She Followed Me Home, Honest
12-23-12, 04:09 PM
#501
OK, enough is enough.
The all night viigils by irate villagers with burning torches is upsetting my Chinese gymnasts.
I get it, the airbox is ugly.
Better?
Meanwhile, other stuffs happened:
Thermowax adjustment on the NA throttle body is a bit involved.
(It's really not all that bad, I loosened the 6 fasteners on the dynamic chamber flange and left the thermowax water lines connected).
Put it all back together:
I had scrubbed the airbox cover last night (serenaded by the cries of the hoi polloi) and let it dry.
This morning it got a few light coats of satin black but looked to shiny to me, so I dusted it with a few coats of flat black to get this final look.
The Mazda logo sticker was removed and a 3D Mazda logo (the original from the '91s rear deck) GOOPed in place.
Consider that my Christmas gift to y'all.
Ran her up to temp and adjusted the TPS again.
Idle is now a nice steady 750.
That's my gift to me.
The all night viigils by irate villagers with burning torches is upsetting my Chinese gymnasts.
I get it, the airbox is ugly.
Better?
Meanwhile, other stuffs happened:
Thermowax adjustment on the NA throttle body is a bit involved.
(It's really not all that bad, I loosened the 6 fasteners on the dynamic chamber flange and left the thermowax water lines connected).
Put it all back together:
I had scrubbed the airbox cover last night (serenaded by the cries of the hoi polloi) and let it dry.
This morning it got a few light coats of satin black but looked to shiny to me, so I dusted it with a few coats of flat black to get this final look.
The Mazda logo sticker was removed and a 3D Mazda logo (the original from the '91s rear deck) GOOPed in place.
Consider that my Christmas gift to y'all.
Ran her up to temp and adjusted the TPS again.
Idle is now a nice steady 750.
That's my gift to me.
12-24-12, 08:31 AM
#502
Got a weird and completely unexpected Christmas present this morning...I made Jalopnik!
That is the FD that Sigfrid and I slaved on for nearly three years and was sold just a few months ago. The new owner is apparently selling it on, not sure why.
The article and the responses are pretty funny (and wildly inaccurate).
Jalopnik is one of my daily early morning stops, Nice Price or Crack Pipe is always up early (like me) and sometimes quite amusing.
I looked at the pic for a second and went "Wait a minute here..." before I knew for certain that was our car.
Believe me, I agonized over the details in that bay and there's no mistaking the work...it's mine.
Removed as I am from the sale, I don't think it'd be appropriate to comment in the thread but I could certainly set some questions straight if I did.
Anyway, I made (what for me is) the big time!
Kinda.
That is the FD that Sigfrid and I slaved on for nearly three years and was sold just a few months ago. The new owner is apparently selling it on, not sure why.
The article and the responses are pretty funny (and wildly inaccurate).
Jalopnik is one of my daily early morning stops, Nice Price or Crack Pipe is always up early (like me) and sometimes quite amusing.
I looked at the pic for a second and went "Wait a minute here..." before I knew for certain that was our car.
Believe me, I agonized over the details in that bay and there's no mistaking the work...it's mine.
Removed as I am from the sale, I don't think it'd be appropriate to comment in the thread but I could certainly set some questions straight if I did.
Anyway, I made (what for me is) the big time!
Kinda.
12-24-12, 03:54 PM
#503
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
Posts: 30,849
Received 2,610 Likes
on
1,852 Posts
airbox looks great! actually i just noticed that the rear bracket is wrinkle finish, and i really really like that. i know i should look at the rest of the car. i remember when i pulled the AC out of my 20B car, my friend was like "you'll be hot driving it" and i said something like "after 7 exhausts, 3 turbos, 3 engines, 4 ecu's, i need the AC under the hood, not inside the car!"
i have reformed since then, my current vert has had 2 exhausts, but only because the stock one was broken.
i have reformed since then, my current vert has had 2 exhausts, but only because the stock one was broken.
12-25-12, 08:51 AM
#504
Merry Christmas from snowy Colorado!
According to my crappy thermometer it's a balmy 5° in the garage...perfect weather for a little under-the-car work.
Very little and very fast, I can't feel my fingers.
