I'm sure it doesn't help in the slightest, but I've got 3.9s with my 5 speed, and I find them too tall. I'm in the market for a 6-speed, though, and that should help.

Yeah I think even the 3.909 might be short with the 6 speed. I'd like to know where I can get a 3.636 or the 3.73. Where did you get yours?

Well mine is in a race car with a ford 8.8 rear-end! So unless you can change the rear or find a place that makes after market gears.
You have a pretty good power-band and want to stay in it.

When my old connecting rod went through the bottom of my oil pan, it took out my Power Steering rack with it. It cracked the rack in half and I didn't catch this until i noticed the entire under side of my engine was covered in power steering fluid.

Here is the old rack - Not supposed to see the actual shaft inside it and there is fluid all over the place.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328713106

Cleaned everything up like a bawse. Grinded the control arms and sub frame and then repainted it with protective enamel paint.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328713106
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328713106


I while the car was in the air I pulled the bumpers and filled the emblem holes. The bumpers could have used a fresh respray anyways. I'll have these on the car tomorrow.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328713106
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328713106

You do paint work, too?? I am skeptical of your supposed lack of professional experience.

I worked at a speed shop. I faked everything until I actually knew how to do it my friend :)

New toys I picked up last week.. I'm not a fan of my factory belts rubbing over the shoulder of my suede seat. Eventually it will wear and start to look like ish- So I grabbed the Street Tuner belts from Sparco. It's still a 4 point belt but it has a more daily-friendly-buckle instead of the turn buckle deal.
http://www.miataforumz.com/attachmen...ine=1328715887

http://www.miataforumz.com/attachmen...ine=1328715887

Notice the effect of extreme G force on my face.
http://www.miataforumz.com/attachmen...ine=1328715887

Are those belts anti-submarine?

From what I have read 4 point belts are a big no-no to run. If in an accident they can cause more problems then the standard 3 point or 5/6 point.

If you think using a camlock/turnbuckle style harness is hard, you should probably be driving a FWD autotrans car. I'd rather end up with sore nuts for a day or two than smashing into the firewall face first.

Not that I'd like to start this discussion in my build thread but from what I understand this is related to improper use.

The 4 points are commonly installed and used incorrectly with the rear points mounted below 10* of the shoulders. In an impact the forward momentum of your body causes the belts to pull you down instead of catching your weight - This is where the no-no's come in. Spinal compression - Whiplash - Broken collar bones and shoulder injuries.

My belt it mounted correctly and when I use it it's with minimal play.

Not to derail, but while the angle of the shoulder belts is very important, the concern with 4 pts. has more to do with the lap belt/buckle rising up into your soft tissue in an accident.

Savington explains it well here:
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread...=448194&page=2

Awesome built btw. :bowdown:

So last night I finished with the paint work and decided that before I install these beautiful new bumpers - I should wheel out the entire car. Since I've owned the car it has not looked this clean. New front lip installed too :)

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328796532

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328796532

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328796532

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328796532

A quick video of me testing out the boost by gear - First and second are at 10PSI.

Thank you for all the info you have displayed. I will be putting an engine together soon with just about as much work as you've done. Oddly, I went with the same rods and pistons, but haven't ordered bearings yet.
I'm just curious what the coating on the pistons is for?
Also, what sort of measurements/procedures did you go through on ordering the bearings.

The earlier you spray water/meth the better. Often times, detonation at higher boost and RPMs is affected by timing and/or your water meth or lack thereof at lower RPMs.

This is what I've found from my logging experience.

Same thing for tuning without water meth. Too much timing down low can lead to det up top. Drop the timing down low and the det up top goes away.

I went with FM pistons so mine are coated silver not gold (not sure the diferences in coating) but it supposed to help keep the heat in the cylinder.... I'm sure someone else has a more exact answer but there my 2 pennies..

There are two different types of coatings on my pistons. A Moly dry lube on the skirts, obviously for lubricating reasons. The tops are a thermal coating. This coating is designed to keep the heat from transferring to the piston. My pistons have a design to help keep the heat spread evenly across the surface- you can tell by looking at the bottom side of the piston and it will be machined to keep relatively the same thickness all the way across. So it will be a negative image of what the top is.

So I called a friend of mine on the way home and was joking with him about how I should do a wire tuck. Then I stopped by the shop and for whatever reason I started to just that.

I wont go all out like some people but I'll clean some things up and make it look a little nicer..

Here is a couple of quick before shots:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990

I removed everything to clean some things up. The paint has been pretty stained from the engine exploding in the bay and blowing hot oil all over the white, likely single stage engine bay paint.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990

I took a heavy degreaser to everything and it helped but it still looked dirty to me.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990

So then I said fluck it. Let's paint the bish. Taped it all off and scuffed the hell out of it.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990

Looking at the rest of the core support, I thought I might kick myself for not hitting the whole thing. It looks awful.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990

Hit her with some base coat left over from my bumpers earlier this week.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990

Then the pretty clear coat went on.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328932990

Clean - white, done right, always looks nice. Subscribed.

I constantly had the 5th gear lockout when trying to shift fast on mine too. Running motorcraft helped some, but it would still do it every other time. I'm thinking its a crappy synchro, not sure.
If I were you, and since you plan to make more power in the future, I'd go for the 3.6. If you make a true 400 wheel like you plan to in the future, even the 3.9 will require lots of shifting.
OH DEAR LORD that looks so good:drool:
I miss my white car so much.

Have you considered baking the headlights? Black housings would look right at home with your color scheme.
Very clean. Love it.
Aren't you worried about not passing emissions without the charcoal cannister and all that? Or do they dont do visual inpsection in your state?

Tack weld those holes, sand, bondo and paint it...would look JDM Frezh BRAh