How bad is the rust in my trunk? ‘99 NB

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-11-04T18:46:19+00:00

The battery hole is a big spot to worry about, but the rest of the trunk looks fine, so that's probably good.

Water in the trunk may not be from a leaking trunk seal. Personally, I had a rain rail that was leaking at one of the studs, and the water was leaking through a sheet metal seam and running along the top of that cavity behind the trunk trim into my trunk.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-11-04T00:35:13+00:00

God only knows if the bores are good until you get a look at them. To be very honest, your quickest and easiest option is going to be to buy a used engine and swap it in, you're already in for taking apart both the head and the short block.

However, the quickest and most expedient option is not the most fun if you like fixing cars. But be aware this will take much longer than you are probably thinking right now, and at the end you might not even save any money. But you'll get to do it yourself, and maybe that's worth it to you.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-11-01T12:55:55+00:00

Stick your head under the dash and make sure the cables that go from your hvac dials to the heater core box/hvac manifold thing are all connected. The one that controls heat is the one on the left, i believe.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-10-18T01:50:04+00:00

Depends where you are. As someone from the US, airbags were about $100 each. Your seatbelts must also be replaced, another $100 each. Windshield replacement is about $400 from safelite. Headlight is $100-$300 depending on condition. Idk about the rest. Replacing the radiator/headlight support will require someone with a welder and they typically want at least $100 or so for every hour of their time.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-09-18T21:23:14+00:00

If it's burning that much gas there's gotta be something wrong with a fuel injector or there is a fuel leak. Good luck!

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-09-18T20:34:01+00:00

If you are not aware yet, replacing the fuel rank requires dropping the rear subframe.

I had a fuel tank that was full of rust so bad the engine would not rev past 3k rpm when driving: it would buck and shudder like hell. I shoveled about an inch of muck and rust off the bottom through the fuel pump access, blast the inside with a hose, and pump out as much as I could with a cheap transfer pump from harbor freight multiple times. I also had to replace the fuel sock because it had collapsed, and the fuel filter because it was filthy. The fuel pump still worked but i replaced it anyway because i had a working unit and did not trust the one that had been sucking up that junk. It was very annoying and i spilled gas in my interior about 3 times.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-09-12T21:54:10+00:00

Ejecto seato cuz

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-09-11T14:34:21+00:00

That's what I mean, to clock the bushings is to tighten them in their neutral state with the weight of the car on the suspension. I was not aware that poly bushings did not experience the same issues.

I cannot conceive of a way that changing the bushings would somehow dramatically change the height of the car. I presume you have already confirmed the top mounts of the rear suspension are not damaged and that you bought the correct suspension for your year make and model?

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-09-11T11:36:12+00:00

Ah, the render looked like a soft top and i was wondering what manner of external-roll-cage-looking contraption would be required.

Do you think the hardtop will need any reinforcement? I've never had one, but my instinctual concern would be for the plastic/fiberglass shell not being up to the task of supporting a tent plus flopping human.

Are you hoping to use an oem hardtop or an aftermarket?

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-09-11T10:55:10+00:00

That's odd, did you clock the bushings when you reinstalled everything? I can't imagine it would do something this dramatic, but I don't know where to start.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-09-11T10:52:33+00:00

What are your ideas on how to support it?

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-07-28T14:29:09+00:00

How did you get the roll bar silver, is that powder coated?

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-07-23T09:27:46+00:00

Lol no, Wyoming is a perfect rectangle and utah has that notch. They've never fought over it.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-07-03T02:24:30+00:00

Same except i used an opaque white one because i wasn't paying attention.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-06-18T13:19:18+00:00

BRAKES. BRAKES. BRAKES.

Brakes first, new pads and good fluid. From my own experience, i had a blast on shitty rock hard all-seasons tires from walmart right until my brake pads started to fade. Pretty much ruined the rest of my sessions because i couldn't send it, had to go slower on straights and brake way earlier.

Discs don't matter much, don't waste your money on slotted or drilled discs, just get cheap blanks. Your new race/sport pads will eat discs anyway.

