MrMazda92's '92 GS - New daily

[MrMazda92]

In Oregon, I very seldom use it... My old car had it, and I only used it because of the leather seats. Both of my other A/C equipped cars had cloth seats, and I only ever used it rarely.
I spend more time shirtless than not during the summer, so heat isn't a bother at all here. I'm keeping the system in a box, and lugging it around when I move... Just in case I decide to use it later.

You're definitely lucky then hah, I'd be thrilled to clean out the bay a little more... As it is, the moment the engine comes out I'm powerwashing and doing what cleanup I can.

[Nd4SpdSe]

Both the X and Rx have A/C, they barely get used. The only time I really need it is when I'm stuck in traffic or driving with a passenger and we want to have a conversation (pending the A/C condenser isn't plugged with mud in the truck). Both have a sun/moon roof, just open that, open the windows, and I'm happy. I could imagine down in the US where it's hotter (damn those leathers in the Mx3 did get hot when I was in VA). The only time I wish the Mx3 had it was when the main switch died (standard plastic leg breaking) right in the heat of August, but she also didn't have a sunroof...I wouldn't get rid of it, but it's nice to have once in a while.

[fowljesse]

I grew up in the desert, and lived in Hawai'i, so my opinion may not count. I pretty much never used AC. I drove my black on black MX-3 4 hours at a time in 100+ degree heat with humidity, going across Texas a couple times a month.

[MrMazda92]

Good to know I have some support then!

I just need to work up the courage to get this project started. I'm not looking forward to the first few steps...

[MrMazda92]

Mini update:

I've been wanting to paint my H4 headlamps for a while now, and had been holding back out of fear that I may damage the housings. I finally decided to take the plunge tonight, and pre-heated the oven while I prepped my supplies.

The passenger side is apart, sanded smooth, and I am taking a short break before I wipe it down and sand again. Painting anything is all about prep people! The housing was pretty badly damaged by a previous owner, and had been repaired with silicone sealant... I'll be redoing the repair before I paint the housing, but I'm planning on replacing it entirely down the road. Now that I have taken it completely apart, I can see the extent of the damages.

Anyways, I'd like to thank MoonEggs for the inspiration to do this mod. I know he wasn't the first to try it, but after seeing it on his car the past few meets, I couldn't help but imitate his light scheme. Shoutout for a clean car Mark!

I will be doing the turn signals as well, but I'm thinking I will use my OEM housings, and swapping the clear lenses onto them from my other set... For some reason the clear housings don't fit 100% perfectly, but I will figure it out!

[MrMazda92]

My headlight project got me thinking about something else I've been meaning to do for a while...

Miata clear sidemarkers aren't a perfect fit for the front of our car, but they're VERY close. Close enough that I'm willing to live with them as they are.

However, I haven't seen anybody take the time to make clear sidemarkers fit in the rear, and I'm not sure why.
The markers stick out way too far to sit flush with the rear bumper.

That leaves 2 obvious options, either modify the bumper, or modify the markers... Which do you think I prefer?
I've got 2 sets of clear side markers, and a few sets of factory rear side markers. I begin "surgery" today on the factory markers, as my test subject. It's not a big deal to me if these fog up slightly, but I do plan on sealing them as best I can after the job is complete.

Update for the headlights:
The passenger side has been painted, air dried, sanded lightly, and painted again. It looks amazing! I still need to repair the damage to it, but I am very pleased with how the paint turned out. Now all I need are glass lenses, and I'll be ready to upgrade my factory wiring to finish off the light setup.

[MrMazda92]

Alright, not so good news today.
The K8 is losing oil at an ever increasing rate, and I'm done throwing gaskets at it like zoo monkeys during a tour.

I've got the money for the KLG4, and it's high time I found one worth putting in my car.

[MrMazda92]

I've found MS6 front calipers(loaded), and 2nd gen Probe (front) spindles(5 lug hubs/bearings) for $180 locally.

That trade should happen next week...

That leaves:
MSP rear calipers
2nd gen Probe spindles(rear)
RX7 FD Wheels
Rotors front and rear
Caliper rebuild kits

Once everything lines up and tests are finished, I'll grind the front calipers down slightly to clear the FD wheels, powdercoat all 4 calipers before rebuilding them.

I'll upload pictures as things come together, but the next item on the list are FD wheels...

[MrMazda92]

Before and after replacing the plastic... I know it needs a good restoration.
I'll be doing this after I finish painting the driver's side, as well as the turn signals/side markers.
Glass is on the list for 2013, as well as some other aesthetic ideas I've been turning over in my head!

All in all, I'd say it turned out pretty well... The housing was damaged previously, and I completely removed the silicone and replaced it with a sturdier sealant that is sandable/paintable. I was surprised that it handled the baking stage as well as it did, no visible cracking in the repaired areas.

I want to remove and replace the tar-like sealant around the entire lens when I do the glass swap. If the passenger light leaks around the repair, I'll replace the entire headlight.

[mitmaks]

You can polish plastic lens real good, You'd start out wetsanding it with 800 and then 1200, 1500 and finish with 2000 and buff it out.

[MrMazda92]

Thank you Maks, do you have a preferred compound for buffing, and what do you coat it with to add UV protection afterwards?

[mitmaks]

I like to start out with Meguiar's ultimate compound. Finish off with a coat of PlastX.
You could wetsand to 1500 and then clear coat them with good quality clear coat and wetsand and buff clear. It's a lot of work to do that. I generally just do wetsand/compound and it lasts for a few months.

Here's good how-to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yuULP3bpXM

[jbud1291]

Ive been meaning to do something like that with my headlights since im not sure i like the look of the projector headlights...my question is do i need jspec or espec headlights to be able to cook the lense off? If i remember correctly this is not possible (or not a good idea) with the aspec headlights?

[fowljesse]

Once I buff my headlights out again, I'm going to hit them with a light coat of VHT nightshade. It won't be enough to affect the light output, but will keep them from going dull as soon. Since I ave projectors, I'm going to go a little darker, where the beam doesn't come out.

[MrMazda92]

Thank you for the suggestion and video

jbud1291, do NOT do this with American/Canadian headlights(9004 bulbs), as they use the entire housing to direct the beam.
MoonEggs did a thorough writeup on this project, here: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=64674&hilit=9004
You can pick up plastic lens H4 housings, all J-spec MX-3 headlights are plastic, and E-spec H4s are plastic/glass. Glass is more fragile, but isn't prone to fogginess and hazing due to UV damage.

Jesse,
That'll look cool