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How to build a mediocre miata in 7 short years.
Car: 91 Miater with 234k miles. Its red.
My friends have made fun of me for the past 4 years about collecting parts and not doing anything with them...so I just decided to turbo the damn thing and not care. Bought car for 1000. It was nasty. Replaced nasty interior and other stuff. Did body work and paint. Body shop Pics: I replaced the doors (they looked like a fat girls rear end) and fenders...I think cause of rust. Found most of the drivers side rear was bondo...that was fixed: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337277016 Then it looked like this: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337277016 Then this: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337277016 Then this: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337277016 Then it was all like this: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337277016 And then...we drove it. Looks like this but more lower and with the club lobster must GV lip...thats not broken. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337276272 Needed garage so I built one: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337285383 Changed it to this: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337285383 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337285383 Onto the Trubo build Gages wired up. MSPNP Gen 1 bought it a while ago so don’t laugh. Drive the car NA and tune and learn MegaSquirt. -MS upgraded to High Res 10x. -Put in 305 Supra injectors, tune on them. -Put in GM IAT sensor…tune. -Put in Auto VTPS…tune -Read every damn post on tunning on this site. -Idle is good and logs look good on this motor, time to upgrade. Bought: -100k Mile 1.6 and trans -Old FM manifold -s13 sr20 t25 -New FM DP and Down elbow -some cool intercooler APEXi or something. -Custom intercooler piping with sweet TurboXS knockoff BOV -460cc RX7 injectors -gen 1 mspnp running high res -AEM wideband -Begi coolant reroute adapter with Kia Waterneck -1.8 torsens -1.8 FW and FM Stage 1 clutch -Toyota COPS and built harness, bought COPS bracket from trackspeed because lazy. |
How did you fix the once-bondo'd quarter panel?
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Originally Posted by hustler
(Post 973454)
How did you fix the once-bondo'd quarter panel?
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Drive SLS….not a fan but it is fast.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 Put S/C, Clutch and bunch of other stuff on friends Miata in his garage: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 Down pipe brace. Some steel and a large exhaust clamp I had laying around…seems to work good. Time will tell: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 Install Motor: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 Do piping. And mount intercooler. Was going to get FM piping but I already had a ton of stuff to make my own sooo yeah: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 Hot side: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 Cold side https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 What the heck are they doing? https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566539 |
Is that a 1.6 water neck where the mixing manifold goes? I like it, and if so, did you figure out what pre-bent hose works? It seems like all your plumbing you've added is very clean and well thought out. I like.
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Winter drive this car...totaly ideal:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566996 So dealt with some weird electrical issues that turned out be the 6 ground block, it is now grounded in two places. Pass side headlight motors (I have two) are wonky so have another one on order. Took the car out two nights ago after getting all the electrical stuff done, and it felt like hitting a wall round 3k. MS looked through some setting in MS....Overrun Settings - Coolant Temp was set to 160, I hover around 180 on a 60 deg day. Switched it to 200 deg and everything is good. Put Willwood 11inchers in the front and Sport brakes on the rear: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566996 Interior (boost guage is now an Autometer because ProSport is horrid) https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566996 Took Cat nap: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359566996 |
Originally Posted by Leafy
(Post 973466)
Is that a 1.6 water neck where the mixing manifold goes? I like it, and if so, did you figure out what pre-bent hose works? It seems like all your plumbing you've added is very clean and well thought out. I like.
I will take a new picture of what it looks like now for you. As far as the hoses there I used a piece that I cut off from the giant Cadillac coolant hose that I am using for the re-route connected to a coolant splice from Begi (which feeds one of the water lines to the turbo) and a stock miata hose I had also that has like a 120 deg bend it in. I will get a better pic today. Thanks I guess the benefit of taking a very long time to do something is that you can think it through. I went through about 5 designs for that part alone. |
The end result looks great, good job man.
I wish I could do body/paint work |
Originally Posted by 18psi
(Post 973470)
The end result looks great, good job man.
I wish I could do body/paint work Great work so far! |
Nice garage!
You should post as you go. I would have suggested substituting pipe thread plugs for the "cursed water plug" and the similar rubber plug on the back of the intake manifold while you had the engine pulled. Stuff like that. Looks good though. |
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Originally Posted by 18psi
(Post 973470)
The end result looks great, good job man.
I wish I could do body/paint work Got some pictures of the front of the coolant re-route So I cut off the sharp end of the pre-bent pipe that goes to the heater but left the part where it has the bead all around (basicaly where the stock o ring goes) Used the same hose I used for the turbo drain...forgot size now 3/8's? Then tapped the 1.6 water neck with the same I guess 3/8's tap that I did the oil pan. Two fittings and point it towards the pipe and connect with hose. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359569268 This is the old hose that went from the bottom of rad to the hard pipe I think...its one of them at least. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359569268 Begi Coolant splice with a barb on it that feeds the turbo some coolant. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359569268 bad picture but you get the Idea: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359569268 The bottom hose is the front of the Cadillact hose for the re-route that you have to cut off to fit onto the radiator. It fit perfect and had a great angle. Oh and I put in a gheto catch can. Home Depot water seperator with some fittings on it. It works on all my other cars...so why not here? https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359569268 And here is what the car looks like today...dirty from sitting for a while. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359569268 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359569268 Also, let me just say that without all the helpfull posts here and all the helpfull people that did most of what I did from scratch and documented it, I would have never done this. So thank you all. |
Originally Posted by hornetball
(Post 973476)
Nice garage!
