DanM

My last week on the build has been very chilled. As my calf tear is still limiting my movement around the house and my garage heater is working overtime to keep up with the Canadian winter, I spent the time slowly working through the Miata wiring loom. Task one; remove the sticky insulation tape with 30 years of grime baked on it. How many layers!!? Pile of gooey tape! Once the tape was off, I started familiarizing myself with the donor loom. With the SDV build manual, Miata Haynes Manual and Miata shop manual in hand, I slowly figured out what was staying and what was going. At this stage I wasn't too concerned with completely hacking wires and connectors off. Instead, I just focused on identifying what I thought were redundant wires, cutting one end, coiling them and labelling them. I will remove them completely when I am able to lay the loom over the chassis and double check the connectivity. I'm hoping that by spending a few days doing the monotonous stuff now while I cant progress with much else, it will make the build flow a bit better when the weather and my calf improves. The first to be organized was the headlight motor loom followed by speakers, electric windows, power steering and heater wires. To be honest, I found the heater connectors and wires the most confusing at first as I couldn't match up the wire colours with any of the manuals.......I then realized that although the connector was attached to the heater blower unit most of the wires were simply passing through the connector en-route to somewhere else. You can imagine the hours of fun I had figuring that one out! Not that one!!! 💥 Pull!!! The fruits of my labour.

Thanks @Dave W. I will look into. I'll also check the Ontario safety requirements for wire protection to see if I can get away with just the spiral warp.

Thanks @MPG. That's good to know. I think you're right the brake and fuel lines need to go in before the diff. Once I'm mobile again I will make a start on fitting and drilling the panels and securing the ones that I can to enable me to run these lines.

The waiting game.... So this is where I call upon the advice of all you seasoned Westfield Miata builders out there..... Due to my soccer injury I am still out of commission and barely walking. This means I'm not able to get out in my garage that much at the moment. On top of that I have two tables covered with engine parts blocking access to the chassis. My plan was to assemble the engine before the holidays, clear space and then tinker with the car during my time off. Unfortunately, because of COVID some of my engine parts were on back order and so I'm on a bit of a holding pattern. (I was also working on a family bathroom reno that is now on hold too!...but that's another story! ) Anyway, back to the point of this post....experience recommends that the handbrake installation is the first part of the build to avoid bolts in the cockpit and ensure a cleaner finish. As this is not an option for me, nor is the bolting of tunnel panels until I have the new bracket installed what other items could I be getting on with (once mobile) while I wait? Can I do some of the other panels or are they reliant on the tunnel panels being in place? While I have limited mobility I will probably start to unwrap the insulating tape from the miata wiring loom and see how far I get there.....

So, after about 6 weeks of backwards and forwards between me, Manik and Westfield we arrived at a way forward for the kit deficiencies. Apparently, the availability of the chrome package had been sporadic over the last year or so, and at the time my kit was ready for shipping there weren't any available. This is why I was sent the black. Unfortunately, as the chrome look is critical for my build, black isn't an option, especially as I have biscuit coloured seats and trim. Westfield have now put me on the waiting list and will send me the chrome items when they are next available. The damaged dashboard will be replaced with a new one. Unfortunately, the aluminium stone guards are no longer available from Westfield, and so I was sent the carbon ones as a replacement. C'est la vie, if I really want some I'm sure I can get some made up locally. Lastly, after a discussion regarding a potential bolt on solution for the handbrake bracket, Westfield have decided to send me a new bracket that I can have welded on. I'm happy with the outcome and now I'm just playing a waiting game until the parts arrive. My last correspondence with Manik (Westfield) was mid December and so I'm hopeful that I will receive the parts (Especially the handbrake bracket) early in the new year. Right, enough for now, time for a few beers to see in the new year!! Happy New Year Everyone!

Post Inventory results So, after a couple of days of checking and double checking I had identified a few kit deficiencies that needed to be discussed with Manik and relayed to Westfield. Now, my approach to deficiencies is fairly open minded, I have read enough build diaries from multiple car kit manufacturers to know that the tolerances and QC across the industry can sometime be a little weak, and we as builders are expected to use our engineering prowess to work around it. So when identifying deficiencies, I mainly focus on order errors, missing parts or damaged parts that are clearly visible as I approach or sit in the car. The stuff that makes your heart sink and wish you'd spent your hard earned cash on something else. So, in no particular order here are the deficiencies that I felt were worthy enough to hit the charts! I was sent a black windscreen, posts and headlights, instead of the chrome package option that I ordered. I was sent the black carbon fibre stone guards instead of aluminium stone guards The dash panel had a very visible scrape (dime size) on the surface The handbrake attachment point on the chassis welded back to front ....oh, and a bolt was missing! lol To be honest, I only noticed the handbrake bracket because I had been reading some build threads that recommended installing the handbrake first. I'm sure there's other stuff that will pop up as I get to it!

