Djwade

and I've driven lighter cars with more power in the past, but it was a totally different beast, which is why I'm not planning on doing the immediate jump.

a N/A V8 with 300hp/350ft-lb on a 2400lb car was beastly, but it didn't have the same handling characteristics of a miata, so I wasn't really going around corners as boldly as I probably will with the miata eventually.

swimomatic

Jumping in on the back end of this convo, but I have a recently relocated 1996 MX-5 GT2560 Turbo with MSPNP Gen 1 that was relocated from Texas to this wonderful CARB state. Currently the car is still (just expired) registered in Texas. I'm going up to OnGrid track event in Thunderhill on Saturday 9/24 and due to it not passing SMOG am having to tow it up to Willows... I love the boost and the power, but at the end of the day I just want to hit as many track days with a car that is fun to drive instead of going around these rules out here (be much easier since I don't own trailer to just drive up/back etc). If you or sonofthehill want to meet up or discuss options here I'm all ears.
The only stock part I know I have (previous owner boosted the car) is the stock ECU, otherwise I'd have to pick up all new/used stock/CARB approved parts to restore it to get it CARB'd. I really don't want to go back to stock and leave it that way so I'm hoping someone can provide some insight to help keep the Miata turbo spark alive in me.

sonofthehill

iTrader: (1)

Unfortunately I think you will at least need some stock 96 components. I don't know of any other way except possibly running propane or something. But I am not sure about that one.
Happy to meet up though.

Morshu

Cool to know you all are nearby!
I had an old BEGi kit with the Link + 4 aux injectors on my NB but I'm currently ditching that for the TSE kit. The old BEGi kit's just sitting in my garage. The nice thing about it is that the stock ecu is retained and thus so is OBDII functionality, which is critical for the smog check. If you run your MS3 standalone, you won't be able to put out that OBDII "ready" signal and will fail smog that way.
What's been said about deleting the precat is spot on. You'll fail visual and get a "tamper" fail since the precat will be gone, when the sticker on your hood says you should have one (assuming this is a California car, and assuming the smog tech actually cares).
Really the best way to do it is to smog the car with stock intake, exhaust, cat, engine management, etc. and then put in the turbo and repeat every 2 years. Unless you wanna try to rock the BEGi kit with the FPR as your engine management. On the 94-95 you may be able to get away with getting a standalone ECU with a BEGi kit since all the smog check checks in regards to the ECU is if your CEL comes on when you turn the key to on and then goes off once the car is running. There's no OBDII "ready" to worry about.

swimomatic

I spoke with BEGi and they stated to send them in pics and proof that the 1996 had a CARB legal kit purchased from them to pass D-349-1 so I could get a sticker mailed to me (originally purchased in 2002 by PO)... been a few weeks now and haven't heard anything back. I'm working on getting the EGR, MAF, Charcoal Canister, and approved CARB OBDII Cat on the car.

I'm currently running RC 550 CC injectors and a Walbro 255 LPH HP pump from previous owner with MSPNP1.
What I'm hoping to do (and this all comes down to getting the sticker from BEGi) is get this all together but my questions are:
1) I've looked and it seems I found a good deal on a Xede unit that could allow me to swap it in with my stock ECU and wire the MTX-L O2 sensor analog signal in to simulate the stock sensor. Will this work for CARB if done right?
2) I've looked at Catalytic converters in the ARB database, and the biggest they have approved is the 408006 model by Magnaflow (2.5 in/out). Is anyone aware if another 3" CARB legal cat will pass even if it is for a "different make/model car"?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FG9NSMC...I311336C29YEKX $113 needs to have flanges added
RoadsterSport High Performance Miata Catalytic Converter-CALIFORNIA VERSION for Miata 1996-1997 $289 bolts right up (but is technically a 2.25 in/out from Magnaflow's website for the 408005 core but not sure
3)Should I even be concerned with getting a Cat that is bigger than 2.5" if the rest of my TBE is 3"? Will it really matter at the end of the day?

Sonofthehill has been an excellent source of help and I appreciate the locals trying to help me get this through to pass, if this fails, I'll just give in and pull injectors/fuel pump (overload stock injectors from what I've read) and go back to stock for passing CARB every two years like what has been suggested. Just wanted to see how far off base my grand idea is.