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I don't know. I just think 45s or 50s would look more modern. Those are 40s on there now. Don't get me wrong, I love my rims. The tires are just a little too low profile for me.

Small update...

Changed the oil, replaced the gas and fuel filter, flushed and refilled the radiator, basically getting ready to start the car for the first time in awhile. Still need to replace the exhaust and valve cover gaskets. The oil pan has a tiny leak, but I don't want to fix that right now. Too much of a pain (I hate RTV).

I also have the battery on the charger for the night. It's a Red Top, but it's like 5 years old and has been dead for quite a bit. I sure hope it holds a charge.

If all goes well, I hope to take a little test drive on Thursday. Can't wait to check out the ride with the new springs! I think my driver's side strut is gone, though. It's kinda loud and bouncy...

Stupid battery. Had to buy a new one. Couldn't afford another red top, so I got a crap one for now. It did the job and I got the car started today. It ran beautifully! The brakes are mega mushy, so I guess they'll need a bleed. The rear drums are leaking, but I'm holding out for that rear disc swap.

I have to say, after driving around a bit, I love the new springs! Gives it a real nice sporty ride. I couldn't corner that hard since one of my tires keeps going flat. But I can already tell they're going to ride just like I wanted!

The down side is, as soon as I got back, I remembered why I took it off the road in the first place. That stupid coolant hose underneath the intake manifold had sprung a leak. Well, now it is more like a fountain. The hose actually broke in half. Happened in the driveway, so that's a plus. Didn't lose much coolant before I noticed and shut it off.

So I guess now I need a new hose back there. I also need to rewire my push button start (hot-wired it today to drive it) and replace a few broken plugs under the hood. Also need a new set of manifold studs, as I'm missing a few. But all in all, it's coming along quite nicely.

I'll take some pics tomorrow to make this update a little more interesting...

New hose done. No more coolant leaks as far as I can tell (knock on wood).

I'm leaving for Chicago tomorrow, so no working on the car this weekend. Next week, I'm planning on getting some new tires, and probably going to the junk yard to snag some random stuff and pretty much just mess around. Now that its driveable again, I plan on focusing on the body for a little bit. Altezzas, paint, and a super-cool idea for a rear lip. I'd also like to get a new steering wheel and begin some fiberglass projects on the interior. I've never done fiberglass before, so we'll see how that turns out.

Nevermind. Coolant still leaked from the new hose. Seems like the diameter of the stock hose is 11/16. Impossible to find locally. Oh well. The connections on the oil cooler are rusted to crap anyway. I just bypassed it by shoving some 5/8 on. I'll remove it eventally whenever I make it back there. There is still a small drip from the bottom of the oil pan. I think it's oil though. Always something...

Well, that drip must have been some residual coolant left in the oil cooler because it's gone now.

Gas gauge wasn't working so I took a look at the fuel sending unit and found this...



I'm trying to source a new one locally, however it's going to be tough since they just crushed the last MX-3 that I knew of around here. The Mazda dealer has some, but they want $125 just for the sending unit! Like all other factory parts, rare and pricey. In the end I'll probably have to start a WTB thread.

I went ahead and ordered a new fuel sender from the stealership. Set me back a few, but it was worth it to have a brand new unit. It'll be here in a few days. I also realigned all the body panels on the front end and painted the hood today. Nothing special, just a quick job to keep it from rusting. It still looks better than all that peeling clear coat though.

very nice! Is that a carbon hood or did a ricer (like myself) put hood pins in it for some reason.....

Nah, it's just a stock hood. At one point in time, the front end was pretty misaligned. The latch was too far off so I (the aforementioned ricer) used the pins to make everything match up. I recently pulled the front straight though, so I have no need for the pins anymore. I like it better with the stock look anyway.

New fuel sender is in. Next up is the trunk. I'm doing a modest audio setup with a super-custom (wood and carpet ) enclosure. I found a few MX-3s at a yard a little over an hour away. Supposedly they're clean as hell and the guy will let me pull whatever I want and he'll make me a deal. I'm going to check them out later on this week and see what I can grab. I'm always looking for backup parts as well and with it being such a trip I'll probably go ahead and break the bank on this one.

Also have a brand new IAC valve going in over the next few days. All in all, it's coming along...

Well, I am ready to reveal some of my progress on the hatch area. As you can see, the speakers (a pair of 10s which have yet to be acquired) will sit off to the sides and the amps will be flush mounted in the same panels. Next up is some fiberglass for the backsides and the top portions over the strut towers. Then factory-like carpet for the whole deal. I also plan on cutting a hatch in the front portion for storage as well as access to the fuel pump. I was thinking of trying to source an RX-7 style cover for the storage area, that is if I can find one that's not too expensive.

nice man! i'm excited to see how the end product turns out, i've always hated the hatch plastics

Thanks, Evo. Still have some work to do. I've never done fibglas before, so it's a little intimidating. But I can't wait to see it finished either. I've been playing with this design since I got the car over 10 years ago!

This is gonna be too cool upon completion. Maybe leave holes to put a rear strut bar on later as well

kulluminati777 wrote:This is gonna be too cool upon completion. Maybe leave holes to put a rear strut bar on later as well

Good idea! I had a rear strut bar at one time. Don't really know where it went. They're pretty cheap these days anyway.