I took 3 days off last week + the weekend so I'd have 5 days to make progress on the massive backlog of project I've taken on. It was sort of a slog punctuated w/ highlights. As of Wednesday night
- The RD400 Daytona had the engine back in, case covers on.
- The Sprite had the engine and trans back in, front suspension and steering done, dashboard and front sheet metal all back on.
- The Miata had the trans-PPF-diff+carrier and all the suspension off, all the bushings pressed out and the chassis rail braces loosely installed.
- The Tacoma had the rear bumper off and the dent in the lower corner of the bed partially pushed out.
I started back in on the Miata today - last night I pulled the clutch and flywheel and cleaned the filthy trans. I still had to remove the diff crossmember bushings, so that was where I began; it was looking like it might rain and I wanted to avoid having everything spread all over the driveway so I rolled 2 bikes out, pushed all the boxes of Miata parts to the front and pushed the Sprite forward a few feet to give access to the press. I was sort of hurrying things - and one should never hurry press work.
I didn't notice the stock Mazda bushings have a steel flange protruding around the top - it looked like rubber and crud. Obviously with the flange toward the bottom the bushing would have nowhere to go. Predictably, as I applied ~one more stroke~ on the jack...
The press setup let go - and the diff exited the press, landing on the floor after having bounced off the formerly perfect recently painted beautiful curvaceous rear valance - no bumper -of the Sprite.
It looks like a took a good solid swing with a 16# sledge - wielding it like a croquet mallet, then punctuating about 2' to the right with the pointed end of a good sized body hammer.
I actually felt physically ill. Sure, it's just a car and all that, but I painted it over a year ago and it's been an endless process getting it back together. I was so close.
Now I've got to grind the area, fill, shape, blend, prime, block, seal, paint (hope I can match the color - Acrylic enamel is sort of a bitch that way - wet sand, buff, and clean up all the inevitable dust and overspray. Grrrrrrr.
So I forged ahead. I got the aforementioned cross member bushings out with a drill, press, sawzall, punches and big hammer. I installed the new rear main seal, trans input and output shaft seals, flywheel, clutch, transmission, diff assembly+urethane bushings, and driveshaft.
I'm headed out to install the header-cat-midpipe-exhaust and the balance of the butterfly brace.
Tomorrow I have the entire suspension to assemble w/ urethane bushings and an FM suspension kit. Then I have the timing belt and a full service and fluid change to do, and a set of SS brake lines.
This is about the first time I've ever had all the tools, parts, projects and time a person could want and I fear I've had about as much as I can eat, but I simply want the car to be finished.
Went to her school play Saturday evening, she was doing Mrs. Gloop in Willy Wonka. I had no idea she could do a German accent so well. 
