Liam's NA Miata - Finally back on the road!!!

[CAMAROBOY69]

Also got a quote to the exhaust installed, $310 bucks. I want them to put a flange on it, so I can take the exhaust off if I need to. Hopefully I can get that done next weekend.

@UrieHusky Your probably right, they see how young I am and take advantage of that.

So they got it installed in like an hour lol, it was super easy for them. Sound a great! No ricer buzz and it's not super loud, I really like it. I'll try and get you guys a video of how it sounds as soon as I can.

That is proof right there that they ripped you off. Basically charged you almost $310 per hour do put on 1 muffler. whoa! I would recommend finding a different shop or getting an attorney because that's unbelievable for 1 muffler. You seriously need to find a different shop. You could have dang near had an entire cat back exhaust system installed for that price including muffler.

BTW your painted calipers look great. This is my favorite caliper pic. 👍

 

[Clark]

For example Liam my local independent garage that I go to charged me £40 to fit my BMW performance exhaust, which was only a back box but needed a bit of cutting away of the original pipe and then fitting (including a vacuum pipe for the flap/valve in the exhaust). Even going to a BMW dealership they would've only charged me £60 for it.

As @CAMAROBOY69 says, you need to find somewhere else that doesn't charge outrageous prices.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

@CAMAROBOY69 I had a whole catback system installed, not just a muffler. And thanks, the callipers turned out alright. 👍

@Clark Your right. But the exhaust is installed and I've paid the money, and they did a damn good job. He quoted me for 310, and that's how much I paid. Plus this shop was walking distance from my house.

If I get an expensive quote from there again then I won't go back.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I wouldn't be surprised if they do, they know they suckered you once, they'll do it again.

 

[SVX]

New iMac? So further holding off the rust treatment? Seriously, you're not taking it as seriously as you should be...

 

[LeadFootLiam]

New iMac? So further holding off the rust treatment? Seriously, you're not taking it as seriously as you should be...

My Dad bought it for our household. Thats why I said we are getting a new iMac, not I.

 

[SVX]

My Dad bought it for our household. Thats why I said we are getting a new iMac, not I.

Oh, alright then. Still, you need to get on to it as soon as possible.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Oh, alright then. Still, you need to get on to it as soon as possible.

Hopefully depending on my pay check, I will get one corner done at the end of this month. I got some overtime hours worked, so that will help. Our weather over here its still pretty nice, and they don't put salt on the roads till like December.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Exhaust Video is up!!!

 

[carracerptp]

Nice, I like my exhausts in the low end but yours sound much better in the higher RPMs 👍

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Some small updates.

First the rust! I have not forgotten about the rust, I called the Miata specialist and he said its cheaper to get both sides done at the same time, I was originally going to get one side done at a time. So Im forking away chunks of money at the end of each payday. I should have a enough saved by the end of this month.

Got new vent rings. Going to start the "interior project" this winter. Going to swap the steering wheel, door cards, door handles, hopefully the gauges, and a bunch of other stuff. It'll be sweet.

Probably hard to notice, but I plastidipped my centre console and tombstone, looks much better. Ignore the ugly hole on the bottom. The tray that was in there before won't fit when I tried to put it back in, I'll figure out a way to fill it.

Photo from the other day, my favourite photo of my car so far.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

This happened.

My alternator decide to clunk out.

Fits my radio stopped working, I thought it had broke, until I realized that my temperature gauge was reading lower than normal, I thought that was super weird. Little bit later I saw that my tachometer was not even working, I knew something was fishy.

It then got so bad that whenever I used my turn signals the rpms would drop, the car started shuddering on acceleration, then when I stopped, it died. In the middle of the road and in the middle of rush hour traffic.

Call a tow truck and was driven to the mechanic our family uses.

So it's at the mechanics getting the alternator replaced. It's funny I was planning on replacing the alternator soon, and this happens lol.

This will set me back on my rust a little bit. I'm going to get a quote for that next week and see how much I really have to save up.

So ya, pretty interesting morning to say the least.

 

[carracerptp]

This happened. View attachment 237275

My alternator decide to clunk out.

Fits my radio stopped working, I thought it had broke, until I realized that my temperature gauge was reading lower than normal, I thought that was super weird. Little bit later I saw that my tachometer was not even working, I knew something was fishy.

It then got so bad that whenever I used my turn signals the rpms would drop, the car started shuddering on acceleration, then when I stopped, it died. In the middle of the road and in the middle of rush hour traffic.

Call a tow truck and was driven to the mechanic our family uses.

View attachment 237276

So it's at the mechanics getting the alternator replaced. It's funny I was planning on replacing the alternator soon, and this happens lol.

This will set me back on my rust a little bit. I'm going to get a quote for that next week and see how much I really have to save up.

So ya, pretty interesting morning to say the least.

That's terrible. I would have been so nervous if my car died in that spot. I guess no hazard lights either making things worse. Around here it that would have a very good chance of getting run into.

I had a clutch cylinder / slave go out on me in the middle of traffic at a light, not fun.

On the brightside that is very pretty picture 👍

 

[LeadFootLiam]

That's terrible. I would have been so nervous if my car died in that spot. I guess no hazard lights either making things worse. Around here it that would have a very good chance of getting run into.

I had a clutch cylinder / slave go out on me in the middle of traffic at a light, not fun.

On the brightside that is very pretty picture 👍

Thanks. The hazards still worked but not very well.

