I had been working for two years after graduating from high school and was still riding a moped, not really interested in cars. In 1996, at the age of 20, I decided to buy a car and started looking for a good car. At that time, Japan was in the heyday of sports cars, with the 180, Silvia, Skyline, Lancer Evo, and small cars like the Beat, Cappuccino, AZ-1, etc. It was a paradise.
I wasn’t interested in cars at all, but every time I talked to my friends who had bought cars at the age of 18, I began to think that I wanted to drive a car that other people around me didn’t have.

My father was a car enthusiast, and as soon as he bought a car, he would modify it in some way, so we didn’t have much to talk about, but when it came to buying a car, he was eager to help me. My father used to drive a Honda S600, and at first he recommended a Suzuki Cappuccino, but the conversation grew louder and louder, and we decided to buy a roadster. My mother was against it, but she allowed me to buy a roadster as long as it had airbags.

When I went to the dealership, they had a VR edition on display, but it was deserted. At that time, seven years had passed since the launch of the Eunos Roadster in Japan, and domestic sales had dropped below 20 units per month. The boom was long over. When I first bought the car, it was compared to other sports cars and I was ridiculed a lot. I’m sure everyone has been told why. I think it goes without saying.

The Internet was not widespread in Japan, so I relied on magazines and Road & Star for information. Since it was a rural area, there were not many roadster riders, so there was no interaction. During the first private inspection, I complained about the scratches on the vinyl windows that were wiped dry, and a local auto glass store agreed to replace the top.

At that time, someone from a local club put a flyer in my wiper to go to the Roadster Jamboree with me. This was the beginning of my fascination with the roadster. At the Jamboree, there were about 200 roadsters, all with their own modifications, and I was inspired to try my hand at modifying one. At first, I only added parts that I could get at car parts stores, but as the Internet began to spread, stores specializing in roadsters began to have their own websites.

I set up a website called “The Startpage of Roadster” to collect and post information. It has been stored in the web archive since around 2002. The design and address have been changed. I think it was started in the 90s. Looking at the records, it seems to be the year when DEWA’s meter panel was installed. Since I had made the start page for the roadster, I was introduced by a junior colleague to help a local tuning store make their website. The manager was in his 30s. He quit his job at a Toyota dealership, started his own store, and exhibited a tuning car at an auto show in his twenties, so I can call him my mentor. Seeing him produce and sell original parts such as ARISTO made me want to produce original parts too. At that time, my car was full of carbon parts, and I was sometimes called a carbon enthusiast.

A few years later, when the NC was announced, I was driven by the desire to put carbon parts on it, so I went to Mazda with my mentor to buy interior parts and made carbon parts at an overseas factory that also made interiors for car manufacturers. The carbon cutting blade alone cost about one million yen. It took a few months, but we successfully started selling the product and it was selling well. We were only selling in Japan, but after selling out one lot, the Lehman Shock hit. As a result, Japan’s appetite for consumption cooled down. We could not increase production. At this time, many Japanese stores specializing in roadsters closed their doors. I remember that I had to delete many stores from my link collection. The 90’s was also the time when Japan’s bubble economy burst, so the stores that made the great parts for the Roadster when it was first released had already disappeared. Even in Japan, in the 2000s, various parts were not available.

I had always admired the T-House meter ring and wanted to bring it back again. But just making one would be a copy. I didn’t have the money to make it myself, so I wanted to revive the vent ring first. The only option in Japan was D-Cuatro’s Vent ring, but it was poorly made of pressed aluminum. I wanted a heavy duty ring with machined aluminum, so that was not an option. I had to make one.

I looked for and found a domestic supplier who could machine it with great equipment. In making it, I was concerned not only with the material of the aluminum, but also with the surface treatment. A touch and feel that will move you. I requested that the surface should have as much of the spindle’s mark as possible.  I wanted to be able to tell with a single glance that this was machined from a single piece of aluminum.  It was an unusual order for the vendor, so he had to go back and adjust the speed and so on, but he made it perfectly.

With the money I got, I started on the meter ring, and while the T-House ring has a very smooth surface, my ring has the same treatment as the vent ring, and I extended it to the very edge of the board.  I also made a black anodized version to match the black based modification. When making the meter ring, I contacted Mr. Dewa and decided on the thickness of the lens so that it would not interfere with his meter cap. Mr. Dewa told me that he couldn’t make a meter ring with lens because his friend was injured by the lens of the meter when he had an accident, but soon after I launched the ring, he made a ring with lens. I never talked to him directly, but I think he saw my ring and wanted to make one.

After that, I made several lots of meter rings. I think the ratio of overseas to domestic sales is probably about 1:1. I am really grateful to everyone who contacted me, who only speaks Japanese, and paid the high shipping fee to buy my products. Since the Beijing Olympics, the cost of materials has gone up several times. When we ran out of stock, we didn’t know when we would be able to make more. I was really happy when you said you would help me with the group buy.

Now I can make roadster, MIATA and MX-5 owners smile again! That’s what I’m looking forward to the most. Each piece of work is a story to tell and a chance to interact with them. I’ve been busy with work and haven’t been producing for a long time. I was finally able to resume my production activities in earnest last year. I’m happy to be able to communicate with various owners through Instagram overseas and Twitter in Japan. I’m glad to see that translation is working better than before on DeepL. But I still don’t understand a lot of the MIATA terminology. Where did you buy that [tombstone]? I didn’t understand the meaning at first. It’s been 25 years this year since I bought it when I was 20 years old, and I’m happy that there are still many parts I want and want to make.

高校を卒業して働き始めて二年、まだ車にさほど興味もなく原付に乗って過ごしていました。

１９９６年、２０で車を購入しようと思い、どんな車が良いか探し始めました。その頃、日本はスポーツカー全盛期、180、シルビア、スカイライン、ランエボ、小型のものでは、ビート、カプチーノ、AZ-1等、まさにパラダイスでした。
私は全くと言っていいほど車には興味なかったのですが、１８歳で車を買った仲間達と話すたびに、自分の周りの人が乗っていないような車に乗りたいと考えるようになりました。

父はとても車好きで、車を買うと直ぐに何かしらの改造をする人で、あまり話すことはなかったんですが、車の購入となると熱心に相談にのってくれました。
父はHONDA S600に乗っていた事もあり、最初はSUZUKIカプチーノを勧めてきましたが、ドンドン話が大きくなり、折角ならロードスターを買うという事になりました。母は反対しましたが、エアバッグをつけるならと許してくれました。
ディーラーに行ったときは、VRエディションが飾ってありましたが、閑散としていました。当時、日本でのユーノスロードスターは発売から７年が経ち、国内販売数は月間２０台を下回っていましたね。もう、とっくにブームは終わっていた時期です。

買った当初は、他のスポーツカーと比べられて散々馬鹿にされましたね。理由はみんな言われたことあると思います。言うまでも無いと思います。

インターネットも日本で普及しておらず、情報は雑誌やロードアンドスターに頼りましたね。田舎なのでロードスター乗りも少なく、交流もなかったです。
最初の民間車検の時に、ビニール窓を乾拭きされて傷だらけにされてクレームを入れたところ、近所の車ガラス専門店で幌を張り替えてくれる事になりました。
その時、地元のクラブの関係者が、ロードスタージャンボリーに一緒に行こうとワイパーにビラを挟んでくれていました。

これが、私がロードスターの魅力に取り憑かれるきっかけでした。ジャンボリーには２００台ほどのロードスターが集まっていて、思い思いに改造したロードスターで埋め尽くされ、私も改造してみたいという気持ち駆られました。
最初は、カー用品点で手に入るパーツばかり付けていましたが、インターネットも普及し始め、ロードスター専門ショップもホームページを持つようになりました。

私は、情報をあつめ、掲載するサイト「The Startpage of Roadster」を立ち上げました。

webarchiveに2002年ごろから、保存されています。デザインとアドレスが変更になっているので、９０年代にはスタートしていたと思います。
記録を見てみるとDEWAさんのメーターパネルをつけた年のようですね。
私はロードスターのスタートページを作っていた事もあり、後輩の紹介で地元のチューニングショップのHP製作を手伝う事になりました。店長は３０代でした。トヨタディーラーをやめ、ショップを立ち上げ２０代でオートショーにチューニングカーを出品するなど、私の師匠を呼べる人です。
彼がARISTOなどのオリジナルの製作し販売する姿を見て、私もオリジナルパーツを作りたいと思うようになりました。

この頃、私の車はカーボンパーツだらけで、カーボンマニアと呼ばれる事もありました。

数年後、NCが発表された時、これにカーボン製パーツをつけたいという思いに駆られ、師匠と一緒にマツダに行き、内装パーツを買い、車メーカーの内装も行う海外の工場でカーボンパーツを作りました。

カーボンをカットする刃だけでも１００万円くらい掛かりました。数ヶ月をかけ、無事に販売を開始し順調に売れて行きました。

国内での販売のみでしたが１ロット売り切ったところで、リーマンショック。ことごとく、日本の消費意欲は冷えました。これでは増産はできませんでしたね。
この時、日本のロードスター専門ショップは沢山閉店しました。私もリンク集からたくさんのショップを消したのを覚えています。