Yesterday morning I decided that the thermostat access plug on the bottom of the cooler was probably the source of the leak. Could find no real info on the sealing washer (or even the ability to order it), so I trucked up to Ace Hardware armed only with the OD of the part.
Found a bronze thrust washer for $.45 that looked close, brought it home and machined the ID to fit. It's not really a "crush" washer but it is flat and I'd planned on using some Right Stuff sealant anyway.
I finally pulled the plug and drained the cooler around 11 am.
And it dripped and dripped and dripped...
I wanted the surface to be dry and cleaned with acetone to give me a sporting chance, so I decided to outwait the oil and just let it drip all night.
This morning it had stopped and the plug was installed.
I have nowhere to go today, so it'll have some extra cure time (which the manufacturer claims it doesn't need) and I'll see how it turned out tomorrow.
Now it is time to bake...
(figuratively and literally)
According to my crappy thermometer it's a balmy 5° in the garage...perfect weather for a little under-the-car work.
Very little and very fast, I can't feel my fingers.
Yesterday morning I decided that the thermostat access plug on the bottom of the cooler was probably the source of the leak. Could find no real info on the sealing washer (or even the ability to order it), so I trucked up to Ace Hardware armed only with the OD of the part.
Found a bronze thrust washer for $.45 that looked close, brought it home and machined the ID to fit. It's not really a "crush" washer but it is flat and I'd planned on using some Right Stuff sealant anyway.
I finally pulled the plug and drained the cooler around 11 am.
And it dripped and dripped and dripped...
I wanted the surface to be dry and cleaned with acetone to give me a sporting chance, so I decided to outwait the oil and just let it drip all night.
This morning it had stopped and the plug was installed.
I have nowhere to go today, so it'll have some extra cure time (which the manufacturer claims it doesn't need) and I'll see how it turned out tomorrow.
Now it is time to bake...
(figuratively and literally)
12-26-12, 11:20 AM
#506
Emerald Triangle for life
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Posts: 552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the kind words! It was great chatting with you. Always a pleasure to meet a real enthusiast. I'm glad to hear you are getting to drive your car now.
Just to be clear, the exhaust I'm running is not a true dual. I'm running a Racing Beat street header with a Bonez high-flow cat and dual RB mufflers on a stock TII Y-pipe. It seems to flow pretty well, but is a bit on the heavy side.
If you decide to offload that 360mm Momo wheel, let me know. A friend of mine has a 320mm wheel and, while it felt very nice in the hand, was a little too small.
If you need help coordinating that hatch in Loveland, let me know. I would be happy to help out.
Just to be clear, the exhaust I'm running is not a true dual. I'm running a Racing Beat street header with a Bonez high-flow cat and dual RB mufflers on a stock TII Y-pipe. It seems to flow pretty well, but is a bit on the heavy side.
If you decide to offload that 360mm Momo wheel, let me know. A friend of mine has a 320mm wheel and, while it felt very nice in the hand, was a little too small.
If you need help coordinating that hatch in Loveland, let me know. I would be happy to help out.
12-27-12, 09:38 AM
#507
Thanks, Dave.
We'll see what shakes out with the hatch.
Update on the oil cooler...it still leaks.
Definitely from the bottom fitting- I cleaned the cooler with acetone and sprinkled talc on the end tank so I could see oil tracks (there were none from the hose fittings).
I'm really surprised and at somewhat of a loss as to the next move.
It's possible the bung is cracked and all my efforts with the crush washer were for naught.
Or, my cleaning/sealing was just not good enough.
I think I'll see if I can get lucky and obtain another cooler altogether.
We'll see what shakes out with the hatch.
Update on the oil cooler...it still leaks.
Definitely from the bottom fitting- I cleaned the cooler with acetone and sprinkled talc on the end tank so I could see oil tracks (there were none from the hose fittings).
I'm really surprised and at somewhat of a loss as to the next move.
It's possible the bung is cracked and all my efforts with the crush washer were for naught.
Or, my cleaning/sealing was just not good enough.
I think I'll see if I can get lucky and obtain another cooler altogether.
12-27-12, 12:40 PM
#508
Thanks, Dave.
We'll see what shakes out with the hatch.
Update on the oil cooler...it still leaks.
