With His and Hers Miatas, This Fleet Is A Triumph: Members’ Rides

Happy Monday! We all know that Monday is everyone’s favorite day of the week, since you get see a fresh Member’s Ride! Last week, we met the Roadmonster, a fantastic Corvette-engined station wagon. Station wagons have become somewhat of a legendary vehicle these days, which is always fun. Today we get to look at a matching pair of another legendary vehicle!

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Whenever you ask the all-knowing internet what car you should buy, there is one car that comes up again and again. Indeed, many would say that it is always the answer. Greg (Rad Barchetta), an electrical engineer who does all sorts of smarter-than-me things as he works with robotics and automation, and his wife Janet know what car is always the answer, and got matching Miatas – with matching plates, too! Let’s Mosey Into All The Action (M-I-A-T-A, if you will).

How did you get into cars?

I was a closet gearhead most of my life, and I must have gotten that from my dad. Dad loved cars but hated working on them, so he’d buy something cool and sell it or trade it quickly before it became a headache. He’s a true Alfisti, owned several, was webmaster for AlfaBB.com for a while, and claims his Stelvio is the last car he’ll ever drive.

In high school and college, I concentrated on my love of music and electrical engineering instead of cars. The gearhead in me started to emerge with my PT Cruiser. Base model, 5 speed, factory flame decals. I eventually got bored-slash-frustrated with music and got into Miatas and autocross instead, and learned to work on those quite a bit. Wifey loved my Miata so much she got one for herself, and we became a husband-and-wife autocross team for a while.

What’s currently in the garage?

• 2022 Chevrolet Blazer RS
• 1970 Triumph GT6
• Matching 2017 and 19 Miatas

How did you end up with the Blazer?

We had a 2009 Ford Escape that we bought in the Cash for Clunkers program. It served us well, but it was getting long in the tooth and started to have problems I didn’t feel like dealing with. I used it once to tow the Triumph on a dolly to an autocross a few hours away. That was less than ideal. I knew if I was going to do that again, I’d need something better suited for that job.

How do you like it?

Better than I expected. I dig it. By my standards, it’s quite large and very comfy. The V6 has plenty of guts, and I appreciate the dual-zone climate controls. I know it’s polarizing to say it around here, but I think it’s a good-looking SUV. It has climate control buttons and a real volume knob. However, I’m nervous that the electric glove box release is a problem waiting to happen.

Did you consider anything else when you got this?

I wanted to look seriously at a Santa Cruz, but pickups were quickly vetoed by the boss. A Cherokee Trailhawk was on the table until my auto mechanic friend nearly had a conniption when I brought it up. The cargo capacity wasn’t good enough, anyway. I toyed with the idea of a Macan about as long as it took to browse prices.

Why is this perfect for your needs?

It’s right-sized, comfortable on long trips, and has enough towing capacity to handle the GT6 on a U-Haul trailer. It’s yellow. We call it “The Short Bus.”

Is this a daily or how does this get used?

It’s our dog-hauler, long-distance cruiser, and utility vehicle. It gets driven maybe a couple of times a week at most. It feels a little weird to use the fanciest, most expensive vehicle I’ve ever owned to haul trash to the dump.

Has it given you any issues?

Just one. In scenarios where a rapid increase in velocity was initiated by a floor-accelerator encounter, the computer would throw a fit and restrict power. I found that restriction to be unacceptable. Two visits to the dealer under warranty, and they found a sensor cable rubbing on something and shorting out in those situations. Hasn’t been a problem since.

What’s the best thing about it?

It doesn’t feel like a generic CUV, even though I know deep down it kind of is. The red accents in the interior give it a little personality. I’m a sucker for a heated steering wheel. Did I mention it’s yellow?

Did you want the yellow or was it just what was available?

There were really only two requirements for an Escape replacement: that it could tow the Triumph if asked (my requirement), and that it was yellow (wife’s requirement). The number of vehicles that meet those two specifications is few. The number I can afford is even fewer.

Are you offended by the use of the Blazer name being attached to an on-road crossover versus a classic SUV?

Not a bit. The K5 that people reminisce about so fondly doesn’t mean a thing to me. If you said “Blazer” to me before this model, I would have thought of the S-10 variant or the GMT360 Trailblazer – neither of which was my cup of tea. So yeah, have at it, Chevy.

Now tell me about how you triumphed with the Triumph!

After about 20 years of dreaming about owning a GT6, I finally decided I was at a place where I could handle a temperamental 1960s British machine. In the Fall of 2019, I found this one on Minneapolis Craigslist, about a day’s drive from home. It was not even close to perfect, but it ran, and the price was right, so I reached out to the seller. That weekend, my dad and I went to retrieve it.

