The Miata

Started by Rich, November 21, 2013, 01:16:55 PM

Rich

So, I changed a brake light/tail light bulb today and I feel pretty accomplished.  But, there's some shit that needs fixing.

I had the male part of this screw/bolt thing shear off from the tail lamp assembly.  Is there anyway to fix this without buying a new assembly?



A trunk liner fastener was missing when I went to take it off.  Is there a way to buy one of these little guys (they work really well!)


The drivers seat is torn to shit.  If I take it to an upholsterer, can they just re-do the center portion of the seat, or am I going to have to get all of it redone?


And there's this white buildup on the wheel that doesn't come off with wheel spray and a scub.  It's almost like a calcium or something like that.  Does anyone know what this shit is and what will get rid of it?


There's rust on the rocket panels, the worst of which is right along the seam under the door which seems to separate the front and rear rocket panels.  Would it be a massive job for a body shop to get rid of the rust on this?  Is it a part of the main frame structure?  Should I even bother?


2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

SVT_Power

#1 Because it's a metal screw that's broken in a plastic housing, I'd say you're SOL

#2 Looks like a pretty standard clip, you should be able to get 'em at a hardware store (or if you can't, any dealership but I dunno how much they'd charge)

#3 No clue

#4 I don't even see any white build up

#5 I had rust on the rocker panels in the SVTC underneath the skirts. Honestly, hell of a lot more work than it's worth. I figured it wouldn't be too bad and kinda started tapping on it with my hand, then noticed it gave so I started to knock it off...and then I was missing quite a bit of bodywork. Had a buddy weld in some sheetmetal for me before I rattled canned it and put the skirt back on. Lesson of the day - if you think there's a little bit of rust, there's a hell lot more there.
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

Rich

Quote from: SVT_Power on November 21, 2013, 01:27:00 PM
#1 Because it's a metal screw that's broken in a plastic housing, I'd say you're SOL


Fuck
Quote
#4 I don't even see any white build up
It's the stuff that looks like scratches.  I need to go back out and run my fingers over it and clean the wheels.  Maybe it is scratches, somehow.
Quote
#5 I had rust on the rocker panels in the SVTC underneath the skirts. Honestly, hell of a lot more work than it's worth. I figured it wouldn't be too bad and kinda started tapping on it with my hand, then noticed it gave so I started to knock it off...and then I was missing quite a bit of bodywork. Had a buddy weld in some sheetmetal for me before I rattled canned it and put the skirt back on. Lesson of the day - if you think there's a little bit of rust, there's a hell lot more there.

Fuck
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

Secret Chimp

Quote from: HotRodPilot on November 21, 2013, 01:39:19 PM
Fuck

If it's still solid all along, just wire wheel it off and get POR-15 or something and coat it. Look on miata.net on how to check your car for debris in general - off the top of my head, I know that it's a good idea to pull the splash shields every year or so and dig out all the gunk that gets past them from the bottom of the fenders (I am overdue for that)

And you had to drop the whole light out to change the bulb though? On my car you can twist most of them out through the holes in the body.


Quote from: BENZ BOY15 on January 02, 2014, 02:40:13 PM
That's a great local brewery that we have. Do I drink their beer? No.

MX793

The stuff on the wheel is probably aluminum oxide.  You can try to polish it off (you'll have to remove it either abrasively or with acid), but it will just come back unless you re-seal the wheel with fresh paint and/or clearcoat.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

Onslaught

1. Look on ebay for cheap lights. I could fix that for you probably if I had the light with me. You'll need a new post to glue into the old ones spot and you'll need to dig whats left of the original post out. That will be the hard part. Hey, what side is this anyway? I could have one out in my collection.
2. That's a normal Japanese clip. I'm not really sure where you can just go and pick one up just like that. But Mazda can get them for you for dirt cheap. I have like a billion of them.
3. I see no reason why you can't just have the bottom done. I think you can get seat covers for cheap too if need be.
4. I can't tell anything about that without looking at it.
5. Impossible for me to say without looking at it. It could just be surface rust. Or it could be a big fucking deal. If it's rusting between the rocker and quarter then it's a bid deal. And it's a problem with older miata's because that's  where the chassis flexes because of the lack of a roof.

