Miata Mods - New Suspenders

With 105k miles over the course of 21 years, the Miata's stock shocks were more than tired. Not quite as gone as the ones were on the on the previous red Miata, but bad enough that the car wasn't handling nearly as well as a Miata should.

Looking to make the car's handling a tad more aggressive and the ride firmer, I went to the Flyin' Miata website and ordered up their "Stage 1.5" suspension kit. Consisting of new adjustable Tokico adjustable shock absorbers, custom Flyin' Miata lowering springs, new rear top hats (for increased rear suspension travel) and elastomer bump stops, this kit sounded like exactly what I was looking for. They advertise the kit as having a "killer ride with extra suspension travel in the rear and handling that will handle anything from canyon carving to full-on racetrack use." Yep, sounds great for the relatively-smooth roads in these parts.

I wanted it slightly lower, but not too low that the lower edge of the front bumper would scrape on the driveway...

...or the many speed bumps in our neighborhood.

The original plan was to attempt to install this kit myself, but the more I read about the install, the more I realized that my toolbox (and skill level) was not up to snuff. After asking a few friends, I was directed to a San Diego shop that handled the task for a very reasonable price.

front

rear, the purple thing is the new travel-increasing top hat

One of the nice things about the shocks is that they are easily tuned. Turning the adjustment screw on the top of each corner affects both the compression and rebound damping.

I was a little concerned about the stiffness of the ride on the drive back after picking the car up, but once I popped the hood and trunk, the reason was clear. All four were set at the firmest setting of 5. Dialing back to Flyin' Miata's recommended 3 front and 2 rear yielded fantastic results. The car settles down far quicker after hitting impacts and, most surprisingly, it's far quieter. I didn't realize just how much the noise stock bits were making. Overall it feels like a completely different car. Now I just need to make a run up Palomar Mountain to see how it handles in a more challenging environment.

Miata Mods - Little Things

Not much to update with the Miata over the past few weeks. But it's now 100% legal, having easily passed California's strict smog test.

A fresh California plate now graces the (scratched and crazed and to be eventually repainted) rear fill panel.

And, to better interface with the car, a Flyin' Miata pedal kit was installed.

My driving shoes of choice Converse All-Star slip-ons, but they're just a tad bit too narrow, making it difficult to rev match when downshifting. And if the soles are wet (granted it doesn't happen all that often in San Diego County), they're a bit slippery. All better now - these bolted-on CNC aluminum plates have definitely improved traction, and having the extender on the accelerator pedal makes me wonder how anyone can really drive a Miata without one.

Miata Mods - Spark

Spark, fuel and air - the three essential ingredients needed for an internal combustion engine to function. With the bad coil and spark plug wire causing the misfire that was described in a previous post, the silver car wasn't street-drivable. So the first thing ordered were new ignition parts to get the car back on the road.

Most importantly, a replacement Mazda ignitor/coil was sourced...

 ...which is connected to the spark plugs by way of the spark plug wires (duh). The Bosch-brand wires of unknown age were pulled...

 ...and replaced with a set of 8.5mm wires from Magnecor (who seemingly have a web presence that hasn't been updated since the mid-90s). 

They cost more than the standard-grade replacement wires, but have a lifetime guarantee. And, from what I have read, Miata's B6ZE(RS) engine consumes wires evevry 30k miles or so.

And finally, a set of NGK plugs were screwed into the engine's alloy head.

The old ones weren't bad, but I felt it best to cover all of the electrical bits in one fell swoop.

Considering I was replacing broken/worn components, it's not surprising that the difference in driveability and performance was night and day. What was surprising was how much better this engine felt as compared to the red car. It just seemed to sing whereas the red car's engine was a little bit more muted.

I don't know the exact age or mileage of the ignition components on that car, but I am guessing that it still had the original ignitor/coil providing the electrical pulse. The wires and plugs had likely been replaced within the past couple of years.

Once I was able to take the silver car out for an hour-or-so ride, I felt very confident that I had made the right choice in selling the red car and keeping the silver one. And now that the car could be driven, I could start doing more work to it.

Miata Mods - Project List

Having owned the Miata for a couple of months now, I've spent enough time evaluating the car and planning what I want to do to it long-term.

Overall I'm very happy with the car - both how it looks and how it runs. I'd feel confident driving it cross-country tomorrow, even if an NA Miata wouldn't the best vehicle to tackle long stretches of Interstate with. However, there are still a few areas that I feel that the car can be improved upon. The theme is quite simple: nothing incongruous, everything reversible. Keep the spirit of a simple, fun, lightweight, low-cost roadster intact. 

A few projects have already been tackled:

Cleaning, polishing and waxing - most happened within 24 hours of bringing the car home. Wheel wells and various suspension parts were cleaned up a few months later when I had the wheels off to bolt on the new set.

Audio - backdating to an OEM cassette deck with modern iPod input and adding a storage cubby to the center console; replacement headrest speaker install. (here)

Headlamp upgrade - E-code headlamps and Hella bulbs. (here)

And now the to-be-done list. This is the plan as it currently sits in my little brain, subject to change without notice and on a whim.

Chassis
Shocks, springs, bumpstops and NB Miata "top hats" to refresh the tired, twenty year-old suspenders that are currently on the car.

Bracing - significantly tighten up the chassis with frame rails...

...and a rear subframe brace:

Exterior
OEM front air dam for enhanced high-speed stability and to help finish off the appearance of the front end.

Hard Dog sport roll bar for safety as well as a bit more chassis bracing.

Raked shorty antenna - get rid of that ugly 3' steel whip that currently blemishes the right rear quarter panel.

Top - a glass-window soft top would be a nice upgrade on down the line, but not needed right away.

