Current Garage

2006 Mazda MX-5

My current NC Miata is actually my third NC. It was an inexpensive and high-mileage (161K miles) addition to the garage. The NC is my longest owned car on this list at 3 years and has been modified almost perfectly at this point to my liking, with the only big ticket item missing being a Ford Fusion 2.5L engine swap (coming soon).


 2011 Lexus LX570

Like many people, I fell in love with the idea of the Land Cruiser 200 (LC200) series; one of the greatest vehicles ever produced. If you are unaware, the LC200 values are astronomically high, but since I was already in a Lexus GX470 I decided to take the jump into the Lexus variant called the LX570. After the 2.5 years and about 30K miles I've owned it (consisting of road trips, towing, and off-roading), I can say the aspirational goal of purchasing a LC200 was definitely the right call. I have modified it a little, but honestly the LC200 chassis is so good that it really doesn't require much to perfect.


 2006 Toyota 4Runner

The newest addition to the garage and have only had it for one month. Everyone has that one car circled when they are 16 that may not be the coolest, but it's just what you want. I have been passively looking for a perfectly spec'd 4th Generation 4Runner for over a decade and when I finally found it, I couldn't pass it up. The build on this one is just getting started...


2018 Mazda CX-5

This is my wife's car. To be fair, of the crossovers in the segment it's probably the best one but I personally am not a fan of crossovers in general. The crossover to me is what someone buys when they are looking for something that can do everything decently, but nothing great. We have had this car for nearly 4 years (so I guess its actually our longest owned vehicle) and yet I have one image of it during that span; definitely not my primary vehicle.


1992 Chapparal 2000SL

The first non-car on this list, but has equal meaning in my life. This is the boat that I grew up going on and I am fortunate enough that my father passed it down to me about 3 years ago. It isn't the fastest or nicest craft on the water, but it's plenty quick (GM 350 with a duo-prop) and is a ton of fun on any given weekend.

 

1996 Seadoo GTI

$300. Do I need to say any more? Bought it cheap and not running with a trailer and fixed it for about $150. For a sub-$500 ski, it's a lot of fun!


Comments

  1. JaredApril 13, 2023 at 10:35 AM

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but that looks like a Mazda MX-5, and not the Mazda Miata. I can see how you made that error as they are very similar. The Miata is classed as a Mazda MX-5 NA or NB, where just the Mazda MX-5 is classified as the NC or ND. Which brings me to my point, as your car is a NC, therefore known as a Mazda MX-5. The more you know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CamApril 13, 2023 at 11:23 AM

      In the mid-2000's, Mazda was looking to update their naming convention across the brand to all be similar. They had the RX-8, 3, 6, CX-7, CX-9, and Miata; either one name had to change to be similar to the others or they all had to change. Mazda made the decision to drop Miata and replaced it with MX-5, however every publication and video of the newer and older generations always refers to all MX-5's as the Miata. The name may not technically be there (you're right), but the spirit of the Miata lives on!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Release of 2025 Toyota 4Runner

Image
April 9, 2024 I'll go ahead and preface that all information coming from this article comes from Forbes who seemingly accidentally released the 2025 Toyota 4Runner press release at 10:15AM EST on April 9th rather than 10:15PM EST on April 9th. Their post has since been taken down, but not before information could be grabbed. Obviously, I am a fan of the Toyota 4Runner. In total, I have had 4 of them and am actively looking for a fifth (and potentially a sixth depending on next generation). If you want more information on my favorite 4Runner, see my article here . Release of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Forbes accidentally released the first information and images on the next generation (6th) Toyota 4Runner. Here's a quick recap of that information: Like prior 4Runners, the new model also shares a lot with the latest Tacoma midsize pickup including the powertrains. Toyota’s increasingly ubiquitous 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will be under the hood of all sixth-generation 4...
Read more

LX570 Maintenance How-To - Radiator & Associated Items

Image
April 14, 2023 A couple of days ago, I made a post showing the failure point of the early stock 200 Series Land Cruiser (or LX570 like mine) radiator and the other parts/components (with part numbers) that I intend to replace while doing it. My LX570 is at 150K miles on the dot at the time of doing this maintenance. I was able to find several videos about replacing the radiator, but some of the other maintenance items that I was trying to tackle (specifically the fan assembly bracket) were pretty hard to find information on. Removing the Fan and and Radiator This is probably the best documented part of the entire process. Below is the video that I followed to remove it (remember that the Tundra is essentially the same car as the 200 series underneath) Here were a couple of notes from the process that I experienced: You will have to disconnect transmission lines from the radiator and will therefore lose a little transmission fluid (not to mention what is actually in the radiator at tim...
Read more

The Unconventional Thought Processing to LIFT a $100K Lexus LX570!

Image
December 18, 2023 I am going to preface this post with some brief information regarding the Lexus LX570 (and similarly the Land Cruiser 100 Series specifically equipped with the Adjustable Height Control (AHC) system). AHC is a suspension system capable of lowering for easier entry/exit from the vehicle and lifting allowing for more capability off-road. Unlike most other adjustable suspensions, AHC leverages hydraulics rather than air (how must adjustable suspensions operate) to lift and lower the vehicle. As you will soon find out these systems are fantastic when they work, but when they fail it can lead to EXTREMELY costly repairs depending on the specific failure point(s). The Cannonball Run  that Jake and I completed was an unbelievable trip. By the end, we were both absolutely exhausted. But just because we were exhausted did not mean that the automotive escapades would be stopping (or even slowing down)… Two weeks after arriving home from the trip, I was in north Georgia with...
Read more