06/02/2016
Major Service : CompletedReceived the car back from service today. As mentioned previously, with all my cars, whenever I purchase a second hand car I usually do a full service and change out all the fluids with new items as well as tending to other matters which require my attention. Major overhaul has been completed now with fresh oils and all new fluids, new aluminium radiator, oil and fuel filter, spark plugs and leads, silicone hoses, timing belt, water pump, thermostat, PCV valve, tensioner and idler pulleys, rocker cover gaskets, cam and crankshaft seals, brake and clutch lines, and timing advanced to +14 degrees. OEM parts and equipment have been used where possible.
When I was getting a debrief on what was done to the car, it seems as though there were a lot of things which needed changing anyhow and it was a good thing that they were tended to in this service. Basically, ALL the fluids were atrocious, spark plugs were black and definitely needed changing a few thousand km's ago, the leads were misfiring and old (still the original leads from 1996!), fuel filter and water pump weren't installed properly by previous mechanic (who did the work for the previous owner) and the old radiator had a very tiny hairline fracture. If I had dríven the car any more than what I had done already, it would have definitely resulted in the plastic end tanks letting go.
Although the previous owner had looked after it as well as he could for 10 years and although he only drove the car 2,000kms in his 10 year ownership and the car "felt" okay every year when he would start the car up and go for a little drive, the component parts were slowly wearing away which isn't good for the health or longevity of the vehicle.
Needless to say, it now feels like a brand new, totally different car. She now idles much smoother with no misfire and driving feel is improved, especially since now that the timing has been advanced to +14 degrees the low down torque is definitely noticeable and there is more useable power.
The new look engine bay!
Silicone hoses.
Koyorad 36mm Hyper-V Aluminium Radiator.
Mazdaspeed!
J-F Customs Tan Leather Gearshift + Handbrake BootDecided to refresh the gearshift boot and plastic handbrake boot with some nice tan Italian leather stitched items.
OEM plastic handbrake boot removed and replaced with the new leather boot. Much nicer.
Gearshift Boot ready for install.
Took apart the centre console to find that the shifter insulation looks like a pile of sh*t. OEM replacement already ordered from Mazda to fix the heating issue. Will also be ordering a brand new MiataRoadster short shifter too, so that I can replace the shifter and fix the heating issue in one go.
All done. Goes well with the interior!
Vintage Mazda Chrome Cigarette LighterBought this on eBay to replace my tired, rusted old OEM cigarette lighter. Feels very nice and looks quite pretty. Weighted, chromed, and has the oldschool vintage Mazda symbol. Sticks out a tad more than the OEM lighter but nothing intrusive. Although it's not a genuine part, I feel it goes quite nicely with the interior and the rest of the car.
Very nice chrome finish on the cigarette lighter.
Right at home!
JDM Chrome Door Sills + RevLimiter "Type MX-5" Door Sill InsertsPurchased a second hand set of chrome door sills in very good condition from Yahoo Japan Auctions with the "Roadster" insert. Decided to hit up Adam from RevLimiter again and purchased his "Type MX-5" door sill inserts to replace it. The inserts from Adam are made from an epoxy which is flexible, sticks perfectly to the door sill recess, very durable, will not yellow or pit and should last around 8 years. Again, very happy with his work!
JDM Chrome Door Sills purchased from Yahoo Japan Auctions.
RevLimiter "Type MX-5" Door Sill Inserts.
Ready to mount.
Removed the plastic sill. Cleaned the grime and dirt before installing the sills.
Installed.
And finally, I was able to take delivery of my RS Watanabe Type-B. Specs are 14 x 6.5 with a +14.5 offset. These also come with tires which still have around 99% of tread left, virtually brand new. Bridgestone Ecopia 185/60/14. Nothing too special but hey, it'll do for now!
Two of the wheels have gutter rashes so I'm going to get that fixed as well as getting the lips polished so they come up brand new. Also, I'll be powdercoating the centres in gold and going to purchase some chrome Watanabe centre caps if I can find some on Yahoo Japan. I was so surprised at how light these are even with the tires on them! It will definitely help reduce unsprung weight, that's for sure.
For now though, I'll be swapping over the rubber from the Watanabe's to my OEM wheels as the tires I have on them currently are Pirelli P6000's which, although when brand new are quite a good rubber, they were put on 10 years ago and albeit only travelling 2,000kms until I picked it up, they're are rock hard! Fresh new rubber will be a welcome change.
Taking delivery of the Watanabe's!
Authenticity.
Time for a bit of a clean.
All done and ready for a refurb.
Next up :
1) Will be looking at fixing the insulation issue and changing the shifter to a MiataRoadster short shifter (already purchased, awaiting delivery)
2) Nardi Classico 360mm Wooden steering wheel + Arrive Mahogany Handbrake Handle to purchase. Already purchased the HKB Boss Kit, (part number : OR-18)
3) KG Works Chrome washer jets + new 5mm PVC clear plastic hoses to route from washer bottle to nozzle.
