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://farm7.static.flickr.com/6075/...5b2d0b0f_z.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alstauffer/6127160331/

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6088/...3a330699_z.jpg

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! ::Banana::

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?

Welcome to Texas, this site, and Miatas.

What part of CNY? I lived in Syracuse (technically Plainville/Memphis and Liverpool) for a couple years.

Fixed my links and pictures, whoops.

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Originally Posted by Rob®

Welcome to Texas, this site, and Miatas.

What part of CNY? I lived in Syracuse (technically Plainsville/Memphis and Liverpool) for a couple years.

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Thanks! I was born and grew up in Rome, about an hour east of Syracuse.

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 :)

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.

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Originally Posted by jeepinbanditrider

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 :)

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Unfortunately not-so-shiny in person: that's the result of shooting at night and some photographic magic! ;)

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Originally Posted by cone-cerned

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.

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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 :(

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

Welcome aboard and welcome to Texas....see you at an AX soon!

Great photography! Welcome to Texas. Born in Buffalo but been here since 1983.

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.

Hey Allen,

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

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

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Originally Posted by jrj512

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

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Originally Posted by sammm

Welcome aboard and welcome to Texas....see you at an AX soon!

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Originally Posted by onething

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.

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Thanks! I'll be at as many as I can make it to in the future for sure.

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Originally Posted by black roadster

Great photography! Welcome to Texas. Born in Buffalo but been here since 1983.

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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!

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Originally Posted by Keifersmith

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by p4R4d0x

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.

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

Welcome to this!

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

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

Welcome to this!

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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!

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!

Welcome.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

Nice car BTW!

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Originally Posted by bnordin

Welcome.

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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.

Is the compressor engaging?

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Originally Posted by jeepinbanditrider

Is the compressor engaging?

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How do I tell?

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

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Originally Posted by p4R4d0x

How do I tell?

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There's a clutch on the front of the compressor. If it's spinning, it's engaging.

If you were closer I'd just pop in and take a look at it for you.

Next time you are around the car start it and turn on the ac. Pop the hood and look at the Ac compressor below the Power Steering pump. The pulley and clutch should be spinning. If the pulley is spinning but the clutch assembley (part on the front of the compressor) isn't then it's not engaged. You'd probably also notice engine RPMs up between 1500 and 2k.

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Originally Posted by sammm

There's a clutch on the front of the compressor. If it's spinning, it's engaging.

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Thanks. Will check tomorrow morning. Will that tell me if the compressor's bad if it's not spinning?

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Originally Posted by jeepinbanditrider

If you were closer I'd just pop in and take a look at it for you.

Next time you are around the car start it and turn on the ac. Pop the hood and look at the Ac compressor below the Power Steering pump. The pulley and clutch should be spinning. If the pulley is spinning but the clutch assembley (part on the front of the compressor) isn't then it's not engaged. You'd probably also notice engine RPMs up between 1500 and 2k.

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^Didn't see that when I responded the first time. Thanks a lot guys. I'll definitely check out what it's doing tomorrow and post up what I find.

Soo, I checked today. I don't have power steering, but I'm pretty sure I found the compressor (lower right of the engine if you're standing in front facing it?) and it definitely is not spinning when the A/C is turned on. Does the compressor need replaced then? :(

There is a pressure switch in the system if it drops below a set level the compressor will not turn on. More than likely you have a leak and the PO filled up the system to get it working for potential buyers.

Hm, well that's lame. And r12 is no longer available, correct? So I'd have to have someone find/fix the leak and do whatever has to be done so that it will run on r134a, if that's even possible?

Why don't you try a new thread for this one. Since most folks figure this is a intro thread no a help me fix my a/c thread. ;)

Reports of R12 demise have been greatly exaggerated.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

Reports of R12 demise have been greatly exaggerated.

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Correct. In fact, it is about the same price as R134A. You just have to get it added by an AC place.

Welcome man, im in Allen and think i have an extra ac compressor from a 90 NA laying around.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

Why don't you try a new thread for this one. Since most folks figure this is a intro thread no a help me fix my a/c thread. ;)

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Whoops.. Good call :) I meant to, and then decided to wait until I had the money to actually do something about it if I did figure out what was wrong. I'll make one once I get home/off my phone. No more A/C talk here, heh.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing/jrj512

Reports of R12 demise have been greatly exaggerated./Correct. In fact, it is about the same price as R134A. You just have to get it added by an AC place.

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Good to hear!

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Originally Posted by NissanFairladyZ32

Welcome man, im in Allen and think i have an extra ac compressor from a 90 NA laying around.

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Thanks! That's awesome - how much would you want for it if I find out that's what I need?

If i can find it ill just give it to you, its doing nothing sitting in my garage.

Every time I see red I like it more and more! Definitely know what color miata I'm getting next


Though I feel black is the best looking color... it's just so hard to take care of and keep it looking pretty. You can see EVERYthing in black.

Seriously, can one of the mods please take care of this idiot?

::lock::

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Originally Posted by NissanFairladyZ32

If i can find it ill just give it to you, its doing nothing sitting in my garage.

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Wow, that's really great of you - let me know if you find it and I'll try to find out if that's the problem?

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Originally Posted by MiataProtege

Every time I see red I like it more and more!

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I only buy red cars.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

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!

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Banished, yes! ::BigWhack