tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125307552024-03-08T15:26:30.163-05:00Morrison's GarageBuilding on a tradition of over 70 years of Morrison men playing with cars.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-40266201514274521262023-04-26T14:29:00.001-04:002023-04-26T14:29:22.010-04:00Installing a modern stereo in the old Miata for Apple CarPlay<p>Hey! Long time no post! Yes, I'm still here - alive and kicking, and the Miata sometimes gets a little attention. Nowadays it's garaged 600 miles away from my main digs and I only get to see it a few months of the year, but when I am with it, the magic is still there. I actually drive it more miles per year than I did for the last five years before I got it painted and fixed it up.</p>
<p>Anyhoo, when I'm at our place in Florida, I get really bored and need things to do, because...well, just because. So last year I decided I would update the technology stack inside the Miata from 1990 tech to 2022 tech. In our other car, we have Apple CarPlay from the factory and we do use it quite a bit for navigation and streaming music and podcasts. So I figured that'd be a nice upgrade for the Miata, even though I never take it on long trips. I still need navigation around town sometimes and well... see above - I was bored. So the pictures here in this blog post show what I did. It's a Pioneer DMH-W2770NEX. It is pretty no-frills, actually. It just has basic stereo receiver, bluetooth, and wireless CarPlay functions (Android Auto, too but I don't use that).</p>
<p>As I am a terrible documentarian, these photos are a bit jumbled and not very well conceived. BUT they do sort of show what I did so let's just go with it. I was able to use the factory stereo bracket to mount this unit. That was just luck. So I didn't need any sort of adapter
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9E-m2v0p3I4rRaJanoAWhPlYSwRo0zR4t6vxEouFKTHajQ_vOuoYwEuqb2BmpeNpsAWlJewiPeTA0wgHC0OzGIAvgqp1UF7bUSmrxexlN9tMxHS-HxYkpbSmGzfuvJRuyux1zK0zAXHIfocjfRpteOwr0Z3QIF2b6KFw0onupoP3w66Lp9Y/s4032/IMG_0189.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9E-m2v0p3I4rRaJanoAWhPlYSwRo0zR4t6vxEouFKTHajQ_vOuoYwEuqb2BmpeNpsAWlJewiPeTA0wgHC0OzGIAvgqp1UF7bUSmrxexlN9tMxHS-HxYkpbSmGzfuvJRuyux1zK0zAXHIfocjfRpteOwr0Z3QIF2b6KFw0onupoP3w66Lp9Y/s600/IMG_0189.jpeg"/></a><p>As you can see, the NA Miata's stereo mount opening is not really double-din. It's a bit taller so there's a gap under the stereo unit. The following pics show how I dealt with that. For transparency, I didn't dream this up on my own. I found a YouTube video and just copied what they did.</p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_XaSex-JUEoH8Q3V5VtGUwc68F6G9_gS03bzDRBbO1jpNyDWOZY7G0Wt-gWRj-9R0BZYmrxpV9REpfqqhwxJDFYGFkwhT9F5w5WwmxGMF8Jl6xpf2wCWRGb896I-BtaPqoz5AOqKt4YcAXgx2pOHIl4OCdKVtXATu6eARVkysCcnA3VkUufw/s4032/IMG_0923.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_XaSex-JUEoH8Q3V5VtGUwc68F6G9_gS03bzDRBbO1jpNyDWOZY7G0Wt-gWRj-9R0BZYmrxpV9REpfqqhwxJDFYGFkwhT9F5w5WwmxGMF8Jl6xpf2wCWRGb896I-BtaPqoz5AOqKt4YcAXgx2pOHIl4OCdKVtXATu6eARVkysCcnA3VkUufw/s600/IMG_0923.jpeg"/></a><p>I fashioned some little brackets from aluminum stock to attach to the factory bracket, and a faceplate filler from some bigger stock Plasti-dipped for color. I bought some small cap head screws with washers and bolts to hold it all together and there you go. You can see how the factory bracket isn't really a perfect fit for this stereo, but I was able to get one bolt in a good hole, and two others were a little off but overlapped the bracket just enough to get a hold on it. It's actually quite solid and I'm really glad I didn't have use some stupid adapter kit.</p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sPSzbgUuY51lecDDa1tPKyaRw6p56orPp4FMgD47BMUvDqe_AzEQ8AujrO3e5iDU3dWLk_9Y1AH4k7UUdctPViqJ4lVl1-o26dtlhrriQkUPdFeu6-4hYDXp0yIWn3wRxahhY4Nrfj5aawQ3eYTPzOvPYd2ggJtcYecvPEyAvbsuKQVr580/s4032/IMG_0921.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sPSzbgUuY51lecDDa1tPKyaRw6p56orPp4FMgD47BMUvDqe_AzEQ8AujrO3e5iDU3dWLk_9Y1AH4k7UUdctPViqJ4lVl1-o26dtlhrriQkUPdFeu6-4hYDXp0yIWn3wRxahhY4Nrfj5aawQ3eYTPzOvPYd2ggJtcYecvPEyAvbsuKQVr580/s600/IMG_0921.jpeg"/></a><p>Above, another pretty good view of the three machine screws holding the unit to the factory bracket.</p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepIXMXhimmF3v8r-1LsD0Nk2oalm53lsr8d3Pp4BO8VPPbIRDRoKQfshNNKKQ2q2e86a_rQN-0ttt_ZlDHLCHYlEbBw5dPx8X8MFJgIBxzodc93GuT5Dl4odtPKkX5E0mgzZ3BtBf-3v_Ic5peJsJYZCmHPXs4IqGQaiPzxdj7FNC4rz9E0Q/s4032/IMG_0922.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepIXMXhimmF3v8r-1LsD0Nk2oalm53lsr8d3Pp4BO8VPPbIRDRoKQfshNNKKQ2q2e86a_rQN-0ttt_ZlDHLCHYlEbBw5dPx8X8MFJgIBxzodc93GuT5Dl4odtPKkX5E0mgzZ3BtBf-3v_Ic5peJsJYZCmHPXs4IqGQaiPzxdj7FNC4rz9E0Q/s600/IMG_0922.jpeg"/></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSIXcWXPRam1Co1WjTj4AcN6llHJBtAa2LJXbSnzOXo3cDBm0qolXeoGeUefstOsE9KRzbtcaKDftmbaopnoGpTTtdCmmSZeBL0GZ_p1l5ylO3Z369o2FjsrxAEDvyL3GwiNNDjV3UiGLxiKhaKaCLsiBbeYYyp8rMBkLqH6DSwe7jXgLHo0/s4032/IMG_0920.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSIXcWXPRam1Co1WjTj4AcN6llHJBtAa2LJXbSnzOXo3cDBm0qolXeoGeUefstOsE9KRzbtcaKDftmbaopnoGpTTtdCmmSZeBL0GZ_p1l5ylO3Z369o2FjsrxAEDvyL3GwiNNDjV3UiGLxiKhaKaCLsiBbeYYyp8rMBkLqH6DSwe7jXgLHo0/s600/IMG_0920.jpeg"/></a><p>The cap head machine screws with a washer actually look pretty factory. I like it when things don't look too janky. I mean a little janky is ok, but not TOO janky.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGTxAtVwYX6pWj5uuxusb_H6JAZxDeEEO9QMiqs8InAdUFHq_DJDh1c8HbvDOih6KwDNP7PQ9H_KyBh4TLEJJ7WEJk_qzMln_lLzUxBCe-YvpqlBkrlja7kyZmbbip3UFv5IZBxaBc9Xq4jF9wH2VfL11YReCqZkePc99TMhc3VkdoqsNAvA/s4032/IMG_0977.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGTxAtVwYX6pWj5uuxusb_H6JAZxDeEEO9QMiqs8InAdUFHq_DJDh1c8HbvDOih6KwDNP7PQ9H_KyBh4TLEJJ7WEJk_qzMln_lLzUxBCe-YvpqlBkrlja7kyZmbbip3UFv5IZBxaBc9Xq4jF9wH2VfL11YReCqZkePc99TMhc3VkdoqsNAvA/s600/IMG_0977.jpeg"/></a><p>Hey, here you can see the Coco mats.</p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYyxjMnshlyOWxrCcmoohZ7r47aIEkVNpP_-4WvRJIKt5vFPgPDZ97PlBWQ78-MYos5ZUl-yh1jdmdfaKDGJkZ2F8O-Hk9YxtCWWGBnWh6-RsI4nvjkXsaGoSbun_W-ItlywWaEATjF4LNxsNaEg3RflohaOYTBy81vQppDPhkmjWRcb0BdM/s4032/IMG_0979.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYyxjMnshlyOWxrCcmoohZ7r47aIEkVNpP_-4WvRJIKt5vFPgPDZ97PlBWQ78-MYos5ZUl-yh1jdmdfaKDGJkZ2F8O-Hk9YxtCWWGBnWh6-RsI4nvjkXsaGoSbun_W-ItlywWaEATjF4LNxsNaEg3RflohaOYTBy81vQppDPhkmjWRcb0BdM/s600/IMG_0979.jpeg"/></a><p>Yeah... it's a little janky.</p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ADB9sj8GnglePmQgovhekjcKJNcuuANIJdQfyKb4LsXFL7SlX8k44ky56O8wHkq5HjkQCm1UseD5qU5VySKspvvZLSMjKkwesHSftjJEAxVg9Qz93m2aEuEg-lDquAX19UhRADTw4o8-Iygqg1HQUfS9tziYPrjFzPfKY6CAusvsWre6EFs/s4032/IMG_0982.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ADB9sj8GnglePmQgovhekjcKJNcuuANIJdQfyKb4LsXFL7SlX8k44ky56O8wHkq5HjkQCm1UseD5qU5VySKspvvZLSMjKkwesHSftjJEAxVg9Qz93m2aEuEg-lDquAX19UhRADTw4o8-Iygqg1HQUfS9tziYPrjFzPfKY6CAusvsWre6EFs/s600/IMG_0982.jpeg"/></a><p>It's not perfect and I marred the plasti-dip finish a little when installing it, but it's perfectly acceptable.</p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMh2tIBOc--dhsFhW2Xg3p_c7F_-RQ653oS-PijRZaQZUFq-B1jYlLCRHdfsFp-JIIEIFmpgjvisdMTH-F6ekaeNuYBceySJ8Dl6AoVA_Ycusqf0t31gAFhc_hIc5uyQKj59avD33dRYj9rM6kd-Wzk51q0nmHbTrn-umUJUzMmnBU2v4XwUE/s4032/IMG_0985.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMh2tIBOc--dhsFhW2Xg3p_c7F_-RQ653oS-PijRZaQZUFq-B1jYlLCRHdfsFp-JIIEIFmpgjvisdMTH-F6ekaeNuYBceySJ8Dl6AoVA_Ycusqf0t31gAFhc_hIc5uyQKj59avD33dRYj9rM6kd-Wzk51q0nmHbTrn-umUJUzMmnBU2v4XwUE/s600/IMG_0985.jpeg"/></a><p>It pretty much looks like it belongs there, so I'm happy.</div>
<p>Once this was in, I thought it sometimes sounded fine, and other times sounded pretty bad, so I opted to replace the 25 year old Pioneer door speakers with some slightly larger (6.5 inch) Kenwood speakers. It improved the sound a bit, but it's still pretty sad. I've found that when streaming audio from Apple Music to this unit, sometimes it sounds really crappy! If I'm playing songs stored directly on my phone it's quite a bit better. So I'm not sure why but it seems like sometimes the streaming quality drops. My phone is a current model iPhone so maybe it's the wireless CarPlay connection. I'll try it wired and see if it makes a difference, but in any case, I think this stereo would benefit greatly from an amp and maybe a small sub. It's not a big priority for me since I don't really need to listen to music in this car, but maybe the next time I'm bored and need something to do I'll address it.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-85495989414721946652021-07-17T16:23:00.001-04:002021-07-17T16:27:34.782-04:00A Drive on the Foothills Parkway in the Miata<p>Just a few photos I took yesterday from a drive out in the mountains. With everything we've had going on all spring this was the first time I've gotten this car out for a real drive since I finished the suspension work and got the new wheels and tires, which was already most of a year ago. It sat in storage for six months. I know that's a crime, and I won't let it happen again. The car felt great! The new Flyin' Miata VMAXX suspension works perfectly on these mountain roads, and the Conti tires on the Enkei RPF-1 wheels give prodigious grip.</p>
<p>I did have to sort of get used to this car again. Most of my driving in the last 18 months has been in our 2019 CX-5 Signature, which, while an SUV, has a TON more horsepower and torque than the Miata, and in a real testament to where Mazda is today, refinement you'd expect in a Porsche or Mercedes. When I wasn't driving the CX-5 I was driving my Cayman, which is also incredibly faster than the Miata, and bolted together like a German tank. So, at first the Miata felt slow. And loud. And unrefined. And, well... kinda dopey. Once I hit those mountain roads, though, and retrained myself to keep the engine in the power band, and the car got a few miles under its belt, it started to come alive and open up to me. I started to feel that magic again. I haven't felt it in this car in several years, but the work I put into it last year has really paid off. The magic is still there. Those old familiar sensations were still there. This car has been a part of me for almost 25 years. </p>
<p>On this particular drive the odometer flipped over 180,000 miles. It had been in the 179,000 range for at least the last four years! Here's to putting some more miles on this chassis, now that I have some time and inclination again. Please enjoy the photos.</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MaqXnLo1JrkIRKLE-AKiT9JTSIh_OUczVgnJi0TbpOfDU1Q977AvG04L9NIylzjSuRn0R38nIUwuzK9t-wVtrMGLMqhhPRcCeWSBh8HICHplOhaMzlJ6-1FcjHKUuTiJU5YhLw/s2048/_DSC4399.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MaqXnLo1JrkIRKLE-AKiT9JTSIh_OUczVgnJi0TbpOfDU1Q977AvG04L9NIylzjSuRn0R38nIUwuzK9t-wVtrMGLMqhhPRcCeWSBh8HICHplOhaMzlJ6-1FcjHKUuTiJU5YhLw/s400/_DSC4399.jpg"/></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-86378191753621464782021-01-25T10:50:00.000-05:002021-01-25T10:50:12.445-05:00Miata is complete! Complete refurb including interior and paint.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57tnKXAoNYJ-JWSLpsWgY92EtNev0Ga1ARnYn8VAxJ5DUdAMvxNEmjNj1YwNlk1dsqBm40nAmB9lm2Qe3xNflX4C3RqJgDh5qXk9cwXAMIMop-sCbLwQol_Q_GgW-edkDvHgNog/s2048/IMG_3987.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57tnKXAoNYJ-JWSLpsWgY92EtNev0Ga1ARnYn8VAxJ5DUdAMvxNEmjNj1YwNlk1dsqBm40nAmB9lm2Qe3xNflX4C3RqJgDh5qXk9cwXAMIMop-sCbLwQol_Q_GgW-edkDvHgNog/s600/IMG_3987.jpg"/></a></div>
I finally got the Miata out for a photo, just before I stuffed it into my storage facility. The most significant change of note here is the new set of 15x7 Enkei RPF-1 wheels with Continental Extremecontact Sport tires in 205/50-15 size. I considered 8-inch wide wheels but that pretty much limited me to 225 width tires and I couldn't get the ones I wanted. Plus I think the 15x8 and wider wheels look a little funny on a Miata. It looks a bit clumsy to me. Just my personal impression, of course, and if I were autocrossing or tracking the car I'd want as much width as I could get. Also of note: you don't get center caps with RPF-1's so I had to order some separately. I found a company called Flatout Graphics that sells them with nice Enkei logos which you can choose in any color. I chose red.
