Tonneau Cover

Something really minor, but got this Tonneau cover from a friend so I tossed it on, really cleans up the look with the top down, definitely a nice little addition.

Also began shaving the letters off my exterior lights, but more on that later.

330mm Momo Champion

It didn't take long after getting the Miata that I did the first mod on it.  I got this 330mm Momo Champion from a friend for free to use until I get my own wheel.  I then got the Momo 5702 hub and began the install.

Removing the old wheel was pretty straightforward, just disconnect the battery, unbolt the airbag, and remove the main nut of the steering shaft to free the steering wheel.

Now came the fun, trying to get the Momo 5702 hub to work in the Miata.  It isn't a direct plug-and-play because the wires from the clockspring get in the way of properly mounting it.  So I had to shave down the plastic connector housing off the clockspring and then drill out the hole in the hub so it would be bigger and the wires could feed through.  I also had to drill 2 new holes for the turn signal canceler since I was "clocking" the hub about 20degrees from it's intended position.  I didn't get any pictures throughout this process because I was getting frustrated with it, and just wanted to try to figure out how to get it to work.

 

At this time I also plugged in the PnP resistor I bought from a member on ClubRoadster.net which worked perfectly!  No blinking airbag light.

After modifying the hub I finally got the wheel on and took it out for a drive to see how it felt.  I read that some people were having issues with their hands hitting the turn signal and wiper controls without running a spacer on the hub but so far mine has been okay, I've only once accidentally turned on the wipers mid corner.  The steering feel all around is much better, making it much more enjoyable to drive.

I ordered my horn button over a month ago off eBay and it still hasn't come in, so I'm getting a little frustrated by that, but hopefully it'll be here soon, until then I have to touch the horn wire against metal to make it honk.

Smurf!

So back in March I finally got the Miata.  I bought a 1-way ticket to California after finding a '91 Mariner Blue Miata with only 92,000 miles on it.  It seemed to be pretty clean other than a few minor things (rear bumper scuffed, exhaust rattle, and torn rear window zipper).  After the test drive I was sold on it, but then came the bad news, the current owner didn't have a title for it so I wouldn't be able to export the car from the States.  After going to a Starbucks nearby to look over my options I went through with it.  At the Californian DMV I just had to request a new title be mailed to me.  So that's when the trip really began.  The drive back across the country was 2500 miles and it took 4 days, driving about 10 hours each day.  The states we crossed included California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan, with California and Arizona easily being the best states.

Upon arrival to Michigan I found a parking lot near the airport that seemed to have good rates for long-term parking.  Not knowing how long it would take to get my title this seemed like the best bet.  After the weekend ended I already had my title, but no bill of sale to export the car, so I had to wait some more.  Finally after about a week I had the bill of sale, meaning I could import the car.  Importing the Miata ended up being much easier than the 240sx.  I didn't get interrogated this time and I didn't have to pay any Duty or RIV fees so I was feeling pretty good about that.

A week after importing the car I went to get my safety and e-test done here in Windsor.  I passed the e-test with no problems, and after looking around for a shop that would let me pass the safety without Day-time Running Lights the car passed safety with no problems.

Now came the time to take care of some stuff, most importantly the rear window zipper so I could actually drive the car if it rained, and I didn't have to worry about parking outside.  I took it to an upholstery guy that did all the work for free; he just hand stitched it and then I laid some canvas material over top to strengthen it.