'97 Roadster Style

[Mazdababy]

I bought the car in January of this year, 1997 C package with 135k miles. I am the second owner and the car has been kept in SC it's entire life. It is 99.9% rust free and was 100% bone stock as it was owned by an old woman. The asking price at the dealer was $5,600, however the power antenna was broken, the window regulators we're acting like they were about to go out... http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif, one headlight motor was dead, and the check engine light came on during my test drive. Acting like I would be paying someone to repair everything, I talked him down to $4,050 with fees. This is my second Miata (I now have a third as a project drift car). I bought this one from parting out my old miata that was totaled.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/IMG_0003.png

Hit pretty bad. I was going down a road by the Mall of Georgia doing 50 mph through a green light when a Ford E-250 van was in the oncoming lane and turned left in front of me. I had NB interior in the car with a cluster that read 76k miles.. the car really had 290k but when the insurance company offered me $4500 I couldn't help but keep my mouth shut.

My last car I was going for a modern, more sleek look. Now I'm going for the complete opposite and wanting oldschool roadster style.

Here is the car when I got it. It did not come with the hard top, but I had since bought it and sold it.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/198465_10150220520031164_657466163_9159413_2149033 _n.jpg


And here is the car as it sits now.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/228871_10150401082636164_657466163_10630170_695257 6_n.jpg
Padding has now been removed

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/281811_10150401447501164_657466163_10633160_386067 7_n.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/DSC05499.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/267409_10150356375881164_657466163_10156177_623920 8_n.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/DSC05477.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/DSC05491.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/IMG_0485.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/IMG_0484.jpg

Drift event I ran for fun that made me decide I also have to build a drift car.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/bryanweiss44n/DSC05502.jpg

I have done the following since I have bought it..

DIY Coolant reroute
Nakamae black and charcoal racing seats
Center console delete (partially done)
11lbs flywheel and stage 2 six puck clutch
Protege valve cover
Mild wire tuck
Power steering delete
Oldskool Hard Dog bar
BSP low pro headlights
Wood grain e-brake handle
1994 door panels
Project-G G-string
Fortune 500 coilovers 8k front 6k rear
Buzzer delete
OEM Eunos Roadster fog lights
Megan Racing headers
Koyorad 2 core radiator
Crappy home made exhaust, cat delete with Magnaflow muffler with 'blast pipe'
90-93 Real oil pressure sender and gauge
90-93 Speedo and tach chrome rings
Little sound deadening here and there
Front and rear mud flaps

Future mod list:

90-93 black and tan dash with black crash pad swap
Fender markers
Put tan leather seats back in
Chrome fuel cap?? Not the lid, I do not know what it's called.
Trap front lip
Leather door pull straps
Enkei 92 wheels, silver with no polished lip
6 speed swap
Eunos wood grain Nardi wheel
NA wood grain Nardi knob
94 tan loop-style carpet
Eunos front and rear badges
Roadster rear badge
Roadster door sills
Shallow, round, chrome fender mounted mirrors
Dual tip center exit exhaust, with a cut out on the bottom on the bumper
Rear fog or backup light in place of stock exhaust location
Full wire tuck
Coil on plugs
A/C delete
Cut out last diagonal and polish the roll bar
Poly bushings
Lots of DIY bracing all over the chassis
-3pt shock tower with brake booster and engine damper
-frame rails
-frog arms
-rear toe hook frame brace??
-knuckle brace
-steering rack brace
-subframe bracing
-transmission brace
-diff brace
-butterfly brace
-seam weld chassis
Maybe GV rear tail lights

And I'm debating between two things..
13b or 1.8l ITB.

I am a huge rotary fan and if well maintained can be just as reliable. However I have a soft spot for ITBs.

Last but not least.. paint the car the same black, including engine bay, trunk, etc. A full, real paint job, with the OEM tan pin striping. I don't expect to do this for a longg time.

[Beastinthebushes]

Looks good, Im jealous of the g-string top, I want one.

[Mazdababy]

Looks good, Im jealous of the g-string top, I want one.

Thanks. I think the G-String is my favorite product made for the Miata. I absolutely love it; very well made, pretty easy install, and it feels wonderful on a warm day. Oh, and it's just flat out sexy.

[Beastinthebushes]

Couldnt agree more, but also couldnt justify the price they were asking, which is why I didn't buy one. keep up the good work, you NA guys are making me want to buy one myself and make it my daily.

[Mazdababy]

Couldnt agree more, but also couldnt justify the price they were asking, which is why I didn't buy one. keep up the good work, you NA guys are making me want to buy one myself and make it my daily.

I paid I believe.. $280 shipped for the tan, which is an extra $40. It's worth it to me! But of course to each his own. Took the car to 90 mph on 85 yesterday, it holds up so well.

Do it! I'm actually considering buying some old protege or other cheap car to daily so I can really start working on this thing.

[theothersawyer]

Looks good, Im jealous of the g-string top, I want one.

I have two soft top sitting in my garage still if you want to mess with them!!!!

[JesseShoots]

Now you also need a budget drift car build thread

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

Dude - I like the top, where'd you get it from?