<p>I've yet to drive more than a few miles on these new ties, but they're the same tires I use on my Cayman S, and I like them.</p>
<p>So, for all intents and purposes, this project of restoring this Miata is complete. There's really not much else that it needs, and I've certainly spent far too much money relative to the car's actual worth. My goal now is to actually drive it, and of course I want to drive the Cayman, too! It's tough when you don't have to go anywhere for work, to put miles on cars.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-65891770074611949792021-01-05T12:06:00.002-05:002021-01-05T12:06:48.348-05:00Coming soon to Miata-land... new wheels and tires.Just a teaser for now. Coming in at 9.9lbs per wheel, and accompanied by new Continental Extremecontact Sport tires, these should be a quantum improvement for the Miata. Did I use the word quantum correctly here? Probably not but it sounded good in my head.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Na-Lu6F72XpFPaKph54PQziBmZ_ZfFoTY98uxXx5uRaJySe6Rb7hbZCQpBhvZMM_Fhevw53n_9bs0pYqQ3U-Sgti9QJCA893HN-OI3CrMrGJP7HRHQHBF7FSVLk4mYPd3gs9iw/s1052/rpf1.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1052" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Na-Lu6F72XpFPaKph54PQziBmZ_ZfFoTY98uxXx5uRaJySe6Rb7hbZCQpBhvZMM_Fhevw53n_9bs0pYqQ3U-Sgti9QJCA893HN-OI3CrMrGJP7HRHQHBF7FSVLk4mYPd3gs9iw/s400/rpf1.JPG"/></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-2739037719746837642020-11-14T11:50:00.001-05:002020-12-13T11:13:07.287-05:00LED Headlights for the NA Miata<p>Since the late '90s I've had a set of Cibie H4 headlights on the Miata. If you're familiar with Cibies you'll know they are European-spec "E-code" headlights and as such have a superior light pattern to the ordinary US DOT spec sealed beam lights early Miatas were saddled with. I had them loaded with Halogen H4 bulbs and they performed admirably for many years. Now that we have other cars with modern lighting technology, though, the old H4s were starting to lose their charm with their yellow light which doesn't seem very bright anymore. So I decided to update my car with some LED headlamps with the hope of getting a brighter, whiter light that hopefully would also look cool and fit with the character of the car. Our CX-5 has LED projector lights that swivel to turn toward the direction the steering wheel is turned, and the Cayman has Xenon HID projectors, and both are excellent. So the lights I chose for the Miata are up against world-class competition.</p>
<p>There are a dizzying array of aftermarket 7-inch LED light units on the market, mostly aimed at the Jeep and cruiser motorcycle crowd, but they fit NA Miatas too. I wanted to avoid no-name Chinese units but also didn't want to spend too much money. As it turns out, I probably spent too much money. I found some lights made by a company called Grote. They looked good and upon investigation I found that Grote is a real lighting company and not just a brand created to sell knock-off items on Amazon. Here's where I screwed up (although it was not entirely my fault). The Amazon listing for the lights said "headlights" and I assumed that meant for $150 I'd receive a PAIR. Not so. I received a single lamp. Reading the reviews and comments I should have picked up on that, but I didn't. I bit the bullet and spent ANOTHER $150 to order an additional lamp, and then left a review on Amazon to alert others to the fact that "headlights" does not indicate that you'll receive plural lamps. Almost immediately after I posted my review, the listing was corrected to say "headlight" - singular. So, you're welcome.</p>
<p>To be honest; the jury is still out on these lights. I hardly ever drive anywhere myself because I work at home, and if my wife is with me we usually take her CX-5, so I have very little night-time driving time behind these lamps. Compared to the Cibie's the light pattern is not as precise. There is a sharp cutoff at the top, but there is a weird bright spot in the middle of the beam which I don't like. It also lacks the characteristic E-code "kick up" to the right which is useful for illuminating road side signs and such.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Qvjsq6YsI2mgxeG041c5Y-g6-UYjrJ9DERBeqapEsg_lBA8toYiFlyrIZJaqw7W9tLydNAnjRE3PORwYRsMyRhVUOk7cI6huUc8Bchfbw9WekxC5jxra88ZSEgJbkuMbW8-W2A/s2048/0119779bc048198abdd76d8548179ee9eb01bba4a7.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Qvjsq6YsI2mgxeG041c5Y-g6-UYjrJ9DERBeqapEsg_lBA8toYiFlyrIZJaqw7W9tLydNAnjRE3PORwYRsMyRhVUOk7cI6huUc8Bchfbw9WekxC5jxra88ZSEgJbkuMbW8-W2A/s600/0119779bc048198abdd76d8548179ee9eb01bba4a7.jpg"/></a>The lights are very pretty to look at. They have a classic look and don't look ridiculous like most of the LEDs on the market for Jeeps.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88EizE0YksiCCM-nYf7FgWVGWPVjTFubWjf6asEzzFcB1S6OfRWJ2gtiK_TVP2nqdTYpPdZTAvWyhCw5IPtbCQubN_NyYbbcFrUOnDausEyxV4NcvpQZGWf01PJNqWCFsXmgP8Q/s2048/01ced15a0f94b009a4ba6c99bf18d07075d053f4b2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88EizE0YksiCCM-nYf7FgWVGWPVjTFubWjf6asEzzFcB1S6OfRWJ2gtiK_TVP2nqdTYpPdZTAvWyhCw5IPtbCQubN_NyYbbcFrUOnDausEyxV4NcvpQZGWf01PJNqWCFsXmgP8Q/s600/01ced15a0f94b009a4ba6c99bf18d07075d053f4b2.jpg"/></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSICfUCeZ7zt05VVhMy0Yr2G90P-1Dr4d9DRHzr4kdh_cI_Zqk8zwzE7ubT8WA1pu3Uwdv7NPHazruGk3Nh6CRlE2dQLigUrP4n9jW9GLiVp9MxWCVTtkPGEfTcgYdEUpPIuqF3A/s2048/01d256e29029dba4ea49667f2eef8a5129e13b876e.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSICfUCeZ7zt05VVhMy0Yr2G90P-1Dr4d9DRHzr4kdh_cI_Zqk8zwzE7ubT8WA1pu3Uwdv7NPHazruGk3Nh6CRlE2dQLigUrP4n9jW9GLiVp9MxWCVTtkPGEfTcgYdEUpPIuqF3A/s600/01d256e29029dba4ea49667f2eef8a5129e13b876e.jpg"/></a>Here's the light pattern from a single lamp. Pretty good but not great. There's no kick-up to the right like an E-code has.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0ZVpqHW5YITTrJo-tm38ydHAtoGs2oha-tkp6SNspQQ9QtxSM0UWZJdGQIpwT-ar7nPdzLETt4YIF7eiURbPqAT2GyscK9pSFbRrSaY3VQORKoOSwxPwSMlDk6tQfwxrAmkZOA/s2048/01e0fb78a589dc4d384885930dad95609879ed6b59.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0ZVpqHW5YITTrJo-tm38ydHAtoGs2oha-tkp6SNspQQ9QtxSM0UWZJdGQIpwT-ar7nPdzLETt4YIF7eiURbPqAT2GyscK9pSFbRrSaY3VQORKoOSwxPwSMlDk6tQfwxrAmkZOA/s600/01e0fb78a589dc4d384885930dad95609879ed6b59.jpg"/></a>Here's the pattern from one Cibie lamp. SO YELLOW but the pattern is actually really good; although it does have a bit of a hot-spot too.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7-5ZvnMHWY8mn9ys5p153mVyzAHDcMx0MeoWmjFbhyphenhyphendTLJO_8MTso9dVFOYALd4GXr-KrnM1UWATHGbiS29C3RDC7yAoOE9o4hZ1Ef7Cqi-R05X9AdKK6NPhpTRvJVk5BPOoDg/s2048/01a285f9f8f0dfead56f394a7146a0d91ecd9626d8.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7-5ZvnMHWY8mn9ys5p153mVyzAHDcMx0MeoWmjFbhyphenhyphendTLJO_8MTso9dVFOYALd4GXr-KrnM1UWATHGbiS29C3RDC7yAoOE9o4hZ1Ef7Cqi-R05X9AdKK6NPhpTRvJVk5BPOoDg/s600/01a285f9f8f0dfead56f394a7146a0d91ecd9626d8.jpg"/></a>Side by side, Grote and Cibie. Ignore the aim as I had just had the car in pieces and didn't re-aim the lights yet.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQfwakfxejcsFiXmdLXWFmbd9PZpcsfwSaiyUlDc3K6FzGeEoR4dFN4FLigUkKG4U_lwKY0qUyiM5dNm-onNM5GSjE40uj-K3FNRGGnT3J83lwktcIbYy-KLnGQdJXt5Zqho12g/s2016/IMG_2857.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQfwakfxejcsFiXmdLXWFmbd9PZpcsfwSaiyUlDc3K6FzGeEoR4dFN4FLigUkKG4U_lwKY0qUyiM5dNm-onNM5GSjE40uj-K3FNRGGnT3J83lwktcIbYy-KLnGQdJXt5Zqho12g/s400/IMG_2857.jpg"/></a>Here both Grote lamps are installed and these are the high beams. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmhmF-FxLFfA8_9v0NjEuLIxB-ox3wgVMTyNd03jK3Uqp_fFt8IzFZtOezF07uBR-Un7v9B8PbPq2gKOg3HU_sxtIvszPoM69Oe8bbCDtIEb08f0_tT8ZtyX2hSTOdz9_Ko89yA/s2016/IMG_2859.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmhmF-FxLFfA8_9v0NjEuLIxB-ox3wgVMTyNd03jK3Uqp_fFt8IzFZtOezF07uBR-Un7v9B8PbPq2gKOg3HU_sxtIvszPoM69Oe8bbCDtIEb08f0_tT8ZtyX2hSTOdz9_Ko89yA/s400/IMG_2859.jpg"/></a>Low beams. I'm not enamoured with the hot spots in the center of each beam but I will have to get out for a longer drive at night to really make an informed judgement. </div>
<p>The question I now have in my mind is whether there's an LED H4 bulb that would perform admirably in the Cibie housings. I've seen a couple threads on the Miataforum where people have had decent results, but no long-term reviews. If the LED H4 is designed carefully I think it could give the correct light pattern in the Cibie housing, however just throwing any LED that fits without regard to the reflector design is unlikely to work well. Some LED bulbs have big heat-sinks on the back, too, which may interfere with the Miata's pop-up headlamp design. I'll update this post when I know more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-76045623240273815052020-09-23T12:33:00.001-04:002020-09-23T12:33:36.623-04:00New Suspension for MiataI finally got around to working on the suspension on the Miata. Back in June I bought the VMaxx Classic coilover kit from <a href = "https://flyinmiata.com/" target="_blank">Flyin' Miata</a>, and in September I actually installed it. I won't go into the specifics of how I did it because there are hundreds of write-ups all over the net about it. Since both my lower ball joints and outer tie rod ends were completely shot, I replaced them as part of this, too.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_6qpVQm7RWaksAp0qwLdglwyySpd3g4JP8dGbogLDnP8zrd2696UOV5O1Hb3e4muworgQGaVgiYgg0DXJgZQ4bGz9ruHBde_3zBCrixDKGVaGYqOGpCoeKcKp0zDNOZ0qbg5WA/s2048/IMG_2407.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_6qpVQm7RWaksAp0qwLdglwyySpd3g4JP8dGbogLDnP8zrd2696UOV5O1Hb3e4muworgQGaVgiYgg0DXJgZQ4bGz9ruHBde_3zBCrixDKGVaGYqOGpCoeKcKp0zDNOZ0qbg5WA/s400/IMG_2407.jpg"/></a>Here you can see just how bad the tie rod ends were with almost 180,000 miles on them. Top is old, bottom is new. I sourced new ones from supermiata.com. The lower ball joints were just as bad. I bought new Proforged ones ones from Rockauto.com. Sorry I didn't get a good photo of those.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhNWfv9yzGhTTYHWUea0QIUiORHqpE8hyxuDHDUYSnwP4lZ7XqCoyIbKoaKftEY1q6ZHZTEJ0qmGZWBAgqXndpfhh8MR-nq16cUYbDRSAoXTpzRLo5kMeOLFHmo8m0jF8vKKIWw/s2048/IMG_2412.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhNWfv9yzGhTTYHWUea0QIUiORHqpE8hyxuDHDUYSnwP4lZ7XqCoyIbKoaKftEY1q6ZHZTEJ0qmGZWBAgqXndpfhh8MR-nq16cUYbDRSAoXTpzRLo5kMeOLFHmo8m0jF8vKKIWw/s400/IMG_2412.jpg"/></a>Here are the front VMaxx units. Very nicely built and Flyin Miata supplies the needed parts to convert the NA to the better NB style top mounts. These don't come assembled so there is a little extra work to put these together and torque the top mount bolts down, which can be a bit tricky but is not too bad. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQAetGcmO7KI3-wdy_GtWIprK_7-v7GQ7XikiL9_J-3PeIu8tCi7EBFW1wZCf_qtrovlX3czDpbTcGnho-Era8BiGMrQLr3nBJC5z7bf-SIZdYtDO86GfGYeKkG9Iw-t6eSPkig/s2048/IMG_2430.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQAetGcmO7KI3-wdy_GtWIprK_7-v7GQ7XikiL9_J-3PeIu8tCi7EBFW1wZCf_qtrovlX3czDpbTcGnho-Era8BiGMrQLr3nBJC5z7bf-SIZdYtDO86GfGYeKkG9Iw-t6eSPkig/s400/IMG_2430.jpg"/></a>Here's a rear assembly alongside the old Tein unit that was on the car. These were installed in 2004, so they were getting pretty long in the tooth. You can see the Tein uses a much shorter spring and has the old NA top mount. I do think the VMaxx design with the NB mounts is much better. I think the VMaxx would be fine without the tender spring, but there it is and maybe it has some small benefit.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfbS3y1CoQtnSM9_Stf9pAAZLc2qTRiX9MMw7USYykQeAhasf1T5AlImtosqRmEUO5_wuPKUNEXvM4JxohCtsGWAaa7cDURY8RMIwZCix2YuLTK5DTVjNIEMCI2BCbwSzv_BHXw/s2048/IMG_2576.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfbS3y1CoQtnSM9_Stf9pAAZLc2qTRiX9MMw7USYykQeAhasf1T5AlImtosqRmEUO5_wuPKUNEXvM4JxohCtsGWAaa7cDURY8RMIwZCix2YuLTK5DTVjNIEMCI2BCbwSzv_BHXw/s400/IMG_2576.jpg"/></a>Here's a front unit installed and you can see that while I was in there I decided to replace the brake rotors and freshen up the calipers with a coat of paint. I used some caliper paint from POR-15. The rotors are from Centric and have the center hat already painted black. I did this at all four corners and also took the opportunity to lube all the caliper slider pins. I put the same pads back in as they had plenty of meat left. I wish they weren't green.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4G7jPF69bQZefCymoPjKr7Cr7plRMLenl-L1ColKSCy_6JjXDrr1df9uF_ThV-5HBJF2Je3S6j0vEsW06SiG0ZdxGZLbgRktyGqo2Z3pED0irq4wnhw6phUKeEJimmce10qprA/s2048/IMG_2580.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4G7jPF69bQZefCymoPjKr7Cr7plRMLenl-L1ColKSCy_6JjXDrr1df9uF_ThV-5HBJF2Je3S6j0vEsW06SiG0ZdxGZLbgRktyGqo2Z3pED0irq4wnhw6phUKeEJimmce10qprA/s400/IMG_2580.jpg"/></a>Just to show where the ride height ended up. The FM instructions say to start with the fronts at 9 inches from the lower mount bushing centerline to the bottom of the spring perch, and 5 inches in the rear. That put me pretty close to stock height, and not as low as I wanted to be, so I moved the spring perches down about .75 inches and it's pretty good. I could go a lot lower but don't want to.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcbqU90Y1r5SSUUv_SgIMrEg7ac6un5Lwuiw8vjlS6BuSwUOChZ_A2UgROUrmC4ITO_4lCb1g5EzzM2esH8WG9JW124TCBw25nsiCm93pjA4D9djkVLxWRGCnBELKGyybluVsgw/s2048/IMG_2581.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcbqU90Y1r5SSUUv_SgIMrEg7ac6un5Lwuiw8vjlS6BuSwUOChZ_A2UgROUrmC4ITO_4lCb1g5EzzM2esH8WG9JW124TCBw25nsiCm93pjA4D9djkVLxWRGCnBELKGyybluVsgw/s400/IMG_2581.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>Driving impressions: I've put a few dozen miles on the car since this was done and I'm very happy with it. The ride on the VMaxx Classics is supple and just firm enough to know it's a sports car. Sawing at the wheel doesn't upset it at all and with the new ball joints there is a lot less clonking going on. Bumps don't upset the car nearly as much. The brakes feel better and the car just feels finished. For the first time in 3 years, this feels like a car I can put my wife in and we can go somewhere without feeling self-conscious.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-27765104494094845682020-06-08T10:05:00.000-04:002020-06-08T16:41:01.812-04:00Cayman Got Driven