Definitely from the bottom fitting- I cleaned the cooler with acetone and sprinkled talc on the end tank so I could see oil tracks (there were none from the hose fittings).
I'm really surprised and at somewhat of a loss as to the next move.
It's possible the bung is cracked and all my efforts with the crush washer were for naught.
Or, my cleaning/sealing was just not good enough.
I think I'll see if I can get lucky and obtain another cooler altogether.
We'll see what shakes out with the hatch.
Update on the oil cooler...it still leaks.
Definitely from the bottom fitting- I cleaned the cooler with acetone and sprinkled talc on the end tank so I could see oil tracks (there were none from the hose fittings).
I'm really surprised and at somewhat of a loss as to the next move.
It's possible the bung is cracked and all my efforts with the crush washer were for naught.
Or, my cleaning/sealing was just not good enough.
I think I'll see if I can get lucky and obtain another cooler altogether.
12-27-12, 06:44 PM
#509
Hi, Jack.
I see yet another Christmas has passed and none of your near-n-dear gifted you with the "C" that your screen name is so obviously missing.
Were you not a good boy this year?
I "fixed" the leak by replacing the cooler.
Haven't investigated the old one yet...may not bother to do so (at least, not until it's warmer).
If she goes all night without widdling on the floor, the <del>diaper</del> bellypan will go back on.
I see yet another Christmas has passed and none of your near-n-dear gifted you with the "C" that your screen name is so obviously missing.
Were you not a good boy this year?
I "fixed" the leak by replacing the cooler.
Haven't investigated the old one yet...may not bother to do so (at least, not until it's warmer).
If she goes all night without widdling on the floor, the <del>diaper</del> bellypan will go back on.
12-28-12, 05:16 PM
#510
Hi, Jack.
I see yet another Christmas has passed and none of your near-n-dear gifted you with the "C" that your screen name is so obviously missing.
Were you not a good boy this year?
I "fixed" the leak by replacing the cooler.
Haven't investigated the old one yet...may not bother to do so (at least, not until it's warmer).
If she goes all night without widdling on the floor, the <del>diaper</del> bellypan will go back on.
I see yet another Christmas has passed and none of your near-n-dear gifted you with the "C" that your screen name is so obviously missing.
Were you not a good boy this year?
I "fixed" the leak by replacing the cooler.
Haven't investigated the old one yet...may not bother to do so (at least, not until it's warmer).
If she goes all night without widdling on the floor, the <del>diaper</del> bellypan will go back on.
Santa says he knows where all the naughty girls live. And what they want for Christmas.
12-28-12, 05:57 PM
#511
That is exactly the sort of joke that a man in a cardigan would tell.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
No sign of oil weepage overnight, so I optimistically installed the undertray.
"Optimistic" because it was about zero dark thirty degrees and I could barely grasp bolts...if that ****** has to come off again anytime soon, I'll be pissed.
Glitches in the wing transaction have been overcome and I have a tracking # w/ est. del. on Wednesday.
Install of the wing will essentially complete this phase of the project and we'll all have to find something else to do.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
No sign of oil weepage overnight, so I optimistically installed the undertray.
"Optimistic" because it was about zero dark thirty degrees and I could barely grasp bolts...if that ****** has to come off again anytime soon, I'll be pissed.
Glitches in the wing transaction have been overcome and I have a tracking # w/ est. del. on Wednesday.
Install of the wing will essentially complete this phase of the project and we'll all have to find something else to do.
12-31-12, 10:23 AM
#515
I've been meaning to ask you- when you removed the auto belts, you left the A and C pillar trims that were original to the car, correct? Does the small gap where the belts used to slide through look tacky or is it tolerable?
I have a black S5 interior from an auto belt car to go into my S4 and I'm pretty sure I won't find any 10AE black pieces (without the auto belts) anytime soon... And the ones I painted on my previous car didn't fare too well with age.
I have a black S5 interior from an auto belt car to go into my S4 and I'm pretty sure I won't find any 10AE black pieces (without the auto belts) anytime soon... And the ones I painted on my previous car didn't fare too well with age.
12-31-12, 06:13 PM
#516
Well Brett, I've been meaning to look into that very thing but other **** keeps getting in the way.
