Hi everyone, my name is dave and I live in New Orleans. I don't really have the money, the time or the experience to build an sm, but I'm gonna try anyway. I've been reading the forum for a few months now and have found tons of great info. I'm sure I'll have lots of specific questions once I start turning wrenches, but I thought I would get some general input and advice on how to start my slightly different build situation... I think some of you probably know my dad Tom Quinlan. He built and raced a white sm out of Mandeville, LA. Well his car was flooded up to the dash During Katrina and has sat in the garage since. He thought about rebuilding it for awhile, but has decided to buy a vintage formula ford instead. So I have inherited the sm project. I decided it would be easier to buy a donor and then salvage as much as I could from my dad's car. I was living in Athens, GA when my dad built the car, so I don't know that much about it. I do know he put a motor built by someone out of Lafayette in it right before it flooded. I think he drove it around the block once. It has a mazdaspeed rear diff. a bolt in cage (no nascar bars), and two sets of wheels and tires. I picked up a good runner from Houston for $1300. So I guess it is on. Will post pics soon.
Region: Colorado
Car #: 37
Year : 1992 Posts: 30
Status: Offline
posted
I was outside of Covington for Katrina. Fortunately my SM was high and dry in the trailer. Live in Colorado now. Gook luck with the build. There are several SM guys in LA that I'm sure you can hook up with. Good size SM fields at No Problem Raceway for their winter series.
yeah would like to do that, but money is an issue. was hoping to maybe modify the "free" cage to get on the track and then replace later. Is there a way to beef up a bolt in? I have a welder friend that owes me a favor.
Region: NER
Car #: 46
Year : 1993 Posts: 160
Status: Offline
posted
Let's start with welcome and best of luck with your endeavor. As you may have read in earlier posts, the one place NOT to scrimp is safety. Budget your build wisely. Drive fast, be safe.
-------------------- LTD Racing Chief Of Inappropriate Comments
Region: San Francisco
Car #: 34
Year : 1992 Posts: 2279
Status: Offline
posted
quote:Originally posted by dirtynola: Hi everyone, my name is dave and I live in New Orleans. I don't really have the money, the time or the experience to build an sm, but I'm gonna try anyway.
Hey Dave, Welcome! I think your description fit most of us when we got started. Probably a good call to start with a new donor. You'd probably chasing electrical problems forever if you tried to run the flooded car. Keep it for parts -- subframes, fenders, doors, etc. Maybe the drive train parts are still usable. BTW, I've raced against cars that looked worse than your pictures.
quote:Let's start with welcome and best of luck with your endeavor. As you may have read in earlier posts, the one place NOT to scrimp is safety. Budget your build wisely. Drive fast, be safe.
thanks... yeah I don't want to risk my safty but if the cage that I have can be made as strong for less money then I want to consider that.
quote:Hey Dave, Welcome! I think your description fit most of us when we got started. Probably a good call to start with a new donor. You'd probably chasing electrical problems forever if you tried to run the flooded car. Keep it for parts -- subframes, fenders, doors, etc. Maybe the drive train parts are still usable. BTW, I've raced against cars that looked worse than your pictures.
Thanks. I'm hoping to salvage the suspension and rear differential
Region: WDCR
Car #: 04
Year : 1993 Posts: 519
Status: Offline
posted
Welcome. I am in Madisonville so holler if you need any help. From the pics I would definitely get a new cage. The front vertical bars need to be moved for a start - your legs will thank you. Come on out to Circuit Grand Bayou (the old No Problem track) this Sunday. It is the grand opening (third race of the season) and the SMs are the featured race.
-------------------- Lee Tilton 1993 Meowta #04 Brimtek Motorsports/ Team Four Racing Team Four Racing
Region: NER
Car #: 7
Year : 1999 Posts: 636
Status: Offline
posted
Welcome! I too started with a flood car that was submerged halfway up the doors down in Key West. I never had ANY electircal problems and daily drove it on the street for 4 months with the flood motor. The oil pump failed and I replaced it with a crate motor since. The car looks good other than that cage. Get a good one welded in, as others have mentioned. Good luck and feel free to ask away as you go.
-------------------- -Cy Supported by LTD Racing & Speed Shack - New England's Premier Auto Accessory Store Rt1 AutoMile - Norwood, MA http://www.speedshackonline.com
Region: SFR
Car #: 82/73
Year : 1991 Posts: 2015
Status: Offline
posted
I think you're going to spend more to get that thing in running condition than buying one that has not been flooded. Just my opinion.
