vehicular's Street Mod/ Street Car Ubercharger Build
 

I bought this car from GolfTDIBrad last summer after a 5 day misadventure with a nice responsible Civic reminded me how much I like cars that aren't Civics. I drove to Jackson, MS (halfway to Red Stick, LA) to meet Brad (who turned out to be a really nice guy) and drove it home to Huntsville. It looked like this:

https://www.miataturbo.net/cars-sale-trade-6/1994-mazda-miata-%246000-00-a-59092/



New radiator, timing belt, waterpump, hoses in last 10k miles.
Hard dog rollbar
Koni Yellow shocks
Ground Control Coilovers (550/350 Lb/inch rates)
Car has been corner balanced.
Flyin' Miata front sway bar
Energy suspension polyurethane kit on all the suspension. I Drilled and tapped all the a-arms for grease fittings, just in case it ever starts to squeak, but so far its been silent.
BRP MP62 supercharger. Blower rebuilt less than 5k miles ago, makes 7 PSI boost
TRD belt tensioner
Megasquirt PNP EMS
750cc RC injectors
Inovate LC2 wideband wired into the megasquirt.
Torsen LSD rear end with 4.10 gears. new output shaft seals.
2 sets of wheels. 14" with Falken azenias rt615's 50% life. 15" drag dr-20 with Kuhmo tires ~90% life.
r-line front lip
AXXIS ultimate brake pads.
sony cd player with ipod connector.
battery is less than a year old.




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I was more or less happy with it at the time, other than the fake Work Equip 03s, the oxidation on the paint, a minor oil leak and a noisy speedo cable (all of which I knew about before hand). It pulled ok, and everything seemed to work pretty well. I had convinced myself that I could do some maintenance, put some wheels on it and leave it alone... Yeah right.


Over the course of the summer/ fall I did a bunch of maintenance and minor mods:

New brake pads and fresh fluid
Modified RB front sway bar end links
Lowered the car some on the coilovers
Kosei K1s in 15x8 +32 with 225/45-15 Toyo R1Rs
Had the paint buffed (the trunk looks almost presentable now)
Cleaned up the engine bay a bunch
New wideband sensor
Greased the poly bushings
Replaced the speedo cable
Hunted down and fixed the oil leak that turned out to be a power steering fluid leak
Scored a black hard top for -$800 (bought a beater with the top which I cleaned up and sold for more than I had in the whole pile)


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1326787095


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Then an ad popped up on here for a mostly new, mostly complete Flyin Miata Ubercharger Whipple 1.2L twin screw kit that I couldn't pass up, so I snapped it up with some of my school loan for the Fall semester, and the MP62 got sold to cover my irresponsible use of school money (:facepalm:).

Everything sort of started to spiral at that point. A stock Ubercharger kit will make enough power to punch the connecting rods through the block, so I horse traded my way into a Supertech 2L big bore motor, complete, machined and ready except for connecting rods. The same guy let me buy a '99 head to go with the NB Ubercharger kit. I also grabbed a Boig header from a local guy who had gone turbo, but the Boigs come with a 2" collector, which wouldn't even sort of do. Plus I just couldn't bring myself to put a spray bombed mild steel header on my car. This was the result:


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I replaced the 2" collector was replaced with a 7 degree divergent nozzle, to a 3" v-band ring, and sent everything to Nitroplate in Nashville for their super cool magic coating. This obviously necessitated a new exhaust, which brings us to this weekend:


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1326787095


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I used a pair of Hindle Titanium Supersport cans, along with a Magnaflow 3" cat and all 3" 304 stainless tube. I spent 2 weeks getting my fits exactly where I wanted them with zero gaps for pretty TIG welds, and the day I had to get it all done to get the car off the lift, the pedal on my buddy's TIG decided it just wasn't going to cooperate. It went from no arc to blowing holes in the tube instantly, no matter how low the amperage was set. So I had to learn to MIG stainless in an afternoon, and... it looks pretty horrendous, but you can't tell that from outside the car, and it still took off significant weight, so I guess I'm happy with it, all things considered. It's a little loud for my taste, so I'll end up adding a resonator soon.


So, at this point I still haven't turned up a set of connecting rods for the 2L, or the little detail bits to finish off the Ubercharger kit. Before I do any of that, though, I need to come up with a clutch, some sort of charge cooling, and I plan to do some chassis reinforcement, aero parts, and some more weight savings. I have never really been one to keep a project long enough to finish it (chronic 60 day automotive attention span) but I've really grown attached to this one. Hopefully I won't get bored with it too soon...

Riddle me this, Batman: How do you seal up slightly loose slip fits when there isn't room to put a clamp around them?

