I'm with you on all of that, we are probably both in the minority here.

I guess I want my version of your 400whp sti. Which would be a e36 m3, afaik. I work and go to school, with future work being +50 hours a week, the only chance I will get to enjoy my cars is on the daily commute.

I have all the means to care for a e36 m3, my friend is a ASE foreign car mechanic and welder, so exuberant repair costs are mostly gone. And they take boost rather easily, 400whp on stock internals is like 200whp on a BP, with diyautotune coming out with a ms3pro for it as well, the drive train is nearly invincible, manifolds and turbo choices galore. I know I would happy with those levels of power, like I am with 10psi on my miata, with the added comfort and "daily driver-ness" of the e36, while being able to hold 4 people well-enough.

I don't feel like I would ever use the insane level of grip these 15x10 would provide + the added noise they will produce, ever put the xidas up to the task, ever want or need to max out the 6258 like I planned now that is makes like 215whp and that is about enough for me.

Btw that call to action at the end got me in the feelz.

 

You guys

I love my miata, but I am under 6 feet(no not 6 feet under) and don't have kids, we weren't lucky that way. I also have stock springs and standard shocks and my car is quiet.

I hear Vlad though but I need to drive 10 minutes to escape the twisties.

 

haha I'm not trying to be a buzzkill. I'm just saying: it's a fun little toy car. Enjoy it as such and have fun

 

Yeah exactly! And my dream sort of car is a comfortable, fast-enough daily-style car and the miata for me just doesn't fit that bill. I definitely enjoy it as a toy and I am happy I built it. I set forth to build a turbo miata like 5 years ago when I joined this forum and I did that and I made my decision.

I will probably be back in a few years when I settle down in Texas.

 

You may want to change to an e46 m3. They're more expensive in every single way, but at least they're fast, and up to 10 years younger. They have all the same problems the e36 has, plus a few, but the interior is much better than an e36.

I'm with 18psi (except I hate Subarus). I love wrenching but would rather get in a near bone stock car at the end of the day and just drive home comfortably. Dad life.

 

e46 vs e36 m3 argument never ends; I appreciate the motor design and the much nicer interior, but a simple example is a water pump for a s50/52 is $52, for a s54 you're looking at $150 and every part it like that. E36 is just better inclined for a DIY mechanic, I will do everything I can but cam timing type things, I will let my friend handle.

I'm only 22 but I feel like deep down I am 62.

edit: also the upfront cash saved between e36 and e46 is enough to redo the entire chassis, head to toe, so the newness isn't a concern there.

 

E46 is better. I prefer E36.

 

Yes

 

I've been a german car mechanic for the last 10 years. I've owned a lot of bmw's including a 4dr 5spd e36 m3, and I prefer the e46 zhp that i had after it any day. The e46 is a much better car for the money, the e36's are just falling apart nowadays. Granted the zhp doesnt have lsd but its not a deal breaker unless you are trying to get sideways. E46 m3's are sweet but that valve adjustment is expensive if you dont have the pucks. Currently trying buy a 6spd 335i coupe with blown turbos... on to better things.

on a side note i drove an s52 swapped e36 318ti a few days ago and that thing was quite a hoot... so maybe go for the e36 and cut the trunk off?

 

But then deal with the semi link trailing arm ala e30? I'd take the E46 suspension over e36ti/e30

 

Yeah the s52/ti was a bit of a mess... it'll get you backwards through a fence a lot cheaper than a 930 turbo though. Bang for the buck i'd take an e46 zhp over an e36 m3.

 

I have been looking at just a basic 328i/s. I will be changing out everything "m3" anyways and I plan to turbocharge it as a project because I am insane and won't have to smog anything in Texas.

 

And I thought the e36 m3 would be expensive.

The list of things to do is long. High up is get rid of that horrible exhaust tip.

 

Man I love those. My dad use to build and race those. They are so cool.

 

I have wanted one of those for a long time. Very cool

 

Luckily our friends at Feal came out with coilover kit (still have to weld threaded tubes) for the Z cars. Finally don't have the garbage chinese shock as the only go to coilover. Wilwood superlites up front and some kind of disc in back. Big and sticky tires. Should be a really fun car.

It also is fuel injected with AC, but it is a '75 so no smog

 

Is it too soon to discuss LS swap yet? Should I give you a couple days?

 

I have ridden in a V8Z, fast, easy to maintain, effortless power; my only concern is I will lose that inline 6 smoothness and sounds.

Still so much to plan before I get there, give me a couple days

 

So looks like the miata will really be for sale soon, huh? Atleast the trubozz ish.

 

I will be posting a handful of things that haven't been spoken for already, for the vultures