Could you take better pictures of the rust and the body line between the quarter and rocker. It would help me out with letting you know how big a deal it will be.

Onslaught

Oh, and it won't kill you to not have that one nut in the taillamp. It's not going to fall off because of the one nut gone. I would plug up the hole with a grommet however to keep water out of the trunk.

Rich

Thanks guys, more pictures to come. 
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

Byteme

#8

#1  Cut off the metal stud flush with the plastic of the tail light assembly then drill out the remaining metal.  By a stud the same size as the one that was broken off, put it in place with JB weld.  Make sure you get it square to te housing so it fits the mounting holes in the body.
#2  Look at Lowes and Home Depot.  The both have drawers of automitive trim fasteners in the nuts and bolts section of the store.  Alsocheck an autoparts store, they generally carry those things. 
#3  Any upholstery shop can replace just the center section.  The trick is to match the original material.
#4  Try vinegar and a tooth brush.
#5  The rockers carry the load.  They, along with the center tunnel, are all that holds the front body of the car to the rear body.  the floor pans are more or less along for the ride. When you have visible rust you usually have much more hidden rust.  Someone who knows what they are doing needs to eyeball this.  Go to a body shop you trust and ask them.

Speed_Racer

Those plastic clips are used on motorcycles to secure fairings. I've seen them in small and large sizes, so you can find them for no more than a few bucks for a pack of 10 anywhere motorcycle gear is sold or a moto dealership

Rich

Driver side:


Passenger side:


Some coating shit lies beneath the paint:



Is there hope?
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

Onslaught

Houston we have a problem. That's some of the worst rust I've seen on a NB. I mean they can grind the outer rust off and "fix" the problem of the outside without much of a problem. But I fear from looking at that picture that you'll have rust on the back side of the seams and the rocker and the quarter. And you can't do shit about that without it costing an arm and a leg. If you're not keeping the car for 10 years or something then having the outside done and selling the car one day will work. If you're keeping this thing for a long time then get ready to bend over.

Rich

Quote from: Onslaught on November 23, 2013, 10:35:40 AM
Houston we have a problem. That's some of the worst rust I've seen on a NB. I mean they can grind the outer rust off and "fix" the problem of the outside without much of a problem. But I fear from looking at that picture that you'll have rust on the back side of the seams and the rocker and the quarter. And you can't do shit about that without it costing an arm and a leg. If you're not keeping the car for 10 years or something then having the outside done and selling the car one day will work. If you're keeping this thing for a long time then get ready to bend over.

Arm+leg = $2k?  $10k? 
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

Colin

I presume that as it is now UK registered you have to get it MOT-ed?

Rust and MOT go together like oil and water........... they are supposed only to worry about it if it is structural, but if it is (and Joshua's comments are worrying about the gravity relative to others he's seen), you could be in the doo-doo here, I'm afraid. Mind you, there are MOT testers and there are MOT testers, if you know what I mean............. 

FlatBlackCaddy

The rust repair could cost anywhere from a couple hundred to a thousand or more, depending on how much turns out to be there and how much work the shop would do(IE. spot repair vs a more thorough repair).

If you wanted to do the work yourself, you could probably get about 100 bucks work of supplies and do it yourself.

The broken stud on the light might actually be pretty easy to fix. Alot of those lights(that i've seen) used a push in stud that has a rough cylinder that bites into the plastic. Probably not the best explanation, but if you saw one it would be obvious.

Don't know if that light is like that, but if it is you can just yank it out and stick a new one in.

Onslaught

If it's rusted too bad around the seams then it will take a new quarter and rocker to repair correctly. Or have a used pice sectioned in. And in your car it's on both sides.
Anything else and your just covering up the cancer and it will come back.

Rich

I'm going to make an appointment with this place and see how much they'll charge me
http://www.themx5restorer.co.uk/pages/services/welding.php

I also need to have an oil leak fixed from around either the pan or the rear crank seal, or both.

