Hello all, I'm Joe. Currently in college for Mechanical Engineering, but enjoy cars as a hobby. I have a Cobalt SS Turbo Sedan as well. Was told to come here by a local Miata owner.
I started my journey by waiting several months (wintery months) to find someone who was willing to trade a motorcycle for a Miata. This was no speed demon motorcycle and it was fairly high miles for a motorcycle ('04 with 34k). But I found one. And his car needed work.
It's a 1992, stock except wheels, depowered power rack, ac delete, and dumb loud exhaust. It has a hardtop, but the car has been sitting for a little while.
First up was rebuilding the mirrors. New 50mm long bolts from Lowe's, and some grease, time, and patience, and both mirrors move and aren't impossible to turn.
Then brakes, rotors, boot kits and new pins, dipstick, tie rod ends, ball joints (upper and lower front) and 1.8 brake swap (brackets for $65 on ebay), because I'm doing it all now amirite? Also needed a CAS o-ring which was hard as a rock, misc hoses, fuel filter changed, and ignition coil. Has NGK wires already.
Spent $400 on rockauto, put all the parts on, and it runs and drives fine!
Pulled valve cover and found timing belt has been replaced, clean under the valve cover. Hardtop is OEM Nippon glass with defrost and headliner, though isn't in perfect condition.
Then was fixing some rust. PO welded rocker patches on but never finished. Car was repainted (meh job), so missing the lower black strip, so I scuffed it all down and rolled on bedliner. Came out pretty decent, it's old so it has had a past life. Fixed some other PO doing with the rear wheel arches, also came out decent for the time and money spent. Found some rust in the fender area, so repaired that with epoxy, POR15 all the places (frame behind fender, both inside fenders, inside the trunk around the rear arches).
After that, I spent some time waiting for the title to come in, and got insurance on it.
When I got it registered, I drove it for real. First RWD car, first foreign car, slowest car I've owned, lightest car I've owned. But it's so much fun to drive.
Does skids, kinda. But I tried a burnout and didn't turn wheels. I smelled clutch for 1/2 mile.
$200 on new clutch, flywheel, seals, and slave, and it sits until then.

Plans are have a second car that's fun and reliable.
- VMAXX Classics, because my rear struts are non dampening atm
- Advanti Storm S1 15x7, undecided on color, stuck between black or gray, reuse the 205/50/15 on the car
- DRIVE IT A LOT

Main goal is: Keep It Simple Stupid
Don't overthink, don't overengineer, don't do anything nuts. Simplicity leads to reliability which leads to more fun
Imgur album link to progress pics: https://imgur.com/a/Y5q5YjJ

 

Welcome to The Forum. We have a lot of Engineers here, electrical and mechanical. Where you located and where are you going to school?

 

 

Welcome aboard here!

The Philly miata Facebook group is pretty active. We have a few members there. I've hung out with a few of them when I'm visiting my parents. It's a good group. Few track and autocross types on there and the NJ page.
​​​​​​Just in case you're looking for local folks as well.

 

 

Welcome.

I still don't understand this trade thing, finding some one that wants what you have and has what you want...
why not sell bike and buy miata? That's so much easier and gives a larger pool of cars to choose from.

Get 15x8 storms. You can run 205 tires on those too.
vmaxxx are meh coilovers. I've had them. I like my BC coils much better.

 

 

Hello. Enjoy the car, do as little to it as you can and just maintain it. Go big after you have your first real life paycheck.

 

"go big" as in turbo/sc/engine swap? sure. But I'm doing a clutch right now, and ebay headers because my stock one is cracked and all 3 studs were toast.
definitely a fun car.

 

From someone that owns an M45 miata, I'd recommend stay N/A or go turbo. and people have probably said it before, get a 1.8 diff. Don't do a me.