My 2001 Mazda Miata LS. Purchased from CarMax in 2006, it’s my first roadster.
Buying It
The shots from CarMax. It was pretty clean, low miles, and just needed some paint correction on the doors, perhaps from having been covered? We traded in the only new car we’d ever bought, a 2001 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback.
Rollbars
The first major project on the Miata was the installation of a set of Boss Frog double-hoop stainless steel rollbars. It was not a cheap purchase, but it was inspired by an acquaintance’s rollover accident in her Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible.
The installation required quite a bit of work. The interior was largely removed, holes were drilled, panels were cut, it was a whole production. These bars were pretty heavy, but they were well worth the cost and effort. I would like to add the padded covers that go over them, but Boss Frog has gone out of business. Perhaps I’ll have some custom made.
Brakes
I cleaned up the brakes a little.
Clutch
The pilot bearing on the clutch started chirping. It was driving me nuts. I put in a slightly sportier clutch and a lightened flywheel.
Timing Belt
When it was due, I replaced the timing belt and water pump. Took advantage of the opportunity to clean a few things up as well.
Exhaust
Got bored. Stainless exhaust time. A Cobalt system with Magnaflow performance cat.
Instrument Clusters
One of the most annoying grievances I have with the 2001 Miata is, strangely enough, the lack of a low fuel light. The gauge is there, yes, but it’s amazing what a difference a warning light makes. I ran out of gas a few times until I upgraded to a 2003 cluster (swapping the ODO module over). The 2003 cluster was identical except for the addition of that light. I also played with some different gauge faces, working with Adam over at Rev Limiter.
Miscellaneous
Just some odds and ends. It’s been a fun car that has road tripped as far as Vermont. Of course, on that trip, a #%&@ing $75 Cam Angle Sensor made my life a nightmare. Didn’t get an accurate diagnosis until I hooked up my good scan tool at home.
