MattSEG

My name is Matt, just picked up a 1994 R package with 160k on the clock. Car is super clean, great shape, mechanically sound, and at 3k I think I got a pretty good deal. Picked up a hard top for it as well, since I'm really not a vert guy.



I am however a car guy. Just sold my mildly modded 04 STi, which was preceded by a 03 350z (boring), a 92 SC400 (I got too busy to complete the 1j swap), a 93 5.0 notch, a modded 02 WRX, and a 68 Camaro. (and a few boring things too). I have a 99 XJ (jeep cherokee) for a beater/hauler/tool-around car.

I'm not much of a fabricator, and only a decent wrench, but I have close friends who are amazing tuners, fabricators, and wrenches. I have access to damned near every tool under the sun, and for the light work I can use my area, for heavier stuff I can impose. If I can figure out some stuff I can't live without, and others share the need I may be able to get some stuff made through a friends cnc shop. It may sound like I impose, but I have other skills that can help them, I'm all about win-win.

That said, thus for I think I'll be going DIY, megasquirt, moderately sized turbo. I figure something in the low 200hp range will keep my plenty happy. I'm never going to be the fastest among my friends, so I just want to have fun.

Finally wound up registering after lurking, since not being able to use the search got the best of me. So I'll likely be keeping my mouth shut until I get a better idea of what I need. Living in Albuquerque, at a mile high I figured boost is a must.

Made a little blog about getting the car, which I deemed the found money miata... since my goal was to buy the car purely from selling stuff I had around. Almost worked, 2/3rd found money. If you care to read: http://foundmoneymiata.blogspot.com

Thanks for having a great rescource.

pusha

iTrader: (5)

sup bro

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Solid first post. Knowing what you don't know is the key, if you know what I mean.

MattSEG

nada dawg...

Thanks. I've had enough turbo cars, and been around enough seriously gonzo turbo cars to know better than 'zomg i want psi'z at 800hp". So yeah, I know cfm, I know lag, I know fuel, I know engine management on a broad scope... I also know where my budget is, and where it's not.

Megasquirt is awesome, and I have a lot to learn about tuning miatas, and I have a lot to learn about how much a 1.8L can take at various levels of build. That sort of stuff only comes from experience, and I'm damned short on that with Miatas.

Thanks for the warm welcome(z)

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

Check out all the stickies in all the different sections. They will give you a lot of information that you understand you need to learn. Also whenever you have a question, search before asking. If you follow those 2 rules you will get along fine here.

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

Nice looking car, welcome to the site.

MattSEG

Thanks guys.

I've been on a few forums for an absurd amount of time (9.8 years on nasioc), and as I said the reason I registered was more so I could search than anything, but figured an intro wouldn't hurt. Some things are tricky to search for; searching for 1.8L is going to get me a lot of results that won't be pertainent.... but I'll do my best to avoid the dumbass questions.

...in poking around I've seen the results of ignorant posts, poor grammar, and dumb questions... I'm diggin the hornets nest approach here, lulz.

BenR

iTrader: (2)

Glad to see you made it over here. Welcome and good luck.

MattSEG

Thanks Ben. Came on your suggestion.

dustinb

Welcome to the board. Shoot for 220-250 horsepower. It's sweet.

pusha

iTrader: (5)

We need to change that. Take your whole car apart and lose interest like I do.

MattSEG

That was the lexus.
I had the 1j, trans, intercooler, gauge cluster, fuel pump, everything but drive shaft and 1 or two little things... never got it done. Sauce.

I hate to admit it, but I'm failing at searching, finding nothing on 1.8 specific issues.. Think I've gone through all the stickies.

MattSEG

Fortunately I'm slightly smarter than I look. Since the vb software wont allow for such a short search term as 1.8 or 1.8L, I turned to the trusty googles.
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...ba8ac501c942d5
This will get mentions of 1.8 on the forum. Huzzah!

I had heard before about the 1.6 taking boost far better than the 1.8, then I had heard it makes little difference, so I didn't know the straight dope. Still not 100% of the answer, but it seems both can certainly be boosted.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Others may have more info, but in all my time hanging out here, I've heard no solid evidence that the 1.8 is in any way "weaker" or less suited to boost. Both are well suited to boost, but of course the 1.8 pushes more air so it will spool a given turbo faster (or, spool a larger turbo at the same rate the 1.6 will spool a smaller turbo).

Now, if you're buying used parts, I'd say it's easier to find deals on 1.6 turbo stuff -- older kits, lots of folks moving to 1.8s and selling off parts, etc. But if you have a choice, 1.8 all the way.

If you're looking for an NA, 1994 seems to be the golden year. You get the 1.8, the larger brakes, bigger rear end, and extra chassis braces, but you avoid the introduction of OBDII in 1995.

revlimiter

iTrader: (1)

^ OBDII came in 1996. It doesn't matter if your 95 came with it. Federal testing doesn't kick in till 96. All 95s get the sniffer test.

And welcome Matt!

BenR

iTrader: (2)

1.8 all the way. Your bottom end with a 99+ head and intake is what I'd do in your case.

I just have a ton of 1.6 stuff so it makes sense in my case.

MattSEG

Thanks Adam & Ben.

mgeoffriau, makes total sense. In reading more I think part of the rationale used was regarding the 1.6 in the 323 gtx. Happy to know this is a wives tale, and I certainly get there is no replacement for displacement.

Coming from the STi, and all the tuning available for it, I don't see ODBII as an issue from experience. Here if there is no CE, and the computer is saying things are a-ok it'll pass emissions. Do people make a secondary map on the MS for snif tests? Or genuinely tune to pass.

revlimiter

iTrader: (1)

With my Link, I just leaned master fuel out a bit. I passed the sniffer test with flying colors, by nearly half the allowed amount. I also swapped my stock cat back in for the test. No other changes.

I don't really speak megasquirt, but I assume it would be pretty easy to make an emissions-passing map. If your daily map is up to snuff it should require minimal changes.

BenR

iTrader: (2)

The difference is with the subarus it's much easier to flash new code into the factory ecu. Not the case with the OBD2 miata.

With MS you could have as many maps as you want they are easy to change. Though I tune for both emissions and power at the same time. Because the cells they test that effect emissions have no change in the cells that you use when you actually drive and want to make power. I did need to use the high rez code to pass with my 550s.


The test we have is basically a sniff test at idle, and another unloaded sniff at 2500 rpm.

MattSEG

Solid. The read-mes on fuel pressure, injectors, and damned near everything else seem straight forward. After wheels and roll bar I'll start collecting parts. Tuning at atitude might be rough, especially getting a base map.

what are you putting down ben & adam? any other local turbo miatas?