[Spark!Plug]

hey jack, check this out

http://www.formoverfunctionz.com/

:D

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

Damn that's cool, they have some nice parts. Little pricey compared to stock alternatives but hey it's custom and seems decent quality.

[Mazdababy]

Pretty big update here.

Talbot knockoffs installed on fenders
Chrome OEM trunk rack installed

Found some minty 94 loop style tan carpet and pressure washed it before putting it in. Also layed down sound deadening and all new insulation.

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4997&stc=1&d=1317234163

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4998&stc=1&d=1317234163


http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4999&stc=1&d=1317234163

Reinstalled OEM headlights and removed the roll bar.

Bought and installed black black ebrake boot and shift boot with tan stitching

Bought AC delete tube, plugs, and non-AC HVAC knob. Only thing left is to cut the bolt that holds the compressor bracket so I can remove it.

Bought a Blaupunkt Savannah CR127

http://www.continentalimports.com/images/savannah.jpg

..inspired by Kurts radio which is a Blaupunkt Miami Beach CD127 (Identical but Kurt's has a CD receiver in place of the tape deck)
It should have a real nice 90's OEM feel to it, while having rear AUX input as well as RCA pre-outs.

Bought a brand new OEM tan tanneau cover with hardware

Bought eBay dual tip muffler for center exit and Magnaflow resonator

Bought and installed wood ebrake handle and shift knob

Bought tan leather window protector

Purchasing Enkei 92s 15x8 in silver tonight :) going to be running 205/50/15

Got my wood grain Nardi with black spokes and horn button, just waiting on the Nardi hub.

I've also been sourcing out a black and tan 1.6 dash for a while. I found one, but the top was in really crappy shape. So I picked up a black 1.6 dash and started chopping the two up :P

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5000&stc=1&d=1317234163

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5001&stc=1&d=1317234163

[ConstantProject]

Wow. Big update indeed lol. Like the style keep it up :)

[theothersawyer]

Why did you install the OEM headlights and remove the roll bar???

[Mazdababy]

Wow. Big update indeed lol. Like the style keep it up :)

Thanks! I will :)

Why did you install the OEM headlights and remove the roll bar???

I liked the BSP lights for a while, but I didn't like the light output and I miss huge OEM lights. The only way to get good light output on those is to run HIDs and that's not very roadster-like. I was going to sell the rollbar anyway, as I was contemplating getting a different one, if at all. The car isn't for anything but crusing; I plan on getting a DD anyway so I'm not too worried about it. Plus, I miss not having one. I think it looks much better. I'm sure a lot of you would disagree, but to each their own :rolleyes:

[iamdallas]

I was going to sell the rollbar anyway...

So, are you selling the bikini?

[Mazdababy]

I don't know. I really really don't want to. But I've head that they are in the process making something for people without roll bars! If not, I'll probably sell it.

[theothersawyer]

Yeah I saw the thread on cr.net that said they are working on something for the non-rollbar people. They even posted a picture of it saying they are 99% done with testing.

[Mazdababy]

Well, I'll probably be buying it, as long as it is easily removable or something. I don't want some dumb looking style bar just sitting there all the time lol.

About to upload pictures of the dash! The rest of the glue is curing now, and I'll be coating the bar in POR15 tonight and assembling tomorrow.

[Mazdababy]

Nevermind, Nardi hub came in so I'm putting my wheel on instead.

[Mazdababy]

I love this wheel.

Anyway, Enkei 92s have been shipped! Dash is 99% done, radio should be here tomorrow, and the new, OEM, full tonneau cover has been shipped! Just need to find a tan 90-93 tan glovebox and steering column plate and the interior will be done! for now..

[Mazdababy]

Dash progress..

Bar coated in POR15 rust kit. Last bits of glue drying.

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5002&stc=1&d=1317406889

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5003&stc=1&d=1317406889

[Mazdababy]

Done! Just waiting on that radio and glovebox.

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5004&stc=1&d=1317440705

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5005&stc=1&d=1317440705

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5007&stc=1&d=1317440705

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5006&stc=1&d=1317440705

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5008&stc=1&d=1317440705

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

Looking sharp.

[Mazdababy]

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5035&stc=1&d=1318003219

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5036&stc=1&d=1318003219

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5037&stc=1&d=1318003219

http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5038&stc=1&d=1318003219

[Mazdababy]

Next is center exit exhaust and to properly depower the NB steering rack, possibly get all the control arms and both subframes sandblasted and powder coated, all new bushings, tie rod ends, lower ball joints, new upper ball joint boots, new hubs, sport brakes, engine and diff mounts.

[Beastinthebushes]

Your dedication really shows through this build. I'm really liking it. Keep up the good work on this beauty. Can we get a side shot?

[Mazdababy]

Thanks man, means a lot. I'll get more pictures soon. I don't have tapatalk so I can't upload any from my phone.

Btw, the front looks kinda goofy. I had to raise the car a good bit to make these puppies fit. It needs a lip bad. I haven't decided on an r-package or traap lip. GV looks dumb unless your hellaslammed IMO.