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Got a little more work done over the weekend when momma and the little one were away at a craft fair. I wanted to get more done, but momma left a honey do list right before she left for the day. Fun fun.



As mentioned earlier, I am going to look at a 96 miata tomorrow that has a torsen type 2 diff. It is going for cheap because it has a bad clutch. If I can get it cheap enough I will use the 1.8/5spd/diff out of the 96 car, which will help alot at this stage of the frame. I will then use the suspension and brakes from the 92 miata I am driving right now. Once I take the 92 miata off the road I will pull the drivetrain out of it and put it in the 96 and sell it as a running car. Hopefully I can make a few bucks and come out with better parts for the seven.

Also wanted to show off some of the tools I have acquired for the build so far.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

Looking Good. i totally agree with time spent with the kids. i have a 5 yo boy and a 9 mo girl. my son is just getting to the point where i can take him out into the garage and he can listen enough to be safe. he is totally amazed by the welder. every once and a while we go out and just make things out of scrap steel and fasteners. definitely a challenge to get into the garage though since the wife works opposite hours be it only 3-4 days a week. but i treasure every moment with the kids. i also highly value time i can get out and just play in the garage. lets call it my happy place. any who sorry for hijack can wait to buy my steel love the idea of a crane tho that would def help. special once the frame is done and the big parts start to go in. Keep it up

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Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. ~Einstein

Build log http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=15177

These Miatas multiply worse than those LBC's. Brought home the second Miata tonight. Got a good deal on it and it has the Torsen2 like I thought. Interior is in great shape, but the body has seen better days. Also has alloys so I don't can get rid of the steelies I have on the 92 Miata now. Hopefully I will get the rear end and possibly the engine/tranny pulled this weekend for test fitting in the frame.

Pics of the 96 Miata in the morning.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

Pics of the new miata donor...







Looks like two sets of eyes starring back at you, creepy....

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

I love miata based builds, even more so, I love that giant garage of yours.

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30 years old, not sure what I want to be when I grow up…

Well I spent a litte time in the shop over the weekend and got the torsen out of the new miata and the wheels swapped over to my red miata. I left my camera at home so I will post the photos tomorrow. Next I need to get the engine/tranny prepped for pulling, lots of wires, hoses, connectors etc to label. I am used to pulling the engine in my Fiero so nothing new to me there just have to get used to a different brand car. I can now drop the engine/tranny in my fiero by myself in under 2 hours from when i drive it into the shop, but I have done that probably 20 times.

I am still trying to decide between pulling the engine tranny through the top or dropping the whole assembly and k member out the bottom. I have the abililty to do both. I guess the only thing keeping me from dropping it out the bottom is the steering, but that shouldnt be too difficult to undo. If I do drop it, I will be putting the K member back in after pulling the engine off, so I can roll the body around to get it out of my way.

I have the 1 year birthday party for my daughter this weekend to plan for so not much will get done this week, but I have all next week off. Now that i think about it, I will have inlaws over for the party so I may need to hide out in the shop, hmmmmmm.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

96 miata ready to give up its heart and soul....



Type II Torsen is out



Swap the car around and now its time to work on the engine and tranny



Labeling under the hood to make sure I know where everything goes again, because who knows how long it will be before I hook it back up.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

well I got the engine/tranny out of the 96 miata and the subframe bolted back in so the car could be rolled outside. I will post pics later today after I download them. I had one oh $hit moment. I tried to support the engine/tranny and subframe from above while I undid the bolts to lower it all to the ground, and the engine kept raising and the body wasn't After wrestling it for awhile I got it out and both engine mounts were completely destroyed. On the driver side the rubber sheared and on the passenger side the bracket that bolts to the block broke in three places. That bracket is heavy duty, ~3/16" thick, but my guess is the stress from the other engine mount shearing caused the mount to break. I was amazed there wasn't more vibration from the engine.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

Finally got the engine and transmission out.


Here is what the engine mounts look like, passenger side bracket came off in three pieces and drivers side rubber split in two.

Put the subframe back in and rolled the car out so I can pull the fiero back in the shop to keep it out of the weather.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

Finally got some time out in the shop after thanksgiving was over. I only had a couple hours while the little one was napping, but I did get two pieces of triangulation done on the passenger side. I will try and get pics in the morning before I head off to work.

I still need to get dimensions off the 1.8 engine so I can finalize the front tubes and tunnel.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

Finally got around to uploading the latest photo. Two trainangulation tubes on the passenger side are tacked in place. Since winter has finally set in here with 3 inches of snow and ice, not much work will get done. I really wish I had an insulated shop with a better heater.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

I may try and slip the engine/tranny in the car to check for interferences and shifter position before I move forward with the front tubes. I know where the suspension pick up located, just need to finalize where the engine mounts will be so I can triangulate everything together.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

Been awhile since I updated my log. Its been cold out in the shop and I have been spending a lot of time with my daughter. My wife went out of town to go wedding dress shopping with her sister who is getting married in 2015 and the weather warmed up enough to go out to the shop. It was nice to get out and mess around on the car.

Finish tacking up most of the triangulation on the sides, still need to add the additional bracing at the very front.





Test fitted the engine for the first time. I havent removed the frame from the table yet so the engine is sitting ~1.5" higher than it will in its final resting place. Looks like the slave cylinder might determine the final location as it will hit one of the lower frame rails if I drop it much more than 1.5". I also have only about 1" more I can move it back before the slave will hit the frame at full extension. My research shows the slave has 5/8" stroke. I may get my wife in my red miata and measure the stroke on it to comfirm.




I also started on the rear tubing and test fitted the diff for the first time. I need to do some more measuring and test fitting to get a final location. I want the tunnel to be as narrow as possible, but it looks like the flange may force the passenger side of the tunnel out a bit. This will either require a wider tunnel or flaring the tunnel where it meets the firewall. Also, I need to verify the vertical location of the RA56 Tubes as the diff flange is very close to the bottom tube of the firewall and it is still sitting higher than the final position according to the plans.



One change I did make vs the plans is where RA5 meets the firewall. This has always concerned me in regards to rear impact protection. With RA5 pointed right at the passenger's back I wanted to provide more protection. I cut the tube short and fitted a 2"x3" x 3/16" plate to spread the load. These will be fully welded to RA5 and the firewall tube.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster

Chris A possible option to flaring out the rear of the tunnel for more clearance is to offset outbroad, the rear most vertical tunnel tube the thickness of the tube and rivet the tunnel paneling to the inside surface Vs the outside of the tube. That way you still have a straight panel but you gain 3/4" more clearance at the rear tunnel entrance. Dave W

Thats a good idea. I will keep that in mind. Thanks Dave.

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Chris
"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
Building Miata Based +221 Sevenesque Roadster