1994 Miata Track Toy

[theothersawyer]

I figured since we seem to have some Miata fans on here, that I will transfer my build thread over to this forum! I'll see if I can condense it down since I've had the car for the last 6 years!

I was looking for a nice NA for a first car and came across a nice red one in Clearwater, FL. My family and I went down there to look at it. Well I fell in love with it, but I never actually drove the car because I didn't know how to drive a stick!
This is how the car looked when i first got it.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/DSCN0336.jpg

Then for Christmas my sister gave me some Racing Beat springs to lower the car a bit. She bought them 3 months before I even got the car!

After buying the car and driving it for a month it I decided to take it back to Florida to go to a big Mustang car show with my dad....well the car decided it didn't want to come back home and left me stranded 5 hours from home! It had been overheating without me realizing it (young and dumb!)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/Engine%20tear%20down/DSCN0412.jpg
Motor was not very pretty inside...PO didn't take the greatest care of it!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/Engine%20tear%20down/DSCN0420.jpg

The car had quite the oil leak from the front main seal
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/DSCN0428.jpg
Found the coolant leak that caused over heating!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/DSCN0433.jpg
The hole
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/DSCN0434.jpg

Things were getting exciting at this point!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/Engine%20tear%20down/DSCN0458.jpg
Got the head back from the shop
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/Engine%20tear%20down/DSCN0459.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/Engine%20tear%20down/DSCN0475.jpg


I learned a TON from this experience! Did it suck that the car left me stranded 5 hours from home? Absolutely, but I bonded with my sisters boyfriend (now brother-in-law) and learned more about cars in a month than I had in my entire life!

[theothersawyer]

Months went buy of trouble free driving and I saved up to buy some new wheels!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5079763306_94b341b02b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/5079763306/)

Then I bought a front bumper! From the body line up, it is an NA (89-97 Miata bumper from the body line down it is an NC1 (06-08) Miata bumper.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5813197855_ccc9a79cee_z.jpg


I promise you that the hood is not this shiny in person!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/5952721440_617c10c2d9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/5952721440/)


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5952177269_7577238e5a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/5952177269/)

Added a roll bar!


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6215/6220827307_5358be5722_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/6220827307/)


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6109/6220842259_a57b04fc42_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/6220842259/)

Garage Vary rear bumper installed
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6737975915_dc01436dcd_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/6737975915/)


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6737974107_3482c9a0f2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/6737974107/)

Revlimiter Rossa gauges! Adam at Revlimiter is the single greatest company you will ever do business with! He is a one man operation and he knocks out some amazing products! He also has the nicest Miata I have ever seen!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/IMG_9332.jpg


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/IMG_9348.jpg

This photo shows some mods I haven't listed yet. NB (99-05) steering wheel, Voodoo shift knob, shift boot, and floor mats!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/IMG_9339.jpg

[BMWCurves]

Nice! I didn't realize you had done so much to your NA Miata. Really makes me want to go drive my father's but it's still a little too cold out.

Subbed.

[theothersawyer]

Nice! I didn't realize you had done so much to your NA Miata. Really makes me want to go drive my father's but it's still a little too cold out.

Subbed.

I still have 3-4 years worth of ownership to post in this thread! :)

[theothersawyer]

This is by far the most popular picture of my car! For whatever reason it has made its rounds on the internet! It is used on rspeed.net to sell the Garage Vary rear spoiler and has been used in multiple advertisements!
http://images50.fotki.com/v1515/photos/4/1877024/10554917/IMG_1745-vi.jpg

Dyno run proves that the engine rebuild was a great success! The numbers are right where they should be for this car when it was new!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/IMG_0001-2.jpg

Made it into the Revlimiter calendar
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/17CA288D-E220-406C-90DD-B39E737A3279-8861-000003662E9F1185.jpg

Comparison from the first day I bought her to year 3 of ownership
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/575534B3-C607-4D35-BC8A-6E0F4C06EAF5-47962-0000141195DC14C1.jpg

Installed some side diffusers. Notice the missing spoiler, very poor installation (they give you two tiny little clips) and it fell off while closing the trunk one day!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8371753756_a02877d7f3_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/8371753756/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8370686847_3b30350160_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/8370686847/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8370687329_27eccc35c1_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/8370687329/)

[theothersawyer]

Over the course of ownership I have met some of the greatest people! We have an extremely tight knit Miata community in Atlanta. The feel is very similar to this forum. I met my best friend through this car and he goes way out of the way to help me keep this thing running! He has rebuilt these things so many times it's crazy! Since I had zero car knowledge, from a mechanical standpoint, when I bought the car he has always been there when it breaks down which leads me to...

I pulled into the garage steam started to come out of the hood. Great. So Eric came over after work to help diagnose the problem.
Excuse the blurry picture, but you get the idea. Coolant on the subframe. (Yes, I know I have an oil leak)
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/E3D4B3FC-5614-4748-8757-1343D81FDA7F-12005-000005033D51FBC0_zpscd827627.jpg
This is not how I wanted to spend my day!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/C5E7767B-A238-48A6-8B84-1DD062787519-12005-000005036B70530D_zps12933218.jpg
So we figured out that the thermostat had died and it was also leaking. Cool. That was an easy fix! Oh wait, there is another leak. ****. Luckily the clamp on one of the coolant hoses just came loose and the hose was leaking. Another easy fix. (Although not the easiest spot to get to) We noticed the alternator belt was split and missing a rib, but we only needed it to last a week and a half. (That is when we will be replacing the front main seal)

Yay!! Car is back and working just fine! :D
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/7243D0CB-C73C-47B2-984A-AB721FA73C7D-12005-0000050374C7F315_zps13e39199.jpg

That is...until today. I drove the car to school with no problems. Everything was working great! I went to leave class about 30 minutes ago and upon start up I had belt squeal, which has been happening for a while now, but I figured the belt needed some adjusting. Then I got a nice smell of rubber with a nice little POP!!! ****. The belt broke and I knew it. It is now sitting in the parking lot at school waiting for Eric to get here with parts and tools.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/CC8EFB5A-079D-4207-8717-7E0ABADC8450-12005-00000503839A6D80_zps8324d8a2.jpg

Addressing the terrible terrible oil leak!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/D5B76CA9-4964-40A0-91B9-479BD2E41409-4871-000000F2FE7BAD44_zps20c6ff05.jpg

Here is a before and after!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/6B988863-F8F4-4435-BF07-71330376C0CB-4871-000000F26EAD6AC3_zps648b9d23.jpg


It became a really bad habit for this car to just break down on me! Stupid little things too! Coolant leaks, belts snapping, and now this time was an electrical short!

The car just died on me while going to school! Thankfully I was only a few miles from home, but unfortunately it died and I pulled into a parking lot, with a hill, so I couldn't push it myself! I had to get three people to help push it! I thought these cars were light!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/01DC482B-27CF-44CA-9883-DD300B42BC2C-1209-0000003641844ABE_zps18411494.jpg


The main reason I bought a Miata was because my sister had a Mazdaspeed Miata!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/EA238EF1-3060-4DFE-8A33-6A0398972CC4-38853-0000079BFC823402_zps7fff256a.jpg

I custom made my own door panels and bought some door pulls.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/IMG_0017_zpsb5ead7bd.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/IMG_0017_zpsb5ead7bd.jpg.html)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/IMG_0024_zps5144754f.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/IMG_0024_zps5144754f.jpg.html)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/IMG_0065_zpsc95180d2.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/IMG_0065_zpsc95180d2.jpg.html)

[theothersawyer]

My sister decided to sell her Miata to fund a wedding, so I got first dibs on any parts she had! I bought her coilovers which were JIC Magic FLT-TAR's, brand new these things cost more than I paid for my Miata! She bought them and had them rebuilt, so I basically got brand new coilovers! Here are a bunch of pictures of the new ride height! You can also see the new exhaust, which I think sounds fantastic and it fills up the massive exhaust hole in the GV rear bumper!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7397/9398397488_c209b16a23_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9398397488/)
~IMG_0531 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9398397488/) by theotherSawyer (http://www.flickr.com/people/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3770/9395631977_6a91a89529_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395631977/)
~IMG_0510 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395631977/) by theotherSawyer (http://www.flickr.com/people/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2869/9398401006_32abfb1c37_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9398401006/)
~IMG_0503 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9398401006/) by theotherSawyer (http://www.flickr.com/people/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/9398402800_274b687d08_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9398402800/)
~IMG_0498 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9398402800/) by theotherSawyer (http://www.flickr.com/people/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5488/9395636573_418537ff3c_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395636573/)
~IMG_0475 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395636573/) by theotherSawyer (http://www.flickr.com/people/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7394/9395638173_1f73ea9ec9_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395638173/)
~IMG_0470 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395638173/) by theotherSawyer (http://www.flickr.com/people/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7341/9395818885_5d855be05a_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395818885/)
~IMG_0557 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395818885/) by theotherSawyer (http://www.flickr.com/people/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7433/9395820843_4cd0c56897_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395820843/)
~IMG_0542 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/9395820843/) by theotherSawyer (http://www.flickr.com/people/50481382@N04/), on Flickr


Time for a new clutch!

