sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

hahaha...
since i got some hail today (just a few dings and dents, nothing too bad) follow the last pics before it happened

still rocking my steelies



and a rock that created a crack that is growing in the windshield. I might do the drill method soon (had completely forgotten to do it untilo a friend told me today...

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

Glad to see she's still going good man.. I like this thread

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

thanks, tom.
my car still got the lucky, north and east, there were a few tornadoes that hit ground, so a few hail is not bad.

maxtierney

iTrader: (5)

Love threads like these. Used to live in Tennessee for two years. Shelby County, in Millington.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

Any place you never lived in, max?

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

found some older pictures, so here they go
older headlights, at nashville superspeedway, a few years ago during a track day



No, the red truck is NOT running the track!!! :P

one picture i had forgotten, from the autoX, with the current amzo headlights prior to installing the amber light bulbs:


nother one:



oh, yeah, that thing hanging from the rear view mirror? they are called G-meter to me :P

just to remember me of my canadian experiences:

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

sandro, what tire are you running in the 2nd picture in the above post.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

Ah, these were the old RE01's - still have 2 of them with some meat left.

that's after the event



the two left are over the RE760's here (yeh will also notice the old muffler and the cracked LCA in there
some small camber wear, but compensated by cornering like a man :P

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

wacko weather... just below freezing temps, but we had freezing rain here in TN... WTF?!?
thought i would be safe this down south... no snow fell, but all frozen shut... even the hood...

^ oh, yeah, you can also notice the crack in the rear bumper right at the corner under the rear lights, one thing i never bothered to fix... it's not in the direction of hits anyway




^ musta been that darned Quebec license in the bottom left of the windshield . those with good eyes can find the crack in the windshield too

I'mma gonna call that the newest form of clear coating for the winter - no rocks will chip the paint, it will chip the ice! LOL!

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

and finally goes my full stable in here
oh, yeah, ignore all the mess in the garage... I still have not finished installing the clutch/control arms/springs in the newer miata, and after that the vic is going in for the wheel bearing and *maybe* the clutch, we will see.
crap, the crack in the windshield increased today after all this cold weather...

oh, well, there was no choice, it was drive the non-ABS RWD miata equipped with the dunlop star specs (very poor on icy conditions) or take the vic out even with the cracked windshield and the wheel bearing out. traffic was a mess anyway, no one was driving anywhere above 3rd gear


Funny, I always go to say to do maintenance, but i have 3 cars, one running, another not so well, and another still to finish, but have parts for all the fixes
swallow my own words, yeh lazy!

either way, 95 will go out tomorrow again, vic is not that well to do that...

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

funny, i found some more pics of the oldee 01 green auto sedan.
this is driving from TN to NC to TN some years ago (10 :P) smokey mountains are really pretty

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

have been a while... mostly small stuff that need fixing, additional dents in the body (Hail, and a big rock on the hood... but did a change today - Downside was that found a tie-rod that need replacing...

Finally got a chance to pull the other car out (needing hood hinges... Fender is being a pain to remove to get to them...) and put the civic on the bay.

Had it since Thanksgiving, but had not finished the other car, so was in the backburner. (Hey, it was almost half price at THmortorsports, why not?

Just 7 bolts, but don't forget that the exhaust bolts are usually a pain, rusted to kingdom come... PB Blast!!!

The OE piece is really pretty good, I see, but the DC sports have a few things that seem better. Not just slightly bigger piping, but where all tubes conjoin is much better designed for flow. And the lower bolts have threads, so easier to put together. However, it's easier to do them from under the car.

OE with heat shield


OE without heat shield:


After - DC sports header


Side-by-side




LOL, yeah, they have different center of gravity



This is OE, where tubes conjoin


This is DC sports


Just for the fun, the O2 sensor
.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

Tie rod: Done!
went easier than thought... the goners were the cup and the ball, they separated... So no spinning nut, and it came out easy with the right removal tool. All in all, 15 -20 minute job.
Nice Moog piece, with greasing zerks

Offending piece - remove cotter pin, remove the bottom nut. Loosen the locking nut (they have opposing threads - check which direction to turn, depending on side, before trying to turn that nut!!!) and then proceed to pull the darned end using a proper tool or a good placed BFH wack!


Offending piece: Out!


New Moog part with zerk fitting for greasing: In!


Yes, I know, the year and a half in Canada was NOT nice to the shocks/springs... I will need to shot peen the springs and repaint, the shocks might be approaching its life, so OK.

Darn, was planning on checking the alignment, maybe change the brake rotors/pads (potentially warped) and removing the anti-roll bar for good (no need in MacPherson FWD), but there's a storm brewing close (Miata hood is not secured to stay out of garage in the wind...)

Hopefully the toe is not too off... Forgot to get paint, so used a perm marker, seemed to be on the right thread.

A drive on the 'hood indicates no issues spare slight wheel offset, so... it might be toe out, slightly... Oh, well, hope tires live through tomorrow....

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

Additional work:
- Check/replace passenger tie rod end.
- remove front anti roll bar - no need on our cars, just dead weight making the car understeer (running without end links for months now)
- check alignment after tie rod replacement
- grease the tie rod ends

PS: EX exhaust anti roll bar - put closer to the cat, turn one end of the bar to the back, twist and it's off!



