Hello, I'm new here and I just picked up a 1991 Miata. I plan on entering it in the Grassroots Motorsports challenge. Now i've been searching this forum and a few others this past week but i could use a little help. (ok, a lot of help!) I've been shopping around for parts and I've found a turbo manifold and downpipe for $200 shipped and a T25 turbo off a DSM with 50K for $50. Is this a step in the right direction? I realize that I'm going to have to upgrade a bunch of other parts when doing this project (diff, clutch, injectors, fuel pump, etc) and i want to know where to spend the money.

Now if you were building a cheap Miata, what would you do? I'm just curious.

 

probably the same, just don't do what the last guy did and leave the timing advanced to 14 degrees before top dead center and blow your motor on the way there.

 

Learn to weld and fab up the intercooler piping and run a cheapo junkyard piece or an ebay special, then fab up your downpipe too. If it leaks, who cares as long as most of its going down the pipe. You might be able to put all of that together for just a few hundred more on top of the turbo/manifold if youre really good and the simpler the better.

 

Also make sure you tell the business you buy your materials from that you're building a GRM car, they might give you free shipping or something.

 

T-25 is a good turbo...could go with a used clutch...build your OWN MS for about ~300 all said and done and wont have to upgrade your fuel pump or AFPR...um? if you can fab, it can be cheap.

 

If you can figure out megasquirt, you will have one hell of a powertrain.

 

agreed... MS for the win. In fact... diyautotune may be willing to help you out on the project in exchange for advertising? this would provide an excellent opportunity to get their name out to the proper (read: cheap) crowd that wants power.

 

Also about that mani/dp combo and that DSM turbo you're getting, make sure that mani is designed with the Mitsu flange. Not all T25 flanges are the same.

+1 for MS, its the way to go.

 

ACT HD clutch, or whatever is cheapest....

**** the rear, unless you can find a cheap open or something and do the swap, but it will be around $500-600 bucks minus whatever you recoup.

turbo, dp, manifold, oil lines, cheap IC or WI. most of the budget.

MS $400-500 (with injectors $600) or Bipes/FMU $300 or so (1.8l injectors $50 or supra injectors so $350 or so)

the rest id throw into better shocks, or cut the oem springs....beef the sway bar, weld in some braces all over, and some tires.

 

Seam weld that bizotch.

 

they guy that bought my 92 is trying to do the same thing. g'luck

 

are you saying weld the diff? or do you mean the body? Ive always wondered how that worked

 

it's like welding the entire car solid....basically all the seams/nuts/holes under the car and on the floorpan

 

Think i actually watched them do it in an issue of GRM, might have been SCC though when they installed the rollcage, can't seem to remember.

 

ive seen it done in person at Tom Milner's PTG-BMW, for some reason i took a pic of the wrong side

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7731546@N07/

 

Miata stitch welding pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7731546@N07/

 

guess I should reload before posting?

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7731546@N07/453258109/

Someone else on this board has some of these that he made. Said they helped alot.

 

FM has been selling bolt in ones for over a year...supossed to be badass.