Motor is out! Engine bay is dirty!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zps90da2ed8.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zps90da2ed8.jpg.html)

Dirty *** engine!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zps6ac1484b.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zps6ac1484b.jpg.html)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zps658f23fa.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zps658f23fa.jpg.html)

Clean Engine!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zps8a394675.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zps8a394675.jpg.html)

Clean Trans!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zps4f756223.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zps4f756223.jpg.html)

Cleaning the engine bay! And this is my good friend Eric in the picture. Notice I also bought a hardtop!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zpsaf094753.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zpsaf094753.jpg.html)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zpsffb9634a.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zpsffb9634a.jpg.html)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zpsdf1006b1.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zpsdf1006b1.jpg.html)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zps2ea029a3.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zps2ea029a3.jpg.html)

So clean!!!!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zpsba68ff80.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zpsba68ff80.jpg.html)

Going in!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/null_zps5f775a6d.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/null_zps5f775a6d.jpg.html)

Once the motor was put back in I drove it for about a week and then the heater core was leaking coolant into the interior! Removed the dash and swapped the core! Good to go! Then the coil pack died and the car wouldn't start! Swapped it for a known good one and the car was back up and running! :)


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2864/10863239984_2c52b41124_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/10863239984/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2849/10863245304_302335e5bc_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/10863245304/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3797/10863248474_e68e35809a_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/10863248474/)

[theothersawyer]

200,000 smiles on the Miata!!!!!! :D
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2863/12525322485_f9dbb01ee3_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/12525322485/)
IMG_0394 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/12525322485/) by theotherSawyer (http://www.flickr.com/people/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

Tow strap and fog lights installed! If you can't tell, I like to do little photoshoots when I install new parts! :)
Finally took some real pictures of the tow hook and fog lights installed! :D
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/13574431205_dc1b4fe69b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/mFwvtk)

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2877/13574489063_ebb2670619_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/mFwNET)

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7371/13574806764_f3af5b094f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/mFyr7u)




https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/13574492463_738c0329cc_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/mFwPFv)

And this last set pretty much brings us completely up to date!


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15661826755_67fb75f849_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pRYXrM)


https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5615/15659126981_6095bda330_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pRK7TX)


https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7490/15041681523_0765d1d8fa_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oVbxSB)


https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5615/15475665228_48dda67299_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pzwQ7h)


Oddly enough this thread is titled Track Toy and there are zero pictures of this thing on track! lol So I have a deal with a friend of mine that organizes track days! I go to his events and take photos of the drivers for half of the day and give my photos to the drivers free of charge, and in return I get a half day of track driving for free! I would say it is a pretty sweet deal! I put in a little bit of work for free track time! So since I am driving the car there is no one out to take pictures of my car when it is on track! lol

So where is the car right this moment? In the garage in a million pieces! Broken down once again! Water pump started to leak on me at the last track event! And of course the car is being a royal PITA to fix! lol! I promise these cars are reliable!

[danewilson77]

:respect

Sent from an S6 Edge

[BMWCurves]

Damn, those custom quilted interior door panels are sexy.

Serious respect for the amount of stuff you've done and dealt with in that car.

[theothersawyer]

Damn, those custom quilted interior door panels are sexy.

Serious respect for the amount of stuff you've done and dealt with in that car.

Thanks you! The door panels have been done by a bunch of people. It is just basically doing a much cheaper DIY version of what Nakamae sells in Japan for the Miata's! It totally changes the way the interior feels!

[Johnmadd]

Very good stuff.

[FL116]

Wow, I would really love a Miata, but I'm 6'6 so it doesn't work for me lol but this is awesome. I love that gauge cluster!!

[slater]

i echo the sentiments about the gauge cluster, and door panels - very nice work, they look 'at home' in the interior. what stands out now, though, are your seats! they look out of place. :) any plans to reupholster the seats?

[theothersawyer]

Very good stuff.
Thank you!

Wow, I would really love a Miata, but I'm 6'6 so it doesn't work for me lol but this is awesome. I love that gauge cluster!!
I'm 6'2'' and fit! With the right seats and a hard top, I'm sure you could fit! My biggest issue is leg room, but I know some very tall (and very...wide) people who own Miatas!

i echo the sentiments about the gauge cluster, and door panels - very nice work, they look 'at home' in the interior. what stands out now, though, are your seats! they look out of place. :) any plans to reupholster the seats?
The seats are definitely in need of replacing! The pictures posted here don't show how terrible they look now! The driver seat is destroyed now! It was ripping when I bought the car, but it has progressively gotten worse!

I had the choice a year or so ago to dump some money into the Miata to make it nice (paint, seats, etc.) or buy a daily and I obviously own a ZHP now! lol Eventually I think it will get Lotus Elise or Exige seats in it!

[BMWCurves]

Haha I'm not sure if a 6'6" man could fit in a Miata. I'm 6' but I have a tall trunk. I barely fit in it with either the hard top on or the soft top up.

[theothersawyer]

You're right, 6'6" is probably a stretch but if you can't fit you are missing out on an amazing car! Just always drive with the top down!

[BMWCurves]

Agreed! When the top is down I sometimes have to look over the windshield to see the traffic light. It might be cliche to say it, but a Miata is one of those cars that everyone should drive once, just to feel what it's like.

[theothersawyer]

It really is, and it is hard to explain why. I mean sure, you can tell people how fun and 50-50 weight distribution, blah blah blah! But you just have to get behind the wheel to experience it for yourself!

[theothersawyer]

So after the last track event I parked the car because it was leaking coolant BAD! I was super busy and didn't get around to really working on it until about a month ago! What an event it has been...I love this car to death, but it always gives me such a PITA! Parts ordered straight from Mazda weren't fitting, because they were off by just the tiniest little bit, or seals were fitting but they would catch on something going in and they would tear. Stupid little things kept pushing the project back! It has been such a headache, but it is finally all put back together!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/6E68D051-5AFE-401C-987A-D4D755885195_zpsqlndekcp.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/6E68D051-5AFE-401C-987A-D4D755885195_zpsqlndekcp.jpg.html)

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/12821576_10101231534976298_7071528786570170615_n.j pg?oh=38634cbd8cbc5f5ec4b92d78137865f2&oe=5757D827

And yes, the whole car needs to be repainted! If you look at that front bumper the wrong way it'll chip paint off!

I miss the hell out of this car! driving it brought back such great memories and reminded me why this car is just so special! It has been 5.5 months since I last drove it! I had a nice relaxing drive with the top down tonight!

[AggieBlake]

Great work.! You're going to make me miss mine!

[theothersawyer]

I could go into detail about how much of a pain in the ass the car was to work on if that would make you feel better!?

[JupiterBMW]

Wow man, very cool car, lots of cool mods... I'm really impressed!

[BMWCurves]

I could go into detail about how much of a pain in the ass the car was to work on if that would make you feel better!?

I guess we haven't put that many miles on my father's, maybe 10k but it's been incredibly reliable. The only two issues are the A/C compressor doesn't work but that doesn't really matter, and sometimes it doesn't want to start, but that's an issue with the ignition I think. Mechanically it runs like a top.

[AggieBlake]

I could go into detail about how much of a pain in the ass the car was to work on if that would make you feel better!?