Thanks Rosteri! Yes, it was!!

Thanks Kitcat!

Inventory Next day, once the truck was returned, it was time to inventory the shipment. This needed tea and lots of it! Before I started I needed to make space for the parts. I decided to recycle the shipping crate and convert it into a rolling platform by adding some cross braces and wheel dollies. This would be used to store the body, etc. and allow me to roll it out of the garage as needed to create space to work. Once completed, job one was to inventory all the big items that I’d stored in the house overnight while I got organized, things like the nose cone, hood, seats and arches. I was on borrowed time and these all needed to be gone before the family got home! Next, I went through each box one by one, one item at a time checking them off the Bill of Materials as I went.

Off Loading Once I got the truck home I made a cup of tea and took a moment to think about my next move. To be honest, it was quite an emotional 15 minutes. I have wanted to build a car for over 20 years and to be sitting alone in my house with my kit on the driveway was quite moving for me. So what was my plan for off loading? Up until now it was all about getting the kit picked up ASAP, working around freight terminal availability (Mon -Fri), my busy work schedule, and the rental truck availability. The crate was too big and heavy to lift off the truck and I had no concept of how it was packed inside. My plan was to take my time, dismantle the crate in situ and bring in each part of the kit piece by piece. Due to the short notice I had no friends available to help, but thankfully, one of my neighbours came home from work early and offered a hand. My wife also cancelled some appointments and came home to take photos! First Shot! Man, there's a lot of screws! and more screws.... and now wrapping.... ...lots of wrapping!! Wow! they really protected things well!! I'm impressed! ....and finally after an hour or so, it was in!!

I initially thought I’d be able rent a car transporter similar to the one I used to collect the Miata, however as the freight terminal did not have a forklift on the truck side of the loading dock I had to change plans. Next, I looked into renting a box truck with a deck height bed, but there was nothing available in my timeline. Finally, I resorted to renting a large moving truck from U-Haul with the highest deck I could find and rolled down to the freight terminal in the hope that we could somehow get it in. 20 foot truck. Should have put my heels on.... Here we go..... Almost there..... It's in!! Phew! Step one complete. Now to get it home.

Kit Delivery? On the forums I see pictures of people’s kits being off loaded from delivery trucks at their homes, so I naturally assumed that mine would be delivered too. Unfortunately this wasn’t to be! Once I got word that the kit was ready for collection at the freight terminal, I quickly had to figure a way to 1) get it home and 2) get it off loaded into the garage.

I officially ordered my kit on the 22nd of March 2021 and it was ready to be crated by the end of July. It then took another 3 months to be crated and shipped from Liverpool to Montreal where it passed through customs and was delivered to the freight depot in Ottawa. Manik provided me with the shipping details so I could track the progress of the ship from Liverpool.

Hey Scannon, Yes I did! It was one of my big fears and the first thing I checked when I pulled the motor out. Thankfully it all looks good. Thank you for the reminder and link!!

My Build Plan My plan is to build a streetable autocross car that has a traditional British look and is comfortable enough for my wife to join me for weekend drives. I have no real timeline for the build, I just want do a nice job, learn lots, make some new friends on the way and create something to be proud of! Here's what I ordered so far from the Westfield Miata picklist: Westfield Sport Miata Kit (with 1.6l NA Miata Engine from Donor) Interior Sport Turbo Euro Seats Exterior Full Electrically Heated Screen - Standard Side Screens Classic body front and rear Chrome Package - Includes Polished Screen, Lamps & Roll Bar Boot Tonneau Rear Arch Aluminum Stone Guards Racing, Suspension & Handling Options Nylon Suspension Bushings Detachable Rear Wheel Arches RAC Specification Roll Bar Colour Body - British Racing Green Seats - Biscuit (Cream) Side panels - Biscuit (Cream) Carpet and centre - Black Tonneau and doors - Black Other items bought or swapped (not including items purchased for refurb) Differential and Driveshaft - Upgraded to NB LSD Harnesses - Schroth Westfield II ASM 4 pt Steering wheel - TBD Wheels and Tires - TBD My inspiration comes from this car that I saw for sale in the web (except my dash, steering wheel, kick panels and handbrake will be black:

Hey Croc, The build manual says that I need the following parts from the Miata. Engine, gearbox and ancillaries, Speedometer cable, Front uprights including brake discs, calipers, ball joints and steering arms, Rear uprights including brake discs and calipers. Propshaft, Differential and drive shafts, Upper and lower steering column, Steering wheel, Handbrake lever and cable, Wheels and tires, Wiring loom & fusebox, Dashboard gauges and switches, Radiator fan, Battery & tray, Side repeaters, Fuel filter, and Horn.

