Crown Me

The Emperor just got back from summer camp last Thursday, but he’s off again already on an overnighter. This time it is to get fitted up with some new head wear.

The next time you see a top count at the bottom of a post it will be a very, very small number. In the past 6 years, 7 months and 30 days the top has gone through 760 cycles or about once every 3-1/4 days. The rate really dropped off, from over 300 a year to around 125, after the 2011 purchase of the Sonata. Now when the weather is iffy, the Miata just stays home.

The new top is going to be black vinyl instead of the original (and 1st replacement) top’s tan cloth. The material change is because it is a hundred bucks cheaper for vinyl and the slight decrease in durability is more than offset by the decreased top usage. The color change is just for that reason, a change.

Started up, went down, went up, back down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1521

Wash Day

The Emperor got a bath this morning. But it was a stinking hot day Brian, didn’t you work up a sweat? There was no need to work up a sweat, I was already sweaty from the morning bike ride and a little yard work that I did just before starting the project.

After washing the Miata I pulled it into the garage and washed the first 1/31 of each side of the green metal awning that the Purple Whale parks under, AKA The Aquarium.

I cheated for the Sonata, after lunch we ran it through Lulu’s.

Started up, went down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1517

The Triumphant Return of the King

Actually came back on Thursday evening, but on Friday he rested because we rode the tandem to work and later went grocery shopping in the “big” car.

Took a drive today to a friends house. After the first couple of hard turns under acceleration and getting a loud clunk as the new springs settled onto their perches, it was smooth sailing. Car handles like new again. What we thought was the main rear seal doing all the leaking turned out to be mostly valve cover gasket with the rear seal being a minor contributor. Just recently the Emperor had started leaving a small spot towards the rear of the car to go with the big one up front. Turns out it wasn’t a muffler-fluid leak like I suspected, but the rear transmission seal was the culprit, which the fine folks at Panic Motorsports replaced for me.

Got a new clutch and associated components and I swear it feels better than new. It took me only a moment to get adjusted to its new release/engagement point, after the replacement it is an inch or so closer to the floor than than it was. Steve @ Panic sez it is a simple fix to move that point up or down in the travel patch of the pedal. I looked up on the Miata.net Forum and it looks dead simple. so I might just give it go to see if I can get it back to about the middle of the travel where it has reside for the last dozen years.

While they had the car on the lift they marveled at the bumps and bruises the car has accumulated in its 150,000 mile life so far. Steve actually wondered if I had hit any bowling balls. There was a bent rear sub frame brace that they replaced and they also had to re-weld the resonator (Mazda calls it a presilencer) back onto the exhaust pipe. I also somehow managed to get a large dent in the muffler in a nearly un-accessible spot. In my defense I’m usually very good at distances and spacial relationships, but for some reason I have a terrible blind-spot in judging the height of road debris compared to chassis clearance.

Started down. went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1515

Launch Edition

Launch Editions

They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words, this photo is worth a 1,000 Miatas.

Mazda has always been quick to throw a new color on a Miata, add a geegaw, slap a badge on a car and call it a Special Edition or a M Edition or an Anniversary Edition. Well this year with the launch of the 4th generation of the car, they’re getting on the bandwagon early and launching a special Launch Edition.

The first 1,000 people in the U.S. to get an example of the 4th gen car had to pre-order it. They will be getting the top of line Grand Touring with every possible option checked off in Soul Red with a tan leather interior, the only choice they had was stick or auto. Its this color combo is what will make it unique, that and a badge stuck on one fender panel.

The photo above was taken by Mazda and it shows, I think, all thousand of the LEs waiting to be loaded on the boat(s).

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1514

Baseball All-Star Voting

All-Star Ballot

Anytime I go to the Red Sox home page there is always a banner or a rotating slide show that basically pleads with you to vote for the FRS players to be elected to the All-Star game. Frankly the only Red Sox player who even remotely deserves consideration is Brock Holt. Trouble is Mr. Holt is nowhere to be found on the ballot as a position player, probably because he has played at least one game at every position except for Catcher and Pitcher.

I usually avoid voting for the All-Star players because it is really not too much more than a popularity contest. As evident by the fact that when you click on a link to the ballot from your favorite team’s home page it automatically highlights that team’s players and dulls out the rest.

