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Thread: New to TX and Miatas

  1. #1

    Default New to TX and Miatas

    Hi everyone! I met quite a few of you this past weekend at the TMS autocross (#125 NES), so I figured I'd sign up here and introduce myself. I just moved here from central NY (not the city) to go to grad school at UTDallas, and sold off my 'toys' and bought a 1992 Miata a couple weeks ago so I could better afford my bills. The car is a blast so far, being my first convertible and my first rwd car, and I'm having a lot of fun with it. It's completely stock right now, except that I took the dash out and flocked it because it was cracked, and I also put some cheesy carbon fiber vinyl all over the trim pieces, since it was kind of grimy from sitting in a garage for the last 10 years. It looks straight out of a fast & furious movie, but at least I'm not afraid to touch it anymore! Haha.

    My car (for those of you I didn't meet):

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/alstauffer/6127160331/



    http://www.flickr.com/photos/alstauffer/6127160181/

    Anyway, I had a blast at my first autocross in TX, and am working on getting some new wheels and tires so I can at least have fewer excuses for being so slow!

    If any of you are really bored, you can check out this video I put together recently to show my relatives about my racing. I started just last year, after buying my first car, and was mostly doing rallycross with a few autocrosses when my schedule was open.



    Don't mind the music.. YouTube made me change it for copyright reasons and I had already spent a week editing the video and didn't feel like putting much more time into it.

    Here's a video from my last run at the autocross:


    What I've learned from watching how I drive:
    I need to be smoother.
    I need to find third gear.
    I need to get used to how quick the Miata changes direction, haha.

    Any other suggestions?
    Last edited by p4R4d0x; 09-13-2011 at 09:30 AM. Reason: My links didn't work :(

  2. #2

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    Welcome to Texas, this site, and Miatas.

    What part of CNY? I lived in Syracuse (technically Plainville/Memphis and Liverpool) for a couple years.
    Last edited by Rob®; 09-13-2011 at 09:46 AM.

  3. #3

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    Fixed my links and pictures, whoops.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob® View Post
    Welcome to Texas, this site, and Miatas.

    What part of CNY? I lived in Syracuse (technically Plainsville/Memphis and Liverpool) for a couple years.
    Thanks! I was born and grew up in Rome, about an hour east of Syracuse.

  4. #4

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    Nice Miata. There's one very similar to it that has been parking in our parking garage on the base on and off. Very shiny red paint :)
    2004 Saturn Ion Redline
    Wrong Wheel Drive
    1992 Grey MX-5
    Right Wheel Drive
    http://profile.imageshack.us/user/jeepinbanditride

  5. #5
    Orange cones fear me. cone-cerned's Avatar
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    Default

    Any other suggestions?

    It's just like getting to Carnegie Hall; practice, practice, practice. Check out www.dfwautocross.com for opportunities to practice.

    It was nice meeting you Sunday, welcome to Texas.
    On the track, I am fearless.
    If you were as slow as me, you wouldn't be afraid either.

    1994 M Edition
    CSP 67

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by jeepinbanditrider View Post
    Nice Miata. There's one very similar to it that has been parking in our parking garage on the base on and off. Very shiny red paint :)
    Unfortunately not-so-shiny in person: that's the result of shooting at night and some photographic magic!


    Quote Originally Posted by cone-cerned View Post
    Any other suggestions?

    It's just like getting to Carnegie Hall; practice, practice, practice. Check out www.dfwautocross.com for opportunities to practice.

    It was nice meeting you Sunday, welcome to Texas.
    Will do, thanks! If I had it my way, I'd be out there once or twice every weekend, which I was pretty much doing for a while with rallycross, but unfortunately being a student again means I have to ration my racing

  7. #7

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    Welcome to the forum. We met at the AX event.

  8. #8
    Team Cheap Bastard
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    Welcome aboard and welcome to Texas....see you at an AX soon!

  9. #9

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    Great photography! Welcome to Texas. Born in Buffalo but been here since 1983.
    ...and across the line.

    1996 Mazda Miata - R-Package (Eve-L)
    2012 Mazda CX-9 - Grand Touring (Dory)




  10. #10
    MME Goodwill Ambassador onething's Avatar
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    Welcome! I'm the guy in the hi-vis hat. Glad you found the site.

    Go read Alligator Hide so the meanies won't hurt your feelings.
    Bidden or not bidden, God is present
    "Up until the moment of impact, I was still having fun." Bob J. Hall San Francisco Region



  11. #11
    Driver Keifersmith's Avatar
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    Hey Allen,

    We met saturday at the AX. I had the brilliant black 99 with a few hail dings .

    The rallycross video was great and looks like a blast, especially when there's snow on the ground (but don't expect much of that around here). If they ran rallycross events around the DFW area I'd be pretty tempted to get an old beater and go have some fun.

