near death and rebirth, the story of “blue”
Chapter 1: The Bargain Hunter's Bounty
In 2017 I was on the hunt for another car. I came across an interesting find on Craigslist—a 1991 Miata for the aptly low price of $1,200. It came with a hard top, new coilovers, decent tires, and a set of budget-friendly wheels. But it wasn't all showroom sparkle; it had a stripped interior, 200,000 miles on the odometer, no AC, a smattering of rocker rust, and paint that looked like a drunk 3rd grader went ham. The previous owner had put it through its paces in autocross, leaving the bearings worn out and the clutch a little worn out. Despite these quirks, it had a robust engine free of lifter tick, and had never been in an accident. I saw this car for what it could be rather than what it was. So I bought it.
A month post-purchase, my original daily driver's engine decided to burn a valve, earning it an unplanned retirement. Now I had no choice but to drive “old blue” as-is. With all of its beauty and charm.
(Unfortunately, this is the sole surviving photo of its pre-transformation state after a misguided file backup blunder.)
Thus began my daily 100-mile round trip to work, yes you heard that right, I drove 50 miles each way every day for 2 years to work.
Chapter 2: Operation Facelift
At some point driving Old Blue became unbearable, the sauna-like lack of AC, the droning of 4 failed bearings and the singular functioning manual window soon turned driving into a labor rather than a pleasure. I was done, it was high time for a makeover, inside and out. My other Miata, now a weary warrior with 265,000 miles, became a donor after a thorough disassembly revealed its own set of woes. I swapped the AC system from my other car into Blue, overhauled the calipers and rotors with those from a 2005. Grabbed a larger “sport” brake booster from a later year Miata and new master cylinder for brake system that felt and stopped like a modern car. Blue was finally getting comfortable.
In addition to that, summer of 2017 was spent in the trenches of DIY body repair—sanding, rust remediation, and quarter panel repair—all in preparation for a fresh coat of paint. Without access to a professional setup and on a shoestring budget, I brokered a deal for a makeshift paint booth in a local warehouse, securing it for a mere $100 over three days—an offer the owner couldn’t refuse. (Considering they charge 300 a month normally.)
17 hours later and with a dry coat of paint , I snapped this pic and Blue looked reborn, albeit mirrorless as they dried separately.
Chapter 3: It’s a pickup truck, right?
Blue finally looked normal, at least on the outside. With its fresh coat of paint, one might think it was back to its best. But inside, it was more post-apocalyptic utility vehicle than sports car. I took advantage of the bare interior by putting blue to work. I hauled engines, transmissions, furniture, even garden supplies. Everything from a 350z engine to bags of mulch found its way into Blue's cabin, protected by spare house carpeting.
Yet, as functional as it was, the call to return Blue to its sports car roots was undeniable. After nearly four years of Spartan existence, it was time for the last piece of the puzzle—the interior.
Chapter 4: Phoenix Rising
I thought about this cars 32 year journey from a brand new white convertible that passed through six previous owners, all the way to my hands. It was like examining a seasoned racehorse's storied career. Each owner had left their mark, some more literally than others. The one just before me was more like a mobster than loving caretaker. The car was worn out by the time it came to me. But under my stewardship, it was slowly coming back to life. I started to overhaul the interior with sound deadening and new carpet.
I went with an over the top but fitting color combo, white leather with blue accents. The original navy blue wasn’t quite right, and tan was out of the question. Polarizing to some, but loud and flashy for me. Just how I liked it.
I spent about a week cutting, sewing, and gluing leather bits to body panels. Even purchasing a pristine post WWII cast iron sewing machine for $45 to help.
The doors were a combo of new LRB Speed aluminum cards, insulating automotive foam, white leather, and finally topped off with aluminum handles and window cranks from CarbonMiata.
Still needing the seats and a few accent pieces to complete, what I had was a good start, and the beginning of a new chapter for blue. This is blue today (below), I even added a new shift knob by teaching myself how to cast aluminum and copper, and forged it from the fires of a cheap Amazon melting furnace. This brick of a knob is twice as heavy as the original, and feels just as smooth.
Chapter 5: The Grand Tour
Blue's next chapter remains unwritten. With 33 years and 365k miles of asphalt under its wheels, my next goal is for Blue to graduate into a not just a touring car, but a grand touring car. It’s time for me to go on Walkabout, a Vision Quest, a journey of self-discovery. Not alone in the wilderness, but on the endless belts of asphalt with my steadfast machine. It’s time to take the Grand Tour Miata on the biggest adventure of our lives.
