Miata leaks, need help.

I need help. Long story. My girlfirend blew a heater hose on her 94 miata m-ed. It overheated and took out the head gasket. It also took out the radiator (overpressure) once the head gasket went. I replaced everything: radiator, head gasket, intake and exhaust gaskets. I also did a full valve job and had the head planed. The car runs beautiful, but I have a coolant leak somewhere on the back of the engine. I thought it was the heater core so I isolated it. It still leaks. It seems to be running down the firewall just behind the engine. It drips down onto the front frame and runs out all over. I am nearly positive that it isn;t coming out of the engine block, it stays dry. I have no indication that my head job is bad. No water in oil, no water in exhaust. WHERE IS THE COOLANT LEAKING?!! Help me out any Miata geniuses!

Ooo...I wish I had some good advice, but I'd have to look at it. Sorry about the misfortune; I can relate. My miata ripped the throttle body coolant hose on Christmas eve just as I was about to leave to go see my family in Austin. It dumped all the fluid out and ran dry in less than a minute. Luckily I was able to coast into a gas station just as the engine died. The location of the hose connected to the block made it so difficult to reach. So I spent 4 hours on Christmas eve wretching trying to reach it and trying to find open parts stores.

But I do thank my lucky stars that it didn't happen on the highway between Lubbock and Austin--there is NOTHING around for about 75 miles!

Do you have access to a miata repair manual?

I have a repair manual. It seems to lack on pics though. I love the way it says stuff like "remove engine head (see chapter nine)". I bought a small mirror to try to see the back of the block. Thats the plan for tomorrow. By the way, my girlfriend likes your rollbar. Where'd you get it? Is it just for show or will it hold up in a roll?

Let me know how it goes.

Tell her I said thanx for the compliment.

My bar is a Hard Dog Double diagonal powdercoated bar. it came on the car, but she can find rollbars from most of the businesses on this page: http://www.miata.net/marketplace.html

I believe the going rate for one like mine is about $400. And it is a functional hard bar. Watch out for style bars-they do not provide rollover protection.

FOUND IT! Turns out it was a coolant line that runs from the oil filter housing to the throttle body. I think when she was driving it the coolant was blowing back onto the firewall. That's the price I pay for re-using the old hoses.....I know better.

Thanks for the info on the bar and all the other advice.