When I was on track yesterday, there was a noise that popped up after about 2 laps that was primarily related to engine speed.  The higher the RPM, the more pronounced the sound.  G forces also had an effect, under hard braking when rev matching it would be the loudest, and then in high-g corners it would get louder too.  When the car cooled off or if I wasn't pushing it, it would go away.  Almost sounded like running over a rumble strip.  I could feel a little vibration in the butt-o-meter, too.  I'm guessing something in the drivetrain was rubbing against the FM butterfly brace.  Maybe the bushings heated up and gave the drivetrain more movement after a couple of laps?  This one will be hard to diagnose.

The trunk would also not open from the console lever or the key in the lock cylinder at the end of the day, I had to throw everything in the passenger seat.  When I got to the gas station (12.8mpg, wooo) about 15 minutes later, it worked again.  What the f.

2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

Eye of the Tiger

Lol. Miata is angry about track days. Lazy Miata.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

Rich

I'd like to get some new shocks, but don't want to lower the ride height.  Seems most everything on the aftermarket is all about lowering.

Maybe I should just head to the UK equivalent of Monroe?  :lol:
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: HotRodPilot on November 24, 2013, 10:47:41 AM
I'd like to get some new shocks, but don't want to lower the ride height.  Seems most everything on the aftermarket is all about lowering.

Maybe I should just head to the UK equivalent of Monroe?  :lol:

Custom coilvers. Ground Controls are affordable, and you can choose your spring length and everything
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

FlatBlackCaddy

I think the Flyin Miata coilovers I got are supposed to be a very minimal lowering vs ride height.

Onslaught

Do not get the racingbeat ones. They will shake your teeth out. I will shoot mine when I take them off.

FlatBlackCaddy

I'm pretty happy with my FM coilovers, and they are pretty reasonable. Can be a bit stiff on the rough northern roads.

Rich

#23
QuoteHi Rich

To retrim your seats in cloth will cost around £400 ($640) , not sure if I could find the exact same material though.
In leather it will cost £675 ($1,090).
Heated seats usually cost £450 ($730) but if installed at the same time as the trim it will cost £400.
Hope this helps.

Regards

Simon franklin

FML  (Dollar conversion in parenthesis) $1,700 for heated leather seats. 
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

Rich

Welp, I'm going to drop the car off at a local joint to have the rust taken care of.  http://www.coopers-garage.com/

They seem like they give a shit about cars, so it should be in good hands.  I'm flying back to NY for a week, so the cancer (rust) should be gone by then.

I'm also going to have the following fixed:

Seat re-trim
Rear main oil leak
Cam cover oil leak
New clutch +flywheel (maybe)
Secure rear bulkhead/wind blocker nut
Track day/high speed sound - I think this is the rear diff.  I hear the sound anytime the car gets warm and going 90+mph.  Also when I wheel hop. (sounds like I'm running over the apex berm)
Console cover repair
Courtesy light fix
Glovebox fix http://www.miata.net/garage/glovebox.htm
Oil temp gauge on the fritz on cold start
New brake pads

New shocks and top will have to come later.  I've had a lot of thinking to do, on if I should just leave it and sell it when I get back to the US (and buy an NC/ND), but there's just too many dirt cheap track days to be had here to just leave the car the way it is and dump oil every track day and be nervous the rear diff is going to fall out the back.
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

FlatBlackCaddy

Damn, with all those problems(and the rust), you should have just sold it and bought a NC or something.

Rich

Quote from: FlatBlackCaddy on January 17, 2014, 07:41:16 AM
Damn, with all those problems(and the rust), you should have just sold it and bought a NC or something.

But track days, because racecar
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

Rich

Really all I need to do is fix the oil leak, brake pads, and sort the rear diff out and I would be "good" for the track.  If I'm spending the money on that I might as well do the rest and keep it longer.

It does have some sentimental value to me., been around the US and Europe in it.
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

FlatBlackCaddy


FlatBlackCaddy

Quote from: HotRodPilot on January 17, 2014, 07:45:31 AM
Really all I need to do is fix the oil leak, brake pads, and sort the rear diff out and I would be "good" for the track.  If I'm spending the money on that I might as well do the rest and keep it longer.

It does have some sentimental value to me., been around the US and Europe in it.

cool