If you had to do it all over again, 2010 edition.
 

If you had to start from scratch with a bone stock car TODAY (year of your choice), but with all the knowledge you've accumulated during the years, how would you boost it?

Are you confortable with the power levels you chose? Would you go higher, lower? Same with turbo size (would you still go turbo? maybe you've seen emilio's supercharged car and wanna go that route?).

Maybe you'd like to just avoid the hassle and go for a prefab kit, though it's doubful for the more experienced users here.

What about engine management? There have been a few new player in recent years that maybe weren't available when you made your build.

Would you consider forged internals, WI, other failsafes to make it more reliable than it was at first?

We can read the DIY FAQ until our eyes go blind, but I think it could be really useful for the noob community out there, to see what experienced guys would build today if they had the chance.

Listing the parts one by one with a brief description of why it was chosen (and maybe why it's different than what you have now), approximate price and maybe a link, would make this thread inffinetely more useful. Also think of everything you need to go fast, which includes clutch, transmission and rear end upgrades if you need them.

So get to it, show us how awesome your build would be.

LS6.

/thread

I would get an MSM and put a real hotside/intercooler on it. (see leatherface24 build thread)

Id build JayL's car.
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I bought my car used in 97. So the only thing I may have done different is to start with a 94.
Now starting from scratch today with no budget? LS6 FTW!

Never did I say no budget though. Just what you'd do today, with whatever money you have now (assuming you hadn't spent it on your current setup).

I think the only thing I regret is buying a car that was already modded. I'd also probably start with an NB instead of the NA. Everything else would stay pretty much the same as what I'm doing now, just a different motor and turbo. I guess I'll see whenever I actually get the new motor in...

Well if that's the case the only thing I would do different is I should have got off my ass and installed it sooner. I had most of my parts for almost 2 years before they went on the car.

I would go back and not do any of the bandaid parts and go straight to ms.

I would have bought a cheap blow off valve instead of an HKS. I also would have gone with a slightly larger turbo and Hi-Z injectors (probably 600cc).

LS1 all the way. I don't know that I will ever be messing with a miata engine again other than in my Locost and in my track car for a little.

I would have skipped the year that was lost boosting the 1.8 and went straight to the V8. That said, it was fun, I learned a lot and don't mind the time invested. I got back out of it for close to what I had in it, minus a few hundred so all is well.

kept the e30 and sold the miata to fund its awesomeness transformation.

NA with a f20c swap

/thread

XP

No idea, If funds weren't an issue a V8.

Maybe a turbo seeing as I've already 'done' a supercharger.

What do you plan to use it for?

If I were "boosting" a track car I'd be looking at a Rotrex. If I were "boosting" a street car I'd go with REDONKULOUSflow mani/dp and a 3071. If I wanted mad tyte street cred I'd try my hand at a 13B swap.

If I were doing what I REEEAAAALLLLYYY want to do...I'd have just kept saving up for an LSx. (EDIT: In an NB)

-I'd have gone with 2" intercooler piping on the hot side.
-I'd have DIY'd it from the begining instead of losing 300-400 dollars on begi stuff.
-Would have put forged rods in my motor when I built it. Actually on that note, I would have built a 1.8 and not a 1.6.

Not much else honestly. I really like my current setup and dont really have any regrets based on my budget. People are pretty surprised when they find out how little money I have in my current setup.

i'd go with a standalone from the start.

although i love my miata and will probably get shit for this. i probably would have started with a factory turbo charged car. A year later and i'm still gathering pieces. Although i do think my miata handles better than an MR2 turbo, I think the MR2 is a great starting platform.

I would have bought a stock car instead of a halfassed boosted one and saved a few grand. Then I would be putting a LSx in it

Ford 5.0 swap from a later model Explorer. Simple and reliable.

you do know that the explorers were the vehicles with the most problems right?

I would get rid of all the Ford electronics and go straight to AEM stand alone, so that would clear up a lot of issues.

