1995 M-Edition Build. on the CHEAP!
 

1995 M-edition miata with blown headgasket and some bodywork issues. good interior and top though. also has a cold blowing A/C, and a LSD.
$400.

that was saturdays purchase. FROM A CAR LOT!

then today I traded a gun and some cash about a $500 package for this turbo setup off a 1.8 ltr. Protege BP block.

came with:
all mazda charge piping
Turbo XS BOV
Haltech E6k ECM with the full harness
HKS Intercooler
2 90 degree HKS solid charge pipes
custom built down pipe
Garret T28 with A/R.80 coldside
RX7 550cc injectors
Autometer c/f air/fuel ajd boost gauges with piller pods

also a complete 1.8 miata head with Web cams, injectors, fuel rail, and 323 gt intake manifold, and solid lifters. also a cork spork plug cover, and plug wires. basically bolt the head down and and route all the piping. also has a J-spec turbo manifold that is cast.

so $900 in all that including the car, and I haven't even sold any of the stuff I am not going to use yet.

this will be my build thread so I will start it off with the down dirty and nasty before pictures of how the car is when I got it. i.e. filthy and unorganized.

now off to start searching on what other experience with these parts, and how much power I can expect CONSERVATIVELY.

things I will need:
head studs
intercooler piping
fuel pump
boost controller
and-
do I need a turbo timer?

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As for the intercooler piping, boost controller, and turbo timer, you can find decent stuff on ebay that works perfectly fine.

Some people say turbo timers are a waste, other say its a must.
My guess it depends on how hot it gets, and how fast it spools at idle speed. I use a turbo timer off ebay that works like a charm (altho the wiring instructions were all wrong), I use mine for a set time of 30 seconds for my small turbo, just to be safe.

Oh, it seems like your going to need a new downpipe.

Seeing as you have the makings of a nice setup and a built head I would think about spending $300 on some m-tuned rods so you can sleep at
night with moderate power.

Holy fuck, who would do that to an M? Fucking awesome find, clean her up and keep us posted!

I would. I bought an M-edition because it was cheap, available, and it had all the stuff I needed. I hate those people that think mods will ruin the value of the car. Mazda's made what? nearly 3/4 million of them. Miatas are worth nothing - even the classic, or special edition ones. Go have fun with it.



Smokin' deal BTW.

^Sorry, I meant who would let it fall into disrepair like that. I have no trouble with him modding it to his heart's content.

Mod away!

Damn what a steal!

I knew what you meant... :)

and on the M-tuned rods, would I just put the stock standard compression pistons on them? can you use the automatic's pistons to run less compression? or was that just on 1.6's?

I had already intended on doing ARP studs and a MLS head gasket.

going to put one of my heads up for sale soon to keep the finances rolling too. I am going to try to be organized and keep a excel spreadsheet of the incoming and outgoing to have a solid full build log.

Deal of the year, and I thought when I bought my blue escort GT with 200,000 miles for $400 was a deal.

Don't let it become scrap metal, that car has one good story to tell!

Just curious, can you the m-tuned rods from the escort 1.8?

you got a nice deal. if all those wheels are in decent shape he could have sold them for like 350+ great find! and good luck!!

What? they are both the same, even from the Kia Sephia (if recall well 95 to 97).

Car looks like it might have been a theft recovery. Those can be great deals at dealer auctions. Insurance companies just dump them.

the wheels all look good and I am only missing one center cap.

and I actually bought this from a dealer with a clean title from the original owner at trade in.... amazing deal.

the car is beyond filthy, I will have it pressure washed, and all the turbo stuff organized and clean this weekend. going to peel off the nose, and both fenders and get cracking... I will try to salvage the right hand door. it latches good so why not save a little more and really make this a full budget deal.

maybe a 2011 challenge car for Grassroots motorsports? I'm off to a solid start without even selling anything.

the 2 expenses that I am dreading still are the rollbar, and hardtop.

I am hoping to trade something I have little in for a hardtop, and I don't know how lucky I will be to get the roolbar though... might try my hand with the ol' wire feed lincoln to give it a shot.

Wow...this has potential.

I hadn't even thought about a 2011 car...

Starting with the 3/95 start of the ODB-II implementation (VIN 14193) the pistons were changed with a slight dome to increase the compression ratio to an actual 9.0:1. The '94-3/95 pistons were factory rated at 9.0:1 but actually was around 8.8.

So your pistons are fairly low compression to start with and provided you don't see major knock then they should hold up to the power levels you are going to see. This will also save you the expense of forged pistons.

So yeah order up some M-tuned rods from Marc, get some new bearings from eBay and profit.

what kind of power would I expect with this at 12 psi? ball park is fine. I still have to figure out how to use and calibrate the Haltech and everything so it will be a process I know.

Dunno....er...250-260ish Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? depends on a lot of factors.

