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Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The 12-Gauge Garage

Workspaces sized between 265 and 485 squarefeet.
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ItsNemo

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Mar 5, 2016
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Canada
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

Miata's and Mazda's in general are surprisingly easy to work on once you find your way around them. I've done a couple clutches on some Mazda 3's and it's not all that bad.
 

unslow1

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Mar 3, 2012
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Illinois
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

That's neat to be able to do that together. I have trouble finding anyone who wants to learn and play with cars instead of play video games. A friend of mine struggled to get his Miata running properly for about three weeks after taking it apart. It turned out the firing order in the manual was incorrect. He talked a Mazda mechanic into stopping buy just to listen and he knew what was wrong.
 

chrismenke

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Mar 2, 2014
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1,131
Location
Sam's Clam Disco, CA
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

I can't read the little placard and guessing that is some kind of intercom connection with the house? I don't see that thing working as a telephone on today's infrastructure.

"No Personal Calls"

Strangely, they do still work on a POTS line. Not sure if VOIP dial tone registers rotary pulses.
 

MushCreek

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Jan 14, 2015
Messages
9,763
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Upstate South Carolina
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

The only way I open up my '92 Miata is to open up the throttle. Yep, I unleash all 120 hp, and I ain't skeered. I do need to do a bunch of maintenance (radiator, hoses, belts, etc.) but I'm still waiting for the weather to warm up.
 

kellymc

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Feb 26, 2010
Messages
229
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

I've got an 04 speed as well - the vibration is from the rear wheels not being dynamically balanced, try to find a shop that can balance them for you. Also, if you still have the factory 17" wheels, they bend pretty easy so that could also lead to vibrations.




DARNED sweet car, and definitely subbed to this one...

Any idea what caused the #4 rod to go? How many miles?

Not just academic, as we *also* have an 04 MX5 Mazdaspeed (also in that awesome gold-flaked red with black) and if its something we can watch for...

Right now, we have a weird vibration between 50 and about 75 MPH, I think it may be the driveshaft or ?? (Not the wheels or tires, this we do know), but it ***** it's at highway speeds.

Anyway, thanks for the story, keep us posted!!
 

fatfillup

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Jan 17, 2009
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10,294
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Finksburg, Md
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

Funny you mentioned Miata's. Had a 95 for a while and am going to an auction today where a 91 is for sale. Not overly interested but if it is good and can be had for cheap, it might come home with me
 

ezriderga

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Apr 1, 2009
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1,741
Location
NW GA
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

The closest I've come to opening up a Miata is shortly after I purchased my 1990 (first year) Miata two years ago from the original owner I replaced the valve/cam cover gasket. These cars were not designed to be fast...they were designed to be fun. Good of you to help your nephew out Jack.

 

ddawg16

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Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
21,005
Location
S. California
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

You should have dropped a Ford 302 in it....like a buddy of mine did.....overall, an 'easy' swap. Really 'woke' the car up.

Can't believe you kept the floor clean during the process....

BTW.....when do I get a ride in one of your 'work' cars? I'll give you a ride in mine.
 

apollo11

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Aug 19, 2017
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State Of Reality
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

Fast IS fun
Miatas are a great chick car, meaning they are perfect for women.
My gal had one for a decade or so and it was perfect for her.
The closest I've come to opening up a Miata is shortly after I purchased my 1990 (first year) Miata two years ago from the original owner I replaced the valve/cam cover gasket. These cars were not designed to be fast...they were designed to be fun. Good of you to help your nephew out Jack.

 

LateNights

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Joined
Nov 4, 2013
Messages
358
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Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Awesome memory & would have been an epic photo if you were a little better at selfies!!

Love that the nephew is an engineer too - hopefully he takes a page from your book and keeps the Miata running like clockwork!

(I've got relatives in Canada that own a shop working on everything up to exotics but they still run a Miata in what's known as the "chump car" series - bang for your buck they're hard to beat.)

Before I sign off - it's been a pleasure reading the thread - I'm sure you've heard it a million times, but it really is an inspiration, so thank you for inviting us all to follow along & all the best for the future!

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You're not secretly Batman are you??