    Welcome aboard,
    Keith
    90 Red NA
    91 Red NA
    99 Triple Black NB "Dimples"

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by jrj512 View Post
    Welcome to the forum. We met at the AX event.
    Quote Originally Posted by sammm View Post
    Welcome aboard and welcome to Texas....see you at an AX soon!
    Quote Originally Posted by onething View Post
    Welcome! I'm the guy in the hi-vis hat. Glad you found the site.


    Go read Alligator Hide so the meanies won't hurt your feelings.
    Thanks! I'll be at as many as I can make it to in the future for sure.


    Quote Originally Posted by black roadster View Post
    Great photography! Welcome to Texas. Born in Buffalo but been here since 1983.
    Thanks! It's something I've just started getting into and learning about - my father was huge into film photography (and has quite a few poster-size photos around the house that have won awards), so when he made the switch to a Digital SLR, I started getting into it myself. It's a great hobby so far, since it's basically free after the start-up cost of buying a camera as long as you can resist the urges to buy new lenses!


    Quote Originally Posted by Keifersmith View Post
    Hey Allen,


    We met saturday at the AX. I had the brilliant black 99 with a few hail dings .


    The rallycross video was great and looks like a blast, especially when there's snow on the ground (but don't expect much of that around here). If they ran rallycross events around the DFW area I'd be pretty tempted to get an old beater and go have some fun.


    Welcome aboard,
    Keith

    Hi Keith! I remember that one - how'd your videos turn out once you got the camera tilted?


    Thanks for checking out the rallycross video! I miss it a lot, it was actually one of the harder parts about leaving New York (but don't tell my family that! haha). I've followed the WRC since I knew it existed, and jumped at my first chance to do rallycross. That I turned out to be halfway decent at it was just an added bonus. Going to Team O'Neil before I actually started and gave myself bad habits may have helped Now I just have to try to transition some of my knowledge onto pavement..

    Speaking of pavement, does anyone know of good, affordable tires for autocross, or have a set they'd be willing to part with? Next paycheck I think I'm going to be ordering the TR Motorsport C1M's in light grey from TireRack, but all of the half decent tires are very $$$. I've heard that the Fuzion ZRI is alright for autocross, and they're at a very good price right now, but TireRack wants $150 to ship them to me, and that's unnacceptable, lol. Also, does anyone have experience with 195/50/15 vs 205/50/15? I'd like the 205's for the theoretical extra grip, but if I can save a decent amount of money and the performance gap isn't too wide, I wouldn't have a problem with the skinnier tire.


    /WallOfText... Sorry.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by p4R4d0x View Post
    but TireRack wants $150 to ship them to me, and that's unnacceptable, lol. Also, does anyone have experience with 195/50/15 vs 205/50/15? I'd like the 205's for the theoretical extra grip, but if I can save a decent amount of money and the performance gap isn't too wide, I wouldn't have a problem with the skinnier tire.

    /WallOfText... Sorry.
    I got a set of 14" Dunlop Star Specs last week from Tire Rack shipping for all 4 was $46.00???

    Welcome to this!

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by POS Racing View Post
    I got a set of 14" Dunlop Star Specs last week from Tire Rack shipping for all 4 was $46.00???

    Welcome to this!
    The ZRi's are 'closeout' so they only have them in a few warehouses That was shipping for wheels, too, but with S.Drives and the wheels shipping only came to ~$80, so I'd rather not pay double shipping if it can get me a better tire or 3 tanks of gas or something, haha.

    Thanks for the welcome!

  15. #15

    Default

    I saw your car on Sunday but me and my daughter were banished to 2 driver car area behind the secured fence.

    I think the SCCA didn't want us interacting with others.

    Nice car BTW!

  16. #16

    Default

    Welcome.
    Bobby

    RED RULES!
    90 Miata, 04 Rubicon, 05 Boxster

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by POS Racing View Post
    Nice car BTW!


    Quote Originally Posted by bnordin View Post
    Welcome.
    Thanks guys!


    I have a question about my A/C if people are still watching this thread - it worked perfectly a few weeks ago when I bought the car (cooled down quickly and was COLD air!), and a few days before the autox I got in the car after not driving if for a day or 3 and it suddenly would only blow hot air? I haven't noticed anything leaking, and it didn't gradually get warmer. Is the only possibility a leak, or could something simple be wrong? If it is a leak, would it be expensive to fix because of the whole r134a vs r12 thing?

    Not a huge priority right now, since the hot weather is (should be?) ending, but if I had a better idea what the possibilities were, it'd be nice to know.

  18. #18

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    Is the compressor engaging?
    2004 Saturn Ion Redline
    Wrong Wheel Drive
    1992 Grey MX-5
    Right Wheel Drive
    http://profile.imageshack.us/user/jeepinbanditride

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by jeepinbanditrider View Post
    Is the compressor engaging?
    How do I tell?

    I'm a noob.. No experience with A/C systems..

  20. #20
    Team Cheap Bastard
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    Quote Originally Posted by p4R4d0x View Post
    How do I tell?
    There's a clutch on the front of the compressor. If it's spinning, it's engaging.

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