Papa Smurf (sans red hardtop)

Gallery of more:

I was distraught at the time of the accident and this tarnished my clean driving/accident-free record! After a few days of having Roy just sit in the garage and not looking at the damages, I had the other insurance’s estimater come out and the damage didn’t seem as bad anymore.  Here are some snaps of what happened when an SUV backs into a Miata.  And FYI – the SUV sustained literally NO damage to its bumper.

Yep, nothing to see here…

Left rear quarter panel.

Such a clean car (was!).

The lip of the fender(?) was bent outward so it was making contact with the tire when driving home.  Luckily, I didn’t need a tow because I was able to “roll” it back up a little bit.  Today, I changed back to the stock BBS wheels and no rubbing driving around the block, so now I can drive him to local bodyshops to get an estimate.  The estimater said that the dents can probably be pulled out and then the panel would have to be repainted.  Let’s hope that’s all I really need done.

My lesson that I learned – don’t park close to the entrance because that’s where all the idiots park.

Got the car home and I decided to detail Roy’s exterior with help from Justin.  Clay bar, swirl remover, polish, wax…all done in about 5 hours (yikes!).

Here is Roy’s before – swirl marks all over and lackluster black paint:

Spot check with the swirl remover – what a difference!

This is a snap of the trunk after some of the swirl remover was wiped off – like a mirror, the garage is reflecting off Roy.

Reflection of Moss on Roy’s rear panel.

About 1/3 complete.

The day went dark and we finally finished; unfortunately, I couldn’t take a better finale picture since it was too dark and was raining practically all day today.  I really like how the hardtop looks! We’re almost ready for Laguna Seca.

Thanks Justin for helping~

I’ll be picking these up at the event next week! I’ve been dying to get these and I don’t know why I’ve taken so long to order them, but this is such a cheap mod while improving the stiffness of the car noticeably.  From Flyin’ Miata’s website – “These braces slide over the factory frame rails and stiffen the car dramatically.” Sounds good to me.

Look for the installation and results in a couple weeks =)!

I took Roy to ProTech, managed by Anthony, to have the work done.

Here is the new Roy:

From a distance the hardtop looks pretty swell and acceptable, the subtlety of the gold metallic flakes and lighter black is a nice balance and I think stands out well.  With that being said, getting up close, I noticed some imperfections with the paint /sad face.  I think having rushed the job and not giving enough time for the paint to completely harden and dry led to a quarter-sized burn in the paint and swirl marks from having the hardtop polished.  As a courtesy, Anthony had asked me if I wanted it polished and I agreed not knowing that the painted needed more time to dry! So off to Pro Tech to have the paint re-done!! Argh.  At least I still have about 1 week before the big weekend and that should give enough time for the paint to dry.

On the other hand, the bumper looks so much better with a decent paint job.  I’m not sure what happened with the previous owners, but a shitty job was done and the paint never really matched the body and an unsightly “pig nose” where the emblem was.  I opted to not have the Garage Vary front lip painted – would it look cleaner if it was painted?

Unfortunately, this past weekend I took a drive down to Davenport and the bumper collected a bunch of bugs…there goes a brand new bumper! Hopefully this doesn’t affect the paint too much since I think the paint hadn’t completely hardened/dried – I might have embedded bugs…boooo!

Well, here’s hoping that 2nd time is a charm and the Sparkling Black Mica is perfect!

My inspiration:

(Silver hardtop with metallic flakes)

A couple weeks ago I received an email from Rick Weldon of P R Motorsports updating us on this upcoming event:

We’re almost there!!

My apologies to everyone that the March update comes to you a little later than I’d hoped, but more great aspects seem to be added to this event practically every day.  This message is being sent to the entire registered group — which includes those who are registered track day Drivers as well as those registered as Participants — so please bear with me as there is information that affects both groups.  Lots of exciting news…..sorry for the length of the email.

Event Merchandise!

We got stuff!!!  Lots of cool stuff!!   This year’s apparel selection will be only one color — black — and sports an awesome new design.  All Drivers and Participants will receive their free t-shirt with registration — but if you want more please go to the website and click on “Event Clothing” to order.  This year we’ll have crew neck sweatshirts and hoodies in addition to t-shirts.  The sweat shirts are thick 100% cotton, and the t-shirts are Hanes Beefy T’s.  If you get your advance purchase in before March 31st it will be pre-packaged for you with your event goodie bag (which will have lots of goodies and info).  There will be more available for purchase at the track, but to be sure you get your choices we strongly encourage you to pre-order.

