The Miata now has more goodies. It has a set of Ground Control coilover sleeves with Eibach springs. So now the car is lower, the suspension is stiffer, and it handles far more aggressively.
Unfortunately the front end can’t go as low as the rear end, because for some reason these sleeves don’t work well with the front shocks. So at some point I should get new shocks, but I don’t feel like spending $300 for a pair right now. Oh, and the rear sway bar is gone now too, which means less drifting fun, more grippy fun.
I got to put these new springs to the test on Sunday at an autocross event though. My opinion on these changes: AMAZING. This was the first event I can remember when I actually did not spin the car out even once. I got lost on course twice, but hey, that’s a minor detail…
Thanks to the stiffer suspension, the car no longer has a lot of body roll in corners, which is really nice. It’s also stopped making popping noises from the suspension as much. I don’t know what the source of those noises is, but everything seems to function fine, so I think it’s safe to ignore it…
I was told by some other drivers that my springs are actually pretty soft compared to what the most competitive drivers use, so I can’t help but wonder what that will do for me in the future. This car seems to be getting better and better in terms of performance.
The looks department, however, is a different story. Yes, the picture is of my car. Yes, I dented it. That’s what happens when you try to pull a Miata out of the garage and accidentally leave the driver’s door open. Luckily the latch still works, and so does the lock, so it’s usable until I can get a new one.
I tried Craigslist (the source of all things cheap) first, but of course I can’t get responses from people who are actually serious about selling their Miata parts. Sooo I think I’m going to have to hit up a Miata parts place in Phoenix, which I may post about on here after I visit. I’ve sold them the old springs and the old driver’s seat from my car, and the people there have been great to me so far.
So the moral of this story? Get yourself some nice coilovers, and don’t try to back your car out of the garage with the door open. Unless, of course, you like hearing your car’s door crunch and putting a crack in the wooden frame around your garage door.
Black Widow Racing 