OK, 10K...

relayer4u · Post by **relayer4u** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:45 pm

Congrats Paul!

Knowledge and laughs are always a great combo and you deliver both. One of the best reasons to visit the Resource on a daily bassis!

AND I'm a winner? E-mail sent for a set of them Chromes I keep reading about...

Hope the next 10K scroll by even faster.

Thanks!

kenposurf · Post by **kenposurf** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:22 pm

Congrats Paul...10,000 posts..that calls for a party...and a new guitar!

marc61 · Post by **marc61** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:50 pm

My people say "Mazeltov" on your milestone!

Here's to another 10K (raises glass, and downs the whiskey in it)

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:55 pm

With all the work you do around here and elsewhere, it is amazing you got to 10K so quickly! Congrats!!!

j_gary · Post by **j_gary** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:20 pm

A Miata? Can't believe you drive a chick car.

Mine's a white 91. I've owned it twice.

10,000. Can't believe that either.

Thank God they have been interesting, well done!

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:31 pm

10,000 posts, wow. Congrats and thanks for all you contribute! If we can engage you in a few more meaty discussions you'll make 20k on no time!

I'm still wondering if you ever hosed the smoking lady neighbor....

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:45 pm

Well, it's winter and she doesn't spend any time on her patio. I did have a conversation with the landlord, who owns my house and hers, and she stopped.

For a week. Then she started sneaking, and within a month she was at it full-bore. Then Aitch came to visit and gave her some of her own back. Then Aitch left, weather got colder and she went indoors. I plan on getting a screecher when spring rolls out.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:59 pm

Gary, my department director and good friend is Tom Matano, the Miata's designer. It's an act of solidarity, I guess!

Tom and I have worked together since about '91, and when he retired from Mazda, where he was VP of design, he took the Director's job at my University and brought me on board to manage the 3D end of things.

When I bought the Miata (a mint '94 Merlot Edition) back in September, one of my first fun things was to have Tom sign the dashboard in silver Sharpie. It's there to make me smile, everytime I get into the car: "Always Inspired! T. Matano"

The car had a nice life before I bought it: One enthusiast SoCal owner who installed the two mods that I would have done myself: a cold-air kit and a big bore stainless exhaust, both from Jackson Racing. Ironically, Oscar Jackson also was a good friend back in the '80s, when he ran a Honda repair shop.

The car is just as I like it and since September, has had 100% reliability and a good record of surprising Boxsters at stoplights. Tom's own Miata is kitted out just like mine, but is a '95, dark blue with gray leather and gray top "to match [his] hair', as he tells it. His Miata has only 24K on it as of this writing. Mine has 100K.

I used to sell Miata styling parts of my own design, which were derived from a Miata show car that I designed and built for Mazda North America, for the San Diego auto expo in 1999. When warmer weather rolls around, I'm going to fit some of these parts to my own Miata.

markbass99 · Post by **markbass99** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:18 am

Back when I was into 5.0 Mustangs in the 80's(I had an 85 GT convertible) I remember seeing the "monster miatas" with the 5.0's shoehorned into them. They were hell on the straights but I bet they pushed really bad in the turns, which probably took some of the fun away.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:35 am

I was working a contract for Mazda R&D back then and I remember getting one in from Monster for "sh*ts and giggles" (evaluation).

Everyone got a chance to drive it. For the most part, they came away mighty impressed.

It's all about torque, man...

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:42 am

Paul, is that the burgundy metallic with the tan top? I've seen a couple and always thought that if I ever got a Miata, that would be the color. You have great taste! Or, maybe I have great taste. Hmm.

wmthor · Post by **wmthor** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:58 am

When I lived in SoCal (93 to 99), a female colleague of mine drove a "Monster Miata". She loved having Mustangs and Camaros for lunch.

BTW, is the paint scheme on a 94 Merlot Edition Miata anything close to a 06 DCM Ric?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 5:23 am

The Merlot "M" Edition is indeed very close to the DCM color for the Rick 75s. It is a mica, though, instead of a pearl, and the reflective particles are larger.

A picture of my DCMs with the Miata would be an interesting one, once the rain stops here...

The "M" Edition has always been my favorite 1st generation Miata. Back in '99, when I had my accessory company, I owned a then-new 2nd generation Miata in Silver with a tan interior. This older one is much quicker (no, it's not just that it sounds quicker!) and is the ideal point 'n' shoot for awful SF traffic.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 5:32 am

And, to top it off, all is well, the Freak Brothers live on!