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTt_zIGqvJ9KdFEx4dnKGY8qySVhuAm_I_4JWEJr0T84MhuLimlhY9U61LvQpkjREQjyqNgr2hKq-RjsO5WAOADuwbM3_q6wD17aRZLV8BNmZwEkwQqVQ0TlhWDICIjByl1nG4MQ/s1600/IMG_2178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTt_zIGqvJ9KdFEx4dnKGY8qySVhuAm_I_4JWEJr0T84MhuLimlhY9U61LvQpkjREQjyqNgr2hKq-RjsO5WAOADuwbM3_q6wD17aRZLV8BNmZwEkwQqVQ0TlhWDICIjByl1nG4MQ/s400/IMG_2178.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>Just a quick update from the 2006 Cayman S. It just passed 50k miles last week. I meant to take a photo at the time it happened but was busy driving and missed it. I hardly ever drive anymore, sadly, so the last 500 miles or so took more than a year! I really need to get out more. Even though I have nowhere to go and two cars to go there with (three if you count the family CX-5 which we use for most everything), I'm still doing some maintenance and updates this year. More to come.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-13967483746913169172020-04-14T10:24:00.002-04:002020-12-20T17:16:16.780-05:00Miata SpoilerI picked up this Garage Vary licensed spoiler from <a href = "https://www.rspeed.net/miata_trunk_spoiler_KG_Works_p/na0-4622.htm" target = "_blank">RSpeed</a> three years ago, just waiting for this project to happen. I still had the original R-package spoiler that came with the car, but the styling of that piece looks a little dated to me, so I decided to try this style. If you're familiar with the R-package spoiler, you'll know that this spoiler has a bit more aggressive angle to it, and is slightly shorter. I was really on the fence about even using this spoiler. I like the car without any spoiler, but I had it painted so felt it worth the effort to install it just so I can live with it for a while to see if I like it enough to keep it. It took two tries to get it installed. My first attempt went on a little crooked and the double-sided tape didn't make good contact all around. I was able to yank it back off and apply new tape, and on the second attempt I managed to set it in the right place. Now removing it will involve fishing line and lots of goo-gone.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBHDlC65dWLT8guL7x9phimdHlyoqsuZYkN0j07lo2umYhmlFet6Qk3Ld0Gyw-9hd83ISObvcSk_T9VnUfZt98fakuFC1HaVCEZWhOOuSvxtrhjlLsx6AAke3uk60kNHdK_yCjw/s1600/IMG_1991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBHDlC65dWLT8guL7x9phimdHlyoqsuZYkN0j07lo2umYhmlFet6Qk3Ld0Gyw-9hd83ISObvcSk_T9VnUfZt98fakuFC1HaVCEZWhOOuSvxtrhjlLsx6AAke3uk60kNHdK_yCjw/s400/IMG_1991.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>Here you can also see the shiny, brand-new factory Mazda tail lights I bought from Priority Mazda.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2juuB54-_IsgQsKIKWStfUG8tSe033_c6Giml0JiYaRaGOfB0hNjh8eJIAq5xeyWmPPM0tCRXjF0btpqWtmr5nW4SNnh4N_KZxx5gY2StO6SKJTnNq-A-hW5KRiidQl5KOWFaw/s1600/IMG_1992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2juuB54-_IsgQsKIKWStfUG8tSe033_c6Giml0JiYaRaGOfB0hNjh8eJIAq5xeyWmPPM0tCRXjF0btpqWtmr5nW4SNnh4N_KZxx5gY2StO6SKJTnNq-A-hW5KRiidQl5KOWFaw/s400/IMG_1992.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nOtf_hM14cydvua2aielyFOtxhDNK_nsjFjDwN76_xctAN47oa2BDHmfzG5jwy0O1x9CqtY7QOXoX4rTvIshfnAKmvC8HEAG7vm7yhbl4_KK3Jc3EpDOrKRl4UGquNUSz5oLMQ/s1600/IMG_1993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nOtf_hM14cydvua2aielyFOtxhDNK_nsjFjDwN76_xctAN47oa2BDHmfzG5jwy0O1x9CqtY7QOXoX4rTvIshfnAKmvC8HEAG7vm7yhbl4_KK3Jc3EpDOrKRl4UGquNUSz5oLMQ/s400/IMG_1993.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6ywTR0IPI4IFy-9ySubNo1SM7NM8IzT2hMY8mX6SoAq3IQgXXlchyXaAfPBuY0miXWn9XFxIqthEm4SxAsVdOQbQTVZDG6g1c-OPwsFgmVdP1cBUr_gCrIeP6eUXDoSG1Hfpig/s1600/IMG_1994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6ywTR0IPI4IFy-9ySubNo1SM7NM8IzT2hMY8mX6SoAq3IQgXXlchyXaAfPBuY0miXWn9XFxIqthEm4SxAsVdOQbQTVZDG6g1c-OPwsFgmVdP1cBUr_gCrIeP6eUXDoSG1Hfpig/s400/IMG_1994.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
UPDATE: September 2020 - it has taken me three attempts to get this thing to stay on. The double-sided tape it came with didn't make enough contact with the trunk lid to stay stuck. I added a second, thicker layer of tape and it also didn't stay stuck. My third attempt involved adding short pieces of tape at very strategic locations, on top of the original tape, so that there would be enough thickness of tape to actually touch the body panel. The problem is the bottom surface of the spoiler is slightly concave, and the tape just doesn't protrude enough. This third attempt seems good, but it's only been one day. If it comes loose again I'm chucking it in the trash.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-56664690057715129592020-04-08T11:42:00.001-04:002020-04-08T11:42:39.969-04:00Miata Raydot Mirrors<p>Even though I had the original mirrors painted with the rest of the car, and they came out looking great, I still wanted to try something different. I got a set of Raydot racing-style mirrors from Moss Motors and the result is quite nice! They look great and have a bigger impact on the look of the car than I expected. The pictures here really don't do them justice. Installation was very straightforward but takes a little trial and error to get the tension on the mount right. Too loose and the mirrors will flop around - too tight and you can't adjust it. You get two identical mirrors which means BOTH are convex, so that takes a little getting used to. But the convexity makes up for the smaller size of the mirror, so it's worth it. They're also a few ounces lighter than the factory mirrors, if that floats your boat.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2g1GiJq0AkEd6FHLoBdfdouULqX-KMfPtauJAF6vrEtOLnpmNvXP93psDjh5MpR2R7mbWmnIIDfAm0rp2Kvf_F4ibdfK1FphAabsBwjn77u1TeEvYCabZnhfORuMeTIQK83j1w/s1600/IMG_1907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2g1GiJq0AkEd6FHLoBdfdouULqX-KMfPtauJAF6vrEtOLnpmNvXP93psDjh5MpR2R7mbWmnIIDfAm0rp2Kvf_F4ibdfK1FphAabsBwjn77u1TeEvYCabZnhfORuMeTIQK83j1w/s400/IMG_1907.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6rF21oCNBWhF6jZai18ha7li6umFeWhLZX5ZzodZZrV4o1a-0nHCU476nlzWRP4KuoCXw5jQ6I-IoBrJqASluIOzdWGLFrdTmgElTBPQiNu-bQpBJol5kO0hdV6yT_hJvvhdJA/s1600/IMG_1901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6rF21oCNBWhF6jZai18ha7li6umFeWhLZX5ZzodZZrV4o1a-0nHCU476nlzWRP4KuoCXw5jQ6I-IoBrJqASluIOzdWGLFrdTmgElTBPQiNu-bQpBJol5kO0hdV6yT_hJvvhdJA/s400/IMG_1901.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5I4hYJwImQ9rBLPpS9s7Waf8Fu-CwLrrku5UaH_xgUmqSBla_XnXQ6mkWrGpanZI3u7BbpnuenZZ2OoZButUEOasNpbzvtxaU08R_0-D7hDBy-1E6BlWz3vEHXtNbwcVMWhmgA/s1600/IMG_1905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5I4hYJwImQ9rBLPpS9s7Waf8Fu-CwLrrku5UaH_xgUmqSBla_XnXQ6mkWrGpanZI3u7BbpnuenZZ2OoZButUEOasNpbzvtxaU08R_0-D7hDBy-1E6BlWz3vEHXtNbwcVMWhmgA/s400/IMG_1905.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpTu9KyK0oGExSneK1EphnUC4jJoUgYgZKj8lPf1VApr1vcUhji72ltegUAYkKXdUxG5GjDenGFEBC1mtiCBLit9MgEL6_bD2omw3HEk2mTCIJmKAzLq6MXfdgajRIsSzoqKM4A/s1600/IMG_1906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpTu9KyK0oGExSneK1EphnUC4jJoUgYgZKj8lPf1VApr1vcUhji72ltegUAYkKXdUxG5GjDenGFEBC1mtiCBLit9MgEL6_bD2omw3HEk2mTCIJmKAzLq6MXfdgajRIsSzoqKM4A/s400/IMG_1906.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-34047587771690876862020-04-06T17:06:00.000-04:002020-04-06T17:06:28.986-04:00Interior Updates to the Miata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p>In addition to the new carpet I showed in the previous post, I did a couple other little dress-up projects in the Miata's interior. </p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMOFy0CBeaiJFY0KWoXKNmYbPnkLEwh7LeSnSEDMhgtpBCwM7nw1d7T5tZqO1WGslkiLjoBrD917lbh6YeVajgxbUdaZbEeGHJSbBZybdt1C13F4i3SO82s96dRJSQmC4Jx3bGQ/s1600/IMG_1736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMOFy0CBeaiJFY0KWoXKNmYbPnkLEwh7LeSnSEDMhgtpBCwM7nw1d7T5tZqO1WGslkiLjoBrD917lbh6YeVajgxbUdaZbEeGHJSbBZybdt1C13F4i3SO82s96dRJSQmC4Jx3bGQ/s320/IMG_1736.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>First, I sent off to <a href= "http://revlimiter.net">Revlimiter</a> for a nifty new horn button and some new door sill emblems. All of these are in the vintage Mazda script that is also found on the gauge faces I installed 3 years ago, also from Revlimiter.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_xHO06e4FZK3HtXhC-UHZYBCqi-7slvWv-EE8WjEogiWGDTRjXJdF_60jAT8W_iySlexa9t8-4aKQM7SlOUuoz0jg_xrhSGy_aK43R0u5FHTG5ZQD_USBDpCT4zrPKY3WLifHA/s1600/IMG_1835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_xHO06e4FZK3HtXhC-UHZYBCqi-7slvWv-EE8WjEogiWGDTRjXJdF_60jAT8W_iySlexa9t8-4aKQM7SlOUuoz0jg_xrhSGy_aK43R0u5FHTG5ZQD_USBDpCT4zrPKY3WLifHA/s320/IMG_1835.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>The horn button didn't work with the center trim ring that this Momo Tuner wheel normally has, but works just fine if you just omit the trim ring, which I did. I'm fine with the wheel without it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrBIpilSDUdq0IchbKcDCW8g-PXoFkWTpcMVEijwrSTrgFwPXjcpj9YDbmuf4Yz6NBijFS0CPmlU-CN685JWt6FwpQC3f6FaI8DW1yrJZIP-OzGHhL57_Ofc3hU_Wwl_MmA2Sfw/s1600/IMG_1870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrBIpilSDUdq0IchbKcDCW8g-PXoFkWTpcMVEijwrSTrgFwPXjcpj9YDbmuf4Yz6NBijFS0CPmlU-CN685JWt6FwpQC3f6FaI8DW1yrJZIP-OzGHhL57_Ofc3hU_Wwl_MmA2Sfw/s320/IMG_1870.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>The door sill emblems replace the original stickers with these made from urethane epoxy. Instead of flat stickers they're a bit domed and have a little "give" to them. These door sills came via eBay a number of years ago, and were pretty well broken in then. I've polished them up a bit but they still show quite a few scratches. I chalk it up to patina and live with it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz9qtrF_qMFhEqVvCWrVP-YxtjZfdMpzAoa38Mpo-Sat1sN3yFkk6iX-dHXc-xQmrX_mBKAeZxP02Po39x9vCsPN6jX4-2X9kszlPw1cs_uxGujKLvU0b2GdwRNcEme7KBADKxA/s1600/IMG_1838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz9qtrF_qMFhEqVvCWrVP-YxtjZfdMpzAoa38Mpo-Sat1sN3yFkk6iX-dHXc-xQmrX_mBKAeZxP02Po39x9vCsPN6jX4-2X9kszlPw1cs_uxGujKLvU0b2GdwRNcEme7KBADKxA/s320/IMG_1838.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>So the interior looks pretty nice. Nothing fancy but stock-ish and clean with different elements purchased decades apart. The vent rings are the original "MRoad" rings I must have bought in about 1998. The shift knob and brake handle are Voodoo items from about that same year. The seats I did in 2017, the steering wheel in 2012, and the gauge faces in 2018. The radio is the original from 1994. The door panels I re-did in new vinyl in 2006 or so.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-49977648551985873272020-04-06T16:36:00.000-04:002020-04-06T16:36:06.459-04:00New Carpet for the Miata<div class ="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><P>One of the bigger projects for this makeover was to install new carpet. The 28 year old original carpet was just in really bad shape, and the insulation underneath it had gotten wet one too many times. </p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAKM4Bkcda6J14ubqkNvRjjukIbUZCu9BLhhP7BB4Xl5LD6dgU_8wyJyGnUXV5pP3-KETJpxtqDWAboiLzMimbnIx1mS5Sw4kLoaYBUs5fjFD2fBmTBQ9EWRctqo76MsnWYL6_Q/s1600/IMG_1752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAKM4Bkcda6J14ubqkNvRjjukIbUZCu9BLhhP7BB4Xl5LD6dgU_8wyJyGnUXV5pP3-KETJpxtqDWAboiLzMimbnIx1mS5Sw4kLoaYBUs5fjFD2fBmTBQ9EWRctqo76MsnWYL6_Q/s320/IMG_1752.JPG" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a>I started out, obviously, by pulling out all the old carpet. It had been wet a few times in the last couple years while this car sat in my driveway waiting for me to get serious about it. There were a few very small spots of surface rust starting, mostly on factory spot welds, so I hit them with a sanding disk and then coated most of the floor area on the driver side with POR-15.