Critique my new car - UK 1600 NA Turbo
 

Hi miataturbo, I'm not strictly a complete noob (see here https://www.miataturbo.net/meet-gree...rkshire-53585/ ) but this is my first post back on here after a few years.

In the past I've had an NA (in that post) then an NB, loved both. Since had a Toyota MR2. Which is a bit, well, porky. And the roof doesn't come off. Because here in Britain, where it pisses it down all year and the sun never comes out, its really important that the roof comes down ;) After test driving S2000, Boxster etc, I just wasn't excited about the running costs, parts, need to be going a billion mph before they come alive etc. I realised that a turbo roadster wasn't out my system yet, so I've picked up this. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into this one, body shop first, sort the nasty interior out etc, but it should make a fun road car (Also has the requisite suspension, roll bar, blah blah which is why I bought it - lots of the expensive bits already done, just needs finishing properly and to a better standard.).

I know the MX5 very well, I'm happy with all the 'normal' stuff and had my old ones in millions bits, engines out, clutches, suspension rebuilds etc plenty of times - no problems there. This post purely relates to the stuff under the bonnet that makes it go.

The car has been built by previous owner over a few years. Spec, roughly, from what I can work out is -

UK 1600 NA.
Greddy Manifold and Turbo (TD04 based, but not quite, I believe?)
Greddy downpipe, custom exhaust from there on - nice, quiet-ish, looks well made.
Greddy E-manage blue.
1.8 Red injectors.
AEM Wideband.
Gizzzmo Electronic boost control.
Front mount IC.
Vortech rising rate pressure regulator.
Greddy MAP sensor.
Bosch knock sensor and some kind of whopping knocklight on the dash.

Various other stuff. In some ways. I think he's done a half decent job for the budget -wideband, good quality boost gauge, electronic boost control, knock sensing. Oil drain into the pan, good stainless feed, etc etc. They owned it for a long time and used it daily, wife used it etc, which is a good sign.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1363373994
Day 1 Engine bay by simonholehan, on Flickr

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1363373994
Day 1 Bay hotside by simonholehan, on Flickr

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1363373994
Day 1 Bay coldside by simonholehan, on Flickr

In many other ways, Its lacking. I'm a vehicle design engineer by day (Buses though, nothing fun like race cars!)so there's a whole load of stuff I don't like, that I tell people off for at work.

Generally, the pipework, hoses, vac hoses, etc, are a mess, haphazardly placed, badly mounted, bits rubbing etc. Cheapo pipe clips used. Some of the silicone hoses are kinked (particularly the small take off to the idle control under the throttle.

He liked his zip ties. He also liked to run wires the shortest distance possible - see boost solenoid wiring dragging over plug leads.

The car will be run as my daily eventually, so I need to get it reliable and safe first.

My immediate short term list of things to fix goes as follows -

Wiring - generally tidy up.
Throttle cable - slack as.
'Heated washer bottle' (I.E. a bit melty).
Stock 20yr old radiator and hoses seriously concerns me.
No oil cooler.

Medium term list goes -

Get hold of a laptop and cable, start doing some logs on road/dyno
Start looking at optimising whats fitted.
Ditching AFM etc? Re-arraning intake/piping/turbo orientation
Decide whether to continue mess about with Emanage, or bin it all and go MS of some variation.

Regards the map - I've only driven it 100 miles or so, in the snow. So far it seems safe, though possibly exhibiting a bit of the lean tip-in problem. Parts for an o2 clamp shall be bought. But I don't *think* its on the brink of blowing up, afr's are vaguely ok and boost is smooth-ish and feels strong, So I'm happy with that side of things as a starting point at least.

ETA - Longer term plan. Moar Power. I wont lie!

Other than things I've pointed out, I wonder if anyone can spot any absolute clangers in the install?

Safe to say Miataturbo is firmly back on favourites list, lots of reading to be done!

Just as a close, here it is minutes after buying it, looking cool and sheddy. The photo seriously flatters the paint quality!

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1363373994
Day 1 Washed_B by simonholehan, on Flickr

Cheers all :bigtu:

Megasquirt.

haha that was my 1st thought too. get megasquirt. then start replacing all the half-done crap on there. should take a while, its all janky.
Otherwise car is not bad. You sound like you definitely have your priorities straight and should be able to get this thing into top-notch shape in no time. Good luck

Yip, megasquirt man. Don't mess with that silly o2 clamp or any other bandaid trash, trust me. I had the EXACT same setup, then i went MSPNP, real injectors, FMIC, other supporting mods and made 240whp and loved it.

Although I'm just agreeing with what other have said, take that into consideration as your #1 mod if you want to make 2x the power AND have a more reliable car with a motor that will last much longer.

Brown radiator of death.

