2009 Mazda Miata (NC2) Sport

Pretty much a basic 2009 Sport model. Didn't much care for the wheels or that vinyl top.

Basic seats just HAD to go.

Good shot of the interior. Original steering wheel, original shift knob, and original black fabric seat coverings.

Finally got my new license plates. They didn't last long.

First mods: New wheels and new brake calipers.

New JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) steering wheel, new Cobalt short throw shifter, new seat covers.

Upgraded Cobalt exhaust system. Much better sounding than stock.

Final day, final shot. We were on our way to deliver her to her new owners - a couple from Massachusettes. This was taken in the parking lot of I-95 overlooking Mystic Seaport harbor.

The day I brought her home from Texas. Had those damn temporary tags on there for months until the dealer finally send over the title.

This car came from Expo Motors in Houston, TX. I had been very specific about what I wanted the car: It had to be black on black. It had to have 50K miles or less on the clock. It had to be a 5-speed. And it had to cost less than 10K. I found exactly 7 cars in the entire US that matched my requirements. Most of them were all clapped out or from private citizens. This car was the only one that was from a dealer and didn't look like it had been beaten up. So the day after I sold the Nissan, I hopped on a plane, flew to Houston and bought the car.

During my ownership, I made a few modifications to the car. I replaced the steering wheel with a flat-bottomed JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) factory wheel. I upgraded the exhaust to a Cobalt system and installed a Cobalt short-shifter from Moss Miata. I also swapped out the factory wheels to something a bit more stylish, painted the brake calipers red, and had the fabric covered seats redone with black and red leather covers from Katzkin Leather. The car was done. It was updated exactly the way I wanted it to be.

And then I got the Porsche bug.