The car started with a screwdriver across the solenoid, and the engine had a bit of a rattle until it warmed up, but it ran, and it wasn’t a total rust bucket. That was good enough for me. I could fix her up while I drove it, and it had enough dings and scratches and crappy paint that if it got a few more around town I wouldn’t care. Everywhere we stopped on the way home, I would inevitably get two questions: “What is it?” and “Does it run?” I was proud to say it did. It wouldn’t be long before I would eat those words, but more on that later.

How did this come to be the autocross car?

Competition amongst Miata drivers is fierce. I could hold my own for the most part, but I knew I didn’t have the skills to run with the best of them or the willingness to put in the effort to advance to that level. I love it, but autocross for me is a hobby and a stress reliever, not a lifestyle. With that in mind, I made the commitment to put competitiveness on the back burner and just go have fun.

With that in mind, I wanted to do something more interesting than following the standard and well-tried Miata build formulas. The GT6 fell right in line with that philosophy. Not only was I intent on getting one, but I was also intent on not letting it rot away in the garage waiting for the next auto show.

SCCA had a class called Heritage Classic specifically for old cars. The Triumph fit perfectly into the intent of that class. Sadly, that class never really caught on, so the national office dropped what little support they gave to it. We still run it locally, and there are a few other clubs around the country that do as well.

Has it given you any reliability concerns or anything when it comes to trying to run it?

Yes. It was fall 2019 when I picked it up, and the car needed a fair amount of work to be roadworthy. I spent that winter in my tiny one-car garage refurbishing the brakes, suspension, lights, and whatever else it needed to make it a car that you could (reasonably) trust to move down the road and stop when you asked it to.  By spring, she was ready to roll.

I took it on a couple of drives with the local Triumph club, and aside from a little vapor lock, it handled that abuse well. That is until one day when the engine noise didn’t go away when it warmed up anymore, and the rattle sounded more like someone taking a hammer to the crankcase. In case anyone had forgotten, Spring 2020 was an interesting time, and as a result, I had just gotten furloughed from work. There I was with a dubious financial picture and a broken British Leyland engine that I had no idea how to fix. On the bright side, I now had a lot of time on my hands. A lot. I buckled down to take advantage.

Oh no, how big of a deal was that?

I was quite comfortable with suspension work and the like, and my EE degree has prepared me well to do battle with Lucas, the Prince of Darkness. But an engine rebuild? This was new to me. I spent the entire summer tearing the engine apart and learning as much as I could. I researched all over internet forums, old websites that barely worked, Facebook groups where some of the current Triumph gurus still hang out, and old books from gurus that are no longer with us.

By the end of summer, I was back to work, had a bill of material ready to murder my credit card, and a plan to rebuild over the winter.

The problem was a worn crankshaft bearing caused by massive oil starvation. I fixed that and all the other “while you’re in there” items, and by the following spring, the engine was back in the car. I am eternally grateful to the friends and club members who lent their knowledge and experience to help me through it. It was truly a rewarding and educational experience.

Since then, it’s actually been a reasonably reliable car. It leaks some oil, of course, and there have been a couple of surprise coolant leaks, and there’s a pinging that I’ve been chasing for a while, but I think I’ve got that solved now. The transmission made some weird noises, and I attempted a rebuild myself that didn’t go so well, so it got replaced with a professionally rebuilt unit.

What autocross mods have you done?

• 14” wheels with the fattest 200 treadwear tires I could fit, which are 185s
• Adjustable coilovers with single-adjustable shocks in back
• The rear transverse leaf spring may or may not be from a GT6
• A 4.11 Spitfire differential (as opposed to the original 3.29)
• Adjustable front upper control arms
• A hotter street cam
• SU HS6 carbs from a Triumph Dolomite Sprint, including custom-made mounting adapters, cold air intake, and throttle linkage
• Starter motor from an Isuzu Trooper
• Programmable electronic distributor (with Bluetooth!)
• 6-2-1 header and exhaust
• Data collection system to capture RPM, air-fuel ratio, and throttle position
• All new Speedhut gauges and custom wiring to match
• 3D printed custom dashboard
• LED light conversion
• Lotus Elise seats

How is the Triumph as an autocross car?

Terrible! She’s got no power, the brakes suck, the steering sucks, the suspension sucks, power nothing. She’s top-heavy, front-heavy, and the driver and gas tank are on the same side, so you can add left-heavy to that list. You get no help whatsoever from her. If you want to turn or stop with any kind of urgency, you better ask politely or you’re getting smacked.

