The Ugly Duck
 

Long time lurker, first time poster. I first registered here in 2008 when I bought my first Miata, but then sold shortly there after. Fast forward 7 years and I now co-own a small collection in addition to a used car lot, and some of my collection includes two Nobles, a Lotus Esprit S4, a C5 M6, a 427 Cobra replica, 1926 Buick Sedan with GM 4.2 swap, a handful of extremely low mile collector Ford from the late 80's and early 90's, and other odd ball stuff that comes and goes.

So why in the hell would I want a turbo Miata? I commute a few times a week from my office to a marina about 45 minutes from town. Kind of a boring drive really, but having something fun to do it in makes it tolerable. However, once I get to the marina I park in a very dense and uncovered parking lot. I want something that is fun to drive, but I am not afraid to get some door dings in. Something I can drive out to one of the two semi-local tracks on short notice when water is too rough to boat, or my buddies are having an organized track day.

So, I bought a "No Start" Miata from Insurance Auto Auctions in NC for $1003.00 after the fees, and paid $500 to ship it to Grand Rapids, Mi. I bought a used Begi kit minus turbo from a forum member, and a Twisted GT2871R turbo that had never been used from him as well. I bought a MSPNP 2, and AEM wideband kit new. I am still on the lookout for an intercooler kit already cut and welded for an NB, before I buy one from ebay. Still need some misc turbo related stuff, injectors, tires, a top, and a few other things I will list in more detail later.

Without further adieu, I present the Ugly Duck. It has a roll bar, header, and what appears to be a new Alt. An empty mottle of Marvel Mystery Oil in the trunk, and I do not yet know if it runs. Some good scratches on it, but over all pretty solid and straight. This is going to be fun.

I'm surprised you haven't been ripped apart yet... Your post seems more like a 'intro' thread. And you're in the WRONG PART OF TOWN. :eggplant:

For track use that GT2871 should be fun :likecat:

Well, this is the DIY Turbo section correct? And I am putting together a turbo kit for this thing in a DIY fashion, so I figured it belonged. I'll try to get it running this evening, do a compression test, and make a better list of what I need and what I already have.

I am really considering going to a CTS-V diff, and TII trans right from the get go. My goal is 300whp reliably, and a braced Torsen diff might be up to the task for a little while, but none of the trans will. Ntm, I'd prefer to have a better gear.

Anyone here done the TII trans swap?

6spd and stock torsen will hold that all day.

Really? I had read the 6spd would still likely break at some point when approaching those power levels. I guess I'll just get hunting for a 6 speed then.

Torque breaks transmissions. You won't be in the danger zone with your turbo choice i don't think. Especially not with a 300whp goal.

Even if I get the itch to play with launch control with some stickies on it and a well prepped track? I'm really pretty hard on stuff I build like this, which is why I had planned to just over build it to begin with.

A 6 speed in my area is about $550, and a TII trans can be had for $400. So after I buy the adapter and build a driveshaft, I am only looking at an additional $800 or so. Worth it to do it now in your opinion?

Thanks for the guidance. I am trying really hard not to just go LS swap right from the beginning. I have LS swapped so many things, I want to do something I don't normally do. If I hit a performance ceiling with the 1.8, I think I would look at an Ecotec before going LS. I haven't seen a Miata with one yet, and huge power can be made with them. But at that point, I would again need a new trans, from a Solstice GXP. It is a Aisin trans.

I suppose the bigger question is: What will you be doing with the car? The RX7 box doesn't shift as nice, but yes... it's stronger. With shittier ratios.

If those things don't bother you and you want to trust your transmission even if you get stupid, then go for it.

Well the good news is I picked up a 6 speed from a local salvage year for $400. It is extremely clean, and looks like it has been recently resealed.

The bad news is I got the car home, and tried to start it for the first time with no luck. Doesn't sound like it is building any compression. I verified belt is in tact, but didn't check timing marks. I just decided I will pull it and put some forged rods and pistons in it right from the get go, have the rotating assembly balanced, have the usual done with the block, and have some head work done.

Any tips on the best bang for the buck when it comes to valves and springs? OE parts from another application maybe?

Also, I found that the car already has some decent coilovers on it, and a stainless header. Combined with the bald rear stickies, I am betting this thing has been run pretty hard so it makes sense to go through it. I also decided on a 6 puck sprung clutch, with Exedy pressure plate, and a 10.5lb flywheel. I have no problem driving a puck clutch on the road, as a few of the toys I have now also run a pretty radical clutches.

Valve train should be fine, unless you are going to spin some big RPM, or big cams.

What are these "decent coil overs" you speak of?

Koni Yellow, never used them before but I assume they are better than no-name fleabay crap right? Lol

Right.

I do not yet know which springs are on it. They are not stock, so I will have to do some looking when I drop the drivetrain this weekend.

Factory 196k mile springs should be good, or just new OE? :giggle:

I intend to replace them anyway, so is there another OE application that anyone knows of that would be similar in price but a bit of an upgrade? Being proficient in the LS platform, I am accustomed to building Frankenstein engines with parts from 2 or 3 different factory applications. Lifters from the LS7, oil pump from the LS2, etc.

Also, I have a friend (Jim Valeko) from the offshore powerboating scene that does some amazing head work. Aside from general cleanup, port matching, and un-shrouding, anything else known to help these heads in turbo applications?

The old ones are probably fine. Or just buy the supertech set.

Turbo app help? Run more boost. In fact, run ALLOFIT.

Lol, E85 is plentiful around here, and E98 can be had pretty easily as well. I fully intend to turn up the pressure. But after some more reading, it seems like the intake is going to be my next limiting factor. A good friend of mine however was one of the prototype guys at ZZP for a few years, they are local to me, and I am sure he can give me a hand with a custom intake and larger throttle body. I saw one he made a few weeks ago for a wild Ford 2.3 turbo for his brother, and this guy works aluminum with a tig like an art form.

Obviously a different TPS with the MSPNP will be no big deal. What is the factory throttle body size?

<p>Yeah there shouldn't be an eggplant in the second post.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Nice find on the car. Keep reading up around here and you'll have a plan for your build soon. You're coming from too many other platforms. Take a look at what others are building here, and you'll see what works and what doesn't.</p><p>Welcome.</p>

Turbofan.....you treated me like dogshit. Nice to see the change of heart.

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<br />Tried to see where I treated you like dogshit, couldn't find it.
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<br />Based on the couple of your early threads I read, though, you were probably playing the butthurt noob card which makes me get my ethug on. Looks like you made it through alright though so congrats.