Lol! Yes, that would help :)

My '96 was actually quite reliable. I got lucky, I guess. 10 track events (HPDE's) and nothing failed except a front hub. But I have a friend with a '91 that crashed a valve and required a full rebuild. It's a bit of a crap shoot I guess.

By the way, that your ND in the pic? My current life plan includes picking one of those up in about 8-10 years when it should be an ideal used car for a weekend/track car. They sure seem nice!

[theothersawyer]

I think I have the only unreliable Miata known to man! Lol it's actually been great but stupid things break! I bought the car with 148,000 miles and now it has 217,000!

I wish the ND was mine! I was driving the car to make sure everything was all good and found that in the Kroger parking lot, so I had to get a picture! Mazda really did a great job with the ND! It has all the charm of an NA!

[theothersawyer]

I could go into detail about how much of a pain in the ass the car was to work on if that would make you feel better!?

Now that I finally have some time and am on a computer I'll go into detail!

So I was on vacation and my friend decided to surprise me by working on my car while I was gone! He knows WAY more about Miata's than I do! Can I work on them? Yes, but he will do it better and 10x faster than I would! So I let him work on my car a lot! As he was taking the front end of the motor apart he found out the timing belt pulley has seized to the crankshaft! It was STUCK! Tried prying it off and ended up damaging the area around the front main seal it just marred the surface and cause a little burr to get in the way of replacing the seal. So that had to be shaved off with a dremel!

Then we went to replace the front main seal and we hadn't dremeled off enough material and it cut the seal...thank goodness I ordered two of them just in case! Got the seal on and then went to put on the new timing belt pulley since the last one got destroyed. But....it didn't fit! It was mm too small! Banged it on with a hammer and we were afraid it wasn't going to spin freely since the fit was so tight. When we gave it one final blow with the hammer it spun freely! Phew!

Next up was to finish buttoning up the front of the motor and an oring for the waterneck was somehow cut while installing it! Luckily the old one wasn't in that bad of condition so we used that one! While putting the thermostat housing back on we noticed the oring didn't fit! Another part ordered from Mazda that wasn't quite right! We were frustrated at this point so I kind of jokingly said "f*** it, let's throw it in the freezer!" It actually worked though!

What else happened....Oh! went to start the car after it was all back together and....nothing! Battery must be dead, so I went to the trunk to look and the contacts for the battery were completely corroded and when I touched it it fell apart! New contacts picked up from Walmart and it fired right up!

Look everything over for leaks and didn't see anything, but there was a weird almost knock noise from the head...S***!!! It did go away, assuming it is just from the car sitting for almost 6 months and oil not getting where it needed to right away!

My PWR radiator does have a little leak at one of the welds, which sucks so I guess I need to look for someone who can weld aluminum!



Yesterday I took the car to the track! Drove the car about 40 miles the day before the track day! That is how you test to make sure everything was put together properly!

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1700/25170047713_bfdebc1955_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Emc5gT)
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1690/25796689345_c0dda8a927_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FiyLZX)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1683/25166192504_840c4645ed_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/EkRjfL)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1581/25675260222_fdcf7bfb80_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/F7Qqmo)

Car felt great on track and I was feeling more comfortable out there than I have in the past! I still have a ton to improve on and just need more track time under my belt!

[theothersawyer]

Wow man, very cool car, lots of cool mods... I'm really impressed!

Thank you! If you happen to be in town next April, you should go to Miatapalooza! I believe that I saw your friend with the Exocet say that he is going!

[san]

Looks like you had one of those days...
Pics look great!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[theothersawyer]

Looks like you had one of those days...
Pics look great!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For whatever reason this car always does this to me! I try and treat it well and it doesn't return the favor! haha

[BMWCurves]

That's a lot of work, hopefully no other issues crop up (knock on wood).

Pics don't work for me though.

[AggieBlake]

First off, beautiful car! I love it. I also had a red NA tracked out (with hardtop, but otherwise similar).

Second, thanks for the write-up! That does cool my nostalgia a bit. I'm sorry yours has been such a pain. Mine was much more cooperative. That said, it was an old car and I always felt like something was about to give out. I don't miss that uneasy feeling I got every time I embarked on a trip longer than 10 miles.

Third, when you mention the knocking sound from the heads, could you be hearing valve lifter tick? It's very common in NA Miatas and makes them sound more like a tractor engine than a sports car at idle. It goes away at higher revs, so you won't hear it on track. But it can be very loud once you're back on pit row. It's caused by sludge building up in the lifters. The only sure way to fix it is to remove the head and then disassemble and clean the lifters (tiny springs and seals - meticulous work). You can, however, solve it for 10k miles at a time by doing a flush with 50/50 oil and ATF. Fill to normal level with this mixture and then let the engine run at idle for an hour. No hard revving since you don't have the same viscosity with this mix. Then drain, replace the filter, fill with normal synthetic, and your valve tick will be much reduced.

Best of luck, and have fun!

[theothersawyer]

It really is a reliable car! I drove it for 4 years to school at about 2,100 miles a month without ever worrying about making it to school and back!

The noise definitely wasn't lifter tick! It sounded like a knock! But went away after idling for a bit! Assuming it was just waiting for oil to get everywhere!

[theothersawyer]

I have plenty of places where I can get faster, but I still had a ton of fun out there!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFA2o-fy8fI&feature=youtu.be

[AggieBlake]

Nice! Your interior is 1000x nicer than mine was. Glad you had a good time.

[theothersawyer]

I appreciate it! The interior (and exterior for that matter) photograph WAY WAY better than they look in person!

These events are always so exhausting because I live almost 2 hours away and I have to be at the track at like 7:30. This one was even worse since daylight savings time! Then I spend the first half of the event on the side of the track taking pictures and the second half driving!

[E_Rak]

The car looks great! Love all the mods, makes me want an NA even more...

[theothersawyer]

The car looks great! Love all the mods, makes me want an NA even more...

They are cheap, and one of the closest things you can get to driving a kart on the street!

[yura]

Nice build! These cars have some fanatical followings. Friend of mine has the next gen that he's very happy with.

[Johnmadd]

They are cheap, and one of the closest things you can get to driving a kart on the street!

Before I bought the zhp I was driving my e30 all the time, it felt like a g cart. I love the go cart cars, the zhp felt like a big car when I first got it though.

[theothersawyer]

Nice build! These cars have some fanatical followings. Friend of mine has the next gen that he's very happy with.
NB's are great cars! They are a bit more refined, but they still have all the same great character these have!

Before I bought the zhp I was driving my e30 all the time, it felt like a g cart. I love the go cart cars, the zhp felt like a big car when I first got it though.
Never driven an E30 but always wanted to! They seem to have the same type of feeling and fun aspect too them!

[E_Rak]

They are cheap, and one of the closest things you can get to driving a kart on the street!

Love it! I want to try one out. Was just helping a friend with his turbo NC build. Maybe I'll get my chance when it's done.

[theothersawyer]

NA>NB>NC! Now a turbo NC with some suspension mods is probably an awesome car! NC's have grown on me, lately! I drove a stock one and didn't really like it, due to all the body roll and I'm used to an NA with stiff coilovers. Hell, my front bumper is an NC1 front bumper made to fit the NA! But if you REALLY want to know what Miata's are all about, you need to drive an NA!

[theothersawyer]

Two more photos of me on track! These photos were taken by chadbeephotography.com

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1515/25800392381_3f2569a8c3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FiTKMp)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1469/25869441666_2c47d3948e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FpZDJj)

[BMWCurves]

Love my father's NA, and I like my buddy's NB, but I still prefer the NA. It just feels more exposed/raw/go-kart-y.

[theothersawyer]

Order of the best Miata: NA, NB, NC
Order of the best car: NC, NB, NA

Haven't decided where the ND falls yet, because I haven't driven one!

[theothersawyer]

Passed emissions! Only three more years until it is exempt!

