Re: Ghettocharge or newer shocks?
Ouch, I hate cracked nipples.
The Frankenmiata's Volvo 240 oil cooler was purchased on half price day (damn near any holiday weekend) at the local pick a part. Price was $8 for the cooler, $1 each for the lines. The lines were long enough to get halfway to the engine. The rest of the distance was covered with some hoses in my leftover hose box. They used to be water lines for a friend's air/water intercooler, but they have a 200 psi rating, so we ran with it. Brass barbed fittings splice the lines together.
Not only do Volvos come with nice, Setrab oil coolers, they also use sandwich plates under the oil filters, which, if you're fortunate, the guy a the counter won't even notice on the end of the oil lines (free!). To make this fit our block, we used a longer oil filter nipple salvaged off a later 1.8 Miata, and a used rear axle nut from a series 1 Lotus Exige that we chucked in a lathe and machined down until it was shallow enough to hold the sandwich plate on without interfering with the filter.
Forget about KYB shocks, they suck. Stock Miata shocks are pretty good, as long as they aren't pissing oil. Just DON'T LOWER THE CAR. Miatas don't have enough suspension travel, and lowering them ruins any chance of handling with stock springs.