We will also have event stickers, pins and the hot new poster (which can also be seen at the website).  These will be available for purchase at the Event Merchandise booth in Vendor Alley, along with t-shirts, sweatshirts, ball caps and posters from last year for those who didn’t get them.

Pin Swap

There will be a Pin Swap in the same area at early check-in at Embassy Suites Friday night, coinciding with the Welcome BBQ (6pm to 9pm).  Bring your appetite — event supporting sponsors BAMA and P R Motorsports have quite a feast planned for you.

Car Show

The car show will take place all day Saturday in the area adjacent to Vendor Alley.  This will be a non-competitive event (no categories, no formal judging) but everyone who is registered will receive a ballot in their packet to vote for their top three favorites, with the top three People’s Choice awards to be announced at the Banquet Saturday evening.  Anyone can put their car on display during the day, however if you want to be considered for the People’s Choice award you’ll need to pick up a number to display prominently on your car (available at Registration when you check in).   People are encouraged to check out the cool cars and vote throughout the day on Saturday.

Banquet

Surprises, surprises, surprises……!!!!  Thanks to main event sponsor Mazda North American Operations I can guarantee everyone (yes, everyone) will walk out with at least one great surprise to take home with them.  The menu is even more lavish, we have great guests (and another fantastic keynote speaker) — and who can go wrong with a room full of fellow Miata enthusiasts from all over the country!!  We’re a month away, and 2/3’s full — so if you’re on the fence about going, please get signed up soon.  Last year we ended up having a waiting list 2 weeks before the event.  We’ll be giving out the Car Show awards as well as the Grand Prize (Ohlins Road & Track suspension package).  And did I say there would be surprises?

Vendors

All of our vendors have made a special effort to be there for you — and all are offering specials for this event only!  Please stop by and see what they have to offer — you won’t be disappointed. For a complete list of vendors please take a moment to check out the website — we’ve added a bunch of new ones recently.

BAMA Hosted Fun Drive

For those who would like an option other than driving the track, BAMA is hosting an organized fun drive of the Monterey Peninsula for Saturday afternoon, immediately following the on-track group photo session.  Please meet near the entrance of the paddock if you’d like to join.  (This spot will be clearly marked with BAMA’s banner, as well as on maps we’ll have posted at various points in the paddock).  BAMA is known for putting on great drives — something not to miss if you’re new to this area!

Track Activities

If your focus is on the track, you’re in for a treat no matter what your experience level.  If you’re a Participant who is new to this and want to go for a ride with an experienced track driver, just check in at start/finish, show your wristband, and ask to be put in a car.  We’ll have loaner helmets and some of the most experienced drivers in the country to show you around the track.  And on Sunday you can drive your own car for the entire lunch session during the Parade laps and take friends/family/kids for rides. (Remember, these are parade laps — not race laps — so speeds will be carefully monitored for safety, as helmets and rollbars are not required).

For those taking advantage of the Track Driving option — at this point we are officially almost completely old out (only 3 slots left in A Group on Sunday, and waiting lists for many of the other groups).

This next bit of information is so important it deserves its own heading:

Track Instruction

In this area I can honestly say that we have been truly fortunate enough to bring together what i would term a Dream Team. We have some of the best and most experienced instructors and race instructors ever to be teamed together for any track event of this type.  Top Miata racers, track event instructors and organizers — we’ve got it all.

This year we’re taking it even further, with Barry Hartzel handling the role of Chief Steward and Chief Driving Instructor for the event.  Barry brings with him years of experience and insight as one of the winningest Miata racers ever, with multiple championships to his credit.  This experience has been the foundation for his development into a respected leader, teacher and coach in the arena of high performance driving. Presently he is the National Auto Sport Association’s Northern California High Performance Driving Event Director.

What this means is that all drivers — no matter what their skill level or experience — can look forward to the opportunity hone their skills and grow.

Looking forward to April!

Hi all,

We’re just a few short days out from the event, and so I have only a very few updates for you:

Tom Matano Autograph Session

Tom has graciously agreed to do another autograph session and will be available from 10:30 until noon (just before the group photo) on Saturday.  We’ll have Tom set up next to our Registration area — so please bring your items there.

Deadline for Pre-orders for event t-shirts/sweatshirts

The deadline to pre-order t-shirts and sweatshirts to have them included in your bags at Check-in for the event is the end of today.  Otherwise you’ll need to stop in to the Event Merchandise booth at the track (next to Registration).  In addition, we’ll have some leftover t’s and sweats and ballcaps from last years event, plus posters (from last year and this year) as well as pins and stickers.  Please help our staff by having exact change for your purchases.

Banquet

We only have 34 slots left for the Banquet, and the deadline or sign ups is this Sunday night, April 4th — so if you’ve been holding off now is the good time to get your seat!