Good luck!
-------------------- Kim
91 BRG SMT RIP 06 MX-5 Cup
"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting 'Holy sh*t...what a ride!'" - Unknown
quote:Welcome. I am in Madisonville so holler if you need any help. From the pics I would definitely get a new cage. The front vertical bars need to be moved for a start - your legs will thank you. Come on out to Circuit Grand Bayou (the old No Problem track) this Sunday. It is the grand opening (third race of the season) and the SMs are the featured race.
Thanks, Lee. I think I'll try to make it out there. Who should I talk to locally about a cage?
quote:Welcome! I too started with a flood car that was submerged halfway up the doors down in Key West. I never had ANY electircal problems and daily drove it on the street for 4 months with the flood motor. The oil pump failed and I replaced it with a crate motor since. The car looks good other than that cage. Get a good one welded in, as others have mentioned. Good luck and feel free to ask away as you go.
thanks! that is comforting to hear.
quote:I think you're going to spend more to get that thing in running condition than buying one that has not been flooded. Just my opinion.
Yeah... I'm salvaging as much as i can of the white flooded sm and using the parts to build a different running car that I've already purchased. I'm looking for tips on what things would be worth salvaging. So far it looks like the cage is out.
Region: LSR
Car #: Yours?
Year : will race 4 food Posts: 575
Status: Offline
posted
Mazda electrics are surprisingly robust when it comes to water. I bought 2 cars from the salvage auction after Katrina, and even with shipping (which 5 years ago was PRICEY, these days it wouldn't run much more than a local tow) it was cheaper to buy those than a wreck locally.
I ended up running the coil pack from the 1.6 car on my street car, the AFM was tried on a friends' car and worked, headlights, tail lights and dash all have been tested as working or swapped out on other cars -- don't worry about throwing it all away just label it as being flooded in case you need it later.
The engine, diff, and tranny will be fine unless they've had water in them. Diff is most likely to have water in it, especially if it stayed submerged for a while, engines are hit or miss. If the oil level is normal you've likely got a good backup engine. If its way over full you can take it apart and see if anythings salvageable... but if there's no rust on the cams you'd at least have a serviceable head.
Region: SE
Car #: 15
Year : 90 Posts: 70
Status: Offline
posted
If you know a good welder and can use a grinder, I would suggest getting Dave Wheeler's cage kit. I bought the basic kit and sourced the straight tubing and plate material myself. Then I bought another set of door bars from Dave about a year later. I installed the main hoop, rear down tubes, and front of the cage in about 2 weekends. Then I ran the car for a year before I put in the door bars on both sides (gutting the doors). Dave does not skimp on his cages 1 5/8" by .095 wall is beyond the minimum requirements. I'm 185 lbs and I have to add 25 lbs plus a gallon of gas to make weight in my 90'. My cost for the kit and tubing was around $750. Best investment I made and it gives taller guys alot more room then the other cages I have seen.
quote:Diff is most likely to have water in it, especially if it stayed submerged for a while
I'm hoping to use the rear diff. Should I rebuild it?
quote: I would suggest getting Dave Wheeler's cage kit
Yeah... I'm convinced. the deluxe kit is $750. I'm thinking I'll buy that one. My friend is a good welder, but I don't think he's ever built a cage before. should I look for someone else? can anyone recommend someone in Louisiana?
Region: SE
Car #: 15
Year : 90 Posts: 70
Status: Offline
posted
Dave gives you step by step instructions for installing the cage with pictures. And he can answer any of your questions by phone. It was not very hard, just a lot of grinding (didn't have a tubing notcher). I would recommend MIG welding, or TIG but MIG is much easier. The hardest parts are welding around the main roll hoop base connections, the door bars to the main roll hoop, and the cross braces in the trunk.
Dave - Welcome. My name is Keith LaNasa and I live in Baton Rouge so give me a call if you need any help (225.405.0225). The engine builder that you made reference to out of Lafayette is Stan Cosper and he is an excellent miata builder and I depend on Stan for all of my setup work/mechanical needs. There is a custom cage builder in Westwego that can modify your existing cage, i.e. weld on new bars and weld it into the new car.
Like Lee Tilton (Team Four), I will also be out at the Circuit Grand Bayou (the old No Problem track) all weekend (Friday-Sunday) racing spec miata's. Feel free to look me up at the track this weekend.
You can also contact Chris Wilkins (Kenner) for support with your car. Your dad will have Chris's contact info.
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