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/5D2A6228-61C0-4175-AF7B-922195EA6AC5_zpsveha3szx.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/5D2A6228-61C0-4175-AF7B-922195EA6AC5_zpsveha3szx.jpg.html)

[theothersawyer]

After putting the whole car back together it still had a coolant leak! It's from the PWR radiator! Pulled it out tonight so I could get it fixed and put in the new A/C condenser so I can hopefully have A/C again!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/C291458A-5BEF-499A-BF6A-04F505C8FB60_zpsjprwigm5.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/C291458A-5BEF-499A-BF6A-04F505C8FB60_zpsjprwigm5.jpg.html)

[BMWCurves]

Good luck, hope that works! My father's Miata hasn't had AC since before the day he bought it. Top down is the only AC we've needed.

[theothersawyer]

My A/C has been out for 3 years! But it gets too hot here in GA to not have it! It's supposed to be 88° today and it is only April!

[Hornung418]

My A/C has been out for 3 years! But it gets too hot here in GA to not have it! It's supposed to be 88° today and it is only April!
You need to get clear window tint and put it on everything. The advances in tinting are incredible. Up to 78% heat rejection and 99% UV blocking. Zero decrease in light transparency. Llumar and 3M both have options.

[theothersawyer]

It is always an adventure with this car!

So I got the radiator back from the welder and....IT STILL LEAKS! Jzilla at Road Atlanta is in TWO days and I need this thing working! (You can barely see the coolant dripping down from the weld in this picture)
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/665D0ACA-34B2-4F99-AB36-19074C2EC338_zpsn01dylmz.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/665D0ACA-34B2-4F99-AB36-19074C2EC338_zpsn01dylmz.jpg.html)

Ended up going and buying JB Weld and JB Welding the sh*t out of it to hopefully make it leak free! I went with the putty because it seems to have all the requirements I needed with a very short set time! I don't have 24 hours to wait for the other types of JB to set. It isn't pretty, but it worked perfectly!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/AE17CC70-40B2-427C-B0C7-15F168DBA195_zpswcdnt4bi.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/AE17CC70-40B2-427C-B0C7-15F168DBA195_zpswcdnt4bi.jpg.html)

It said not to touch this stuff with your hands or to inhale any of the dust....I didn't have any gloves so I said screw it and used my hands then immediately smelled it, so if my hands fall off and I die you know why! lol



Turned it on and let it idle for a while and NO DRIPS!!!! Took it out for a spin and I miss this car! The ZHP is a fun car, but this is a damn go kart! Anyways, drove it for a good 30 minutes and drove it HARD! No drips! Also filled it up for the track!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/GaAsSlugger22/FD1BAF3B-D8AB-4510-8B2E-C08B3A812328_zpsswfk6j1c.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/GaAsSlugger22/media/FD1BAF3B-D8AB-4510-8B2E-C08B3A812328_zpsswfk6j1c.jpg.html)

Next project: Paint this thing....maybe.

[theothersawyer]

The car held up like a champ at the track! Radiator managed to stay together and had no leaks!

Road Atlanta is a very fun and exciting track, but deserves every bit of respect you can give it! Lots of places where you can mess up big time! My small victory for the day was: getting the point by from a Lamborghini Huracan! That felt good!

[BMWCurves]

This makes me envious, I haven't driven my father's Miata yet and the weather is top-down stuff for sure.

Glad to hear your radiator job is holding up!

[theothersawyer]

If you lived closer I'd let you take mine and beat the shit out of it! I love letting people drive it, because people immediately fall in love!

[theothersawyer]

My trip to Road Atlanta was a great time! As always James from Jzilla Trackdays put on a wonderful event. I finally got to run this track after attending races for the last 14 years, and after being at multiple track events to shoot pictures! The track deserves every bit of respect that people say it does! It is a ton of fun and can be very safe, but it can also bite you in the ass! Turn 12 is...interesting! You come up over a hill and then drop probably 3 stories off camber with little to no run off room.

Turn 12:
https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7576/26923834053_755dd18b6b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/H2aFRp)IMG_6103 (https://flic.kr/p/H2aFRp) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

Every event I have ever been to at RA the track eats a car. Focus ST one year, $100,000+ GLI race car another, and this time it was a Lotus Elise. A 21 year old kid lifted in turn 12 and hit the outside wall and bounced back into the inside wall. He was taken to the hospital via helicopter, he broke his C4 and needed surgery. He has made huge improvements and is gaining back movement in different parts of his body. This track day family is amazing. Everyone got together and signed a big get well soon card and have been visiting him in the hospital. And in 24 hours they have raised $2,500 towards his medical expenses!

I luckily got one picture of the Lotus before his incident. It was used for his get well soon card.
https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7038/27533718335_ca9a7de86a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/HX4vcD)IMG_6430 (https://flic.kr/p/HX4vcD) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

This happened during his first run group. This makes things a bit scarier for the rest of us. Seeing as I get free 1/2 track days because I photograph the events, so I debated not going out, but then I remembered this happens every event and I have a little bit of track experience under my belt. If I didn't go out I'd regret it! So I went out after lunch and started out easy. As many times as I have been to this track, you'd think that I would know it pretty well! It is a whole different experience being on track. The elevation changes are WAY WAY worse than you think. Forza doesn't even come close to capturing the elevation!

See how small these cars look on this STEEP hill?
https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7115/27257065900_c47bf39e87_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/HwBA55)IMG_6343 (https://flic.kr/p/HwBA55) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr


I was running Novice since it was my first time at RA and since I don't have a ton of experience since I only ever run a half of a day at the events. Even though my run group was a bunch of newbies and I, there were some fast cars! A new Viper, an older Viper, Lamborghini Huracan, and a Z06. All were very intimidating to see in the rear view mirror of my tiny little Miata! I joked that my mission for the day was to pass the Lamborghini! Now the Lamborghini driver was cool, he was out there to just have fun and learn about his car. He didn't have an ego to get in his way! Not your typical rich dude!

https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7034/27257473810_ed6745274f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/HwDFk1)IMG_6417 (https://flic.kr/p/HwDFk1) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

My first session was nice and slow learning the track and getting a feel for it. The track is a blast! The esses are probably my favorite part! Hopping the car over the rumble strip at turn 3 and then going down hill into the next set of esses is a blast! I still have yet to master it, but it is still so much fun! I came in early on my first session because the temperature gauge was moving back and forth. Since I just JB Welded my radiator together two days before the event I figured it was a good idea to come in and check things out. No leaks and it wasn't overheating! Either air in the system or the needle itself is loose since they have been removed before it may have worked itself off a bit.

The Miata looks tiny out there! Obviously this picture wasn't taken by me! lol
https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7003/27551580605_c69828d56c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/HYD42P)IMG_7938 (https://flic.kr/p/HYD42P) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

The second session was way more fun since I was more comfortable and had just ridden with some of the advanced drivers. They made me feel SLOW!! I rode in my buddies Cayman S and another buddies Miata. I have a lot to learn after riding with them! I was really starting to feel it out there! After nailing together a few turns I was clapping and cheering myself on in the car! The back straight is so long and the Miata is so slow that it seemed like ages before I had to hit the brakes for the next turn! The car topped out at 103mph on the back straight! The major difference between the first session and the second session, was in this session I was passing cars!

My buddies Cayman S:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7287/27462365331_24b1096378_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/HQKNrr)IMG_6648 (https://flic.kr/p/HQKNrr) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

I was getting a lot quicker out there and was coming up on some cars and getting the point by! Sometimes people forget how ungodly slow a Miata is in a straight line. So when I got the point by from a Challenger, he didn't lift and I couldn't pass! I was full throttle and was gaining no ground on him! Opportunity missed and I was stuck behind him for a few more turns. The next time a passing zone came up, he gave me the point by again and started pointing erratically. I get it bud, you want me to pass and I am trying to!!! He finally hit the brakes and let me by, never saw him again!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7466/27517150056_6dcb40b2ea_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/HVAA2E)IMG_7943 (https://flic.kr/p/HVAA2E) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

Now was the fun part! The 370z and the Huracan were ahead of me going into the esses! A bit of a conga line ensued and the Huracan was at the front, followed by the 370Z, and then me! Coming out of turn 5 the Huracan let the Z pass, but he had more power through the straights and I wasn't close enough to get the point by. A few laps go by and I continued to be right behind the Huracan! Going through the back straight he was a good bit ahead of me, but I took 10a/10b pretty well and caught some ground. Then on the front straight away I saw his hand come out the window and over the top of the car. I GOT THE POINT BY! I couldn't care less if he was a slow driver or he was having car issues or whatever could have happened. Passing a $200,000 car in the car I picked up for under $3,000 just feels good! Mission accomplished!