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMUqYnj7Kfd22Ks22f3vtMysE_C4xHcrvwbamuJD9fi0R5QsBm0jvOacP6RzzyLIcJEAp9ZrapgGM2KisYCk7xkq4CVOmmbCUCsSrvKyck7q-4J-cKjTVt8EgKs2WF7g6yTtNIA/s1600/IMG_1754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMUqYnj7Kfd22Ks22f3vtMysE_C4xHcrvwbamuJD9fi0R5QsBm0jvOacP6RzzyLIcJEAp9ZrapgGM2KisYCk7xkq4CVOmmbCUCsSrvKyck7q-4J-cKjTVt8EgKs2WF7g6yTtNIA/s320/IMG_1754.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>The carpet kit I bought is the basic one from Moss Motors. It comes with insulation (shown) and it's a loop carpet very similar to the original 1994 carpet. That said, this is not a molded carpet kit, meaning the carpet pieces are not formed to conform to the curves and angles of the chassis floor. Instead, it comes in several pieces. There are separate pieces that fit along the transmission tunnel and door sill, and then a piece for the floor that overlaps the side pieces. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3JdqZdatfcaOpp9PbaFBHED1oR1df5rDCI9vTMCmWVEo8Lw8r6cO1-F24KrFkGqAPIbOlRCPxKRwhg8sBgpmgtOiirWyl47UwmPKb-BUYwBMNmOsYqSdA47_At6WOKWPGRrGzg/s1600/IMG_1774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3JdqZdatfcaOpp9PbaFBHED1oR1df5rDCI9vTMCmWVEo8Lw8r6cO1-F24KrFkGqAPIbOlRCPxKRwhg8sBgpmgtOiirWyl47UwmPKb-BUYwBMNmOsYqSdA47_At6WOKWPGRrGzg/s320/IMG_1774.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>As I was installing this carpet I was starting to think I'd made the wrong decision. This kit is significantly cheaper than the fully molded kit, but I wasn't convinced that this was going to turn out looking decent. There are some holes pre-made in sort-of the right places, but there are still some holes you have to make yourself, and some minor trimming here and there.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUURL-N8ahclQbXLlLA5tWBnwHK_0Y3buLXKViRkQXEWiH4p9g3is7qq1k-C01hJ2lKrkrY-JMJd6yYjtwtpGOTUE3x03ZwYti0axOzKL27-zEDjZfw1GBZnFmhig-bKiw3C2QXw/s1600/IMG_1757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUURL-N8ahclQbXLlLA5tWBnwHK_0Y3buLXKViRkQXEWiH4p9g3is7qq1k-C01hJ2lKrkrY-JMJd6yYjtwtpGOTUE3x03ZwYti0axOzKL27-zEDjZfw1GBZnFmhig-bKiw3C2QXw/s320/IMG_1757.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>In the end, though, I feel like it turned out pretty well. You can certainly see the different pieces where the sections overlap, but it doesn't really look bad.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yFqRLBMCMXAxtFkOimSiRn21TtyOCkoB0OfxeMR2Y0UqwcAuW5klG0m1tTrlKKuJF5ptM_hcnWfedEIp26srbv_gL1tNz6qnAZRuyCPmyXWPypV-crUH7sggeN5M-0AAjqRNuA/s1600/IMG_1806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yFqRLBMCMXAxtFkOimSiRn21TtyOCkoB0OfxeMR2Y0UqwcAuW5klG0m1tTrlKKuJF5ptM_hcnWfedEIp26srbv_gL1tNz6qnAZRuyCPmyXWPypV-crUH7sggeN5M-0AAjqRNuA/s320/IMG_1806.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>I don't have a soft-top at the moment so the rear shelf came out looking quite clean! This actually works better than the factory carpet did here.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYgj6e_mZUMuBAl1X2lX6UsxonwHjochzD9NJOp0EdWqfbO2qU1zvJHTqEzyeBgX-1UEzEQfqgSSseTNHDDYD4gdWpXG8rZpPS2YRe1sxLyGfee_rv05x06U3iJF6HsfMOfqlag/s1600/IMG_1811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYgj6e_mZUMuBAl1X2lX6UsxonwHjochzD9NJOp0EdWqfbO2qU1zvJHTqEzyeBgX-1UEzEQfqgSSseTNHDDYD4gdWpXG8rZpPS2YRe1sxLyGfee_rv05x06U3iJF6HsfMOfqlag/s320/IMG_1811.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>I'm going to get floor mats anyway, so this is fine and doesn't matter.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeYsZ9mF1y8VkhAqEvCk-4-gWbVGnbGOhIeqw6mtkklqa-aFtRuboaeLk-rzqfW513ep6wnD2E9gxj4F46sz8R8WCRKgnV-D3xkqDmd0dl4wDr5qXMWpPDkSSb3qvAJQPpfUgHA/s1600/IMG_1797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeYsZ9mF1y8VkhAqEvCk-4-gWbVGnbGOhIeqw6mtkklqa-aFtRuboaeLk-rzqfW513ep6wnD2E9gxj4F46sz8R8WCRKgnV-D3xkqDmd0dl4wDr5qXMWpPDkSSb3qvAJQPpfUgHA/s320/IMG_1797.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>On this piece, though, I didn't think the kit was good. I actually re-used the factory piece behind the seats. As you can see the factory piece (top) was in decent shape anyway, but the kit piece is completely the wrong size. I just couldn't make it work so happily put the factory piece back in and it's fine.</div>
<div class ="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><P><a href="https://mossmiata.com/1990-1997-miata/interior/floor-trunk-mats-carpet-kits/premium-carpet-sets-by-moss">This is the kit I bought</a> and I do recommend it. A molded kit might be better but it might also be poorly fitting and difficult to install and is a couple hundred dollars more expensive. For this price ($289 at the time of this writing), I can just install new carpet every few years and be happy.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-65066479403283880482020-03-12T21:47:00.000-04:002020-03-12T21:47:48.157-04:00Destroyer Grey Miata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pQOYIp4-AHK5jle_EHMMVien-9u-8x41OUSaXRUoH7T9AY93KDxYv0pvp7aTdnNoVOd3rQnxN8z9ylC99hyKvntvnNvkj31FycrgfvOfmffZMKogWfGLUA94qONmoqDOE2FJ6g/s1600/8C2DC547-CAC6-474F-9E92-7F8CAFF8F184.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pQOYIp4-AHK5jle_EHMMVien-9u-8x41OUSaXRUoH7T9AY93KDxYv0pvp7aTdnNoVOd3rQnxN8z9ylC99hyKvntvnNvkj31FycrgfvOfmffZMKogWfGLUA94qONmoqDOE2FJ6g/s400/8C2DC547-CAC6-474F-9E92-7F8CAFF8F184.jpeg" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>Here she is, just as I got her home from the paint shop. Lots of reassembly to do but I’m absolutely thrilled with how the paint turned out.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-PxBZPZgvLN8e7usyCpGV8qXpXAhhXgN0Hve8kqlyMRNilJt1cdDb8O_9xgWKhFYYi0NasM7a-Tvl3gP6M7mLI7a_CHXGFbCpjyOjrL_efW64_r7FcF0w5T6gEUADVoH7aznOQ/s1600/59C3D2F6-1B85-47AA-A69F-C7EA0DB5D9EA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-PxBZPZgvLN8e7usyCpGV8qXpXAhhXgN0Hve8kqlyMRNilJt1cdDb8O_9xgWKhFYYi0NasM7a-Tvl3gP6M7mLI7a_CHXGFbCpjyOjrL_efW64_r7FcF0w5T6gEUADVoH7aznOQ/s400/59C3D2F6-1B85-47AA-A69F-C7EA0DB5D9EA.jpeg" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>The color is a Dodge color called Destroyer Grey but it’s really a classic nonmetallic grey similar to some used as far back as the 1960’s. It reminds me of Porsche Slate Grey although side by side that color would look a bit different. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlWscjyeLei9EiTTxRVGwe_dRT4qtq-DpjDwHwH1aYADLt8wYuqgAXHnKVa4b-xjvbZtbGMb-m7yQKhbqPytOk8cDEPiof67Nr98Uwr-FVvC9ioubBxzmH14lafaZiU2sMSxUlg/s1600/389E0432-6669-4236-B2A0-ABAAE21407B1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlWscjyeLei9EiTTxRVGwe_dRT4qtq-DpjDwHwH1aYADLt8wYuqgAXHnKVa4b-xjvbZtbGMb-m7yQKhbqPytOk8cDEPiof67Nr98Uwr-FVvC9ioubBxzmH14lafaZiU2sMSxUlg/s400/389E0432-6669-4236-B2A0-ABAAE21407B1.jpeg" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a>They even fixed the hood alignment. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jDPU3oA06Ldjtr4c-6lKhpYcdJ05Y4PzZZny_z9dY8W-lw2hK09UIyNYbat_kghND-O8k-A2ZTvSDnDssJp2nxVIOrc760au8aAjWUyP03yOpWezZRHz62820aZy7xf1niYllQ/s1600/E6777BB8-B366-44E9-BCB0-62A4C1394435.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jDPU3oA06Ldjtr4c-6lKhpYcdJ05Y4PzZZny_z9dY8W-lw2hK09UIyNYbat_kghND-O8k-A2ZTvSDnDssJp2nxVIOrc760au8aAjWUyP03yOpWezZRHz62820aZy7xf1niYllQ/s400/E6777BB8-B366-44E9-BCB0-62A4C1394435.jpeg" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>I have a bunch of new parts to install and some old ones to reuse. I sprung for new taillights to replace the originals that are now 27 years old and getting pretty hazy. I have a bunch of new moldings, cowl panel, interior carpet, Raydot style side mirrors, rear spoiler, and will be refinishing the original front air dam and rear skirt. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-60858404406054461602020-02-29T10:39:00.001-05:002020-02-29T10:39:27.465-05:00Finally some progress to report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHu33NUe95Kh_vdWSeOsUfHsGhqMMD2z311yg9xQk5AgcyH48yZ4GG0xGop9UJS18z87PJv_yuj8XF8QuSFTtyGfp9RS4eiasWoEuYgD_6QodKYXAHaD7Xw5Of1ThqaEg3MumUfQ/s1600/ready_for_paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHu33NUe95Kh_vdWSeOsUfHsGhqMMD2z311yg9xQk5AgcyH48yZ4GG0xGop9UJS18z87PJv_yuj8XF8QuSFTtyGfp9RS4eiasWoEuYgD_6QodKYXAHaD7Xw5Of1ThqaEg3MumUfQ/s400/ready_for_paint.jpg" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>Hello! Yes, I'm still alive. The long-awaited day has finally arrived. I just dropped the Miata off at my local Maaco paint shop for a full repaint. I'm changing the color to Dodge's Destroyer Grey. I had wanted to paint it an old Porsche color - Slate Grey, but it turns out that color is hard to come by in modern paints. The shop tried very hard to cross reference the old Porsche paint code to something they could mix up, but to no avail. I'm sure a real Porsche restoration shop can do it, but Maaco can't. So this Destroyer Grey seems to be pretty close, if perhaps a bit darker, which is fine with me. I really just wanted it grey, and I wanted the car to not look terrible anymore. I did a ton of prep work myself, which may or may not pay dividends. It's not paint-ready, so the shop is still going to do some sanding and prep on it, but I got all the old dead clear coat off and most of the color coat. I also removed as much of the trim as I could - all the window moldings, beltline molding, side marker lights, and most of the interior. I'll post an update when the car comes home. I'll have a good bit of reassembly to do, but that's easy stuff. Then it needs new tires and probably a suspension refresh.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-63274415179498272372018-12-09T16:38:00.000-05:002018-12-09T16:38:33.973-05:00Life with Cayman SThese days my spare time is spent in very different ways than it used to be. I'm not that much into wrenching on cars anymore. Mostly I pursue my photography hobby, though you can't tell it by looking at this blog. To remedy that a little, here are a few photos of my Cayman S. It's not a frequent subject for my photos, but it is a beautiful object so I do snap some shots when I have a chance. Living within a short drive of the Smoky Mountains leads to lots of photo opportunities and some of the greatest driving roads in the world.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1YPmRP-qcE8mESWDxf0GgcXuzX5vxigczIyFpXeRvgHo7y_ypqDSqPVqmA39KDhNiG7me4-fLoY4JKB0bnyBWuNU4-LD169OSeuxIRU6mJeV2EN4Q9KDOmdhJ5yOalVhNlbLUw/s1600/_DSC4483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1YPmRP-qcE8mESWDxf0GgcXuzX5vxigczIyFpXeRvgHo7y_ypqDSqPVqmA39KDhNiG7me4-fLoY4JKB0bnyBWuNU4-LD169OSeuxIRU6mJeV2EN4Q9KDOmdhJ5yOalVhNlbLUw/s400/_DSC4483.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidToqso5bXYf6FnOQbanLvogOImcO2P9Dnsyba2uCDiuWbsv2L2fQGkTGYzlRdOEVP13mUW_Nu_64Q4Z57W_xRYCmeP4lCK096RwKJGu6q_-veoU_O5sKHA7wmpn21lExc7DXqtw/s1600/_DSC4427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidToqso5bXYf6FnOQbanLvogOImcO2P9Dnsyba2uCDiuWbsv2L2fQGkTGYzlRdOEVP13mUW_Nu_64Q4Z57W_xRYCmeP4lCK096RwKJGu6q_-veoU_O5sKHA7wmpn21lExc7DXqtw/s400/_DSC4427.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qtm2ZQW8pjDS9juSNr9sbb_c4GwlnDdZisETatoi6HqanBrld8lCzKBfLPpSXTyBfxpTMAo3woYLLwgU4L5-dmyAI-OOr_7vAtyDge-eIOMyproRM8y9Lwu8DbonOcq6pUN_6Q/s1600/_DSC3874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qtm2ZQW8pjDS9juSNr9sbb_c4GwlnDdZisETatoi6HqanBrld8lCzKBfLPpSXTyBfxpTMAo3woYLLwgU4L5-dmyAI-OOr_7vAtyDge-eIOMyproRM8y9Lwu8DbonOcq6pUN_6Q/s400/_DSC3874.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSr8vL4u9PyNdEH587t73gyNN_KMWPviKaKzZeFs9ezcjN49f09ga1KOSQ-TpfNiMXy9t43jGtnPfbDFZ5mFVec7d7m9xYDVgdlUCyZ5VkZ0LBnA_hUFMJAhQd_LqmzT713uH4Q/s1600/IMG_0206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSr8vL4u9PyNdEH587t73gyNN_KMWPviKaKzZeFs9ezcjN49f09ga1KOSQ-TpfNiMXy9t43jGtnPfbDFZ5mFVec7d7m9xYDVgdlUCyZ5VkZ0LBnA_hUFMJAhQd_LqmzT713uH4Q/s400/IMG_0206.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2LJRcVSEnCdWRkD5pBsEIyXCKKvfUYZShkkrV8NSkQ8hiRLfoBemiIaLGwk1K0cZYbmTfqrju6Oeetp70eeVjwm5uyRmUgnLDPQTBPXORh6K_SfZsLdCe3-2b36PLOT7xd-law/s1600/IMG_0207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2LJRcVSEnCdWRkD5pBsEIyXCKKvfUYZShkkrV8NSkQ8hiRLfoBemiIaLGwk1K0cZYbmTfqrju6Oeetp70eeVjwm5uyRmUgnLDPQTBPXORh6K_SfZsLdCe3-2b36PLOT7xd-law/s400/IMG_0207.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUw4Fvo1S8nm5BjRyFj1WhIpN2uQ9VSqBZ5PGoZ8WEyN12xqpaImShyphenhyphenlTx-hkxhqCaT5aLgqrPBmJTq_83bJJfGSqT5Dub7rIWsQT-Z8Ir6HSYWxLnil28QS_6B3Z_CJZqg4Chw/s1600/IMG_0189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUw4Fvo1S8nm5BjRyFj1WhIpN2uQ9VSqBZ5PGoZ8WEyN12xqpaImShyphenhyphenlTx-hkxhqCaT5aLgqrPBmJTq_83bJJfGSqT5Dub7rIWsQT-Z8Ir6HSYWxLnil28QS_6B3Z_CJZqg4Chw/s400/IMG_0189.