Tie rod, passenger - torn boot, but after removal, it was really loose...


Always use the right tool - 40 seconds and it was off!


Alignment rig - love my Flyin' Miata hub stands!




Run around the 'hood indicate no issues, tomorrow will be test

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Looking good!

That alignment setup looks cool. I have never seen one like that. I might have to consider that once my 5 year alignment is up in a couple years.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

they are great to torque bushings with load on the suspension - especially critical in Miatas with the bushings seizing and keeping the car very high until the bushings give in

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

LOL, while talking with Masscivic, I realized I forgot one of the most memorable and laughable events with the civic this January, 22nd.

My civic went into identity crisis... It wanted to be lighter, more nimble with a double wishbone suspension

Here it goes, quoted from the original thread - Yes, it got pimped out into a CRX/Z!!!! LOL!

I have stayed the whole week out, and during that time, the week's icepocalypse happened Wednesday.

Then, when coming back today, I found out somebody had "pimped my ride".

Remember, today is the snowpocalypse in Nashville, TN...

it now have 8/9th gen taillights and a hatch profile...







I had troubles finding the car...

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

just realized i have not post the mileage I am getting

this is the best ever trip, some 25 miles with HWY (70 MPH), so local (55 MPH) and city (35 MPH) - very short stretch


second best ever - today, so after the header install - it still can do it!



third best ever was the trip back from Canada, hauling all my stuff...
did not have the scan gauge at the time, so it was actual tank vs mileage, at 44 MPG
what i had in the car for my move? well, you would not believe how much stuff fits inside a civic...

MassCivic

Wow man that's some crazy mpg!

Also love the CRX snow transformation lol

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

just a matter of: if the traffic is not good, I refuse to use fuel - not gonna do me any good, so i just lift the throttle and let the injection cut the fuel or simply put in neutral and coast A lot is on how you drive it or simply not braking when the car simply can take the corner at higher speeds (Mine front pads are at 45k now...)

the CRX conversion... i could not stop laughing about for two days...

MassCivic

Hahaha I feel like I make out pretty well for an auto with 200k+, still consistently gets 32+ avg mpg calculated by the tank vs mileage (no fancy scan gauge yet). I try my best to save fuel on the corners

And I swear.... I'll get to making a ride thread soon!!

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

waiting for it, yours seem to have interesting stories to tell too - and you do well on doing your homework before asking questions and placing the questions on appropriate threads

thanks for inspiring me to update mine too

aside from the lone short trips (50 miles), i get overall 34-36 because of the short trips to the convenience store to get beer... engine does not get hot enough to get good mileage... if i drive long trips, i could get a whooping 40 MPG+ on a tank again, i would guess... oh, well, that just how cars work...

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

huh-ho...

good thing on the scan gauge type - it will let you know right away what the code is... Not that it will help you any, other than knowing what it is...



on the way back

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

Done.

The plug is a pain, don't forget to push the tab to release it.

reach from the bottom, it's easier - from the top, the pipe bend directs the tool/wrench to the components n the left side of the car. From the bottom, the angle open the space.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

Wasn't sure if it was due to recent temperature, but now it's clear... O2 sensor going bad but not there yet was causing:
1)lower torque
2) worse mpg 33-34, now back to 38-40

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

brake refresh - pads and rotors and slider lube.

but hit a snag and had some help

from the DIY tip section:

"The rotors in the 7th gen lasts a long time. Mine were still stock and if one was not warped, they would still be there.

after 1 1/2 year in Canada, they were stuck in place... One side, I had a bearing replaced, so it was removed (they did not put the bolts back, I can understand why).

the other... a pain!
I am referring to these ones that are still left in the rotor. They are simply there to hold them in place during the assembly line to not to fall out.



impact wrench, drill with driver bits, PB blast, heat, nothing could take them out. Also, I had to stop before they stripped.

that's when MAC and ezone told me of the impact driver. No, it's not an impact wrench.
this is not powered, it's manual.

it have bits that are screw drivers (straight, philips) and when you wack on them, they turn.

So, you don't need to push like crazy, the wack pushes the tool against the bolt, so it does not strip as easily.

took me two days wacking the hell out of it...





but victory was mine!!!



The holding bolts will never find its way back to the rotors!!!



thanks, Mac and ezone!

note: there's some of them that are reversible, but there's no manual that comes with them. Be sure it's adjusted to the right direction before you go wacking at it.
I pushed mine against the floor to see which direction it turned."

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

after polishing the headlights, followed xriceboyx tip to clear coat them still need to polish the coat, though...

"After polishing my headlights, it always hazed quite fast...

that's when xriceboyx gave the the crucial tip:

after polishing, just clear coat the headlight.

Don't forget to polish the clear coat, or the roughness will make the light scatter too much.

mine have been clear so far for a month, before it would haze back in a week.

pre-polishing the clear coat, so you can notice the roughness





"

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

aaand just a few pics that are recent

this one, just after picking it (it was a month at work's parking lot, while i recovered from an emergency surgery...)



this one, last week, with the headlight polish

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Headlights are looking good!

Your neighbor has a green monster door and a vampire garage door...interesting.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

Hahaha, that was prior to Halloween, and at the time I was at a friend's place (I am single, she would not let me recover from my surgery alone... good to have great friends )