We got quite a bit done on the car over the past 3 weeks. Plus one area that we're back to square 1. Let me explain. First, the good news:
First up is a fuel leak issue I was experiencing. The wife was complaining of a faint gasoline smell coming from the garage. Turned out to be a cracked fitting that was seeping gas. Relatively easy fix:
Next was a balky bonnet. More specifically, I was having trouble opening and closing the bonnet consistently, plus we kept shearing off these little rubber bumpers we'd installed to keep the hood from vibrating. Joe had a cool idea of using rollers and machined ramps to help guide the bonnet close, which seems to work really well thus far. The rollers are old skateboard wheels that got turned down on a lathe. They're a little rough, and I'm thinking of upgrading to something made from urethane, but otherwise, this works great:
Another big upgrade we did was install a parking brake. Yes, this is a big deal for me. There have been a half-dozen instances where the car almost rolled away on me, or that it felt really unsecure in a parking lot, or on the trailer, etc., just held in place by keeping it in gear. It was a lot of work, but the results were really worth the money and time. The unit works great and looks even better. The brake lever assembly came from Speedway Motors, whilst the actual brakes are the stock Miata bits. It's almost an OEM result, but cooler. Someone recently remarked that it's got a definite Cobra vibe going on:
Finally, the one thing that didn't get done: the windshield. Had a friend ride in the car a month ago, and despite my warning them not to put weight on the windshield frame, they did. Result: a cracked windshield. Sigh. So, I ordered what I thought was the correct windshield from Moss Motors. Part arrived and.... did not fit. Long story short: my windshield frame is from a Mk2 Spridget, despite the car being a first-gen (1959). Dunno what happened or when, but somewhere in the car's past, someone swapped out the frame. I think. Dunno? Really weird... and a very costly mistake. I've got a lot of money into buying and then returning the wrong part. Worse, the new/correct part is on a month-long back-order from Moss. In Arizona, we can't drive cars without windshields, even if we wear helmets, so I was basically looking at a month or more of non-drive time. But once again, Joe came to the rescue, creating this ridiculous/hilarious/completely-functional windscreen out of plexiglass and a fabricated aluminum mount:
Finally, in related news, I'm considering upgrading my little 1-axle trailer to a heavier duty 2-axle so I can more securely/sanely transport the car when needed, plus a few non-car uses, too (e.g., toting water to our remote family cabin.