"Tacky" may be too strong a word but it is obvious to the careful observer that something is missing up there. I kinda thought I'd just cover up that track with some foam from the inside of the a-pillar but to be honest, I forgot all about it and haven't noticed it while in the car (so it can't be too glaring).
The wing is scheduled for delivery Wednesday, so I've been attacking some of the little stuff that never made the punchlist. Still trying out different steering wheels too.
I've been wanting to replace the oil pressure & water temp gauges in the 2nd Miata cluster with VDOs.
I had done that in the first version (with the mechanical speedo) but not the second, electronic unit. The first time I did it, I grafted the Miata dials/needles to the VDO gauge unit but later realized that all calibration is lost when the needles are removed. This was not so much of an issue with the Miata dials because they are not really marked beyond C > H (water) and L > H (pressure).
I miss having a better idea of the actual temp/pressure though and given the age of my engine, think it's worth paying closer attention to. So, another set of VDOs has been on the wish list awaiting funds.
Today, with time on my hands, I decided to plunder the old Miata cluster of the hybrid VDOs and put them in the cluster I'm actually using. At least they wouldn't be as numb as the OEM Mazda stuff.
So that's what I did.
There were enough detail differences between the NA and NB Miata clusters that it wasn't a direct swap but it wasn't that big a deal.
With the gauges installed and wired (but the needles and faceplate still off), I hooked the cluster into the car and ran her up to temp. My efan trigger is pretty damn accurate at 195° (low speed), so I figured I'd let the fan come on and stab the needle so it read dead center at that temp. That would put normal running just before center of the dial scale (such as it is).
The oil pressure I put at 3/4 of the scale when cold and would wait to see what it did when warmed up.
That all went fine.
Removed the cluster and installed the faceplate, then proceeded to final install all the way through the steering wheel. Was going to test drive so I started her up and...neither of the newly installed VDOs did anything.
Just sat there.
I haven't a clue.
So, it all has to come apart again and what I thought would just be a pleasant afternoon diversion will turn into a two day ordeal.
I should mention that yesterday I spent some time with the stereo headunit that came with the car. All my speakers are trash and I couldn't get the headunit to do much when I first looked at it, so it was removed early on in the refurb. Thought I'd give it a more serious look before trashing it, so I opened up the center stack and hooked it up.
Put in a CD, which it swallowed but refused to acknowledge (not burned, a real live legal CD).
The only source it will accept (or admit to seeing) is from the tuner.
Yeah, so it really is trash...no big deal.
Put the dash back together.
Today, when I wanted to start the car I couldn't find my key.
Looked everywhere, then looked again.
Finally figured the only place left was the center stack, open when the radio was being tested, so that comes apart again.
And yup, that's where the key was.
Again...no clue.
So as you can see, it's been a strange day.
Going to wait till tomorrow and see if the change in year helps...
"Tacky" may be too strong a word but it is obvious to the careful observer that something is missing up there. I kinda thought I'd just cover up that track with some foam from the inside of the a-pillar but to be honest, I forgot all about it and haven't noticed it while in the car (so it can't be too glaring).
The wing is scheduled for delivery Wednesday, so I've been attacking some of the little stuff that never made the punchlist. Still trying out different steering wheels too.
I've been wanting to replace the oil pressure & water temp gauges in the 2nd Miata cluster with VDOs.
I had done that in the first version (with the mechanical speedo) but not the second, electronic unit. The first time I did it, I grafted the Miata dials/needles to the VDO gauge unit but later realized that all calibration is lost when the needles are removed. This was not so much of an issue with the Miata dials because they are not really marked beyond C > H (water) and L > H (pressure).
I miss having a better idea of the actual temp/pressure though and given the age of my engine, think it's worth paying closer attention to. So, another set of VDOs has been on the wish list awaiting funds.
Today, with time on my hands, I decided to plunder the old Miata cluster of the hybrid VDOs and put them in the cluster I'm actually using. At least they wouldn't be as numb as the OEM Mazda stuff.
So that's what I did.
There were enough detail differences between the NA and NB Miata clusters that it wasn't a direct swap but it wasn't that big a deal.
With the gauges installed and wired (but the needles and faceplate still off), I hooked the cluster into the car and ran her up to temp. My efan trigger is pretty damn accurate at 195° (low speed), so I figured I'd let the fan come on and stab the needle so it read dead center at that temp. That would put normal running just before center of the dial scale (such as it is).