Different suspension and shit.

after the engine rebuild with forged?

my gfs dad has one i believe about 2000 model.. man that things is trash :facepalm:

the engine sounds like its about to crap out a 2 by 4, dont even get me started on the suspension or the other noises it makes.

at least they circled the problem

Yes they did. Fucked Over Retarded Dumbass :giggle:

/old ford jokes

Fix
Or
Repair
Daily

i'd say now that i've seen how well it fits, toss a supra motor in there and enjoy boost in the 700hp range :)

Or enjoy N/A LS1 power of 500hp reliably on the stock ecu.

This.

Ls engine all the way.

pump gas, shred tires..

its funny that so many people hate fords on here when mazda is owned by ford. The same 1.8 in our 94-97 miata was in escorts.

That is ironic, but at the same time, Ford has never owned a 100% interest in Mazda.

If I had to start over? Tough question. I love the styling of my MSM and it came with all kinds of stuff I'd end up buying anyhow. But for the best learning experience I "should have" started with a '94.

Then again, when I had an NA, women just said, "Cute car," and left it at that. When I got an NB, I started getting laid more. :)

I didn't need a car to get laid. :p

Invested 20K into another car lol

Nb turbo for a daily and na with a supercharger for the track

I'll be picking up an nb one of these days, IMO a much nicer daily driver.

If I had to start over I'd go LS if the options include a V-8 swap.
If you're talking about staying with the 4 cylinder Miata engine, and I had an endless budget, then I know exactly what I'd do.
Carillo H beam rods, Wiseco +1mm pistons, I think I'd run somewhere like 600cc injectors, FM Level II clutch, MS2 Standalone, EBC, LC-1, I'd probably use a custom absurb flow manifold with 3" DP all the way back to maybe a small bullet style muffler? I'd run an internally wastegated GT2871. I would want about 7psi on wastegate, and maybe 18-20psi on EBC. I'd want about 325whp. If anybody has ever rode in a miata with a turbo'd 4 and that much balls, then they'd realize that there is no reason anybody needs that kind of power. Sometimes I'm glad I have a limited car expense and have under 250whp, cause to me, my car hauls ass. I can't even imagine what cars like Jay-L and Paul's Red Beast feel like!

PRHT NC with some sort of LS swap for a daily. Savington's car (with fastback) for the track. My current car for street racing.

looki here esse

http://rockin-s-performance.com/images/turbo_side.jpg

O.o compound twin turbo eh? I've always wanted to try that....

the pic above is for Cummins motors. The 2 turbos add up to 51 psi.

First, I have to say I'm a little surprised about all the v8 swaps responses. I had no idea so many people wanted that (especially in a forum called miataturbo :laugh:).

This is the kind of response I was hoping for on this thread. Well thought out, describing the build and power level target. The latter was particularly interesting and I agree there can be such a thing as too much power.

I have to ask though, would you really go with the Carillo's when something like an M-Tuned might be more than good enough at 300+ hp? I'm not asking about some hyphotetical dream build here, but rather what you'd actually put in your car in real life if you just got your first miata (but had the benefit of your previous experience).

Keep the builds coming!

I would put all the money I spent into an investment fund. I'm so sick of fixing miatas....

LS1 for sure. I'd be willing to drive years accumulating funds on a NA 1.6 for that.

V8= reliable, powerful, dont have to wait for boost, and theyre just bad ass :skid:

I only listed the rods and pistons cause of the boost amount I would run with a 2871 turbo. If I wanted to do what I think you want to you, (budget and don't want to waste a lot of time) then it would be like this:
FM Kit with no management, GT 2560, 550cc RX-7 injectors, Adaptronic (99-00) MSPNP for 97-back, 3" exhaust, FM Level II clutch. I'd leave the internals completely stock. This would give you a very dependable setup with parts that actually fit correctly. The PNP ECU's also mean there is no custom ECU work on your part. Also remember this: People always say "more boost". More boost is ok, but it's not the amount of boost that creates power, it's the volume of air being moved. For example, you can run a SR20 turbo at 14psi, and actually make more power at 10psi with a 2871. The reason isn't cause of the psi amount, it's cause the 2871 moves a higher volume of air.

