Ryan's '10 Infiniti G37S 6MT Sedan

[ildd]

The bumper actually looks fixable, the hood I'm not sure about. Of course, this depends on the shop and if they use new parts or if they have the ability/tools to correctly fix bodywork. Headlights are pretty expensive so it's good they didn't break. I'd say $800-$1000 for the hood and $500-$600 for the bumper and other parts done right at a shop that knows what they're doing. My mom's X3 had a side crash with a nasty dented door and they fixed the door (more dissasembly than the hood) for $800. The car I used to have had an indentation across the rear bumper along with a small missing piece and that was all repaired for $350. OEM foglights and grills can't be more than $200 on top of that. Hopefully there is no structural damage and everythig lines up properly when assembled.

Eh... I don't know... it has two holes in it and I didn't actually check how deep the scratches went and if it was bent or not. I know right in the middle it was bent up a little.
The only update I can give at this point is my dad is going to pay the deductible just so we can start moving things along because that other insurance company is shady(won't answer our calls, won't call us back, has voicemail saying which days they will be closed in December)and they will have an appraiser/adjuster out to look at the damage tomorrow and hopefully we find out something before I start work (4pm).

 

[ildd]

I mentioned it in a couple threads already, but here's the official news:

The car is totaled. It's an estimated $5600 in repairs. The hood, bumper, headlights, grille, and the core all need to be replaced. Then everything would have to get painted and fitted correctly. It's worth roughly $6500 and, to be completely honest, I'd rather have the money instead of a salvage title, however I don't know the full amount we will receive. The plan is for me to go up to the shop on Monday and they should let me take whatever I want from the car. I'll probably end up taking the license plate, hood emblem, drivers seat and the radio, which i'll most likely sell unless my next car has the space to fit it in, whichever that may be... I have my ideas.
Unfortunately I wasn't recording while the accident occurred, but here's the last recorded video- the morning of the accident.

 

[motortrend]

Maaaan that really sucks I wasn't expecting that much. Hope you keep us posted on your next car though.

 

[ildd]

Car isn't in our possession anymore. As far as I know it was towed from the repair shop that was holding it on Monday or Tuesday. I went up there the previous Thursday (1/29) to get all my belongings out of it, including the radio. Unfortunately insurance wouldn't let me take the drivers seat . The license plate is hanging to the right of my bed now.

And this is the view she had. I was, roughly, two cars in front of the white minivan, or a little bit behind that tree when she started leaving the stop sign.

Her official statement-

I didn't see the car until after it hit me

And her neighbor has an E36 M3. Wish the owner taught her a couple things.

Mods- you may as well lock this.

 

[Crash]

Why not continue this thread as an ildd's cars thread and you end up having a history of your cars as you have more of them/new ones? Could be neat to see the progression over time, unless the memory of this is so painful.

Good luck on your new search.

 

[ildd]

Why not continue this thread as an ildd's cars thread and you end up having a history of your cars as you have more of them/new ones? Could be neat to see the progression over time, unless the memory of this is so painful.

Good luck on your new search.

I feel like I'd rather have a separate thread. If new people came and for some reason were interested in my car(s) it might be confusing. Unless I was to add a bunch of links to the OP bringing them to a specific post.
Ok, I'll throw that idea around anyways. It's not that it's a painful memory, I just want the most logical/cleanest solution.

edit- alright, the general consensus agrees with you so I guess i'll do that.

 

[ildd]

Garage, meet Miata. She'll give you plenty of room. Trust me.

Well guys, finally I decided on a car. It wasn't my first choice, but I'm not regretting it in the slightest. It's a 2003 Miata MX-5 LS, black with tan leather, and of course the 5-speed manual. I would have preferred the 6-speed but that's alright.
The car now has just under 79k miles, and the interior is in immaculate shape except for one spot on the door jamb where there is a little tear. The exterior is in overall good condition, with only a few paint marks and the top, which is dirty but has held together very well.

The car came pre-equipped with a nice rollbar and 16x7 Motegi FF7 wheels. They aren't my first choice but they look OK. They're a fair bit heavy, though. Since owning it for one day, I've taken out the wind deflector (pointless to have because of the rollbar; it's stuck in the down position) and I took off the "Mazda" and dealership badge on the right side of the trunk. I ordered a "Roadster" badge which will go to where the "Mazda" emblem was.

As far as mods to be done (because they have to be done), I don't plan on going too far. I'd like a Nardi 330mm wood steering wheel and Nardi wood shifter, and a hardtop for the summer months. I have a couple other smaller things, and maybe new wheels, but that's about it in the immediate future. I'll be putting my Pioneer head unit back in because the stock one is garbage. Luckily, it's Bose, so it will be harder than the Mercedes.

So what's it like to drive?
****ing fun is what it is. It's a bit cramped of course (I'm 6'1") but...coming from the Boat... oh my god. I can't even explain it so you'll have to imagine what it's like. Yea sure, it has the rattles like any tiny convertible would, or any 10 year old car would, but the way it drives and turns is simply amazing... with or without the top.