:beer: :lol:
 
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Squankum

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Mar 28, 2011
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7,693
Location
Southeast
Jack, we're both members of the "own and rebuild car again and again club" and don't need to label things... normally. (Lately, I've taken apart areas of the GTI and gone blank because it's been so long since the last time.)

Otherwise, just label things. Green masking tape and a Sharpie.

When it comes to oil level, you can get away with murder on the street driving like a normal dullard, but on track? You had better come correct! Weak links will be found. And his car doesn't have 12 quarts to work with!

So glad he got a chance to learn so much. Maybe he can keep this car forever and rebuild it repeatedly, too.:)
 

APEowner

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Oct 2, 2009
Messages
4,164
Location
Sunny, New Mexico
I suspect the low oil level was the cause of the starvation. I've seen it happen more than once with Spec. Miatas. While the missed shift didn't help things Miatas get miss-shifted a lot and usually it doesn't hurt the engine. I have seen more than one spin due to a downshift that was intended to be an upshift.
 
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Jack Olsen

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Los Angeles
There's a new front-engine car in the family. I'd had a BMW 328i for eight years, and it was surprisingly reliable for just about all of that time. Recently, though, I'd started having intermittent electrical/code issues that were starting to get frustrating.

So my solution was to find a car that was going to be even more complicated and electronics-dependent.

Brilliant, right? :)

This is a 2015 C300, which is Mercedes' entry into the same compact market. It's all-wheel drive -- and equipped with lots of gimmicks and switches and motors and screens. It's got radar and cameras and dozens different systems that can eventually give me headaches.

But for now, it's very comfortable and quiet for those days when I can't be out rattling my teeth in the 911 or the Jeep.

I'd always considered myself too young to be a part of Mercedes' target demographic. But looking in the mirror, I realize that I'm right smack in the bullseye -- silver-haired and barely able to figure out how to find a radio station with the thing.

DHvcSF.jpg


It took me a little while to find one that was black on black with black wood trim. But I figure you can't go wrong with black.

IdapIW.jpg
 
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TurtleValley

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Dec 4, 2017
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253
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BC. Canada
Great choice for vehicle and colors.

Good luck with all the gadgets. I rented a similar Mercedes when I was last in Austria and had to keep pulling over on the side of the road to figure out the headlights (which just did their own thing for me anyways), change the media input from satellite to phone, or adjust the 87-way adjustable seats, heated seat-steering wheel-foot pedals-**** massager etc!! I never did find the microwave oven, missile launcher or Beer Chiller though.

Those Germans do think of everything though!
 

Volcrew

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Apr 17, 2013
Messages
40
I suspect the low oil level was the cause of the starvation. I've seen it happen more than once with Spec. Miatas. While the missed shift didn't help things Miatas get miss-shifted a lot and usually it doesn't hurt the engine. I have seen more than one spin due to a downshift that was intended to be an upshift.

I'm not a SM expert, but I have owned an MSM for seven years and I suspect the problem could have been more uniquely an MSM issue.

The MSMs came with an oil catch can that drains back to the oil pan's starboard side. During track cornering, oil backs up the drain line and gets sucked back into the intake. The oil then pools in the lowest point of the intake track - the intercooler. It would be interesting to pull the hose off the intercooler and see if it is full of oil. This is a known problem with tracked MSMs.

Fortunately, there is an inexpensive fix. The drain hose is cut and a pcv valve is inserted to act as a check valve. This allows the catch can to drain normally while preventing oil from making its way backwards into the intake. Aftermarket suppliers like Flyin' Miata sell a little kit with everything needed for the check valve mod.
 
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Jack Olsen

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We saw some oil in the intercooler plumbing. And we added the check valve when we put the engine back in.

It was definitely an issue. But would that cause oil starvation by itself? Or would it simply play a role in lowering the overall quantity of oil in the system?
 
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Jack Olsen

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"No Personal Calls"

Strangely, they do still work on a POTS line. Not sure if VOIP dial tone registers rotary pulses.

It works on my VOIP setup.

Good luck with all the gadgets. I rented a similar Mercedes when I was last in Austria and had to keep pulling over on the side of the road to figure out the headlights (which just did their own thing for me anyways), change the media input from satellite to phone, or adjust the 87-way adjustable seats, heated seat-steering wheel-foot pedals-**** massager etc!! I never did find the microwave oven, missile launcher or Beer Chiller though.

