trunk rust and taillight seals; also, wheels; also low-port engines

[David Pertuz]

1) My classic has started developing a little bit of surface rust in two
spots...neither of them, surprisingly, has anything to do with the car
having spent 6 years in Michigan - winters haven't done a thing to the
body. One of these is on the bottom of the trunk, on the innner panel at
the seam with the outer panel. My trunk lid tends to dump some water when I
open it after a rain - it collects in the bottom of the lid (hence the
bubbling) and empties out when it is opened. I have assumed so far that the
seal behind the right-side taillight is leaking, and I need to take it out
and silicone it. However, it does not seem to me that water can get into
the bottom of the lid from there. I would next suspect the seal under the
CHMSL on the spoiler, but this looks good from the outside and I can't feel
obvious signs of water entry. Has anyone else had water collecting in the
trunk lid and found and killed the problem?

2) Any suggestions on what a set of Miata wheels modified to fit an SE-R
are worth? These are the early kind, 5.5"x14", the ones that keep getting
confused for Panasports. They have had the center hols machined out, and
the lug holes have been bored out and have had steel inserts pressed in (to
strengthen the area after boring out the middle). They come with 1/4"
spacers and extra-deep lug nuts. They are straight, though they have never
been cleaned in years and so are a little grungy-looking.

My track tires are long past their good-until date and I won't be doing any
track events until next year at the very earliest, and I may very well
start doing them in the G20 instead, in which case I would have no need for
my Miata wheels. I am not set on selling them, but I'm osrt of considering it.

3) Does anyone know any particular sources - other than searching local
wreckers - of good (hopefully) low-port engines in the Great Lakes or
Georgia-ish areas? When I put a new engine in my G20 I would rather put
another low-port in it for maximum plug-and-play-ability. All JDM engines
are high-port, of course. A VE would be wonderful but my budget does not
allow for it.

Tim, do you know if Z-car Atlanta sells engines?

thanks,
David