miata's

[962porsche]

so i just made a deal with this guy he needs some one to spray his 1953 ford truck and he is giving me a 1993 miata with 130K miles on it no body rot and the factory paint is still on the car .
so how dumb am i for this deal ?

[paultg]

its probably a $2500-$3500 car depending on history and maintenance. Make sure it isn't white, because all the early white cars have issues (and it eventually flies off in big chunks). - Paul G.

[breakaway500]

Doesn't sound dumb from my perspective,especially if it's slow in the shop. If the truck does not need much prep work,and the paint is not some crazy expensive color,I'd say you did fine. The Miata should bring $2-3k in the spring,depending on its actual condition.

[962porsche]

i don't know what color the car is i have not looked at it .
i know the guy i'm painting the truck for and i do trust him . the car is his wifes car they got it new from a dealer in RI and it's been serviced there from new . she did not drive it all last year and the car has been sitting .
i was going to charge him about 3K FOR THE PAINT WORK so i hope it's just not a dumb move on my part ?
also i don't think there are enough miatas on the track so i will have to take it to some track days !

[962porsche]

i'm not slow at all in the shop i have a crap load of work and that does not even include jobs like sam's speed 3 motor job , the dwarf cars motor swap to a busa motor or the 5 helmets i have to airbrush . that's just chassis builds and body work .
i want some thing to replace my lost but loved delsol that the POS tried to steel .

[breakaway500]

Regarding Sams engine rebuild: Make sure you eliminate the 2.3L balance shaft assy and add the oil pan baffle kit.The number one killer of the 2.3 Duratec is that damn balance shaft assy spinning at engine speed immersed in the engine oil,right at the oil pump pickup! It foams the oil and air does not lubricate very well.The second killer is the lack of decent oil pan baffling in the stock pan for track use. There is a nice inexpensive BS delete kit and windage tray/baffle kit available here..http://www.gp-werks.com/GPWerks-Oil-Baf ... bsdkit.htm It is a very simple bolt-in kit.Getting rid of the balance shaft also eliminates 18lbs of useless weight and the vibration difference is undetectable by mere mortals.

[jeffw]

Also regarding Sam's engine: You should omit the oil pump.

[962porsche]

i think the problem with sam's motors is sam ! LOL
IT'S UP TO SAM WHAT HE WANTS TO DO TO HIS CAR ! there are a list of things i would like to do but it comes down to how much the car owner wants to spend .

[breakaway500]

Just trying to help... 3rd times a charm!

[grovefromnh]

I have a Del Sol for sale.

[962porsche]

i loved my old del sol it was a great car in mint shape but like any honda with a v-tec motor it's a target for the low lifes to steel so i don't want any more hondas ! there is also the fact i could never replace the one i owned were could i find another one with less than a 100K miles on it with no body rot , dents, scratches and not riced up ?

[CP]

Balance shaft delete is a popular mod with the 2.0T DSM motors. They run via belts and when the belts go, they usually take the timing belt with them.

[breakaway500]

The balance shaft setup on the 2.3L Duratec/Mazda engine is the strangest thing..the whole 2 shaft/gearcase assembly bolts underneath the crankshaft and sits IN the oil sump. It is driven directly off of a helical cut gear that is pressed onto the center of the crankshaft.It spins fully immersed in the oil sump,rotating two opposing "paddle wheels" that counteract vibrations in the 2200-3k rpm range. Spin them at high rpms continually,and they whip the oil into a froth. When you remove the balance assy,the oil stays foam free,the oil pan holds almost an extra quart of oil,it reduces vehicle weight by 18lbs,and the added windage tray/baffle assures the sump stays full and off the crank. Best $90 any 2.3l owner can spend!

18lbs. of scrap...

[962porsche]

when i removed it from my friend matt's speed 3 he told me the motor vibrates bad at idle to about 1600 /1700 rpm .
the other two guys say there motors don't vibrate to bad . but when Matt brought his car back to me to take a look at it he was right . at idle it was bad but i couldn't find any thing wrong with it . he has been driving and racing it like that for years now and the car runs great but the other two motors don't vibrate as bad as his does . the other motors stop vibrating as soon as it comes off idle .

[other_other_redhead]

you should see how Buick solved the V6 balance problem. on the even fire GN 4.1l and 3.6l moters they split the crankshaft into two firing phases. its the weirdest damn thing.

the odd fire flywheel was 33 pounds. the even fire flywheel is 17.