The internet's opinion was to pack the slip with heavy grease or anti-seize, so after having trouble with super leaky slip fits before, I slathered the header and muffler slips with Permatex Copper Anti-Seize on the initial assembly of teh exhaust to head any issues off at the pass, but the first time it got hot, the grease/ oil/ carrier loosened up and most of the slips bled out some.

I'm not fully convinced that they're leaking, but the system seems louder than I think it should be, so I'm thinking it can't hurt to try to seal the slips up a little better. I really don't want to RTV them, as the collector has to come off of the header primaries to get the header out of the car, and RTV sets up like concrete after a few months of daily driving.

Any other ideas?

Nothing?

I at least expected hatred on the exhaust...


If anybody cares, I'm going to try Hylomar Universal Blue tomorrow, and maybe Walker Acoustiseal (had to order both) tomorrow before I go with more drastic measures.

ok i WILL comment.

You do realize that you $5000 header is going on a 200hp miata right?

Is that header made of diamonds? How much did it really cost new?

$5000 leaky header, that really doesn't fit on a Miata. Every tube had to be dented to clear something. And right now it's on a ~115hp Miata. I'm terribly aware. Luckily I have <$600 in it, including mods and coating, and it should make SIGNIFICANT horsepower over anything off the shelf for my application. FM had a project car with this blower that made 315whp on 93 octane. I hope to make significantly more than that on 110.

Holy cr*p, what makes that thing so special? Design looks weird/funky but I'm no exhaust pulse pro.

I really don't know how much they were new. Probably too much, seeing as how they're mild steel and you have to cut up the motor mount cup and clearance the subframe to get the thing to fit, and it's still a pain in the dingding to get it in and out of the car, even then.

Plus, you're going to have a hell of a time getting oil back to the pan from the turbo.

it dynoed with an extra HP.

1.75" primaries and voodoo. I imagine that I totally ruined it for the original intention (180+hp GT/ Production motors) when I modified it, but a 2" collector just isn't going to cut it supercharged.

what is it a 2.5" collector stepping up to 3"?

also I dont think there's many other equal length 4-1 headers out there...The Gibb one maybe, and that's expsenive too.

2" to 3"

The PO had a bunch of step sized tubes welded to it and a 2.25" flange at the end, but the original collector was about 5" of 2" tube with an O2 bung in it.

Fair warning...get a decently quiet muffler or that Uber + header + free flowing exhaust is going to be LOUD.

What constitutes LOUD? Like, can't leave the house before 8am or come home after 9pm for fear of violent encounters with the neighbors, or just drony on the interstate?

I already think it's loud, but all my buddies think it's fine/ too quiet (I'm an old man who won't drive a car that drones every day, period). I think I'm going to add a stainless Moroso Spiral Flow after I get the slips sealed up. I also found a couple of little exhaust leaks the other day that I'll try to get welded up this afternoon. I'm actually hoping it will be down to bearable today, and will be VERY quiet after the resonator.

I think its going to be insanely loud too.
Loud like "I can't drive on the freeway for more than 30minutes or I'll get a headache from hell" loud

The Hindle mufflers are remarkably effective. Like I said, all of my buddies think it's a perfectly reasonable volume for a street exhaust now. I'm just an old man who likes his cars quiet at cruise.

Not that I don't think you guys are right... It may very well become a problem. I'll cross the noise bridge when I come to it, I guess.

adding a header to my car is exactly why I ultimately went turbo ;)

No experience with those mufflers, but I'll tell you that Uber + RB header + FM exhaust is well past the "a bit droney on the interstate" stage and well into the "embarrassed to blip the throttle in a neighborhood" territory.

Well... it's quieter. Maybe. A little.


I pulled mid pipe and rear section off and fixed about 20 irrelevant little pinholes, and maybe 2 actual exhaust leaks, went over most of the welds with the TIG, and sealed up the slips with Hylomar (which really is magical stuff; it must have asbestos and AIDS in it).

The car sounds is notably cleaner/ less raspy, and the total volume is down a touch, but not as much as I hoped it would be. I guess I was hoping to get the exhaust off and find that I missed an inch of weld some place, or something. Optimism breeds disappointment, lol. Monday I'll order a stainless Moroso Spiral Flow and see what happens. I've used the old mild steel ones before, and they worked great until the baffles rotted out. Hopefully the stainless ones are the answer, because I'm going to have a hell of a time fitting a real resonator in there.

I also got nice new stainless studs and copper plated lock nuts from ATP Turbo yesterday. I'll post new engine bay pics once I get them on and get it cleaned up a little.

Where are you guys buying head flange studs and nuts? I bought 10x1.5 nuts and studs from ATP because I'm stupid. Now that I'm looking for the correct thread, I can't find anyone who carries appropriate stainless studs and copper plated/ stainless exhaust lock nuts in 10x1.25.