パーツに対する思いは冷めず、自分が欲しい、手に入らないパーツを復活させたいという思いがありました。９０年代も日本のバブル景気崩壊後だったため、ロードスターが発売された当初の素晴らしいパーツを作っていたショップが既に姿を消していました。日本でも2000年代、色んなパーツが手に入らなかったのです。

私はT-HOUSEメーターリングに憧れていたので、もう一度復活させたいと思いました。でも、ただ作るだけはコピーになってしまいます。個人で製作するにはお金もなく、まずは ventringを復活させたいと思いました。

日本ではDキャトロのVentringくらいしか選択肢がなかったのですが、アルミプレスの貧相な作りでした。私は、アルミ削り出しで重厚なリングが欲しかったので、それは選択肢になりません。作るしかなかった。

私は国内の素晴らしい設備で加工できる業者を探し、見つけました。作るにあたって、アルミの材質は勿論、表面の処理に拘りました。触れて、感動出来るような手触り。

表面に出来るだけスピンドルの後を残して欲しいとリクエストしました。これが一つのアルミから削り出されたものだと一眼でわかるようにと。業者も珍しい注文だったので、帰ってスピードの調整とか面倒だったみたいですが、バッチリ作ってくれました。

それで得た資金でメーターリングに取り掛かりました、T-HOUSEのリングは表面がとても滑らかなのに対して、私のリングがventringと同じ処理、そして盤面ギリギリまで延長した作りとしました。また、黒を基調とした改造に合うようにブラックアルマイト仕様を作りました。

メーターリングを作る際、出羽さんに問い合わせ、出羽さんのメーターキャップに干渉しないようにレンズの厚みなどを決めたのは良い思い出です。
出羽さんは、友人が事故を起こした際、メーターのレンズで怪我をしたので、レンズ入りのメーターリングは作れないんだよねとおっしゃていましたが、私がリングを発売したすぐ後、レンズ入りのリングを作られました。直接は話してませんが、私のをみて作りたくなっちゃんだと思います。

その後、メーターリングは数ロット作りました。海外と国内での販売数はおそらく１：１くらいだと思います。日本語しか話せない私に連絡をくれて、高い送料を払ってまで買ってくれる皆さんには本当に感謝しています。北京オリンピック以降、何度か材料費が上がってしまっていて、在庫がなくなったら次はいつ作れるか分からなかった時、あなたがグループバイの協力をしてくれると言ってくれて本当に嬉しかった。

ロードスター、MIATA、MX-5オーナーをまた笑顔にすることができる！それが一番の楽しみなんだよね。

作品一つ一つが話のネタになるし、交流のきっかけになるからね。
仕事が多忙になり、長らく製作活動をしていませんでしたが、やっと去年から製作活動を本格的に再開することができ、海外とはインスタグラム、国内ではTwitterで色んなオーナーと交流でき嬉しく思っています。
DeepLで以前より翻訳が上手く機能しているのはありがたいですね。でもmiata専門用語は、まだまだ分からないことばかりです。

その[tombstone]どこで買ったの？

最初、意味がわかりませんでした。

二十歳で買って今年で２５年、まだまだ欲しいパーツ、作りたいパーツが沢山あって幸せです。

This roadster exudes a speed and function aesthetic. The Mazdaspeed front bumper flows well with the side skirts, Garage 502 side mirrors, Zoom Engineering headlight lids, highly sought after Zoom Engineering rear spoiler, Zoom Engineering side blinkers, M2-1001 fuel lid, custom red soft top, Garage Vary rear tail light panel and a custom cut rear bumper finished off with a Zoom Engineering reverse light.

The interior is just as beautiful with Esqueleto LE Limited Edition bucket seats, KG Works gauge cluster, Zoom Engineering rearview mirror, Defi ZD Omori gauges, Motolita steering wheel, and a custom red Cusco 5 point roll bar. His roadster is also lowered on Buddy Club coilovers, with stopping force by big AP Racing 5000+ big brake kit, and rolling on Volk Racing TE37V’s with Toyo Proxes.

Far too often we see folks buy and build cars and within a short period of time, turn around and sell or flip it. Moving on to the next project, and later at some point, come right back to where they started. As for Kritsatorn, he’s passionate about the little roadster and continues to drive and build it. If you have been following his journey, you too will see his posts often followed with captions such as “still run” and “stay tuned”. A constant reminder and positive motivation. It is builds like his that keeps me motivated and inspired.

Now scroll down and check out the awesome photos by Sirisak!

Photographer:
Sirisak Phatalakool

Owner’s name:
Kritsatorn Pipatvuttitorn

Location: BKK, Thailand

Instagram: @arocster

Model: 1992 Mazda Miata

Engine mods:
4AGE ITB with custom intake manifold, custom F55 turbo, HKS 264 Intake and Exhaust cams, springs, valves, retainers, Toda Injection 1100 cc, Wiseco pistons, Manley rods

Transmission and Differential mods:
5 speed transmission, ORC twin plate clutch, Cusco 1.5 way LSD

Interior:
Esqueleto LE limited edition bucket seats, KG Works guage cluster, Zoom Engineering rear view mirror, Defi ZD gauges, Omori gauges, Motolita steering wheel

Exterior:
Mazdaspeed front bumper, side skirts, Garage 502 side mirror, Zoom engineering rear spoiler, Zoom headlight lids, Garage Vary rear tail light panel, Zoom Engineering rectangular reverse light, Zoom Engineering side blinkers, M2-1001 fuel lid, custom cut rear bumper, custom red soft top

Suspension:
Buddyclub coilovers

Brakes:
AP Racing 5000+ big brake kit

Wheels: Volk Racing TE37V

Shoutouts/Credits/Sponsors:
Thana Phathannatecha (MadMonkey) and Tong at GT2motorWerk
Thank you for my engine build…
 
How did you get in to Miatas?
Miata is a cute car. Kids always love the miata when they saw a car. With the eyes, I fall in love it it.

How long have you owned the car?
8 years.

How long did it take you to build?
All 8 years.

What is your intent with the car?
I’m intent this car to look race car and have fun to drive.

Is this your daily driver or weekend car?
Weekend.

What are your future plans/goals with the car?
To be continue…

Any special memories you’d like to share?
This car is my marriage car, such a great memory…

The journey leading up to MRLS 2019 was a crazy one. I sit here, thinking really hard, trying to recall what went down. After all it has been over half a year now. Working on last minute mods and changes which included unveiling my “Mille Miglia” three piece wheels I designed in collaboration with Pine Engineering in New Zealand. And prepping my NA Miata to better showcase and share the Elan front and rear bumper kit produced in partnership with Zoom Engineering Japan, along with a custom Zoom Engineering single center exit exhaust (muffler was replaced with a Vibrant Performance one because the original was old, corroded and packing was goners ) and the new Kanspo hardtop.

On top of all this, I was building an NC Miata to demonstrate the Tomei USA Titanium Expreme midpipe and muffler. I call this car the “5 Day Build”. Because literally this car was built in 5 days before driving it up to MRLS. I had only bought this Miata just a week before. Literally 3 days before the drive up to MRLS, I was installing the Tomei Titanium midpipe and muffler inside Vu’s garage @normalguymx5. For the wheels, I called several shops and connects and no one had wheels in the specs I was looking for. I was lucky to find a set of used Volk Racing RE30 wheels in a 17×9, +35 offset squared fitment on Craigslist for a heck of a good price. This set of wheels was at my powdercoater Mike’s shop the Friday before, and he was also rushing to help me strip, prep and repowdercoat the wheels to a Diamond Black color. On Thursday, I was rushing to install a set of used Feal coilovers I purchased from Frankie @phrankieh. Nico @nicomx5 came in the afternoon to help me finish the rest of the install. That same evening I picked up my wheels on the eleventh hour, and there were no shops opened to help me mount and balance a set of Falken Azenis RT615 tires I picked up directly from Falken in that afternoon. In a last minute effort I called one of my clients Jose whom owns Tires And Wheels Unlimited in Whittier at 7pm and although he was closing his shop, he did a huge favor for me and kindly asked 2 of his guys to wait and help me out. I appreciate this kind of love. When I got back, Nico was already done helping me wrap up the install. It was around 9 pm when I was mounting the wheels and dialing in the ride height. And by midnight I was burnt out and had to call it a night.

Next morning, Nico came by early so we could make some more adjustments to the height before the drive up to MRLS. We had wanted to join the caravan with the Kinod crew, but there was no way in hell it was going to happen because of the time and what was left to do. Although I had rolled the fenders, it still wasn’t flat enough to clear the fat tires of the Falkens. We made a stop at a local Starbucks before the drive up. And as soon as Nico pulled in to the parking lot, the rear tires snagged the rear fenders and pulled it down and shred a bit of the tires. In the Starbucks parking lot it was mad rush morning hour, so cars were driving in and out. It was chaos, and in the middle of all this is Nico and I using the pipe handle off my jack (which I had in the trunk) to try and do an old school roll on the rear fenders. Banged it up a bit, but at least no more tire pulling. And after all this, the maiden voyage for MRLS began.

