Originally posted by felixR
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It is indeed! It was actually the first time I had seen the car in the flesh. I had only seen it in photos up until the night we all met to check out the car together
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Testing and playing around with the new camera, lense and equipment.
Last edited by stephen8512; 09-07-17, 02:18 AM.Comment
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The car will be going in for service. Aside from the usual minor service, some extra bits will be going on the car, mostly replacing OEM items with fresh new ones or upgraded to a better brand. Although the car has been very reliable up until now, there is always room for improvement. The key focus is reliability and being proactive rather than reactive. Plus, most of the factory parts currently on the car are 20 years old now and could do with a replacement and refresh.
In no particular order :
- OEM Rocker Cover Gasket
- OEM Throttle Body Gasket
- OEM Intake Manifold (Satin Black)
- OEM Valve Cover (Satin Black)
- OEM NA6 Oil Pressure Sender
- OEM NA6 Valve Cover Bolts
- OEM Thermostat Cover
- OEM Timing Cover
- OEM Upper Timing Belt Cover
- OEM Lower Timing Belt Cover
- OEM Clutch Master Cylinder
- OEM Clutch Slave Cylinder
- OEM Rear Main Oil Seal
- HKS Sports Oil Filter
- Goodridge Braided Clutch Line
- RacingBeat Sway Bar End Links
- Mazdaspeed Engine Mounts
- GarageStar Lightweight Alternator Pulley
- GarageStar Lightweight Water Pump Pulley
- Toda Sports Clutch Disc
- Toda Sports Clutch Cover
- Toda Lightened Flywheel (4.5kg)
- Dixcel Type SD Slotted Front Rotors
- Dixcel Type SD Slotted Rear Rotors
- Dixcel Type M Front Brake Pads
- Dixcel Type M Rear Brake Pads
- Motul RBF600 Brake Fluid
She should be running very nicely after this!
Last edited by stephen8512; 09-07-17, 02:18 AM.Comment
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12/10/2016
Major Service 2 : Completed
Received the car back from service today. As mentioned previously, along with a minor service changing the oil and oil filter there were a few things which were going to be upgraded/refreshed.
No major issues and the service went quite smoothly, except for one thing which was the front calipers seizing. I've replaced the front calipers with NB8A items for the time being (same as NA8C) and will probably look at getting the original calipers pulled apart and rebuilt so I can put it back on next time. Brand new injectors were also replaced. Needless to say, the car feels so nice to drive now, especially with the new clutch and flywheel! The clutch will be bed in properly for the next 500-1000kms or so and will also bed the new brakepads in as well. Mazdaspeed engine mounts were installed and there was no discernable increase in NVH which was awesome.
Now that the majority of the engine suspension and brakes have been tended to, there's only a few more things which I'd like to get done for the next service.
- Torsen 4.1 LSD
- Mazdaspeed Suspension Bushes Replacement
- Refresh Control Arms
- FM Chassis Frame Rails
- Maxim Works 4-2-1 Headers
- Fujitsubo Catback Exhaust
- Denso Fuel Pump + Bag
- SAMCO Silicone Hoses in BRG
- KG Works Retro Rear View Mirror
For now though, I can get back to focusing on the interior. I've ordered some Nakamae parts and they will be coming in shortly.
- Nakamae Quilted Sidestep Interior Trim
- Nakamae Quilted Transmission Tunnel Trim
- Nakamae Quilted Upper Package Tray Trim
- Nakamae Quilted Lower Package Tray Trim
- Nakamae Quilted Beltline Trim
Last edited by stephen8512; 09-07-17, 02:19 AM.Comment
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17/10/2016
Nakamae Quilt Mat Interior Trim Set
Received the Nakamae interior trim set today. I've been a fan of the trim pieces ever since seeing it on Adam's NA "Sharka" and also on Gianni's NA6. I had opted to keep it simple by not going too crazy on the quilted mat look so for now I decided to just get the transmission tunnel, side step, rear parcel upper and lower and the beltline done and see how it looks. I'm going to get the Nakamae seat reupholstry kit with new covers and quilted centre to match but for the doorcards, I might just go the plain Nakamae ones and utilise the door pulls instead and replace the arm rest. I think this will give it a cleaner look overall. These will be the next big items interior wise.
