Welcome to 3D Performance ! 
Home of the Mighty Miata, aka Beastie, and "other" toys. First off, I would like to apologize for the limitations put on by geocities/yahoo on this site. It seems you can get to about page 6 when it becomes "unavailable." Maybe it is time to look elsewhere to put this? We'll see ... Oh, and now, Yahoo plans to close down geocities sites "at the end of the year," so definitely time to copy files and then post it at another host. Will do !!!
The history of "the beastie."
Here is a photos of the First Day, fresh off the transport from North Carolina!
In 1999, we two fellows were running our 1994 Mazda Miata R models in what was then the B Stock class of SCCA Solo 2 Autocross events. One 'R' was Red, owned by Don, and the other was Black, owned by Dave. The two brave men kept trying to out-drive the new '99 Sport Miata that had just come out, and in which a couple other fellows were pretty much cleaning up. Sadly the seemingly outdated '94s, the "hot car" just a couple of years before, were running 3rd, 4th, or worse.
One day Don says, "This is getting frustrating!" I had to agree, it wasn't much fun being the Best of the Rest. THEN, he said those prophetic words, "We could build a Prepared Car!" I thought: "Mods? Tricks? Toys? Tweaking? My car's kinda bent already, hmmmmmm..." With registration, emissions testing, and insurance all coming due at the same time (and SOON) we decided to go for it! Besides, I had another Miata that I drove on the street, a Supercharged 1993 with LOTS of suspension modifications. Great little street car that I miss dearly (it was my first Miata, and the car I was going to keep for the rest of my life).
We tore into that thing like cops at a drug bust! Tearing out every "creature comfort" and non-performance-related items: the lights, the dash, the rugs, the top, the "road-going" parts and pieces from bumper to bumper! If it didn't make the car go or stop, then it was deadweight we did not need to haul around! Not a total stripdown just yet, mind you, but taking it in stages. For a while, it was still street legal, but in a few weeks' time, we had it pretty much gutted and the parts sold off, giving us enough money to do some work! First thing, buy 13" SLICKS, for THIS new beastie! And don't forget a trailer and truck!
The first few mods; lower, leaner, meaner, and SLICKS, and onto a trailer !
I can still hear Don saying, "This windshield and frame must weigh a lot." We tried to finesse it out, but the windshield eventually cracked and broke. Then it was BOOM, BASH, CRASH !!!
Then we took a grinder to the frame, and windshield gone, less weight, add in some adjustable spring perches, better shocks, bigger tires.
The "Beastie" project progressed as we had had time, and with very limited funds. Both Don and I were working fulltime in the beginning, so we did things as we could, and came up with a lot of our own ideas of "innovation." Some of the ingenuity is actually quite clever!!!
This was not your go-buy-and-race-it car. WE built it. Yup, Me and Don. And with Dave M adding his years of Formula 1 and World Rally Championship technical expertise, we were really improving the car, always trying to make it quicker, nimbler, and lighter, and may one day be head for the Topeka Solo Nationals!
Here are a couple more pics of the car as it ended up:
Dave - Phoenix National Tour event, 2nd Place
Don - crossing the finish line at the Tour, Zoom-Zoom !!!
And this is Lindsay M, pushin' hard!
Lindsay is "the other Dave's" daughter, and she is no slouch! Along with the two Daves and the Don (get it? "3D" Performance), we had a great time with this great little, underpowered, and STILL overweight Miata ! We worked on it; thinking and discussing about it; and traded off ideas to get the thing better and better! And don't forget the Coronas with lime!
Last Improvements --- we swapped in a 1999 engine for MORE POWER, and went to a REALLY stiff spring set so the car did not develop as much body roll (some of those pics are hurtful!). We also experimented with different tires and rim sizes and alignments, and got closer to the Sweet Spot !!! There was always something new to try though, ... Why? Because WE want to be the FASTEST DAMN CAR OUT THERE !!!
With rising gas prices, we then decided to switch over to the C Street Prepared class, where we could drive the car to the event, not tow, and get 30 mpg rather than 8 in the old truck. We are still campaigning that car, and doing the best we can.
Page 2 - the story of the Beastie (Part 2)
Page 3 - first Miata and Autocross days