Those Germans do think of everything though!

It's true about the complexity of operating all the stuff. I had ten immediate questions along those lines the day I got it. A Mercedes forum filled in some of the blanks for me. But I have had moments where I've simply pulled over to go through all the menus -- or set up the back-up position for the mirror -- or figure out how to disable the auto-locking feature...
 

Steve from Socal

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Jan 27, 2009
Messages
3,491
Location
Hutchinson Ks.
Jack,

Welcome to MB ownership, I am surprised you didn't get a C63. My C wagon is a hoot to drive, the small MB's have always been the best drivers.

Enjoy,

Steve
 

Squankum

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Mar 28, 2011
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Southeast
My Mercedes had a peculiar electrical problem recently, rough idle and low idle at cold starts. But it was merely the brushes on the voltage regulator approaching their wear limit. That's a 1989 model for you. You will have many more interesting problems. You'll probably need to get the boy to figure it out. :D





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slik560

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Oct 5, 2009
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787
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Kansas, USA
89....is it a 560SL by chance? I have something similar...a very slight lope at idle...so this might bear checking. In a month, poor Jack will find himself over at Benzworld.org, searching for the truth. :)
 

Squankum

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Naw, a mere W124 300E here.

See the most recent post at my thread, there's a link to Kent Bergsma's video about the voltage regulator and weird issues. I would never discourage you from checking your voltage regulator (disconnect battery ground strap, then unscrew two screws.)

But otherwise, your first concern is that you have a Bosch CIS-E car and vacuum leaks are critical. Inspect all air hoses on the vacuum side of the engine, and most of all, change all O-rings, seals, and plastic cups. (I'll be posting some pics about all of this at my thread... er... soon, I hope.)

Also, this many years down the road, consider cleaning your injectors (see also Kent Bergsma's website to buy an injector cleaning device, and for videos) or even just putting in new ones, they're only $24 ea. on amazon lately. (At least for my car they are.) (What I've paid for similar-but-different air-shrouded CIS injectors in the past makes $24 feel like a steal.)

A CIS car can run quite adequately for a long time and idle kinda ... okay... on some hilariously clogged injectors. Proper misty spray, however, makes everything much nicer.

Also, since you're selling this car, none of this is worth doing. That's why I fix problems and never sell cars. :D


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slik560

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Oct 5, 2009
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787
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Kansas, USA
:) I will check out Kent's site for the voltage regulator thing. I just can't leave it un-checked, even though the car is for sale. I did new injectors, plug wires, ICM, coil, and a retired MB tech friend went through and found scads of vacuum leaks. Lots of new hoses in that there car. But enough of hijacking Jack. I'll check your thread for future updates.
 

ckadams00

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Sep 12, 2011
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Seattle, WA
Re: Ever open up a Miata?

See, that's the difference between us mere mortals and you with the garage. At least in my case, my "all cleaned up" photo would probably be the first photo just without the car on the lift :bowdown:

Haven't visited in a while and MAN! was I happy to FINALLY see a picture of the shop is disarray! LOLOL this shop has been an inspiration to me for several years, great to see it messy!:rocker:
 

shortykorte

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Sep 1, 2014
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8,039
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Tallahassee, Fl
Ah, man. Jack if you wanted a MB I have the project car, ‘95 SL320.

Never go wrong with black. Black is always faster.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Jack Olsen

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If this thing falls off, I'm going to feel like such an idiot

It's always suspenseful the first time you raise a new vehicle on your home-brewed lift.

Gr3wEg.jpg


ed6ouS.jpg


But it worked. :beer:
 

d.mcfarland

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Jun 18, 2012
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Western PA
Re: If this thing falls off, I'm going to feel like such an idiot

Hats off to you. I wouldn't have the balls to lift that, and I'm a praying man.
 
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Re: If this thing falls off, I'm going to feel like such an idiot

Sure did, but that's a fairly expensive guinea pig. I'd have at least used 6X6 and ran it into the ceiling!!
 

Parrothead

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Apr 27, 2014
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Earth
Re: If this thing falls off, I'm going to feel like such an idiot

I’d have probably picked a cheaper car for a test run, though that’s why we have insurance, right?
 
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