From: Ray Woods
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 10:50 AM
To: Rick McBroom
Subject: Re: RE: Request for miata advice
>> Come on now! You didn't think I give
>> up my Mopars and Hondas, did you?
>
> no...I guess not...
Good.. 'cuz 'tain't happenin'! ;-)
> still surprised we got you this close
> to a Ford though....<grin>...
Heh. It ain't THAT close! :-)
Besides, dude, you forget that I'm an official Ford truck owner - '77 F100, baby!
I keep it around 'cause, when I have a bad day & am tempted to kick the dog, I can just bash the Ford with a 2x4 instead.. ];-)
> Still not sure who had the engine first though.
> Have heared different stories...some say Buick
> designed it..others say Rover did then sold it
> to Buick only to buy it back later....
Never heard that Rover designed it. 'twas my understanding that it was a GM design, and they sold it off because of the escalating size/weight of American cars meant that a 225 CI engine without much potential for bein' bored and stroked was destined to be underpowered.
> Did hear about someone who took off the oil pad
> and oil pump and replaced it with an aluminum
> plate with pick-ups for a dry sump and put it in
> an Indy car or something....
Nope, but I ain't surprised. It really was a featherwight, compared to a full-sized iron V8.
Know what other engine I always thought was cool as heck? That SOHC straight six that Pontiac came out with in '65 or '66. Friend of mine had a Tempest with that motor, and it was bad ass (for a 6).
> ..of course the trend back then was to make
> everything bigger....
But of course.
> ..kinda like the way things were going with SUV's
> over the past few years.....until gas prices went
> thru the roof...
What's amazing is that, while sales are down a bit, they're STILL selling a boatload of gas-guzzling SUV's! I thought the bottom was gonna fall out when gas hit $3/gallon...
> holy shit...just checked out the second
> link.....a mini BLOWER ENGINE!!!! AWESOME!!
Tol' ya'! ;-)
Now, imagine a 213 CI scale-model of a Mopar Hemi.. with blower! Such a mill would weigh a LOT less than an iron Ferd 5.0L, yet have *more* power.
>> There's something to be said for taking a small,
>> efficient powerplant and getting the most out of
>> it. Making it really RUN! It appeals to my Inner
>> Engineer in a way that simply throwing cubic
>> inches (and money!) around never will...
>
> problem is you push them that far and they don't
> hold up.
Sure, if you go too far. But the 1.8L Miata engine seems to be plenty reliable in a 180 to 200 horsepower level of tune, supercharged.
> Got a small corner piece of a Spitfire block
> in my junk that I used as a paperweight. I
> had traded my 1147 cc motor to a guy for his
> G production race car.
What, you forgot to torque the con rods? ;-)
>> If I was gettin' a cost-is-no-object
>> Ford, it'd be a GT40.
>
> Yeah..that new one is sweet too...I think that
> would be my first "lottery car"
Once again, "Great minds think alike". ;-)
> as for "bastardized backyard contaption!"..
> ..well...yeah.....and your point is?
Oh, nothin'. Most of my Mopars have been bastardized backyard contraptions, too. ];-)
> years ago sprint sent me to Reston Va for training.
> Long before I ever moved there. Was wandering around
> the back streets of Alexandria with a co-worker one
> weekend and found a small car shop. The guy was working
> on an old Maseratti race car for some guy. The thing was
> still in the same shape as the last time it was on the
> track....un-restored....rode hard and put up wet...they
> also had put a racing corvette motor in it. Story was
> the Maser motor blew so they stuffed in what they had
> and went racing...was still sweet...
Sounds like a cool project.
My (step)son has a Porsche 944 that he picked up cheap. Body's actually in great shape, and the interior is real decent, too. Engine problems, though, and you know how Porsche parts/repair prices are. Anyway, it's been rotting in his driveway for well over a year. Told him this weekend that I'd trade him the Neon for it. I mean, he blew his truck up & I'm letting him borrow the Neon, anyway. I might as well get something out of it. ;-)
Dunno what I'd do with a silly GERMAN sports car, mind you. I think it'd be pretty cool with a smallblock Chevy stuffed in it, though. But given the car's layout, that would be a problematic swap, I'm sure. Hmmmm. Maybe a twin-turbocharged Briggs and Stratton... ];-)
> There aren't too many early model Miatas
> in yellow. Most are re-sprays.
And mine's a re-spray already, so WTF?
However, the smart thing to do, no doubt, would be to go back to the original shade, which is a darkish medium blue. That way all the underpinnings (hood, trunk, engine bay, door frames, etc.) would match. Pam kinda likes that blue, so we'll probably go that way. And, shoot, I like blue cars, too. My first-ever new car was SCREAMING blue...
http://www.mcbroom.biz/c003.htm
> Everyone loves the yellow Miatas though.
Me included!
>> But roll bars are mostly for style, anyway,
>> right? I roll that SOB, I'm gonna give myself
>> Last Rites as it's goin' over, no matter what
>> kind of roll bar's on it... ];-)
>
> nope....a REAL roll bar will keep the ground
> off your head. Style bars will mouse-trap ya..
Ack! OK, 'mouse-trap ya' paints a vivid picture. Ye've convinced me! :-) You'd probably be worse off with a stylebar than no roll bar at all, huh?
>> What you got against carbon fiber?! :-)
>
> too many squids with nothing but carbon
> fiber on their car thinking they're fast.
You'll be pleased to know that I didn't go with the carbon fiber steering wheel, then. :-) I ordered this one on Saturday;
That one tasteful enough for ya? <grin>
![State of the silly Japanese sports car.. ];-)](photos/2006-09-11_Miata5L.jpg)
>> ..I'd get me a 'round-town hooligan bike before
>> I got another Miata. One o' these, perhaps:
>>
>> http://www.motorcycledaily.com/100201top.jpg
>
> not bad...kinda why I got the FJR....like that
> one but slightly more "pratical"...<grin>...
Naw, a 919 has far and away more hooligan potential. I'm talking something that, when you snap the throttle open in 1st OR second, it wheelies instantly. ;-)
> I think I'd like to have a Citroen in my 100 car
> colection though, just FOR that bizarre factor..
> ..got a ride in one once...REALLY smooth....
You're sick! ];-)
> sometimes it's better to not know....<covering my eyes>...
ROTF! Yeah, I know the feeling...
> Oh well...could be worse.....you ought to talk
> to my chiropractor.....he's got a guy working
> on an Eagle Talon for him......you would have
> shot the guy by now....
[grin]
We got it back on the road this weekend. Still got a few odds 'n' ends to install - door side panels, interior windshield trim, engine splash shield, one inner fender shield, etc. But it's officially a roadworthy car again!
Oh, and you were right. We couldn't align the left rear tire. Got a tweaked left rear upper control arm. Already found a good used one, $25 +shipping. <sigh> I dunno. I added it up this morning, and at this point I've got $5,300 and change in the thing. Not too bad considering that's including the new clutch kit, Toyo tires, KYB struts, dash/heater core/airbox/yadda yadda. And the interior really looks sweet with the new dash!
