Late last year.... I traded this car away..... I was without it for about six months or so before I found it and got it back. In some ways, I regret ever getting rid of it. My glass sunroof, and some of my wheels I will never get back. But I treated this car like a garage queen in the nine years that I owned it. I RARELY drove it, and I didnt do much in the way of serious modifications because I didnt want to risk permantly altering anything. (I.E. unable to revert to oem/stock) Now that I have the car back, that inhibition is gone. All I want to do, is make the car exactly what I have always wanted. Here she is the day I got her back....
That is my Miata, my daily, and the girlfriends new toy an '03 MR2 Spyder.
Decided the first order of business was getting it lower, I lopped a coil off each corner and was very unsatisfied. It rode well enough, but I really wanted a proper suspension after having a Miata on a good aftermarket suspension. Sure, I did it correctly, it didnt bounce. Sure its lower, but it didnt handle any better.
Unfortunately the first thing I did after this was order coilovers from a once respected company who I shall not name (Recieved full refund thankfully). I left the community right about the time they stopped delivering orders, and didnt think to research them when I got my car back. This led to me looking at lowering springs, coming up unsatisfied with what I saw. I looked at the TTT setup for a long time, before I decided I could build the exact same thing for less than half the cost. Well, I might have been right, except R&D cost money, so I spent about half the cost in the end
First attempt I took some ebay coilover sleeves and some shaft collar clamps to see if this was even feasible. If it failed I wasnt out much cash, if it worked Id buy decent springs. I used old blown shocks for mock up so I didnt destroy my good shocks, and washers for the spacer as I had no idea how long the spacer would need to be. Mind you, this is all mock up and was never actually used.
What this taught me was that the 2.5 inch spring would never fit into the oem rear shock tower. Either the shock tower needed widened, or the 2.5 inch spring HAD to go. Also the spacer ate up usable travel. Once the weight of the car was on the spring there was very little travel before the spring hat would crash into the top of the shock, it just wasnt going to work.
Enter the Draco 1.8" I.D. 150# springs.
With the shaft collar there is no need for an adjustable sleeve anyway. This spring limits my shock selection to a degree but it fits into the shock tower with no need for a spacer. With some scrap steel an upper spring hat was fabricated although not pictured. At some point the car had been needlessly notched in the hopes of finding a way to stuff the 2.5 inch spring up further to shorten the spacer. No matter, it isnt a structural area, and I suppose it helps showcase the coilovers. lol
Here she is with the front mocked up as well. Given I now had height adjustability I decided to see 'How low can she go?' Well, this is sitting on the rear bumpstops. If not for the bumpstops it could go a little lower. Mind you it was only driven into, and out of the garage at this height, at about two mph.
Here it is on the first test drive after I received my Summit 275# springs for the front, the rear was still a little tall, but I had taken it apart and reassembled it a half dozen times. So getting it perfect wasnt important yet, also I wanted to keep the rear off of the bumpstops.
Here is a picture of the front suspension, it is complete save for the shock inserts I want. Havent decided yet what I am going to go with. Yes the rotors are dual drilled, hopefully soon Ill get the axles done as well. Going 4x100.
And another of the rear, since this picture I have installed 1990 Camaro rear shocks, which are about two inches shorter than the Rx-7's rear shocks.
Another pic of my 7 and Miata. The Miata is on Eibach Pro-kit springs and KYB AGX shocks. I have plans to buy coilovers for it, I bought it with that suspension. But I figured Id put coilovers on the FB first.
Drove to my hometown for no reason other than to test the suspension and waste fuel.
Ive been driving it down the nastiest, bumpiest, crappiest roads I can find. Interspersed with great stretches of twisty roads for testing. It handles exceptionally well, and Ive been aiming for every man hole cover and pot hole I see. So far the suspension has withstood tremendous punishment. Ive loaded it down with weight, Ive locked the brakes, accelerated as hard as it is capable of. No measurable movement from the collar clamps. I want to be -certain- that it is a reliable setup, and I am far from the first to try this so I know it works. But I need the piece of mind that comes with abusing it firsthand.
Also, more importantly.
I ordered a "Made in the 80's - Loved by the ladies" Decal from JNC, very FB appropriate if you ask me
Oh, and I made a little 'Before and After' to really showcase the change in ride height.
Bought a house, progress on cars slowed. Thankfully it has a big garage!
Notice the second bolt pattern? It will soon be utilized... Just ordered some wheels.
My 81 Base, My first car...
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