So. I got tired of borrowing my wife's '01 MR2 Spyder while I work on the Fiero. I just don't fit in that car, and having to drive someone else's car always puts me on edge, even if it is family.
SO! I've gone ahead and gotten myself a car to beat on while I complete the Ecotec swap in the Fiero. Pictures:
The good: It has been meticulously maintained. As in, from around 7,000 miles to 154,000 miles, each. and. every. bit. of. work. done. to. this. car. was documented in a notebook kept in the glove compartment. New timing belt recently, new clutch, new synchros, new intake and head gaskets, not burning oil at all, and is in mechanically amazing shape.
The bad: Radio buttons are falling off its face. Passenger seat has a tear in it. Slight fading on some of the paint up front. Transmission mounts are poly, so the shifter shakes around with engine movement moreso than if they were rubber.
The ugly: The top needs replaced. It's patched, horribly, in its holes. There's an ugly silicone sealant used to keep the rear defroster glass in place at the top. Minor small holes where the cross-ribs rub against the material that are patched similarly. I'll do the replacing myself, I just need a top to replace with. Preferably tan.
But I pick her up at 9 AM tomorrow. T minus 11 hours, 30 minutes.
I Agree,your going to fall in love with the way it handles,and its just fast enough to get you in trouble.Keep an eye on oil level as they were designed to use a little.Nice buy!
I Agree,your going to fall in love with the way it handles,and its just fast enough to get you in trouble.Keep an eye on oil level as they were designed to use a little.Nice buy!
It's fun, for sure. The most addicting part about it is the exhaust note though.
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Originally posted by pontiackid86:
There fun. I had a solstice a while back. miss it but it was to impratical
I don't really need practical. I mean - sort of? But I don't need pickup truck, or large vehicle. It's just me, my wife and dog living here, so... worst case, if we need to bring dog to Ohio with us on vacation to visit parents, we'll convoy the MR-S and the Miata. The MR-S makes the Miata look downright practical though.
More good news! The AC blows cold. Like, not just as cold as it did during the test drive, but cold, as in... I've never had to turn off the AC in a convertible in the summer before because it was too cold. That's impressive.
Anyway! More pictures.
Tailpipe was surprisingly devoid of residue at all, despite 154,000 miles. I'm rather impressed. My 2011 Sonata Turbo residue'd within 1,000 miles.
The interior with the top down. Like I said, passenger side seat's got a pretty big rip. Driver's side is just worn.
The paint's starting to get this odd fadey pattern to it. It's not dirt or water spots, that's the paint itself. Also - headlights are cloudy. Not "moisture in the lights" cloudy, more... "plastic is yellowing" cloudy. If anyone wants to be nice and link me to a resource to limit my time in the search engine, I'll be much obliged.
It's got these odd dragon-like black stickers behind the front wheels. Dunno what they are, need to find a way to safely remove them.
Need to remove the dealership white sticker on the trunk lid. Need to find a way to safely remove it. Otherwise, she looks right at home in my driveway! Don't mind the Aztek, it doesn't belong to me or the wife, have someone from Wisconsin visiting. He actually paid money for that thing. o.o
[This message has been edited by Ravant (edited 06-07-2014).]
You can use a hair dryer, or a heat gun, to loosen the adhesive on the stickers and peel them off. Heat them only enough to soften the adhesive...you can damage the paint if you get it too hot.
Ecotec in the Fiero and a V8 conversion in the Miata later on?
Oooohman, tempting. Since Friday, I've hit the Flyin' Miata website no less than 20 times for the V8 swap kit..... and honestly, if I didn't have a Factory Five 818 as my post-Fiero project target, an LS7 Miata would be in my future. And depending on donor costs for the 818, an LS7 Miata might still be in my future, if it's cheaper. (The 818 would have to go through the custom-built certification process through NCDOT. I dunno how hard/expensive that is.)
I've seen this car, while it was being built. It looks like it belongs.
I didn't see that one, but I have seen an LS1 Miata swap in person, and road shotgun. One came up for sale, locally, awhile back, on craigslist, and I called the guy up. I was upfront and said I was not in the market, but I wanted to at least see it in person because I respected the work. He was very accommodating and he even took me for a spin. It was crazy, insane fast. I've never been more scared. It was awesome!
Oooohman, tempting. Since Friday, I've hit the Flyin' Miata website no less than 20 times for the V8 swap kit..... and honestly, if I didn't have a Factory Five 818 as my post-Fiero project target, an LS7 Miata would be in my future. And depending on donor costs for the 818, an LS7 Miata might still be in my future, if it's cheaper. (The 818 would have to go through the custom-built certification process through NCDOT. I dunno how hard/expensive that is.)
The 818 is a pretty sharp looking car from the outside. Interior though? Well to me it looks boring and archaic. I imagine the interior of the 818 could be dressed up though so it isn't so bland and... covers up everything better so it doesn't look so pieced together? However just based of the way the interior looks on the few shots I could find of it for the 818, I think I'd rather have the Miata with the LS7. Still, that's personal preference. If you build an 818, please put up a build thread in the "Other Cars" section with LOTS of pictures!
Edit: I hope this isn't to big, but it's one of the 818 interior pics I found. It appears as if the 818 doesn't have side windows that roll up and down? I know I saw some pics of it with a ragtop, so I thought it would have side windows to.
Edit: Holy C***! That pic was huge, so I shrunk it down a lot.
[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 06-08-2014).]
The 818 is a pretty sharp looking car from the outside. Interior though? Well to me it looks boring and archaic. I imagine the interior of the 818 could be dressed up though so it isn't so bland and... covers up everything better so it doesn't look so pieced together? However just based of the way the interior looks on the few shots I could find of it for the 818, I think I'd rather have the Miata with the LS7. Still, that's personal preference. If you build an 818, please put up a build thread in the "Other Cars" section with LOTS of pictures!
Edit: I hope this isn't to big, but it's one of the 818 interior pics I found. It appears as if the 818 doesn't have side windows that roll up and down? I know I saw some pics of it with a ragtop, so I thought it would have side windows to.
Edit: Holy C***! That pic was huge, so I shrunk it down a lot.
The 818R doesn't have side windows. The road-legal one does, IIRC. It shows on the gallery on their website. If I do one, there will definitely be a build thread somewhere. What I like about it is 250 turbocharged flat-4 horsepower in a 1800 pound package for (supposedly) under $15000 complete.
Edit: Okay, so I lied, looked around their site and couldn't find any side window pictures, but I'm sure it's got 'em... oh well.
Anyway! Got more pictures today.
Still have stickers on the suspension components.
Ridiculously clean valve cover.
Started with this... used some toothpaste...
Ended with this. Not perfect, but it's a start.
[This message has been edited by Ravant (edited 06-08-2014).]
Quick question here. How much leg room does your Miata have. I'm 6'3" and been looking at an 06 MX5. Thanks Rick
Not much. I'm 6'1, and it's a tight-ish fit on the left leg for actuating the clutch. It works for me and is comfortable. But barely. (The snug fit is nice for spirited driving. Less likely to flop around!) But this is also an NB Miata. I have no idea if the NC's (2006+) are any bigger inside or not.