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7490/27532791945_3029a8705d_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/HWYKPp)IMG_6226 (https://flic.kr/p/HWYKPp) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

I left the track wanting more and can not wait until the next event at Atlanta Motorsports Park in September!

This got way way longer than I thought! lol

[BMWCurves]

Very cool stuff, Danny! You seem very level-headed and safety-conscious while having fun, the perfect track day mentality. Great pics, btw

[theothersawyer]

I try to stay level headed. Track days are the last place you wanna let your ego or something get in the way! It's also hard to get hot headed when you drive a 100hp Miata! Haha

Thank you! I've been sitting at the computer for hours trying to get all these pictures edited and posted! Had about 450-500 that I uploaded to my Flickr!

[FL116]

Wow! Awesome stuff there Danny. Glad to hear that guy was okay, must have been scary. I'm happy to hear everyone came together to support him. And I have been wanting to go to RA for a while now.

[holyc0w]

Cool stuff. It's one of my favorites to drive in videogames. It has some interesting turns especially with all the elevation changes.

[FL116]

Cool stuff. It's one of my favorites to drive in videogames. It has some interesting turns especially with all the elevation changes.

The elevation changes much more drastically than it seems in games like Forza. My buddy drove there and told me that it is nothing like Forza Motorsport in terms of elevation

[theothersawyer]

Not even close! It's much more dramatic in real life!

[BMWCurves]

The elevation changes much more drastically than it seems in games like Forza. My buddy drove there and told me that it is nothing like Forza Motorsport in terms of elevation

Reminds me of this Top Gear bit on video games vs. real life:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvKKjz0VjAM

[theothersawyer]

Had another event yesterday! First one since March, and I was itching to get out on track! I was driving more aggressively this time than in the past. It just proves I'm getting more comfortable out there and in the car. Still have a ton of room to improve, but it is still so much fun! This car is just incredible!

This event was at Atlanta Motorsports Park. Great technical track designed by Hermann Tilke who has designed F1 tracks!

Here is a video of one of the traffic free laps with my brother-in-law in the passenger seat!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrfx9LNQb8U

Forgot to hit record on the GoPro during the session when the car got loose and I was drifting out towards a Ferarri F355 that had spun. Would have made for a cool video! Oh well!

[theothersawyer]

Found a picture a friend of mine took of my car that day!

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8741/30025737135_8c18df3b17_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MKgKz2)DSC00307 (https://flic.kr/p/MKgKz2) by Robert Brunelle (https://www.flickr.com/photos/102239745@N05/), on Flickr

[san]

Nice one [emoji1303]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[theothersawyer]

Today marks seven years since I bought this wonderful car! Best decision I've ever made!

I also had another track day this past weekend that I'll post about later.

[theothersawyer]

Yesterday I was surprised with one of the coolest and most unexpected gifts I have ever received! Some of the wonderful guys in the Jzilla Track Days (https://www.facebook.com/jzillatrackdays/) group got together and bought this incredible racing seat for me!
All I did was take some pictures of some cars on track and these guys got together and did this for me. I am truly at a loss for words. This group never ceases to amaze me with their generosity and kind hearts. I will now be much safer on track because of it. A few of the people on this list I have never even met, which just blows my mind. So please, at the next event find me and introduce yourself! I would love to meet you and thank you guys personally! This also means you guys get more pictures of your car than everyone else! :p
Now I need to get it all mounted up, but in the meantime I think I'm gonna have to sit in the seat and throw on my helmet and play some Forza! :)
https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/126/31552808675_941f9e4bf6_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Q5doJF)

https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/781/30743599343_7aca671c34_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NQGYZD)

[BMWCurves]

That's awesome! Post pics when you have it installed and your thoughts.

[fredo]

What an amazing surprise ! Nice people, I can tell.

[san]

Awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[theothersawyer]

That's awesome! Post pics when you have it installed and your thoughts.
Will do! Working on figuring out what the best mounting option will be!

What an amazing surprise ! Nice people, I can tell.
The BEST people! I love this group of car guys! The nicest track day people around!

Awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know! I'm super excited!

[theothersawyer]

My friends seem to be extremely generous and I was just given a harness and a sweet Miata hoodie!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/249/31440718272_7dbb86a82c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PUiUaw)

[theothersawyer]

So on the 3rd we went to Savannah for an awesome weekend! We got to drive at a track that doesn't get to be driven on often. Grand Prize of America on Hutchinson Island was crazy! Some of the roads are public streets most of the time, so there are stop signs and street signs on the track, which is hilarious when you blow through a stop sign at 50 miles per hour sideways! There is also a driving range on the inside of the track and a golf course around the outside!

Probably the picture that most sums up this odd track. I knew it was a perfect photo op when these golfers came up to the green, stopped what they were doing and walked trackside to take videos of the track day!

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5817/31309704101_b76bf7f126_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PGJqdv)

Probably one of the coolest cars there in my opinion, and I would love to have one. Viper ACR
https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5676/31463475435_27993839b3_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PWjx5p)

Me and my buddies S2000, it was an interesting ride home when it started to downpour and he has R-Comps on the S2k.
https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5504/31350035691_43c0842889_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PLi8oK)

The stop sign I was referring to earlier
https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5615/31349094341_7574853e1a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PLdiyz)

And a little two wheelin' action! This was an interesting turn. You hit a patch of fresh asphalt just before turn in and it wants to yank your steering wheel to the right towards the guard rail, and then right after you get off of the fresh asphalt you turn in and hit a patch of concrete which is slightly elevated and unsettles the car and then you land down on asphalt again. Such a fun turn!

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5584/31309699771_65119eb8ae_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PGJoVR)

There were a lot of interesting cars there! Always a good group of people too! (They did after all buy me a badass race seat!!)
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5614/30655982433_5c9217f81f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NGXVxg)

[holyc0w]

Nice pictures and pretty cool track with the street sections and what not. I also want one of those Vipers.

[theothersawyer]

I think most of the comments following this post will say something along the lines of: FINALLY!!!!

So I...finally got the seat installed thanks to the help of so many of my incredible friends! I used two peoples brand new trailers before they even got to use them. Had to tow the car to three different places by two different people, had people call in favors for me to get free work done on my car, so many offers to help, and I am just amazed at the people who I surround myself with. Seriously, you guys are awesome! Oh yeah, and on top of all of that a bunch of people pitched in and bought me a racing seat?!?! What? Who has friends that do that? Some of the people I still have never met! I need to find all of you at the next events and shake your hand!

So basically I guess I figured it was going to be easy to put a seat in a miata, and I was super busy with school and work. I finally got some free time like a week before the AMP trackday and that is when I realized this seat was not going to be an easy fit. Had a friend who owns Pullz-on-Tuning cut and weld the trans tunnel for me. Downside to doing the trans tunnel notch, is that the catalytic converter will no longer fit in the car. Well I need to pass emissions and my birthday was around the corner! Something needed to be done about that. Got the car back and attempted to fit the seat again....no luck! It seemed like there was going to need to be an even more aggressive notch cut into the transmission tunnel, which would mean less room for a cat!! Obviously, the car didn't make the event, but I still had a fantastic time as always!

