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The $1500, running, driving, turbo Miata. Boosting like it’s 1996!

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Old 02-09-2016, 10:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Joe Perez
I used to have that exact same lathe. Homier Tools, right?

After cleaning up all the slop and lubing the hell out of everything, it was surprisingly capable for the price. Used to to make spring-perch spacers for my Bilsteins, a hub to mount a 36-1 crankwheel on top of the stock pulley, to flatten the (originally triangular) teeth on said wheel, a bunch of random little spacers and threaded adapters for custom projects at work, and so on. Not much swing, but a great little tool for working on little parts.
Something like that, yeah. I think harbor freight sells the same thing under a different name as well.

It is my father's, but I use it more than he does for various little projects here and there. I actually had designed and bought the materials for spring perch spacers for my Koni's on my car, but ended up just getting some ebay sleeves and non sagged springs (better all around).
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Old 02-11-2016, 01:09 PM
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Quick update.

My friend found some NB lower radiator mounts for $25 and picked them up. They bolt into place, still need to check the radiator fit and then upper mounts will need to be made (easy).

The under hood theme of this car is going to be white, black and a splash of red, so my friend painted the valve cover.



He also fabbrd his first piece all on his own. A block of plate for that warm up idle thing (since we are ditching all those coolant hoses).





Also, what the heck is that thing called? We have been calling it the warmup thingie. I know what it does at least...
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Old 02-11-2016, 06:19 PM
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Turns out NB lower radiator mounts and NB radiators will drop right into an NA. Just going to have to make some top mounts (easy). I couldn't find anything verifying they fit by searching, so cool to see they do!



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Old 02-16-2016, 01:12 PM
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Quick update.

Warm up thingy block off plate done.



Timing belt, coolant temp sensor, and block off plate done.



Rerout done, valve cover reinstalled.



Everything but the fans and intercooler reinstalled. Getting close to done. My friend will be working on the intercooler and piping for that today.

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Old 02-16-2016, 01:18 PM
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Mmmm, I love to see cars resurrected. Keep it up!
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Old 02-16-2016, 01:22 PM
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Warm up thingy = Air valve


Its a thermostatically(wax pellet I believe) controlled idle valve.
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Old 02-16-2016, 01:24 PM
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Originally Posted by hi_im_sean
Warm up thingy = Air valve


Its a thermostatically(wax pellet I believe) controlled idle valve.
Ahha! I knew what it did, and even how it worked. I just could not find what it was actually called. Thanks!
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Old 02-22-2016, 11:36 AM
  #28  
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It lives! A bit tappy, but we are just going to assume that is the HLAs since it hasn't been run in a while.

Still some things to do, the top of the rad is held by zip ties, as is the intercooler since my friend had to move it a bit to clear the new rad.

Big news is that it will be getting a new ECU come spring. You guys may boo, but my friend got a good deal on a compleet Link setup. Not the best, but I have ridden and seen plenty of cars running well on them, so I know they work fine. He should be able to sell the Doodoo box and MSD for around double what the link cost. It will be nice to get rid of the AFM.

That said, since we changed so much around, we are going to run it on the voodoo for a bit to make sure everything is working well mechanically before diving into electricals.
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Old 02-22-2016, 11:58 AM
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BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



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Old 02-22-2016, 01:39 PM
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Sent the link out today and he should get it on Wednessday. i look foreward to seeing this car running on it. Should be a good improvement over what he has now even with it being old. It ran fine in the car it came out of but we changed it over to a MSPNP. Seems to be one of the most complete links i have found around although it does need a new ribbon cable. It even comes with the USB link box.
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Old 02-22-2016, 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by mmmjesse
Sent the link out today and he should get it on Wednessday. i look foreward to seeing this car running on it. Should be a good improvement over what he has now even with it being old. It ran fine in the car it came out of but we changed it over to a MSPNP. Seems to be one of the most complete links i have found around although it does need a new ribbon cable. It even comes with the USB link box.
Exactly. If it weren't as compleet as it is, I would have had him wait and keep saving for an MS. But this should be a good stopgap to get rid of the baindaids and mess of wiring in the car now. It will likely not be until spring before it goes in.

