Huh, ok, I'll add that to the list of things on my radar. I'll see what I can find!

That's actually a really good idea. Scour craigslist. I've seen a few pop up. Maybe if there's a setup in a different CL you'll find someone here that may pick it up and ship it to you for a six pack or a small fee. Should give you some more pep and you'll be able to get more out of the setup than the MSM ever could.

^ The drawback is the uncertainty of the actual condition of the parts. He expressed some uneasiness about the used kit for that reason.

Honestly, that is most of the reason I have jumped on that kit. For not much more, I can get new stuff with at least some support.

The "thuper duper kit" started its life in my hands. It's based on the FM DIY kit concept, with A LOT of upgrades that no one is talking about that do NOT come with the FM DIY kit. It's also never been installed AFAIK. I think its only "used" because several people have owned it. The theme when I was putting it together was to buy the absolute best, most reliable, basic stock block safe turbo kit I could find at the time. Its the culmination of everything I learned here on MT in my early years on MT. I'm happy to answer questions about it but understand its been through a few sets of hands since I touched it so some stuff may have changed.

The turbo is a Nissan part, and the CHRA is a genuine Garrett replacement installed by a Garrett Performance Dealer out of Arizona. It's pretty much perfectly sized for a street application. The T25 flange studs are Inconel, either TSE Inconel 8mm prototypes or FM inconel, I can remember. The rest of the 8mm hardware is OEM Nissan studs and nuts, the downpipe elbow is an FM cast unit because it flows well and is essentially bulletproof. Every stud in the kit is from and OEM turbo Nissan application, installed with Resbond and torqued to spec. The downpipe itself is 2.5" FM and it included the brace. I didn't feel the need to mate a 3" downpipe to a tiny T25 making a target 225hp, and you can still mate a 3" exhaust to that downpipe. The turbo is small enough that its going to spool like a beast anyway so I doubt you'd notice the missing 0.5" of diameter. I had TurboTim build the manifold out of a CNC ported BMC Race flange I custom ordered. Its one of Timmeh's FM replacement manifolds that actually flows. If you look at the FM cast manifold its rather beefy, but its far from optimized. Tim's hardware has a proper merge and I have no doubt it will outflow the cast FM unit. It will require trimming a couple of the exhaust manifold studs, but that's a small price to pay. The kit also has all the GOOD bells and whistles that FM sells with or as options for the FM2 turbo kit, things like stainless hardlines for coolant, airbox, heatshield, etc. Silicone pipes, Turbosmart BOV, etc. The list goes on and on.

If you guys are going to compare the "thuper duper kit" to a FM DIY, you owe it to yourself to go back and read the previous FS threads for that kit and REALLY take inventory, and understand what you are actually getting. Sellers of that kit have generally done a poor job of describing all the things that are included. (sorry guys, its true)

I'm not kidding when I say I regret selling it. Its absolutely perfect for a stock block street build. No joke.

If you are TRULY worried about Tim's manifold cracking (I certainly was not) then buy the "thuper duper kit" sell Tim's superior flowing manifold (to someone who is looking to upgrade an FM kit) and use the proceeds to buy a new or used FM cast unit. You'll still probably come out ahead.

^good to know, but the guy currently selling it wants 2500 (plus 200 for injectors), and he bought it for 2400 or less TWO years ago. I offered him 2000, no dice. Another member offered 2300, not accepted.

I'd have it all installed in literally a day or two, just kind of sad.

Give it a little more time until the next major 'Merican holiday and you might be pleasantly surprised with what is coming out.

On the flip side of the FM setup, mine comes with the full 3" exhaust while theirs does not. I don't know if you already have a 3" exhaust or not, but that is a factor to think about. My setups are also priced shipped, verse FM which uses their shipping department as a money maker. The one thing that FM does have over me is EGR support, depending on how you deal with emissions that may or may not being something you want/need.

Also no matter what route you go, I would stay away from the eBay t2 turbos. I tried 2-3 of them a good numbers of years back and was not overly happy with any of them. Picking up a used SR20 t25 for $100 is my goto cheap t2 turbo.

My T25 is doing 14 psi at 2800 rpms with the FM manifold. It makes boost from as low as 1800. I doubt you can out spool this on manifold alone.

Also as a side note I would take an Absurdflow manifold over a FM manifold any day of the week.

To be fair, he paid $2400 plus shipping and is selling it for $2500 shipped. It will likely be shipped in several medium to large boxes, and shipping is not cheap these days, no matter what Amazon would have you believe. I just shipped a midpipe, and it cost me a little over $40 for the one box.

[Edit: I just used the shipping calculators at TSE and FM, and they charge $82 and $95, respectively, to ship to Dallas. The FM rate includes the intercooler and a few other bits.]

I don't know why it's "kind of sad". It is his kit, and he is free to sell it for what the market will bear. Maybe that is $2500 shipped, and maybe it's less. We will know soon.

At that power level, you can get RX-8 injectors from Rock Auto for $163 shipped.

THANK YOU, G!!!
I originally bought it from G because I totally agree with everything he just said, which is why I defended it a few posts up.

For the record, I would not have considered 2 grand for it either.

If you don't have at least 3-4 grand, you shouldn't be turbocharging a Miata. Period. Because when you inevitably break something and have no money to fix it, that's what's gonna be "kinda sad".

Stop eeeet! You are making me want this again.

Is the turbo ball bearing or journal bearing? The info I am finding is mixed on that point.

inb4partout....again

I *THINK* its a ball bearing CHRA. As I remember it, not all the Nissans used ball bearing turbos from the factory and I expect Garrett would have exchanged like for like, so it *COULD* be a journal bearing unit. I'll dig around in my email today and see if I can find the info because I'm almost positive I asked that when I sent it in to TurbosDirect for the CHRA exchange.

Exactly.

That kit is a combination of my borderline obsessive compulsive attention to deal and 18psi take "no prisoners, no compromises" attitude. There is a reason we get along so well.

Ok, to follow up on this I'm struggling to find even the invoice in my email, and that's odd, because gmail is usually all-pro at this. I may have been using a different email account at the time, but I'll keep looking. Sorry for not having a super quick reply :P

If it's a ball bearing turbo, then the price suddenly becomes much more attractive.

The parts list for what we built on the FM site and what is in the Thuper setup is virtually identical.

All that being said, though... Marcello, if you plan to upgrade your turbo setup before tracking the car (beyond a couple autoxes and maybe one beginner-level HPDE day) then MKTurbo or tacotaco DIY setup.

/discussion for Marcello's options

https://www.miataturbo.net/miata-par...rbo-kit-92976/

not ideal, but along the lines of what I've said

So you want the MK turbo kit. It's new, it's quality, it's affordable, and it hits all your goals minus the intercooler and intake, both of which have been well documented here on how to do on the cheap and easy.

It is poor form to speculate on things you couldn't possibly know. I sold it to him for $2500 shipped, but sent as a gift on Paypal, so that comes out to $2600 or so.

Just buy the damn thing already!

I remember wanting to buy this from Vlad when he listed it. It would be ideal for your elevation, probably nothing will spool faster where you are.