![]() Over time Kevin began acquiring parts, mentioning that he nearly purchased the entire catalog from Maruha in Japan. His friend Jerry from Jerrybuilt Racing is, in Kevin’s words, a “die-hard Honda drag racer and engine builder,” so Kevin ended up going to him for help with his four cylinder. I’ve just been lucky, know a lot of people, and have been fortunate enough for everyone to help and lend a hand when possible.” “No project is ever easy, and I think any gearhead could agree with me. A lot of broken promises from different shops, delays, nightmares, headaches,” Kevin says. “I ran into all kinds of challenges building this motor. He decided it was time to build a motor for the car. Revlimiter also contributed to Kevin’s build and they later collaborated to make Spirit Road horn buttons, gauge faces, wooden shift knobs, and so on, but as the project expanded Kevin set his sights on a larger item. The reason for the marriage between Spirit Road and Corn’s comes from the fact that Corn’s makes a lot of retro-themed items which helped Kevin carry out his vintage vision of ’60s/’70s racer influence. I think this is the point in the project that we can all relate to the moment where you’re on the verge of giving up and can’t see how things could possibly work out. Eventually all of the odds and ends made it onto the car, but it still wouldn’t start. “As the parts continued adding up, so did the struggles,” Kevin remembers. Kevin opted for Fujitsubo Legalis R header which was an easy install, but the ITBs and other upgrades were a different story. The Pit Crew header was made for a right-hand drive car, meaning the steering shaft interfered and one of the major inspirations for the build was ruled out. He eventually got the hang of making the lines and got a handle on the fuel leaks, but as Kevin continued figuring out the wiring and other essential items to finish the install he continued to run into roadblocks. “The fuel hard lines on the Miata are not a common size, was a nightmare finding the right fittings, sleeves, and even flaring the hard lines.” But it wasn’t a totally straightforward proposition. “The car was parked for two months while I wrenched away the ITBs,” he explained. Kevin still had the Jenvey ITBs sitting in his room, so the decision was made to finally fit them. He lowered the car, found a set of beat-up Panasport wheels (which were subsequently restored), and finally enjoyed his first drive with the beginnings of his vision intact. This included an ARC intake and airbox along with Arrive cold air intake piping. Ultimately, Kevin decided to build his entire car around these two parts.Īctually, he didn’t even own a Miata at this point, but soon after Kevin found a prime bone-stock example out in Bakersfield, California and started adding some bolt-ons to the ’97 NA to get things rolling. It began with a long day of driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back for a set of Jenvey ITBs and a Pit Crew Racing high-rise header. ![]() Kevin and Spirit Road’s love story started in December of 2017 and, like any big project, there were some bumps before things ran smoothly. The full list can be seen below, but it’s Kevin’s path towards completion that we’ll focus on here. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mod list for a Miata as detailed and as long as Kevin’s. It’s just him, the car, and the road.Īs such, Kevin has poured his soul into this build, modifying every last square inch of the car. This car is Kevin’s routine spiritual release, and due to this connection he has given his Miata the name Spirit Road.Īfter a long day of work he goes out for a night cruise and everything aligns. Many, if not most Miata owners see their little cars as either just a way to get around or a fun weekend track car or back-roader, but only a few true enthusiasts feel as deep an affinity with their Miata as Kevin does. Miata is always the answer, a mantra which carries over to many subcultures within the car world.īut with so many different examples buzzing around, it’s hard for just one to stand out. However, if any Miata can differentiate itself from the others, it’s Kevin Truong’s. These little cars are slow but quick, cramped yet just big enough, cheap, fun and oh-so-versatile. You might see an older lady cruise by in a stock Miata and, not a minute later, a kid-owned rendition slammed to oblivion drive by, too.
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