Miata Mods

4 Month Update

OK, we’ve had the new Robbins Streamline Top on the car for 4 months now, time for an update. The top has made well over a hundred transitions and it has stretched out just fine, making the raising and latching of the top a cinch. But putting it down is not the simple unlatch and throw it over your head the OEM was.

I still have to reach back and help the top (front) of the glass window down, by pushing slightly back and down. Doing the maneuver has become almost second nature and doesn’t slow down the operation (unless I fumble it, like I’m apt to do every dozen times or so.) My concern is to what this will do to the longevity of the top. I can’t help but think in a couple, three years that that extra push along with the aging of the fabric is going to cause a rip along the top or bottom of the glass.

One other little nitpick (and it really is a nit) is that the original top had a short strap that went from the edge of the top between the first and second ribs and attached to the frame which the Robbins Streamline top lacks. The purpose of this was to pull on that bit of the top, tucking it inside the well when the top was lowered. With the Robbins, the top folds up fine, but there is a little ear sticking out of the well that needs poking under when putting the boot on. I think I need a picture to better illustrate my point, but to do so might elevate the nit to a full blown bother.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 131

Dark Gray

At today’s MMC Tech Day I finally painted the insides of the headlight housings. I have been wanting to do this since 2004 when the Mazdaspeed Miata came out and they had the same treatment.

Came out pretty good. The icky black glue that holds the lens to the back section left behind a couple of “strings” on the lens. After I had the light all together and back on the car I went to clean it with some Goo Gone. Big mistake. It cleaned the glue right off but it also took off some of the plastic lens. I just spent a couple hours with some 2000 grit sandpaper, toothpaste and plastic polish to clean up the lens. It is still not 100% clear, I might have to get some polishing compound to bridge the toothpaste and the plastic polish.

FYI, WD-40 will take the glue off lickity-split and not “melt” the lens.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 86

Long and Winding Road

Back at the end of April the badges on the back of the Emperor came off or were removed and I have never done anything about it. I tossed around a couple of ideas, like stickers or custom lettering, but a couple of weeks ago I hit on an idea that seemed just offbeat enough for me to try, Pontiac Solstice badges. I figured with all the Miata enthusiasts taking their badges off, there were bound to be a few Solstice owners doing the same. Off to the nation’s flea market, eBay.

There were no Pontiac Solstice badges for sale, but I did find some old script style badges that say Ford & Deluxe. Hey, Ford owns a controlling interest in Mazda… And for 98¢ plus shipping, how could I go wrong?

Well, shipping was $6.40 for Postal Service Priority Mail 2-3 day delivery and maybe I wouldn’t have taken umbrage with how long it took the items to get to me if the item and shipping prices were reversed:

Auction Ended, 3:16 pm, August 05, 2007
Paypaled Seller, 10:43 am, August 06, 2007
Electronic Shipping Info Received, August 09, 2007
Mailed, August 10, 2007, MURRIETTA, CA 92653
Enroute, August 13, 2007, 11:57 pm, BELL, CA 90201
Enroute, August 18, 2007, 9:28 am, ATLANTA, GA 30369
Package arrived, August 20, 2007 4:30 pm

My new camera is doing some traveling too.

MISSOULA, MT – 8/15/2007
BILLINGS, MT – 8/16/2007
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – 8/17/2007
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – 8/20/2007
LEXINGTON, KY – 8/21/07
GREENSBORO, NC – 8/21/2007
WEST COLUMBIA, SC – 8/21/2007
AIKEN, SC – 8/22/2007

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 339

Four

I added 24 pictures to the 2007 Northeast Trips Gallery on page 3 (4-1=3)., but if you are a regular reader there is not too much new for you to see.

If you never got over to the Flickr! page where I posted the photos of my godson Gnorm’s visit to the Gnorthwest this year, I added a gallery here that consisted of 24 (4×6=24) images showing what a good time he had.

We had dinner at Maria’s Mexican Restaurant tonight. It was their 1st Anniversary and to celebrate we had Carnitas which came with 3 tortillas. (1+3=4)

Meal Cost: $9.98
Tip: $2.02
Spent Today: $12.00
Year to Date: $1625.44
Meals out, 95 of a possible 627.

My 4 tickets to my next Miata arrived today. I hope 13 is my lucky number (1+3=4) because I have tickets numbered 0311 through 0314.

My 4 new Koni Sport shocks shipped from California today. If they take four days to get here I’ll have them by this weekend.

