Miatatude

April is Car Care Month

I know this because a flyer I received from Mazda today, the next to last day of April, says so in large letters on the back.

Inside are some coupons for 10% off on a couple scheduled services and a bunch of items with set prices and I can’t tell if they are really “deals” or not. I know one I won’t be using, the one for the Automatic Transmission Inspection Service. To be fair, the coupons don’t expire until the end of May.

For some Spring Reading they recommend that I read my Mazda’s Owner’s Manual to be acquainted with the operation of all systems.

Started down, went up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 134

Tomorrow, I Promise

The car is filthy. From 10 yards away it looks alright, but unfortunately I have to get a little closer to drive it. Not just the outside, but the inside needs a vacuuming. It is also about time to clean and treat the leather seats. Just did a quick search of my electronic memory and found that it was March of last year when I did the seats. Yikes! It is also time for a waxing because that same memory (this blog) tells me the last waxing occurred on December 31st of 2004. Well let’s not get too ambitious, a wash and vacuum for sure tomorrow.

There is a 60% chance of scattered strong thunderstorms on Saturday, I’ll just have to make sure the car is inside the garage during that 60%.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 131

Ready, Set, Tops Up!

There was no chance of rain in the forecast for today, which made the dark clouds to the west a big surprise on our afternoon walk. Donna asked if we should put the top up as we strolled past the car. I poo-pooed the idea as they didn’t really look that bad and the cockpit cover was firmly in place.

About 45 minutes later my manager came over and asked if I was going to put my top up as it was looking rather dark out (he, naturally, has a window.) I said no, but when he said he was going to put his up, I changed my mind. How could I explain myself if it did happen to pour down and his car stayed dry and my interior got soaked?

Russ used to have a Miata, but ever since he traded to the Boxster he has taken to parking out in the north forty along with me. He leaves a spot between us, just like two guys going to the movies together would leave an empty seat in between them. He used a cockpit cover with his Miata and now he also uses one for the Porsche. It would be a fair race to see who got their top up first.

We got to our cars at the same and started removing the covers. His uses velcro straps at both windshield wipers and both doors to go with the tabs in the back trunk. Mine has one velcro strap on the driver’s wiper, 2 elastic hooks under the door sills and two hooks in the rear wheel well to go with the three tabs in the truck. He held a slight lead in storing the cockpit covers in our trunks, as I unsnapped the boot and folded it, he was already inside holding the button down to start the mechanical ballet. His back hard boot piece was up and the z-fold rising as I opened the two latches and lifted the Miata roof into place. As I latched my top, his was electrically locking in. Our power windows raised almost in total unison. Our drivers doors shut as one.

Dead heat.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 129

My Three Sons

Well not mine really, but the three sons of Bob Hall. Mazda has got a special edition of the next generation Miata traveling the country. At selected cities they bolt it to the top of a fire truck and drive it around that city. A stop is made at a fire station where money is donated and they unload the new Miata where people can get a close up and personal look and feel for the new car. At a stop in DC some of the enterprising Miataphiles parked one each of the first two generations of Miatas next to the new one so we could get a feel for how they all looked compared to each other. The red new one was in the middle with a silver 2nd gen to the left and a black 1st gen on the right. Well yesterday in Tampa they went that one better. They lined up all three gens in red and in order and snapped a few pictures. I asked the photographer for a higher resolution image and he sent me a copy at 1600 x 1200. I promptly turned it into my new desktop…

new_desktop.jpg

The Other Half Rotated

The folks at the neighborhood tire store were nice enough when I stopped in after work with my problem. I had to wait about an hour to get them to fix the cross threaded lug nut. When they tried to remove the seized one, the lug busted off, so we had to wait for them to get a new lug delivered. No charge.

Of course when I got home and finished the rotation job I had to use a breaker bar on two of the four lugs on the wheel they just worked on. Next time I go in there I will ask them if they know what the torque specs are for the lug nuts on a Miata. The answer is 66-86 foot/pounds.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 92

Johhny Lightning Miata

I’ve had a white Johnny Lightning 2000 Miata with brown interior sitting near a speaker on my computer desk for about 6 months now. Today I drilled out the rivets on the bottom that hold it together. I’m going to paint it Garnet Red. Going to try and mask off the lights and grill and such. Don’t know how well I’ll do, those are tiny little decals and I would like to save them. If I’m going to all that trouble to do the outside, I probably should paint the interior too, make it more light tan in color. If it comes out OK I’ll post pictures. If I screw it up you’ll never see mention of it here again. 🙂

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 85

Weather Cooperates

The rain held off until right after we got to work and stopped sometime mid-afternoon. For the morning commute the top was down, up when we parked it and then back down for evening commute.

We made a quick trip to Augusta to run the Master’s Miata Club newsletter through the postage meter at Rader. I parked next to a 2005 Black Cherry colored Miata they have for sale. Very interesting color. Imagine my Garnet Red car covered in very dark gray window tinting. Wonder what it looks like in the bright sun?

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 83