MiataRoadster

Happy holidays, everyone!

As some of you may remember, a 3.3:1 gear set has been a pet project of mine since at least 2008. So I'm happy to announce that I've finally found a reputable and relatively affordable source to manufacture race-caliber 3.3:1 ring and pinion sets for the Miata market.

A minimum of 15 paid orders are required to make this happen, but based on the number of inquiries I've already received, this will happen.

If you're active on multiple forums, you'll see me promoting this group buy on all of the ones that MiataRoadster sponsors. If interested in participating, you need contact me only once!

This is a bit complicated, so please carefully read the following then email me if you'd like to place an order or want clarification on anything:

BENEFITS OF THE 3.3:1 RATIO:
See the attached chart comparing various final drive ratios and transmissions. (Thanks to Brian Kelley.)

DELIVERY SCHEDULE:
The manufacturer will provide me with a sample gear set to install and test by approximately the end of February 2014. Once it's approved, it will take about one month for the production parts to be completed. So best case scenario, don't expect to receive your set before March-April 2014. If you don't think you're patient enough to pay up front and wait that long, then please don't.

GROUP BUY PRICE:
$550 (MSRP after this initial group buy is expected to be at least $650)

DEALER PRICING:
Dealers are welcomed to contact me for wholesale pricing for group buy orders and future orders assuming there's enough demand to make these gears available in an ongoing manner.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
To participate in the group buy, your payment in full for the gears (payment for optional upgrades is not required initially) must be received by Monday morning 12/16/13.

PICTURES:
As the actual parts have not been made yet, the next best thing I can show you for illustration is the image above of a 3.6:1 Mazda gear set, which looks identical to the planned 3.3:1 except for the number of teeth on the pinion and ring gears.

SPEEDOMETER & ODOMETER DISPLAYS:
There's no solution for displaying accurate speedometer and odometer readings for this gear ratio with the mechanical speedo drive system used on the NA, so consider this gear ratio as for "off road use only." For the electronic speedo drive system used on the NB and NC, there are aftermarket options like the YellowBox synchronizer to modify the signal between the stock sender and the instrument cluster display.

TECHNICAL SPECS:
Location of manufacturer: Taiwan
Manufacturing process: forging, CNC milled
Material: 8620 Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum Steel
Treatments: carburized (AKA case hardened) heat treatment
Hardness: ISO 6508-1 Rockwell C Scale HRC 60-63
Tensile strength range: 700-1100 MPa

UPGRADE OPTIONS:
When we're closer to the ship date for the gears, I'll post a menu of optional parts and services that can be ordered later, as a separate purchase from the gear set. I can supply genuine Mazda rebuild components and kits (bearings, seals, input flange/harmonic dampener, etc.), ARP fastener kits, machined billet crush tube, reinforcement saddle caps, YellowBox, WPC treatment, cryogenic treatment, coatings, and installation services for NA, NB, and NC.

WARRANTY:
These are competition parts and, as such, no warranties are implied or offered. No refunds or returns will be processed once parts are shipped. In the unlikely case of a manufacturing defect preventing proper setup of the gears, a replacement gear set will be provided ASAP at my expense once the original parts are returned to me for inspection and deemed defective by me.

TO ORDER:
Email me at Bill@MiataRoadster.com with your complete real name, your forum name (so I can cross-reference your identities and not count you multiple times), your complete shipping address, and I'll send you a quote to review and approve. Once you approve your quote, I'll send you payment instructions.

Thanks for your interest!

Bill

JasonC SBB

Are these gonna be quiet like stock hypoid(?) gears or whiney like straight-cut gears?

MiataRoadster

These are for differential, not dog-tooth tranny gears.

There will be no difference in sound from stock (probably quieter, if set up properly by my tech).

Erat

iTrader: (5)

So who's the reputable manufacture?
Taiwan?

BTMiata

iTrader: (5)

Looks that way lol

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

Taiwan is like the germany of asia when it comes to precision machining. I'd trust them over japan when it comes to precision machining, if you're willing to pay for it.

Erat

iTrader: (5)

That's funny because the best CnC machines that don't come from America, come from Japan...

But i don't care about any of that, i just want to know the company.

Jeffbucc

How much would I regret not getting in on this if I have a 3.63 R&P? More to the point of what will availability of stock look like after the initial group buy.

Price is the bigger driving point at the moment than necessity.

soviet

iTrader: (10)

I am broke but I'm buying this regardless.
FUCKYEH

05pearl

iTrader: (4)

Email sent. I'm in too.

Edit - payment sent. Now I just wait for my new R&P gears!

fastcraftTom

This is an interesting development. For custom car builders who are into bike engine cars this allows the Miata differential to join the party.Tom

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

That the similar situation I'm in now. I dont need this until next off season at the earliest. BUT if they wont be available then I'll have to get one now even when I cant really afford it.

MiataRoadster

I'm not being evasive about the manufacturer, I simply don't have a name of an actual factory.

The gears will be a new design made at the same company in Taiwan that manufactures the proven Honda drag and road race applications for my friend Jeff Owen's Special Projects Motor Sports "Gear-X" brand. Jeff is acting as middleman to supervise the manufacturing of the Miata gears. I totally trust Jeff to take care of this and based on my track record manufacturing my short shifter kits, I think I've earned the respect of the Miata community. So you're in good hands!

Here's a link to Jeff's site if you want to read about what he's done in the Honda race market:

GEAR-X | Special Projects Motor Sports

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks,

Bill

Erat

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the PM and reply. Email sent.
I hope you understand my logic behind these questions. I'm just looking for a little more information on a product that we(I) would be guinea pigging. Normally i wouldn't mind and i'm sure some people don't, but to me this is quite a bit of money.
Again, thanks for the information.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

You guys are hilarious. It's a proprietary supplier. The vendor is MiataRoadster, and his reputation is the one backing the quality of the gears. I don't share the name of the company that makes my Inconel studs, and I wouldn't expect Bill to say who's manufacturing his 3.31 gears. They're his gears, his reputation backs them.

As much as I hate agreeing with Leafy on anything, he's right. If you don't trust parts from Taiwan, you don't know much about manufacturing quality in southeast Asia.

Emailed, in for a set. It will be great to have these available to the community.

MiataRoadster

To be absolutely clear, people ordering these gears will not be serving as "guinea pigs." I will receive a set to install and test (I will have a respected expert do so) before I approve the design for manufacturing and shipping.

Since you haven't provided your real name, I don't know if you're a previous MiataRoadster customer. I invite you to check out the Testimonials page on my store and rest assured that I'm not running a fly-by-night operation.

TESTIMONIALS

Thanks,

Bill

JasonC SBB

Will your testing be on a turbo track car?

MiataRoadster

The testing will be done by my differential guru, Ben Herne (AKA PuddyMod Racing), in FL. It will be up to him to arrange for a local mule car.

If any of the group buy participants are in FL, I'd be happy to put them in touch with Ben for his consideration.

Thanks,

Bill

Ben

iTrader: (33)

Ben's a bit too far for me to leave a car, but I can supply either a low mile MazdaSpeed diff, or a low mile T-F diff for testing. The 3.3 gear might be magical in my Exocet.

05pearl

iTrader: (4)

I'm thinking the same for my MSM, as well.