In spite of advanced age (I'm supposed to ba an adult.) I'm not immune from the need to modify and personalize my Miata.

Above is a picture of the interior of the Porsche I've owned for fifteen years and which, if I can ever get something near what it's worth, will be going down the road. I have one too many cars for my garage space.

I've made a few mods to the interior of this car. I, now, intend to remove the Nardi steering wheel which I bought back in the early 80's, put the Porsche wheel back in, and to put the Nardi in the Miata. I thought about just leaving it in the Porsche and buying a new one til I googled Nardi wheels and found replacing it would cost me $400.00. Screw that.

The seats have Wet Okoloe seat covers. The original fabric is split on the Porsche seats. When I got the Wet Okoloes I didn't like the way they looked and had a local, and very good, interior shop put in the plaid inserts. I've had a ton of compliments on the way they look. Note the floor mats... They are Cocomats and, in my view, the best you can buy. I always put Cocomats in any car I really like although I haven't done so for the Miata. The original mats are in brand new condition and, so far, I've been too cheap.

When I find a plaid I really like I intend to do the same to the Miata. (You need upholstry material for wear.) The Miata seats are as-new but I really like the looks of the plaid inserts.

The above should take me most of the winter. Somewhere, down the road, I'm thinking of a couple very mild performance enhancements... A cat-back performance muffler (commonly called a "Fart Can") will give me a few more horses and a few more decibles... don't want it too loud. I had a K & N air cleaner on a Mazda RX-7 I owned years ago and liked it. I will probably also pop for one of those and will get a couple more horses in the bargain.

On + off the subject of alterations. A fellow metal worker had his shop approached by the leander P.D. to do some "upgrades" on their new ATV armored car donated by Uncle Sugar instead of just dumping it over the side on the way back from the sand box.The vehicle is already perfect but they want to make alterations as in putting in more comfortable seats + here's the beauty; loop racks welded to the outside so their "swat" team can look cool going down the highway in a neighborhood that has never needed a swat team.I have always been of the opinion that if you let someone dress like a storm trooper,they will start acting like one.This little project will cost the tax payers (me) in excess of $20,000.00.

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Originally posted by Dick Wright:


Screwing off and waiting for the U of M and State games. This is one of the pics I took a couple of weeks ago when we still had some fall color.

This is in front of the lake we have on out property. Really tasty pike reside in the lake.

It's been a couple of months since I took this picture. The lake is now frozen over with enough ice that people have been out fishing on it for a couple of weeks now.

The ice will go out in late March and eagles and ospreys will come and fish the lake. The warmest water is on the surface then and makes for easy fishing. After a couple of spring rains to wash any salt away, it wil be time to drive the sports cars.

Well, if old guys with white hair driving 2 seat roadsters is some kind of wrong, then I'm 3 times wrong. I didn't go with the Miata though I would like to have one. I bought an '06 Solstice in '07 and have enjoyed it immensely. There's also an early '74 MG-B survivor in very good condition. I was driving a '68 MG-B when my wife and I started dating in the mid-70's so while not the same care there is a bit of nostalgia connected to my "B". There's also an '81 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce in the upper garage. I'm pretty sure it's sold, (buyer has paid $1000 down), and when it goes and I close on the 10 acres I own down the road from us I will be in the market for an MG-TD.....or a nice German double rifle in 9.3 X 74R.

Like you, I just love driving them... I love having them and I even like just looking at them.

I was extremely lucky to get this car... 27 years old with 24,000 verifiable miles.

We recently installed my old Nardi steering wheel, a 2" extension shift lever and the ebony shift knob I made back in the 80's. I've been waiting for a sunny day to get enough light to take this pic. Finally got it today. Apologies for the filthy floor... been working on the car. I will clean it up as soon as it is warm enough to spend half an hour in the garage.

Got up early and got my coffee and something struck me... All I have in this car would buy a nice two-tone Rolex, something I have wanted for years and which, when I was flush, I never bought.

A Rolex is a nice watch and I had one for many years... It kept time almost as good as my Sieko. But this really is a deep down good car with just a few miles on it... Something's screwy.

It's below zero outside and Baby is snug in the garage. I need to drive it to make sure we got the steering wheel on straight and that will be a while... We haven't had much snow this year and with the state's zero-base budgetting that means that everytime we get 1/4" of snow, we get 1" of salt on the roads. The car is going to stay put till it warms up and we get a couple of rains to wash to salt off the roads.