I'd like some more info on this Haltech ECU. Not many people around here running one so you may find help/support for it a little thin on the ground. Good news though, Megasquirt is cheap ;)

the Haltech is the E6k, and it is complete with the Harness all ready to roll. I may have to pose another thread regarding this alone as it does appear to be obscure. worst case I sell the Haltech and buy a MS system. I figure I could get what $500 out of the Haltech? they look to be $1000 new or thereabouts.

Sounds like a good idea to me. One of the first results on google was a dude on the Haltech forums selling one with a harness for $750obo. Although you may want to keep the connectors from the harness to make your MS harness.

I think now is a very exciting time to be getting in to MS with all the recent development in the MSExtra 2 code, especially the sequential code. I have been playing with MS1 for over a year now and having got it working pretty good (after a shakey start) I now feel like I'm starting from the beginning!!

how much are the MS systems? what about the MSPNP? or? is this the best setup out there?

I didn't know the T28 was capable of that much power, I was going to be happy with around 200. I just want to spank some 5.0 stangs and send the rednecks here home with their tail between their legs.

also with the $142 Koyo radiators from partsgroup be enough to keep this cool? I figure for that price why leave any doubt? :) DO IT RIGHT!

looking for a good fair priced source for:

-ARP head studs, and head gasket
-bottom end rebuild kit... I am going with M-tuned rods so everything other then rod bearings
-gasket kits and seals.
-fuel pump to handle it for a reasonable price.

first motor build so I want to take the time to do it right, and not have a grenade under the hood, this will soon be my daily driver when I don't want to take the FJ60. or need to get good freeway mileage.

no, you dont need a damn turbo timer, theyre for ricers

that has been my opinion for a long time... wondered what the heck they were for.

MS systems vary in price depending on how much of the work you do yourself MSPNP being the most expensive. Check out diyautotune for details. Oh and if you want to go for sequential injection then DIYPNP is probably your best/easiest bet.

Like I say power will depend on a lot of things but some people have seen 250 with the venerable old greddy.

The KOYO rad should do fine however, THOU SHALT DO A COOLANT REROUTE right? They're easy enough to do, $15 spacer from MOSS, $15 cover from a KIA and some piping.

I thought I saw a DIY on here for the reroute. I will get that printed out, and pulled up, because I would be happy with 200-220 hp that is totally dead reliable, and no issues... so all these little sub $100 fixes and mods will be looked at to keep it running smooth and efficient.

I've heard that before. I give it about a week before you are reaching for the MBC and telling your self "Its only one PSI, just one and only for a little while..I'll put it right back I swear" (queue manic laughter) :giggle:

thats why I am going to go ahead and spring for the m-tuned rods.... :) power is addictive.

Build Weekend #1
 

plans to get done this weekend.

-look for an old DOS based laptop to run the Haltech.
-strip the body off the front of the car; fenders, hood, front bumper/nose assembly.
-completely wash and pressure wash the car to get it clean for the build. degreasing underhood, and undercarriage.
-try and repair the damage to the drivers fender... $75 for a junkyard one, but that is $75 that I can put into an exhaust, stereo, toward a hardtop or whatever.
-try my hand at painting the hood using this method:
Home
Rickwrench, Alfa GTV, Falcon Squire, Corvair
https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t37224-2/#post514561
https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t5199/

not willing to shell out the big bucks when this is meant as a 50% daily driver, and 100% smile maker. more money for the performance.

I have rattle canned and gotten good results as well too, so I am more then happy putting in some elbow grease to save $1000+ and if it just looks like the Maaco $400-700 paint jobs then I think it is still money well saved.

Not sure what the color will be, may go with black then a flat bronze stripe, or white, or? going to try and stick with what the main colors are with Rustoleum as you can get them in the quart or rattle can, and have the same color code for touch-ups later, and the likelihood of them changing it is fairly thin I would think.

Seems as there is some differences out there with people's setup's. I have searched and found loads of info, and am left with some questions...

1. Do I need a Manual or Electronic Boost Controller? would a EBAY $15 MBC do the trick or do I need something special?

2. with the setup I have would I want a 190LPH or 255LPH fuel pump?

3. turbo timers are waste of money rice rocket crap correct?

4. do I need a wideband? if so what brand and supplier?

5. other then what I asked anything else I should also consider?

please keep the flaming to a minimum, looking for some facts!

Thanks

These are IMO, but...

1) I used a Joe P MBC and loved it. It was a 30 something unit I bought online. MBCs are fine, especially on a budget. If you need something a bit more precise, they now sell little ceramic balls for the typical MBC that allow it to respond much faster.

2) A 190 is fine for 90% of the people on here. No reason not to go with a 255 though IMO. Its not like it will hurt anything.

3) I just drive my car easy for the last few minutes befre shutting it down and let it idle a bit too. I live in PHX with a 24 psi 16G turbo VERY daily driven DSM and followed that rule and the turbo is still doing great and the engine now powers my buddies 1G. Turbo Timers are not a need IMO and you should defnitely spend the money elsewhere if you are on a budget.