Importing in to Canada Living in Canada I am fairly limited in terms of what I can import to do a build project. The import rules state that "Kit Cars" cannot be imported as they would be considered as a complete motor vehicle and need to comply with modern vehicle standards (Airbags, ABS, etc.). "Car Parts" or "Car Starter Kits" however, are allowed provided that they do not include majors components such as engine and drivetrain, etc. a complete list is available from Transport Canada. Lucky for me Westfields Mazda Miata (MX-5) based Single Donor Vehicle (SDV) kit complies with the Transport Canada import rules and is available through their North American distributor Manik Sportscars based in Richardson, Texas. Tom McClintock of Manik made the ordering and import process very easy for me and what I had imagined to be a real headache became a piece of cake with Toms help. For those Canadians following this thread the steps were: 1. Choose your options package from Manik. 2. Manik provide you with a complete Bill of Material and help prepare necessary import paperwork. 3. You submit paperwork to Transport Canada in Ottawa. 4. TC reach out if they have questions (Manik worked with me to provide what they needed) 5. TC issue approval to import papers Boom, Boom, Boom, it was that simple!!! I cannot thank Tom enough for his help!! 🍻 Once I had the approval in my hand I could go ahead and place my order!

Here are some piccies of the parts that I have refurbed so far.... Brakes Spindles Engine Parts As I mentioned, this is still an ongoing process, but I'm happy with the progress and learning so far. 🙂

Refurb Refurbing the parts is still an ongoing process and I'm slowly moving on to more complex parts as my confidence grows. I don't plan on spending too much time talking about the refurb because just like the disassembly, there are a ton of threads and videos about the subject on the forums and Youtube. There is one thing however I would like to share and that is my top 4 best friends throughout the de-rust and refurb. (Not sure if I'm allowed to mention products so feel free to edit) 1. Simple Green purple - This stuff is amazing for shifting grease, grime and other crud. It even took some of the carbon off my valves!! 2. Evapo-rust - Environmentally friendly rust remover. I poured a little into my kids empty juice bottles and put in rusty nuts and bolt. They came out clean as a whistle, and I could reuse the stuff afterwards. 3. Electrolysis - I made a small electrolysis set up using a storage tub, battery, jumper cables, sacrificial rebar, some aluminum cable and water/baking soda solution. I threw in some of the larger really rusty parts that looked unsalvageable. After a couple of days, the transformation of parts was incredible! Just make sure you keep the area ventilated and don't let kids and pets near! 😉 4. Finally, POR-15 rust preventive coating. I used this on nearly all the parts that I refurbed, calipers, knuckles, steering shaft, handbrake....etc. One lesson I learned a bit too late is that I should have poured a little at a time into a metal dish or tray and sealed the tin immediately. A little goes a long way and it dries quickly. I wasted a lot and its not cheap here.

Donor disassembly and part out. To my surprise, I found the donor disassembly a very enjoyable and relaxing process. That may sound a bit strange as hobbies are supposed to be enjoyable, but I honestly had no idea I would enjoy it that much!! Even the mouthfuls of rust and crud had a certain appeal! Another big surprise was how big the MX-5 Miata community was in Ottawa. I advertised my car on Market place to let people know I'd be parting stuff out when I was finished and I was inundated with with people wanting this or that! No sooner had I taken a part off the car and it was out the door! Seats, hood, soft top, carpets, headlights etc. all spoken for within hours of me posting! In total I think I got back 50% of the purchase price through the part out and I still have some bits that will hopefully go after I'm done. Engine out Yummy! Parts ready for refurb. Harness labelled. Once I took what I needed someone reached out and asked to buy what was left! so off she went! ...and then like Keyser Söze, it was gone!

So, with the holidays here and a recent soccer injury leaving me sofa bound, I figured it was a good time to sit down and start a build thread. I'm also doing a thread on the WSCC UK site so if you follow both forums you'll likely see much of the same content. This is the first time that I have done anything like this so I am coming into this build as a complete newbie other than the experience I gained stripping down and refurbishing the parts from my 1990 Mazda Miata donor car. My donor was a 1990, with about 234,000 km on the clock. I picked it up in February on a beautiful Canadian winters day, a couple of months before I was ready to order the kit. I hadn't planned on buying one that early in the year, but as they're so difficult to get hold of here in Ottawa (in donor condition), I had to leap on it when it came up. On the surface it appeared to be fairly well looked after, but as I got into it I could see that the Canadian weather and salt had taken a bit of a toll. Needless to say the price reflected the condition.

Awesome, thanks for reaching out! Do you have a build thread or some forum links that you could share that explain some of the specific stuff you mentioned? I'm definitely interested in learning more about your LHD experience. Dan

Will do! Thanks for the help!

Thanks MPG, I'll definitely have a good read of the your thread!

Lol! Busted! Plenty of photos to come! To be honest I didn't think I'd get such a great response to my message, so I'm thrilled with how many people have reached out! Here you go!