Started down, wen up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 299

Don’t Get Technical With Me

We took the Miata back to the dealer on Tuesday for them to adjust the accessory belts to eliminate the squeal. They almost got it. We aren’t taking it back to Columbia for them to have another crack at it. When the service rep returned the car Donna questioned him on why it squealed and what did they do to fix it. He tried to explain that they had to adjust the belt by making it tighter so it wouldn’t slip. But that they had to be careful that they didn’t tighten it too much or they could ruin the bearing in the accessories. He said if it still does it, just bring it back (I guess he thinks we live around the corner.)

It still squeals, but only briefly when shifting while driving the car spiritedly. When you floor it with the A/C on, the A/C will cut out until you let up to shift, at which point the A/C clutch re-engages and chirps the belt. We didn’t notice it until later in the week and we for sure aren’t going to take it back to them. When I get Clunk & Thunk to help me with my shock installation we’ll try and tighten it up a bit more.

I wish I had thought of it at the time Mr. Lazywrench was explaining their belt adjustment period, because I should have asked, “So, what you are saying is that after making over 800,000 Miatas, Mazda’s service manual for car says that to adjust the accessory belt tension, You need to make the belt so tight that they don’t squeal, but not so tight that you ruin the bearings.

From a Miata Forum member red-in-la (I removed the metric stuff.)
Drive Belt Deflection Check
1. Verify the drive belt deflection when the engine is cold, or at least 30 min after the engine has stopped. Apply moderate pressure 22 ft/lb midway between the specified pulleys.

Drive belt New Used Limit
Generator 0.22?0.27 0.24?0.29 0.31
P/S+A/C 0.28?0.31 0.36?0.39 0.45

What do you think? The technician didn’t have the right tool so he just winged it? Or manual, who reads the manual?

We went to the New Moon for breakfast this morning instead of Sunday to beat the crowd. We had two muffins and a bottled water.

Meal Cost: $7.49
Tip: 51¢
Spent Today: $8.00
Year to Date: $1613.44
Meals out, 94 of a possible 624.

The above numbers reflect tomorrow’s meals as well because we two extra muffins for Sunday’s breakfast. If we eat out for lunch or supper tomorrow I’ll change the totals.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 298

Cool Breeze Scoop

Cool Breeze ScoopThe cockpit of the Miata can be a hot place. I have tried several methods I’ve found on the Miata.net Forums and they have helped a little, but not enough. The air that comes through the interior vents is so much warmer than the ambient air, no matter what I have tried.

Abut a year ago a forum member came out with a little device called the Cool Breeze Scoop. People raved, but I doubted. Plus I didn’t want to invest the $40 price. This year after testing out the principle by hold my hand over the windshield header and directing outside air in, I took the plunge. Received and installed on Tuesday, but because of the service trip to Columbia and the weather we didn’t get a chance to really use it until today.

Two thumbs up! It doesn’t do anything when the car is stopped and adds a touch more wind noise, but it dumps cooler outside air right at the footwells of the car and makes a noticeable difference. I predict that this be like the microwave, later we will wonder how we lived without it.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 286

Fab Fours

444441 – Four is the only number in the English language for which the number of letters in its name is equal to the number itself. 2 – People have four canines, four incisor and four wisdom teeth. 3 – Four is considered an unlucky number in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures because it sounds like the word “death.”
4 – In tarot, card No. 4 is “the Emperor.”

The cockpit of the Miata is a warm place to be. A known issue is the fresh air venting. It draws air from the cowl area and by the time it gets from there to the interior of the car it is considerably warmer than the outside air. I’ve tried nearly all the suggestions on Miata.net, but the air is still warm. Some one on the forum did something about it and created this neat little air scoop thing that mounts on the windshield header when the top is down. Maybe next spring we will invest in one of the Cool Breeze Scoops, $41 with shipping.

For now I have invested $25 in solving the other source of unwanted interior heat, the transmission tunnel. The exhaust pipe and premuffler run right along underneath the tunnel on the driver’s side and after an hour or so of driving you can toast Pop Tarts between the tunnel and the driver’s seat cushion. This morning I pulled the seats and console out of the Emperor out. I folded back the carpet, so I could line the transmission tunnel and for good measure most of the floor pan with Reflectix using shiny foil duct tape. It took a couple hours to cut and tape around the seat mounting points, E-brake, a couple of wiring harnesses and the rubber shift boot.

Speaking of shift boots, mine was cracked/ripped and this also lets in heat big time. Not only was the large inside boot in need of replacing, but the smaller boot that seals the transmission turret to the shifter was blown as well. This is another reason the Cool Breeze Scoop will wait, it’ll cost $46 to buy replacements for both these rubber pieces.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 307