A recent blog post summarized the June 2021 AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) National show in Saratoga Springs NY, with a follow-up post about some of the owners I met and the stories behind their show cars. It’s now time to tell the story of my own car which was on the show field … Continue reading The Miata Earns Its Repeat HPOF Award in Saratoga
Just before the pandemic shutdown hit in 2020, I joined the Delaware Valley Miata Club, hoping to connect to an organization that would provide me with an excuse to drive my Mazda Miata a bit more frequently. (Since 2013, when I purchased my 1967 Alfa Romeo, I have put about the same total mileage on … Continue reading Delaware Valley Miata Club Drive, May 23 2021
A frequent question I get is “what makes a car a classic?” There is no one right answer. The definition of such a car can be up to you! If you think your vehicle is “interesting” on some level, and the car is used more for special occasions (anything from Sunday drives to cruise nights) … Continue reading The ’93 Miata earns its AACA HPOF award
The PLAN was to spend free time during this past winter working on the Miata. What happened? Where did the winter go? Of course, I ask that based on the CALENDAR, not on the actual WEATHER. (As I sit here composing this missive at 7:24 p.m. EDT on April 15, it is 38 degrees F … Continue reading The Miata’s Manual Gearbox is Refreshed
If your memory is good, you may recall that way back in December of 2017, I filed a blog post entitled “Winter Storage, and the Start of the Miata’s Next To-Do List”. Somewhere in there, I wrote words to the effect that “should we have a mild winter, I’ll be attending to some maintenance, repair, … Continue reading New Rear Brakes for the 1993 Miata
As happens every winter, the collector cars (loosely defined as the cars that don’t get driven in snow) are put away for the winter. The ritual is one that has evolved over the years and is now consistent: fill the tanks with fresh fuel, add Sta-Bil, pump up the tires at least 10 p.s.i. over … Continue reading Winter Storage, and the Start of the Miata’s Next To-Do List
In the 21 years since I purchased my 1993 Mazda Miata, and during the 70,000 miles of driving enjoyment I’ve had behind the wheel, there is one peculiarity that has come to my attention. The car has shrunk. Not really. However, the automotive landscape has gone through tremendous upheavals since 1996. When I bought the … Continue reading Installing LED lights in my Miata
My Mazda Miata workshop manual is an aftermarket publication, not the official factory book, but it’s been very helpful. It’s well researched and written, and the photography is adequate. It’s written in the style of “we’re in a shop with an example of this car, and we are documenting our actual repair procedures”. This approach … Continue reading Heater Core Replacement in the ’93 Mazda Miata: Third and final part
Last we left off, your intrepid garage hack was somewhere in the process of replacing the engine compartment coolant hoses, as part of a heater core replacement on his 1993 Mazda Miata. In this installment, we will provide an update on the progress of said hoses. You may be saying to yourself, “the blog post … Continue reading Heater Core Replacement in the ’93 Mazda Miata: Part 2
August of 2016, three months from the time of this writing, will mark 20 years that I’ve owned my black Mazda Miata. Aside from its incredible driving characteristics, it has been a typical Japanese-car ownership experience, which is to say, the vehicle has needed almost no repairs during the 65,000 miles I’ve put on it. … Continue reading Heater Core Replacement in the ’93 Mazda Miata: Part 1