Random pictures I took of the event:
My brother-in-law getting the point by from an E30.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3792/33315164152_2b4c217bde_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SKWVBW)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/694/33315158412_5cc969bbb2_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SKWTUY)
There was a ZHP!!!!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3750/33342860241_df17fff971_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SNoSGH)
He went off a bit, but he was fine!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3878/33471317155_9ed3d7560b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SZKft6)
Mmmm....M2 hiding in the background!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3845/32656905113_662c2a3747_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RKMb9a)

After the event I had a new deadline, get the car done by Miatapalooza! A friend stepped up to help get it done. Turns out we just needed to take a hammer to a small section in the transmission tunnel where it was contacting to make the seat fit. No more cutting and welded needed to make the seat fit! Woo! We did have to cut the door topper to allow the wings on the seat to fit inside the door. The wings on this seat are HUGE! The wings were the main issue for fitting this seat in a Miata.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2922/33786249142_fd53148e84_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TtzmLW)

The next step was working on the exhaust. Decided that the best route to take was going to be cutting the flanges and turning them 90* to get the cat in its narrowest position so it'll clear the notch we made. Thankfully that worked and the car was finally up and running! Now that the It may have taken awhile but we got it done.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3941/33099871464_9ac17f8868_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SqVuB3)

Now it was time to pass emissions! The car ended up failing because I forgot I had advanced the timing, and the cat on the car was a smaller high flow cat we used to fit. No problem, take the car back home and retard the timing and go back, right? Failed again! WTF? I need this done today (day before my birthday and the day I'm supposed to leave for Miatapalooza!) I ended up passing the first part of the test but failed the second, so it did improve but not enough! The guy at the emissions place was cool as hell. He ended up running a different test made for cars that can't get traction on the rollers. 30 seconds in neutral at 2500 rpm and 30 seconds at idle. Passed with flying colors!!

Miatapalooza time!!!!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2836/33068121523_1df0c4ba28_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/So7Lsg)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3840/33840411366_ecb6316e7a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TymXjo)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2924/33130032063_5523e8bb5f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/StA5in)
The race car, the daily, and my sisters turd.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3804/33130038143_d9fe776c6b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/StA77c)

So the drive down to Tampa was a great time to test out a new seat, right? 7 hours there, and 7 hours back! This thing is so comfortable! I did get sore after a while, but that happened in the stock seat too. The most amazing thing was fitting in the car with the top up and not hitting my head on the soft top! My hair used to graze the soft top and it was so annoying. Now I can sit up as tall as I possibly can and my head never touches! I CANNOT wait until the next event to try this thing out on the track! It is going to be fantastic!!!

[theothersawyer]

My friend had this Axis Power Racing carbon fiber duckbill trunk left over from his Miata build so we decided to see what it looks like on my car....I don't want to take it off!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4277/35717416391_5b026282ba_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Wqe6vZ)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4261/35009178954_3eeb61a75b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VkDccG)

I have a bit of preparation to do before I drive the car to Charlotte for a track day, but the car should be ready to go soon.

[fredo]

That's good, man. Looks like the paint matches nicely. :thumbup

[theothersawyer]

That's good, man. Looks like the paint matches nicely. :thumbup

The camera makes the paint look so shiny, but this car is in desperate need of a repaint!

[theothersawyer]

Charlotte Motor Speedway was a BLAST! I finally met Anthony (tsingson) in person! Great to meet you again! The car did really well as always! The ~4 hour drive to Charlotte was uneventful. The lack of cold A/C was killing me. I took out almost all of the heat insulation on the drivers side of the transmission tunnel to get the racing seat to fit, so it gets pretty hot in there. That needs to change!

Preparing to go out on track! Thanks to Kevin of Exomotive for the photo!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4292/36108494032_ded3e2ae3e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X1MtgW)Exomotive Exocets at Charlotte Motor Speedway (https://flic.kr/p/X1MtgW) by KevinPatrick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/thekevinpatrick/), on Flickr

Here are a few laps of the track at night!

https://youtu.be/39sExTGhLq0

And a few photos I took of the event!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4294/35439042114_b3b81c1bbc_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VZCmxu)IMG_8717 (https://flic.kr/p/VZCmxu) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4292/36273208695_7074b12758_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XgkFcV)IMG_7058 (https://flic.kr/p/XgkFcV) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4299/35468924603_1416957444_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/W3gvyP)IMG_8394 (https://flic.kr/p/W3gvyP) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4313/35879121560_14b76706e5_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WEvSQ9)IMG_7581 (https://flic.kr/p/WEvSQ9) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4298/35440575824_7860d6496f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VZLdsL)IMG_7110 (https://flic.kr/p/VZLdsL) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4310/35906329090_0910d11984_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WGVjFu)IMG_8707 (https://flic.kr/p/WGVjFu) by Danny Sawyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/50481382@N04/), on Flickr

Wish I got more track time, but splitting the day up between photos and tracking gets difficult! The new seat and harness set up is fantastic though! Holds me nice and tight and I could tell I was pushing the car harder and was more confident!

[BMWCurves]

Forgot about this thread. Looking good! What speed do you top out at there?

[theothersawyer]

I hit about 110 crossing the start finish line then immediately on the brakes to go into turn 1! Going around the banking at 100mph was awesome!

[theothersawyer]

Hellcat vs. Miata on the banking...I lost!


https://youtu.be/QtJVyJhlOgQ

[theothersawyer]

Forgot to post these here! Some great photos of my car by Devin Hultgren. Charlotte was one of the cooler tracks I have driven. That has a lot to do with the fact that we drove it at night! Such a cool experience! There was a weird time at twilight when the lights didn't really do much, but it was too dark to not have lights. The track became so different and I had to relearn the track all over again!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4433/36788609231_9e8bc13359_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Y3TeQ4)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4434/36928331485_341d8caaed_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Ygemor)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4403/36120317493_2957b82dea_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X2Q4YH)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4351/36120239353_b039083c20_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X2PEKt)

[holyc0w]

Nice :thumbup

[san]

Very cool


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[704sw]

Great shots. I'm getting pretty excited about the NB Miata I'm purchasing next year from a relative.

[theothersawyer]

Great shots. I'm getting pretty excited about the NB Miata I'm purchasing next year from a relative.

You should be! They are awesome! I don't even know how to explain it either. I have a fantastic daily with the ZHP, but it still is nowhere near as fun to drive as the Miata. The Miata spoils you and makes everything else feel like a Camry. Feel free to contact me about any Miata related questions you may have!

[704sw]

You should be! They are awesome! I don't even know how to explain it either. I have a fantastic daily with the ZHP, but it still is nowhere near as fun to drive as the Miata. The Miata spoils you and makes everything else feel like a Camry. Feel free to contact me about any Miata related questions you may have!

This NB is a 2005 with only 55k on the clock. It's their 3rd car, and just sits in the garage at this point. I think they want one more summer with it, so I've got about 12 months to let the anticipation build.

It's red over tan (not my first choice), but I know it's only been dealer-serviced, and probably never gone above 5k RPM. Lots of life left in it.

[theothersawyer]

A Miata with under 100k is becoming harder to find these days! 55k is a baby! Mine has 226,000 and I still drive it 6 hours away for a track day and then drive it home! You’ll love it!

[theothersawyer]

Had another great track day with Jzilla trackdays on Friday! There were some cool cars there!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4500/37398106975_046f9ac2c5_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YYK5gR)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4483/37208355656_75fe2f3e60_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YFYxPo)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4430/37397832825_d0563c7776_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YYHEM8)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4514/37226473572_e0e1834735_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YHzpDf)
No pictures of my car...yet, but that's what happens when you are the one taking the pictures! :D

And a video of one of my laps! Chasing down another NA! My all-season tires are really holding me back! haha

https://youtu.be/KJSxP3qTmOU

[san]

Didn't know people took the Mazda 2 to a track...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[704sw]

Didn't know people took the Mazda 2 to a track...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had the same thought.

[holyc0w]

That seems pretty fun.

[theothersawyer]

Didn't know people took the Mazda 2 to a track...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I had the same thought.

That guy is fast as hell! He runs in the advanced group and he passes cars with way way more power! All that is done is wheels, tires, suspension and brake pads. He is seriously quick, and so fun to watch!

[theothersawyer]

For example...
https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/22007555_10212645026034166_6712165039454844107_n.j pg?oh=0829b6dca3599e5830c7a2ac9175f238&oe=5A3C1228

[704sw]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.

And I love it.

[slater]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.

And I love it.

same. that's awesome! go mazda2 guy!

[theothersawyer]

Last Sunday I had another track day at Atlanta Motorsport Park. It was an appreciation event, so I didn't have to take pictures...I still managed to take 1000 photos somehow. But my friend let me borrow his RE71's so I could use some stickier tires and not have to deal with those all-seasons again. All I have to say is....I'M HOOKED!!! I'm gonna need some nice tires for next season for sure.

I also borrowed my friends AIM SOLO to get some proper timing and data. That thing is cool! And between the new tires and the new seat/harness, I was able to cut 6.5 seconds off my previous best time at AMP! I still have a ton of time to make up, but having grip was something I wasn't used to!

