
I then transferred my cut lines over to the second spat from the cut one and removed that piece. This one was much easier and it came out great. I have some JB Weld structural plastic bonder which I am going to use to glue the two spat halves together, I’m going to see how well it will work for me to build up the low spot on the one spat. After that I’ll be doing the prep work (filling/sanding) for paint.
First step was to make a template. I tried running the outline of the bumper but that is difficult, plus the spat is angled on the front which meant anything I took off the wheel opening would not be correct. So I took an outline off the spat itself, looked like this:
After marking the angle where the spat would lie I put the template on the bumper to get my bottom line. Then took that template and transferred it to the spat. Made my first cuts to remove the points off the bottom so I could get the spat closer to the bumper. Then I marked the spat up and made the big cut. Once I had that done I put it on the bumper. Looked pretty good except for right at the bottom front, where there is a gap of about ¼”. Here is the cut one compared to the uncut one:
I then transferred my cut lines over to the second spat from the cut one and removed that piece. This one was much easier and it came out great. I have some JB Weld structural plastic bonder which I am going to use to glue the two spat halves together, I’m going to see how well it will work for me to build up the low spot on the one spat. After that I’ll be doing the prep work (filling/sanding) for paint.
I’ve done some prep work on the spats, nothing to really see until I get some paint on them.
Today I finally painted and installed low profile head bolts in the two front fender holes in way of the hood lifts. I had to remove the factory hex head bolts because of interference with the body of the lifts, and just never bothered to find a substitute. I got the ones pictured off Amazon, used M6 washer so they were like the factory ones and then hit them a lick with my spray paint. Picture is showing it unseated so you can see what the head looks like:
Next, it was finally warm enough and I feel well enough to install the dash cam I bought around Christmas. I wanted to get it stuck to the windshield at least. I used the supplied cigarette lighter connection for power for now so I could get it set up, I will be hard wiring it before the installation is done:
Static image looks good (at least in the lit garage).
Today I finally painted and installed low profile head bolts in the two front fender holes in way of the hood lifts. I had to remove the factory hex head bolts because of interference with the body of the lifts, and just never bothered to find a substitute. I got the ones pictured off Amazon, used M6 washer so they were like the factory ones and then hit them a lick with my spray paint. Picture is showing it unseated so you can see what the head looks like:
Next, it was finally warm enough and I feel well enough to install the dash cam I bought around Christmas. I wanted to get it stuck to the windshield at least. I used the supplied cigarette lighter connection for power for now so I could get it set up, I will be hard wiring it before the installation is done:
Static image looks good (at least in the lit garage).
Had a small issue with the driver’s side spat. It was the first one I cut down, and it ended up missing the point on the front that the other one has. I want them to be the same side to side so have been trying to correct that. It’s been driving me nuts. I’ve tried several different methods to build it up without success. I finally got out my fiberglass repair kit to give it a shot. So far so good, did the first application which looked good except it arced up away from the car side. I built that low spot up some, waiting for it to be good and cured before seeing if I can get it into the proper shape. No pictures until I get it there.
I did paint enough of those low profile Allen head bolts and washers (sourced from Ace) so I could replace all the factory hex head fender bolts so they all matched. Just looking out for those who have OCD (I have CDO, with the letters in their proper alphabetical order- as they should be!).
Finally, something that has been sitting in the back of my mind is that the previous owner of my ‘charger kit had told me he had the intercooler cut down due to some issues he had that he thought was due to it blocking the airflow to the radiator (turned out it was something else causing that). I decided to see if I could find out what size it was supposed to be so I asked around. Lo and behold I found someone there who not only had the answer, he actually had one on hand that he wasn’t using. Money changed hands and today Santa showed up early:
Fin area top to bottom is 8” on this one. On my modified one it is only 6 ¼”, so less surface area. I’m planning on getting it changed out this week, will take a comparison picture then. I’m pretty happy right now, something small but I like having things as they should be.
I did paint enough of those low profile Allen head bolts and washers (sourced from Ace) so I could replace all the factory hex head fender bolts so they all matched. Just looking out for those who have OCD (I have CDO, with the letters in their proper alphabetical order- as they should be!).