During that time, there were also huge brush fires along the 5 freeway and Mulholland areas. There were smoke in the air, and the air itself was not breathable at all. Nico and I were driving along the 5 freeway near Sylmar exit before we saw cars up ahead coming to a full stop. We managed to pull a quick one and exit and took side streets up towards the PCH 1 freeway. The AC in my NA was not working properly, and I had to put my windows up. Some of that nasty air was able to find it’s way in to my cabin. I was choking, coughing time to time with itchy and watery eyes. After I think a good hour of driving, we stopped for gas. And I think after this point, this is when everything started going south. I pulled out of the gas station and waiting at a red light. As soon as it turned green I hit the gas and my engine shut off. I couldn’t get my car fired up and was holding traffic. After a series of cranking, eventually it fired up. If I don’t keep the revs up the engine would just shut off and I would experience the same nightmares all over again. As long as I am at speed, the engine would not shut off.

The drive on the PCH freeway going up was a long and arduous one. The temperatures continue to rise up and it got warmer and warmer. Both Nico and I were burnt out with lack of sleep. The whole week of this journey I had anywhere from 3-5 hours of sleep per day only. Juggling 3 jobs and trying to work on 2 cars. We made one more stop before we continued straight ahead to MRLS. As soon as we got in to the area, you can see Miatas left and right. It was starting to get really exciting. We pulled in to MRLS and while lining up to check in, my car ran out of gas. I had to keep firing it up and move little by little. As we make our way down and through the parking area, I saw a lot of my friends from Kinod and others whom recognize my car, wave, scream out my name “Kevin” and “Spirit Road” and folks running up to say hello and to shake my hand. There are no words to describe the experience and how humbling it is. Nico and I continue towards the gas pump inside MRLS. I pumped a few gallons just so I could get around. Then I pulled up to a parking spot next to some Miatas. And I don’t know if I was just exhausted or overly excited, but I ended up locking my keys inside my car. Had to call AAA, and it took them an hour and a half to come out. All while my friends from near and far were entertaining me and keeping me updated on what has happened so far, along with their own journey up to MRLS, etc. After I got my door unlocked, it was getting super late. Nico and I didn’t even get to eat lunch. So we checked in to our hotel room and called the boys and grabbed dinner at Outback. It was a heck of a good time, chilling with the boys over dinner, drinks, talk about cars, life and everything in between.

On Day 2, Nico and I got up early and ate breakfast at our hotel. Then Nico helped me make some adjustments on my Megasquirt ECU before the drive for the day. Hoping some changes would help with the idle and shut off issues. Prior to going inside MRLS, we stopped for a quick do-it-yourself car wash since we were going to be participating in the Parade Lap. Unfortunately the car wash had these crazy rails where our lowered cars can not drive through. So Nico and I used the water hose from the tire/air/water stations and did a mickey-mouse wash using microfiber towels and splash-rinse. Not the best, but it had to do. The plan for the day was to do the Parade Lap and find someone who can help me make some adjustments and tweaks to my Megasquirt in hopes to help with the idle and shutoff issues. Nico and I was running around and it was hot and humid. There was no one there that could help me that day. I finally met Adam @revlimiter and Ken @chikaramotorsports in person. I also met many new faces, friends from IG, Petrolicious, Mazda USA, and saw so many awesome Miatas built in every shape and form. My NA Miata had constant issues and stalled more times than I could count while inside MRLS just driving around, on the track during the Parade Lap, and including outside the vicinity of MRLS. I almost got rear ended and crashed head on at intersections a few times when my car would just stall unexpectedly. The journey to and while at MRLS is an experience I would never forget.

Later in the afternoon, I entered my NA in the car show. While at the show, Nico and I seeked out cars we wanted to do a quick photoshoot. We were able to connect with Brian @btotheszeto, Miguel @migyata, and Jesse @nostalgiahero. Time was limited and to coordinate and plan was crazy. While the car show was going on, Nico and I drove around MRLS and found some back roads with rolling hills and amazing views for photos. We quickly drove back down and informed the fellas. They followed us to the photo shoot area and Nico did his best to snap as much as he could before the sun was completely gone. Brian had to leave early and on our way out, Nico spotted a hidden path down the hill. So I suggested we drive down there for some shots. I lead the way, and while navigating through the brushes, I drove directly on to a narrow dirt road with nothing but sinking sand. I was stuck and there was no way I could move. I asked Nico and Miguel to take my NC and drive back up to seek help. While Jesse, his friend Eric and I tried to figure out how to back my car out. Day light was vanishing by the minute, and you can almost hear wild animals coming out, lurking, watching behind the brushes in the dark. The three of us decided only thing we could do was to dig by hand a trench behind each rear tire, first using a floor mat for traction and it didn’t work. Then we continued digging by hand (we were on our knees) and putting rocks and tree branches in hopes to give the rear tires traction. We tried twice and still no grip. Then on our third try, lo and behold we got traction and I was out of the sand! At this point in time, the sun was gone and darkness had consumed us. As we stood in joy and relief, Nico and Miguel come driving back down. I will never forget this experience, and never forget the boys that were there to help me. My utmost gratitude and appreciation for their help. I think if I was alone, probably would have been eaten by a mountain lion.

The least I could do was offer to buy the boys dinner. Miguel had to leave and Jesse, Eric, Nico and I went to a local restaurant called, “Tarpy’s Roadhouse”. The food and drinks were excellent. We were wearing t-shirts and jeans, while other patrons were dressed finely. But we were treated no different; absolutely awesome service. I was in good company and good spirits after this crazy journey and ordeal at MRLS. After that, Jesse and Eric jumped in to their awesome ITB white NA and headed back up North, while Nico and I made our journey home, heading South back to Los Angeles. Even the drive back was crazy. It was late and we were both exhausted. My fear level was still high, afraid my car might stall at any given point on our 5 hour, 270+ mile journey back to Los Angeles. But we managed to get back in one piece at around 3 am. And that was a wrap of the “The Journey To Miata Reunion And Back”.

Will I do this again you ask? This journey with my NA Miata has had many crazy long days and nights doing R&D, last minute delays, last minute surprises, last minute mods, last minute everything with almost no sleep and super exhausting recurring moments, but my answer is: yes. A hundred times yes, I would definitely do it all over again. The friends I’ve made because of this little car, the friends I’ve made around the world, near and far, from all walks of life, all ages, all gender, and folks with nothing but passion and love for these little Miatas. There are absolutely no words in the dictionary to describe the camaraderie, the atmosphere, the connection, the drives, the conversations, the experiences and the memories made. I want to thank everyone at Miata Reunion, all the boys that helped with the last minute parts, mods, installs, mishaps, breakdowns, and everything for this event. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

Now scroll down and enjoy the amazing shots by Nico @nico.mx5, Dito @gotbluemilk, and some basic snaps from yours truly.

Adil and I first connected back in June 2018, when he sent me a DM. From there on, we chatted about life, career and our love for the little Mazda Miata. I’ve watched as Adil continued to slowly build his clean NA. I was also curious about the community and roadster lifestyle (excuse the pun) in Canada. And Adil had mentioned about his 2 other close friends, Farokh and Michael, and including his own brother, Erfan (whom shot these awesome photos) who were all building Miatas too. And so I added them and followed their build journey. I had wanted to feature Adil’s Miata for a very long time. And through one of our conversations, Adil said 3 of them (Farokh, Michael and Adil himself) are all now rocking TE37’s and I thought why not better than to feature all 3 as a “Triple Threat”.

So here we are after a year and a half of their build journey, we bring before you 3 very extensive builds. Each with their own style and fair share of rare, unique and custom one-off parts. When I asked Adil how he got in to Miatas, his response was: “Originally, it was my second oldest brother Amer who had an S2000 and was thinking of getting a Miata. At first I was shocked that he was thinking of a Miata because I was still under the mindset that it was a “girly” car. He then showed me several photo threads on forums and since then I was on the hunt for a Miata. I looked at 14 Miatas over the span of 3 years and finally purchased my first one. It was a 1990 Classic Red and was one of the first ones to arrive in Canada. It was a great car overall but being OCD I wasn’t satisfied. I ended up selling the car to a family that was gifting it to their dad for his 70^th retirement gift. One day after selling the Miata, I ended up buying my current 1993 Miata with only 50,000 km and one owner (an old grandma) through from local Miata mechanic Dave.” His Miata is simple and clean in execution, but very extensive upon closer inspection. Going with the less is more, with a bit of vintage styling cues. Noting the Runabout M2 mirrors, Zoom Engineering fuel lid, Garage Vary rear tail lights, Garage Woolery tail light trim rings,
Nakamae quilted interior pieces, Nardi Classic steering wheel, KG Works rearview mirror, polished style bar, slew of ArtWorksDewa gauge pieces, Zoom Engineering center console, ARC intake chamber, Nielex 1002 oil cap, HKS header and air filter, and RS Factory race pipe and exhaust.

