November 6, 2007 - I pulled the differential out last night so I had the car up on the lift for a good check-over.
Underneath the nose, the plastic ducting for the radiator got smashed up in one corner. Easy to replace. The engine undertray got pulled loose from one bolt but a washer will solve that problem. I can fix up the paint damage easily enough of course.
There's no other sign of damage underneath although I'm still wondering why the steering wheel is offset. It has me worried as you might expect. I'm considering replacing the left front control arm regardless, that's the corner that hit hard enough to damage a strong SSR wheel.
About the wheels - I took a new wheel and the bent wheel/tire down to our local tire shop to have it mounted and balanced. I was waiting at the door when they opened up in the morning, as I needed to have the wheel and tire back on the car by the time Flyin' Miata opened for business so I didn't tie up a lift. First thing on a Tuesday morning, it should be quick. Not so much. It took over an hour for the single tire to be mounted and balanced and I had to be a bit of a pest to make that happen. A dramatic contrast from the friendly, speedy (and free!) service from Discount Tire in Pueblo. I wasn't wearing the race suit, that might have been the key.
tags: testing, other cars, tires, crash |
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