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It's pretty sweet.. and I kind of want it. How did you like it? I'd imagine it's pretty porky feeling. I've never driven one, but drooled over plenty of high HP examples online.
It's pretty typical sporty Audi: Great engine (and the AAN is a beast of characterful weirdness), massively sure footed, porky. It felt like an unholy cross between a 944 Turbo and a VW quantum. Which is kind of what it was.
I liked it, I just don't have time or energy for that. It was a fun commuter for the year.
So the wife got new seats from Prestige UK in her NA8: black tombstones from an NB. They fit great and feel great.
Prestige ROCKS. Shipped crazy fast, great packing, and great prices - I'm not sure how they can make money shipping it from the UK, but I'm really happy. Happy enough I am buying a BP4W and 6-speed to swap into the NA, and using it's engine and trans for another project...
I also installed the Racing Beat downpipes and presilencer into the FC, and welded in a real muffler to quiet it down. It sounds amazing, and now that ti doesn't have a melted and fractured cat, it runs really well. I'd ballpark 20bhp from this.
So minor updates on the BFMR first.
More suspension tuning: decreased rake, added some rear camber, increased front damping. The handling is sublime.
Minor tweaking of tune, first wax, lots of driving.
Over the summer I will probably rewire it for a new ECU.
The NA8C is getting some new toys.
First, I had the most egregious paint issues fixed. I took apart the rear end to swap in a TF rear diff, but it turned out it has a Torsen Type 1 in it already. This sucks because I want to see if the TF fix actually works.
Then, I have acquired a 2003 UK-spec engine and six-speed from Prestige, and have been prepping it for a swap.
I have done all the seals and gaskets, painted things, and rewired the engine using the 2003 harness, a spare 94 harness, and a lot of Deutsh connectors. I am going Adaptronic, part because they make a PnP for the FC3S and I want experience and partly because the tuner I have chosen to work with his very personable and helpful. He is willing to hold my hand so far (Tuned by Shawn).
Finally, I have decided (and the wife really agrees) that the FC needs to be our HPDE/AutoX/toy. I haven't had one of those in years...
So, lots of things.
Racing Beat presilencer and downpipe.
Whiteline caster bushings and other poly bushings in the front.
Racing Beat front sway bar.
Mazdatrix rear steering bushing eliminators.
Koyo radiator.
GTUs 4.3:1 rear differential with a Torsen Type 1 swapped in.
Lots of cleaning up and detail work.
Tint removal.
I am in the process of swapping Miata internals into an FC box, and just waiting on the input to get back from the machine shop. I have also figured out how to adapt the Miata shifter block and centering plunger to the FC, which eliminates the stupid hair spring. It required drilling the selector shaft roll pin hole out to 6mm, and machining the block to 20mm, and then the insertion of a 20mm OD/18mm ID bronze bushing into the block. Should have a more positive shifter feel. I also have a lightweight flywheel and Exedy Stage 1 racing clutch to go in.
The engine is a little tired (even 85-90psi compression), so I bought a blown up but complete core from the local junkyard and have started the rebuild of a relatively stock engine. It will have minor emissions delete stuff, an FD rear oil pressure regulator, a baffle, and not much else done. The engine from the car will be built top a little more aggressively: the goal is 190-200rwhp on the Adaptronic.
I am not crazy about the Racing Beat springs with the KYB AGXs. The springs are too soft, and sit too high in the rear. The AGXs are meh, but I didn't know I'd like the car this much. So I am saving my shekels for a good suspension, probably Ground Control.
Now for pics:
Fresh paint work:
TF diff rebuild: the dreaded tabs of doom.
Disassembled TF diff:
The solution, maybe. I will probably throw it in the NA and see what happens after 15k miles. I roughed up both surfaces and used industrial epoxy to bond the cones to the differential case. I then assembled everything and let it cure for 48 hours and checked the preload and breakaway torque. Nothing moved, even totally dry and with shimmed belleville washers. Worst it will do if they fail is act like every other TF, except without shrapnel. If it works it may be slightly more abrupt than stock since it doesn't have that 5 degrees of engagement slack. This tabs are a terrible design, btw.
TF versus Type 1 Torsen:
VVT engine getting cleaned up. New timing belt and water pump.
I love harness wiring.
FC lightweight flywheel and automatic counterweight.
Test fitting the Miata bearing carrier, gear carrier, and FC bell housing and tail shaft housing/shifter turret. It all works:
Hokey bearing puller assembly.
Junk 13B-DEI. Front rotor and housing were trash. Apex seals blown, no idea how you can do that on an NA. It is a Mazda reman, and they are apparently iffy at best...