4) The only two guages I put in my last project were a WB02 and a boost guage. IMHO a WB is the single most useful guage you can have for tuning. Often it will allow you to get your fueling and subsequently other aspects f your tune pretty close to optimal on the street and that can save you decent bucks in dyno time, which might pay for the WB right there. People here love the LC1s, I used a PLX SM-AFR with a DM5 guage and loved it. When I get off my ass and get a car its going right on there.

5) Consider reading about 2 million posts in here. Any fact I happen to have in my head is either from my last project or this site. I find it useful to look at what setups memebers have and how they feel about them. Let them invent the wheel. The "Hustler Regrets Thread" is a pretty good place to start, though it does have the effect of making me want nothing but the best parts, when in reality if you have modest goals basic hardware is going to do well.

AHH! Don't sell those wheels, they're freakin' awesome! I just picked up a pair for 250 in good shape, though mine came off of an old school VW. I've seen 'em go for 500 restored and painted. And they look amazing on the Miata, don't sell them :)

If you want, i have a sard turbo times, 30 shipped.

all good info! I have been doing a lot of reading lately, so I just needed some clarification. no other turbo guys around here, so my main source of info is this site. and sometimes when reading through it its almost too much info.

I know, I am thinking of powdercoating them, and polishing the lip and keeping'em. I will look for another set of wheels/tires for autocross at another point.

6. What is a good budget FPR? can a person get away with the ebay special on this as well?
i.e. UNIVERSAL adjustable FUEL PRESSURE regulator CHROME new : eBay Motors (item 170460783825 end time Mar-27-10 22:56:48 PDT)

ok to clarify

is there a Joe P version (quality yet inexpensive version) for an FPR?

also, anyone on here using the TRE Fuel Pumps? I have read a couple reviews where people liked them, and how quiet they were, can anyone here testify to them? Walbro is only $25 more... but the TRE has really good reviews online... user recommendations?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/255-L...item414d7c2a23

now all that being said can't a person get away with the stock fpr on injectors up to 550? I plan on running like 8-9 PSI until I can afford to build a good bottom end, so I want to keep the pressures down. would it be smarter to buy some midrange injectors like 360cc or something, and thenrun the stock FPR and fuel pump?

generally its a good idea to get a afpr when turboing ANY car that runs at a 1:1 ratio meaning 1 psi fuel increase per 1 psi boost increase. Factory turbo cars almost all run that way, and the higher pressure under boost will not only give better flow but better atomization. The TRE pumps are great. A 255lph tre doesnt flow quite as good in the higher pressures as a wally 255hp(high pressure) but you wont ever hit anything over like 50 or 60 psi anyway with a 1:1 fpr. I'm currently running a tre in my 1g dsm thats over 400 hp and it works great in there. Totally silent, flows well and I'm no where near maxing it.

AFPR is Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator? anyone recommend a good one?

Many people call them FMUs in the Miata world, and some will raise fuel pressure at a greater than 1:1 raio with boost.

BEGI makes one, FM probably does too, I am sure there are a half dozen out there.

FMUs are different. They arent adjustable by just turning a screw like a afpr, they have special plates in them that have to be changed out to change the pressure, or the ratio that they increase at. With afprs all you have to do is turn the adjustment screw on the top and it raises base pressure. I've never heard of any afpr having a ratio of anything other than 1:1 because frankly running obnoxious amounts of fuel pressure isnt good for anything. I'm running a fuel lab afpr in my dsm and it works great and wasn't too pricey. There are others out there though, just do NOT buy one from ebay. There are good things on ebay but afprs are definitely not one. Same goes for there bovs.

you will also prob need a new exhaust manifold cause that looks like a bp gtx i dont think it will work on RWD application?

this project may have just gotten ridiculous... you think I was lost before wait to see the update I make after tomorrow....

It will be like the blind leading the blind...

stay tuned for "ludicrous speed" spaceballs fans out there?

teaser
Miata 1.8 Ltr complete motor, tranny, 2 heads, Turbo, EXTRAS!!!!!!!!!!

no pistons.....
 

full 13b Turbo II with everything needed tranny, driveshaft, upgraded turbo, and a 60+ pound mass of wires from the original RX7 it came from. also has what looks to be a 4" Greddy downpipe, and other custom parts.
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style bar for now until I can afford a cage or something.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../13bmotor3.jpg

how many of you were thinking I was going V8? :)
got to keep it in the same bloodline.

traded the Haltech, some gun reloading equipment, and $200 for the Turbo II Setup... these awesome deals just fall in my lap right now! 250 miles of driving to get it this morning... well worth it.

miata motor out, test fitting the turbo II engine and tranny.
 

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shifter will line up nearly perfectly!
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