Ribbon cables are easy. Worst case, I found a display and cable in minty shape we can snag for cheap. I will be jellous that it can be tuned without a laptop. I will have to see about MSDroid for my car.
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Old 02-22-2016, 02:01 PM
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hell, i would get that other controller and cable if it is cheap. always good to have spares of something that is no longer made. The disc for the tuning software is coming with it also so he can use the usb link to tune with the laptop.
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Old 02-22-2016, 02:05 PM
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Originally Posted by mmmjesse
hell, i would get that other controller and cable if it is cheap. always good to have spares of something that is no longer made. The disc for the tuning software is coming with it also so he can use the usb link to tune with the laptop.
This is actually very true. I will link him to it.
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Old 03-03-2016, 05:25 PM
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So, a Greddy kit popped up local. Blurry/darkish phone pictures for the add and all that. Manifold, TD04-15G, downpipe, intake, heat shield, and oil lines. Guy wanted $300. Didn't look that rusty from what I could see in the pictures. I told my friend to go take a look, since it would at least be better than the Chinese stainless steel tube manifold on there now. Figured some relief cuts and it would last decently.

He went to go pick it up today, said it looked to be in very good shape, so I asked for some pictures.

Hang on, that's not a cast manifold... What?



So I did some research. Turns out it is an ARTech greddy replacement manifold. 0.145" tubing, full welds, laser cut flanges. The works. Nice!

Doesn't even look like it has ever been bolted up to an engine.



So, looking at the rest of the kit. Hang on, that doesn't look like a Greddy downpipe either. Turns out it is a Turbo Tony downpipe (that took a bit of searching to find). Score!



So really, it is a "formerly" Greddy kit. Only part left seems to be the TD04-15G.

Is the actuator supposed to be mounted with only one bolt for this kit?





Also, rebuild the turbo just because? Or should I check it out and see how much shaft play it has first?
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Old 03-03-2016, 06:21 PM
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Ok, looking around, I am not 100% sure this is an ARTech manifold. I do think I found this exact one on another forum though. Looks like it is ceramic coated?

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/fo...d/70564/page1/
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Old 04-26-2016, 07:57 PM
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So, updates. I have confirmed that that link above is the kit/manifold that my friend got. We found the guy who bought it from the person in that thread, turns out it has changed hands 5 times since coming off that car! Price dropped each time it changed hands until my friend got it for a steal!

Anyway, we found a great deal on some two season old NA HDs off a spec Miata. Super cheap shipped, less than the cost of a single Koni yellow new. Got some coil over sleeves off amazon, they came with ~~350lb/in springs and I should be picking up the springs from a set of blown Raceland Ultimo this wednesday. That will give us helper springs and 485/350 spring rates to throw on the billies.

Decided to machine the sleeves so they sit over the clips, don't want them to pop out.







Also discovered the voodoo box was flaking out. Turned out to be a bad connection by the ECU. Apparently, the previous owner thought that it would be just fine to twist and electrical tape critical wiring.... As soon as my friend's daily gets a new wheel bearing, he will begin fixing the wiring and getting the Link in.

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Old 04-26-2016, 08:56 PM
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That lathe is fuking cute!

Also, great idea. Although i dont think you needed to go so deep.
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Old 04-26-2016, 09:06 PM
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Originally Posted by hi_im_sean
That lathe is fuking cute!
Isn't it though? Super handy, it lives on a shelf out of the way when not needed. They are about $500 now adays from what I can see (fairly sure they were $400ish when my dad bought it).

I am planning on doing the acetel bushings on it in the future.

Also, great idea. Although i dont think you needed to go so deep.
I thought deeper was better! Have I been lied too?!?

Actually, I just wanted it deep enough the top of the sleeve didn't stick up past the top of the shock. It's 12mm on the front ones and 10mm on the back.
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Old 04-29-2016, 06:22 AM
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The turbo mani is a work of art.

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Old 05-04-2016, 12:39 PM
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So after having the power to the wideband and auxiliary gauges go dead the other week, my friend has decided it is time to start dealing with the wiring in this car... I believe this sums it up nicely.



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They cut the stock radio harness off and just twisted and electrical taped a new one on.





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