MXGeorge

Tom,

I can't recommend the turbo enough. I haven't touched my car in a bit over two years and no problems.

IMHO, the location of the turbo on the NCs mitigates almost all the temp problems native to turbos on the NA + NB cars. So long as the install is done by people familiar with the NC turbo, reliability is a non issue. If I were you, I wouldn't have Mazcare do the install. Rather, I would have RotornutFD3S (Eric) and myself do it. Seriously.

I know that sounds self-serving, and it is a bit. But it is still a completely honest opinion. Eric and I both have tons of experience with turbos, he more with the pre NC cars and the RX7s, and I with the NC. Regardless of what you decide, we'll be happy to help in any way we can.

That being said, I would still agree that the SC is simpler. No coolant and oil lines, no oil drain. But life is full of trade offs; make sure you make the right ones.

turbofan

iTrader: (1)

I'd jump on that right thurr ^

They've been around the block, blown a motor and figured out what works and what doesn't. Perfect! nothing better than a local hookup.

DocHudson

Thanks RotorNut, I appreciate the information and the offer of help! I actually met George on the Miatanet forum and he offered to help advise me. I plan on talking to him soon, but wanted to educate myself as much as possible beforehand. I would love the opportunity to drive a NC that has a FM SC in it, I'll check out the local MX site you mentioned.

18psi and turbofan, I loved that RX-7, and it gave me zero trouble from 0 miles all the way up to just over 90K. Tires and maintenance were expensive, but That baby would fly, and got plenty of opportunity to do so. Then the apex seals went out and I ended up needing a rebuilt engine and new turbos. It looked to me as if that would be a recurring theme, so I sold it and bought a WRX.

Edited: Just noticed George commented. Definitely appreciate the offers of help and will certainly take you both up on that. I'm trying to decide which route to take, then it's off to the races.

paNX2K&SE-R

iTrader: (8)

Vlad, just curious why all the hate for Jay?

18psi

iTrader: (76)

Because of how retarded and n00bish some of the things he implemented initially in his kit, then hyped them up to be the best thing since sliced bread. I mean we're all here to learn, and try silly things, but when you make complete newb mistakes like someone that doesn't know anything about these cars, then a month later make "revisions" to the kit to fix these utterly idiotic mistakes, and all teh while claim you have the best product on the market, well......that's not gonna fly....... Then there's the half cropped dyno plot he posted up thinking we were all as stupid as the m.netters and would lap up his mediocre-at-best numbers and worship him. Lastly, all the crap he spews at other companies even going as far as publishing some email from some random dude about getting a bad tune elsewhere.

I just think that's extremely shady and pathetic, and I sincerely dislike him and his company. You don't rise to the top by simply putting down the competition, you get to the top by being smart and innovative, humble and honest. And obviously put out a fantastic product for a bargain.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Then there was his fan club on miata.net, some of which happened to share an IP address with him.

Weird.

paNX2K&SE-R

iTrader: (8)

Since I don't have an NC I haven't really researched his products but I have spent some time hanging out with him and his wife down in Boone. On a personal level they are both very nice and a lot of fun to hang out with. I personally saw him bend over backwards to help another NC guy this year who was having some issues with his car. I carry a fairly stocked tool bag in my trunk so I also stopped to help. Jay was very methodical in his troubleshooting and did seem to have a very good knowledge of the electronics systems and ecu of the NC chassis. Hopefully he can make up for some of the past reputation of his products around here as time goes on. His car was pretty darn fast on the mountain roads this year.

RedCarmel

iTrader: (7)

Back to the OP....

Tom, by all means keep doing internet research, but without a doubt get a ride in a local turbo NC (and S/C NC if you can find one, which shouldn't be hard given the huge miata crowd down there) before making any decisions. Don't let let the install of a turbo system scare you especially when you're getting very good offers for assistance from experienced and friendly folks.

If after driving both types of FI you prefer the S/C, that's fine, but give a proper turbo setup a chance.

DocHudson

That's exactly what I plan to do. The research part is pretty much done. It's seems like a pretty clear choice between BEGi TC and FM SC. The pros and cons seem to be more power and an expansion route vs less power but an easier, more 'OEM' like install and driving experience.