A huge thank you to my friend for these awesome photos of me on track!!
Here is a photo of me getting passed by two Miatas! :D
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4460/26214791209_f9ec7683b3_c.jpg
And here you can see how low my catalytic converter sits now. It had to be flipped 90* to clearance the notch for the seat.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4455/37990526401_7402888151_c.jpg

I need to get a race seat for the passenger side now, as you can see my dads head sticking up over the roll bar.

And here is a video of my best lap!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cm3ISfnK_w

[theothersawyer]

8 years since I bought this car!!! Happy Anniversary! <3

[san]

Happy anniversary Danny!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[theothersawyer]

Thank you! Drove her yesterday about 130 miles! Still love this car just as much as the day I bought her!

[704sw]

You can’t out-Miata the Miata. Congrats.

[theothersawyer]

My car is famous! This video is a background story of how the group I run with got started. The thumbnail and many of the photos throughout the video are my photos. And then my car makes a cameo at 6:39 in the video!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL_c_4sdfXE&t=2s

[theothersawyer]

Getting prepared for the first track day of the season on Sunday. At the last event I realized my brakes were feeling not so good. I was still running ATE Super Blue, so it has been in there a while. Time to change that! Got some ATE TYP200 and flushed it! Thanks to a friend for the help and for adjusting the belts!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/806/39024096420_33efd9ec1f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/22sqGhC)
Then I picked up some tires. My brother-in-law had some Nitto NT01's he was selling. Only one track day on them and he sold them to me for a good price. Yes please!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/784/39024096410_ce981987fd_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/22sqGhs)
Mmmmm...nice and sticky!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/810/40792291202_ccbfc63b6a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/259F9Zy)
Also changed the oil and gave it a bath. I'm now ready for the weekend! Car should be much better now! Hoping for some much improved times, but GPS signal isn't very good at AMP from the cell phone. Debating on renting or buying an AIM SOLO to use, but the new one is out and its selling out faster then they can get them in. Decisions decisions...It'll be good to see some old friends and to make some new ones this weekend!

[theothersawyer]

Had the season opener with Jzilla Trackdays at Atlanta Motorsports Park. The "Death of Winter" event as they call it. Always an amazing time! Car was great! I was running back to back sessions, so 40 minutes straight on track with a car that has 230,000 miles on it. It was flawless!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/974/27068370067_727784658d_c.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/971/27068370227_a6c7f84650_c.jpg

I got to take my dad around the track one last time before my parents moved to Michigan. He's the one that got me into cars, so it was nice to take him around!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/912/40131016170_8b850751d9_c.jpg

So the NT01's were INCREDIBLE! I'm hooked! Downside is, I have no data to prove they were faster, or that I'm improving as a driver. Time to change that!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/823/40131017420_d2bfffd306_c.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/863/41893883942_3e2d508f13_c.jpg

I turned 25 a few weeks ago, so naturally that means emissions time...This car only passed last year, because the emissions guy helped me out big time. I was worried, but this was the last time this car will ever need an emissions test. Just pass this once, please! Retarded the timing and headed to the test. This guy didn't want to run the test, because my car was too low...I had to turn the cat 90* to get it to fit with the seat. So its the lowest part of the car. He was afraid it would hit the ground when he dropped the rollers. I wasn't, run the damn test! He struggled to get into the car, due to the height and the race seat. Sorry, bud! He was a very by the book kind of guy, this wasn't looking good for the car.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/981/40131013930_bfb29be4c3_c.jpg

Thankfully retarding the timing did the trick, and it passed...barely! Passed on NOx by less than 100ppm. Phew! Never have to do that again!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/911/27068371237_23511b045d_c.jpg

I have a really big hole in my top, so my friend let me borrow his hardtop. I need one now!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/863/40131014180_bc72793501_c.jpg

Last weekend I also got the chance to drive an Exocet for an extended period of time...WOW are they fun! It was turbo'd. Weighed 1600lbs and had 210hp! If anything ever happens to my car, this will be the next step.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/971/28066861738_847e92983e_c.jpg

[BMWCurves]

Great update! That's impressive that it's running smoothly at 230k

[704sw]

Awesome you got to take your dad out again before they move. My parents would have a heart attack if they went for a ridealong.

[theothersawyer]

Great update! That's impressive that it's running smoothly at 230k
It’s running stronger than ever! It’s still pushing a whopping 107hp to the wheels! I was expecting it to be double digits when I dyno’d it a few years back!


Awesome you got to take your dad out again before they move. My parents would have a heart attack if they went for a ridealong.
My dad rides with me almost every event, but it was nice to get one in just before he left. My mom was going to ride with me, which she’s never done and too scared to do. But since she was moving she was going to do it! Unfortunately she had to watch my niece and sister since they got sick that day.

[theothersawyer]

Two weeks ago I went to Road Atlanta for the Esses of Summer with Jzilla Trackdays. What an event as always! My first time at Road Atlanta with some real tires. Last time I had all season Neo Gens. Good tire for the street, but not so much for the track. Now I was on NT01's, which is quite the jump! I love these tires! I was taking turn 1 20mph faster than before! Turn 12 I took flat for the first time, but my butt was puckered the entire time!

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1785/42107899944_7bf2dc6df9_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/279VZCU)
My friend brought out his Datsun race truck, but unfortunately it broke down on the second lap of the day. So I let him drive my Miata. He has an NB, so I wasn't worried. My car was doing double and even triple time when I did back to back sessions. The car was on track for 60 minutes straight without an issue! It has 230,000 miles on it!

First time using my AIM Solo, and it was incredible! My previous best time at RA (based on GoPro footage) was a 2:09. This time I ran a 1:58.1! I definitely had a 1:57 or maybe a 1:56 in me, but I couldn't get clean laps and ran out of gas. Nothing broke, and the car was doing great. Good time to head home. It was also HHHHOOOOTTT outside, so that didn't help.

Thanks to ChadbeePhotography for the awesome photos!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/918/42193675245_30acb00a5a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27hvBDp)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1807/42379771654_77c357d695_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27yXpCb)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/839/42379772774_eb7e2396fe_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27yXpXu)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/918/42379769714_ae66b8018b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27yXp3J)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1822/29226065178_5c672899e8_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LwBdXu)

And since my friend was driving my car, I got to take photos of my own car!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1762/42864529532_a45d47c519_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28iMVfC)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1806/42864444272_456f3bacd8_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28iMtUC)

[theothersawyer]

Next event is Charlotte Motor Speedway. All of you Charlotte people are welcome to come hang out and I’ll give ride alongs. Bring a helmet!

[704sw]

Do you have intakes where the indicators used to be?

And I’ll definitely come out for your trip to the Roval. I’m driving it with Track Night in America in a couple weeks.

[theothersawyer]

Yeah they are “turn signal intakes” a pretty common mod for Miatas, because it looks cool and lowers engine temps.

Can’t wait to meet you, and drive the Roval again!

[theothersawyer]

This one has been a long time coming, but it makes me a bit sad. I feel like the Autokonexion bumper on my car has always made it unique. The only time I've ever seen another person with this bumper was at Miatapalooza on one of V8Roadster's cars.

I loved this bumper. When the bumper first came out, I was in high school and I was broke. There was no way I was every going to be able to afford one, but I set one of the renderings of the bumper as the background on my phone as motivation to somehow make it happen. One of the members on the local forum bought one well he decided to go a different direction and wanted a stock bumper! This was perfect! So I traded my stock bumper for his Autokonexion Adore NA/NC bumper! Fantastic!

So I traded my bumper plus cash for his Autokonexion bumper! I now had the bumper I dreamed of, but no money to paint it! I drove around for a very long time like this...
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1826/29290113418_21f489427b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LCgugu)

Eventually I saved up enough money to get it painted.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1810/43111556792_73b37e43d8_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28FBZRj)

Painted the lower portion black.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1789/42443051094_f017800fb0_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27ExJp1)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1821/29290113218_4ae824d5fe_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LCgud3)

Ended up hitting a tire tread and broke the lower portion. You can sort of see it here next to my sisters old car.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1801/42443052244_63b30205c6_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27ExJJQ)

I then cut out the entire lower portion since it was broken.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/917/42443051204_ba1351e54d_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27ExJqU)

Added fog lights! The mounting was interesting, since the bumper didn't have all the nice stock mounting points that the NC bumper has for the fogs.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1821/42443051504_78cef53207_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27ExJw5)

I ended up hitting ANOTHER tire tread (probably the 3rd or 4th one by this time) and it caused the fog light to pop out. I never got around to fixing it, since it never wanted to fit right again after that.