I'll definitely be doing a few write ups in the next couple weeks. I'll have more pictures, of course, as well... but for now I'm going to focus on my shifting ability and getting the car moving from a stop

 

[ImaRobot]

I'm definitely liking this. That interior looks great as well! Congrats!

If you dont mind me asking, how much did it come out too?

 

[ildd]

The total was $7300 including all the taxes and fees. I told my dad to keep the extra $6 from the Mercedes
I think I got a pretty good deal considering the condition, miles and mods.

 

[CodeRedR51]

...and a hardtop for the summer months.

Blasphemy. That's when you put the top down.

 

[Cano]

I can't believe that damage got you a "totalled".

Also, minty Miata.

 

[ildd]

95° and humidity kills softtops and sweat glands

Blasphemy. That's when you put the top down.

I can't believe that damage got you a "totalled".

Also, minty Miata.

Yep. Old Germans ftw. Thanks.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Eh, I ran with the top down in my '90 when it was 20 degrees or 90 degrees out in Colorado.

 

[Ronald6]

With that interior I agree wholeheartedly with your choice of wood wheel and shifter. 👍

 

[motortrend]

VERY nice, dig the color combo. Quite a different car from the merc I imagine. Being an NB, I'd probably leave that steering wheel, it looks really nice IMO and it has an airbag which might be good in case of a crash. Keep us posted with whatever you do!

 

[ildd]

VERY nice, dig the color combo. Quite a different car from the merc I imagine. Being an NB, I'd probably leave that steering wheel, it looks really nice IMO and it has an airbag which might be good in case of a crash. Keep us posted with whatever you do!

The reason I want to change the wheel is for space. It's a stock 360mm, and I have a little awkward time getting in and out. When I'm in it, it's mostly fine except for the fact there's 1/2 inch gap between my thigh and the wheel. Keeping the air bag would be nice, though... That's probably the only reason I'll keep it, if I do.
The ride is VERY different, to say the least pretty dang bumpy and some may find it claustrophobic, but luckily I'm not. It tends to wander a bit at higher speeds in a straight line, but not around curves. I don't know if that's the nature of the car or I need a alignment. I know all of them have a hard time in the 70-80mph range though.

 

[Korza]

Try getting lowered seat rails for it instead of replacing the wheel.

 

[ildd]

Try getting lowered seat rails for it instead of replacing the wheel.

I'll look into that 👍

 

[homeforsummer]

I don't know if that's the nature of the car or I need a alignment.

Regardless of anything, this is the very first thing you should do to any Miata, as having all the wheels pointing where they should makes a world of difference.

I've not had mine done yet of course, but that's because I want new tyres first and it's no use running new boots if the tracking is slightly out.

Also, fantastic purchase 👍

 

[CodeRedR51]

Try getting lowered seat rails for it instead of replacing the wheel.

You can also do a foamectomy.

 

[ildd]

Yea, i heard of that but I'd rather not do it

You can also do a foamectomy.

 

[ildd]

Figured since I had some time I could give a little update.

I ordered the "Roadster" badge and put it on there on Saturday. (sorry for pollen)

I don't think I ever mentioned it, but because it's a 2003 it has the HID headlights as standard. Go figure, it was a $1800 option on most Mercedes at the time but for a $23k sports car it's standard

*they are yellow. trust me.
Interior dash lights- it has an illumination wheel. This was full brightness so camera could pick it up easy. Normally it's at about 40% ish.

Despite being red, they're not harsh on the eyes and fairly easy to read at night. Something I like: the gas gauge remains at the right level, even when the engine and all electronics are off.

And, lastly, remember when I said the top was in good condition? Well, it was for the most part, except for the rear window. It was glued and stitched on (from the factory) and I guess due to age and heat, the entire top edge of it came undone on Sunday when I was putting the top down after work. I went to a local upholstery place and they said it couldn't be fixed. So I duct taped the hell out of it, inside and out, and has yet to leak despite two days of raining. I think I'll be ordering a black one pretty soon and hopefully find an OEM hardtop by June. They're somewhat rare but will pop up on craigslist or ebay. According to the Miata forum members, most of the aftermarket ones don't fit or seal like they should, so screw that. OEM hardtops have been selling for about $1000 for the past four years and apparently will continue to stay that price, so when it comes time to sell the car (or just the hardtop) it'll be like I rented it.

I may buy the wood shifter soon, but not until I have the top fixed. Still undecided about the steering wheel but something will have to be done eventually. Another thing I'd like to do is move the top bar of the rollbar back a couple inches or get a smaller bar and move it up just a little because it's currently really interfering with my seating position. I'm losing about three inches of leg room and can't lean it back too much because of the headrest hitting the bar. I'm going to assume neither of my options are really plausible, so I may end up having to get a new seat, without a headrest, and get some foam/protection on the rollbar in case of a crash. It really sucks being above average height

Also worth noting that the car is currently at 120 miles on the last fillup, and as you can see, isn't at the halfway mark yet on the tank. I'll do a full MPG calculation when it runs out but right now, that's insane to me. Especially considering it's only a 12 gallon tank, compared to the Mercedes' 16.4, which would be under the halfway point at 120 miles.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Pretty sure that roll bar is not going to be adjustable. You may need a new seat.

