my new very early 90 miata project

well. i dont know what it was about this car, but i just couldnt say no to it. i got the car for $250. runs and drives, need some work for sure, but for $250 bucks for a running and driving car is a hell of a deal. plan on making this car into a track car for next year doing the autocross events and some track events as soon as i can get the car ready for it.

i only have a few pics snapped of it, but its a work in progress. i put the dash back in today and cleaned up a few things. but this is how it sits right now

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_3199.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_0477.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_0220.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_8541.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_8690.jpg

Nice find!

Whaddadeal!

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Originally Posted by Titus

Nice find!

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+1

Well it smokes real bad, so I'm sure that it either needs valve seals, head gasket or a bottom end. Either way it still runs lol. It won't be ready for a while anyways so it's not that big of a deal to me lol

Not a bad price man. Good luck with it.

That nest in the wheel well scares me.

haha, i had to take a picture of that, but i knocked it out and kicked it out the door of the shop. it was only a wasp nest so i wasent that worried about it

also there are going to be a few things for sale off of it, if anyone is interested shoot me a PM and i will tel you what im going to sell

I'm looking for interior parts. I've got a line on a near-perfect dash, but I still need carpet, shock tower covers, seat belts, and door panels.

Love the pre-airbag steering wheel!

idk if the carpet will be there tomorrow or how good of condition it is in. i threw it in the dumpster today, so idk if it will be there or not, but if i remember correctly they come later in the day, but the bad thing is, it is raining right now lol. but i will check it out tomorrow. i can easily take out the seat belts since harnesses will be in place and i might be selling the door panels... still half way on that one

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

Love the pre-airbag steering wheel!

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im going to put it in my 97 since i messed up my aftermarket wheel.

I thought all US Miatas came with an airbag in 1990, right? Wasn't the Canadian Miatas the only ones without an airbag in 1990 (at least on this continent).:confused:

this is i guess was a early 1990. it ws made 04/89

No US market car came without airbags. Even the early cars are 1990 Model Year, which requires a passive restraint.

My guess is that it's not a US car. The wiper and headlight control stalks are straight like the European, Canadian and Japanese market cars. I'll bet the knee panel below the steering column is plastic instead of aluminum like US cars and the wiper motor is wired completely different than US cars.

US market cars have bent control stalks like the photo of the '96.5-'97 below.

I'd double check that the VIN on the dash matches the VIN on the firewall and the title paperwork. You might not have a legal car.

http://jimsgarage.files.wordpress.co.../dscn3927s.jpg

legal or not. its going to only be used as a track/autox car. i might not even register the car

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Originally Posted by sloked up

this is i guess was a early 1990. it ws made 04/89

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What modernbeat said. However, a car built in 4/89 was indeed one of the first. That was the first month of manufacture.

Trivia: can anyone name the first date? Hint: radio code.

Call Mazda North America customer service with your VIN and they can tell you more about the car (original options, recalls, original delivery location, etc.). 1-800-222-5500

I believe it's a Canadian car with a MPH speedo slapped into it. Might even just be a speedo face. See if the odometer jives with the actual miles traveled, or if it's actually measuring kilometers. Also, Canadian oil pressure gauges measurements are in kg/cm2 and US oil pressure gauges are in lbs/in2.

Here's a 1990 Canadian gauge cluster.

http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/v...da90gauges.jpg

I'll bet the seat belts don't have the "rip-out" section either.

I'd be very interested in this car, either just seeing how the wipers and wiring works, or purchasing it.

lol thats exactly what the cluster looks like... except for the speedo is in MPH. i might just have me a rare car for $250.

well. i just called mazda north america customer service and they have no records of the car. so im on the phone right now with canada... i wounder lol

That's an interesting find!

well. i just got off the phone with canada, and its a 1989 miata from canada.. sweet lol

I think I've got a Canadian spec KPH speedo/odo in my stash if you want to put it back to stock.

if its free im down for anything. i just have to get the rest of the cluster working lol. course i might just opt for aftermarket oil pressure and water temp guages.

I don't know how stripped you're going to go with the track prep, but if you remove the wipers, I need the motor.

Sounds like a great deal - where/how did you find it?

well it was my friends cousins or something like that. they brought it to him becuase it had some problems. they said it wouldnt start, yet i got in it one day to see what was up while i was helping my friend at his shop and it started right up. so i shot an offer at them and they took it.

i took a few more pics of it today, i will post them up a little later

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_0677.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_3398.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_3446.jpg

a few more pics of it that i didnt snap yesterday

I think we need to change your title to Drift Freak.

lol that sticker was already on there. there is a sticker on the windshield that says "stay sideways". i dont plan on drifting at all.

Well. Got the gauges working yay!! And even with it smoking and low compression on cylinder 3 it still pulls pretty well. Looks like it's time for a small rebuild and maybe a new piston.

^Time for a 1.8 swap :D

Last time I was at TrackDogRacing, they had stacks of complete engines sitting in their shop, 1.6s and 1.8s I believe. Drop Black Roadster a line and ask about them. Probably cheaper and easier to do a complete swap than to rebuild.

Cool car, Driftfreak!

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Originally Posted by Jiggerachi

^Time for a 1.8 swap :D

Last time I was at TrackDogRacing, they had stacks of complete engines sitting in their shop, 1.6s and 1.8s I believe. Drop Black Roadster a line and ask about them. Probably cheaper and easier to do a complete swap than to rebuild.

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I'm not going to do a 1.8 swap, I want to stay 1.6. Plus it's going to be a mild rebuild, plus I think William told me first time I was up there that those motors needed to be rebuild too. Plus I can get parts cheap using shop accounts. The bearings are prob going to be the most expensive part, but I have plenty of time to rebuild it. I mean even if I did get another motor I would do the front main, rear main, timing belt tensionser, water pump, cas seal and any other needed gasket. So I would rather spend the money on rebuilding it so it's all fresh

i got bored with the finish panel
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_0192.jpg

put my old wheel in
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_2579.jpg

started (kinda) on taking the motor out
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_3401.jpg

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_3158.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...a/IMG_1838.jpg

and it out. im ready for the rebuild

Cool - Watch out for that stock exhaust manifold. It'll be brittle and prone to leaking where the four tubes are welded together.

RJ