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-42205001290378042592018-08-02T13:41:00.000-04:002018-08-02T13:41:51.649-04:00Back At It (Miata Paint)Slowly but surely I'm making progress in preparing the Miata for paint. I could just drop it off at a paint shop and pay them to do everything, but to ensure that the job is as good as it can be, for the amount that I'm willing to spend, it's best if I do as much of the prep as possible.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFm-WxoQMMIETGMLKkMo2SgA33KvTjQ6phHsDnUZudatyawcn9Xh2tv_iPEzkqOJ4t47vuq2DKEPw_hQEcfZCc0mjkTOmsc2TAlJDEDRXOWLbsJur_iDbQcwt4pDT2MeUTWOfNA/s1600/IMG_6655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFm-WxoQMMIETGMLKkMo2SgA33KvTjQ6phHsDnUZudatyawcn9Xh2tv_iPEzkqOJ4t47vuq2DKEPw_hQEcfZCc0mjkTOmsc2TAlJDEDRXOWLbsJur_iDbQcwt4pDT2MeUTWOfNA/s400/IMG_6655.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a>So I'm sanding all the old dead clearcoat off. First I'm sanding with 220 grit, and then I'll go back and do a quick pass with 400 grit. Anything else it needs I'll have the paint shop do.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvdJWV2suz3mV0OyZYkXOofWbq2GQgYXcTWlmIiyiMhiZcCank28xA6op9t1FkB0E0KpVP8FmnakpRfsIQgkzIq7VZpifZOxz_bYmI7QpmR9sXJt6Gdd122hOMHgBGAlped92qw/s1600/IMG_6654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvdJWV2suz3mV0OyZYkXOofWbq2GQgYXcTWlmIiyiMhiZcCank28xA6op9t1FkB0E0KpVP8FmnakpRfsIQgkzIq7VZpifZOxz_bYmI7QpmR9sXJt6Gdd122hOMHgBGAlped92qw/s400/IMG_6654.JPG" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a>It's a slow and tedious process and I only have a couple hours per week to spend on it. Updates as I get closer to being done.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-5187899397448287202017-10-08T11:39:00.000-04:002017-10-08T11:39:03.720-04:002006 Porsche Cayman S Just a few artsy shots of my Cayman S.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4C7BKPgCMqSIAQqUXCoY2T270RV-TXk3yR94EdUzO0z2zS84-PTZ2Gd9ZI3SCOexbQJ3lb8x8bxVs4yCoaJxijsoNq1ZLgKiQoTrAKmKSRbIugd54leJcR9JH6JOVXYEO9vGOg/s1600/_DSC3133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4C7BKPgCMqSIAQqUXCoY2T270RV-TXk3yR94EdUzO0z2zS84-PTZ2Gd9ZI3SCOexbQJ3lb8x8bxVs4yCoaJxijsoNq1ZLgKiQoTrAKmKSRbIugd54leJcR9JH6JOVXYEO9vGOg/s400/_DSC3133.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD-5QrXvHA5TTucVF9lo06202w6WS4wcTUpnAF3U9QbmMctl-6yMlcBxDF-BWlNBQ0iJXktiFrAJ2RrC62fRkgoo2KW6PHie119kRygJXnWjeteSmtxbjy7HWQGsUv2oYqn92Ng/s1600/_DSC3135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD-5QrXvHA5TTucVF9lo06202w6WS4wcTUpnAF3U9QbmMctl-6yMlcBxDF-BWlNBQ0iJXktiFrAJ2RrC62fRkgoo2KW6PHie119kRygJXnWjeteSmtxbjy7HWQGsUv2oYqn92Ng/s400/_DSC3135.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSseyOGpAsMDaVvu_-xVJg0B6WmPCGzvNHavGSYL79qdAw3Pi0_uPxAaw_OySu17EN0S7yv8ay8Ksx44YZxLtL1JtGsT28NljJrYbmVAqwed6wPUnDyxqnFu0lRARTXMJwBt3IzQ/s1600/_DSC3140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSseyOGpAsMDaVvu_-xVJg0B6WmPCGzvNHavGSYL79qdAw3Pi0_uPxAaw_OySu17EN0S7yv8ay8Ksx44YZxLtL1JtGsT28NljJrYbmVAqwed6wPUnDyxqnFu0lRARTXMJwBt3IzQ/s400/_DSC3140.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-7442378407443975642017-06-25T19:42:00.000-04:002017-06-25T19:42:25.065-04:00I Have a Confession to Make - 94 Miata Paint<p>I have this thing that's eating away at me. It's been happening for about a year now. I don't advertise it although it's not a secret; but it's time I do something about it.</p>
<p>The paint on my '94 Miata has failed. The clear coat just fell off. If you look back in this blog to the end of 2011 you'll see I did this paint job myself in my garage. It turned out ok. Not great but ok. For the $500 I spent on it, it was fine. I started to see the first indications of a problem in late 2015, just as we moved from Tampa to Knoxville. There was a single small bubble in the clear coat on the hood. It was the size of a pin head but I knew what it meant. Once in Knoxville, the car had to be parked outside. The damage unfolded quickly from there. By spring of 2016 the car still looked ok from 10 feet away, but the de-lamination of the clear coat was progressing apace. By the spring of 2017 the destruction was pretty much complete. So, my DIY budget paint job lasted between 4 and 5 years. I'm fine with that. I didn't take care of the paint and I didn't expect it to last forever. It was a stopgap measure from the start. </p>
<p>So, a paint job is forthcoming. I will not be doing it myself. I also have a place to store the car indoors now, so once this is fixed the issue should not come back.<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0p8_kWbEy7z_96qnfCnaPt06-NH2JbNGOVCXby7VW-arfHFBKBE4mRs3GG8phqcYBEtgPsLuQ_NE8_AOHORuVQTP-E5hFsa2tsvLs2D6FXDdzGoZ0ln5CETtO-0a0MUB5pqfqw/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0p8_kWbEy7z_96qnfCnaPt06-NH2JbNGOVCXby7VW-arfHFBKBE4mRs3GG8phqcYBEtgPsLuQ_NE8_AOHORuVQTP-E5hFsa2tsvLs2D6FXDdzGoZ0ln5CETtO-0a0MUB5pqfqw/s400/IMG_4497.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>Large areas of the clear coat are completely gone. I've been encouraging it to come off by pressure-washing every few weeks to remove loose paint. I figure the more I can get off, the less work the paint shop will have to do.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiDOi3RNeXR96zPrHoG2DNjR0JLV-MaHUTKHiybMcpa0rKkl0I0RWpxvd-y1YHl4ZHZnn5HKYolyWRPQ7ET6FtO4_IRDlXzjbPvibu10QCfGytJ8pHynqv_fQ19sIp-IsHNxENw/s1600/IMG_4496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiDOi3RNeXR96zPrHoG2DNjR0JLV-MaHUTKHiybMcpa0rKkl0I0RWpxvd-y1YHl4ZHZnn5HKYolyWRPQ7ET6FtO4_IRDlXzjbPvibu10QCfGytJ8pHynqv_fQ19sIp-IsHNxENw/s400/IMG_4496.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1TZg88pwlCgiqBJrTOjcBbkGey94xljC8894bEn6KT59nN8_jB773K0JZWvV1X2t4h6cEF1YSOLnPccDMnl76x0GgskRjcJcbWv_VsWtIZdduddGWmifXUTgYvjti3SrfWEqUA/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1TZg88pwlCgiqBJrTOjcBbkGey94xljC8894bEn6KT59nN8_jB773K0JZWvV1X2t4h6cEF1YSOLnPccDMnl76x0GgskRjcJcbWv_VsWtIZdduddGWmifXUTgYvjti3SrfWEqUA/s400/IMG_4499.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVrIvNFwN5LbT2y6vUggMA8qM_Ofo6r-up_fwW1fvhYipkd1UO_f5Le7jcIyvlz3Xem8Z76BAw32XvSsfHx73ihkqXyrot_0k2Ec2ZXCcCCv80Hpqm1LbYsi8tXV6geTvKVTczg/s1600/IMG_4500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVrIvNFwN5LbT2y6vUggMA8qM_Ofo6r-up_fwW1fvhYipkd1UO_f5Le7jcIyvlz3Xem8Z76BAw32XvSsfHx73ihkqXyrot_0k2Ec2ZXCcCCv80Hpqm1LbYsi8tXV6geTvKVTczg/s400/IMG_4500.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdYGXQKXkA5g9-9fZPMl3itgIhvSAenUEutmILoU3Lgchb-89x7IzYQ43hqwBLVRCTyJr6KeXsbJ-oJii71hnBhtr2ZdibzRe2UJ7QxHL7ejCsDQv1OlOtGA-Lo6nStPLLQ-bUg/s1600/IMG_4427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdYGXQKXkA5g9-9fZPMl3itgIhvSAenUEutmILoU3Lgchb-89x7IzYQ43hqwBLVRCTyJr6KeXsbJ-oJii71hnBhtr2ZdibzRe2UJ7QxHL7ejCsDQv1OlOtGA-Lo6nStPLLQ-bUg/s400/IMG_4427.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>While I'm at it, I'm going to install this <a href="http://www.rspeed.net" target="_blank">RSpeed</a> officially-licensed Garage Vary style trunk spoiler.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEr0FbqnEg4OkDMrJV27KI3aG2kk_Pl1aGRcH9BleKwut8TomBS-PznQ56-G92GIBzvyhCo5G-gEdUD06YWfHj64uJ99NuImT5P2j1c0PV5zzNxrYY4LOWqtpEZ0wWmkDEXYUKww/s1600/IMG_4428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEr0FbqnEg4OkDMrJV27KI3aG2kk_Pl1aGRcH9BleKwut8TomBS-PznQ56-G92GIBzvyhCo5G-gEdUD06YWfHj64uJ99NuImT5P2j1c0PV5zzNxrYY4LOWqtpEZ0wWmkDEXYUKww/s400/IMG_4428.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div><p>Here I've just stuck it on with some painter's tape so I could see what it looked like. I also have some small fender flares from Rev9. I don't have a photo of those so you'll have to wait until they're painted and installed. I'm still debating on color. I'd like to restore the car to the original color, but at the same time I'd also like to do something different. Tough life decisions...</p>
<p>More soon...</p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-80223901952726975012017-06-16T09:55:00.000-04:002017-06-16T09:55:55.533-04:00Recovering 1994 Miata Seats<p>As usual, I failed to take a logical progression of photos during this job, but I did get a few and will include them here. It should give a flavor of what's involved in recovering the Miata seats. I've had slip-on covers on the original seats for several years now but was never happy with how they fit. So, real upholstery was called for. I bought these covers on Amazon for under $150. For that price, even if they don't hold up, I'm not out much. Except for about 8 hours of labor, of course.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrZPRoOvYD0-_yJB9NUT0F7RKJxWQ7TOXOwoQR482kUAkay0ntZ7P7GEjKd3nXsFvj8OgzGIk0cO7raQ3-jZzpPVyiuvJMmjffteeud8M-rjPBzAyDeeawYLobCw2e1Z2t1EEAA/s1600/IMG_4445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrZPRoOvYD0-_yJB9NUT0F7RKJxWQ7TOXOwoQR482kUAkay0ntZ7P7GEjKd3nXsFvj8OgzGIk0cO7raQ3-jZzpPVyiuvJMmjffteeud8M-rjPBzAyDeeawYLobCw2e1Z2t1EEAA/s320/IMG_4445.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>The hardest part of the whole operation is getting the old covers off the foam cushions. There are a ton of hog rings that you have to cut. My pair of dykes was barely up to the task. It takes a ton of hand strength to cut them. If you do this job, do yourself a favor and get a nice new pair of really big dykes. By the end of the second seat, my hands were worn out and my dykes were dull so I could barely cut the rings anymore. I ended up cutting a bunch of them with a Dremel tool.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtObWbtp3gopLfehMyY8nTKi5jXu-Jo2pFx0WAkVfAsilSaVvdBRqIs2PS9pWrkEuAqvdFRH7dNYduRGG-zwQrt3Uz3VYQMIzrQDX0QhFcD3d8kozbLrLU0q6Myp0FMZAES44_w/s1600/IMG_4447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtObWbtp3gopLfehMyY8nTKi5jXu-Jo2pFx0WAkVfAsilSaVvdBRqIs2PS9pWrkEuAqvdFRH7dNYduRGG-zwQrt3Uz3VYQMIzrQDX0QhFcD3d8kozbLrLU0q6Myp0FMZAES44_w/s320/IMG_4447.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div> The seat back is in two major pieces. Pay attention to how they come apart so you'll know how they go back together. It's not entirely obvious. The center piece is held in by the upholstery itself.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNycjFCm145mtJHp5Iq7ICkbUmuv-cDhRHxuYeofThe3f15gCAi6eqBDNRtdmCXUj0aso-ZBvt7Z_XlWsMig_6UDiknU_HKACZky_dPUVRhpvIUUahOFjMbAUBej1NBy6fkCY2ug/s1600/01d2da28db546bcd4866b38fe4c64fa26bb423670b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNycjFCm145mtJHp5Iq7ICkbUmuv-cDhRHxuYeofThe3f15gCAi6eqBDNRtdmCXUj0aso-ZBvt7Z_XlWsMig_6UDiknU_HKACZky_dPUVRhpvIUUahOFjMbAUBej1NBy6fkCY2ug/s320/01d2da28db546bcd4866b38fe4c64fa26bb423670b.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>There. That sort of shows it.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Gm2LUEEv-eecWqm8r9G497Zoe67NW8pc_0okD2PCCs4Fyyz4EQFDViCd9MKUXmziJ-NeFGaEj72859nHHWFMh4q7WCGkdr64bBD1_S4YJ6K08AukIDKLekfqbAfC3HzhHI2XtQ/s1600/01f2ca515acdedfda8064ca630da40804615ff3a63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Gm2LUEEv-eecWqm8r9G497Zoe67NW8pc_0okD2PCCs4Fyyz4EQFDViCd9MKUXmziJ-NeFGaEj72859nHHWFMh4q7WCGkdr64bBD1_S4YJ6K08AukIDKLekfqbAfC3HzhHI2XtQ/s320/01f2ca515acdedfda8064ca630da40804615ff3a63.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>The old foam is in really sad shape, but new foam was not in the cards. It's either unavailable or really expensive. I used gorilla tape and some polyester batting to shore up the side bolsters.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-txhbSm5ilCYnyr5_bjpOxYLRD_TXTUjC252OH2mmtbOwhAxSQgBDP_Oma1I6bTwOU4Ou0LidS5Jj6WmdP_YE7MbZPZQL0Ne5N2i6DfZlZUoUdQGUQwFmPOGl8sZEMktoGlP6w/s1600/01f39ce37546cc45ef8f9e371a791d70525ec98af7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-txhbSm5ilCYnyr5_bjpOxYLRD_TXTUjC252OH2mmtbOwhAxSQgBDP_Oma1I6bTwOU4Ou0LidS5Jj6WmdP_YE7MbZPZQL0Ne5N2i6DfZlZUoUdQGUQwFmPOGl8sZEMktoGlP6w/s320/01f39ce37546cc45ef8f9e371a791d70525ec98af7.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9-MahtAmYnEsJgKMZen5nc3ATlrST6n_Sj9yjPuml89TbEbOBs-CzvS2Ik2pa_vw53LtmmwWRe_7znqw5x2UGdX1SaQHiZAT90q-sPPmx83zvKzAoJe3dESKnqw_PpIjPW_dzA/s1600/0179b3c2689f82c68b42b4047be86859b94248d8dc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9-MahtAmYnEsJgKMZen5nc3ATlrST6n_Sj9yjPuml89TbEbOBs-CzvS2Ik2pa_vw53LtmmwWRe_7znqw5x2UGdX1SaQHiZAT90q-sPPmx83zvKzAoJe3dESKnqw_PpIjPW_dzA/s320/0179b3c2689f82c68b42b4047be86859b94248d8dc.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div>The other problem with the foam is that there are metal rods on either side of the main center seat cushion that were pulling out of the foam. These rods are what the hog rings loop around and give the seat its upholstered shape. I fixed it using some 16-gauge aluminum wire...
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjGM7N0hSbqzAI1pzTKnyTKElZ-RO5uYCLatUcl-Ncr37j8rAp0HXMcuKNgd40EUQxx6gPNY-J-ycWfRD4VowaRY4JrchTOFi9IDsBrtzQCqutVmkYOG79DY1zWm8wyiFpjC6rw/s1600/01f723eb8b90b08825e86c17f72f9924c1642dfa0d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjGM7N0hSbqzAI1pzTKnyTKElZ-RO5uYCLatUcl-Ncr37j8rAp0HXMcuKNgd40EUQxx6gPNY-J-ycWfRD4VowaRY4JrchTOFi9IDsBrtzQCqutVmkYOG79DY1zWm8wyiFpjC6rw/s320/01f723eb8b90b08825e86c17f72f9924c1642dfa0d.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>...pushed through the foam over the rod...