The oil pressure I put at 3/4 of the scale when cold and would wait to see what it did when warmed up.
That all went fine.
Removed the cluster and installed the faceplate, then proceeded to final install all the way through the steering wheel. Was going to test drive so I started her up and...neither of the newly installed VDOs did anything.
Just sat there.
I haven't a clue.
So, it all has to come apart again and what I thought would just be a pleasant afternoon diversion will turn into a two day ordeal.
I should mention that yesterday I spent some time with the stereo headunit that came with the car. All my speakers are trash and I couldn't get the headunit to do much when I first looked at it, so it was removed early on in the refurb. Thought I'd give it a more serious look before trashing it, so I opened up the center stack and hooked it up.
Put in a CD, which it swallowed but refused to acknowledge (not burned, a real live legal CD).
The only source it will accept (or admit to seeing) is from the tuner.
Yeah, so it really is trash...no big deal.
Put the dash back together.
Today, when I wanted to start the car I couldn't find my key.
Looked everywhere, then looked again.
Finally figured the only place left was the center stack, open when the radio was being tested, so that comes apart again.
And yup, that's where the key was.
Again...no clue.
So as you can see, it's been a strange day.
Going to wait till tomorrow and see if the change in year helps...
01-01-13, 08:26 AM
#519
Happy 2013, everyone.
Well, my "Because Streetcar!" approach has bitten me in the ***.
I dislike all my steering wheels- for one reason or another- but the philosophy demands I run the FD wheel because it really fulfills every requirement except looking good.
I mentioned that I've been cycling through the options, in fact, almost every time I take her out I've changed wheels again, so there's been a lot of back-to-back comparison in similar conditions.
The regular style 360mm Momo is the nicest looking by far and my inner kid is really rooting for it but the practical drawbacks make my inner adult scream.
I am constantly aware of the smaller diameter, it's like a sliver- a minor irritation that demands attention.
This is also the lightest wheel/hub assembly of the group and seems to transfer more kickback from the wheels than the much heavier FD OEM part.
And it blocks the T/S indicators in the cluster.
The other four wheels are all stock diameter/hub offset (remember, many Mazda wheels have non-concentric rims/hubs) and are immediately and noticeably better in terms of ease and ergonomics.
There's the original GTU FC wheel, which, truth be told, looks excellent, if too plastic-y.
I also have a leather wrapped FC wheel (same three spoke style) but it's kinda chewed up...I think the owner wore brass knuckles all the time.
Unfortunately, the rims are too thin (and round) for my taste.
The Momo Miata wheel would be a real contender if the center pad wasn't such a gawdawful design.
It's a molded plastic thing (covered in leather) that wraps around the three hub spokes and supposedly velcros to the back of the spokes. Mine looks OK from the front but is terrible from any angle that shows the back where the seams are floppy and unaligned.
I tried to improve the fit by heating it up in the oven (170°- lowest I can go- for an hour), installing it (yes, it was hot), then wrapping the whole thing in electrical tape to hold it in position. Let it sit overnight and boy, it looked pretty good.
Removed it (must do to access the mounting bolt) and put it back on...where it reverted to it's old cranky ways.
Then there's the FD wheel...best rim thickness and shape and horn buttons I can reach with my thumbs while hands stay positioned.
While driving with this wheel, I just don't notice it, it does everything right.
And it's buttugly.
What a dilemma.
The gauge fiasco of yesterday, which I'll explore today, has got me thinking of the cluster again.
Before going too far with the (newish) concept, I need to figure out if I can tastefully relocate the fuel level display somewhere outside the cluster.
I'm at the "Could I...?", "I wonder...", "Hmmm" stage, so no point in yammering on about it till I look into it a bit more (I've actually been considering this for a few years now, so I have some ideas and my skills have improved).
Meanwhile, she continues to run beautifully, much better than I could have hoped.
The oil leak seems to be gone, in fact, I can't find leaks or drips of any kind the length of the car.
So, there's that.
I'm all aflutter about the impending delivery of the duckbill.
My bestest Christmas present.
(Actually, it's not. My sister got me a Labyrinth, which was amazing in many ways.)
Well, my "Because Streetcar!" approach has bitten me in the ***.
