Taifighter is building a Miata
 

build thread for my '94

I picked up this Miata from Ft Wayne, IN. It was on Craigslist for a while and I really liked what I saw in the ad.
There was lots of documented work done by previous owner, with receipts for almost everything:
Tein lowering springs
AGX adjustable shocks
RacingBeat front and rear sway bars
suspension bushing and diff bushings with new energy suspension bushings
Beat rush tower braces
Beat rush lower rear brace

15 inch Konig wheels... wrapped in all seasons :(

Jackson header
Racing Beat exhaust
Track dog exhaust header cover
Magnaflow catalytic converter

Oiler cooler kit with filter relocation kit

NB Miata factory big brake kit
NB Miata factory big brake booster
Stainless lines
slotted rotors

Interior replaced with the factory tan interior
Factory hard top
Hard Dog M2 sport hard top roll bar with pad

NACA duct in headlight
H4 headlights
Factory front lip
TSIs

Recent new driveshaft
Respray


intro thread:
https://www.miataturbo.net/meet-gree...ew-home-64536/

CL ad pics:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163056
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163056

on the way home:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163056

at home:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163056

first thing I did was go over and address any maintenance, like the shifter turret:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163056

I picked up some wheels more to my liking:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163056

Iold the ones that came on the car, made enough to cover my cost on the new wheels. Erat now has these but he didn't get them from me directly:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163056

I joined MT to learn as much as I could about boosting this car.
The first thing I learned is that I need one of these:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163557

I added these first:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163557
I figured I'd need a boost gauge eventually, and I was really keen on the entire a-pillar replacement piece.

Brain built this and I installed it with no trouble, until I fired it up for the first time. Bouncy inconsistent readings and running rich as fawk.

MAP sensor wasn't soldered:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163557
No worries, I have a friend who is a MS genius and he helped me figure out the issue and resolve it in a few minutes. STIM tested and good to go:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163557

Visually, the exterior of the car is where I want it:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163863
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360163863

I think the ride height is perfect, and the stance isn't stretch and poke but it isn't passive. It probably looks just like a lot of the other black Miatas with the same wheels, but in my area it's the only one.

I replaced the original tan leather seat covers with replacement black covers. I'd like to switch out to black carpet and get rid of the tan. That would leave me with a tan lower dash and door cards, black everything else.
Here's an odd panoramic shot that didn't blend correctly.
http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/r...720_144917.jpg

I'm just now starting to finalize what direction I'm going for my turbo setup. Once I hear back from a couple vendors on some specific parts I can get serious.

Maybe I should do injectors and a clutch first?
Maybe I can hold off on the clutch for a bit. The one in the car now hasn't slipped, maybe it will hold under low boost while I get things tuned.

Injectors seem easy, just rescaling to compensate for the size should have them running off my current table with a bit of autotuning.

Go injector now and get the re-tune down.

Yes the clutch will slip, however pulling the motor/trans to install the turbo kit plus freshin the seals and gaskets, timing belt/water pump cam cover seal, is the way to go. Drill pan while it's off the motor for peace of mind. Replace clutch and related parts with ease, on your feet or on a stool...

Good looking car too.

Awesome, i'll be following this!

I do own them wheels now, but i'm trying to sell them. They're just as nice as when you had them, i have not found a single ding on them.

Do you mind me asking how much you paid?

Looks like a much better starting point than my POS 96...

I generally check the Indiana CL for miata's, missed this one though. I'm not far from Ft. Wayne so I usually check it's CL.

PM'ed

Wheel whore?

Me too. I went through 7 sets of wheels over the course of 4 years on my TT. 2 were winter wheel setups, but still... that seems excessive now that I look back on it.

Started to get some responses from vendors about bits and pieces needed to boost this thing.

Artech products look awesome. That stuff is like an art form. Hmm... something in the name cluing me in to that?

Currently doing some comparos between a 2560 and 2860, and seeing how the BEGi s4 tubular manifold holds up.

Made some decisions:

Begi is allowing me to configure a kit based on what I need. I think I'll stick with the 25r, SGDP, cast manifold, hard lines, etc. Nothing spectacular but enough to be fun and give me a challenge.