Then this is the most recent photos with the bumper still on from the recent track day.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1806/42864444272_456f3bacd8_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28iMtUC)

As you can see the bumper had seen some damage from rock chips and tire treads over the years. It looks decent in that last picture because I literally spray painted the bumper before the track day, just so you couldn't see the rock chips in the photos! :D

After the track day I went to Miatastuff's (Somehow my first ever purchase from him after all these years!!) and picked up a nice stock red bumper. Also picked up the bumper support, air guide, hardware, and mounting points. All things I haven't had on this bumper.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/840/28183881727_baeda4b482_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JWvL8i)U (https://flic.kr/p/JWvL8i)

Here is the damage the bumper had seen over the years.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1824/42150488755_a148bbb5db_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27dGgNK)

Notice that wonderful spray painting? :P
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1784/42150488945_5150bd02cd_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27dGgS2)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1761/28183881647_b0fe08656f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JWvL6V)
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1761/28183881647_b0fe08656f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JWvL6V)

Also added this nice LRB Speed undertray since I now had stock mounting points again! First time running an undertray in like 6 years.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/845/29180732748_a68894d2cf_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LsATcS)

And very very stock now...It is actually growing on me a lot! The Home Depot lip wont be on long. I plan on doing an R-Package lip with a splitter and turn buckles.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/919/43002553422_308a31f986_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28vZjWS)

I'm slightly sad about it, but at the same time I'm not. It is definitely for the better, and the looks are really growing on me! I'll make it look more aggressive soon!

[704sw]

-Sister
-Lava Orange MSM

Go on...


All kidding aside, that was quite the update. It sucks it took a beating, but that’s unfortunately bound to happen on the track and highway. That’s a big reason I don’t plan on tracking this ZHP much longer. Maybe another E46, still keeping my uncle’s NB1 on the list, not sure yet.

The more I get into Miatas the more the NA front bumper grows on me. I’m an NB guy, but I’ve seen some pretty aggressive looking NAs, so I’m looking forward to where this car goes.

[theothersawyer]

-Sister
-Lava Orange MSM

Go on...


All kidding aside, that was quite the update. It sucks it took a beating, but that’s unfortunately bound to happen on the track and highway. That’s a big reason I don’t plan on tracking this ZHP much longer. Maybe another E46, still keeping my uncle’s NB1 on the list, not sure yet.

The more I get into Miatas the more the NA front bumper grows on me. I’m an NB guy, but I’ve seen some pretty aggressive looking NAs, so I’m looking forward to where this car goes.

Hahaha! She's had some great cars! She's married though, sorry! :D

-NB Miata
-Mazdaspeed Miata (sold it to buy a house)
-Protege 5
-Jetta TDI Cup Edition
-BMW 135is (sold it due to having a baby)
-Acura TSX Wagon ( Current car, possibly selling because she has another baby on the way)

NB's are great! Just get your uncles NB1 and track that. It'll be the best decision you've ever made! Seriously!

[704sw]

Hahaha! She's had some great cars! She's married though, sorry! :D

-NB Miata
-Mazdaspeed Miata (sold it to buy a house)
-Protege 5
-Jetta TDI Cup Edition
-BMW 135is (sold it due to having a baby)
-Acura TSX Wagon ( Current car, possibly selling because she has another baby on the way)

NB's are great! Just get your uncles NB1 and track that. It'll be the best decision you've ever made! Seriously!

Dang, that is a good list! I’d love a 135is, but I’m realizing my future car/dream car list is almost entirely as old/older than the ZHP.

I’m not 100% if his NB has an LSD or not—from what I’ve read his year is right around when then started being optional, but that would make the decision pretty easy if it does. Plus the consumables are laughably inexpensive. Just needs a hardtop, and some RPF1s lol.

[theothersawyer]

Like you said, parts are cheap! You could swap an LSD in even if it doesn’t have one!

[theothersawyer]

This weekend was one of the best I've had in a while! Drove the car to Charlotte for track day on the Roval. I drove it last year, but the layout was different this year. They added two chicanes on the straights. They ended up being some of my favorite turns! At first I hated the one on the front straight, but it ended up being super fun!

Spenser (704SW) came out to hang out for the day. Great to meet you, sir! He rode along with me on track most of the day. His ZHP is so clean!! I love the Estoril and the yellow brake calipers! Such a beautiful car!

At first the front chicane was difficult for me to get right. It was a struggle, but I seemed to have it figured out at the end of the day! I cut the corner a bit too much one lap and the car launched onto two wheels. All I could hear was Spenser busting out laughing from the passenger seat! I then did it on purpose every lap after that because it was so much fun! If I was in the ZHP the subframe would definitely just disintegrate!

I'll add more details and pictures later once they all start getting posted by everyone in a few days!

[704sw]

Very nice meeting you, too. That little NA is a blast, and two-wheeling was quite entertaining. I'm definitely looking forward to driving with you guys later this year.

I'll let you know when I go through all of the pictures, and probably just send you a Dropbox link to use at your leisure. In the meantime, I'll leave a picture of this fire-spitting beast...

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/854/41933771810_59e56fd283_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/26TxxpG)DSW_6218 (https://flic.kr/p/26TxxpG) by Spenser W (https://www.flickr.com/photos/153940533@N04/), on Flickr

[BMWCurves]

Is...is that a hardtop fastback NA Miata?

[theothersawyer]

That photo came out awesome!!

Yes it is! A mint green fastback Turbo Miata! He was flying out there too! He ran a 1:33!

[theothersawyer]

Alright, I'm sitting in a hotel in Dayton Ohio for work, so this is the perfect time to update this thread. I have nothing else to do!


So a few weeks back I went out to Charlotte Motor Speedway to drive the Roval. Since the last time I was there, they added two chicanes. One on the front straight and one on the back straight. They were extremely fun! The front straight was a bit challenging at first, but once I got it figured it out was awesome!

Spenser came out and rode along most of the day! I hope you learned something or at the very least just enjoyed yourself! Thanks for coming out and it was great to meet you!

Random rolling shot I took of my brother-in-laws Raptor on the way to Charlotte. It was a struggle to take this shot. I was basically taking a selfie with a DSLR while driving 70mph....not advised, but the road was empty and I had everything under control!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/928/29814239438_3c8e90448c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MqzLF1)

On to pictures! Thanks to Tradd's Photos for the shots!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/937/42197089110_d4c14c8f1f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27hP7t9)

I need to change up that front lip, but it works for now!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1817/42197089660_6530dc2da3_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27hP7CC)

Money shot!!!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1831/42197091190_47d9366356_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27hP861)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1839/42197091350_5b89e6fed4_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27hP88L)

Night time!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/935/42197090840_a938b12344_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27hP7YY)

I still need to upload my GoPro footage, I haven't even looked at it yet! Hopefully I have the footage of Spenser laughing like a little girl when I went on two wheels! The GoPro may have died by then though! :(

Charlotte was on a Saturday and then I went to Atlanta Motorsports Park on that Thursday! It was....wet!!!
I don't have any pictures of my car on track, but I have some photos I took of everyone else!

This event was a Miata event for everyone going to the Miatas at the Gap.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1818/43805006572_324c263357_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/29JU7j1)

My brother-in-law saying "hello"
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1836/43917234991_ce75e88422_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/29UPiUK)

The boss mans car! (This is James car, he is the Jzilla in Jzilla Trackdays!) This livery is inspired by a BMW M1!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1795/42146710620_9d9192d4be_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27dmUGu)

I want to build an Exocet one day!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1813/29017477847_97f061b5c0_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Ldbadc)

It was slightly wet!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1820/42146957080_29865f6b58_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27doaXN)

Videos will come later whenever I decide to go through them! I love taking GoPro footage, but hate going through it!