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBIv6EH9CyvCxJ5XlyffhquqUz86aBJ0xzQd6j7RhUCViJbh5is7SsxDieHhc9hibXEVr8D5yFaOACXgN8p8rZVlC8uSWYndBDQf7jrI98QmWUzgl87y_oCqQ8KyGnuGcKO6cBg/s1600/01b625be8743aad2baab83bca46a072c7fb198e6a6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBIv6EH9CyvCxJ5XlyffhquqUz86aBJ0xzQd6j7RhUCViJbh5is7SsxDieHhc9hibXEVr8D5yFaOACXgN8p8rZVlC8uSWYndBDQf7jrI98QmWUzgl87y_oCqQ8KyGnuGcKO6cBg/s320/01b625be8743aad2baab83bca46a072c7fb198e6a6.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>...and secured on the underside with a wooden dowel (chopstick). This gives the new hog rings something to pull against, rather than just rip out of the foam.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOO1or_6nvPUpc9HExrbALGrPaA46Pb2KPkYzNyfac9x6HI5XSZhXwvDQbIJJpWwUK3MMhCMSpRgk1Bi1Af-jRJ8OKGZkQ-1XSNqjnBuHW9oMmWL6ciBFskldjLYTYpWxGmuT3hw/s1600/IMG_4444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOO1or_6nvPUpc9HExrbALGrPaA46Pb2KPkYzNyfac9x6HI5XSZhXwvDQbIJJpWwUK3MMhCMSpRgk1Bi1Af-jRJ8OKGZkQ-1XSNqjnBuHW9oMmWL6ciBFskldjLYTYpWxGmuT3hw/s320/IMG_4444.JPG" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div>The seat pans were also really rusty. Some Rustoleum gray primer fixed them right up.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiZauKiuv69VCofiSbzqmvniHAmkcyHKOTufSnf_S1nhX_1uSjO323OZ-lGW5J-eB6yPHbuZ00LWpUJ6sD2L0SOuwbv7mtNEVxTDNfYJbTDmCdOS51YiBm16Dj9EL1pFCsDRKYg/s1600/010a5e63985689a9687c3e16281b6316cc4fb516f1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiZauKiuv69VCofiSbzqmvniHAmkcyHKOTufSnf_S1nhX_1uSjO323OZ-lGW5J-eB6yPHbuZ00LWpUJ6sD2L0SOuwbv7mtNEVxTDNfYJbTDmCdOS51YiBm16Dj9EL1pFCsDRKYg/s320/010a5e63985689a9687c3e16281b6316cc4fb516f1.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>Fully restored seat pan. I also cleaned and lubed the sliders.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUomN895a8pQnma4OI_rBbGdS88tesEobZwk8i0cLdRxWw_lVtAN_24ne8s7lbDxZb8GelKhsgxlVel6PS7tG__43fYJR4pAM7qJX7L-EFxjW_tFPg_psy0VoE2S-B05X-jqCug/s1600/013a2fe426c5a7e68b7f65807fd4f3711be57d7b63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUomN895a8pQnma4OI_rBbGdS88tesEobZwk8i0cLdRxWw_lVtAN_24ne8s7lbDxZb8GelKhsgxlVel6PS7tG__43fYJR4pAM7qJX7L-EFxjW_tFPg_psy0VoE2S-B05X-jqCug/s320/013a2fe426c5a7e68b7f65807fd4f3711be57d7b63.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div>
Wrapping the underside of the seat-back is a bit tricky. Lots of stretching required. I did a lot better on the second one than the first.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNW70eSFZeu8GlsNKg8OmaxuZKqYDNTMLCbCmccR5O9fK9UVNyhumMX5W9tnJZaz1QSlTM3gk-TJ-_eQyTIdxruHdoxBrtrSAItc5buSaEdl6DmXhH8gl2bb5gn5X9DJOiyYfJQg/s1600/014034ae0cf7c6a6d76ebb7b482fba1c7c4dc3d479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNW70eSFZeu8GlsNKg8OmaxuZKqYDNTMLCbCmccR5O9fK9UVNyhumMX5W9tnJZaz1QSlTM3gk-TJ-_eQyTIdxruHdoxBrtrSAItc5buSaEdl6DmXhH8gl2bb5gn5X9DJOiyYfJQg/s320/014034ae0cf7c6a6d76ebb7b482fba1c7c4dc3d479.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>Finished product. I'm pretty happy with how these turned out.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXM5LZwCS_FzEdNAOA26nr2rCxXsExc3dXPu7uLWS_WUr022AxbfEvTS8gtfbobEoQrD_N0nDk4Ou-AA47mbr1ul8Qj261xkGwlwvW2yMwH5JYmFQ3GntlkGJTowDWN7el0kNzw/s1600/017a5b4b183826a34cc6e8f702f784c73cffeedd8c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXM5LZwCS_FzEdNAOA26nr2rCxXsExc3dXPu7uLWS_WUr022AxbfEvTS8gtfbobEoQrD_N0nDk4Ou-AA47mbr1ul8Qj261xkGwlwvW2yMwH5JYmFQ3GntlkGJTowDWN7el0kNzw/s320/017a5b4b183826a34cc6e8f702f784c73cffeedd8c.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>No doubt the vinyl will be quite hot in the heat of the summer, but it's worth it for seats that aren't absolutely gross. This project breathed a lot of new life into this car.
<P>One final note - I used a lot of zip ties instead of hog rings. In many cases, it was a lot easier to get a zip tie in place. In some cases the hog ring worked better, though, so be prepared to use both.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-46167628956504788362017-06-08T18:48:00.001-04:002017-06-08T18:48:52.195-04:001994 Miata Original Radio GoodnessStill working on getting the interior in order, I did a little work on the center stack. I had previously hacked up the 'tombstone' to install a double-din stereo out of a 2002 Protege. It fit but I had to widen the opening just a bit. After that stereo died I put the original stereo back in, but after 15 years I had lost the cubby hole and the hacked up plastic looked pretty bad. So, I installed a brand-new 'tombstone' and a blank panel under the radio where the cubby was.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMMfaqeWr1gD7lAQZkbzmkzch9YxGdu6zTV1DX_-7Z-_p8GO99qBHGVvp8Q8LQd8etw5SYBvLW2y0imd4q3Z5NbMfNlv5O9Bnoqaegvyru4OEKVZctfF738ER-feekvElVG-ASg/s1600/_DSC1531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMMfaqeWr1gD7lAQZkbzmkzch9YxGdu6zTV1DX_-7Z-_p8GO99qBHGVvp8Q8LQd8etw5SYBvLW2y0imd4q3Z5NbMfNlv5O9Bnoqaegvyru4OEKVZctfF738ER-feekvElVG-ASg/s400/_DSC1531.jpg" width="400" height="389" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1557" /></a></div>The part number for this blank panel is NA01-55-231.
Now that I have the fancy gauge faces (previous post) I feel like the A/C controls need a little help. Gotta think about that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-77070069284300835712017-05-02T20:00:00.000-04:002017-05-02T21:19:21.320-04:00Revlimiter Gauge Face Install in '94 MiataSo I'm doing some work on the Miata! I've had this Miata for almost 20 years now, and the last year and a half since we moved to Tennessee has been really hard on it. It's been parked outdoors 24/7/365 and for a 24 year old car, that's brutal. I've got some parts and upgrades ordered and it will be getting a complete paint job here pretty soon. I'm also going to find a way to park it indoors. To kick things off, though, I decided to do something I've always wanted to do but never got around to it. I've long been a fan of the bespoke handmade gauge faces made by Adam at <a href = "http://revlimiter.net/" target="_blank">Revlimiter.net</a>. His designs are pure genius and the workmanship is top notch. The best part is he doesn't charge an arm and a leg. So a few months ago I ordered a set of his faces, and they proceeded to sit on the shelf for six months or so before I got a chance to install them. This is pretty typical for me, by the way. I have a set of Flyin Miata frame rail braces that I bought in 2012 that I have yet to install. I swear, I'm getting to it.
<p>Anyway, as usual I'm not going to tell you how to install anything. Revlimiter has outstanding instructions on the website. Instead I'll just post some photos and make some comments.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnySJQSMseh1kINRQpGqmcnOaVjyP720AOY1XRHYv-RBQuETjrlXcmyvU7RpSs1EGE6nqY-y_WtIZEaw_quEsJAzXjwNoOZAyC5mqnBR_kQ0WF10ODVQ_pKTPgMcqqFuVLd13KHg/s1600/IMG_4196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnySJQSMseh1kINRQpGqmcnOaVjyP720AOY1XRHYv-RBQuETjrlXcmyvU7RpSs1EGE6nqY-y_WtIZEaw_quEsJAzXjwNoOZAyC5mqnBR_kQ0WF10ODVQ_pKTPgMcqqFuVLd13KHg/s400/IMG_4196.JPG" width="400" height="300" /></a></div>Just for reference, here's the old gauge faces just before I took them off.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzDCuhrMu4RzN9_aVQhHr0DQUrt984g4V22oirtaIP7nVsc1BbCaRTTW9EHdSBLukAH1bfN1nzy-SUJW9LvZWW_32GvyHw-S4sGXFti_HHPSG_56mK0n3fnltX43bFcOl_0kBrg/s1600/IMG_4197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzDCuhrMu4RzN9_aVQhHr0DQUrt984g4V22oirtaIP7nVsc1BbCaRTTW9EHdSBLukAH1bfN1nzy-SUJW9LvZWW_32GvyHw-S4sGXFti_HHPSG_56mK0n3fnltX43bFcOl_0kBrg/s400/IMG_4197.JPG" width="400" height="300" /></a></div>I just thought this was interesting. In 20 years of Miata ownership I've never seen these parts. I think they're wonderfully analog!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgGZj7JBZFC80Z3xa_vPYiRJmWQsArMCpRaM-MAEQeVhqa_GB_OxqmJ9DucGV1ytFoxyOxxgv-iQwl-zdCaRbepX0T3-wlJG_AqV-FQneX6vbajya9BjWi1HmENxg4PFsDk86bw/s1600/IMG_4201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgGZj7JBZFC80Z3xa_vPYiRJmWQsArMCpRaM-MAEQeVhqa_GB_OxqmJ9DucGV1ytFoxyOxxgv-iQwl-zdCaRbepX0T3-wlJG_AqV-FQneX6vbajya9BjWi1HmENxg4PFsDk86bw/s400/IMG_4201.JPG" width="400" height="300" /></a></div>New faces in place.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7jgm0Yd9mugE44rDyvXchvD9aeEax3l3cVhB3KqwvcMe0KgF6ijKeqbkx2v6PjS0SOciY1PCiDgZaQ7g5CaFiWUxUVuRC4ENWsBpNzMajhd9qUUv3ULREul4-z35szve201tiA/s1600/IMG_4206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7jgm0Yd9mugE44rDyvXchvD9aeEax3l3cVhB3KqwvcMe0KgF6ijKeqbkx2v6PjS0SOciY1PCiDgZaQ7g5CaFiWUxUVuRC4ENWsBpNzMajhd9qUUv3ULREul4-z35szve201tiA/s400/IMG_4206.JPG" width="400" height="300" /></a></div>Getting the needles lined up right. The only tricky one was the water temp gauge. It just wanted to read too low no matter what I did. I finally got it to point straight up when the engine is warm. That's close enough for this inaccurate gauge. Ditto the OPG. The numbers don't mean much. I checked the speedo against GPS and it's within about 2 mph at 40 mph. The tach seems to read too high unless I set it too low at idle. I don't care. <br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-pE7tbqxgks3JMpPZbAJDFVxSYb7YU6Nk0Xbb3x0CjFc_CSxom8d3qUUs3h3bmPLLM-5W1GhJpV3ibpDUt2Dgsx_pq-hF10_siFFJePQfUAzBuYVuHD23BSeVAOBoiP2_SUq8w/s1600/_DSC1476+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-pE7tbqxgks3JMpPZbAJDFVxSYb7YU6Nk0Xbb3x0CjFc_CSxom8d3qUUs3h3bmPLLM-5W1GhJpV3ibpDUt2Dgsx_pq-hF10_siFFJePQfUAzBuYVuHD23BSeVAOBoiP2_SUq8w/s400/_DSC1476+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>
The finished product.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXW2fslX1fIIkYhqzjLQgbZdU2d6fob74raEn8Ochi6hRSdw-3eO_kfEh4LRFeHQi6eN_6FVv-roAaQAyGWCa4j2OUu2OzdGv-wIWYBysSEOD1TS07yMTO5LoyGKkM8Bsn2Nc2Zg/s1600/IMG_4217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXW2fslX1fIIkYhqzjLQgbZdU2d6fob74raEn8Ochi6hRSdw-3eO_kfEh4LRFeHQi6eN_6FVv-roAaQAyGWCa4j2OUu2OzdGv-wIWYBysSEOD1TS07yMTO5LoyGKkM8Bsn2Nc2Zg/s400/IMG_4217.JPG" width="400" height="300" /></a></div>Here's how they look at night.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcbfOzWa25WoUGEjRFRhTY7Zp-TNiKDSN8CF5SpODkn81A9sNoRfmOUX-6Vwl0i-Jv8krTmnu-W4gRQ-mdVKLx9RQGrsCBZ34-_Jdja3iUTWQ7ymM8uXUDdIoIgoHeAK-uPhE2A/s1600/_DSC1480+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcbfOzWa25WoUGEjRFRhTY7Zp-TNiKDSN8CF5SpODkn81A9sNoRfmOUX-6Vwl0i-Jv8krTmnu-W4gRQ-mdVKLx9RQGrsCBZ34-_Jdja3iUTWQ7ymM8uXUDdIoIgoHeAK-uPhE2A/s400/_DSC1480+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>This is a meaningless yet strangely satisfying modification. I think it bodes well for where I'm going with this car. More to come.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-85114443065669795232017-04-26T10:59:00.001-04:002017-04-26T16:37:16.786-04:00Classic Motorsports "The Mitty" at Road Atlanta 2017Last weekend we took a trip down to Road Atlanta for The Mitty. This year's featured marque was Porsche and since we are now proud Porsche owners it seemed fitting to participate. We stayed at the lovely <a href = "http://www.chateauelan.com/" target = "_blank">Chateau Elan Winery and Resort</a> - or more accurately, we stayed at the new Hampton Inn and Suites on the Chateau property. Much more affordable and we could still easily enjoy all the amenities of the resort. I'd write more about it but this is an automotive blog.
