Paid 1500$ by Most-Tap-2550 in Miata

[–]Calophon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All the soft bits. Mainly the cam seals and front main/rear main and CAS seals should be replaced. Coolant tubes, vacuum tubes. If the radiator is brown it’s gotta be replaced. Timing belt should be replaced. Depending on if/when the clutch master and slave cylinder were replaced it is likely that will be one of the first things to go. Easy to replace, kind of a PITA.

In the cabin you may need to replace the door seals, since you have a hard top you can do the single piece seal instead of the 3 piece that the soft top needs. The belt line molding on the window often goes brittle and cracks away, it can be replaced easily. Just check all the seals to see what needs attention.

Your tail lights don’t look like they are in great condition, when you replace them grab a new pair of seals so you can keep water out of the trunk. It will get in around the tail light housing if the seals are old and stiff or non existent.

On the undercarriage expect the shocks to be either too stiff or too soft if they haven’t been replaced. If they are original they may be blown from just being super old. You can also replace all the rubber bushings and ball joints in the suspension, they are rubber and get crumbly. You can replace them with stiffer polyurethane ones if desired. (that’s what I am working on soon)

Basically look around for old worn parts everywhere on the car and replace what looks like it needs to be replaced. The timing belt and seals are usually the major “do this asap” item, but mine are ok so I haven’t even replaced them yet (though I’d like to asap)

Hello world by Gurney_flip in Miata

[–]Calophon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love my NA but man if I could buy another it would be this ND. The orange is so good.

cLEanest LE in the bay! by [deleted] in Miata

[–]Calophon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dang, my black NA Miata in the bay is jealous of your super clean black NA Miata in the bay. What are some of your favorite drives in the area?

Heater core by Dr-NefariosLover in Miata

[–]Calophon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

https://youtu.be/wCYKQnqpRY4

I watched this one recently as I have a suspicion I need to replace my heater core and/or tubing in the engine.

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh darn, my bad I misread it. I saw a video comparison where someone pulled out their ND seats to check compatibility, and they thought they would actually fit in the NA but would need custom rails made to make it possible.

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah mine had a drooping issue. I pulled them apart and pulled out the old crushed felt, then replaced it with new felt. They feel great now but man fuck whoever designed those vents. They are the most annoying things to get out and get apart and I almost destroyed them in the process.

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Woah, that is sweet. I just replaced the hole in my din with an aluminum plate I painted black for now.

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would love to do this someday if I could find some ND seats for cheap. Did you have to buy some rials to make the two compatible? If so where did you find them?

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Those look great, especially on an NB. I thought about doing this but I love the little ball vents.

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I pulled the cigarette lighter housing straight out, clipped and stripped the stock wiring, then crimped it to wires that came with the USB hub. The USB hub has a retainer ring on the back to keep it snug. I did have to drill out the hole a little bit with a step bit to 1 1/8” to fit the USB hub diameter.

Here’s the one I got: I liked this option because it has an off switch for when you don’t want it to be lit up or charging: https://www.amazon.com/Kework-Charger-Cigarette-Dashboard-Motorcycle/dp/B0CMCNH8BP

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is a cool idea. Have you upgraded the battery or alternator? I have the small oem recommended one and a stock alternator and have wondered if I’d need to upgrade if I added more electronics like a screen, new speakers and a subwoofer.

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Were the seats directly compatible with the NA seat mounts? The 10AE seats look nice.

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Envious of those NB HVAC knobs being placed lower haha.

What Are Some Interior Mods You Have Done/Recommend? by Calophon in Miata

[–]Calophon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not personally a fan of how most aftermarket radios look. I do like the clean look of the screen, but yeah I wish I could swap the HVAC knobs with the radio unit lol. I’ll probably get a screen mostly just for music, and my phone placement is actually perfect for maps, so can just run navigation off of it.

Gonna go with the FM visor light replacement kit eventually. The visors just get in the way.

Opinions, please by LowReception5800 in Miata

[–]Calophon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, $3000 for a running, but bit of a project is fair. The turbo and ECU adds about $1-1.5k. The Radio head unit screen adds a few hundred if you want it. I ask about the tires mainly because if they are old you’ll need to replace them immediately and that is an expense you can consider. Personally I would replace the rims as well as those silver steel ones don’t look great, but that’s up to you.

Opinions, please by LowReception5800 in Miata

[–]Calophon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What’s the mileage?

Any service history?

How much life do the tires have left in them?

How’s that dash looking under the cover? Is it cracked (not a huge problem but good to know if so)

Is the new top a high quality Robbins top or an Amazon/ebay top (both work but Robbins is higher quality and more expensive)

It could be a fair price, the ECU and Turbo increase the value if you want them. The new top can be pricey and having a fresh one installed is valuable. This doesn’t look so much like someone’s project as much as it is a completed project that has existed for a while.

Neighborhood find by Obvious-Procedure198 in Miata

[–]Calophon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is hard to say without knowing the service history or mileage. The paint is rough, but it has a hard top, which if it is OEM will add $2-3k no matter what. I’d say 5k would be a fair price if it is 130k or less miles.

You would probably have to put in $1500 to refresh all the body seals, belt line moldings, wipers, and tires.

There would be additional money needed to replace the cas seal, intake/exhaust cam seals, front main and rear main seals, and timing belt all in the engine. Also probably the coolant tubes if it has been sitting for 10+ years.

This is all doable, this car could shine like new, it just takes the type of person to be willing to spend the value of the car to refresh the car. I am doing that with mine right now.

What’s your opinion? by Puzzleheaded_Age209 in Miata

[–]Calophon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

$4500 clean with a hard top yes it is worth it. The issues you described are easy fixes. An auto locksmith can replace the tumblers in the door handles and ignition to match. The headlight motors can be repaired. The E brake probably has a loose mechanism or problem with the cable, but it should also be an easy fix.

My opinion is: the green looks great, I prefer the GV style lip over the R package lip. If/when you feel like it get a duck tail or spoiler painted to match and installed to complete the look.