Neogenesis2004 - 10yrs later Miata build
 

Gentlemen/Scholars,

It's been quite a while since I got rid of my last Miata from back in college. After dabbling for the last 3 years in the world of E46 M3s, and losing sleep with nightmares of cracking subframes and rod bearings taking flight from the confines of their iron block prison, I have decided to return to the world of turbo miatas. Really, it's something I've been thinking (wanting) about for a long time.

This time around will be a good bit different. Things around here have really matured a good bit, the technology that is... VVTz, EFRz, MS3Xz. Great time to get back in to things. Last time I was on a college budget in a poorly color changed Miata. Car was an absolute blast but the paint job was a show and I had to sell off the built motor before I ever got to see it really stretch it's legs. Afaik, it's still sitting in Brgracer's garage in PA waiting to be resurrected.

Onward to the car! This time I wanted to start with as close to a mint car as I could. I wasn't hard on about any particular color and really just had a list of no go colors. That said, my favorite color has always been Mariner Blue. I was cruising the forums, Craigslist, and Autotrader when the perfect car popped up. A Mariner Blue 90 NA with just over 36k original miles completely unmodified and we'll cared for. As you can imagine, it wasn't the cheapest chassis to start an ongoing project with but it was reasonable and exactly what I wanted to begin with after my first go around.

In typical fashion, I had already begun picking up parts for the car before I even actually picked up the car and took ownership of it. I have a lightly used set of Gen 1 Xidas on the way, I found a set of tungsten 15x8 6uls with almost new Nitro Neo Gens for a song, I picked up a BP6D dressed long block from a local yard for an eventual build, worked with my buddy Shuiend to buy a hard top local to him for a great price, and hopefully going to be meeting up with psyber optix mid week to buy a torsen diff. Oh ya, also bought the 949 sway bar kit, and PIF for a Blackbird Fabworkz GT3 rollbar in gloss silver. Pretty sure that's it so far?...

I picked up the car this morning early in DC and drove it home. I spent the next 5hours washing, claying, and lightly correcting the paint. It's still a long way from being perfect but it solidly passes the 3ft test. Closer inspection shows some water marks and other stuff. My correction skills aren't solid enough for me to want to get any more aggressive. I will probably find a professional for that and drop it off for a day or two. Once I was done I put it on the lift and swapped on the 6uls. It's a 4x4 still, bit it's looking really great!

Plans for the car:
- Equivalent of 949 Big Grip Kit using Gen 1 Xidas
- Built VVT engine
- MS3X
- MB hardtop
- TSE turbo kit with EFR 6258
- WTFever IC kit. Either my own or TSE might have something released by then.
- TSE front bbk
- 6 speed trans
- 3.63 in torsen diff
- other: cooling system upgrades, etc...

Starting out with suspension mods, wheels/tires, rollbar for now. I picked up the long block because it was local, a great price, and I did t want to miss out on it. I'm not planning to even start that till next year. I'm currently renovating my house myself so that it taking the bulk of my time. From there I will build the engine, swap it, and put in MS3x. Once that is all soundly running reliably I will start doing turbo kit stuff.

Anyways, good to be back :)

welcome back :)
looking forward to this.
very clean na

That's a hell of a clean car, I love mariner blue. It'll be nice to rebuild it the way you want 100% of the way this time.

Passenger side driver fender, on the bottom in the black trim. Is that buggered up somehow or is it just leftover wax?

It's leftover wax for sure. I was researching what to use to stay on it to break it down and remove it. Haven't tried anything yet or found a solid consensus on the detailing forums.

OMG can we be twinsies

Oh and don't buy your 3.63 from MAZMART. They sent me a 3.9

Good to see some old members coming back. Looking forward to the results.

Quick update

Been on a little bit of a buying rampage....
Picked up:
- Visit psyber up in NOVA to pick up a Torsen diff and check out his smurf. It looks really great, and a great guy to talk to! Miata parts just strewn about his yard like lawn ornaments :P He threw a spare compressor housing my way that I can use for powder coating and quick swap in the future. Best surprise though was the FM butterfly brace I accidentally stepped on (was becoming part of the earth) that he took off and didn't want anymore that I took off his hands.
- FM Butterfly brace

Received:
- 949 Swaybar kit
- GV Style lip

Incoming:
- FM Frame Rails (to go with butterfly brace)
- Used Gen 1 XIDAs from Raisin
- 6 Speed
- Advance Auto 1.8 axles
- Used driveshaft
- MS3X kit to build
- Various connectors to make no cut swap harnesses. (Zaphod's euro 1.6 swap thread has been invaluable along with a few other threads)
- Blackbird FW GT3 rollbar is on order in gloss silver
- NB2 downpipe and cat

Need to order ??:
- FM Stg2 clutch
- 1.8 Flywheel (not interested much in lightened)
- Injectors (ID1000?)

First I'll be installing the suspension and bracing parts. From there I've decided that I want to swap in the BP6D in stock form with the NB2 header to cat running on MS3. I'll put in the torsen, 6 spd, clutch, and injectors at the same time as well. Next spring I'll order the TSE turbo kit with 6258 and all the supporting kits they have for that like clt/oil lines/etc.... Meanwhile I'll be on the lookout for deals on built bottom end parts. Ultimate plan is to have the bottom built, but I also want to spread out the cost over time a little, and just have it drivable as much as possible.

I might have a flywheel for you.