<p>I shot almost 1000 photos on the weekend but since most of the track is surrounded by catch fencing, it was really hard to get unobstructed photos of cars on track. I did my best, though, and here are some halfway decent photos.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8snkXRpgTD95rT5txXIHIOzTbL7cyQXWIKorzmJUqwiIH3r7qlyJZIdR06pYiACqCheU8ePDJuZ2ymPkOz8Z0BxxFcT3CP9KoYlp2HvcuorHXAwL0WTIgIkercoaS5zY4H-u1sQ/s1600/_DSC0489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8snkXRpgTD95rT5txXIHIOzTbL7cyQXWIKorzmJUqwiIH3r7qlyJZIdR06pYiACqCheU8ePDJuZ2ymPkOz8Z0BxxFcT3CP9KoYlp2HvcuorHXAwL0WTIgIkercoaS5zY4H-u1sQ/s400/_DSC0489.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>Here's part of the Porsche corral. This only shows a fraction of the cars. It was really cool parking with all the other Porsches. No other marque had anywhere near the showing the P-cars did.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5cc1Cj6t1Qtk0wLP_MZ50JmZ8irUaNwrXpLWLrDM6qt-hDWvxN-e_vJtpdOoH9oAp1GHpo1R2sJa6xfpY2vusONsNLYi6twYRWzNWr02nTs0RDw9NDXRV18JfYuLqXFPr-WDkg/s1600/_DSC0610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5cc1Cj6t1Qtk0wLP_MZ50JmZ8irUaNwrXpLWLrDM6qt-hDWvxN-e_vJtpdOoH9oAp1GHpo1R2sJa6xfpY2vusONsNLYi6twYRWzNWr02nTs0RDw9NDXRV18JfYuLqXFPr-WDkg/s400/_DSC0610.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div><a href = "http://www.flyinmiata.com" target = "_blank">Flyin' Miata</a> brought their stuff all the way from Colorado. This is the Mazda MX-5 RF with a lovely set of bronze 6UL wheels and a lowered suspension (don't know the details). This car is quite striking in person. There were many MX-5s in attendance.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9CWPZftnoAtrxkMzjiMsmtIASWpSPSWr0cd-k4jv4ved0M0K4pZu180-mJcN6tsZ8gbzlkkyfl3BPux_weBlISQcOk-kEt466BPVadOECLy_Qe4f_HP6QwzHtCkaiWyBZHlC3A/s1600/_DSC0645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9CWPZftnoAtrxkMzjiMsmtIASWpSPSWr0cd-k4jv4ved0M0K4pZu180-mJcN6tsZ8gbzlkkyfl3BPux_weBlISQcOk-kEt466BPVadOECLy_Qe4f_HP6QwzHtCkaiWyBZHlC3A/s400/_DSC0645.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>I just love the patina on this old truck. Had to snap a pic.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd94ioexIc-p99WhFOeZYgUBxL6HzaiP_XtDNLpig4zqiQSmQjJix6DE_2PBrMZBMtGuhuVFPr6SLBe7YaQRYoFJrs2fAmpDARiUc5tp5PmvWdGEWyfgktFoAYmPE7Pk44aEAwMQ/s1600/_DSC0660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd94ioexIc-p99WhFOeZYgUBxL6HzaiP_XtDNLpig4zqiQSmQjJix6DE_2PBrMZBMtGuhuVFPr6SLBe7YaQRYoFJrs2fAmpDARiUc5tp5PmvWdGEWyfgktFoAYmPE7Pk44aEAwMQ/s400/_DSC0660.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>A great looking 944.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWiIHE8i8aL2pgfiqjtavgDfO-6S2pX9xfyOzYYzkMumKkOMmD0J4yX78C9s5XhagxY_gJr4wbkzDgGb8BeyX2lNfo1rL4f-XCBPkTRC5qSsfq-Iq3Q19b9w0JPIT8O_P0dagiA/s1600/_DSC0690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWiIHE8i8aL2pgfiqjtavgDfO-6S2pX9xfyOzYYzkMumKkOMmD0J4yX78C9s5XhagxY_gJr4wbkzDgGb8BeyX2lNfo1rL4f-XCBPkTRC5qSsfq-Iq3Q19b9w0JPIT8O_P0dagiA/s400/_DSC0690.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>Back in the mid-late 90's I had a racing game on my PC called Sportscar GT. It was the greatest racing game I'd ever seen up to that time and I spent hundreds of hours playing it. This car was in it, and it was always one of my favorites. I also remember seeing this car at many races back in the day. Seeing it in person again after all these years was really neat.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPXse84w7qUefHJinwjxHe23aImHqfU8_ySJBaXsJN74ev8VhEbCQ9MtUe1bahSHM3i-sXAsFVX0OwjMn7Z9G9JlPdIViEhNo22fYYNBaUF3NNCT7JGxyJw1jtbTq9E7UKbK5ug/s1600/_DSC0705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPXse84w7qUefHJinwjxHe23aImHqfU8_ySJBaXsJN74ev8VhEbCQ9MtUe1bahSHM3i-sXAsFVX0OwjMn7Z9G9JlPdIViEhNo22fYYNBaUF3NNCT7JGxyJw1jtbTq9E7UKbK5ug/s400/_DSC0705.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>Awesome Brumos-liveried 987 Cayman.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdFaUWcaXzDKGBgB1qBTUXJjL7CZb2EfgD3k2DkKRsHeftDvRNmNVaAoesVehbauPcX1hyxJrIhIiXniVxZuc-NwGk53XOUP-vJgRzKB2tWv25ve9EvR52cM2gCoRte420bqSCA/s1600/_DSC0793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdFaUWcaXzDKGBgB1qBTUXJjL7CZb2EfgD3k2DkKRsHeftDvRNmNVaAoesVehbauPcX1hyxJrIhIiXniVxZuc-NwGk53XOUP-vJgRzKB2tWv25ve9EvR52cM2gCoRte420bqSCA/s400/_DSC0793.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>I got lucky and got a shot of this Gulf liveried 911 through an access hole in the catch fence.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKJmpISrlIAAfXSbVvzr7-hmaNa8ifnMw1N4wdLB6hXbgalsm6UZUqY0P_JeG48uo0ZvW9qkvAAgQXKGAWLrSIWO56t-7yqn8SAWwnLl7EaS0OrP_NUpS8kxB2n6miryABr47GQ/s1600/_DSC0929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKJmpISrlIAAfXSbVvzr7-hmaNa8ifnMw1N4wdLB6hXbgalsm6UZUqY0P_JeG48uo0ZvW9qkvAAgQXKGAWLrSIWO56t-7yqn8SAWwnLl7EaS0OrP_NUpS8kxB2n6miryABr47GQ/s400/_DSC0929.jpg" width="400" height="226" /></a></div>A line of Porsches heading down into the Esses.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nsjtqSGuOcz0hs_ycZBip5fTDv_a0kocKcvfuFUM445RiO5K8B0BWnsmMua7CmUPx0FC5A6x4is6RnpEw9353-SgfJuzBVH9GWha8W-A-B-AdcYYtYfMB13sad4lRcCSXcWpGw/s1600/_DSC1054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nsjtqSGuOcz0hs_ycZBip5fTDv_a0kocKcvfuFUM445RiO5K8B0BWnsmMua7CmUPx0FC5A6x4is6RnpEw9353-SgfJuzBVH9GWha8W-A-B-AdcYYtYfMB13sad4lRcCSXcWpGw/s400/_DSC1054.jpg" width="400" height="205" /></a></div>The Ford GT40 is possibly the greatest sportscar of all time. It's a 50 year old design and still makes your blood boil when you look at it. So amazing to see on track. There were several in attendance and as you'll see I love taking photos of them.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCjeZt0My7qWgVyL510rHve12EdQhHss-3smYl9BCYZE01JCimSm9TWPuQZciUSHFR8kN8hmW6WUY5gYEDrX7_SkMW4WTJ4kK3LLtNuQTexad74XdJnC4mP-Pa1TDmQqnsRxDuQ/s1600/_DSC1109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCjeZt0My7qWgVyL510rHve12EdQhHss-3smYl9BCYZE01JCimSm9TWPuQZciUSHFR8kN8hmW6WUY5gYEDrX7_SkMW4WTJ4kK3LLtNuQTexad74XdJnC4mP-Pa1TDmQqnsRxDuQ/s400/_DSC1109.jpg" width="400" height="225" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpK_YaEUM3fo_xLots8vQZdqmPjzD6TxoxLqe2ujhvQYuP11XmgYGA80-9jGJJ8q9tDrF6zSdQLKAZ2JHlFvV57xEZdszX6NOmxXfXKMXOiU5JVB7WbRC4v0MA5JwA0UHHFa0JSQ/s1600/_DSC1141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpK_YaEUM3fo_xLots8vQZdqmPjzD6TxoxLqe2ujhvQYuP11XmgYGA80-9jGJJ8q9tDrF6zSdQLKAZ2JHlFvV57xEZdszX6NOmxXfXKMXOiU5JVB7WbRC4v0MA5JwA0UHHFa0JSQ/s400/_DSC1141.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_hitwt_M1Bt05RRqZ7gNrxTBC-mL4UcDE5Dvp0omu6U_82cjCAra6xXDUuiFkPU79iaam1KrFLW8o-hOyffGvG6DZtSrazOTxx-g8YN07HD76U5D4UcfueidkwAJscoQWDDkxg/s1600/_DSC1200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_hitwt_M1Bt05RRqZ7gNrxTBC-mL4UcDE5Dvp0omu6U_82cjCAra6xXDUuiFkPU79iaam1KrFLW8o-hOyffGvG6DZtSrazOTxx-g8YN07HD76U5D4UcfueidkwAJscoQWDDkxg/s400/_DSC1200.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTCidHDDGCIFtDLSl37UyMWNclOZB2nqIkKwqTydp_Xa5TJITCEY2-zlcbFI_4LD1PBQ6f7SxZCbB7TnW-rWBq2vb2Q8_Pbz1eGuKLtJU-SwwoqT8bXk8ixCUupQ5nOZKy_9sqA/s1600/_DSC1225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTCidHDDGCIFtDLSl37UyMWNclOZB2nqIkKwqTydp_Xa5TJITCEY2-zlcbFI_4LD1PBQ6f7SxZCbB7TnW-rWBq2vb2Q8_Pbz1eGuKLtJU-SwwoqT8bXk8ixCUupQ5nOZKy_9sqA/s400/_DSC1225.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>This one pulled off track with an issue. Getting the sister car in the background was a complete accident. These sorts of accidents are why I love photography.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7044xMFjWwSz4vr6RcByQMiYDmUFudYBTm4fpMUfm-wsro3viDXcfZvg4kr2wG9SMvaP5kJwFAwgqMQHTOQwjwhd_09QgIyEykTJjYQQiUvU5v1Ex-MkFD5CH2m_NOstN_uFjA/s1600/IMG_3448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7044xMFjWwSz4vr6RcByQMiYDmUFudYBTm4fpMUfm-wsro3viDXcfZvg4kr2wG9SMvaP5kJwFAwgqMQHTOQwjwhd_09QgIyEykTJjYQQiUvU5v1Ex-MkFD5CH2m_NOstN_uFjA/s320/IMG_3448.jpg" width="320" height="213" /></a></div>And here we are on track during the touring laps. Photo by Double Vision Photography. These were the fastest touring laps I've ever done. We expected to slowly drive around the track for one or two laps but instead it was 4 laps driving at least five-tenths. Jen had never been on a track before and seemed to really enjoy it. Great fun. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-71895536787171638912017-04-07T14:02:00.000-04:002017-04-07T18:50:11.977-04:00Wheel spacers for the Cayman SThe Cayman looked a little narrow-wheeled to me. Maybe because it's lowered, but the wheels just seemed to sit a little too far inboard from the fender lips. A common mod for Caymans is wheel spacers. 7mm front and 15mm rear is a common fitment and what I chose. Some go more extreme but my car is lowered and not running a ton of camber so I played it safe. I ordered mine from <a href ="http://www.gmpperformance.com/" target="_blank">GMP Performance</a> and got them in about a week.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLomaeciLAFFEwdN_iSKUI4eKDZJjTvOeTZI_TIGK6zunqd1ZZ4ydDHI3u-k-5K5Sy2T5YDPhQpMquZY8fZ_VakCutzbxomr3ZaerKprw8ee9j8YDK0kuozEdYp3wChjI0qX94A/s1600/IMG_4091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLomaeciLAFFEwdN_iSKUI4eKDZJjTvOeTZI_TIGK6zunqd1ZZ4ydDHI3u-k-5K5Sy2T5YDPhQpMquZY8fZ_VakCutzbxomr3ZaerKprw8ee9j8YDK0kuozEdYp3wChjI0qX94A/s400/IMG_4091.JPG" width="400" height="300" /></a></div>This shows the car after the spacers were installed. The rear wheel sits pretty flush with the fender but there doesn't appear to be any rubbing or interference.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFh9CcgzC_FQccquhaxWOyxiXnd-i210eNiUEDchf-FY29uK-LeAIsGhHJCevEzWBs3pEYfq8lIm-JhrBViJr7sd3cDXts658d2iN-aMcvkdMfiZ9vlfEbJbi9_U50Ap6au8cbwQ/s1600/IMG_4094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFh9CcgzC_FQccquhaxWOyxiXnd-i210eNiUEDchf-FY29uK-LeAIsGhHJCevEzWBs3pEYfq8lIm-JhrBViJr7sd3cDXts658d2iN-aMcvkdMfiZ9vlfEbJbi9_U50Ap6au8cbwQ/s400/IMG_4094.JPG" width="400" height="300" /></a></div>Here's another shot from the front. You can see the new black wheel bolts a little bit. I really like the look. The original zinc plated bolts were looking a bit ratty. It's little things like that which make a car feel special. Also note I've added the Cayman R style side stripe. As side stripes are a long tradition with Porsches, I think these are perfect and appropriate.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8wNDD0fKlYiHAyG7Y3lqVz42rPKuc97nuR6djIGEhTtVh4qQ5wGP90LelkKdwLDul8cXPeUKv5FeYPSUuyS8PlcQkj6P0f8oN8sWAF8cj-vRSJ0e9HfwtlW7k0Z0bKwnub5qYw/s1600/APC_0048-hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8wNDD0fKlYiHAyG7Y3lqVz42rPKuc97nuR6djIGEhTtVh4qQ5wGP90LelkKdwLDul8cXPeUKv5FeYPSUuyS8PlcQkj6P0f8oN8sWAF8cj-vRSJ0e9HfwtlW7k0Z0bKwnub5qYw/s400/APC_0048-hdr.jpg" width="400" height="300" /></a></div>The spacers came with longer wheel bolts, in black, and I needed new ones anyway. The spacer just slips over the hub flange and is held on by the small screws that secure the rotor to the hub. Don't do this without fitting longer bolts.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've already put about 1200 miles on the car and there's been no rubbing or interference. The wider track makes the car feel a little more planted at speed. I think this is a good mod.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-64660634751886843512017-03-27T13:51:00.000-04:002017-04-07T13:53:34.061-04:002006 Cayman S Water Pump and Thermostat Change<p>So my Cayman has 43,000 miles on it and it's 11 years old. Normally I wouldn't be worried about a water pump at this point but I keep reading the experts on the internet saying you should replace the water pump every 40k miles. I think this is *incredibly* conservative but given the cost of repairs to an M97 engine, I'm ok with erring on the side of caution. So I decided to go ahead and replace the water pump and thermostat. Once I got into the job, I thought the coolant hoses looked a little old so I replaced those, too - or at least the ones in the rear of the car that supply coolant to the big aluminum pipes that go up to the radiators in the front, and to the heater core.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgR8jWvGXv8-YiZl-kRzuOtVa6d7fR0pWsz_iScixdCMsRAJ3vpkzzP2MVKvH_dfO6G7w7UmwaoGSp12jEITFFaFxhII5yF2NeqsIeJJ4cdur5lZ9e5urVs4GKiVQHJ53qTrbpg/s1600/IMG_4075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgR8jWvGXv8-YiZl-kRzuOtVa6d7fR0pWsz_iScixdCMsRAJ3vpkzzP2MVKvH_dfO6G7w7UmwaoGSp12jEITFFaFxhII5yF2NeqsIeJJ4cdur5lZ9e5urVs4GKiVQHJ53qTrbpg/s320/IMG_4075.JPG" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>Pierburg water pump from Pelican Parts. They are an OEM supplier, so this pump is exactly the same as the original. The impeller is composite plastic, which is what you want.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r0KmhbKS1U9uUe7ms7CanuPkZ1BPmFDxw3P7Mfyy545JhRZb3vQ1O8RvodihXNP4mndE6lwGv0a21FsIJ6ypfMH15deDthjDZN0ioeH6LNHB8jf4hlia87pUeiaHgpvhcezy8w/s1600/IMG_4076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r0KmhbKS1U9uUe7ms7CanuPkZ1BPmFDxw3P7Mfyy545JhRZb3vQ1O8RvodihXNP4mndE6lwGv0a21FsIJ6ypfMH15deDthjDZN0ioeH6LNHB8jf4hlia87pUeiaHgpvhcezy8w/s320/IMG_4076.JPG" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>It came with a new gasket, which was not clear from the Pelican Parts catalog, so I bought a separate one too. To remove the pump, take off the cover under the front of the engine, drain the cooling system and remove the hoses that are in the way. I planned to replace all the hoses so just cut them off to make removal easier. I didn't want to risk damage to the aluminum coolant tubes so I gently slit each hose for easier removal. After 11 years they were stuck pretty hard. The water pump is held on with six small bolts, with 10mm hex heads. They are very easy to remove. The thermostat is held on with four E10 external torx bolts. A couple of them are pretty tricky to get to so have a variety of extensions and a swivel on hand. Only one of the water pump bolts was hard to get to.</p>