For now though, it looks really good! Install was pretty simple and I decided to take the seats out of the car to make it easier for me. To my surprise there was dead leaves and other crap under the seat so it's a good idea to remove the seats once in a while and give it a nice vacuum and cleaning.
Automotive archaeology. Finding random bits of crap under the seat.
Result.
In other news, I think the silicone hoses I bought from CarbonMiata are failing on me after less than a year. They seem to be cheap chinese copies and the hoses have discoloured as they were probably manufactured without quality assurance in mind. Not only that, there's a smell of coolant coming from the engine bay and after going through my checklist of what it could be, I've deduced it must be the hoses. So I've contacted the Australian distributor for Samco silicone hoses and will be getting full coolant and ancillary replacement hoses in BRG. Should look good once done!Last edited by stephen8512; 09-07-17, 02:19 AM.Comment
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The trim set really transformed the interior. As always, the attention to detail in this blog is great!Comment
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Engine bay as it currently stands.
Definitely need to install the headers!
Last edited by stephen8512; 09-07-17, 02:19 AM.Comment
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06/11/2016
OEM Mazda Genuine Front Lip + Sunday Drive
Exterior got a minor cosmetic update, namely a genuine OEM Mazda front lip. Most of the front lips I've seen on other NA's are OEM replicas or copies. With this being a genuine part, it has the part number as well as having "Made In Canada" stamped inside the lip. Since it's a genuine original item, there were no fitment issues either. However, to be fair, I have test fitted an OEM replica front lip and the only difference from what I could see is that you'd probably want to use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat it up to get the lip to bend and form into shape to make the polyurethane more malleable as the fitment isn't 100%. It does take slightly more work but once it's on, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the genuine and replica lip. Given that the genuine lip would probably cost an arm and a leg if purchased brand new from Mazda, the replica is a cost effective way of achieving the same result for a fraction of the price and there's plenty of these going around second hand. Normally I'm against replica or fake parts but for something like a front lip, I'm okay with it. I just got lucky that I managed to score an original part!
OEM front lip and OEM rear lip. Managed to get the rears for free from a mate!
OEM front lip attached.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day today so I decided to take the MX-5 out for a drive. With the front lip now fitted, I decided to slightly raise the front so it wouldn't scrape. I do wish the car was a tad lower to rid the slight gap between the fender and wheels but as far as exterior goes, I'm very satisfied. Will need to book in a wheel balance and alignment soon. Driving through Bells Line of Road is always an absolute blast and the car as it stands is amazing to drive. All the major things have been tended to and the little niggles have been ironed out so everything is now strong and reliable and is now such a fun car to drive, more than ever. I do have a few other bits and bobs which will be refreshed but all in due time.
It's days like today that make those late nights working on the car worthwhile...
Last edited by stephen8512; 09-07-17, 02:19 AM.Comment
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In terms of the figment of the front lip (I have a genuine Garage Vary on my NB), even that needs some warming up for it to fit properly. It just depends on whether or not your lip has been twisted and cooled some time in shipment.
The first time I fitted it, I was a little disappointed by the fitment. The next time (after I took it off to rattle can it) I left it in the sun and that was sufficient to "soften it" and allowed it to fit a lot better.Comment
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20/11/2016
Sunday Drive : Old Pacific Highway + Wisemans Ferry Rd
What a fantastic day for a drive today was. Gorgeous weather on a Sunday means taking the MX-5 and going for a spirited drive. The last time I went for a drive it was through Bells Line. Today, I decided to drive through Old Pacific Highway and then head back via Wisemans Ferry Rd. Have to say that the NA didn't skip a beat and ate up the black top like nothing. So much fun going through corners and for majority of the way, foot was flat to the floor. No cars, no traffic, just me and the road. Crossed the Hawkesbury River via the cable ferry and couldn't resist taking advantage of the amazing scenery at Wisemans Ferry so I decided to take a few sneaky photos.
Last edited by stephen8512; 09-07-17, 02:20 AM.Comment
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