Finally, something that has been sitting in the back of my mind is that the previous owner of my ‘charger kit had told me he had the intercooler cut down due to some issues he had that he thought was due to it blocking the airflow to the radiator (turned out it was something else causing that). I decided to see if I could find out what size it was supposed to be so I asked around. Lo and behold I found someone there who not only had the answer, he actually had one on hand that he wasn’t using. Money changed hands and today Santa showed up early:
Fin area top to bottom is 8” on this one. On my modified one it is only 6 ¼”, so less surface area. I’m planning on getting it changed out this week, will take a comparison picture then. I’m pretty happy right now, something small but I like having things as they should be.
Today was a nice day so I decided it was Miata work day. Got her situated and up in the air. First thing was to adjust the rear brakes, along with the parking brake handle. I’m about out of adjustment on the handle so I may have to look into getting new cables. I’m sure they are pretty stretched at this point.
Broke for lunch, then back out to swap to my new intercooler. The new one is so clean inside, I don’t think it was ever used:
I did have some exterior cleanup to do, clear packing tape was used to close off the inlet/outlet pipes. I think it had been there for a while. I tried alcohol, acetone and finally Goo Gone which did the trick. I pulled the old one out, forgot how much work it was in all the removals required for access (front bumper, under tray, air guide etc).
Here’s comparisons between the two ‘coolers:
You can clearly see the differences.
I went to Ace to get some new mounting bolts (I needed two anyway). For future reference, they are M8-1.25 X 16mm. I tried 20mm length as I added washers under the bolts, but the holes weren’t deep enough to use those. I had to spend a bit of time adjusting the position of the new ‘cooler so the boost tubes would mate up and nothing would be rubbing. I felt like a jack-in-the-box as much as I was going up and down. Finally got it all done and everything buttoned back up. The properly sized intercooler fills the radiator opening quite nicely:
All in I spent about 8 hours for everything.
Broke for lunch, then back out to swap to my new intercooler. The new one is so clean inside, I don’t think it was ever used:
I did have some exterior cleanup to do, clear packing tape was used to close off the inlet/outlet pipes. I think it had been there for a while. I tried alcohol, acetone and finally Goo Gone which did the trick. I pulled the old one out, forgot how much work it was in all the removals required for access (front bumper, under tray, air guide etc).
Here’s comparisons between the two ‘coolers:
You can clearly see the differences.
I went to Ace to get some new mounting bolts (I needed two anyway). For future reference, they are M8-1.25 X 16mm. I tried 20mm length as I added washers under the bolts, but the holes weren’t deep enough to use those. I had to spend a bit of time adjusting the position of the new ‘cooler so the boost tubes would mate up and nothing would be rubbing. I felt like a jack-in-the-box as much as I was going up and down. Finally got it all done and everything buttoned back up. The properly sized intercooler fills the radiator opening quite nicely:
All in I spent about 8 hours for everything.
- :
- 92 & 16 Meyatas
Very nicely done Chief!Today was a nice day so I decided it was Miata work day. Got her situated and up in the air. First thing was to adjust the rear brakes, along with the parking brake handle. I’m about out of adjustment on the handle so I may have to look into getting new cables. I’m sure they are pretty stretched at this point.
Broke for lunch, then back out to swap to my new intercooler. The new one is so clean inside, I don’t think it was ever used:
I did have some exterior cleanup to do, clear packing tape was used to close off the inlet/outlet pipes. I think it had been there for a while. I tried alcohol, acetone and finally Goo Gone which did the trick. I pulled the old one out, forgot how much work it was in all the removals required for access (front bumper, under tray, air guide etc).
Here’s comparisons between the two ‘coolers:
You can clearly see the differences.
I went to Ace to get some new mounting bolts (I needed two anyway). For future reference, they are M8-1.25 X 16mm. I tried 20mm length as I added washers under the bolts, but the holes weren’t deep enough to use those. I had to spend a bit of time adjusting the position of the new ‘cooler so the boost tubes would mate up and nothing would be rubbing. I felt like a jack-in-the-box as much as I was going up and down. Finally got it all done and everything buttoned back up. The properly sized intercooler fills the radiator opening quite nicely:
All in I spent about 8 hours for everything.
