A wild GTX appears

[RotorNutFD3S]

Nice work man! Glad to see this car back on the road again!

[wildfire0310]

A little something I am testing.

Teaser of something i am working on. by b c, on Flickr

[wildfire0310]

So I haven't updated this place in a while so I am going to go back and update all the progress during my covid working from home time frame.

The best place to start is with the R35 coil system that I teased, oh 7 months ago :D.

So back in March, I did some test fits with an OEM R35 coil. I was looking for a new coil system as my old DSM or Miata coils(couldn't remember what i was using last) was starting to show it's age, I figured it was time to update them. I had been looking at LS based coils and while they are great, there wasn't much for mounting options for FWD layout, so my best option was really to just mount the coils either way off on the side and run some long-*** leads or mount them top of the engine and deal with space conflicts due to the intake piping.

So I started looking into COP systems but I never liked the Toyota coil options, too many horror stories of them failing at random power levels. So basically I wanted the power of LS coils and the clean look of COPS and realized R35 coils fit that bill and really were not that much more than NEW LS or Yaris coils.

Turned out that the stock coils fit, a little thigh but workable.

So then it was time to build the whole thing.

20200314_185432 by b c, on Flickr

Harness made up, not the fancies harness. I don't expect anyone at DIYautotune to be calling me for a position :D but it works and is not a total mess.

20200315_125625 by b c, on Flickr

20200315_145055 by b c, on Flickr

Wires tucked in and "cleaned" up

20200315_145327 by b c, on Flickr

Crossover pipe back on

20200414_192241 by b c, on Flickr

Clearance is close but it all fits

20200414_192253 by b c, on Flickr

Small video of it running on the new setup

20200413_104155 by b c, on Flickr


Been running this now for 7 months and enjoying it. I do plan to make an update to the wiring in the future as right now power is going through the ECU for the coils but I want to run a relay and power directly from the battery. Just worry that in the future I may pull too many amps through the ECU. In the end, the whole harness could use a redo and update since it was never built to handle a CAS or coils so that is just a random sub-harness I made.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Nice work!

[nickt93]

MX5ATLANTA IS BACK! Love seeing the continued progress on this car. Maybe I'll even update my build threads.

[wildfire0310]

MX5ATLANTA IS BACK! Love seeing the continued progress on this car. Maybe I'll even update my build threads.

Just wait, still got two more completed projects to update here. And one more near completion, another in the queue and saving up to buy some tubing and heim joints for custom control arms and since no one make bushings anymore.

Oh and lots of POR15 painting lately. Loving how it looks.

[wildfire0310]

So more updates on things I did.

So during the whole work from home thing, my company did it as a whole with no major hitches, patches went out without anything. Which was a major win for the company and to reward they sent out a small bonus. So after dividing it up among bills and family I noticed that I had saved up decent wade of cash. After making some jokes with the misses, it came to my attention I could meet a car dream of mine.

And then this happened.

20200815_174734 by b c, on Flickr



I found a killer deal on a used 9k lift. It is an overhead model with a single release point, and just shy of 1k via the Facebook marketplace.

Over the course of a few weeks, I stood the pillars up solo via engine hoist and some ropes. Sadly no photos cause I was a touch worried I was going to drop a 600# pillar.

20200911_130418 by b c, on Flickr

Then to make some more meh ideas, I used the bike rack rope to help haul up the overhead support.

20200913_191945 by b c, on Flickr

First test lift with a car

20200929_185331 by b c, on Flickr

20200929_185733 by b c, on Flickr

Plan to raise the door in the future but can get the GTX to decent height with the garage door open. Sadly the van and even the Sonata currently with the door open. =/

20200929_185755 by b c, on Flickr



Oh also picked up some stands as a secondary safety measure cause I have kids and it's always nice to just have one less thing to worry about

20201010_115449 by b c, on Flickr


But so far replace the starter on the lift which was amazing. Being able to stand up under the car while working was great and haven't done that since Joe from Rspeed let me use the lift a few times.



Side note found a great place for stickers too. Baby Yoda for a win too.

20200927_182543 by b c, on Flickr

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

Dude you have a lift in your garage.

I'm sitting here looking for an apartment that's 1000 square foot! That's incredible.