Farokh’s V-Special BRG carries a slightly more track inspired aesthetic with the Garage Vary front lip, KG Works rear spoiler, Runabout Type 2 fuel lid and M2 mirrors, Lotus Elise Probax seats, Nakamae gauge hood and door cards, Nielex toggle switches and a Hard Dog roll bar. His car is hunkered down by Ohlins Road & Track DFV coilovers. When I asked him how he got in to Miatas, his response was, “I drove a friends NA a long time ago and was impressed by the balance and handling,  but never considered owning one, until I came across my car at a local Miata shop. First look and I had to have it!”. His intent with the car: ” Being a somewhat unique JDM model (V-Spec), I want to try and preserve as much of the unique stock characteristics while continuing to modify it to my tastes. The build is heavily influenced by retro/vintage roadsters and sports cars and I plan on acquiring as many original/unique Japanese mods as possible. I don’t plan on making any drastic changes to the powertrain or appearance as I want to stay true to the original design intent of the Roadster. It is all about taking an incredibly capable/fun platform and only making changes that further enhance its capabilities. “

Michael’s 1999 NB Miata is extensive in all areas. He’s been building his car for over 11 years. When asked how he got in to Miatas, this was his response: “I first saw the Miata in the early ‘90s when it first came into the Canadian Market. Unfortunately, I never knew then how amazing these cars would become. It was not until the late ‘90s when I first drove a Miata. It was a first Gen BRG stock, but it was so much fun to drive. I rented it for a weekend and this was my first time experiencing what these cars could do. However, the tuner age came upon us, and I bought a 2000 Integra GSR. I modded this car with any “name brand” parts that were imported from Japan.  I got to learn about the lifestyle, the car scene and what you can do to make these and any other cars go faster. By the time 2011 came around, I was in search of a small two-seater convertible sports car. I’ve always loved the British Roadsters, and I was looking for a MG, MG Midget, Triumph etc, anything that I could afford.  That is when I reunited with Miatas.  I was finding prices that I could afford and more importantly people were telling me how reliable these sport cars are and how fun they are to drive.  I eventually found one at a local dealer, test drove it and instantly fell in love. Since then, I haven’t stopped smiling every time I drive My Street Princess.” And we would be smiling every time too with that boost from the BRP M62 Supercharger! Noting the PWR liquid to air intercooler, Racing Beat midpipe and out back to a custom center exit dual tip muffler set up. A slew of suspension bits in the form of Racing Beat strut bar, 949 front end links, FM full butterfly brace and rails, Beatrush skid plate, Xida coilovers and with braking from a Wilwood BBK to pair with all that power. The profound vintage interior is executed with Nakamae GT seats, quilted tunnel covers, side steps, custom gauge panel with AEM gauges, Nardi steering wheel, shift knob and e-brake with safety provided by a dual hoop roll bar.

I want to thank all the fellas for sharing with us their amazing journey. As you can tell each is spectacular in their own right. Each one is a reflection of their owners , influenced and inspired by each other. The build journey is ongoing and when it rains, it pours. That snowball effect hits and hits hard. So much is the passion with building and driving roadsters. And I think we can all agree. I also want to thank Erfan for his time and creativity in capturing and highlighting all 3 of these amazing builds.

And now scroll down to see these amazing photos and scroll down further to read more about each owner and fine details about their Miatas!

Photographer: Erfan Keilani // @MazdaRoadstar

1993 Mazda Miata White NA
Owner: Adil Keilani
Instagram: @RoadsterLifestyle
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
 
Engine mods:
HKS Super Hybrid Air Filter
ARC Intake Chamber
HKS SS Super Header
RS Factory Stage Race Pipe
RS Factory Stage SPL Exhaust
JDM Mazdaspeed Test Pipe
ARC Radiator Cap
Nielex 1002 Oil Cap
NGK Iridium IX Spark Plugs
NGK Premium Spark Plug Wires
RetroModern USA Spark Plug Cover
Garage Star Radiator Cooling Panel
Garage Star Wiper Cowl Panel
Jass Performance Fuse Box Cover
 
Transmission and Differential mods: N/A
 
Interior:
Nardi Classico Steering Wheel 360MM Wood With Polished Spokes
Nardi Wood Handbrake Handle
Daikei Boss Hub Kit
Coco Floor Mats
ArtWorksDewa Needle Caps
ArtWorksDewa Tombstone Trim Panel
ArtWorksDewa Meter Panel
Revlimiter Sharka Polished Vent Rings
Saizaire Dress Up Kit
Zoom Engineering Type 2 Center Console
Zeromotive 1002 Pedal Set
RS Products Hazard Switches
RetroModern USA Dimmer Assembly
KG Works Retro Rear View Mirror
KG Works Polished Style Bar
Beatrush Hardtop Latches
Nakamae Quilted Seat Covers
Nakamae Quilted Lower Package Tray Trim
Nakamae Quilted Side Step Interior Trim
Joyfast Original Shift Knob Long
Minotaur Polished Parking Brake Handle and Button

Exterior:
OEM Hardtop
OEM R Package Front Lip
OEM R Package Rear Spoiler
Garage Vary Nostalgic Tail Light Panel
OEM Mazda Porter Tail Lights
Garage Woolery Tail Light Trim Rings
OEM Rear Mud Guards
RS Active Type 2 Headlights
Zoom Engineering Retro Fuel Lid
Runabout M2 Mirrors

Suspension:
Fortune Auto 500 Series
Mazdaspeed Rear Strut Bar
 
Brakes:
Goodridge Stainless Steel Brake Lines
Brembo Rotors
Hawk HP Pads
 
How long have you owned the car?
I’ve owned it since August 2017
 
How long did it take you to build?
I built the car steadily over the last three years and I’m not finished.
 
What is your intent with the car?
My intent is to keep building the car to my liking and needs. Constantly evolving and tuning it to be the best roadster It can be.
 
Is this your daily driver or weekend car?
The roadster is my weekend car and living in Canada with winter it could never be my daily driver.
 
What are your future plans/goals with the car?
I have a lot of future plans which are constantly changing but even since the point of doing this feature I’ve added a couple of Nakamae parts to the interior. Next season I will be installing a Jackson Racing Supercharger with a couple more goodies. After driving the remarkable SpirtRoadUSA Miata, I can definitely see Maruha ITBs in the future. Follow my Instagram page to keep up with the build.
 
Any special memories you’d like to share?
Just recently I visited LA and got a chance to meet Kevin (SpiritRoadUSA) and Vu (NormalguyMX5). They both allowed me to drive their cars through Beverly Hills and it was an unforgettable experience. Later on that same night I met up with Nico (Nico.MX5) and we drove through Mulholland for hours into the night and I will never forget how fearless Nico is when driving. It was a great to see that even across the country from the east to the west coast that the Roadster community is one group. I’ve met many people through Instagram and developed some great friendships.
 
Shoutouts/Credits/Sponsors:
Dave’s Garage for helping me find this gem
Max at Rev9Autosport
Kevin at Spirit Road
My brother Erfan for all his photography
My brother Amer for getting me into cars at a young age
All my local Miata friends
All my Miata friends worldwide


1990 Eunos Roadster V-Special BRG
Owner: Farokh Gandhi
Instagram: @vspecialbrg
Location: Burlington / Ontario / Canada

Engine mods:
Stock 1.6
Magnaflow Cat Back Exhaust
Car Make Corn’s Heat Shield
Moroso Coolant Resevoir
Optional Factory Polished Valve Cover
Transmission and Differential mods: Stock 5-speed & VLSD
 
Interior:
Airstream Door Handles
JoyFast Original Shift Knob
Revlimiter Vintage Window Switches
Zeromotive Needle Caps
Lotus Elise Probax Seats
Nakamae Gauge Hood
Nakamae Door Cards
Revlimiter vent surrounds
Rev9 Autosport OE style pedals
Minotaur Cigarette Lighter
Minotaur HVAC Knobs
Nielex Classic Toggle Switches
Harddog Roll Bar
 
Exterior:
Garage Vary Front Lip
Volk Racing TE37v wheels
IL Motorsport Mud Guards
IL Motorsport Smoked Turn Signals
KG works rear spoiler
Runabout Type 2 Fuel Lid
Runabout M2 Retro Mirrors
R Speed Rear Lip
Beatrush plate bracket
KG Works Washer Fluid Nozzles
Ken Auto Door Bushings
 
Suspension:
Ohlins Road & Track DFV Coilovers
R-Theory Motorsport Frame Rail Braces

Brakes:
NA8 Brake Upgrade – Front & Rear
 
How long have you owned the car?
4 Years
 
How long did it take you to build?
It’s an ongoing project
 
Is this your daily driver or weekend car?
Weekend
 
What are your future plans/goals with the car?
I am seriously considering ITB’s to continue with the theme of retro/vintage. Other than that, continue to acquire unique and rare JDM mods to enhance the build.
 
Any special memories you’d like to share?
Every single weekend drive in this car creates a special memory. I look forward to turning that key, hearing the car come to life, and then heading out to my favorite driving roads!