FMIC will be from Bryan here: https://www.miataturbo.net/miata-par...ordable-70801/ Also got an IAT bung on the end tank :)

Piping most likely a DIY setup from Silicone Intakes, thanks to Soviet for the write up/pics in his build thread.

My old SSQV from my TT will be used.

FIC 650s

Clutch will end up being FM1. I might see how long I can roll with the stocker until it slips. My intent is to run lowest psi possible for initial tuning (this could take a while as I learn), which will allow me to set aside more time and funds to put toward that job.

Oh, the joys of a modified car...
I installed my FIC 650s without issue. No leaks!

Still trying to figure out my idle droop issue, I posted up a thread and have got some feedback that I used to try and fix the problem of idling up in the 1400 rpm range. I believe this issue is not mechanical, as sometimes the car will level out to about 900-1k and not have a droop.

Now I'm faced with a more important issue: my MTX-L started to malfunction. Over the past 6 months, I've had to recalibrate the gauge several times. I turned the car on today and the display showed CAL for a second or two then showed a reading of 22.8 to 8, back and forth AND the display went from standard lighting to very very dim (the gauge is not hooked up to the dimmer switch, the dimmer lead is grounded so the gauge does not dim when the lights come on... that will change but as of right now it's full brightness all the time) When the display was dim the car idled like shit.

I second guessed myself on the required fuel setting. I used the calculator that showed my 4.85 should have actually been 4.7, but surely that wouldn't make the car idle so rich. It has to be the gauge.

I unplugged and recalibrated the gauge, it worked better but still had the dim display and crazy readings. It actually popped up with the normal brightness a few minutes later and gave a reading of about 13.8-14.3 for idle which seems normal. Then the gauge went dim and started flashing from 10 to 15 to 22.8 and back, pretty much just going crazy. WHEN THE GAUGE WORKED NORMALLY my idle was perfect, I wonder if the gauge has something to do with the idle issue?

THEN the power cable to my laptop came unplugged and the laptop would not let TS connect to the car. I restarted the laptop and car several times but never got the connection back. I decided to call it day.

Next on the list of things to do is get the MTX L figured out, reinstall it and hook up the dimmer for that and my boost gauge.

Then I can address connection issues with my laptop.

By then my FMIC and Begi kit should be here. I plan to autotune to the new injector size first before I install the kit. That should only take a few hours on a nice day once the snow is clear.

After that I can uninstall my full exhaust and ship it to the buyer in Cali and recoup some of my expenses.

Some parts came in

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1362886291

Some parts are still being made by Begi and should be here in a week or so.

Some parts (cough cough Innovate) are taking way too long to be warrantied/inspected.

Whoohoo!

Mounted up my FMIC since it was here and I was bored on my day off

First thing to do was to move my oil cooler back out of the way. I used some heater hose to create a bumper between the oil cooler and the AC condenser. I tied it to the lines on the condenser above a bracket and secured it with zip ties. I might find some of those tabs that you attach fans to a radiator core with if the zip ties don't cut it. Or maybe both.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1363032353
It's solid and I'll see how it works.

Next I test fitted the core, again by using zip ties.
First thing I noticed was that I was missing the tow hooks. Quick research showed that the threaded holes would accept a 10mm 1.25 pitch bolt. I took some measurements and went to the hardware store. I had about a half inch gap between my mounting tabs and the frame of the car where the tow hooks once were. I fixed this problem by a small sleeve, a washer, and a cut of heater hose to give it some vibration dampening.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1363032353

It's solid and it sits exactly centered and level. Stoked.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1363032353

This is the 350 HP Vibrant core from Bryan: https://www.miataturbo.net/miata-par...ordable-70801/

Looking really good. You are well on your way to a damn nice miata.

Thanks man, I appreciate that.

Man, you just had to go and one up me; Mounting it all professional and what not. :D

I was gonna hit you up and ask how you mounted yours when I saw that the core would hit the AC canister if mounted to the frame where the tow hooks used to be. Upon further investigation of your build thread, I concluded it had to mount below it and I was just missing a piece off the car.

But I lost your number when I got this new WinMo phone from work ��

I bet yours went on faster.

what size is that core?