Yup, my thoughts too. Bleurgh...

Ha, good, at least it shows I was thinking along the right lines. Looking on eBay uk it seems an Emanage is still worth a few quid so it shouldnt be too expensive either.

Sounds like once I've sorted out the 'mechanical' install stuff, MS is the way to go. Better get my DiyAutotune/Cramer/Hoffman book out and re-read it eh!

Just read up on this forum a ton, and read the megasquirt manual as well.

It's REALLY not very hard, any questions you run into have been answered on this forum (or others) a zillion times.

New rad and coolant re-route!

*

Cheers guys, very useful. Been out today having a nose round and had a chance to drive it properly yesterday, no mega issues, so the list stands for now - Rad and cooling system top priority! Thanks again.

Hey Simon!

This is the car from the following video isn't it?!



I enquired about it but you must have bought it a day or two before I saw it! :fawk: I have now bought another turbo and have posted a thread pretty much the same as this one up on here asking for the same critique!

https://www.miataturbo.net/diy-turbo...95/#post993873

To be honest, I think you got the much better car!

If its not a rude question, how much did you end up paying?

It looks good!! I like RHD miata <3 :)

Looks like there is also a vortech FMU in there. Can you fit an ABS washer bottle down in the top of the bumper area above your intercooler?

Yep, thats the chap, he knew how to pedal it properly.


I wouldn't put money on it without having seen yours too. As I've stated above, its great in some ways as its had most of the money spent... but in other ways, it is very, very tatty, scrappily put together, dirty, bodges etc.

The sellers idea of 'good sills' is rather different to mine too, it needs properly cutting out, welding, paintwork etc.

I paid 2700. Which is not really 'cheap', but I certainly wouldn't have paid more given how much work it needs. To be honest Id set my limit at 2500 but the test drive sold it!


I've actually done very little. Its been parked outside, its been under snow for about 50% of the time. Its absolutely bloody freezing.

Also, I want to get the bodywork sorted first, before I start the rest. I need to pull my finger out, and get it down to painter daves for welding/paint etc. This is the only bit I can't do myself, so really I need to do it first, get it solid, THEN I can start stripping it and going from there.

I have replaced the teeny OMP wheel for a more stock style MOMO though, much more my style. I''m steadily searching out parts on ebay/breakers etc.

Still very excited about it all.... just need the weather on my side, and once the clocks change in a few weeks I'll have some daylight after work to actually start cracking on.

I am the same to be honest mate!

Bought it last week and have been away working ever since so not had a chance to do anything to it! Ill crack on this weekend. Here is mine:

https://www.miataturbo.net/diy-turbo...-advice-71795/

From looking at yours, even the bodges and piping etc, it looks better than mine. At least its a well known Greddy kit, where as since buying mine I've found out the turbo kit (bar the turbo, fueling and management) is all an Ebay special and is basically crap. The manifold is cracked and there are flat spots all over the tune. I feel I'm basically going to have to rip it all off and start again. :vash: I'm pretty sure it doesn't have some of the stuff on it that Simon TCV from Nutz thought it had. For instance, I think the Supra injectors Simon thought it had are standard 1.8s. I need to look into it more to be sure though!

Your's also has some goodies like the GAZ suspension and the TR Lane. I don't have any of that, its basically boggo bar the chinese turbo ebay shiz! Mine doesn't even have a boost gauge!!! I rushed in to it to be honest - I should have done much more research.

The bodywork isn't too bad. The one sill needs looking at, but it certainly isn't as structurally sound as my old 1.8 was :(

I paid £2600 for mine and to be honest I just feel like I have bought a bit of a lemon as I could have turbo'd my old 1.8, which was much tidier with coilovers etc for much less than the £2600 now I know what shitty parts have been used!

Still, I'm looking forward to improving it and building it up. The saving grace is that it has some hideous alloys on it that are brand new that I can hopefully sell along with the really nice red interior to claw some money back to replace the broken bits! It also has a shocking tan roof which I am looking to saw for a black one.

I really liked that little Momo that was on your car with its little snap off boss! :) I guess it obscured the dials though which would be annoying?

Where in the UK are you located mate?

Snotrag, if you are considering a radiator, here's my 2 cents...

After searching high and low for a decent 2 row, all aluminum radiator, I got a hold of a manufacturer in China. Yes, China.

The guy has incredible prices, and his product is absolutely top notch. Once I received the radiator, I took it to the best radiator shop in town, and the shop owner was impressed with its quality. And, in the 4 years or so the thing has been in my car, it has worked perfectly.

The price for a double row rad for an NA is $109+shipping.

Just shoot an email to the guy at davidwang0533@live.cn


I have no affiliations whatsoever with this seller. I am just a happy customer.