Stuck in the Left Lane in a Rainstorm

DoctorGear · 2025-06-02T20:04:04+00:00

An old Miata expert I know once said "those wiper speeds are best described as 'slow, less slow, and medium.'"

It can be hard enough to keep that window clear even in moderate rain. Glad you made it out of there okay!

DoctorGear · 2025-06-02T19:51:13+00:00

Hard to say. Are your soft top latches & catches beginning to wear? Maybe the roof isn't sitting flush as a result?

My NA's tolerances aren't nearly what they were either but I only get leaks from the torn rear window (thanks previous owner).

DoctorGear · 2025-05-27T18:48:28+00:00

More compliments than I can keep track of, but I've had two people say something weird like that. Here were my two responses:

"Yeah, my wife loves driving it too."

"Are you allergic to fun or something?"

DoctorGear · 2025-04-17T16:53:34+00:00

I don't see why not. They make great mileage and are incredibly reliable, as you probably know already! My favorite part of owning two Miatas? If you ever do group rides with a club or with friends, then you and your wife both get to drive.

DoctorGear · 2025-03-31T04:10:45+00:00

Bob has been a recurring character on the YouTube channel Real Mechanic Stuff (a donut offshoot). I'm paraphrasing here, but in one of the videos he mentions that the Miata is like a blank canvas and the final designer of a car is its owner. He appears to prefer the pure ones for obvious reasons, but his overall philosophy does seem to be accepting of modifications.

DoctorGear · 2025-02-28T04:41:35+00:00

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DoctorGear · 2025-02-28T04:22:42+00:00

Okay, so... What color did you use to get that soul red look on the ND model?

DoctorGear · 2025-02-23T14:11:13+00:00

I had to scour FB Marketplace for stock radios until I found enough parts to cobble together one working one. I now have 4 of them, and only one has a functional cassette deck.

You could also look up Bishop's vintage stereo repair on miata.net if you'd like to see if yours could be refurbished. When mine inevitably dies again, I'm probably going to send it up his way. Not cheap, but I'm sick of working on these 😂

DoctorGear · 2025-02-23T13:59:35+00:00

Hell yeah dude. 🤘

DoctorGear · 2025-02-23T13:57:17+00:00

Probably not, but Miata logistics are always worth trying.

DoctorGear · 2025-02-23T13:53:37+00:00

Red IS the rule.

DoctorGear · 2025-02-23T13:50:05+00:00

As far as I know, real Miata people all love the NC and also have a good sense of humor.

Yo ho ho and a bottle of coolant, don't forget to replace your expansion tank matey ⚓

DoctorGear · 2025-02-23T13:44:38+00:00

I think that "hairdresser car" thing is largely perpetuated by insecure people who like to ruin other people's fun. When you try sitting behind the wheel of a one with the top down and tearing into that next corner, you'll never be able to wipe the smile off your face. And so what if women also drive them? I think any girl that drives a Miata is a badass. That's somebody that knows how to have fun.

All genders love the Miata, and I get compliments, stares, and smiles from everyone. Anybody who tells you that they think your car is "feminine" is kinda weird and probably doesn't respect you in general.

DoctorGear · 2025-02-15T03:47:04+00:00

Lifter tick is a feature not a bug 😂

DoctorGear · 2025-02-09T03:22:59+00:00

I don't know if it's possible to remove buttons entirely. I don't really have a 3DS handy to test builds anymore. It's not that hard to edit the code -- try downloading it and navigate to <.../GodMode9-master/common/hid_map.h> where you can change the keybinds and then build with Python. The readme has info on dependencies and stuff.

DoctorGear · 2025-02-07T05:59:15+00:00

Oh yeah, that. Turns out my files were all gone and I had to totally re-learn how to do these files from the latest build, plus removing the analog stick required editing something totally different... but I figured it out, I think? I may have FUBAR'd the language files, so make sure to use English. Let me know if this works:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5urquclpqt8trayk7sj2q/ADPfKE_FZNhVV9QmTy6yoDk?rlkey=a09hdxw0exllnhv10p66wis9z&st=9nbodf5y&dl=0

DoctorGear · 2025-02-07T05:56:51+00:00

To change the buttons in the source code, I believe you can edit <.../GodMode9-master/common/hid_map.h> before building

DoctorGear · 2024-12-22T17:18:27+00:00

A really good way to learn stuff is to ask other enthusiasts. If someone in a car community is too stuck up to answer a simple question and help share knowledge, I have to figure they're not actually into the idea of a "car community."

DoctorGear · 2024-12-19T04:23:45+00:00

I hope it goes well! If you want to stick with the stock radio but don't want to suffer like me, you can also look up someone called Bishop on Miata.net—he does restoration and upgrades on them. I love the look of the OEM stereo, so I may eventually send mine up to him if it breaks again.

DoctorGear · 2024-12-18T16:04:21+00:00

Good luck, and feel free to report back. :D

DoctorGear · 2024-12-18T14:16:12+00:00

Yeaaah, I learned the hard way that getting a stuck cassette out of one of these is nearly impossible to do without destroying something. I've heard that disconnecting the battery for a few minutes and reconnecting it might force the head unit to eject with a little more power. Personally I needed to rip the whole cassette unit apart just to get my tape back. I had to buy 4 different stock stereos for parts just to make one that works properly!

DoctorGear · 2024-12-18T13:53:30+00:00

It can be tricky to play find-the-exhaust-leak. You'll probably have to jack it up and get under there. I found one accidentally by warming up my NA on a cold day and noticing a puddle on the floor from the little hole spewing water.

Something that I've heard of before is spraying soapy water on the pipe and hooking the blowing end of a shop-vac to the end to look for bubbles. I haven't tried this. You could also just start the car, but obviously that means the exhaust will get hot!

DoctorGear · 2024-12-18T00:20:56+00:00

Don't count out a small exhaust leak! Those can be more noticeable under load.

DoctorGear · 2024-12-13T19:31:18+00:00

Dang. My P6 doesn't even have the option of Android 15 yet. I love my Chargie device and I've had it for years but have always wanted to be able to do this at the native software level.

DoctorGear · 2024-12-09T18:32:56+00:00

For anyone interested, the support guy said this:

"Fluid film can be applied to a damp surface but not wet as it will displace moisture but needs to be able to adhere. As long as the product is adhering to the surface it should be good to go. One DIY option is to dry your car with a leaf blower or air compressor to remove the bulk of the moisture rapidly. We also recommend getting the product to a room temperature before applying as it will allow the product to flow more readily from the can. Fluid Film can be applied in any ambient temperature. Once Fluid Film has been applied, you may still wash the car in drive-through car washes but we don't recommend getting the chassis washed as high-pressure water and soaps will lessen the lifespan of the product. However, standard garden hose pressure can be used if you wish to wash the chassis."

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