I'm not sure I could run 9's without some rubbing. Maybe if I did a minor pull.

I am patiently waiting on the new 6uls to be released. I'm with Ed, I'm conflicted on what tire to run.

 

Hoosiers.

Year round.

Or go home.

 

6UL's with the 36 offset will fit your car no problem Jeff, as far as I understand. My problem is the 20 offset. It'd be fine for a cruiser, or running 205's, but the way I drive the car with the 225's it's not working.

Less traction sounds kindof fun. I'm leaning towards RSRs. Along with the fact that I really don't see myself being able to scrape together the $$ to go with 6UL's before December the way things are at work these days. SLLLOOOOWWW.

 

he has an na. he has wittuv fendaz doe

 

I'm in the works to get me some 15x9 6uls...

The right offset should fit 225's. Maybe with just a little "work". Get grip or go home.

 

The baby speaks the harsh harsh truth...although with my 2" hitch being welded into my Jetta, I don't need to worry about street traction soon.

Ed how is less traction fun? Are you turning into what your sharpie fender so vehemently denies?

 

Not at all. It's just that the RS3's on 8's are not very progressive. It's lots of grip and then suddenly... oops! I remember it being much easier to drive the car with them on 9's.

Also, I recognize that I'm an inexperienced driver, and lowering the limits a bit would allow me to probe them more safely and improve my driving. Next PIR track day I want less grip and will drop the boost as low as it will go. I expect the RSR's to restore the precision feel I had before (by going 205 on an 8), but at an even lower grip level.

Thing is, If I decide to go with the RSR's on the FFDs I'm spending money where I need to anyway (tires) without incurring unnecessary expense (wheels).

But it's a good thing there's no "place order now" button on the 949 website for 15X9 Nickel 6UL's right now.

 

We talked about this at breakfast @ MRLS ladies - slower tires are more progressive

 

No real updates, except that I picked up my hardtop again:



Can't believe how much more rigid the car feels with the hardtop on. Seriously incredible. Will door bars make that much of a difference? I wants more rigidity but I don't likes the hardtop on. I likes air in my hair.

A few fall pics, first on the street I live on. Neighbor's house is awesome.



Some shots from a drive the other day with JC and a friend from work:







And finally... erm I love this car.



I can't wait to get the smaller tires on and lower it. I'm hoping that will help stabilize the car. Need slightly stiffer springs too. I'm making a list for winter projects. Currently the quarter panel replacement is not on the list.... part of the reason it's not on the list is because it's the whole reason my car made it into this video. My car makes its appearance at 1:25:



Job has its perks... get to drive this for free:



aaaaaand that's about it. It's a rainy wonderland so the Miata sits happily tucked away in the garage.

 

Door bars are double edged though you gotta remember that. It does help, my car is really solid, but I doubt your seats would fit after.

 

Some might say I'm crazy for this, but I'd likely follow Carnut's lead and do the NA bars that require cutting of the doors on NB's. I need wider seats, I want door bars. I think I would work to find a solution where the door card simply ends above the bars, then the bottom section of the door is finished in ABS plastic or something. Remains to be seen, just has me thinking. I want that rigidity, but without the top.

 

No I like that idea actually, and may enact it soon based off how genius it is. I love me seats but they are simply too narrow in the chest. My lats just do not fit comfortably. If I could buy wider seats due to not having a door bar restricting me I'd pick up a recaro pole position in a heart beat.

 

OK, so I ordered:

2 quarts of redline MTX
1 quart of redline gear oil
a Sparco Fighter seat with steel sidemounts
poly diff bushings

After ordering that seat, a friend showed me this seat:


I hope someone can help me justify why I spent a LOT more on the Sparco.

 

Ed, get a weld in halfcage with super low weld in door bars, all the chassis rigidity in the world.

 

Martin, maybe someday.

For today, here's a horrible vid of of a pull from 2nd through 3rd and into 4th.

Mazdaspeed miata acceleration: http://youtu.be/21vEATIiTos

Damn this thing is fast. What a handful!

 

This one's perfect.

I have all 3 of those cars, lol (cept NA Miata). The mini has been the most fun so far but I'm working on making my Miata on par with the Mini.

 

Embed fail



Ed, I've never heard much good about corbeau seats, just think long and hard about the Sparco once you get it. Don't mount it, don't even take it out of the packaging. Shipping cost will be much cheaper than settling on a $660 seat you don't like.

 

I was on mobile

Thanks for the help, and the input. I'll definitely do that. It's a spendy seat but it actually seems yo have some semblance of lumbar support and it looks awesome. At this rate I'll likely keep both Sparcos in the car and sell the NRG. That NRG is great on street but too flexy for track.

 

I have corbeau seats. They aren't fixed back and they weren't expensive but I'm not happy with the build quality. Thin fabrics, easy to rip, etc. If sparcos are as good as people talk about you will probably be happier with that.

 

Thanks Aidan, good to know. I've been feeling better about the purchase and hopefully will feel even better once the seats get here.

Alright guys, I'm in the home stretch on deciding on an ECU and vendor, and I need help.

I had basically settled on Rev's MS3 Basic, but with shipping factored in, the MSPNPPro from DIYAutotune is only $150 more (plus their shipping, which is probably minimal since the unit is tiny and they're here stateside).

I'd like to make a pro and con list of each ECU, but I'm such a noob I'm not sure completely where to start.

MS Labs MS3 Basic PROS:
-$150+ cheaper
-comes with customized basemap for my application

DIYAutotune MSPNPPRO PROS:
-waterproof (don't really care)
-the newest hotness?

Am I correct that the MS3Basic needs some modification to do sequential ignition and/or injection? Do I care? I don't need VVT but it seems it can do VVT anyway...

Josh, The MSPNPPro comes with a basemap for a stock car. Since mine is far from stock, it would obviously need to be tweaked for my injectors, though I do still have stock ignition. How difficult is this? Is this something I need to take into account or is it something of a moot point?

A final option, another forum member has offered to build me an MS3 at a SUBSTANTIALLY lower price.. Obviously we'd have to obtain a basemap from somewhere else and all that... How would that ECU compare with Rev's?

A million questions... I've been reading all over the place but the information gets soooo confusing!

Thanks for any and all input.