I was going to ignore it again this year until I spotted this post on Deadspin – Screw It, Vote Every Kansas City Royal Into The All-Star Game.

So that is what I tried to do. Couldn’t help but poke a stick the eye of the FRS and vote for Álex Rodríguez over Big Papi (or even the KC representative) for the Designated Hitter.

25 Years Ago – Summer 1990

MIATAGO

– by Barbara Beach

“What do you mean $18,000 in medical deductions?” he shrieked, as only an accountant can.
“I bought a Miata: I responded calmly, (as calm as one can while doing their taxes).
“A car is not a medical deduction” the accountant reprimanded.
“A Miata is” I argued. “In fact, I consider it THERAPY!”

It is possible that I may not win my case with the IRS, but anyone who owns a Miata can understand my point. As Will Rogers once said, “The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man”. I concur, and contend that the outside of a Miata is good for the inside of anyone! It certainly has been good for me. I have made more new friends and had more freeway “love affairs” (you know…those stolen glances and passionate smiles) window to window. I never had this much fun in my Chevy Van. Never once did I get a marriage proposal while driving it, but in the Miata I have had several (I will, however, have to wait for my suitors to either graduate high school or get a driver’s license). But a proposal is a proposal!

I would only caution you not to make the Miata gods angry. There is a certain unwritten dress code that one must abide by when Miata motoring. My biggest mistake was to make one of those early morning ‘sweat pants, hair in curlers’ run to the dry cleaners. Upon leaving the cleaners I was shocked to find two men sitting in my Miata. While this is not what I would normally consider a crisis, it is when I’m dressed for my Phillis Diller impression. A Miata owner must be dressed to meet people. After all, we do represent an alternate way of motoring and have certain responsibilities!!

Observing my self-imposed rule, I was far more successful in my encounter with a top-down 560SL: Dressed as if he just stepped out of a Ralph Lauren full page ad, the Benz driver looked over as I languished in my Calvin Kleins and offered to trade cars. Tomorrow, lunch? You bring your pink slip, I’ll bring mine…Oh I’m sorry! There seems to be little loyalty left these days!

I was in quite a panic when I questioned my best friend as to what I should wear on an upcoming date with a man I really wanted to impress. “Relax, Barbara”, my friend laughed, “Flash a smile and wear your Miata!” I did and it worked! This car is not just transportation, it is a dating device! I can just see the classifieds now…’OUTRAGEOUSLY FINE FEMALE WITH TWO MASTERS DEGREES, UNTOLD WEALTH, AND A RED MIATA IS LOOKING TO FIND A MAN OF SIMILAR QUALITIES. SEND PHOTO OF YOURSELF AND YOUR CAR…’
I think I have stumbled on to something here…high tech automotive seduction. This car should carry a warning: CAUTION: DRIVING A MIATA CAN CAUSE AN INFLATED EGO, UNABASHED FLIRTATION, AND IN SOME CASES SERIOUS PROPOSALS.

The Miata is by no means a ‘singles only’ car. I do hope that all of you married Miata owners enjoy the car for its original intended purposes; starry nights, top down cruising with your significant other. As for me and my Miata…well, we’re just going out to play.

Barbara Beach (and her Miata) play in Vista, California. Barbara profiles other Miata owners (and an occasional man in a 560SL) in each Miata magazine.

Copyright 1990, Miata Magazine. Reprinted without permission.

 

Hard Being A Fan

The 2015 baseball season is nearly 40% over for the Red Sox and they are now 10 games below .500 a full 8 games behind the MFY. They’ve lost 6 games in a row and so far for the month of June they are 4 & 8. In spite of this Baseball Prospectus still gives them a 14.1% chance of making the playoffs (this was before today’s loss.)

Today’s game was a fine example of the way things are going, in the bottom of the 5th the FRS scored 5 runs, which would have been great, but at the time Toronto was leading 10-zip. Yesterday they were down 4 to 0 before they got on the scoreboard, they did manage to tie it, only to lose in the 11th inning. Friday’s game was almost as bad as today’s game as they lost 13-10 after leading at one point 8 to 1.

Yet still I watch. Part of it is I can’t help it, it is nurture, my mom made me this way. The other is I’m going to get my money’s worth, I paid $130 for the MLB.TV package, so if I don’t tune in I’m throwing away 80¢ a game.