I did find that Ballerbolts has some bitchin Ti jet nuts in 10x1.25 for ~$40/set :giggle:

I ordered this from Summit yesterday. It showed up within 24 hours. I love that place.


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1327441542

A box?

Indeed. A box marked "MOROSO 94055 MUFFLER SPIRAL FLOW STAINLESS STEEL, RACE, etc", no less.

The Boig header was $400 dollars shipped new. Bob told me it was one of the last ones he had made so it may have been "clearance priced." I still have no idea why you had so much trouble getting it to fit. On my car (NB) it was damn tight and you had to put it in the right order and hold your mouth funny but it dropped right in. I learned new swear words putting the collector on.

I didn't notice it leaking at the slip fits. Never saw the tell-tale soot spray around the joint, but the Techline heat barrier coating that was on it probably had a higher mil thickness than the ceramic coat and it filled in the low spots. BTW that Techline stuff was junk. The instructions had me go through a lot of prep work and told me to spray it on very thin with a HPLV gun. Looks good and doesn't radiate much heat for a season and then that spray bombed looking mess is what it turns into.

Cocck on ass. Forums say copper RTV is where its at nig. Investigate. For yha trueness. Arhfh. Noban

Drunk post much, Fae? RTV is useless, as it sets up like carbon fiber reinforced concrete after 6 months in the car. It's also not rated any higher than the Hylomar, which, incidentally was good for a week, and is back to sucking now.

Asx, I'm not really sure what the deal is, through one tube is cocked slightly out of parallel with the others at the collector when everything is bolted up solid, and I think that might be part of the leakage problem. Once the car warms up it's quiets down nicely at idle, but it still needs a resonator of some kind. As for it hitting everything, other than having to knock back the corner of the motor mount cup, most of the contacts were just incidental. Unless you were specifically looking for them, you could have easily missed them.

I still haven't made time to put the Spiral Flow in line. My buddy blew up the motor in his turbo E30, and bought another car to cannibalize for parts, so I've been helping him with that for every waking moment that I wasn't in class or doing homework this week. Then my buddy shows up with another stock motor for it, and he wants to help me put the other stock motor in the car and sell the running donor to me for cheap to help me out for volunteering my time.

Once we get the donor car running and out of the shop I'll get my car up on the lift and get it quiet.

So...

I've barely touched this thing since February. This semester has been killing me, but there are only 3 weeks of class left, so there's light approaching at the end of the tunnel. :/

Upon further inspection the 3" Spiral Flow baffles have about the same effective flow area as a piece of 2.25" tube, which obviously isn't going to work. Back to square 1. I think a Magnaflow 14" by 4.5" resonator will fit between the floor pan and the PPF where I have room for one. I'd rather have more muffling than that, but I'll take what I can get. If that doesn't do it I'm thinking about building a couple of small resonators from 4" aluminum tube bodies or maybe more titanium sport bike muffler bodies.


In other news I scored some short body Koni Race rear shocks and got them stuck in with two of the NB top hats I bought the week I brought the car home that never made it on. This bought me about 3/4" of suspension travel which I used to lower the car a little more but still gained bump travel.

At the same time I got a set of pretty nice OEM tan seats to replace my tired ones and set of brand new OEM floor mats. I also grabbed a 96-97 hazard/ headlight switch which I haven't taken the time to put in yet.

Lastly, the motor in this thing is about on it's last legs, and the clutch isn't much better. I'm having to add a quart of oil every 800-1000 miles. I guess I'm going to have to come up with a set of connecting rods and try to get my 2L stuck together pretty soon. These things never really end, do they?

I've been working on other people's stuff non-stop since class ended last month. I've made progress, but I still have a ton of things to finish up before I can get back on the Miata. In the mean time it just keeps chugging along all slow and reliable and burning oil.

I did make a trip out to Fastenal last week and ordered a bunch of nice looking stainless hardware to replace the nasty/ missing hardware on the hardtop latches and the rusty hardware on the door sill trim. I also got the AC drawn down and fresh R134 put in it a few weeks ago, which helped out the slightly sad AC a bunch.



Before Import Alliance Summer Meet I would love to get some carbon bits made and get the blower on the car. We'll have to see if I can make time.

I approve of everything that is happening to my old car.

Sucks about the engine though. It had ok compression when i tested it at some point, and I always attributed the slight oil consumption to lots of full throttle and the dripdrip leak. Any idea what is causing the oil to burn off?

I think its just 80k miles of being supercharged catching up with it. It still drives ok, it just burns a little oil.

How did the exhaust end up turning out?

Sounds like most of my projects :) Keep the faith!