Irons are all great as are the rear housing and rotor, the stationary gears and eccentric shaft. The oil pump looks new.
The destroyed part; now shop art.
New used rotor. Definitely wanted the S5 high compression rotors.
I love all your cars man, each and everyone of them is beautiful and clean. The GTX is a superb machine riding on those hotbits, as I now know, makes stock GTX handling laughable. Thanks for the pics as always.
So, a lot has happened, but it's time for updates:
On the wife's salvage NA, the UK Spec VVT engine, six-speed, Adaptronic ECU setup is working extremely well. The wife was driving it everyday (now once a week) and LOVES it. Great power, amazing intake note, almost perfect running. Hot restart is occasionally an issue, but otherwise fantastic. Working with Tuned by Shawn has been a treat, and I hope to get more monies for the GTX and FC ECUs, soon.
Adaptronic and all sensors:
Engine going in:
Fuel pressure sensor and new regulator to convert to a return system:
One of many intake setups using the Supermiata info about length. I think this is close to wear it ended up, but with a better attachment mechanism.
Adaptronic location:
DW200 fuel pump, hopefully this one works:
LRB underpanels, love their stuff:
The we moved on to mockup for the TR250 and transmission. We are thinking a 2554 on a BP. Fits perfectly!
Shortened the shift selector rod and turret, and it outs the shifter exactly where it needs to be:
FirstI got the transmission together and installed with the new flywheel and clutch. I also did some minor underbody cleanup, installed braided brake lines, some tow straps, a track suspension, track wheels and tires, put a big radiator in it, and a lot of just detail cleanup work in order to start tracking it. That did not happen, obviously.
I made a new friend!
The wife thanked me by getting me some signed Johnnie Herbert prints of the 787 in 1990 and 787B in 1991. And then we organized my office:
So, first, it has a broken crank snout. It is now loctited until I find a BNC 1.6 crank. If anyone has one, let me know. Runs great, but that was part of the source of a running issue. The other was a dying DW200 pump, from the batch that a lot of people have reported issues with.
So I replaced it with a DW300 I had on the shelf, and then added a new Turbosmart FPR, and redid all the houses to -6AN. I forgot to take pictures, but I'll get some soon.
Heres the pump:
Then I rebuilt the shifter with some deleon bushings I bought a while ago, and at the same time filled the empty spot in the console where the turbo timer and alarm stuff was with the faces off the FC radio. Behind that I put the connectors for the MS2 and the GFB GForce II. The MS2 closed loop boost control sucks.
A seat mount fractured from my fat *** and age. I repaired it, reinforced it, and also added material with the big to the recliner mechanism so it is all tight now. Ignore the filthy carpet. I need to vacuum.
I then have embarked on making rear control arms and trailing arms like the factory rally cars, as bushings are no longer available. I also discovered that the factory NA/NB rear sway bar bolts in, and works much better for packaging. I am also using Mazdaspeed 3 rear end links. Keeping it all in family I guess. It has made a huge difference, although I have only done the lateral links now. Much more stable, less steering angle needed, way smoother, and more travel. I think I'll try and get a bigger rear bar, maybe the Eibach? The rear bar in the GTX was a 17mm and the Miata is a 12, but shorter, with shorter arms. It picks up about 10% closer to the inboard pivot as well. The H&R may be too much.
I am working on brackets to put the arms in double shear, but the factory 14mm bolts worked fine: the rod ends are exactly the same width with spacers as the rubbers. Arms are made out of 1" .095 wall DOM.
Here are some of the blanking plates and diverters:
Here is the new FPR and line setup. note the missing idle return dashpot, which came off and locked the throttle open... Fun times!
Here are the rear trailing arms being made. 1.25" .095 wall DOM with 5/8 and 3/4 heims.
And then I redid all the spacers by machining up some new ones, and making a brace which will serve as a skidplate mount. I also took the opportunity to clean and final paint everything, and I rebuilt and resealed the rear differential. That is, alas, a viscous for now.
Got the H&R swaybar (it is now on the middle setting) for an NA, and tidied everything up. Noticeable difference.
The suspension on the MRT-E cars:
Small bracket I added tying the front lower control arm brace into the crossmember:
Cool to see you have the same Mazda GTX rally book from Japan! I don't suppose you could post your MS map? I have a GTX with MS and have some funky ignition curves I don't like much.
Cool to see you have the same Mazda GTX rally book from Japan! I don't suppose you could post your MS map? I have a GTX with MS and have some funky ignition curves I don't like much.
12-09-2019, 02:46 PM
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