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Mazda miata rad racing build8/25/2023 ![]() “As the parts continued adding up, so did the struggles,” Kevin remembers. Kevin opted for Fujitsubo Legalis R header which was an easy install, but the ITBs and other upgrades were a different story. The Pit Crew header was made for a right-hand drive car, meaning the steering shaft interfered and one of the major inspirations for the build was ruled out. He eventually got the hang of making the lines and got a handle on the fuel leaks, but as Kevin continued figuring out the wiring and other essential items to finish the install he continued to run into roadblocks. “The fuel hard lines on the Miata are not a common size, was a nightmare finding the right fittings, sleeves, and even flaring the hard lines.” But it wasn’t a totally straightforward proposition. “The car was parked for two months while I wrenched away the ITBs,” he explained. Kevin still had the Jenvey ITBs sitting in his room, so the decision was made to finally fit them. He lowered the car, found a set of beat-up Panasport wheels (which were subsequently restored), and finally enjoyed his first drive with the beginnings of his vision intact. This included an ARC intake and airbox along with Arrive cold air intake piping. Ultimately, Kevin decided to build his entire car around these two parts.Īctually, he didn’t even own a Miata at this point, but soon after Kevin found a prime bone-stock example out in Bakersfield, California and started adding some bolt-ons to the ’97 NA to get things rolling. It began with a long day of driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back for a set of Jenvey ITBs and a Pit Crew Racing high-rise header. ![]() Kevin and Spirit Road’s love story started in December of 2017 and, like any big project, there were some bumps before things ran smoothly. The full list can be seen below, but it’s Kevin’s path towards completion that we’ll focus on here. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mod list for a Miata as detailed and as long as Kevin’s. It’s just him, the car, and the road.Īs such, Kevin has poured his soul into this build, modifying every last square inch of the car. This car is Kevin’s routine spiritual release, and due to this connection he has given his Miata the name Spirit Road.Īfter a long day of work he goes out for a night cruise and everything aligns. Many, if not most Miata owners see their little cars as either just a way to get around or a fun weekend track car or back-roader, but only a few true enthusiasts feel as deep an affinity with their Miata as Kevin does. Miata is always the answer, a mantra which carries over to many subcultures within the car world.īut with so many different examples buzzing around, it’s hard for just one to stand out. However, if any Miata can differentiate itself from the others, it’s Kevin Truong’s. These little cars are slow but quick, cramped yet just big enough, cheap, fun and oh-so-versatile. You might see an older lady cruise by in a stock Miata and, not a minute later, a kid-owned rendition slammed to oblivion drive by, too. The Spec Class Miata felt like an experienced athlete in their element, which makes this build a huge success.Mazda Miatas are universally loved. Everything from how well it was able to handle the course, to the new track-specific tires sticking to the pavement. Once the final bolt was fastened, the Miata’s performance on the track was almost like night and day. What the guys did for their build, in particular, included fabricating a fully-functional roll cage from scratch, upgrading the suspension by replacing the springs and shocks for improved performance on the track, adding a performance clutch, and adding subframe reinforcements. To avoid violating the rules, every modification done to the 2005 Miata had to stay within the parameters of the Spec class. Thankfully for us, because this build does not require much, we were able to source all of our parts from Summit Racing. Once it is fully upgraded and racing against other cars, the real factor that wins the race is the driver. That means that Carcass is limited to the kinds of upgrades they can add, like tires, brakes, exhaust, etc. But not just any regular race car, we’re talking about building a cheap, yet very reliable race car by using a bone-stock 2005 Mazda Miata, and transforming it into a Spec Class Miata. After building the Honda Rally Civic and the OBS Truck, they came to the conclusion that there is always room for another race car.
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