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Who says you need to be old to have a mid-life crisis? Back in 1994, when I was 25, my '86 Pontiac Fiero started giving me trouble (go figure). I found this little beauty at a local dealership and she followed me home. She's a '91 A package who had 1 owner before me. I still can't believe that she's been with me since 1994, that's 27 years now.
For the first few years, she was mostly stock. Slowly, she was upgraded to a Racing Beat cold air induction, Ansa muffler, and a set of Bilstens shocks.
Then 1999 happened with 3 life turning events. First a good friend put a FM2 turbo on his '92 Miata. Then the 10th anniversary party in Dallas took place. As I was on the road between the hotel and the track, 2 FM turbos blew past me. Damn they were quick. In July of 1999, my friend with the FM2 and I travelled to Deals Gap where I rode shotgun in his car. Oh that little blow off valve had me.
When I got home, I ordered a BEGI 4.2 system from Flyin Miata which went in over the course of a weekend. I also replaced the Ansa muffler with a set of FM dual exhaust and a test pipe. This really opened up the cars potential at 8 pounds of boost.
A year later, the thirst for power got me and I upgraded to a full FM2 set up with the bigger injectors, a external blow off valve, and a Link Computer. She started pushing 12 psi of boost and was dyno tested to show over 200 horses at the rear wheels. NOW she's quick! Quick question.... does anyone else still run the Link setup? Or am I just really really old?
Over the years, many things were upgraded... a Hard Dog rollbar, larger brakes all around, Momo steering wheel, Voodoo knob with a Brainstorm short shifter, Sparco seats, and plenty of gauges.
She has been a trusty companion, 11 Deals Gap trips, the 2000 Miata event in Daytona, both the 1999 10th Anniversary party and 2009 20th Anniversary party in Dallas, as well as runs all over Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Along the way, I joined the Mardi Gras Miata Club and made some life long friends. My oldest son was 3 days old when he took his first top down run and tasted some boost (my wife still gives me grief over this).
We've spent time of the track running HPDE days with a couple of local car clubs. It was fun chasing down high end Italian and German cars and embarrassing them in the curves. They couldn't belive this little silver Miata was passing their high horsepower cars in the curve. Sure they were fast on the straight, but what did that matter when I was on their tail in two turns? As it was said in the drivers meeting, if the Miata is on your tail, check your ego and let it pass - he's faster than you. Try to keep up and learn the line.
When a good friend decided to upgrade his 2002 Miata, I helped installing first a FM Ubercharger then later to a LS2 into his car. Now his car is incredibly fun and sure is a head turner.
All the while my little '91 lives in the garage. She starts everytime I turn the key and puts a huge smile on my face all these decades later. Now that I'm much older, I could upgrade to a more updated sports car, but this ole gals still tugs at my heart everytime we go for a drive. Think it's time to go for a drive.
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Miataman