I'm looking forward to meeting up with George and seeing how a turbo NC compares to a stock one.

RedCarmel

iTrader: (7)

FWIW, I've ridden in FM's Nancy a couple times and for some reason, I never walked away that impressed. Maybe I'm just addicted to the punch of the turbo, but while Nancy felt quick it just didn't put the grin on my face that I get whenever I drive my budget DIY turbo miata.

DocHudson

A few pics:



[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Nancy is a bigger and heavier car, and while maybe not as entertaining in a straight line, is an extremely capable vehicle. Bill himself will say that the car needs more power, but coming from some of the more insane creations that FM HAS turned out in-house, that doesn't necessarily mean a whole lot.




Doc, that car is sexy. Can you retrofit the 2013 "Sport" lip trim things?

Luissr20

I'll have to check on mine, but the lip doesn't look removable on mine, and the bumper cover is shaped differently.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Eric (Rotornut) and George are both really nice guys. You just can't beat the kind of generosity you see from some of the guys in this forum.

That's a hell of an offer, Doc. Local support and free assistance from knowledgeable friends trumps a mechanic who has never seen an NC reading instructions from a kit for the very first time.

Moderator comment: Keep the off-topic discussions off of this thread. They have been moved. You have been warned.

DocHudson

I agree 100% Sixshooter! I fully intend to take George and Eric up on their offer. I'm really impressed by what I've seen of this forum so far. Very friendly, well informed people! I know a lot more than I did just a few days ago.

Now if I can just get comfortable with the idea of reflashing my ECU. I'm not putting the practice down at all, it just makes me a little nervous. Part of what appeals to me about the SC is that is what the NC Mazda project car was (I forget what it was called). I wonder if they reflashed the ECU and if their modifications are publicly available.

thenuge26

iTrader: (2)

OMG what has happened to this place?

We usually get a bad rap for being harsh to noobs that ask the same dumb questions, but since your questions were about the NC, they haven't been answered yet.

I don't blame you for being nervous about a reflash, even if it was easier for the NA/NB stock ECUs to be reprogrammed I would still prefer a standalone that I can tune myself. But I'm doing this as much for the learning experience as the performance, so our goals are quite different.

wittyworks

iTrader: (6)

I have two tidbits to add!

First, depending on how quickly you want your power upgrade, you should look at the rotrex threads on miata.net. It has been being discussed for a loooong time, but real pictures and comments are being put out now which means they might get released by the end of the year. There are two potential kits, the corten-miller kit and the kraftwerks kit.

Second, two of the ecutek tuners have absolutely amazing reputations from every single person who has used them. Mike Mann of Moto East and Jay at TDR, in my opinion, have risen above all of the other tuners and provide as worry-free of a tune as you can imagine. Mike is making around 350 hp to the wheels on a begi kit and STOCK BLOCK, and he has been experimenting with lots of new stuff such as RaceRom and E85. Jay had a bit of a rough start with the MT crowd, which was actually partly my doing. He was new to the game and is one of the most enthusiastic salesman I have seen. He had a few issues with the fabrication on his early kits, but I have to give him some serious credit, because he also takes constructive criticism to heart, and FIXES it like nobody I have ever seen.

I will be using one of these two to tune my custom efr setup when I finally get it rolling, but that won't be for a few months at least. Hopefully RaceRom is out for the NC by then!

Cheers,
Evan

thenuge26

iTrader: (2)

If you didn't want an all-in-one kit, I would pay this guy ^^^ to make you a manifold for the EFR, as it's the ****.

DocHudson

So I did some more research and the Super 20 had an ECU reflash from DPTune. When I google that I get Dynotronics and an association with FM. So did Dynotronics provide the Super 20 reflash and is that what I would get with a FM SC?

Luissr20

Yes FM only uses Dynotronics for NC flashes. You can try getting the FM/Cosworth kit from other vendors or ask FM if you can get it without tuning. Nothing against dynotronics, but they have a checkered past if you do some research.