My first thread

[The Mad Swede]

Me: -“My name is Torkel and I am a Miataholic”.
Group -: “Hi Torkel”.

I´m new in the forum, so I just wanted to say (hi) . I have a Green Miata–99 with a modest level of mods: EBC brakes, HD sports bar, FM exhaust, RB headers, 6-point harnesses and so on. I use it on weekends, good-mood-days and on the track (drive) . The car is currently standing still since I am in the middle of adjusting the valve clearence and some smaller projects.

Wow! You guys has so many cool smilies in this forum. (rockon)

[kcbhiw]

Welcome!! Looks like you're on the way to a nice setup. Those wheels look great with the green.(nana)

[lagunamiata]

Welcome! Where in NC are you from?
The photo looks like the VIR paddock...

CCRs 24 hour autocross is this weekend!!

[bazooka joe]

welcome and nice ride...love the miata!! :)

[seanmcsean]

I want your car

[Rogue]

welcome welcome!!

[The Mad Swede]

Thanks for a great Welcome!

LagunaMiata: Yes, that is the VIR paddock. What an increadible track! I am living (sorry to say) in Kinston, NC, the most boring little town on the east cost.(sleep)

Seanmcsean: You can't have her... she is mine!

[Shinsen774]

Anywhere in Eastern North Carolina is pretty close to Heaven in my book. Kinston is nice.

'03 Mazda Miata Shinsen Version 774 & native of Wilmington, North Carolina

[Antoine]

(cool) A new Miataholic...Welcome! :D

How much have those mods run ya?

[The Mad Swede]

(cool) A new Miataholic...Welcome! :D

How much have those mods run ya?

Actually not as much as one would think. You can do a lot for a fairly low budget if you just have the time and some good friends to help you (My fellow racing nuts around here are all a little bit older and much much wiser them me, thank god!). The exhaust and the brakes where on the car when I bought it. To keep the budget down I have bought everything else (except the harnesses) used and installed it myself or with help from the friends. Rims and tires where the biggest cost, but I just had to have new one. The PO and I did not share a taste in rims.

Waiting in the garage is an oil filter relocation kit that was a “FM deal of the day” item and cost me $75 and stiffer engine mounts. I flush of the coolant is also needed.

[lagunamiata]

My dad and step-mother are in Wilminton... nice place...

Shinsen - Saw Trip the other weekend. We had a 15th anniversary party / cookout for the club. He and a friend came over and played for a while.
Pics - http://www.jbsteinke.smugmug.com/gallery/1792056/1/89231112
2nd pic (guy in black shirt) is him, in case you haven't seen him in a while!!

[Shinsen774]

My Mom had her purse stolen out of Trip's parents' car last weekend....small world :).

[lagunamiata]

My Mom had her purse stolen out of Trip's parents' car last weekend....small world :).
Hope it wasn't out of the LaSalle!

[The Mad Swede]

I have the worst case of ”while it is apart anyway” -syndrome, mixed with a bad “go faster”-fever. My valve adjustment job (after very very veeery much measuring and crank turning, I finally ordered the shims I need today, by the way) turned into a serious action list of stuff I want to do.

So why is the car on jack stands now(uhm) ? Well, I finally made up my mind and ordered a Flyin Miata stage 2 suspension kit (nana) . The reason: Well, there are many good reasons of course, but the most significant one is that I will be spending a Drivers Ed weekend with Porsche Club of America on Carolina Motor Sport park in the beginning of October. My buddies that I am going there with drives a heavily track prepared 911 and a tuned Subaru WRX. So I have a lot to keep up with and protect the badge.

Watch out German Porsche Schwein! The Mean Grean Racing Bean is coming and she is pissed. (laugh)

[The Mad Swede]

So, I have just ripped out a comlpete, perfectly well working suspension (hey, if anyone wants the schocks, springs and sways from a Hard-S –99 Miata, let me know) out of my car for no good reason what so ever. Except of course because I think the car does not go around a fictive course that doesn’t lead anywhere fast enough. Ooh, the joys of motoring! (cabpatch)

Mazda says that my valve shims will come tomorrow, so then focus will be back to the engine again. My buddies will help out with the stiffer engine mounts, because disconnected the engine from the car, resting on a jack like that… kind of scarry. :(

[The Mad Swede]

Report from the build: New stiffer engine mounts from FM are in and all the new and reused valve shims are in the right place. My beautiful new coilovers are assembled (FM springs + KYB AGX shocks) but only the rear has made it on to the car yet.

Picture: Note my little “custom-wood-slab-on-jack-stand-thing”. The green EBC pads will soon be removed to give room for yellow ones.

