December 2018: First start attempt (ended poorly)
Engine So…I attempted to start the engine and things did not go as planned. It turned over fine at first. It backfired a couple times for the first crank or two but the engine never started. Then I heard the timing belt slip followed with a noise that I’m pretty sure was the piston and […]
December 2018: Back from work, back to work…
Finished my work term with GM, so I’m back working on the kit. Planning to work pretty extensively until the school semester starts back up in January. Engine I’m hoping to get the engine running this week. Wiring and cooling are the big tasks that still need to get completed. Alternator and AC compressor are […]
Thanksgiving 2018 Update: Wheels and Parts Arrivals
Visited the 818 for a little bit while I was home for Thanksgiving. I wasn’t able to spend a whole ton of time working on the car, but I was able to knock out a few little jobs that I was waiting on parts for. Wheels and tires installed! Advanti Storm S1 Hyper Silver wheels. […]
November 2018 Update #1: Items on order and vinyl designs
Just a few small updates on the build: Ordered a few more components: Avanti Storm S1 17×8-40 and 17×9-45 wheels (they’re on sale at TireRack right now!) Dunlop Direzza Star Spec ZIII tires 215/40 front and 255/40 rear iWire Wiring harness arriving next week I’ll be back working on the kit a few weeks and […]
August 2018 Update #3: Pausing Point for the Build
Moving to Michigan for another co-op term I won’t be working on the car much, if at all, from now through the middle of December because I have moved to Michigan for a co-op work semester with General Motors. Would’ve like to keep working on the car, but it’s sadly not practical to move everything […]
August 2018 Update #2: It Rolls!
Chassis: Steering column installed. This was a nice and easy job. Clutch master cylinder installed. Rear brake calipers, suspension, and axles installed. NC Miata Brake Master Cylinder and Booster So the reason behind this is that I wanted to solve the brake issues that many builders complain about with the 818. Most say that the […]
August 2018 Update: Trans Rebuild, More Hickups
Transmission: So the transmission news unfortunately did not get any better in the last week. I went to pickup a used 2004 WRX transmission for $300 from a guy about an hour away. I brought the transmission back and immediately started to disassemble it so I could install the diff and check out the condition […]
July 2018 Update #5: The Donor That Keeps on Giving…
Rough weekend in the shop 😞 Went to install flywheel, one of the bolt threads in the crank had been damaged by the previous owners so it stripped a bolt. I’ll have to get a new bolt and helicoil the threads. Should be fun in a hardened steel crankshaft… Transmission limited slip diff install went […]
July 2018 Update #4: Engine Install
Engine: Installed engine mounts Connected a couple more vacuum/coolant lines. Still 2 or 3 more to finish like the boost control solenoid. Alternator partially installed, but I seem to have left the power steering bracket that’s used to tension it in Michigan…hopefully will resolve that soon. Installed the engine into the chassis! I probably could’ve […]
July 2018 Update #3: Rear Suspension
Rear Suspension: Prepped and painted the rear brake mounting plates. I removed the rusty dust shields from them which seems to be a common thing to do when they rust out. I installed the rear wheel bearings, e-brake assembly, and hubs. This went pretty smoothly as the process was similar to the front wheel bearings. […]