1999 Mazda Miata BRG
Owner: Michael Aguilera
Instagram: @streetprincessnb
Location: Georgetown, Ontario, Canada

Engine mods:
BRP Supercharger with PWR air-to-water intercooler
 
Transmission and Differential mods: N/A
 
Interior:
Custom Gauge Panel with AEM Gauges
Nakamae Interior with custom door panels
Nardi Steering Wheel
Nardi Shift Knob and eBrake
 
Exterior:
Custom Front & Side Splitter
Custom rear exhaust
GV Rear Tail Brake
Volk TE37 vSL Limited Edition
Carbon Miata Canards
Project-G Bikini Top
APR Carbon Fiber Side Mirrors
GV Eyelids
Volks TE37 SL 15×8 (+25 offset)
Hankook RS3 (225/45/15)
Racing Beat midpipe w/ cat
Beatrush skid plate
BRP M62 Supercharger
PWR Liquid to air intercooler
PWR 52″ aluminum rad with oil cooler
Moroso Aluminum Oil Can
JDM front strut bar
Hideaway License Plate
Retromodern Oil Cap
IL Motorsport aluminum spark plug cover
Magnacor 8.5 spark plug wires
NRG Radiator Cover
Aluminum Cowl Cover
K&N air filter
01 NB header
TDR Heat Shield
70mm Bug Throttle Body
GV rear tail lights
Nardi 360 Wood w/ polished spokes steering wheel
Nakamae tunnel cover
Nakamae side step cover
Nakamae Type-R retro seats
01 NB centre console/Custom Shorty Console
Voodoo black textured shift knob and e-brake cover/Nardi Wood Shift knob & eBrake
 
Suspension:
XIDAS coilover (700/400 rate)
Racing Beat front strut bar
949 front endlinks
FM full butterfly brace & rails
 
Brakes:
Wilwood Big Brake Kit

How long have you owned the car?
I’ve owned my car since 2011 when I purchased it at a local dealer here in Mississauga, Ontario.
 
How long did it take you to build? 
I can honestly say that the build continues each and every year during our winter season here in Canada.  It’s been 8 years since I had my first mod and I continue to tweek the look of the exterior and interior.  There’s always something to mod or change in these little beauties.
 
What is your intent with the car? 
Originally, I wanted to simply have a small two seater convertible roadster and keep it stock.  But as you can see that only lasted 6 months once I had the car lowered with Xidas.
 
Is this your daily driver or weekend car?
This is definitely my weekend car and some say I baby her too much, LOL  even when I take her out for an autocross event.
 
What are your future plans/goals with the car?
I really do like the modifications that I’ve done so far.  I want to continue to keep my interior looking retro (similar to the days of the old British Roadster) and the exterior to be more modern.  I’ve been wanting to invest in a PitCrew front bumper but that will have to be a long term goal.
 
Any special memories you’d like to share?
Not any particular one as there are too many to share.  I am grateful for this car, as I’ve met so many amazing people through various autocross, car events and cruises.

Shoutouts/Credits/Sponsors: Dave’s Garage, Rob Poulin
 

The interior exudes nothing but class. If I can use the word sexy again, I would say his interior is “sexy af”. From a distance the red leather interior pops out in your face. Upon closer inspection, you will first see the Car Make Corn’s red leather bucket seats, enveloped by limited edition red leather door panels, red carpet, and non-airbag red leather and black dash, Nardi Classic 60th Anniversary 360mm steering wheel, a ton of custom Retromodern polished and stainless interior bits, rare AWD cluster with AWD thick rings, needle caps and red gauge faces, and the pièce de résistance: Nielex stainless steel tombstone. Completing the Nielex setup with custom gold plated hazard and popup switches. The interior is so classy and sexy, it will make you wet with envy.

The engine bay is super clean with a polished Mishimoto aluminum radiator and polished Moroso coolant overflow tank. The rare and hard to find, Mazdaspeed strut bar, bridges the shock towers, Retromodern spark plug cover, Garage5 knurled oil cap, and finished off with a custom cherry red powdercoated valve cover. His future plans include upgrading to a set of Maruha individual throttle bodies for that classic car feel and 4 throttle sound.

Elias’ Miata is the perfect street cruiser. Rolling nicely on Flyin’ Miata V-Maxx XXtreme coilovers with NB top hats. The rollers are high polished SSR MK2’s in 14×7, +12 offset in the front and 14×7.5, +6 offset in the rear. All wrapped with proper Dunlop Direzza ZIII tires in 185/60 sizes. I had to personally help Elias shave the brake calipers to fit these gangster wheels.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Elias’ journey building his Miata. I have watched this build continue to get better and better all while retaining that old school gangster look. Wherever he goes, he turns heads. Wherever he parks, his car attracts the paparazzi. And his car may even look straight out of olden day Japan with a Yakuza gangster behind the wheel. And this is why I nicknamed his roadster the “public enemy”.

Now scroll down and check out the awesome photos taken by Nico and read about his journey!

Photographer: Nico N. @nico.mx5

Writer: Kevin T. @_spirit_road_

Owner: Elias Ramirez

Location: Corona, CA. USA

Instagram: Limited_Edition_93

1993 Mazda Miata Limited Edition

Engine mods:

Naturally aspirated

Mishimoto aluminum radiator

Moroso coolant overflow tank

OEM JDM Mazdaspeed Miata strut bar

Retromodern spark plug cover

Garage5 aluminum knurled oil cap

Illusion cherry powder coated valve cover

Transmission and Differential mods:

5 speed NA Transmission

OEM JDM Mazdaspeed A-spec short shifter

Interior:

KG Works smooth rearview mirror

ArtworksDewa cluster with AWD thick rings, AWD aluminum needle caps, AWD premium G series 1013 red gauge faces with AWD brushed 304 stainless steel overlays and Revlimiter lenses

Retromodern simplicity knurled trip reset stalk

Aftermarket S-limited ignition cover

Nardi classic 60^th anniversary 360mm steering wheel

Retromodern knurled dimmer assembly with indicator light

Retromodern stainless steel map light and foot well light kit

Retromodern cigarette lighter bezel with ring

Retromodern custom cigarette lighter copper accent dummy plug

ArtworksDewa aluminum vent rings

Retromodern knurled vent nipples

Hayashi vents with ArtworksDewa vent rings

Nielex stainless steel tombstone with Nielex custom gold plated hazard and popup switch

ArtworksDewa stainless steel HVAC panel with ring and Garage Star knurled HVAC knobs

Retromodern custom radio delete backing plate

Joyfast extended shift knob

RS Factory Stage jimmy handbrake handle with e-brake button

Car Make Corns read leather bad design seats with polished Car Make Corns brackets and polished hardware

New OEM 93LE carpet with new car smell

Coco sisal floor mats

Exterior:

Pitcrew front-end conversion

Pitcrew chrome bumpers

OEM VW chrome eyelids

P700 headlamps

TRAP front lip

KG Works bellete G door mirrors

Runabout type 2 fuel lid

Garage Vary rear tail light panel + OEM 1973 Corvette tail lamps

Suspension:

Flying Miata V-maxx XXtreme coilovers with NB top hats

Wheels and Brakes:

SSR MK2 [Front: 14×7.0 ET+12] [Rear: 14×7.5 ET+6] wrapped on 185/60R14 Dunlop Direzza ZIII

OEM 1.8 NA brake calipers

Flying Miata braided stainless steel brake line kit

StopTech street performance brakes

Shoutouts/Credits/Sponsors:

_Spirit_Road_ and Nico.MX5

Oldgrayleather for helping find this gem

Phatmiata at Mazdaroadster.net

Retromodern

Car Make Corns USA

FenderDefender and Waschenco at Deity Motorsports

West Jones auto body

Bulletproof coatings

All Metal Customs

How did you get in to Miatas?

I traded my blown engine 2000 AP1 S2000 to the homie, Chincheezy, for a running/track set up 2003 Mazda Miata NB2. I was in school, broke, and needed a car by that Monday so I traded my dream s2k for a Miata; little did I know, it was the beginning of an enthusiast love for these mighty little roadsters.

How long have you owned the car?

I have owned my 1993 Mazda Miata LE for 1 year and some change. Purchased the car on Father’s day 6/17/19 in Denver, Colorado.

How long did it take you to build?

I started my build almost one year before I purchased my 93LE. That is when I met my good friend Randy, also known as Phatmiata, and he started to sell me pieces from his vault of rare parts. The easy way to answer this question is to say the build is not done. This will be a generational type build that will evolve over time and what you are seeing is phase 1. 

What is your intent with the car?

My intent is to let my imagination run wild by building something unique, aesthetic, neck breaking, and inspiring to others that grew up reading car magazines/forums.

Is this your daily driver or weekend car?

My daily driver is a 2014 Blizzard Pearl White Toyota Prius with the Plus performance package which includes Eibach lowering springs, TRD rear sway bar, Plus lip kit, Plus 17” wheels, and Clazzio quilted seats. Ain’t nothing like that 50 MPG all day err day!

What are your future plans/goals with the car?

Maruha ITBs, Pitcrew rear-end conversion, Garage Vary Type-2 hood, Hard Dog deuce polished roll bar, Retromodern custom shorty console.

Any special memories you’d like to share?

Over the year of collecting parts and searching for a 93LE, I made a handful of offers on different cars all over the country, but luck and time was not on my side. I decided to be patient and on a random Thursday, Peter sent me a message of a 93LE located in Colorado that was within my budget and desired mileage. I called the seller the same day and booked the flight. I flew out to Colorado early father’s day, purchased the car, and drove it back to Southern California. Unfortunately I had to drive through one of the worst rainstorms in the Colorado Rockies and the scorching 110-degree heat through Utah/Nevada. Lucky for me, the car handled the drive like a champ without overheating. 

