My XP Miata's progression
09-08-2013, 04:07 PM
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My XP Miata's progression
So the car has been at National's for the last 4 years. I kind of like seeing the progression/progress the car has made.
First year the car was little more than a poorly prepared SSM missing the carpet and dash. I basically built a street turbo motor and then found autox.
The lack of carpet and dash was because I liked the car better without it. again Car was something above 2100lbs and had MAYBE 210 whp.
The second year was the first steps toward being a real Prepared car. I was still just under 200lbs heavy as raced, ~1900 iirc. Nor was the suspension or much else anything to write home about. Power was unknown for this season.
The third year: I had to ballast to make weight. The suspension was mostly figured out. The "experimental" part of the car was taking over with the land speed record nose design. It worked... until you hit a bump and air could get under. I also desperately needed some rear aero. Power was unchanged and still unknown. Pulled good and never really had any issues but the occasional overheat. Just ugly.... It was mistaken for a GRM challenge car at one point.
Which brings us to the present. ~30lbs over minimum weight and some real aero work actually added to the car. I also rebuilt the "street" motor over the off season last year. New motor is much stronger and my old street tuning is starting to show its short comings. I also decided it was time for the car to stop look like it had been beaten with an ugly cone. Old nickname was Flaky due to the wonderful 90 silver paint. New paint is called Crush and I'll embrace the slight Halloween-esque theme of Orange with Black accent. This year presented the newly christened, Pumpkin Crush.
My favorite part of the new look, well besides all of it: The addition of the 80 dollar craigslist knock off GTC-200 wing find. I really didn't think it was stolen until after I showed up to buy it, and then I couldn't get out there fast enough. I can say that it really does work, it probably still mounted in complete stall and who said working aero for auto-x had to cost $$$? Also, day 2 saw the addition of the endplates. I bought fasteners to put them first thing before we ran. Only to realize the wing used M5 and I bought M6. Hard to fix that before you run when my car was the 9th car on the West course Tuesday.
Plans for next year: more aero work. I'm going to see if an "alternate tonneau cover" will pass muster. I've seen other XP cars get dinged, but the 93 LE did have one from the factory (not dealer installed option). More power, from the case of a better tune. I've never been able to get to the dyno this year. I know from an incident at Nationals, the tune is currently too dang rich. Eventually, I'll ditch the GT2560 and move to something that can make bigger numbers. But I see no need to up the power until I get better at driving it as is.
*disclaimer: I'm still a pretty awful driver. The results are not representative of what the car can do.
First year the car was little more than a poorly prepared SSM missing the carpet and dash. I basically built a street turbo motor and then found autox.
The lack of carpet and dash was because I liked the car better without it. again Car was something above 2100lbs and had MAYBE 210 whp.The second year was the first steps toward being a real Prepared car. I was still just under 200lbs heavy as raced, ~1900 iirc. Nor was the suspension or much else anything to write home about. Power was unknown for this season.
The third year: I had to ballast to make weight. The suspension was mostly figured out. The "experimental" part of the car was taking over with the land speed record nose design. It worked... until you hit a bump and air could get under. I also desperately needed some rear aero. Power was unchanged and still unknown. Pulled good and never really had any issues but the occasional overheat. Just ugly.... It was mistaken for a GRM challenge car at one point.
Which brings us to the present. ~30lbs over minimum weight and some real aero work actually added to the car. I also rebuilt the "street" motor over the off season last year. New motor is much stronger and my old street tuning is starting to show its short comings. I also decided it was time for the car to stop look like it had been beaten with an ugly cone. Old nickname was Flaky due to the wonderful 90 silver paint. New paint is called Crush and I'll embrace the slight Halloween-esque theme of Orange with Black accent. This year presented the newly christened, Pumpkin Crush.
My favorite part of the new look, well besides all of it: The addition of the 80 dollar craigslist knock off GTC-200 wing find. I really didn't think it was stolen until after I showed up to buy it, and then I couldn't get out there fast enough. I can say that it really does work, it probably still mounted in complete stall and who said working aero for auto-x had to cost $$$? Also, day 2 saw the addition of the endplates. I bought fasteners to put them first thing before we ran. Only to realize the wing used M5 and I bought M6. Hard to fix that before you run when my car was the 9th car on the West course Tuesday.
Plans for next year: more aero work. I'm going to see if an "alternate tonneau cover" will pass muster. I've seen other XP cars get dinged, but the 93 LE did have one from the factory (not dealer installed option). More power, from the case of a better tune. I've never been able to get to the dyno this year. I know from an incident at Nationals, the tune is currently too dang rich. Eventually, I'll ditch the GT2560 and move to something that can make bigger numbers. But I see no need to up the power until I get better at driving it as is.
*disclaimer: I'm still a pretty awful driver. The results are not representative of what the car can do.
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09-09-2013, 11:21 AM
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Because the rules say you can cut it off for convertibles. Why wouldn't you? Open cars are so much more fun to drive. It is hard getting back in a car with a windshield afterwards (unless it is raining of course).