Car Numbers

If you don’t already have your car numbers, you can get them from Dito at Got Blue Milk for a nominal fee. If you’re thinking about buying some professional photos from him (which is a good idea — he does a great job), then you need to make sure to have numbers on both doors and on the top of your windshield so he can identify you.  (He’ll make you a CD of all the shots of your car if you want, if you do this).

See you all soon!  Don’t forget our Meet & Greet BBQ from 6 to 9pm at Embassy Suites, concurrent with the Pin Swap and Early Check-in in the lobby of the hotel.

What am I excited for? Tom Matano! I don’t know what I would have him sign (maybe Roy? Hah! Or a t-shirt…just have to remember to buy a silver sharpie) but I  can’t wait to meet him.  Also, Roy will be part of the car show (can’t wait to show him off ), riding along with Brian on the track with his “silviata” , and taking a whole bunch of pictures.  I’m not sure what the Pin Swap will be like, but maybe I’ll be able to buy a couple for keepsake.  I wonder if I could hitch a ride with the instructors…hmm!

1 more week to go .

Today was a highly productive day – firstly, I want to thank Brian and Justin for helping and doing most of the dirty work; it’s always nice to have competent pals .  Roy and I are very appreciative of your help and glad that nothing broke or went wrong! Cheers!

The agenda was to install new front brake pads, coilovers, and wheels.  Sounds like a big day of sweat, blood, and tears – doesn’t it? I guess the perk of having people who know what they’re doing (ya know, doin’ it right) is that things will get done quickly.  I would say from start to finish it took less than three hours and this was done without air-tools! Again, the nice thing was that nothing broke!  I was stuck with doing the easy stuff like jacking up the car, removing and replacing the wheels, removing nuts and bolts…I think that was it (hah!) – even though my tasks were simple in comparison, I learned and gained a little bit more experience with working on my own car…plus the satisfaction that it was all done at home.

Before Brian arrived I put Roy on jack stands using a brand new rapid pump low-profile jack from Harbor Freight.  Just a quick review of the jack – at 45lbs this thing was heavy lifting out of the box, but maneuvering it around the garage was really easy.  Our older Craftsman jack could really only go forward and back then to have it go sideways we kind of had to drag it left and right.  With the HF jack, it glided really easily back and forth as well as side to side…it really didn’t feel like 45lbs once it was settled on the ground.  Overall, it has a very sturdy and reliable feel to it.  The pumping wasn’t exactly effortless, but each pump got the car higher quicker.

Here’s a snap of Roy teetering on the stands.  This made me really nervous.  What if one of the stands failed?!

Moving on – Justin and I decided to install new brake pads for the front.  The pads that I used were the Performance Ceramic by Hawk.  I didn’t lend a hand for this, but it must be an easy process if it was done quickly even before I could ask about the status of it.

These are the original brake pads – they look like they’ve got a lot of meat left! However, the Hawk pads are so much more responsive and braking feels a lot more solid now.  I’m a lot happier now with how the braking feels much more secure and reliable (this is coming from a person who has nightmares of not being able to stop >_<).

Once Brian arrived, the real dirty work began…

I was assigned to remove the nuts from the trunk and rear shocks. Here you can see the Bilstein shock.

I was told that the bushings were in pretty bad condition, along with the dust boot and the spider webs -__-;. A few months back I bought a set of bump stops and dust boot for these guys, I may just replace the old with the new since they’re off the car and incase I want to put them back on Roy.

Tein Flex coilovers on! Now time to put the goodies on…

RS Watanabe 15×6.5 front 15×7 rear +35 (I think…).

I think I want the ride height a little bit lower and he would look perfect.  What do you think? Like? Hate? Ricer? Awesome?

]]> http://meetmossandroy.com/2010/02/teaser-finale/feed/ 0 http://meetmossandroy.com/2010/02/teaser-day-2/ http://meetmossandroy.com/2010/02/teaser-day-2/#comments Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:13:58 +0000 Irene http://meetmossandroy.com/?p=400 Justin ordered these for me from Japan! OoOooO JDM =P I can’t wait to have these put on…

On 110609, Moss broke 18,000 miles! If I did my math correctly, I average approximately 621 miles per month since June 2007.  In a way, I do take pride that his odometer is low, but on the other hand it is mostly city driving and lack of long distance driving.

On 110309, Roy crossed over into 80,000 miles!!! This was far more depressing because in my mind he’s getting older.  The only comfort I get is that since 1993, Roy has averaged 417 miles per month.  There is a bit of guilt when I do take him out on “long” drives and I wish I could just keep him mint for as long as possible.