Hey it's all about what you'd build for yourself. I was just asking about the rods because I personally think the Carillos are overkill for a miata. I think the M-Tuned or Eagle can be good enough for 1/3 of the cost. So I was just wondering if you'd really put them in your car or just use the money for something else. But if you feel the extra quality is needed, worth the money and it's really the way you'd go then that's perfect and it's the answer I was looking for in this thread. Doesn't matter at all what I'd build.

Edit: Basically I was questioning the need for going for a part rated for 1000+ hp vs a 600+ one, when your goals are 300+ and whether you'd actually spend the money to do so.

I have to say, as someone who can't answer the "if you had to do it all over again" question, since I haven't actually started the process (other than collecting parts), all the V8 responses sure are interesting.

It seems like the cost-benefit ratio is solidly in favor of turbo setups up to 220-240 WHP. Once people start trying to crack the 250 WHP mark, the costs increase so rapidly (and the improvements are so marginal) that the V8 looks like the wiser choice.

Should I be considering selling the turbo stuff I've acquired so far, and just setting aside money till I can go whole hog with an LSx setup?

I know that's the $64,000 question, and I'm not really looking for someone to tell me what to do...it's just killing me. I'm a few parts away from being able to start the turbo build, and I'd hate to waste money/work/time on it if 2 years from now I'll be wishing I'd just waited and gone straight for the V8.

That depends on what your goals are. I know I am never happy with the power I have and want more. If you can REALLY be happy with 240hp, then go turbo. If you don't think you can, save up for a V8.

V8 miatas really don't excite like big turbo miatas do. If I had to start over, I would have sold the engine/trans/blower and bought a used viper motor and spent the last 5 years making it fit.

Here's one last thing I would do if I was starting over. Before I even started to mod my car, I would have learned how to weld so I wouldn't be paying others for things I could be doing myself.

^^ I hear ya there. I would probably have saved money and not bought my Greddy kit. Built a 1.8 and boosted that. Oh and I wouldn't have put aftermarket bumpers on.

Yeah, because looking at money grow on a statement is so fucking thrilling.
Spoken like a true auto-x power bottom.
I'm pretty happy with 250whp right now in the super-de-tuned state. Let me rip on this car for a season and see where I stand.

I wish I had chosen v-bands from the start, but I'm very happy with where the car sits now.

QFT

This guy doesn't even have a turbo yet and he's already wise to this rule.

Goals and budget help...as it's really an open ended question.

For what I wanted at the time, and what my means were...I probably wouldn't have changed a thing, except maybe not being so afraid of whipping out the welder and saving some dough.

It's easy to say "keep saving up for something awesome"...but I remember what stinkin' N/A power was like...and I don't miss it.

I'm struggling with iteration 2.0, and part of me says to keep saving and make it everything I want this time around instead of continual, costly, gradual steps. The only part of this that doesn't hurt is that I enjoy changing up my setup every season, and learn something new every time.

I honestly would not enjoy a set-it-and-forget-it setup, even if it had the power and character I wanted. I love to keep modifying and changing things...and even though I tell myself I'm working towards some definite goal, I know that goal is always moving.

Just enjoy the ride.

That's becuase some of us have been turbo and either have a V8 car now or are building one at present.

Some (ZX_Tex) are lucky enough to have both. I parted mine a couple of months ago as a promise to my wife (and myself) that I would get rid of the turbo car if I did a V8. Had I not done it already, I would have started rationalizing keeping both.

Only you can answer that. That said, it's going to be $10K to do a 5.0/T5, $14K to do an LS1/T56. Really? Ya, really. People think they can do it cheaper and they are right if they want to fab everything like I am, but most go with a kit.

5.0's are cheaper and easier to DIY. LS1's stock HP equal my built one and can easily surpass it. Some are going to the truck L33 for 5.0 money and LS1 power with bolt ons. The choices are many.

There are some build sheets posted up over on M.net with REAL costs from completed or almost complete builds. They are representative of your true cost.

winning HPDE > frustration

I'm pretty well settled on just continuing my turbo build...I think it fits my goals better and will be more than enough car for me. It's just a little spooky to see the guys that are 3 or 4 years ahead of me on the turbo path all saying "LS1".