 

[ildd]

Pretty sure that roll bar is not going to be adjustable. You may need a new seat.

Haha, yea. I mean the only way it could be is to cut it out and re-weld it.
Of course my other option is to go ghetto and just cut out the headrest, then attach it to the rollbar. Which might actually work because my head never actually rests on a headrest.

 

[Heldenzeit]

The Miata rollbars are bolt-in and aren't adjustable. I'd change the seat to a nice racing seat by Sparco, Recaro or OMP.

Bride's are too small for tall people haha.

 

[ildd]

The Miata rollbars are bolt-in and aren't adjustable. I'd change the seat to a nice racing seat by Sparco, Recaro or OMP.

Bride's are too small for tall people haha.

I noticed it was bolted in in the trunk, but where the seat belt is it was welded and bolted. I didn't know if the weld was just for the base and easy attachment purpose or not. I'll have to look into all the seat options, then. Thank you Mr. Miata Heldenzeit.

 

[Heldenzeit]

Usually the rollbar uses the big bolt that attaches the seat belt reel to the chassis (at least mine is). It will be under the carpet of course.

As for seat mounts, Garagestar make a good set that goes pretty low for aftermarket seats with side mounting points.

 

[ildd]

Usually the rollbar uses the big bolt that attaches the seat belt reel to the chassis (at least mine is). It will be under the carpet of course.

As for seat mounts, Garagestar make a good set that goes pretty low for aftermarket seats with side mounting points.

Yea, I took out the trunk carpet earlier to hammer out a dent on the right side and noticed it was bolted in the back. There's so much hidden room
I'll definitely have to weigh my options (not literally, it's pretty light enough) to see which route is the best. Personally I'd like to keep the stock seats but if I can get it in a fixed position and lower, that may be enough.

In other news, I just emailed four people who are selling a Miata on Craigslist who have the OEM top. Three are in the Dallas area, one in Houston, only one of which is black. I'm trying to see if they will sell it individually or not. If I can get one, I'll probably end up waiting until September or October to get a new soft top. If I can't reach a deal by Tuesday I'll end up ordering the soft top and rolling with that.

 

[ildd]

I don't plan on going too far. I'd like a Nardi 330mm wood steering wheel and Nardi wood shifter, and a hardtop for the summer months. I have a couple other smaller things, and maybe new wheels, but that's about it in the immediate future. I'll be putting my Pioneer head unit back in because the stock one is garbage. Luckily, it's Bose, so it will be harder than the Mercedes.

Hmmmm yes yes about this?
You know how people get addicted to Miatas really easy and initially say they'll change a couple things but end up doing 45 other things?
well add me to that list. lol. I'll fill you guys in later but I have my plans.

Alright, first thing's first, I'm getting a new black soft top installed on Thursday. It is not the OEM style, but the Robbins "streamline" style which was highly recommended to me by the shop owner (i'll take his word for it considering he specializes in Miatas, Lotus' (Loti?), and Mini's.) A bit cheaper, easier to install, and arguably better designed for wear and tear. Only downside is I basically can't put the top down for a month because it will be so stiff; he said just to park it outside under the sun. So...that'll be nice. It'll have the glass defroster as well.

I'll probably buy that Nardi shifter in mid April after my bank account recovers. And then I might buy some wheels and tires by May or June, but the only thing holding me back is these new tires that are on the car. Initially, I was sold on 16x7 Enkei PF01's, but I didn't want to pay to get them powdercoated. So I settled for 15x8 since they come in black. Then I found Konig DIAL IN's, which are not only much cheaper than PF01's, but also lighter and, in my opinion, better looking. For tires, I'm still undecided. 205/50 will fit without fender rolling but I'm undecided on the actual tire. I only have 4 or 5 choices for street tires, all of which are good. So the car will most likely look similar to this but without the low. And the hardtop, because I just don't want to buy both a hardtop and soft top in one year.

And then I'm trying to decide on "ok" coilovers or Koni shocks and lowering springs. The coilover set that caught my attention was Tein Advanced, which is on sale at one place, but there's not too many great reviews about them. Haven't looked too much into this yet, though

Also I bought a GoPro and it, surprisingly, attaches very well to the rollbar. The adhesive strip only comes in contact with a small portion of it but it's pretty dang stable. I'm rather impressed by it, and the free software it came with is good and easy enough to use.
There's just so many other mods I can buy and uuggghhhhhh I want almost all of them.

 

[Heldenzeit]

16" wheels are too big. 15s are perfect, specifically x8 or x9s.

The Konigs arent bad, flow formed is usually pretty good quality. Getting a good set of tires is more important than any other modification you can make to the car, so choose wisely. Hankook RS3s are good or the BFG Rivals as well.

Teins are usually always good quality and you can get them revalved here in the US easily if needed. I'd scour the forums for a set of used Ohlins PCV. Good ride quality and about $1000 used. They were top of the line a few years ago.