My mechanic found out the real problem. I jump started my friends WRX yesterday, and did it wrong. So I must have blown a fuse or something. The mechanic said that there is no connection from the alternator to the battery. So, there goes my savings for the rust!

 

[CodeRedR51]

So....it's just a blown fuse? What does he mean there's no connection?

 

[LeadFootLiam]

So....it's just a blown fuse? What does he mean there's no connection?

I'm not sure. I hope its something simple, don't want to use up all my rust savings for a mistake.

*EDIT

Just picked the car up. My mechanic found the problem, it was a fuse. I read that some cars have fuses so when you jump a car wrong, it doesn't blow up, only the fuse does.

Total cost for tow truck, new alternator, and labour was 500 bucks, is that a rip off too? Lol.

Happy the car is working now, and I haven't gone into my "rust savings"

 

[CodeRedR51]

Holy hell man. Find a new mechanic.

Edit: Or learn how to work on your own car.

 

[Team THRT Drift]

That's expected from tow truck drivers. What was it, $150 for the tow?

BTW you should really take that off (if you have the option to do so).

 

[LeadFootLiam]

That's expected from tow truck drivers. What was it, $150 for the tow?

BTW you should really take that off (if you have the option to do so).

Ya 120. Take what off?

Holy hell man. Find a new mechanic.

Edit: Or learn how to work on your own car.

I do. This was an emergency.

 

[Team THRT Drift]

Sorry I deleted the parahraph before. I meant, remove the novice tag if you could.

Also the price sounds about right.

120 for the tow.
~120 for I'm guessing a new alternator.
~360 for the 'labour'.

That's how mechanics are....

BTW give your car a thorough run down. Some of these suckers will repair something but break something else.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Sorry I deleted the parahraph before. I meant, remove the novice tag if you could.

Also the price sounds about right.

120 for the tow.
~120 for I'm guessing a new alternator.
~360 for the 'labour'.

That's how mechanics are....

BTW give your car a thorough run down. Some of these suckers will repair something but break something else.

360 for parts and labor.

Our family has used and continues to use this mechanic for years. We are good friends with his brother as well, he won't break anything lol.

I can remove the N sign, but if I get pulled over and don't have it one, I get ticket and I can't get my full as soon as I would.

If I pass my road test this November, it won't be on there, probably hang superman on it or something.

 

[Team THRT Drift]

Meh, I personaly don't trust mechanics and I despise tow truck drivers. One tow truck driver charged me $100 for a damn jump.

Wait do you guys have the G1 G2 and full G tests in Vancouver or is it a different system?

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Meh, I personaly don't trust mechanics and I despise tow truck drivers. One tow truck driver charged me $100 for a damn jump.

Wait do you guys have the G1 G2 and full G tests in Vancouver or is it a different system?

G tests? This is our licensing company www.icbc.ca

 

[CodeRedR51]

To be honest man, a new alternator is probably $100 or less, and it's 2 bolts to remove the old one and install the new one. Could have saved $$$$$.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

To be honest man, a new alternator is probably $100 or less, and it's 2 bolts to remove the old one and install the new one. Could have saved $$$$$.

Didn't know that at the time. Wish I did!

They put a Bosch one on, which comes with a two year warranty. During that two years if ANYTHING goes wrong with the car, I get a free tow, through a 1-800 number.

 

[RobbiefromBC]

Go to Ralphs Pick and Pull on 120th in Surrey... You can get like 5 Alternators for half that price

 

[Team THRT Drift]

G tests? This is our licensing company www.icbc.ca

Yes. In Ontario you have to pass three tests. G1 is theory. You can drive the car but you need a full G driver with you at all times.

G2 is the road test on small streets; tests your ability to drive properly, switch to the appropriate lanes, indicate, park (in all its forms), do a three-point turn, etc.

G is another road test. Usually you are taken out to the highway and follow the instructions.

You're done at G.

There are no mandatory Novice Tags or anything like that.

Go to Ralphs Pick and Pull on 120th in Surrey... You can get like 5 Alternators for half that price

Are they new or rebuilt?

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Yes. In Ontario you have to pass three tests. G1 is theory. You can drive the car but you need a full G driver with you at all times.

G2 is the road test on small streets; tests your ability to drive properly, switch to the appropriate lanes, indicate, park (in all its forms), do a three-point turn, etc.

G is another road test. Usually you are taken out to the highway and follow the instructions.

You're done at G.

There are no mandatory Novice Tags or anything like that.

Ya ours is the same. Theory test gets your Learners license, then you go for a road test to get your Novice license, then another road test to get the full license.

 

[JrDarknes]

Dude if you can, try to see if you can get road side assistance on your insurance. Comes with free towing and is extremely useful.

Also what @R1600Turbo said. Find someone who loves working on these cars and get their number or learn to work on it yourself. They will probably do some of this stuff for real cheap or for just a beer or something seriously. Especially since this car has a huge fanbase.

You can save a lot more money this way. I just don't want you going through what I did and constantly paying a mechanic for labor costs when they're are people out there that would honestly love just to help you repair you're car.

Stuff adds up dude.

 

[CodeRedR51]

The Miata is one of the easiest cars to work on. There's really not much to them. Like I said, alternator is 2 bolts. New alternator is like $120 or so depending on where you buy it. You can also get good, used ones for less than half that. Release the tensioner, remove the lower bolt, pull out the old one - put in the new one, install lower bolt, tighten tensioner, done.