Top replaced, Paint repair question, Mod advice.

So I took a day off on Friday and spent the afternoon wrestling a new top onto the car. It went pretty good. I had completely forgotten that the top had been replaced by the dealer a couple of months after I bought it. It was two months old and it starting getting what looked like rot on the inside.

Anyway, as I was taking the old top off I starting noticing things that brought this to mind. Things like...missing rivots and rivots in places where they shouldn't have been. Specifically, the screws that hold on the the little b-pillar retaining clips had been replaced with rivots. Not a big deal at first since getting the rivot out was much easier than working a screwdriver down in there but, of course, once the new top was on....I didn't have any appropriately sized replacements for them. I can see why the dealer did this though since it looks like it'd be much easier to just pop rivots into the holes than it is to fiddle with the screws. Anyway, I'm off to find suitable replacement rivots tomorrow at which point the top will be done. Took it for tires this morning too.

New tops and new tires........feels like a new ride. Well, okay maybe not new but still.

Body shop recommendations?
I've got a area on the front fender that's lost it's paint down to the metal. It just starting flaking off a couple of weeks ago and is about the size of your (well.... my) hand. There's no rust or anything that I can see. I think the fender just needs to be sanded and sprayed. Anyone know a decent body shop in the North Dallas area that won't take me to the cleaners for a small job like that?

Mod Question.
Has anyone added a cockpit brace and the front underbody brace to a early car? Do they make a significant difference? I'd like to try and reduce some of the cowl shake and general shimmey and shake that occurs over bumps but I don't want to spend the money on something that won't help much. I'm not a racer so I'm not looking for enhanced conering so much as just an increased feel of solidity. Riding around in my buddy's z4 has me a bit envious I guess. That thing feels like a rock.

Sorry to be so verbose (again) but thanks for any advice!

I installed the front underbody brace on my '93 and while it doesn't exactly make the car go from flabby noodle to box steel, it does make a difference. Probably the biggest difference is that it seems to reduce the '65 MPH shimmey' noticably.

Chuck

nothing you can do to a miata short of a cage will make it as stiff as a Z4. they are very stiff, and the 3.0L sport is firm and very responsive.

As far as bracing, get a rollbar instead of a seatbelt tower brace, and yes the underbody bracing helps, a shock tower brace also helps in the front. the best brace is the adrenaline underbody ladder brace that connects the front subframe to the rear and resists torsoinal flex, aka cowl shake

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fwMiata

nothing you can do to a miata short of a cage will make it as stiff as a Z4. they are very stiff, and the 3.0L sport is firm and very responsive.

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Luckily, nothing you can do to the Miata will make it as slab-sided ugly as the Z4!

:evil:

Chuck

PS: Just having fun with 'ya. Don't take it personally.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fwMiata

nothing you can do to a miata short of a cage will make it as stiff as a Z4. they are very stiff, and the 3.0L sport is firm and very responsive.

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For an MSRP of $43k and change, it damn well ought to be firm and responsive, although I'd still take an S2000 and stick the extra cash in the bank.

I have to agree that for the price...the z4 darn well better kick @$$. I really like my buddies (even the styling) but I'd never go into that kinda hock for one.

The miata is so cheap to keep on the road that I may NEVER have to buy a new car again!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ccage

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fwMiata

nothing you can do to a miata short of a cage will make it as stiff as a Z4. they are very stiff, and the 3.0L sport is firm and very responsive.

---

Luckily, nothing you can do to the Miata will make it as slab-sided ugly as the Z4!

:evil:

Chuck

PS: Just having fun with 'ya. Don't take it personally.

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oh thats what the pm was for.

i hate bmw's. they just drive nice and i work for the dealership... i would never buy one unless i could drop 70k for a 545 and not miss it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by altiain

...although I'd still take an S2000 and stick the extra cash in the bank.

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Yep, me too.

I like BMWs, or at least I did like BMWs until Bangle got a hold of 'um... :puker: Now I can't get past the avant-garde, trendy, slab-sided looks -- both exterior and interior -- to bring myself to like the BMWs. Sure, they go like stink and handle extremely well. They are still the mechanical gold-standard for sport sedans. But if you put a Ferrari engine, transmission, and suspension in a Pontiac Aztek, you'd still have to look at the thing. :shaking:

Well, I sure the boys in Bavaria will be crushed to read this, but there'll be no new BMWs in my garage until they lose the Bangle Designs and return to their Teutonic roots...

^^^^^ What he said.