You should post as you go. I would have suggested substituting pipe thread plugs for the "cursed water plug" and the similar rubber plug on the back of the intake manifold while you had the engine pulled. Stuff like that. Looks good though. I am horrible at documenting my processes. I am a Software/Puter engineer, I can do many things but when it comes to documenting it I fail. Also forgot all the suspension stuff: -FM ButterFly brace -FM rear Brace -IL motorsports strut brace...front. -Polly bushings all around -Polly diff bushings -Koni Sports (funny they work awesome on my other cars) with (I forgot the rates now) It was 700 front and 450 rear but I lowered the fronts to 500 I think because of how horrid the ride was. Still not ideal. -Racing beat front and rear sways -949 front end links -Racing beat front lower tie bar. -94 R-package tie rods. -HD double duce Roll bar with padding. |
I love to see the car get turned around and revitalized. Excellent job!
Pics of your diy actuator bracket and comments on its stability? |
Originally Posted by petrolmed
(Post 973482)
I love to see the car get turned around and revitalized. Excellent job!
Pics of your diy actuator bracket and comments on its stability? It was something I did very quickly to solve the issues of placement of the actuator so its not the best but at 7psi I did not see any fluctuation and at 12 psi its stable as a rock so I am going to guess its stable enough? |
kitties!!!
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Awesome build brother. I can really tell you have been reading up, good job going COPS right away. Only thing I see is that you kept the 1.6, but if you are this invested in it there is no going back now. Enjoy it!
Any deals on the 1st gen MR2? The white one looks awesome! And the red sw2 looks cool as well, NA car? How do you like MR2's? What do you think of the MR2 vs the maita? |
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Originally Posted by Fireindc
(Post 973502)
Awesome build brother. I can really tell you have been reading up, good job going COPS right away. Only thing I see is that you kept the 1.6, but if you are this invested in it there is no going back now. Enjoy it!
Any deals on the 1st gen MR2? The white one looks awesome! And the red sw2 looks cool as well, NA car? How do you like MR2's? What do you think of the MR2 vs the maita? As you can tell I love MR2's. I got into Auto-X and doing some track days with my Celica GTS (my wife had one also and still need to sell them) I realised I hated FWD and wanted to learn how to drive better. Celica's: https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359578206 Got a deal on a MK1 MR2 (the black one in the pictures above that is getting towed away) and thought "Low Power, Mid engine, strut suspension. What better way to learn to drive?" And then it got out of control. Black race car with another blue MR2 that I built for a friend. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359578206 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359578206 S/C car that will be getting a 95 4agze motor from a Jap Trueno. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359578206 and the white race car (rare 88 hardtop, most were t-top or sunroof...helmet room was limited) Honestly the miata is probably much more FUN to drive for me. I've autocrossed it and it felt like it was just way to easy to drive at the limit...this is not a bad thing. The MK1 MR2 feels like a little go cart but you HAVE TO know where the weight of the car is at all times, its a balancing act and getting and staying at 10/10ths is very tricky but when you get it right its very very rewarding. In a Miata if you loose the rear end its not that hard to get it back, doing the same in a MR2 'usualy' will result in you facing the other way. BUT once you setup the car suspension wise in a very weird way, 700lb front 450lb rear springs with no sway bars, toe out in the rear and toe in in the front the car handles awesome but its still tricky to drive. I can hang the rear end out on that car now though all day. The MK2 mr2 is faster even in NA form then the MK1 on the track AND is a better daily driver with lots of interior room and a 'GT' feel to it. I just don't find it as FUN or rewarding to drive as the MK1 or the Miata. T-TOPs are the biggest pain in the world also, between taking them off or putting them on and them leaking no matter what you do. Go to MR2OC.ORG there are some nice MK1 and 2's on there. Look for rust as they are known for rear wheel arch rust. Everything else is easy and you can swap what ever the heck you want in those cars. 2grfe motors from 2007up Rav4's, camry V6 and Lexi put down between 280whp to 300whp in stock form and are easy to swap. |
Thanks for the details, I've always like mr2's. I even really like the MRS as well, neat little cars. They are really light, too iirc. 2nd gen mr2's are pigs (2700+ lbs?), but the first gens were closer to a miata weight.
I've only got time/$$$/space for 1 toy, and it's the miata. So i'm not getting one anytime soon. I've always loved them though. |
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