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

[Heldenzeit]

Nice to see that the rubber boot for the shifter turret was in good shape. Mine looked like this:

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Bingo. A stock Miata doesn't need anything special. Just some standard NGK's is the best you can do.

Thats what I used, just standard NGKs. Made sure they were gaped appropriately as well.

I think this would match your shift boot and E-brake boot well:
View attachment 160011
View attachment 160005

Ebay, 12$.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I have already ordered one. What is on the left?

@Heldenzeit Man, thats brutal haha. I am actually thinking of getting a rebuild kit for the shifter, I hear a "click" when I shift into gear sometimes, did that happen to you?

 

[CodeRedR51]

@Heldenzeit Man, thats brutal haha. I am actually thinking of getting a rebuild kit for the shifter, I hear a "click" when I shift into gear sometimes, did that happen to you?

Take the shifter out (held in with a few 10mm bolts) and at the very bottom is a pivot that should have a plastic/nylon cover. These wear out over time. Replace that (cheap part, get only OEM) and make sure you put transmission fluid in the shifter hole before you put the shifter back in.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Take the shifter out (held in with a few 10mm bolts) and at the very bottom is a pivot that should have a plastic/nylon cover. These wear out over time. Replace that (cheap part, get only OEM) and make sure you put transmission fluid in the shifter hole before you put the shifter back in.

Thanks! I will order just the bushing when my paypal money is ready. Will that stop the clicking? I can also feel when the clicks happen, doesn't feel nice at all.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Thanks! I will order just the bushing when my paypal money is ready. Will that stop the clicking? I can also feel when the clicks happen, doesn't feel nice at all.

More than likely that's the issue, and I bet the shift turret is dry. New bushing + fresh fluid and it will be much better.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Thanks so much! I'll definitely do that.

AND GREAT NEWS!!! Some how I managed to get my trunk lock to work, with a half of paperclip still stuck in, looooool. I got some Seafoam Deep Creep sprayed it in the lock, fiddled around with some pliers, shoved the key in a couple times and it works!!! Hopefully it doesn't break or something.

So thats a weight off my shoulders, also saved a chunk of money too.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Thanks so much! I'll definitely do that.

AND GREAT NEWS!!! Some how I managed to get my trunk lock to work, with a half of paperclip still stuck in, looooool. I got some Seafoam Deep Creep sprayed it in the lock, fiddled around with some pliers, shoved the key in a couple times and it works!!! Hopefully it doesn't break or something.

So thats a weight off my shoulders, also saved a chunk of money too.

Congrats!! That is great news for sure. 👍 Let us know how the hole repair goes over the weekend with lots of pics. I forgot to mention your engine bay also looks much better after you painted the valve cover.

The advice @R1600Turbo posted about the shifter will help for sure. Its also good advice to go through the entire car and lube or grease anything that needs it. Ball joints, tire rod ends, driveshaft joints, check all fluids in everything, just make sure everything is all lubed and working properly and all fluids are topped off where the need to be. Also replace any dirty or old fluids or any fluids with metal shavings.

 

[homeforsummer]

Thanks! I will order just the bushing when my paypal money is ready. Will that stop the clicking? I can also feel when the clicks happen, doesn't feel nice at all.

Is that like a metallic-sounding click mainly between 1st and 2nd? Mine used to do that too, but I quite liked the sound it made, at least - had a nice mechanical feel to it like an old gated Ferrari shifter or something...

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Is that like a metallic-sounding click mainly between 1st and 2nd? Mine used to do that too, but I quite liked the sound it made, at least - had a nice mechanical feel to it like an old gated Ferrari shifter or something...

Ya. Mine is from 1st all the way to 4th, I hate it. It doesn't happen all the time though.

 

[Heldenzeit]

Yeah, my shifter is pretty notchy too, but the car has over 221k miles lol.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Thanks so much! I'll definitely do that.

Just make sure you don't over fill it. If there is anything in there now, clean it out before putting the new fluid in.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Okay so I cracked down on the hole in my car on Friday night. I bought a Bondo Glass Reapir Kit that provided everything I needed, for 20 bucks too.

I started by sanding down the area around the hole with a dremel. Then I wiped the area down with wax and grease remover.

Here are the two pieces of fiber I cut.

I then saturated them with the resin and hardener and applied them on both sides of the hole. I let them cure over night and the next day it looked like this:

Now the other side has a small air bubble, should I worry about it? Or put another layer on it?