<p>I'd rate the difficulty level of replacing the Cayman's water pump and thermostat as a 3, where my Miata is an 8 and my E46 M3 was a 7. The hardest part is getting all the covers off!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XIKSS-UQ0RgT2G2zeev0QFgYsELnDMk8ya0Bpq7QmxVS4xewK5s0zYpMw8P0QWRMDAlNUDs_TXGXFYehd3T1_O5fUJO8Uj92VPoLfLb2rocLVH_tHK_tCJTe_KZIZUCraIoVHQ/s1600/IMG_3988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XIKSS-UQ0RgT2G2zeev0QFgYsELnDMk8ya0Bpq7QmxVS4xewK5s0zYpMw8P0QWRMDAlNUDs_TXGXFYehd3T1_O5fUJO8Uj92VPoLfLb2rocLVH_tHK_tCJTe_KZIZUCraIoVHQ/s320/IMG_3988.JPG" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>Top cover off. The only reason to remove this cover for this job is when you fill the cooling system you need to open the bleed valve. The front cover behind the seats needs to come off too, to make access to the water pump easier. You can probably do it all from below, but much easier with access from the front as well.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfCnUJzWjDzPRCKJ3VBRJX6fSDJDyM62AzELAuH3h56g5RkGBYiFB_qGwN9Ib4czdgiGk5YdJFxNM0ERaNwkpfibnJ5Fh-6BA-KZR0HeNUosDprz9Hh6eeDWs90-IE57S_bMq_Q/s1600/IMG_4071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfCnUJzWjDzPRCKJ3VBRJX6fSDJDyM62AzELAuH3h56g5RkGBYiFB_qGwN9Ib4czdgiGk5YdJFxNM0ERaNwkpfibnJ5Fh-6BA-KZR0HeNUosDprz9Hh6eeDWs90-IE57S_bMq_Q/s320/IMG_4071.JPG" width="240" height="320" /></a></div>I took a photo of the belt routing to ease reinstallation of the belt. I actually bought a new belt but opted not to replace it yet because this one looked fine. The tensioner pulley is the one directly above the crank pulley, with the 24mm hex head. Wrench that clockwise to release the belt tension.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKZmhLpICjU6VjLDT9lfjNweY0Hb-fdHAf5AAAlS5A7Pp3x-SoqdV7d88WC-9LBDAs0Ln8mDJnOwqnkHuPSQymFw5anjmElNcjQZiEfB_SIdLQk05TaKSNF9pOqMsZk58jwbrSw/s1600/IMG_4100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKZmhLpICjU6VjLDT9lfjNweY0Hb-fdHAf5AAAlS5A7Pp3x-SoqdV7d88WC-9LBDAs0Ln8mDJnOwqnkHuPSQymFw5anjmElNcjQZiEfB_SIdLQk05TaKSNF9pOqMsZk58jwbrSw/s320/IMG_4100.JPG" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>Ok, so here's a thing I learned. The Porsche branded antifreeze is ridiculously expensive. Normally I would just suck it up and pay the money, but this rubbed me the wrong way. There's just no way the Porsche stuff is that special. So, I did a bunch of searching, finding references in the forums about what the Porsche antifreeze really is, and the specs it meets. I crossed referenced those specs with products I could find for sale with published spec sheets, and I believe <a href="http://www.pentosin.net/specsheets/Pentofrost_E.pdf" target="_blank">this stuff pictured here</a> is essentially identical to the Porsche coolant. It's still more than good old Prestone, but half the cost of Porsche. It's made in Germany, it's pink, and it's available on Amazon.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZAkZAyWxcgycA0c5Uauv0OqxuCem4tsjUHrXFwj5hVzSu9rHfNA1EORXJmNonRsS6PCCBi3FTUG5vMnbsJCfn13Tl4gDZixh7TPi7CrSWm8KjdwJAtymsT41YuCYCFjLHppkAQ/s1600/IMG_4102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZAkZAyWxcgycA0c5Uauv0OqxuCem4tsjUHrXFwj5hVzSu9rHfNA1EORXJmNonRsS6PCCBi3FTUG5vMnbsJCfn13Tl4gDZixh7TPi7CrSWm8KjdwJAtymsT41YuCYCFjLHppkAQ/s320/IMG_4102.JPG" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>Here's the old water pump with 43 thousand miles on it. I was a bit premature replacing it. There was no play in the bearing. Would have lasted quite a bit longer.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9SE81HNhuECjKI8nCmTJGGS6czTYxNit-N2SeDX5uMlYIRzNPso_Zr5cXXgJ4unGCTkeD_8YqjwXJn4Tz2EWq5F5Wqy5xQlCkdy2eHJVmPLDIIrpKxbI83h38CytPOdp55VSlQ/s1600/IMG_3983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9SE81HNhuECjKI8nCmTJGGS6czTYxNit-N2SeDX5uMlYIRzNPso_Zr5cXXgJ4unGCTkeD_8YqjwXJn4Tz2EWq5F5Wqy5xQlCkdy2eHJVmPLDIIrpKxbI83h38CytPOdp55VSlQ/s320/IMG_3983.jpg" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>Another slightly tricky thing with the Cayman (and the Boxster as well), is getting it up on four jackstands. When I had the 986 Boxster S, I was able to do it without anything special, but it wasn't fun. For the Cayman I decided to make things a little easier on myself. To that end I bought <a href="http://www.liftbars.com" target="_blank">Lift Bars</a> and they definitely make lifting the Cayman safer and simpler. The bars just plug into the factory lift points and you can jack one whole side of the car at a time. Your jackstands go under the liftbars. The lift bars are hand made to order, and well worth the cost for the added peace of mind and safety.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDJqfmzZw4OHysn0oK6KOB_c9O5NoYZt3bHa1Q-CaIc4DoMPFnkkZAqowxNLScVidi7rfO_uH1j2Wda50S3VIcgp38tIdbz2rjfcSxOXg33ap7lAw0pdigl5w5IRggMbK0hDV-A/s1600/IMG_3992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDJqfmzZw4OHysn0oK6KOB_c9O5NoYZt3bHa1Q-CaIc4DoMPFnkkZAqowxNLScVidi7rfO_uH1j2Wda50S3VIcgp38tIdbz2rjfcSxOXg33ap7lAw0pdigl5w5IRggMbK0hDV-A/s320/IMG_3992.JPG" width="320" height="240" /></a></div> Sorry for my lousy photo of the liftbars. Just visit their website and it shows them much more clearly.
<p>Finally, the hardest part of this project was filling the cooling system. I drained about 4 gallons of coolant out, so there was some still in there, but not a whole lot. I used distilled water in a 1:1 ratio with the Pentofrost E coolant. I found a <a href="http://www.planet-9.com/reviews/miscellaneous/p419-porsche-oem-water-pump.html" target="_blank">write-up on how to fill the system here</a> and it worked well. It just takes a lot of repeated burping and topping up. A week after I changed the water pump I put 1100 miles on the car and it performed flawlessly!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg782FLeS8CFE1UwN3F7Vx2whs9S5-ux1eLCwTnoI_iJh-x3voi7XY_KbufyCY96uyDdokGNBrxUFbgzBx2OPDE8opIN-vD4GLO8tu8cRv4PMlxQHSdA-vcX-gw_YJ_zRXAIT-Hxg/s1600/_DSC0035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg782FLeS8CFE1UwN3F7Vx2whs9S5-ux1eLCwTnoI_iJh-x3voi7XY_KbufyCY96uyDdokGNBrxUFbgzBx2OPDE8opIN-vD4GLO8tu8cRv4PMlxQHSdA-vcX-gw_YJ_zRXAIT-Hxg/s400/_DSC0035.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>Here's another pic for grins.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-88064043813773258442016-12-21T11:04:00.000-05:002017-03-22T17:49:28.057-04:00Used Oil Handling in the Home Garage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvwditfdUSQe6JvmhSdpOLVnQdB2mBbX2ngoJB10IMWhtp8UBsk06fKP9v3UqMTMg0N31Ys3m6R_v8v6OKyd0nhwvVx0gJDcx-FQb8yS95gCsevS0sGtIhedHnrxWjGMUPmHIZA/s1600/jug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvwditfdUSQe6JvmhSdpOLVnQdB2mBbX2ngoJB10IMWhtp8UBsk06fKP9v3UqMTMg0N31Ys3m6R_v8v6OKyd0nhwvVx0gJDcx-FQb8yS95gCsevS0sGtIhedHnrxWjGMUPmHIZA/s1600/jug.jpg" /></a></div>I'm not someone who pays others to do what I can do myself, so I do most of my own work on my cars. That includes oil changes. I use high quality synthetic oil like <a href="http://www.amsoil.com/redirect.cgi?zo=1345085&page=appguide" target="_blank">Amsoil</a> in all three of our cars, so really only need to change the oil once or twice per year, but since the Cayman holds almost two gallons of oil, it adds up to a lot of used oil that I have to deal with. I have a 5-gallon jerry can that can store a year's worth of used oil, but it's a pain to take it to drop off because it gets so heavy and if it fell over in the car it would probably leak considerably. Our county waste center is also more geared towards dropping off containers without regard to getting them back. Finally, my time is very limited and valuable, so any solution that involves scrounging for containers, transferring waste into small containers, or taking oil around to auto parts stores is a non-starter. <br />
<br />
So, I've been thinking about a more effective way to deal with used oil. In any Process Improvement initiative, I always try to come up with concrete requirements so that I can design a solution that addresses all of them.<br />
For this solution, I have the following requirements:<br />
<ul>
<li>1) I want to take the oil to the county waste collection point and drop off without having to worry about getting my container back.</li>
<li>2) I want to safely store used oil at the house without fear of leakage.</li>
<li>3) I don't want to transfer oil into small containers.</li>
<li>4) I only want to transfer the oil once.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YgpCaPuRr2AOsG816ipYttr8SGOh72wd-EItzJyDndux9V6Q5aX3LA0qt_mz8nekChGosU_-ycPBr3_rSOYhIMIFd5QfqyW6xn2hUOyrJfj2mMAQgSEsAZJ-HOH-nsRFIBhh2g/s1600/new_jug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YgpCaPuRr2AOsG816ipYttr8SGOh72wd-EItzJyDndux9V6Q5aX3LA0qt_mz8nekChGosU_-ycPBr3_rSOYhIMIFd5QfqyW6xn2hUOyrJfj2mMAQgSEsAZJ-HOH-nsRFIBhh2g/s320/new_jug.JPG" width="187" height="247" alt="Photo by Uline.com" /></a></div>The solution: <a href="https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-12759/Jugs/F-Style-Jugs-2-1-2-Gallon-Natural" target = "_blank">2.5 gallon plastic jugs</a>. (Incidentally I have purchased from uline.com in the past and they are great.)
They cost almost $6 each but I'll only need about two per year, adding $12 to the cost of my annual oil changes. In the scheme of things, this is a drop in the bucket and I'm still saving far more than that by not paying a shop to do my oil changes.
I should also note that when I had a cat, I used the empty kitty litter containers for exactly this purpose, and they were pretty much the same sort of container. They worked great! Let me hear your ideas for dealing with used oil and other waste products in the home garage.
UPDATE: Since the jugs at ULINE can only be ordered in case quantities, and I don't want 12 of these things hanging around, I found <A href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZJPRWMA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">a vendor on Amazon that sells four 2.5 gallon jugs for $35</a>. One jug holds a couple oil changes (one for the Porsche) and keeps things tidy. Win!!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12530755.post-45312873990638248622016-10-10T13:11:00.000-04:002017-01-10T18:32:18.067-05:00Cayman S on Cherohala Skyway and Tail of the Dragon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Cherohala Skyway snakes through the southern end of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina. It links the towns of Tellico Plains and Robbinsville, with not much in between except sweeping vistas and sinewy roads. Bear country.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchn6omuDu502eFXl9zJxZJqFWtoAQohWQiX9Cd5nNnJWZXbVagehwKOwdP19O5OIs5JP7XTMEkLtgqIJbvdqVgiFR-uA8hnxyKlFpCnF2EsUQUZt6OybvoVhg3i5dCajf6W_2bw/s1600/DSC_0059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchn6omuDu502eFXl9zJxZJqFWtoAQohWQiX9Cd5nNnJWZXbVagehwKOwdP19O5OIs5JP7XTMEkLtgqIJbvdqVgiFR-uA8hnxyKlFpCnF2EsUQUZt6OybvoVhg3i5dCajf6W_2bw/s400/DSC_0059.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a> </div>
The Porsche Cayman S is in its element in this environment. It is perfectly adapted to this road. Its razor-sharp handling and prodigious power make for a very entertaining drive. With an almost telepathic responsiveness, the driver's confidence rises, speeds increase, and one has to make a conscious effort to slow down in order to avoid "consequences".
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a3WmssqVUeDKCPrE0WzD_aRDWZh3vzjSzUDxtmroW3CyKg_uvK_lvzXNlykdubLsQptfl6o_ZntaQHb8qOoYZd-TnD13qOMaqABI8Bz7fNxwjDqZiOwgJfh5C_Wge2ZI7UTUNw/s1600/DSC_0062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a3WmssqVUeDKCPrE0WzD_aRDWZh3vzjSzUDxtmroW3CyKg_uvK_lvzXNlykdubLsQptfl6o_ZntaQHb8qOoYZd-TnD13qOMaqABI8Bz7fNxwjDqZiOwgJfh5C_Wge2ZI7UTUNw/s400/DSC_0062.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div>But the Cayman delivers almost as much pleasure when sitting still as it does carving curves. Its lines are so clean, so perfect. It's a car without too many extras. Not too much to distract from its purpose. There is no infotainment system. There are modern conveniences but they don't coddle you. The feel is somewhat raw without being punishing. Playful but a little serious. Not like a Miata, but not quite an M3 either. Just right.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVoQSR0vqC4ALp-Vyfo9qLDsuKp09T3C67cGBhkYP0zBwRO2244vdPmrs69tlU_xRnYibp2rxLq9kjeG7co12OnKTm61E-qkbjgVBryhJcJEwI1tsfOxNAemJZ3V5evlGObHpwA/s1600/DSC_0066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVoQSR0vqC4ALp-Vyfo9qLDsuKp09T3C67cGBhkYP0zBwRO2244vdPmrs69tlU_xRnYibp2rxLq9kjeG7co12OnKTm61E-qkbjgVBryhJcJEwI1tsfOxNAemJZ3V5evlGObHpwA/s400/DSC_0066.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div><p>After the drive is over the sounds of the flat six still resonate in your head. The feel of the wheel in your hands persists. You wash off the road dust and prepare for the next time. The next time you can head back to bear country with your Porsche.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIvbxcvYuaYWf4NxJniDriVbAo-Qx6se-HGJ5MhNwa3lxacWWE569iH-WrikN34eUK8BsXraKDk2pgaRss0GFrn3QwR7rVzQv1kh9updit16yZtrNoKu3tShmX8va83hgto0clw/s1600/1324703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIvbxcvYuaYWf4NxJniDriVbAo-Qx6se-HGJ5MhNwa3lxacWWE569iH-WrikN34eUK8BsXraKDk2pgaRss0GFrn3QwR7rVzQv1kh9updit16yZtrNoKu3tShmX8va83hgto0clw/s400/1324703.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a>Photo by Killboy.com</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Tpbu9qJcjGKVpy4QSiaPryPjh_S1sef-XD0pxgzQElozHwNv0h2zEvyhaj5i63nrvrRVQFrlN3d88fytXYV72Weipf-rJOp_WQPVCHQYHtRphIl2bWcyunVGWNQJh-2ZY_gJqA/s1600/1324704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Tpbu9qJcjGKVpy4QSiaPryPjh_S1sef-XD0pxgzQElozHwNv0h2zEvyhaj5i63nrvrRVQFrlN3d88fytXYV72Weipf-rJOp_WQPVCHQYHtRphIl2bWcyunVGWNQJh-2ZY_gJqA/s400/1324704.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a>Photo by Killboy.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0