Junkyard Vs. Ebay
 

I was wondering whether anyone has recently turbo'd their Miata using junkyard parts. I see a lot of talk about ebay turbos but not much about junkyard turbos. The most recent post I've found links this list from 2012 Chopcult Turbo . Many of the cars on the list are from the 90s or even the 80s. It seems to me that so many cars today are turbocharged that you could get a much higher quality turbo from a junkyard for a similar price to a cheap ebay one. I would love to hear if someone has done this recently. (I can also weld so fitment issues with downpipes or whatever aren't a big deal).

The main thing is the support for the things. Sure you can use whatever turbo you want, but manufacturers generally use proprietary flanges and aren't always the best choices for rebuilding. I can only speak for my experiences, but usually you want to pair your turbo with a manifold that is readily available unless you're doing the whole thing from scratch, which is doable, but at the end of the day you can't easily replace things if anything fails. Most OEM turbos on newer cars are crazy tiny in size. They aren't meant for high-ish horsepower applications. The reason you see a lot of older turbos used in builds is just because they work and are usually the right size for the application. T2 or T3 manifolds are plentifully available and so are the turbos. Used Garrett SR20 turbos go for $100 used all day and are rebuild-able. Hell, I got mine for $60 with like zero shaft play. Anything is possible, but things are as difficult or as hard as you want to make it.

Thanks. I will look at the SR20. It also seems like it wouldn't be too bad replacing or modifying the flange of a common manifold to fit an oem turbo. I'm also not looking to have to upgrade engine internals so from what I can tell that leaves me around 220-250 whp, so not to high hp. This car is also not my only car and I have a decent amount of time, so I don't mind things not being super easy. It just seemed to me that I would be better of with an oem turbo made by a reliable brand than with some no name ebay turbo.

Also does anyone have an updated list of what oem turbos would work well for a nb (1999) miata.

If you aren't super picky about looks, the "taco taco" brand (eBay) cast iron T25 manifold (the brand differs but they're all pretty much the same) and the SR20 turbo are a great combination for a 1.8. Cheap and rock solid reliable. eBay parts might sound scary but it's pretty hard to screw up cast iron. Should have no issues getting around your power goals with that setup. As far as an "updated" list, nothing has really changed other than how available parts are in your area. Check out the "spool data" thread and look at people's setups for ideas.

Thanks!

Yeah, for off the shelf fitment (FM), you want a SR20 t25, roughly equivalent to a 2554. They go for $100, and a $100 rebuild kit is available from gopopshop.com last I knew. Pair with a couple compressor housing inlet/outlet flanges (~$50) and you've got a great turbo for $250. Keep in mind little costs will pop up, like my wastegate was blown ($100), and I had to pay $75 to have a broken stud machined out. I do work at a shop now, and we can get brand new 2554s for like, $500-700 (vendor prices ftw!) and I don't think they require flange adapters. Seeing as though "cheap" turbo cost around $425, I'll definitely be looking at a new turbo next time around.

However, if you're taking your time, on a tight budget, and already planning on welding up your own weld-el manifold, just find a reasonably sized turbo, buy or make some flanges for it, and weld away. Most junk yard won't pressure wash the engine bays, so just keep an eye on the odometer, and how much oil is in/around the turbo. Grab a clean one with minimal shaft play and less than 100k and you should be golden. 90% of the turbos out there will do at least 180-190 depending on the rest of your setup, which realistically is where I'd expect a budget build to end up.