I dislike all my steering wheels- for one reason or another- but the philosophy demands I run the FD wheel because it really fulfills every requirement except looking good.
I mentioned that I've been cycling through the options, in fact, almost every time I take her out I've changed wheels again, so there's been a lot of back-to-back comparison in similar conditions.
The regular style 360mm Momo is the nicest looking by far and my inner kid is really rooting for it but the practical drawbacks make my inner adult scream.
I am constantly aware of the smaller diameter, it's like a sliver- a minor irritation that demands attention.
This is also the lightest wheel/hub assembly of the group and seems to transfer more kickback from the wheels than the much heavier FD OEM part.
And it blocks the T/S indicators in the cluster.
The other four wheels are all stock diameter/hub offset (remember, many Mazda wheels have non-concentric rims/hubs) and are immediately and noticeably better in terms of ease and ergonomics.
There's the original GTU FC wheel, which, truth be told, looks excellent, if too plastic-y.
I also have a leather wrapped FC wheel (same three spoke style) but it's kinda chewed up...I think the owner wore brass knuckles all the time.
Unfortunately, the rims are too thin (and round) for my taste.
The Momo Miata wheel would be a real contender if the center pad wasn't such a gawdawful design.
It's a molded plastic thing (covered in leather) that wraps around the three hub spokes and supposedly velcros to the back of the spokes. Mine looks OK from the front but is terrible from any angle that shows the back where the seams are floppy and unaligned.
I tried to improve the fit by heating it up in the oven (170°- lowest I can go- for an hour), installing it (yes, it was hot), then wrapping the whole thing in electrical tape to hold it in position. Let it sit overnight and boy, it looked pretty good.
Removed it (must do to access the mounting bolt) and put it back on...where it reverted to it's old cranky ways.
Then there's the FD wheel...best rim thickness and shape and horn buttons I can reach with my thumbs while hands stay positioned.
While driving with this wheel, I just don't notice it, it does everything right.
And it's buttugly.
What a dilemma.
The gauge fiasco of yesterday, which I'll explore today, has got me thinking of the cluster again.
Before going too far with the (newish) concept, I need to figure out if I can tastefully relocate the fuel level display somewhere outside the cluster.
I'm at the "Could I...?", "I wonder...", "Hmmm" stage, so no point in yammering on about it till I look into it a bit more (I've actually been considering this for a few years now, so I have some ideas and my skills have improved).
Meanwhile, she continues to run beautifully, much better than I could have hoped.
The oil leak seems to be gone, in fact, I can't find leaks or drips of any kind the length of the car.
So, there's that.
I'm all aflutter about the impending delivery of the duckbill.
My bestest Christmas present.
(Actually, it's not. My sister got me a Labyrinth, which was amazing in many ways.)
01-01-13, 09:55 AM
#520
Have you ever done a leather wrap on a wheel? My leather Vert wheel had that same brass knuckle treatment. It had pockmarks and abrasions. It looked like it was in a motorcycle wreck. I don't know how that can happen! I filled the holes with something I think RTV Black. I let it cure then put a black leather wheel wrap on it. Did the Baseball stitch method. I did it with the wheel off on the work bench.
The diameter is much nicer with a luxurious feel. The damage is completely hidden and I think it looks pretty darn nice.
The diameter is much nicer with a luxurious feel. The damage is completely hidden and I think it looks pretty darn nice.
01-01-13, 07:19 PM
#521
Nope.
Being a Texan, I assume you just went out the back door, cut a dogie from the herd, butchered it and tanned the hide.
Or do you buy the wrap?
I'm picturing lots of smokeless tobacco, crotch grabbing and twine.
*****.
I'm intrigued.
Any visuals to share?
I just mounted the stock (plastic) GTU 3-spoke wheel.
Mainly want to check out the spoke layout compared to the FD.
Removed the cluster and found the problem.
I had pushed the needles too far down on the shaft and the hubs were dragging on the dial face. Needles have been reset and it all works now.
The water temp gauge in particular is quite a comfort.
The Miata gauge was very much like the OEM FC unit in that it would creep up to center and then just stay there.
The VDO responds very quickly to changes, much more informative.
Impressive to see the temp plummet when the fan kicks on.