I ended up having to peel the plastidip off, which gave my a second chance to do a better job than the first time.

More thorough masking.

It was warmer outside so the spray was finer, looks much better.

Here is what the patch looks like after the dip. I don't really care about how good it looks, its going to be covered by the license plate.

First time doing body work, I didn't like it. It was very messy and I did not have a lot of space to work with.

What do you guys think? Any tips for next time?

 

[Hayden]

I would've blocked off the hole with cardboard and tape first so the fibreglass would be flat and flush rather than pushed in the hole. It's not a visible part so that doesn't really matter.

If it were my car, I'd be putting down more cloth. Two layers from the inside should help reinforce it and give you piece of mind that it wont break or leak.

Great job with the Miata so far mate. I really like the red stitching and what you've done with the plastidip. Keep up the good work 👍

 

[Clark]

Yeah seeing as it's not visible it won't matter if you pile a few more layers on to protect it better. I'd really make sure the edges of the metal where you cut were sealed pretty tight as well to do as much as you can to stop any moisture getting to the unprotected metal where the cut was.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

@Slash I drilled into a dimple, thats why it looks like it was pushed in, thats normal. But your right I should put another layer down. Thanks!

@Clark I'll do one more layer and see how that goes, its raining pretty hard here so I will do it when its dry.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

@LeadFootLiam

That turned out good but it would have turned out a LOT better if you used the stuff I suggested in post #100.
That stuff I posted dries in about 5-10 minutes and is MUCH easier to work with. And cheaper.

Still a lot better than having a hole in your trunk. The plasti dip turned out really good. 👍

 

[CodeRedR51]

That rear panel comes off pretty easily, in case you were wondering. I would have done that before using the dremel and it would have given you a bit more room to work.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

@R1600Turbo I had a hard time trying to take it off.

So my shift knob came in today, I was stoked until I saw this when I opened the packaging.

I was so angry! I paid quite a bit for this and the knob was not even protected. It came in a bubble wrap mailer, and was in a cheap cardboard box. The shift knob is so heavy that the weak box could not even hold it in place, so I guess it got bounced around during shipping. I emailed the guy and said that I want a new one shipped. Also told him to use stronger cardboard, or ship it with tons of bubble wrap, still waiting for him to email me back.

On the upside, the shift knob feels super good! Here is what it looks like in the car.

If only the shift boot was longer, so there is no gap between knob and boot, oh well. Looks and feels super dope, and the extra weight makes shifting a joy. Also goes well with the black and red stitch theme for the interior.

Also order some goodies today as well. I ordered a shifter bushing kit, so hopefully that stops the "clicking" when I shift into gear. Also ordered a license plate bracket from topmiata, and some goodies from speedhunters! Next paycheck I might pull the trigger on some new coilovers from Raceland. They sell a set for the Miata for around $400, inexpensive yes, cheap? not at all!

Planning on tackling the rust soon. I have a grinder, so do you have any advice for me so I don't make a huge mess of my car?

 

[Katiegan]

Looks and feels super dope

feels super dope

super dope

Other than that, looks pretty good!

Shame about how beat up it got. But hey, at least you got bubble wrap, and that's awesome.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I would do FM V-Maxx over the Racelands. Almost twice the cost, but certainly twice the quality.

Also, that rear panel isn't hard to get off just time consuming. Some interior clips and a handful of 10mm nuts, comes right off.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

I would do FM V-Maxx over the Racelands. Almost twice the cost, but certainly twice the quality.

Also, that rear panel isn't hard to get off just time consuming. Some interior clips and a handful of 10mm nuts, comes right off.

Okay, I will have to take a look at those. Thanks. 👍

 

[miata13B]

Okay, I will have to take a look at those. Thanks. 👍

Stay away from the Raceland coilovers. At first you might "like" them, but they are what they are a "cheap" alternative. I have been watching this thread and I really want to see you have an awesome Miata.

It was a long build from my old Miata, I can tell you I went through a lot of hardships at that point and time in my life to make it the way I wanted it to be. I do not want to see you go through that with the wealth of wisdom that people give you along with the resources you have today that I did not have over 16 years ago when I began my build when I finally purchased my Miata. Back then everyone did not have the technological advantages we have today. Do it right from the get go, don't cheap out. It may take you longer, but the end results reap better rewards :-)

 

[LeadFootLiam]

Stay away from the Raceland coilovers. At first you might "like" them, but they are what they are a "cheap" alternative. I have been watching this thread and I really want to see you have an awesome Miata.