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09-11-2013, 09:45 AM
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Here was the engine bay last November when I decided to listen to a certain FPrepared Datsun driver about engine rebuilds. "If I don't rebuild/refresh the motor at 8 years, it blows up at 10." I built the motor as a fun street motor with a turbo ~7 years prior. Note: the FP Datun's motor blew up as I crossed the finish line at my first trip to Nationals.
Seems the rebuild was a VERY good idea. All 4 rod bearings looked like this.
Did some front end seam welding and "cage" work while everything was in pieces.
Time to get painted as I was tired of the very ugly nature of the race car. Media blasted everything.
More to come as I dig pictures out of the archive. Lost the hard drive that contained most of my pictures.
Seems the rebuild was a VERY good idea. All 4 rod bearings looked like this.
Did some front end seam welding and "cage" work while everything was in pieces.
Time to get painted as I was tired of the very ugly nature of the race car. Media blasted everything.
More to come as I dig pictures out of the archive. Lost the hard drive that contained most of my pictures.
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09-11-2013, 02:50 PM
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Closest is the picture in April '11 right after I cut the windshield off.
This is after partial teardown.
A little more on the build. Currently running a 5 gallon aluminum RCI fuel cell. Originally I tried a 8 gallon plastic cell but fitment/placement caused pickup issues. There is quite a bit of weight there. The fuel cell is now mounted back were the trunk floor used to be near the battery. I bent a piece of steel and welded in place of the hammering that occured on the cross rail piece there. Had to do that to get the 8 gallon tank to fit. That whole ordeal was such a waste.
Hoping to move the radiator into the old gas tank hole. I've got some Al sheet covering the hole right now.
Current car specs:
95 Block with +1 Wiseco pistons, Eagle Rods and ACL race bearings
99 Head with +1mm valves, Supertech springs and some minor work.
GT2560 and TrackDog intercooler. The turbo kit started life on my 99 as a Voodoo kit (in 04?)
3.636 R&P and factory 99 Torsen
90 brakes with 96 ABS prop valve, no booster and XP8 pads. Custom master cylinder rod was made. Need to redrill the pedal for a little more ratio.
Poly bushings
EPMiata rear UCA. Total waste of time. It is nice to be able to change camber without messing with toe. However, the build quality sucks on them. I need to get new delrin bushings made because the supplied ones did not fit well. I used AN washers to get the thickness right but seems 2 seasons of abuse are starting to take its toll.
Prather Racing AFCO coilovers.
Old FM front sway for 90-93 cars and no rear sway. I'd like to get a slightly bigger front bar and see if I can add the factory rear one back next year. The car works really well right now though. I just want to take a little body roll out.
Proper Appendix C rollbar. This is a place lots of the guys overweight in their class have that extra weight. Although I never track this car.
Lots and lots of time with the sawsall and other cutting tools on a poor 90 chassis
Oh yeah. And EVERYONE needs to have a stash of Clecos. Those things are awesome if you do anything with pop-rivets.
This is after partial teardown.
A little more on the build. Currently running a 5 gallon aluminum RCI fuel cell. Originally I tried a 8 gallon plastic cell but fitment/placement caused pickup issues. There is quite a bit of weight there. The fuel cell is now mounted back were the trunk floor used to be near the battery. I bent a piece of steel and welded in place of the hammering that occured on the cross rail piece there. Had to do that to get the 8 gallon tank to fit. That whole ordeal was such a waste.
Hoping to move the radiator into the old gas tank hole. I've got some Al sheet covering the hole right now.
Current car specs:
95 Block with +1 Wiseco pistons, Eagle Rods and ACL race bearings
99 Head with +1mm valves, Supertech springs and some minor work.
GT2560 and TrackDog intercooler. The turbo kit started life on my 99 as a Voodoo kit (in 04?)
3.636 R&P and factory 99 Torsen
90 brakes with 96 ABS prop valve, no booster and XP8 pads. Custom master cylinder rod was made. Need to redrill the pedal for a little more ratio.
Poly bushings
EPMiata rear UCA. Total waste of time. It is nice to be able to change camber without messing with toe. However, the build quality sucks on them. I need to get new delrin bushings made because the supplied ones did not fit well. I used AN washers to get the thickness right but seems 2 seasons of abuse are starting to take its toll.
Prather Racing AFCO coilovers.
Old FM front sway for 90-93 cars and no rear sway. I'd like to get a slightly bigger front bar and see if I can add the factory rear one back next year. The car works really well right now though. I just want to take a little body roll out.
Proper Appendix C rollbar. This is a place lots of the guys overweight in their class have that extra weight. Although I never track this car.
Lots and lots of time with the sawsall and other cutting tools on a poor 90 chassis
Oh yeah. And EVERYONE needs to have a stash of Clecos. Those things are awesome if you do anything with pop-rivets.
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02-22-2015, 01:52 PM
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Time for 16x11s and some 23.5-11-16 radials.
I think I'm just going to cut at the line where the old flare met the fender and follow the drawn line. Basically remove that section where the metal bends in. It just gets sandblasted by rocks anyway.
I think I'm just going to cut at the line where the old flare met the fender and follow the drawn line. Basically remove that section where the metal bends in. It just gets sandblasted by rocks anyway.
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