Project Track Rat: 1990 Miata

[SlimKlim]

Update:

I got a pair of used front calipers with the brackets, sliders, and a set of pads with about 70% life for $31 shipped. I replaced the seized caliper and put the non-ruined pads on and the brakes are WAY better.

I drove it to work for the first time today and I have to say I love this little thing. Its sort of like driving a sewing needle, it just goes wherever you want it to. The world becomes your racetrack when you have no horsepower too, I find myself taking racing lines out of the apartment complex. There is a slight shudder at highway speeds, but I'm going to hold off judgement until I replace the wheels.

Other than that it feels pretty much perfect. I love this little motor, its super quick to rev match and the revs fall really quickly. The power band seems pretty healthy, it pulls with all its might from 4,500k to redline. Speaking of which, does anyone know what my redline is? There's a "soft" red on the tach at like 6,250, but it doesn't turn all red until 7k.

I got let out of work early for the holiday weekend, so I came home to play with it. I've always liked the sleepy eye look, and I found a way to do it for super cheap, so I went to radio shack and picked up a couple of switches.

I snipped the wire that closes the lights and ran them to a toggle switch in the dash. I wired a momentary push button in next to it. The idea is that you can leave the toggle on and use the lights normally, or flip the switch to the other position, use the car's control to close the lights (which it won't do because the circuit is broken), and then you can use the momentary switch to half close them.

HOWEVER, scumbag radioshack strikes again and the fucking toggle switch breaks as I go to put it all in the dashboard. *twitch* Of course, it breaks after I've glued it into place, so now I'm up shit creek until I can find another blank switch plate to do it all again. Thinking quickly, I clipped the tabs off the back of the toggle switch and just shoved it in anyway. Now I every time I turn off the lights I have to hold down the momentary switch until I can put a new toggle in.

Anyway, pics!







It looks a little goofy now rockin its shitty wheels and monster truck ride height, but it'll be pretty sweet when it all comes together.

This weekend I'm going to keep working on cleaning it up. I gotta degrease the engine bay, clean the interior again, repaint some trim, and hopefully I'm going to borrow a good buffer and really bring the paint back to life.