[wildfire0310]

Dude you have a lift in your garage.

I'm sitting here looking for an apartment that's 1000 square foot! That's incredible.

Yea, I remember when looking at the house for the first time, and realizing just how tall the garage was. Kinda helped win me over. :D

BTW, it crazy how different city life is versus the edge of metro/country lines. My first apartment in downtown Denver was like 700sq ft, and my current house is just over 4k sq ft. :jawdrop: Granted it gives me plenty of room to try and separate the four demons :D.

[wildfire0310]

Next up was the brakes. So I rebuilt the Wilwood calipers a while back and had been sitting on them for some time, During this time I finally pulled the spare hubs and rear end out of the parts cars.

20201006_195831 by b c, on Flickr


Here is a before and after of the front setup.

20200705_133217 by b c, on Flickr

Doing the work wasn't too bad but does require taping new holes in an older factory location.

20200712_170345 by b c, on Flickr


So as you can see from the first photo, I am going from a captured rotor setup to a standard floating style. One of the hold up of this is the hub doesn't fit into new rotor, so I had to machine down the hub. So out came the little old Atlas lathe. The hub was pushing the limits of my little old girl.

20200619_085847 by b c, on Flickr

20200619_085909 by b c, on Flickr

After working with the lathe for a bit and going slow, I realized I had a lot to remove so I took it to the bandsaw and remove a larger amount then brought it back to the lathe and truthed it up. After many hours of slow machining due to the hardness of the hub, it fit.

20200629_130539 by b c, on Flickr

Then did some mock ups,

20200705_174616 by b c, on Flickr

20200705_174547 by b c, on Flickr

20200705_174537 by b c, on Flickr

Then painted the whole thing up with por 15, new seals and bearings.

20200712_153105 by b c, on Flickr

20200712_153053 by b c, on Flickr

20200712_153044 by b c, on Flickr

The upgrade is a huge different

20200705_133224 by b c, on Flickr

Pair all done

20201001_192838 by b c, on Flickr

[wildfire0310]

I did the rears next. Same thing only this time just need a smaller shaving of the rotors. This setup uses Miata rear calipers and again removes the captured rotors. There is a small increase in size and thickness but the real reason for the upgrade is parts and ease of future work. The stock rotors are getting harder and harder to find where the galant ones should be easier.

20201029_195318 by b c, on Flickr

20201029_195355 by b c, on Flickr


So for those wondering about the whole setup is this
Front:
Evo 1-3 rotors (90 Galant VR4 here in the states)
Wilwood calipers
BP-20 pads
SuperMiata orange SS brake lines

Rear:
90 Galant rear rotors
1.6 Miata calipers
plus SS lines already on the car


Next on the list is to refresh the whole rear end since I have that spare.

Just finish this evening painting the rear subframe

20201027_182835 by b c, on Flickr

20201029_195650 by b c, on Flickr

Now my next task

20201029_195541 by b c, on Flickr

Rebuild the stock dif and adding the VLSD out of a 1.6. One on the left is a 92 diff with an LSD I got from David and the spare car diff on the Right.

After that I plan to make new lower rear laterial links, as no one makes bushing anymore for the car. So I am going to follow some of the rally guys and make some DOM tubing based ones with 3/4 inch heim joints. If it can hold up to the beating of the rally guys it will handle little street, and track dutys I will throw at it. And since this isn't my Daily anymore, the roughness shouldn't be too bad, A few duys are running them on there Daily's, so I think it should be ok. The misses never rides in the car anyway so it's really me and the kids.

[wildfire0310]

So little update:

Went to Road atlanta to watch the ARRC and SCCA event and took the toy car and oldest child for his birthday.

20201107_092728 by b c, on Flickr

Also started working on the diff swap,

20201104_194415 by b c, on Flickr

At the point now, where I need to do all the measurements 40 times before removing the LSD. In short, the cases and FDs are different but the same 6" diff. So I need to break it down all the way to the ring gear but luckily I can leave the Pinnon side in. The bearing seems solid, so going to order new seals. But on the fun side, my workshop smells AMAZING. *puke*


On a cute note, kids can sleep anywhere

20201107_145021 by b c, on Flickr

[wildfire0310]

Fabrication time is getting real now :D

Rod Link parts by b c, on Flickr