Like I say... somethng's screwy.

Rolex's are over priced! My IWC is still going strong after 48 years, and as you say, keeps almost as good time as my Seiko, but, does not need batteries!
As thing improve I am hoping to get a used Miata (hard top, automatic, paddle shifters) or maybe an XK8, we will see.
Peter.

There are SO many things that are overpriced but we do all still have our own areas of desires of aquasition,be it cars,watches,guns,cameras,ad nauseum.We all want to spend it on something.Lets face it,when you are dead,what difference will it make? At the risk of sounding a bit "new age" I will say "Carpe Diem".

Peter,BTW,I wear a Timex that tells time which was all I wanted in the 1st place;just like I only have a land line;I don't need to text anyone or they me.Guess it's time for the dinosaurs to die off I suppose.When I 1st moved here,we were still using crank telephones,the Ma Bell came in + things changed. Saw a video the other day of 2 teenagers trying to figure out how to use a rotary phone. Hilarious!

NC it is interesting the way things change. You and I must be part of the few that still wear wrist watches. I also wear a signet ring that belonged to my father. It is solid gold but the insignia is almost smooth after many years of him pressing it on to red sealing wax to seal envelopes!
Having said that, while my "land line" is via Ooma and the internet, I never answer it, as most of the calls are from phony numbers.
As you alluded to, some possessions are so important that we require quality, either because we want it to last a long time, or, it says something about us. I will NEVER wear a Timex, nor will I sell my Blaser!!
Peter.

Peter,The Blaser is a fine rifle. I don't own one but I can appreciate the quality. I am a fan of the Mannlicher 1903 in 6.5x54 + other abstract calibres because they interest me.There is where everything lies. I'm cheap in the regard that I wear a Timex because I only want to know what time it is. I am not cheap when it comes to fine firearms.Personal preferences of course.A case in point Several years ago I attended a "Turkey Shoot". Open sights were at 50 yds.offhand. I was shooting my Anschutz 54 w/match sights.Of course I cleaned the board. One bubba got really pissed + said how could they compete with that rifle. I told him,just look at your pickup with the headache rack the custom mudflaps,the light bar fog lamps.THAT is where you chose to spend your money;I chose to spend mine on a quality rifle.

We were kinda poor when I grew up... ate a lot of wild game. As I grew older and financially better off, I found I like nice things.

This should get things going... I just traded the Porsche to an old friend for a new-in-the-box Rolex two tone sport watch with a blue face.

Rob has dealt in Rolexes for years and is very familar with the Porsche. He and I have taken a couple of trips in it and he knows how it has been cared for.

I spent last summer trying to get something close to what the Porsche is worth with no success. I am tired of scraping snow and ice off the VW Bug every time I want to go someplace.

If you check eBay for values, you might find I'm not quite as stupid as you think.

I don't do this for show... I had my previous Rolex for twenty years and almost nobody knew what it was and I didn't tell them. I just feel very comfortable with really nice things.

Nothing wrong with that by any means.When I moved out here where I am now in the country,we still had crank telephones (in town,none out here).While building the house I had to haul water in 55 gal.drums+ heated with a wood stove. Needless to say there was an outhouse.50 years later,I've worked my way up to having all the amenaties that modern America thinks we need.I enjoy the comfort of hot water + indoor plumbing because I lived without it for a time. I'm happy with the way things are now,+ I worked for it,but I am glad to have experienced the old ways.

Norman, Been there... done that. When I was young we had an outhouse complete with the Sears catalog. I remember it being very cold in the winter.

Dick, do yourself a favor and drive out west in your Miata, and take Highway 1 in far Northern California leaving 101 at Leggett and driving south to Bodega Bay. I always thought the Miata was designed with this very road in mind.

quote:

Miata was designed with this very road in mind.

Untill you get stuck behind a trailer.

Dave

Hey, Toyota is bringing back the Supra shortly, with 300 HP or so. Another option!

C'mon nopride,I know you're right but don't be a "glass is 1/2 empty kinda guy".

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Originally posted by nopride2:

quote:

Miata was designed with this very road in mind.

Untill you get stuck behind a trailer.

Dave

There are lots of farmers driving slowly in pickups and tractors on our country two-lanes who can hold you up...

I always thought that was what third and fourth gears were for.