The builds first real failure:
My torque wrench must be to large to handle so low torque as needed for the cam cap bolts. When tightening them down, a bolt snapped. (shocked) (Are those bolts "use ones"-type and I just missed it?). A set of new bolts are in the mail and a friend with much more experience and tools then me will help me get the rest of the bolt out.

[TougeSpeed]

haha i run the same shocks on my 95 NA miata, but only with Eibach sports springs. your going to have tons of fun with those new things!

[MiaTurbo]

Thanks for a great Welcome!

LagunaMiata: Yes, that is the VIR paddock. What an increadible track! I am living (sorry to say) in Kinston, NC, the most boring little town on the east cost.(sleep)

Seanmcsean: You can't have her... she is mine!not only is that VIR, but I'm gonna say it was with MDA, right? lol

[MiaTurbo]

Report from the build: New stiffer engine mounts from FM are in and all the new and reused valve shims are in the right place. My beautiful new coilovers are assembled (FM springs + KYB AGX shocks) but only the rear has made it on to the car yet.

Picture: Note my little “custom-wood-slab-on-jack-stand-thing”. The green EBC pads will soon be removed to give room for yellow ones.

The builds first real failure:
My torque wrench must be to large to handle so low torque as needed for the cam cap bolts. When tightening them down, a bolt snapped. (shocked) (Are those bolts "use ones"-type and I just missed it?). A set of new bolts are in the mail and a friend with much more experience and tools then me will help me get the rest of the bolt out.cam cap? you mean vavle cover? the spec should be in IN-lbs, not FT-lbs that your torque wrench is. I usually just hand tighten them, then a smidge more using a 1/4" drive socket...

[The Mad Swede]

cam cap? you mean vavle cover? the spec should be in IN-lbs, not FT-lbs that your torque wrench is. I usually just hand tighten them, then a smidge more using a 1/4" drive socket...

"not only is that VIR, but I'm gonna say it was with MDA, right? lol"
I can neither confirm, nor deny any such… OK, it was.

No, I mean the cam caps (the bridges holding the cam shaft?) and I did notice that the value was in In-lbs. But the bolt clicked (snapped) before my wrench did. I think my torque wrench is just too big and therefore not very exact at such low values. I have already borrowed a smaller and more exact torque wrench from a friend. The surgery to get the old bolt out is scheduled for Sunday.

[k-lea]

teheh, that reminds me that i still have my stock springs from the 01.

[-pixy-]

I want your car

sean really wants your car... and he will mug you for it.


be careful :p

[MiaTurbo]

"not only is that VIR, but I'm gonna say it was with MDA, right? lol"
I can neither confirm, nor deny any such… OK, it was.

No, I mean the cam caps (the bridges holding the cam shaft?) and I did notice that the value was in In-lbs. But the bolt clicked (snapped) before my wrench did. I think my torque wrench is just too big and therefore not very exact at such low values. I have already borrowed a smaller and more exact torque wrench from a friend. The surgery to get the old bolt out is scheduled for Sunday.gotcha..

[kcbhiw]

gotcha..

(first) n00b.

[The Mad Swede]

sean really wants your car... and he will mug you for it.
be careful :p

Since the car is on jack stands with no wheels, only half a suspension and an engine that is missing several vital parts, I am not too worried about theft. :)

Anyway, he can’t have her. She is mine. “Myyy Preeaachees...” (evil)

[The Mad Swede]

The bad bolt is out and the new ones are in. The engine is assembled and running great! (ughdance) I am just waiting for one little end link that got screwed up when I removed it from the stock sway bar. FM had one in their salvaged section and sent it to me for free. I can not push enough for those guys, they are really great.

[The Mad Swede]

The Green Bean is finished… Well, not really finished, but she is back on the road at least. The project included: Lifter clearence adjustment, stiffer engine mounts, Flyin Miata stage 2 suspension kit install, Gauge cluster swap (new cluster from salvaged –00 looks much better) and new fuel filter (PITA!).

I had the car aligned (1,5 degree camber, 5 degree caster, no toe in) this Thursday and have been driving it a total of 4 hours since. Everything in the suspension seams to be working well (nothing has fallen off and killed me), which means that I actuallty managed to not only take apart, but also assemble something! (ughdance)

As for the impression of the stage2 kit: Wow! (shocked) I still have everything set on softest and it corners like a fly. The car feels so much better balanced, easy to control and responds very well. I also have a feeling that my LSD is doing its job better with the stiffer swaybar and shocks in the rear. And the ride is still comfortable! I can´t wait to play with the settings on suspension on the track.

What is left: Next track event is 7th of october. Before then I will install some better brake pads (EBC yellows) and change to 20x50 oil. The oil filter relocation kit will be installed then. The shifter boots will be changed… some day. Oh, and I have some racing rubber coming my way. Jiiipii! :)