D Prepared Miata Build

Yep, it looks like I'll have to switch tires before it's first run. In some ways that sucks since they're "free" and was hoping to use them for the first couple of events while I sort out everything else.

I've been sick for the past week so I haven't had a chance to do anything on the car since last tuesday. I did get in a very nice set of wires and connectors from diyautotune yesterday though :). This wiring a car from scratch thing is kind of intimidating actually.
 
tpwalsh said:
Yep, it looks like I'll have to switch tires before it's first run. In some ways that sucks since they're "free" and was hoping to use them for the first couple of events while I sort out everything else.

I've been sick for the past week so I haven't had a chance to do anything on the car since last tuesday. I did get in a very nice set of wires and connectors from diyautotune yesterday though :). This wiring a car from scratch thing is kind of intimidating actually.
Click to expand...

Don't be too worried, DIYAutotune makes good gear (you're using a MS ecu?), the Miata doesn't have too many bells and whistles, and there are plenty of people that can help and give advice. Just be sure to get good at soldering, or buy some ratcheting crimpers like https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) and some automatic strippers like https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) or https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned). There's nothing like having the right tools.
 
Yep so far I'm impressed with their goods. The challenges I'm coming up with are things like, Do I need separate fuses for each of the 2 alternator power lines?(1 80 and 1 30 amp from the factory) and what do I do with the 3rd line that ran to the cluster(a cluster that I don't have and don't think I really want/need). If so, do I run them inline, or upgrade the fusebox to something that will handle 80amps on a branch circuit?
 
chiketkd said:
Nice thread Andrew. Just went through the whole thing and it was a good read!
Click to expand...

Thanks Chike! And damn, that's dedication lol. Since I'm a mod in this section I try to occasionally go through and remove some of the OT stuff, but I know there's still a lot out there haha



Also, I forgot to add these:
My fast run, 55.0 (3rd fast time of day)

Tom's fast run, 54.8 (2nd fast time of day)

Sorry for the slightly different lense-angles on the 2 videos. You can hear that really awful vibration in Tom's video? That's the wide-angle lens slowly killing itself. Before my last run, it puked a handful of lenses over my shoulder. I just threw them in the passenger side floorboard and called it good and took my runs (the noises you hear in my video are those rolling around lol)
 
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Sorry I couldn't see much in those videos. There was that bloody windshield that keeps getting in the way! :)
 
Yea I know, it does get in the way, doesn't it? haha it won't be there for too much longer
 
Yep, I plan to take mine out, and gut the doors at the Christmas party for our local club. It should be lots of fun. My roll bar fabricator really wanted to see it out before he put in the custom bar.

Those runs look good, really slippery in a few places but not bad at all.
 
Tub on the groun', tub on the groun', lookin' like a fool with your tub on the groun'!

So, after 2 events of scraping asphalt w/ the frame rails (on big bumps mind you, but still unacceptable) we're deploying some bump stops. The correct solution here would be to have the rear shocks rebuilt to pick up some more droop travel then raise the car up some, but for now that's not really a financial option. Ordered a set of 36mm (rear) and 46 mm (front) bumpstops and a couple of 10mm spacers should the need arise (I don't think so, but you never know) from Fat Cat Motorsports. These are easily the stiffest bumpstops I've ever had in hand, so they should work fine without the spacers, but so we'll see. Also going to rattle can the lower extremities of the car where it has hit, to prevent rust long-term, but also so we can see if / where we rub again (it's pretty obvious when you hit from inside the car, it's just not always clear as to "where"). So, fingers crossed that this doesn't ruin our handling and that it's enough. That said, it can't hurt handling any worse than dragging the tub on the ground will....

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_ISJa6QOsPQw/TK88lzQa2RI/AAAAAAAAC88/hSjDw_Q_U3s/s912/2010-10-08 11.44.35.jpg
 
So, I got tired of getting rocks in the driver's seat from transporting the tires. I wanted to get some tire-totes but the problem with them is that they're only good for a 22" tire and up. My tires, of course, are 20" (19.9 if you want to be exact). Knowing that a CSP friend of mine had tried these and had problems with them because they didn't quite fit right, I had my reservations. Some poking around on the interwebs later and someone made the simplest damn suggestion ever: just sew on some more velcro. And I feel kinda dumb for not having thought of it myself lol. Poked around for pricing, and shipping included, the tire-rack's were the cheapest. They came in tonight and I played around with them some to see just how hard it would be. My worry would be that it would be enough that it would have to go past the handles that they're built with. Turns out? Not really hard at all, these should work like a charm :D

2010-10-13%2019.49.24.jpg


The Velcro ends below that little label on the bottom right, and the yellow line is how far up the "wrap" would go:
2010-10-13%2020.47.54.jpg


So all I'll need to do is get a couple feet of loop material per "tote" (two 1 foot sections per tote), and get them sewn up. I think this will work nicely :D
 
nice find on the solution. and given time you would have thought of it yourself im sure so dont feel too dumb. how much they cost?
 
Dropped the car off at Boswell's House of Awesome Mazdas & Goodtime Emporium a couple hours ago. She's in good hands, Kevin has some really good ideas. IIRC at the house he had his P5, the CSP Miata, the Turbo miata, the Mercury Tracer / 323GTX AWD beastie, the LeMons MX3, and his work truck. And now my car. He was rearranging the cars to make space in the garage for mine when we pulled up. Jen took one look at all the cars out front and asked "Uh... is Kevin having a party?" lol

Also forgot to mention: as far as wiring going to the back: I'd like to keep the brake lights, fuel pump and fuel level sender wires. Everything else can come out. And if possible I'd like to do wire loom on that bundle because it tends to get stepped on a bit where it sits right now :(
 
Progress! Kevin was able to start tearing in to the car today.
Stock ECU + wiring harness = 17-ish lbs.
MS Wiring harness going back in: 2 lbs
Megasquirt: 1-2 lbs
Intake + Air meter + Airbag sensors & Computer = about another 10-15 lbs worth of junk.

Yeaaaaaaaaaah :D.

And it already looks SO much better :D

Before:
DSCN1467.JPG


Sorta-after:
DSCN1472.JPG


Before:
DSCN1470.JPG


After:
DSCN1477.JPG
 
It'll stay the same for now, because it's free. But yeah, I'll eventually go with a custom gauge package.
 
All indications are that the install's going well. Speaking to Kevin last night, after removing the tar from behind the center of the dash (seen HERE) it made an ideal location to mount the MS (also, weight reduction w00t!), and give it at least some protection from the elements, tucked under the cowl. The only part missing , IIRC, are going to be a throttle body from a 1.6L Automatic Miata, as they had real TPS sensors that the MS can use for Accel enrichments. We'll pick one of those up from the Pull-a-Part this weekend. Then the rest of it is wiring and mounting the switch-gear for Kevin. Amazing how easy it sounds when someone else is doing it LOL. But then again, if you ask me all electronics operate on the principles of smoke, mirrors and magic (mostly smoke), so it's really best that I'm not handling this bit on my own.
 
MUCH easier to describe than to actually do. I'm up to "3 toggle switches, a big plug in my firewall and LOTS of scribbling in my build notebook"

Andrew,
Not one with the magic smoke?
 
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