In fact, the cooling system in general is pretty damn good.
It was about 10-15° in the garage and I think she would have idled all day at 180° with no fan. I had to spend a lot of time revving her up to get the car hot enough to trigger the fan (so I could set the gauge needle).
Fan would run for 20-30 seconds and she'd be back to 180° and sit there again till forced hotter.
I've spent so much time idling/revving in the garage that the mileage figure from the first full tank will be useless.
Tomorrow comes the wing...
Being a Texan, I assume you just went out the back door, cut a dogie from the herd, butchered it and tanned the hide.
Or do you buy the wrap?
I'm picturing lots of smokeless tobacco, crotch grabbing and twine.
*****.
Any visuals to share?
I just mounted the stock (plastic) GTU 3-spoke wheel.
Mainly want to check out the spoke layout compared to the FD.
Removed the cluster and found the problem.
I had pushed the needles too far down on the shaft and the hubs were dragging on the dial face. Needles have been reset and it all works now.
The water temp gauge in particular is quite a comfort.
The Miata gauge was very much like the OEM FC unit in that it would creep up to center and then just stay there.
The VDO responds very quickly to changes, much more informative.
Impressive to see the temp plummet when the fan kicks on.
In fact, the cooling system in general is pretty damn good.
It was about 10-15° in the garage and I think she would have idled all day at 180° with no fan. I had to spend a lot of time revving her up to get the car hot enough to trigger the fan (so I could set the gauge needle).
Fan would run for 20-30 seconds and she'd be back to 180° and sit there again till forced hotter.
I've spent so much time idling/revving in the garage that the mileage figure from the first full tank will be useless.
Tomorrow comes the wing...
01-02-13, 03:55 PM
#522
In Order
Nope.
Being a Texan, I assume you just went out the back door, cut a dogie from the herd, butchered it and tanned the hide.
Or do you buy the wrap?
I'm picturing lots of smokeless tobacco, crotch grabbing and twine.
*****.
I'm intrigued.
Any visuals to share?
I just mounted the stock (plastic) GTU 3-spoke wheel.
Mainly want to check out the spoke layout compared to the FD.
Being a Texan, I assume you just went out the back door, cut a dogie from the herd, butchered it and tanned the hide.
Or do you buy the wrap?
I'm picturing lots of smokeless tobacco, crotch grabbing and twine.
*****.
I'm intrigued.
Any visuals to share?
I just mounted the stock (plastic) GTU 3-spoke wheel.
Mainly want to check out the spoke layout compared to the FD.
Bought the leather wrap at Pepbouys. Cant find a link to the correct item online. Genuine leather with lacing kit. about $15-17 bux depending on the size. Available for large and small wheels. I bought the small. They let me take it out to test fit it on the wheel. You want it to stretch just a little to fit the wheel..
Nearly Tobacco free for 32 yrs.
I'm not, but like.
Pics.
01-02-13, 04:48 PM
#523
Thanks, I might look into that.
I have a secret weapon in the steering wheel hunt that I've neglected to mention...and will keep hidden a while longer.
Just because.
THE WING ARRIVED!
It leapt onto the car:
I had planned an elaborate method of measuring/marking for the holes but seriously...**** that.
Ended up laying a few strips of blue painters tape across the tail, offering up the wing and pressing the areas above the studs.
This left perfect imprints on the tape, no measuring, marking...nuttin.
Mine only had four mount points:
Between the studs on each side were pockets covered in tape that may have been intended for clips of some kind.
Also on the very ends, each side was missing a chunk of the inner skin where it looks like some fasteners were ripped out.
I'm guessing that Mazda originally used a combination of the four threaded studs I have remaining (they're 5mm x .9, BTW) and then four plastic fasteners of some exotic and breakable nature.
Anyway, the four studs seem to do a fine job holding it on.
I was able to access the four studs by just dropping the spare tire carpet cover, no further interior removal necessary.
Whole project took about twenty minutes.
Better pics to come later.
I have a secret weapon in the steering wheel hunt that I've neglected to mention...and will keep hidden a while longer.
Just because.
THE WING ARRIVED!
It leapt onto the car:
I had planned an elaborate method of measuring/marking for the holes but seriously...**** that.