It was a long build from my old Miata, I can tell you I went through a lot of hardships at that point and time in my life to make it the way I wanted it to be. I do not want to see you go through that with the wealth of wisdom that people give you along with the resources you have today that I did not have over 16 years ago when I began my build when I finally purchased my Miata. Back then everyone did not have the technological advantages we have today. Do it right from the get go, don't cheap out. It may take you longer, but the end results reap better rewards :-)

Your right, I am mainly attracted by the price. I will definitely do some research on the FMs, they seem like a good choice. Thanks for your words of wisdom.

 

[miata13B]

Your right, I am mainly attracted by the price. I will definitely do some research on the FMs, they seem like a good choice. Thanks for your words of wisdom.

There is a wealth of knowledge on other forums that cater to the Miata. Take your time and venture into them. You'll meet many people that share the same passion with the beloved Miata there. Do the research on suspension setups/ brake setups and you might find alternatives to pricey coilovers suspensions or big brake kits you think you need.

I suggest writing down a road map of what you want; how you want it; and ultimately the end result that you want your Miata to serve. With those goals in mind you will build your car to suit everything that you want out of it. Don't look at vendor websites looking for the most power nor the best handling upgrades, instead look for what others and yourself will get the most enjoyment out of the car. You might find that a set of springs, shocks, bushings go further then a cooler suspension will ever give you. Hell, I'm betting you can build a better Miata then any "Spec" class can giving you a better smile on your face can. Trust me on that. Probably the reason why I have been tempted to come back after so many years spending with the dark side known as Honda.

 

[Harry6784]

There is a wealth of knowledge on other forums that cater to the Miata. Take your time and venture into them. You'll meet many people that share the same passion with the beloved Miata there. Do the research on suspension setups/ brake setups and you might find alternatives to pricey coilovers suspensions or big brake kits you think you need.

I suggest writing down a road map of what you want; how you want it; and ultimately the end result that you want your Miata to serve. With those goals in mind you will build your car to suit everything that you want out of it. Don't look at vendor websites looking for the most power nor the best handling upgrades, instead look for what others and yourself will get the most enjoyment out of the car. You might find that a set of springs, shocks, bushings go further then a cooler suspension will ever give you. Hell, I'm betting you can build a better Miata then any "Spec" class can giving you a better smile on your face can. Trust me on that. Probably the reason why I have been tempted to come back after so many years spending with the dark side known as Honda.

Sticky please...

 

[Slash]

Personally I would have bought some body filler (actual bondo) and filled in that hole and then sanded it flat by hand so it was flush after you applied the paper. That way it would stay flush and all you'd have to do it is get a rattle can of white paint and apply the plasti-dip. You'd never know it was ever there.

Keep this in mind next time you get a hole in the body somewhere.

 

[Heldenzeit]

I saw your thread get blasted on ClubRoadster over the Racelands. Miata13B is right, do some research and take your time, save money and plan carefully. The Megan EZ Streets are ok too for starting out. They at least have adjustable dampening. I bought a set for $630 and had them corner balanced on the car. I drove a couple cars that had them installed before I plunked money down. Having driven a car on Racelands, I certainly cant recommend them.

949 Racing Xidas are worth every penny. Those are what I'll upgrade to once I start tracking more often.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

I saw your thread get blasted on ClubRoadster over the Racelands. Miata13B is right, do some research and take your time, save money and plan carefully. The Megan EZ Streets are ok too for starting out. They at least have adjustable dampening. I bought a set for $630 and had them corner balanced on the car. I drove a couple cars that had them installed before I plunked money down. Having driven a car on Racelands, I certainly cant recommend them.

949 Racing Xidas are worth every penny. Those are what I'll upgrade to once I start tracking more often.

Ya after what some people said, I am shunning racelands haha. I'm looking at the Fm Vmaxx, do you know anything about those? I have also considered the EZ Streets as well.

 

[Heldenzeit]

A lot of people swear by their products, I personally haven't had any experience with vmaxxes or know any owners of them.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

A lot of people swear by their products, I personally haven't had any experience with vmaxxes or know any owners of them.

Hmmm okay.

Also, does your Miata make a ticking noise from the engine? Mine does, usually when its cold. Also during hard cornering I hear a rattle, pretty sure it's coming from the engine. Do you experience any of this?