But it’s also ridiculously fun! All the above make her a real challenge to wrestle around the course. It’s a completely different experience from a modern car. It’s a tough day when I can’t get a handle on it, but when I get it right, it’s deeply satisfying. Everyone I’ve given rides to has come away with a big smile on their faces.

How similar is this to the Miatas?

The size is about the only similarity, with the GT6 being a little smaller than an NA Miata. A tad shorter, but significantly narrower. It can drive straight through parts of a course that even a Miata has to steer through a little. On the dyno, it showed a whopping 84whp, but the Triumph has a weight advantage of a hundred pounds give or take, so lap times on a good day are comparable to a stock NA. It has an unusual suspension and, as mentioned before, a weight distribution problem, so the driving dynamics are completely different from a Miata. I’m still trying to figure out what it wants to get the most out of it.

What’s the best thing about the Triumph?

All the things I’ve learned. Not just about this car, but about cars in general. It’s also ramped up my CAD and 3D printing skills. Seeing people’s reactions to it on the street and at car events is a treat. It’s either completely new to them, or they tell me their stories about the one they had way back when.

What’s the story behind the Miatas?

His zoom is my fourth Miata, and her zoom actually came before it, but I had the plate on the first Miata long before the RF?

What were your other Miatas?

The first was a red 2011 Sport, which was crashed and replaced by a red 2004. I sold the ’04 to get the Triumph, but after being Miataless for a while, I decided I missed it too much and got a red 2019 Sport.

What makes this the best iteration of the Miata, or at least the one you want for now?

You’re trying to get me in trouble with that question, aren’t you? The great thing about Miatas is that each flavor offers something a little different for every Miata-lover’s tastes. Say what you will about which is best, but they are all fantastic machines. My ND2 RF fits me because I’m tired of replacing soft tops, and revving it out to a 7000+ rpm redline makes me giddy every time, and it looks fantastic. There are times I wish it were a tad bigger, like my old NC, or more analog like the NB, but this one seems to hit all the sweet spots more often than not.

If I remember right, 2019 is year one of the ND2. How much different is the 2 from the 1?

That’s correct. Other than the redline increase and a few creature comforts, I’m not sure I could tell the difference. There’s a bigger difference between the Sport and Club trims thanks to the changes to the suspension, wheels (and tires), and differential.

Do you ever get used to the blind spots from the RF?

I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t throw me off on occasion. Take the time to adjust the mirrors correctly and trust the blind spot monitoring sensors, and it’s no big deal.

Did you want the RF specifically, or were you after something else when you snagged this?

Definitely wanted the RF. I’m a big fan of both the fastback and targa body styles, and the RF combines them both perfectly. It had to be the same color as Janet’s (Ceramic Metallic), and it turned out Mazda only made the ND2 in that color for one year. So when I found one, I had to pounce.

How long do you think this will stay in the garage?

I think my days of changing cars like I change my socks may be over. I’m unusually happy with the fleet as it stands, so I don’t foresee a new one anytime soon. Although Janet has already been warned that if Mazda ever makes one in green again, all bets are off. And I hear they’re borrowing Toyota’s green on the CX-50 now…

How did Her Zoom join the fleet?

Janet bought it almost two years ago, in August 2023. It already had the stripe, and it was love at first sight! She’s got a great-sounding Cobalt muffler, louder horns, and some custom red leather upholstery. It’s really nice!

With it being the ND1, is there anything it does better?

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the ND2 gives up a little low and midrange torque to achieve that higher redline and horsepower number. My butt dyno can’t tell, though. The ND1 also lacks the unfortunately-placed backup camera, which does the rear styling no favors. I certainly wouldn’t fault anyone for picking an ND1 over a 2.

I assume that she prefers the soft top?

Correct. Something a little different for every Miata-lover.

Can you notice the weight difference between these two?

When I leave work each day and turn onto the highway, it’s a wide off-camber left. The RF seems a little less happy with that situation, and it might have to do with the slightly higher center of gravity. Then again, it could also be the tires. I’m still working with old OEMs while Janet’s car has new shoes. The off-ramp at the other end of my commute is a decreasing radius right-hander, and I feel like her car is a bit more stable there, too. But again, it might be the tires. Mine will be replaced very soon, so that may change.

What was her first Miata?

She had a gray 2007 Grand Touring NC. It was a canvas for her artistic talents and went through a number of different vinyl and plasti-dip design iterations.

Why is this the best car for her?

It makes her happy. That’s what Miatas do best.

Thanks Greg!

Miatas do in fact make people happy, and they are certainly a drug you can’t quit. Very few Miata people I know stop at one.

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