1.6 or 1.8?
04-03-2010, 11:38 PM
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2010
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1.6 or 1.8?
So I just bought my buddies 91 miata for $200. He said the scrapyard was gonna give him $175 and told me I could have it for $200. I didnt hesitate. Knowing how popular miatas are my plan was to just resale it. I didnt know that before I could I would fall in love with it and all its potential.
My question now is should I look for a 1.8 to build and turbo or just roll with the 1.6 that came with the car? My plans for the car are to AX some with an occasional track day. Obviously you can never have enough horsepower but my goal as of now would be around 250 to 275 to the wheels.
I guess my question is aimed at those of you who have built and/or boosted the 1.6. Let me know what you think.
My question now is should I look for a 1.8 to build and turbo or just roll with the 1.6 that came with the car? My plans for the car are to AX some with an occasional track day. Obviously you can never have enough horsepower but my goal as of now would be around 250 to 275 to the wheels.
I guess my question is aimed at those of you who have built and/or boosted the 1.6. Let me know what you think.
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04-04-2010, 01:45 PM
#9
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Location: Central, TX / Bay area, CA
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how many miles are on the car? and how much are you looking to spend? Im still running a 1.6, its built but I am very happy with the power Im making for a full time track car. For me if I blow it up I wouldn't do a 1.8 swap, an LSX swap would be the way to go for me.
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04-04-2010, 10:08 PM
#10
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thanks to the few of you who obviously have productive lives, the rest of you i guess are just acting like what i always thought men who drove miatas are.
My question broken down to its simplest form is this. Is the extra .2 litters worth it since my goal horsepower/torque is 250/220ish?
I know that some of you are running with 1.6 engines. Why did you decide not to purchase 1.8?
the engine has 134,000 miles. my budget for this project is $6500 (sold my bike). $2500 for engine build and the rest for the turbo set up. Sound realistic?
My question broken down to its simplest form is this. Is the extra .2 litters worth it since my goal horsepower/torque is 250/220ish?
I know that some of you are running with 1.6 engines. Why did you decide not to purchase 1.8?
the engine has 134,000 miles. my budget for this project is $6500 (sold my bike). $2500 for engine build and the rest for the turbo set up. Sound realistic?
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04-04-2010, 10:20 PM
#12
I kept the 1.6L. To do a 1.8 swap was to much bull crap for me, and i already had most of the parts for my 1.6 and i didnt know if my MS was going to be compatable with the 1.8L if you have time to screw around with the 1.8 swap do it. Personally i dont know how hard it is but now that i think about it i should have done it.
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04-04-2010, 10:23 PM
#13
Hey Ashly, welcome to the site. You'll need thick skin to hang out here, if you fight back it only gets worse. Read all the stickys, use the search feature, then ask intelligent questions. Put your location in your details, and your ride in your sig.
I would guess most guys who have 1.6's had good engines when they started. Now that they have money in all the upgrades they just stick with it. Not to mention 1.6's are dirt cheap to replace.
This site has a very high knowledge base, and there is an insane amount of stuff to learn here. Most don't like spoon feeding newbs though. So read, read, read.
I would guess most guys who have 1.6's had good engines when they started. Now that they have money in all the upgrades they just stick with it. Not to mention 1.6's are dirt cheap to replace.
This site has a very high knowledge base, and there is an insane amount of stuff to learn here. Most don't like spoon feeding newbs though. So read, read, read.
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04-04-2010, 10:29 PM
#15
Please use the search for this question. It's been discussed before. If you have not purchased any turbo parts, then there is no real reason to keep a 1.6 other than it currently propels your car. Go for the 1999 1.8 or later engine. FM swap kit makes it easy, and 99 head flows better than the earlier heads.
"There's no replacement for displacement" has been around longer than I have been alive. There must be something to it.
1. Search
2. Learn
3. WIN
"There's no replacement for displacement" has been around longer than I have been alive. There must be something to it.
1. Search
2. Learn
3. WIN
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04-04-2010, 11:50 PM
#19
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Join Date: Jun 2005
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So I just bought my buddies 91 miata for $200. He said the scrapyard was gonna give him $175 and told me I could have it for $200. I didnt hesitate. Knowing how popular miatas are my plan was to just resale it. I didnt know that before I could I would fall in love with it and all its potential.