Im still chasing little exhaust leaks, and its still loud. I imagine that most people would be thrilled with it, but I wont be satisfied with it until its perfect. I routed the exhaust too close to the floorpan to run most off the shelf resonators without completely redoing everything, so I planned on making something to fit, which would let me make the resonator absolutely as long as possible, in addition to helping fit everything under the car. With that in mind, I scored some aluminum tube to make my own lightweight muffler bodies, but I havent found a reasonable source for 3" perforated tube for the core. I may end up making that, too if I cant find someone who sells it for a price I like. I actually have an old Buscher Racing 3" muffler to scrounge the core from if I had to.

I've barely touched this thing in months. I didn't make it to IA Summer Meet, thus I didn't get any of the things done that I planned to before Summer Meet...


I did buy some bitchin little hood latches... that haven't made it on the car yet. Also, I bought stock Denso injector clips to pull the 750s out and put RX8 425s in. Then I managed to break one and lose another between the junk yard and my shop.

Heck I haven't even washed this beater in a month. That's pretty depressing...I'm going to have to really put some time on this thing before classes start at the end of August. Or set it on fire.

The last post in here was 2012 :ugh:



In the past two years, I've bought, rebuilt and installed a set of double adjustable Koni 2812s, traded my blower for TNTUBA's setup off of his SSM autocross car, scored some other little stuff, and bought and sold about 5 sets of wheels. And mostly the car has sat. My last 4 semesters of Engineering school devoured every second of my free time, but I finally graduated in the summer, and got myself a big boy job working at the Army Aviation Engineering Directorate. Being a grownup sucks.




So, after buying a set of Singular hood vents during the group buy several weeks ago, I finally made some time to work on the car this weekend. In honor of working on it for the first time in months, I decided to drag the car out of the shop yesterday and drive it some. I pulled out and was sitting at the red light in front of my shop (literally 30 feet from my parking lot entrance)... and got rear ended by a Ford E350 work van. :vash: :facepalm: :rofl:

I'm fine, and the damage to the car isn't too bad, but the bulkhead under the finish panel is pushed in about 3 inches, and it's going to at least need that bulkhead pulled out, a set of tail lights, a bumper, a trunk lid and a finish panel. The damage isn't really that bad, but it's a 20 year old economy car. I hope they don't total the poor piece of junk :(

My motivation is sapped. Pictures to come when I'm not on a work computer.

I saw this thread come up, saw the pimp ass header, checked the dates, had a sad moment when I figured this car had died and the thread bump was some newb. Then was happy to see the post today was yours, then I got they sad again.

If you can figure out how to get it to you I have every single part you need replaced freshly painted in merlot, bumper is even already cut for a dual exhaust. As a refernce, when I needed just 2 tail lights and a finish panel and a slight bit of bumper paint geico gave me $980 to fix it. The tail lights didnt even leak and you could only see the "crack" in the sunlight so I fixed it for the total cost of a brand new $450 finish panel and some time. If you also need the trunk lid and some sheet metal pulling behind the finish panel it might actually get pretty close to totaling it.

Thanks for the offer, man. I didn't get a claim number from his insurance until late this afternoon. I'll take it to the body shop tomorrow after lunch and see what they say.

After looking, 1994 Miatas are over 20 years old now, so NADA thinks they're worth $9500. Crazy talk. I guess they probably won't total it...

lollllll..... I mean I like my NA's but for ten grand you can get a decent NC now.....

Insurance companies move at the speed of government.

It's gone :(

They didn't total it, but I wish they had. After pulling it apart, it was more bent than I wanted to deal with, so a body guy friend of mine has bought the car minus a bunch of my cool parts. Expect a part out this week.

:(

:cry:

bye old car.

sad face. Any chance of you just taking off the fun parts and doing a chassis swap?

No likely. I still have all of the cool parts, but I just don't think I can be bothered right now. I'll probably sell everything and come back to Miatas in a few years.

they give you a buy back option?

They didn't total it so there's nothing to "buy back." I'm shocked they wouldn't have totaled it.

It sounds like its bad enough that if he brought it to a shop they would have asked for more money than the ins claim, filled out some forms, and then the ins co would have totaled it.

There wasn't a buy back option because they never took it. I could have had the frame pulled, but I'm just burnt out on the project. I grabbed the parts off of it that I could sell easily, swapped the battery out so that I could send my Ballistic to TNTUBA for his race car, and sent it on his way.

The new owner bashed out the bulkhead and the trunk lid with a BFH, hung a stock exhaust manifold and a Borla exhaust on it, and has been driving it. It's crooked, but he doesn't care. I derive much more enjoyment from him having fun with the car than I have in the last couple years of driving three times a year, and it spending the rest of it's life in my way.

Like I said before, I'll buy another Miata some day. Just not today.