I live in Ontario. Generally it is a prosperous land known for Peace order and Good Government. However a Creeping Nanny State has decided that I can no longer pursue my Hobby. Last Year I was smitten by owning a Lotus Elise. I loved my test drive. There were two problems though. I can't import a US car to Canada , so purchase price hovers around $60K(no way around it) And I couldn't see being kinda low key and parking it on the street. So I did a cost benefit analysis and decided that the car that came closest to meeting my desires was a 2nd gen Miata running an Sc kit. I bought he kit (off my brother) before the car. The SC kit offers a big jump in Torque and is carb compliant
http://www.fastforwardsuperchargers.com/
On contacting the fabricator of the kit, I learnt that the best model to SC was the 1999-2000 Miata due to a free flowing cylinder head available those two years. So I tracked down the lowest mileage, most desirable 10th Anniversary model in Dallas last November. It had 6,000 miles on it and was perfect. I drove it home and slowly worked on it over the winter. Many nights I just sat in the garage listening to music test fitting parts and making some custom seat mounts (For Lotus Elise seats), installing chassis reinforcements, cooling system upgrades, roll bar, gauges. Last week I decided that it almost was done and ready to push out the door. I phoned the insurance agent and figured It is best to be honest and pay a bit more or you might not have coverage if the big one happens. As it turns out, there is not one company in Ontario that will insure a modified car. I am talking springs, brake pads, muffler. No Mods, period or your coverage is denied.
Obviously people drive what they want, they just don't talk about it and hope the company doesn't squirm out of the contract. So modding is now a hobby to give up on. This I find a bit depressing. I suppose I will put more work in older cars. I always had a plan to do an engine swap on my BMW M3 Sedan. maybe an LS1, or Put an M3 engine in my 325 Wagon. That avenue is closed. The aftermarket industry is supposedly a $27.5 billion industry. I am amazed they haven't managed to lobby a Province with 13 million people to provide enthusiasts with coverage. That is my Rant.
http://www.fastforwardsuperchargers.com/
On contacting the fabricator of the kit, I learnt that the best model to SC was the 1999-2000 Miata due to a free flowing cylinder head available those two years. So I tracked down the lowest mileage, most desirable 10th Anniversary model in Dallas last November. It had 6,000 miles on it and was perfect. I drove it home and slowly worked on it over the winter. Many nights I just sat in the garage listening to music test fitting parts and making some custom seat mounts (For Lotus Elise seats), installing chassis reinforcements, cooling system upgrades, roll bar, gauges. Last week I decided that it almost was done and ready to push out the door. I phoned the insurance agent and figured It is best to be honest and pay a bit more or you might not have coverage if the big one happens. As it turns out, there is not one company in Ontario that will insure a modified car. I am talking springs, brake pads, muffler. No Mods, period or your coverage is denied.
Obviously people drive what they want, they just don't talk about it and hope the company doesn't squirm out of the contract. So modding is now a hobby to give up on. This I find a bit depressing. I suppose I will put more work in older cars. I always had a plan to do an engine swap on my BMW M3 Sedan. maybe an LS1, or Put an M3 engine in my 325 Wagon. That avenue is closed. The aftermarket industry is supposedly a $27.5 billion industry. I am amazed they haven't managed to lobby a Province with 13 million people to provide enthusiasts with coverage. That is my Rant.
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