The interior of his car is absolutely gorgeous and carries that distinguished gentlemen aura. The retro inspired interior is carried out with a slew of classy Nakamae quilted interior pieces. The gauge cluster was provided by RS Products Japan with custom Revlimiter Type RS gauge faces. Steering is handled by way of a Nardi Classico 360mm wooden steering wheel. And shifting is designated by a Joyfast super short chrome shift knob. Other bits worthy of mention include an Arrive mahogany wooden brake handle, Carbing foot rest pedal, Zeromotive M2-1002 style pedals, Zoom engine starter button and Retromodern knurled dimmer switch and trip reset stalk.

Besides the uber clean exterior and gorgeous interior, the engine bay is just as astounding. The mix of gold, black and green finishes contrasts and complements well with each other. The Mazdaspeed theme is well executed with the green ignition wires, uber rare air box, gold oil cap, and radiator cap. The custom satin black valve cover, intake manifold and intake pipe is a nice oem-plus touch. Steve tells me his future plans are to revamp the motor and build it up to a 1.9 or 2 liter with Jenvey ITB’s. To solidify his Miata as the world’s cleanest restomodded BRG, he’s going to continue this build and elevate it even further!

Now scroll down to check out the beautiful photos taken by his friends Daniel and Fatih, and also read about his journey with his roadster!

Photographer: Daniel Karjadi / Fatih Demir of Monday Made
 
Writer:  Kevin Truong
 
Owner:  Stephen Lee
 
Location:  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
 
Instagram:  @96BRG
 
1996 Mazda MX-5
 
Engine mods:
Advanced Cam Timing +14 Degrees
Arrive Intake Pipe (Satin Black)
BeatRush Radiator Cooling Panel
Fujitsubo Legalis-R Catback Exhaust
GarageStar Lightweight Alternator Pulley
GarageStar Lightweight Water Pump Pulley
Gates Racing Performance Timing Belt
Koyorad 36mm Hyper-V Core Aluminium Radiator
Maxim Works 4-2-1 Headers
Mazdaspeed Ignition Leads
Mazdaspeed Induction Air Box
Mazdaspeed Oil Cap
Mazdaspeed Panel Air Filter
Mazdaspeed Radiator Cap
MiataRoadster Short Shifter
NGK Iridium Spark Plugs
OEM Mazda Intake Manifold (Satin Black)
OEM Mazda Rocker Cover (Satin Black)
Samco Silicone Coolant Hoses
SARD Sports High Flow Catalytic Converter
SARD Sports Racing Thermostat

Transmission and Differential mods:
Goodridge Braided Clutch Line
Toda Racing Sports Clutch
Toda Racing Lightweight Flywheel
 
Interior:
Arrive Mahogany Wood Handbrake Handle
ArtWork Dewa Cluster Needle Caps
Carbing DASH Foot Rest Pedal
CocoMats Sisal Custom Floor Mats
Garage5 Brushed Aluminium Vent Rings
HKB Boss Kit
J-F Customs Tan Leather Gearshift Boot
J-F Customs Tan Leather Handbrake Boot
JASS Performance Sun Visor Plugs
JDM Eunos Sunglass Holder
JDM Eunos Chrome Door Sills
Joyfast Chrome Gear Knob (Super Short)
Joyfast Chrome Handbrake Button
MOMO Futura 350mm Wood Steering Wheel
Nakamae Aluminium Door Locks
Nakamae Tan Cup Holder
Nakamae Tan Quilt Mat Belt Line Trim
Nakamae Tan Quilt Mat Lower Package Tray Trim
Nakamae Tan Quilt Mat Side Step Trim
Nakamae Tan Quilt Mat Transmission Tunnel Trim
Nakamae Tan Quilt Mat Upper Package Tray Trim
Nakamichi CD-400 Headunit
Nardi Classico 360mm Wood Steering Wheel
Nardi Tokyo Horn Button
Pioneer JDM Eunos 2″ Tweeters
Polk Audio DB651 6.5″ Coaxial Speakers
RetroModern Knurled Dimmer Switch
RetroModern Knurled Trip Reset Stalk
RevLimiter Custom Gauge Faces (Type RS)
RevLimiter Custom HVAC Panel (Version Stirling)
RevLimiter Door Sill Inserts (Type MX-5, BRG)
RevLimiter Retro Power Window Switch
RS Products Classic A/C Fan Knob + Sliders
RS Products Classic A/C Trim Ring
RS Products Classic Retro Gauge Cluster
RS Products Classic Retro Hazard Switch
Vintage Mazda Chrome Cigarette Lighter
XTC 6.5” Foam Speaker Baffles
Zeromotive M2-1002 Style Pedals
Zoom Engine Start Push Button
 
Exterior:
B1 Hybrid Polarg Parkers + Tail Lamp Bulbs
Bosch Aerotwin Wiper Blades
Depo Clear Front Indicator Lamps
JDM Eunos Roadster Fog Lights
KG Works Chrome Washer Nozzles
Nielex Fuse Box Sticker
NoPro Washer Bottle Relocation
OEM Mazda Genuine Front Lip
Philips 4300K Crystal Vision Headlamp Bulbs
Raybrig Crystal Reflector Headlamps
Runabout M2 Mirrors
ZOOM Engineering Amber Side Indicators
ZOOM Engineering Eunos Lotus Emblem
ZOOM Engineering Retro Fuel Lid
 
Suspension:
BeatRush Rear Strut Brace
GarageStar Delrin Door Mounts
Mazdaspeed Engine Mounts
Mazdaspeed Front Strut Brace
Ohlins DFV Coilovers (7F, 4R)
RacingBeat Sway Bar End Links (F+R)
 
Wheels/Brakes:
Dixcel Type M Brake Pads (F+R)
Dixcel Type SD Slotted Rotors (F+R)
Goodridge Braided Brake Lines
H&R TRAK+ 5mm Spacers (54.1 Hubcentric)
Pirelli Cinturato P1 Tyres (185/60/R14)
RS-Watanabe Type-A (14×6.5 +4.5 Final Offset)
RS-Watanabe Centre Caps
RS-Watanabe Lug Nuts
RS-Watanabe Valve Stems
 
How did you get in to Miatas?
A close friend of mine, Thomas, was the one who planted the seed of wanting an MX-5 into my head. At the time I had just sold my car to pay the tax on some land I had purchased. I wanted a fun car but I didn’t want to break the bank either. I flirted with the idea of a convertible, but I had told myself that if it were to be one, it would be only one car: a Honda S2000. Thomas had a friend, Dan, who owns an NA6 BRG which had been tastefully modified. He urged me to consider the MX-5 as it was the most bang for your buck car you could get, which was not only fun to drive given it was a rear wheel drive, 50/50 weight distribution and the fact that the car weighed next to nothing, but it also had huge aftermarket support. The plethora of mods you could do at a relatively cheap price was amazing, albeit this is a double edged sword in a way since most parts individually do not cost all that much but collectively you would have burned a hole in your wallet. I know this first hand. Anyway, after driving one, I was completely sold and I began to understand why these cars were so popular. I ended up getting the very first one that I saw. An unmodified, completely original 1996 BRG NA8C, which had always been under covers and never seen rain water.
 
How long have you owned the car?
I’ve had the car since December 15, 2015.
 
How long did it take you to build?
The car is always a work in progress (WIP) so I guess you can say it took as long as from the day I picked it up to now, which would be approximately 3.5 years. I have kept a detailed build log on mazdaroadster.com as well as my facebook page at www.facebook.com/96BRG where you can see the documented build.
 
What is your intent with the car?
Drive it as much as I can, keep playing with it by adding tasteful mods or refreshing parts with OEM where necessary, and to eventually hand it down to my not-yet-born son or daughter.
 
Is this your daily driver or weekend car?
Weekender.
 
What are your future plans/goals with the car?
 
Next on the list are the following in no specific order:
Jenvey ITBs
Built motor to either 1.9 or 2.0L with cams, etc
OS Giken 1.5 LSD
Take out the 4x pinhole dents on the car
Complete respray in BRG
Lizard Skin insulation in transmission tunnel and also underneath the carpets.
GV Rear Tail Lights moulded into the body, much like RevLimiter’s Sharka
Robbins tan soft top with glass rear window
OEM hardtop
Flyin’ Miata Frame Rails
Re-Upholster both seats with Nakamae with perforation on headrest to allow for speakers
Replace carpet with new OEM Mazda Tan carpet
Replace all rubber seals
Replace all four wheel hubs
Replace all fuel system parts with OEM Mazda parts
Refresh dashboard with new foam and insulation
Replace tan crashpad with OEM Mazda Tan crashpad
Replace heatercore with OEM Mazda NB heatercore
Refresh all suspension control arms, remove any surface rust and apply POR15 rust preventing paint
Replace all bushings with Mazdaspeed N1 bushings
Refresh subframe, remove any surface rust
Wire footwell lights and NA6 light assembly
 
Any special memories you’d like to share?
Taking the car home after paying the elderly gentleman and parting ways with my money, I distinctly remember playing with the pop-up headlights button as much as I could. I drove with the headlights up for most of the way home. Apart from driving the car which I love to do whenever I can, this car has enabled me to meet so many like-minded people and whom I have formed good friendships over. Every time I get behind the wheel and take it for a drive, quick or long, it never fails to leave a smile on my face. I’m sure I will have plenty more adventures to come. 
 