My question now is should I look for a 1.8 to build and turbo or just roll with the 1.6 that came with the car? My plans for the car are to AX some with an occasional track day. Obviously you can never have enough horsepower but my goal as of now would be around 250 to 275 to the wheels.
I guess my question is aimed at those of you who have built and/or boosted the 1.6. Let me know what you think.
My question now is should I look for a 1.8 to build and turbo or just roll with the 1.6 that came with the car? My plans for the car are to AX some with an occasional track day. Obviously you can never have enough horsepower but my goal as of now would be around 250 to 275 to the wheels.
I guess my question is aimed at those of you who have built and/or boosted the 1.6. Let me know what you think.
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0
04-05-2010, 12:12 AM
#20
I just had a baby, so I'm going to try a kinder gentler approach to life... I will help.
You've got a budget of $6500 and you want to start with a bone-stock '90? Bad idea. Clean up that car as best you can and sell it at a profit. Lets' say you can get $1500 for it... that leaves you with $8k.
Spending $2500 to "build" an engine and then throwing it at a car with $4k in the rest of the "build" is unbalanced. We need to completely review the rest of your build plan and where that $4k is going.
Even if you buy used, DIY a bunch of stuff, and can install everything yourself, you can blow through $4k in an afternoon... ****, wheels and rubber to handle 250whp will cost you $1k minimum. You'll need some basic suspension upgrades, rollbar, full exhaust... it's just not cost effective to start with a bone-stock car you just bought, especially a 1.6.
Now, if you'd had the car for a few years, had maintained it well, already had some basic mods, and were attached to the car, and wanted to slowly build yourself a turbo car... then it might be a different story. But since you just bought this thing, my advice is to sell it and buy somebody elses project who knew what he was doing, or at least a car that is turbo ready.
****, for $6500 you can buy this right now and call it a day:
https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t43575/
Spend $200 on a plane ticket to fly there and drive it home.
Now, what do you do with the $1500 you've got leftover??? Save it, save a little more, learn the car, drive the **** out of it, invest in some good rubber, turn up the boost, get a solid tune, upgrade the turbo (you can get a 2871 in standard T2 that's good for about 350whp), 3" exhaust... it's good for 250whp as it sits provided it's got a 2560... even a 2554 should net you in the 230-240 range with a big exhaust.
Man, don't **** around with that $200 disaster in waiting you just bought. Get rid of the ****** and buy this one in San Antonio and don't look back.
You've got a budget of $6500 and you want to start with a bone-stock '90? Bad idea. Clean up that car as best you can and sell it at a profit. Lets' say you can get $1500 for it... that leaves you with $8k.
Spending $2500 to "build" an engine and then throwing it at a car with $4k in the rest of the "build" is unbalanced. We need to completely review the rest of your build plan and where that $4k is going.
Even if you buy used, DIY a bunch of stuff, and can install everything yourself, you can blow through $4k in an afternoon... ****, wheels and rubber to handle 250whp will cost you $1k minimum. You'll need some basic suspension upgrades, rollbar, full exhaust... it's just not cost effective to start with a bone-stock car you just bought, especially a 1.6.
Now, if you'd had the car for a few years, had maintained it well, already had some basic mods, and were attached to the car, and wanted to slowly build yourself a turbo car... then it might be a different story. But since you just bought this thing, my advice is to sell it and buy somebody elses project who knew what he was doing, or at least a car that is turbo ready.
****, for $6500 you can buy this right now and call it a day:
https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t43575/
Spend $200 on a plane ticket to fly there and drive it home.
Now, what do you do with the $1500 you've got leftover??? Save it, save a little more, learn the car, drive the **** out of it, invest in some good rubber, turn up the boost, get a solid tune, upgrade the turbo (you can get a 2871 in standard T2 that's good for about 350whp), 3" exhaust... it's good for 250whp as it sits provided it's got a 2560... even a 2554 should net you in the 230-240 range with a big exhaust.
Man, don't **** around with that $200 disaster in waiting you just bought. Get rid of the ****** and buy this one in San Antonio and don't look back.
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