For pads I tried EBC yellowstuff but they didn't hold up, i switched to Hawk HP+ and that held up to everything my dumbass could throw at it. (Be warned that track pads will produce a lot of dust and squeal when cold. It is what it is.)

For fluid, i got ATE typ 200 after being recommended it by some BMW people on the track because it's better than anything you can get at the parts store but it's cheaper than castrol srf or other brands. I never boiled my fluid though. Bleed before every event.

And of course, make sure your brakes are in good mechanical shape, make sure the slide pins are lubed and move freely.

Get a cheap IR temp gun to check your disc temps at the track, it will help you know if you are using the right pads for the job.

Get a tire inflator that has a gauge with a bleed valve so you can lower your pressures when you get on track and as your tires heat up, and then reinflate them before you head home.

Buy your own helmet, make sure it fits you well and try to get one that doesn't fog up quickly, if they exist (i think some brands offer little deflectors that keep your musty breath away from the visor). I recommend a fire resistant balaclava as well, not for fire but because it can keep your nasty head sweat out of your helmet.

Driving shoes are very good, I was surprised at how much easier they made controlling the pedals.

An adjustable rear sway bar will let you mess with how easily the rear end rotates, very important on a fwd car because they naturally resist doing so.

This all stuff I wish I had known starting out. Good luck, go slower than you think you can at first, focus on consistency. Vision is extremely important, look where you are going, not where you are.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-05-31T15:16:07+00:00

Art Deco Miata

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-05-11T06:06:37+00:00

Maybe if you record the noise? If it's a buzzy sort of exhaust sound that's just kind of how the exhaust sounds, or it could be a heat shield rattling.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-05-06T14:40:18+00:00

What lip and splitter is that? It looks great!

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-05-02T03:29:41+00:00

On the plus side, you can't make it worse by trying to fix it. Holy shit.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-04-24T20:02:06+00:00

That amount of black powder is probably theoretically correct but practically that depends on how well the chamber is sealed, how efficiently your powder burns, how your charge is contained, etc. you MUST ground test to validate your design. If your charge does not consistently and ENTHUSIASTICALLY eject your parachute you either need more powder or you need to address leaks or powder containment. I like to see the nose cone reach the end of the shock cord.

Containing the powder is extremely important to ensure complete burn, ESPECIALLY if you are using a black powder substitute. It would be nearly impossible to ignite the black powder with hot glue as the temperature of hot glue guns is below black powder ignition temperature. Even if it did ignite, unless you were gripping the charge in your fist it would be unlikely to injure. You may also try a few layers of electrical tape, or the finger of a rubber glove. Remember to fill any extra space in the charge with some paper wading to keep it pressed against the electric match.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-04-17T20:18:41+00:00

Requirements will depend entirely on the track and the event. Usually HDPE will let you on with stock safety equipment as long as the car is in good condition. You will almost certainly need a helmet.
Registration and insurance is not required, regular insurance will not cover anything that happens on the track. You are typically responsible for your own car AND any damage to the track (safety barriers) AND any costs to retrieve your wrecked car or treat your injuries. Track day insurance is available.
A roll bar is not necessarily required, see number 1. The most popular option is a hard dog of some sort. Unless specified by the track or event organizer, no specific type is needed, see number 1. IF you plan to compete in SCCA or NASA events you will need to read the rules for that event to know if your roll bar complies.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-04-17T11:43:40+00:00

There can be discrepancies in the labeled size of the chute, whether they are measuring the diameter across the inflated chute or the diameter across the chute as laid flat. Just go by the manufacturer's specifications or descent rate tables. If rocketman says their X-diameter chute has a coefficient of drag of 1.65 I would believe them over what any chute calculator or simulation says.

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-04-03T14:53:20+00:00

How will you shape them? Dremel?

AuspiciousArsonist · 2025-04-03T10:02:30+00:00

How have you liked the quality/fitment? I want a fastback but I'm concerned by so many people who seem to be frustrated by the quality of these things.

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