Shoutouts/Credits/Sponsors:
Shoutout to Daniel (IG: dkarjadi) and Fatih (IG: fatihfilms) of Monday Made (IG: mondaymade) for always taking great videos and photos, David (IG: dbourne87) for also making my car look good in photos, Dan for initially showing me his BRG which instantly got me hooked into wanting one myself, Thomas for convincing me to get an MX-5 in the first place. Thanks to Dan, Nick, Victor, NK and Sari for always willing to lend a hand with anything, Josh and Ratana for being my go-to guys for anything mechanical, RevLimiter for providing amazing custom parts for my car and for answering my many questions about everything, RetroModernUSA for providing the intricate detailed pieces which make the car feel complete and of course, Spirit Road for providing me with this platform to share my pride and joy to the world.

I have been following Ippei in Japan for some time now. And there is just something about his roadster that I like very much. Perhaps it is because it is simple in form. His Miata still retains the stock body panels and R Package front and rear lower spoilers which carries that timeless design by Mazda. From a visual standpoint, what stands out is how hunkered down his car is over custom, rebuilt stock steelies widened to 9″ inches with a 0 offset on all 4 corners. And time to time he switches them out with SSR MK II’s in 14×8, 0 offset front and 14×8.5 with -7 offset in the rears. The low stance is dialed in with Zeal Super Function coilovers.

The interior has that go-fast look with a Nardi Classic steering wheel, Joyfast shift knob, East Bear bucket seat, Cusco 4 point roll bar, and custom Stack Oil Pressure, Oil Temp and Water Temp gauges for keeping an eye on engine vitals.

Under the hood, you find old school Solex 40mm carbs. For those folks that has installed carbs or individual throttle bodies in their Miatas, they will tell you it is not about the power; it is about that engine response. Just a couple blips of that throttle, and you get all giddy inside. And not to mention the symphony of music of 4 throttles at full sing. There are really no words to describe them, unless you have either driven a Miata with 4 throttles or actually own one yourselves.

Ippei’s little roadster has all the little ingredients for a simple and fun Miata where he drives it all over Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Yokohama with his friends. He’s owned his roadster for more than 6 years and is his daily driver. With plans to rebuild his motor for more power. If I had his roadster, I’d drive it every day too!

Now scroll down to check out the awesome photos of his car!

Photographer: Ippei Suzuki ＆ Ryosuke Doi

Writer: Kevin Truong

Owner’s name: Ippei Suzuki

Location: Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan

Instagram: @ippei150vsp

1993 Mazda Miata

Engine mods:

B6-ZE, Solex Carburetor S-Type 40mm

Transmission and Differential mods:

Stock 5 Speed Manual, Mazdaspeed LSD

Interior:

Nardi Classic leather steering wheel, Stack meter’s, Joyfast shift knob, Unknown quick release boss, East Bear Sports Sigma bucket seat, Cusco 4P Roll bar

Exterior:

R Package front and rear lips

Suspension:

Endless Zeal Super Function coilovers

Brakes:

Front Summit brake system Order goods, Rear IDI D700

Wheels:

Custom rebuilt stock steel wheels from 5.5 with +45 offset to 9″ wide with 0 offset, 185/55/14 tires

SSR Mark2 14×8, 0 offset, front with 14×8.5 -7 offset rear, with 185/60/14 tires

How did you get in to Miatas?

I bought it for half a million yen at a used car shop.

How long have you owned the car?

I have owned this car for 6 years.

What is your intent with the car?

Keep it simple, low and fun to drive.

Is this your daily driver or weekend car?

This is my daily driver.

What are your future plans/goals with the car?

My Roadster has 195,000 kilometers on the clock. So I plan to rebuild the engine, install the cams and cam gears. I also have a new set of wheels, so I plan to install them soon.

Back in March of 2019, Nico and I drove around LA and he shot and filmed the last rendition of the Spirit Roadster. The car wore a more simple and modern aesthetic. Such as authentic M2-1028 Sebring Vitaloni mirrors match painted Montego Blue, and OEM Front and Rear bumpers with R Package lower spoilers. A bright red safety tow hook provided by IL Motorsport, and a black billet Car Make Corn’s antenna. The interior also went with a more sleek and simple black, leather and chrome contrast. Only upon closer inspection one can see the changes. Revlimiter provided a custom mix of M2-1028 and RS Products Japan inspired gauge faces with a matching HVAC panel. Jass Performance black needle caps and HVAC knobs replaced their OEM counterparts. Evasive maneuvers to be controlled by a Momo Prototipo with Black spokes, and Black Leather with White Stitching. Shifting duties were in the form of a Car Make Corn’s Black Leather shift knob with Light Gray stitching. Other details to note include RS Japan Hazard Switches plate, DDM Works 3 Gauge Surround, Revlimiter Vent Rings, and a Zoom Engineering Cup Holder all in respective Black hues. The polished side sills were refurbished with new “Roadster” emblems by Revlimiter.

The car is more performance oriented with roll over safety provided by a Zerek Fabrication 4 Point Roll Bar/Harness Bar set up. The SSR Watanabe’s were replaced with more aggressive, lightweight, 15×8, +28 offset, Advan RGD2’s with Black Metallic Faces and Polished Lips wrapped in Nitto NT05 205/50/15 tires. The suspension now consisted of Spirit Road Touge Series coilovers with Swift Springs, 12K front and 10K rear. Designed and tested for the canyons and mountain runs throughout Southern California.

The 1.9 liter Jerry Built Racing ITB motor also went through a change and is now testing and utilizing Skunk2 Racing’s intake manifold, 1″ inch volume spacer and throttle body combo. Additional intake duties were addressed with a rare Mazdaspeed Airbox which were custom powdercoated a Cerakote High Heat Flat Black in and out, moving air through a custom Zerek Fab intake pipe also coated with the same functional Cerakote finish. This combination netted 160 horsepower with 135 lbs. of torque at Engineering Concepts dyno in San Diego, California. Other upgrades and changes include a Radium Engineering Fuel Rail flowing a mix of Premium and E85 through new injectors in to the cylinder head, high heat wrinkle black powdercoated valve cover modified for the Maruha Carbon Fiber Cam Gear Cover, Maruha 1.3 Bar Radiator Cap and a rare Mazdaspeed Oil Cap.

Now scroll down and check out the awesome photos by Nico @nico.mx5!

The definitions of an outlaw: 1.) a person who has broken the law, especially one who remains at large or is a fugitive. 2.) ban or make illegal. Now Pete is a good model citizen and does not break any laws nor is he a fugitive. And number two, he doesn’t do anything illegal. But when one looks at his Roadster whilst parked or flying past you, one might get that idea. His Miata exudes raw, rough, hardcore, aggressive and is down-right mean looking. First things that stick out in your face are the deep dished SSR Starsharks in 14×8.5, -8 offset all around, wrapped with Toyo R888’s, paired with Carbon Miata fender flares. Rocking a retro Barchetta Clubman GT front bumper, Garage Vary headlight lid, Zoom Engineering side markers, RS Active Type II headlights, Greasemonkey2000 hand-drilled wiper arms, M2-1028 side mirrors, Zoom Engineering fuel lid, and finished off with a Garage Vary rear finish panel with Porter Cab lights.

With the bite to back up its bark, Pete’s car has one of the first CARB approved Flyin’ Miata turbo kits. Pete drives his Roadster like a Rough Rider stampeding with the hell-bent-for-leather horse cavalry. Boost comes in quick and spent gases exit a Car Make Corn’s dual tip muffler. His engine bay is clean and cooling is addressed with a Flyin’ Miata radiator and fan, 949 Racing coolant reroute, Mazdaspeed radiator cap and Kinod Edition/Circuit Sports coolant overflow tank. And like a strong, wild stallion, suspension is handled by 949 Racing Xida coilovers, Racing Beat front sway bar, Supermiata rear sway bar and endlinks, and Carbing strut bars fore and aft.

The interior of his roadster is the pinnacle of retro Miata interiors. Saddle up in Nakamae Type R seats with the reins held in the form of a rare RS Watanabe Falcon steering wheel with a custom Revlimiter Horn Button. And laid before you, are custom DJR Tribute Revlimiter gauge faces dedicated to Pete’s late loving brother Dan, whom is no longer with us. On a side note, it was Pete’s brother who got him in to cars. If it wasn’t for Dan, perhaps this Outlaw Roadster might have never happened. Thank you Dan. The rider is enveloped with a ton of Nakamae interior pieces, KG Works, Joyfast, Nielex, AWD, RS Products, Retromodern, Zoom Engineering, and the list goes on and on. Have you ever seen any Miatas interior this extensive? Probably not and perhaps never will.