Ended up laying a few strips of blue painters tape across the tail, offering up the wing and pressing the areas above the studs.
This left perfect imprints on the tape, no measuring, marking...nuttin.
Mine only had four mount points:
Between the studs on each side were pockets covered in tape that may have been intended for clips of some kind.
Also on the very ends, each side was missing a chunk of the inner skin where it looks like some fasteners were ripped out.
I'm guessing that Mazda originally used a combination of the four threaded studs I have remaining (they're 5mm x .9, BTW) and then four plastic fasteners of some exotic and breakable nature.
Anyway, the four studs seem to do a fine job holding it on.
I was able to access the four studs by just dropping the spare tire carpet cover, no further interior removal necessary.
Whole project took about twenty minutes.
Better pics to come later.
01-03-13, 07:51 AM
#524
Waiting for the sun to rise, need the light and the warmth to work in the garage.
Supposed to be in the mid-thirties today so as long as the wind is calm, should be bearable.
I have a couple of little projects to begin along with acclimating to the new wing.
It's far too cold to be painting, so the continuing S4-ization of the GTU is on hold for a few months.
No black body trim/mirrors for you.
I spent some time exploring the concept of removing the fuel gauge from the main cluster.
From a technical/hardware perspective it looks completely do-able, I have the parts and materials and a vision of how to do it.
The question is where to put it.
For a while (much longer than I'd care to admit) I played with the concept of fitting it in the switch bezel using the empty cruise control switch location.
Cool as it could be, this would entail more plastic molding/fabrication and I just did a lot of that for my switchgear project with barely acceptable results.
So no, for now I want to leave the bezel alone.
The easiest option would be to install the Miata gauge into a standard 2 1/16" gauge housing- which I can do- and then either panel mount it (the DIN area is an obvious choice) or put it in a mounting cup- also have- and put it somewhere else.
Going to mock up a gauge and move it around the car as I drive, see what looks good.
Also have a lighting project I'm considering.
Many moons ago as I began the project, I was in the attic a lot, combing for possible parts.
Came across a nice set of Hella 6" round driving lamps that had been on the 240Z for a while.
I'd like to find a cool way to mount them...always been a fan of the look and the extra vision would be helpful.
If possible, I'd like to get them on today without worrying about the electrical, just to evaluate the look.
When I redid the bay harness, the fog lamp circuit was left intact so I can use the stock relay/cabin switch to control a second relay that would actually power the lamps.
There are any number of ways to wire it up, I'll have to think about it if the project gets that far.
IIRC, these things have 100w bulbs in them and are real monsters...could be interesting.
Supposed to be in the mid-thirties today so as long as the wind is calm, should be bearable.
I have a couple of little projects to begin along with acclimating to the new wing.
It's far too cold to be painting, so the continuing S4-ization of the GTU is on hold for a few months.
No black body trim/mirrors for you.
I spent some time exploring the concept of removing the fuel gauge from the main cluster.
From a technical/hardware perspective it looks completely do-able, I have the parts and materials and a vision of how to do it.
The question is where to put it.
For a while (much longer than I'd care to admit) I played with the concept of fitting it in the switch bezel using the empty cruise control switch location.
Cool as it could be, this would entail more plastic molding/fabrication and I just did a lot of that for my switchgear project with barely acceptable results.
So no, for now I want to leave the bezel alone.
The easiest option would be to install the Miata gauge into a standard 2 1/16" gauge housing- which I can do- and then either panel mount it (the DIN area is an obvious choice) or put it in a mounting cup- also have- and put it somewhere else.
Going to mock up a gauge and move it around the car as I drive, see what looks good.
Also have a lighting project I'm considering.
Many moons ago as I began the project, I was in the attic a lot, combing for possible parts.
Came across a nice set of Hella 6" round driving lamps that had been on the 240Z for a while.
I'd like to find a cool way to mount them...always been a fan of the look and the extra vision would be helpful.
If possible, I'd like to get them on today without worrying about the electrical, just to evaluate the look.
When I redid the bay harness, the fog lamp circuit was left intact so I can use the stock relay/cabin switch to control a second relay that would actually power the lamps.
There are any number of ways to wire it up, I'll have to think about it if the project gets that far.
IIRC, these things have 100w bulbs in them and are real monsters...could be interesting.