Interior
Component speakers, as more high-range is needed to help cut through the top-down wind noise.

Nardi steering wheel and shift knob, to provide better feel than the all-plastic, base-model wheel and knob that the car currently has.

Maintenance, etc.
When the odometer turns over at 100k miles, resetting the maintenance schedule. Engine, transmission and differential oil and coolant.

And once the current parts are worn out, upgrading the tires...

...and brakes/rotors and adding stainless steel lines and high-performance brake fluid.

Yep, that's a few weekend's worth of projects worth of work. Now to scrounge up the money to pay for it.

Miata Mods - Headlamps

US Department of Transportation-spec lighting leaves a lot to be desired. The beam pattern that the DOT dictates gives a blobby, non-uniform light pattern. The Euros, in typical fashion, do it right. Euro lighting has nice, crisp cutoffs with their beam patterns. Since the "NA" series Miata uses common 7" round bulbs, it was an easy and surprisingly affordable upgrade to European "H4" headlamps.

Updating the lights has been on my to-do list, but a bit down. Suspension work is definitely needed next. However, over on the VW Vortex Vans and Transporters Parts classifieds page was an ad for a set of new-old-stock Bosch H4 E-code (European spec) at a price that I couldn't pass up. Funds were sent to Quebec via PayPal and I received these Swedish-made Bosch lamps in about a week.
Also included was a set of new bulbs, but with an 80W low and 100W high elements, I was afraid of damaging the car's stock wiring harness. Maybe someday I'll get around to wiring the lights directly to the trunk-mounted batter and using a relay. Not yet. For now I'll be using a pair of Hella H4 Xenon Premium +50% bulbs that I picked up from Susquehanna MotorSports.
Anyway, the H4s definitely have a different appearance, with a much flatter lens:

H4 on left, DOT-spec on right

The pattern molded into the lens is also different:
Install was super-easy, requiring only a Phillips screwdriver and about fifteen minutes of time.
Remove the plastic shroud, then loosen the three screws on the retaining ring and twist a few degrees counter-clockwise to remove:
Pull out the old lamp and disconnect the three-wire connector:
Then, in typical Haynes Manual fashion, installation is opposite of removal. Looks good so far:
The next step will be aiming them within factory spec. I didn't notice the old lights being poorly aimed, but have a feeling that the E-code lamps will be a bit less-tolerant of being aimed out-of-spec.
I just need to find a good wall.

Miata Mods - Top Zipper Stops

One of the weaker aspects of my Miata is the top, which I believe to be original. It's weathered twenty years of SoCal sun (when not placed in its proper, stowed position for motoring the mostly-sunny streets of North County).

The rear plastic window has been replaced at least once, and unfortunately, with a zipper that isn't all that great. An eight inch section at the top on the driver's side won't engage all the way - not a *huge deal* as there is a top flap that still offers weather protection - and I generally have the top down anyway.

But the biggest issue is, or, rather, was, that there wasn't a stop at the end of the of the zipper's run. So the first time I went to zip up the window (after frustratingly fumbling through the section that didn't fully engage), the zipper pull went off the track and ended up in my hands.

So, grabbing a needle and an antique roll of Coats & Clark's Extra Strong Button & Carpet thread from the sewing kit...

note the price - only 15¢

...and used my rudimentary sewing skills to add a stop.
Yeah, far too much text for something so stupidly simple.

Miata Mods - Details

A few small upgrades/fixes/mods made to the Miata over the past few weeks. Reattached the washer pump plug that was inexplicably disconnected.
Hood prop retaining clip, before:
After:
New OEM key:
Bought from the dealer and cut from the VIN. Yep, twenty years on and the car is still in Mazda's computer. Which is good as the original key had a rip in it from metal fatigue and a ham-fisted user (me).

Ash tray to coin tray conversion. The removal of four screws and the cigarette extinguishing screen/holder allows for easier access of coins. Before:
After:
And yes, the screen and screws were put away in a box with the car's other original parts.

Miata Mods - Wheels

What a difference a month makes. Back when the Miata was acquired, I had planned on upgrading the 18.1lb, 14" x 5.5" stock steel wheels...
...with lighter (13.1 lbs), wider and larger 15" x 6" '99 Miata Sport Package five-spoke alloy wheels:
I found the five spokes locally and bought the set shortly after buying the car. After doing a bit more research on the fantastic miata.net forum, I had a change of heart about the 5-spokes. My plan all along was to hold on to the OEM steel wheels, either to put back on if/when I get bored of the car or to simply save as they're original to a very original car. However, the steelies are wrapped in 10 month old rubber - and the thought of having four nearly-new tires sitting, aging and drying out (not to mention taking up space) in the garage just didn't seem right. Secondly, I discovered the Enkei RPF1 wheel:
So the 15" 5-spokes were put up on Craigslist and sold with ease for my initial purchase price. To my eyes, RPF1s have a simple design with a nice lip and should also be easy to keep clean. The 14" tires would swap over from the steelies, saving me the hassle of storing tires as they slowly deteriorated. And, most importantly, the 14" x 7" size weigh in at all of 8.5 lbs each.
And here they are, finally installed on the car:
Not only do they look great and give the car a much more-sporting appearance, the ride and performance was transformational. Reducing unsprung and rotational weight by a whopping 38 lbs, the car feels more lively with additional steering feedback - especially since this car has a manual rack. The "butt dyno" confirms that it's a bit more sprightly when accelerating and braking as well. A set of McGard Spline Drive lug nuts hold the wheels on.

The stock steelies are now sitting, boxed, in the garage rafters. Next up: suspension freshening.

UPDATE: My friend Ron thinks I missed a great opportunity to run some truly classy wheels:
Spinners look great on everything, right?