Although his roadster is perceived as an outlaw, Pete is not that dangerous. He is the most genuine and sweetest guy you will ever meet. Not only is he very passionate about Miatas, but also very welcoming and open-minded. I first met Pete back many moons ago at one of the Friday night, Kinod meets. Pete made me feel like I belonged right away, and even invited me to his beautiful home in Manhattan Beach for a summer barbeque, whom he shares with his lovely wife Jen (she also owns a gorgeous Sunburst Yellow Miata), their boys and their furry sidekick, Frodo. Oh, and his eldest is extremely lucky and gets to drive the BRG Miata also laced out with a bunch of jdm tid bits too (we will save that car for a future feature). I wish my dad hooked me up with a decked out Miata when I was in high school.

Now scroll down and check out the beautiful photos of Pete’s Miata!

Photographer: Nico N. @nico.mx5

Writer:  Kevin Truong

Owner’s name: Pete Royea

Instagram: @oldgrayleather

Location:  Manhattan Beach, CA

1990 Mazda Miata

Engine mods:

FM Stage 1 Carb approved Turbo kit

FM Cross Flow radiator and fan upgrade

949 Coolant reroute

Rokyu Rob Powder coated valve cover

Mazdaspeed Oil cap

Mazdaspeed Radiator cap

Carbing three point front strut bar

KINOD edition Circuit sports coolant overflow tank

IL Motorsports hood struts

Carbing rear strut bar

Car Make Corns dual exit exhaust

Cappuccino washer bottle

Transmission and Differential mods:

ACT HD clutch

SuperMiata Clutch line

Interior:

Porsche Design x Momo steering wheel/ RS Watanabe Falcon steering wheel w custom RevLimiter horn button & surround

Daikei hub and polished cover

Nakamae Type R seats with side protectors

Nakamae door panels and pulls

Nakamae drink holder

Nakamae storage net

Nakamae window winders

KGWorks Door latches/ locks

Aerodramatics Door cups

Zoom center console

MiataRoadster short shift kit

Joyfast shift knob

Nielex handbrake lever and button

Nielex tombstone cover

Nielex hazard switch

Hayashi vents

AWD HVAC cover and trim ring

AWD 1013 gauge cluster w RevLimiter lenses

RevLimiter custom DJR Tribute gauges and HVAC panel

Zoom engineering Monaco mirror

RS Products needle caps

RS Products HVAC controls (with RM burled controller)

RS Products Vent rings

Retro Modern Ignition cover

Royal Clover Queen key

Retro Modern lighter plug

Zeromotive smoke ring

Retro Modern burled dimmer switch

Retro Modern Trip odometer reset cover

Sazaire glove box key hole cover

Zoom engineering starter button

Rev9 M2 pedal covers

Karo floor mats

Car Make Corns knee pad

Pioneer DEH-80PRS head unit

DDM Works Radio surround/ blanking plate

Focal Performance 165AC speakers

Il Motorsports polished door sill covers with RevLimiter inserts

Blackbird Fabworx roll bar w custom Bethania cover (thanks Martha)

H3R Fire extinguisher and bracket

Exterior:

Barchetta Front bumper

OEM hardtop (non defrost), for now…

Beatrush side latches

Garage Star front tow hook

Garage Star plate relocator

RS Active Type II headlights with upgraded PIAA 960 lights

GV headlight lid

Zoom Engineering side lights

R front lip (by Rspeed)

Greasemonkey2000 hand drilled wiper arms

Retro Modern wiper cap inserts

M2 1028 side mirrors with wide blue upgrade

Carbon Miata Fender Flares and black stainless fasteners

Zoom Engineering Fuel lid

Car Make Corns radio antenna

GV Rear finish panel/ badge and Porter cab lights

Custom Corfito Mazda rear badge

KG Works rear spoiler (by Rspeed)

Zoom Engineering Rear bumper

Rokyu Rob rear tow hook

Starsharks re-barelled by Barrel Bros in Australia to 14×8.5 -8

949 Racing lugs

Toyo R888 225/50/14 rear, 205/55/14 front

Robbin’s soft top

Suspension:

949 Racing Xida Race Coilovers with Billet upper mounts

Downstar strut nuts

1.125” Racing Beat front sway bar

Rear Supermiata rear sway bar

SuperMiata End Links

Garage star door bushing

Brakes:

Erm… haven’t failed me yet?

Shoutouts/Credits/Sponsors:  This is where it gets crazy.  This Roadster tribe has had such a profoundly positive impact on my life the last years I can’t skimp on the credit though I’m sure I’m going to forget a ton of special people.

Mrs. R (Jennifer) for the inspiration in the first place and the support for all things Roadster.  My brother’s Dan & Steve for fueling my petrol addiction.  And Frodo, my most regular four legged co-pilot.

Adam (RevLimiter) – such a wonderful human being, an incredible story teller and source of endless inspiration.  Sharka will always be my muse.

The KINOD family for welcoming me with open arms and fueling my passion and knowledge.  The best way to spend a Friday night.  Garrett, JonB, Max and Jeremy in the early days, David’s Inge, Woolery & Morales, Pedro, Manny, Mike Gaite, Bill Wilner, Andrew, Rob, Vu and Vu, Regis (+ Missy + K), Dusty, Tommy, Sonny, Ham, the Jason’s, Rick, Alexxandria + Daniel, Cho’s & Trans’, Alex, Ashley, John K, Bench, Emmi, Eddie, Forest, Brennan, Domo, Dwayne, Nam, Gabele, Bodybag, Courtney + LJ, Antonio (our Italian foreign exchange student) and Brian for being key to starting this all despite never having owned a Miata.  And of course Kevin and Nico who I coerced to join us and who’s ambitions help fuel the fire.  Eli and Sam?  We’ll eventually make converts out of you yet.

The MazdaRoadster forum for its boundless knowledge and especially the east coast crew who welcomed me to Miatapalooza.  Rick, Randy, Agent O, Steven, the Sawyers’, Alex and Corey (the best friend I’ve made out of a spat over rare JDM parts).  I wish forum life hadn’t been taken over by social media but at least there’s some amazing history of Peter’s Blue Potato and Stoly’s Scrat!

The crews I finally got to meet and hang with thanks to MRLS – NorCal’s Willis Wong, Brian Szeto + Aaron. The PNW Cat Daddy’s and those that came from futher away Marlon and the Philippines crew and Marlon from north of the (wall) border.  And of course Tom Matano.  Such an inspiration – I feel honored to have enjoyed his company and stories on more than one occasion.

All the inspiration from over the pond with James and his amazing collection, Ry, Will, Alan, Tanya, Darryl, Chris,  Vaho and Cermivelli to the east and Harry, Peter and Gianni from a bit further south.

The Corns family, Tomio, Tomoyo, Ben-san and Kadin.  The crew from Thailand and especially Goff’s vision and design prowess.  Probably the best realization of a dream with unrivaled attention to detail.

The wonderful Joel and the RDB family – Nathan, the Spilker bros, et al.

To Alex and the Integrated Performance crew for always keeping me on the road with jobs too big or time consuming for me.  Makito and Louise for all the stunning paint and body work.

And finally the back issues of HyperRev and Road&Sters for the many hours of enjoyment and inspiration.

How did you get in to Miatas?

My wife encouraged me to buy a Miata as a tribute to my eldest brother after he lost his battle with cancer in 2014.  He was a key source of my lifelong passion for cars.  In Feb ‘89, he and I marveled at the MX5’s Chicago unveiling and knew it was a brilliant antidote to what his ‘78 Fiat Spider failed to deliver beyond the top down fun.  He finally got to enjoy that reality in Lola, the Montego blue which was his last car.  We’ve since added two more NA’s to our collection.  One for Mrs R (a mint 100% stock Sunburst with 43k miles) so I could start modifying the smurf and a 91 BRG that’s been another platform to have some fun.

How long have you owned the car?  I was searching for a bone stock, low mileage first year production (short Mariner and finally found one in early 2015 with 50k miles.  Nearing 90k so has certainly being seeing some use.

How long did it take you to build?  It’s gone through at least three distinct phases with a pretty big change up each of the last three years.

What is your intent with the car?  To love the hell out of it and to channel what I believe my brother would have appreciated most about a multi-purpose track/street car that has a painstaking attention to detail and love of what the Japanese aftermarket was doing in the early 90’s.

Is this your daily driver or weekend car?  It started out as a weekend car Jen and I would share.  That didn’t last long.  Last year my “daily” saw 2k miles and Benny covered 12k.

What are your future plans/goals with the car?  I keep saying it’s pretty much done but next up with be installing some of the pieces I’m currently picking up in Japan and some other parts coming down from Washington later in the summer.  There’s also some real maintenance work I should tackle like replacing all the bushings, probably upgrading from the stock diff and others.

Any special memories you’d like to share?  Teaching my eldest son to drive stick and see him become a massive convert, JCCS with Mike G and Willis. Countless early morning blasts to cars and coffees, Spirit road cruises come rain or shine, the annual pilgrimage to Laguna Seca and seeing the freeway littered with Miatas, tech days at Woolery’s, RevLimiter edition KINOD and our trip to the secret Mazda basement.  I could go on and on and on but this Roadster really has been an enabler for so many incredible memories and I expect will continue to for years and years to come.