Should have not dicked with a SPEC clutch, and went FM from the start.
Should have not bought a used MSII, and built my own, or had one built just for me.
Should have used more braided lines, i destory the rubber oil return every time.
Should have paid more for an intercooler that FITS, instead of screwing with ebay.
Should have done more research on brake pads.


Not a bad list of mine for my first time around.

 

Should have used the correct computer to begin with
Should not have listened to the so called "expert" that was helping me
Should have planned out my build better to start so I did not have to redo a bunch.

 

Should have just kept my first MX-5 (MSM) instead of selling it for a 1990 which I then fitted a JRSC, sold that for another MSM, sold that for JRSC equipped NB that lunched its engine due to a bad tune, sold that to buy my current car which I have built the engine and turbocharged. That's a fair bit of wasted coin...

 

Should have never bought somebody elses project
Condition of body is most important
hardtop is a must have
creature comforts are important a/c, p/s
Ms-1 is headache inducing
coolant reroute is the way to go the first time
stretching turbo studs/bolts in the middle of a highway run sucks
dont forget that little mounting stud for the heater lines when doing a water pump

 

Didn't understand this one. ??

 

I am also confused by this...did I do something wrong somewhere?

 

Cool thread. I'll give it a go.

Don't **** with any "band-aids", because they are actually fail-aids.
1.8 > 1.6
90-93 kicks ***, but be prepared to upgrade ****.

 

90-93 is floppy dick.

 

if its running and not pouring antifreeze you did it right or didnt touch this. when i had the manifold milled i thought i had got that back on but apparently i missed it and it gave me all kinds of problems till i figured it out.

 

these!

+ Should have start with turbo. Not with the FFS supercharger

 

This! The body of the '94 I got had many door dings and rocker rust. I repaired the rockers and am doing the door dings next, BUT the chassis is otherwise very very good with minimal surface rust underneath.

My input, don't permanently modify a desirable '94 in order to fit piping and intercooler. Spend the extra time to make the parts fit the car, don't make the car fit the parts.

 

so basically what you mention to say was, dont forgot to install things correctly?




lol at the water going from cold to hot.

 

pretty much, and dont be in a hurry when doing things

 

When I started the thread I meant the turbo portion mostly but honestly it is all great information so keep up with the turbo and general car stuff too.

 

Another that I haven't seen mentioned yet, but I have seen in many build threads: Inconel turbo studs. From everything I have read they are worth it.

 

^ this

Also agree with 1.8 > 1.Fail. I motor swapped a 1.6 for a 1.6 and now i'm 1.8. Should have done 1.8 the first time around. Also agree with starting platform. I should have waited and payed more to start with a good shape 94 or 95 with torsen. I see them on craigslist now and always think how much better it would have been to start on that platform. It totally would have been worth the extra $1-2k.

In most states obd2 emissions test aren't required on vehicles till 96.

 

Don't cheap out on:
- Oil and water lines for your turbo! Get braided or hard lines - so much heat there that rubber doesn't really hold up. I had a few water lines split before I wised up.
- Suspension - most people here are on their 2nd or 3rd setup (I'm on my 3rd). Do it right the first time. And by "right", think about how you are going to use your car. For a street car you can get away with AGX/ Ground Controls. For a track car, sky's the limit.
- Wheel and tire setup - same as suspension. You can buy 15x7s, then upgrade to 15x8s, then get 15x9s....or just get the 15x9s straightaway. One of these days somebody is going to make a street tire that can take full advantage of the 9s width (fingers crossed for a 245/40/15 Hankook RS3).

Things I did right despite my naivety:
- Bought a 1.8 car that already had a roll bar, ultrashields, hardtop, and torsen but only had two track days on the build. Oh, and had enough Jackson Racing NA parts (intake, header, exhuast) to halfway fund my turbo kit. Dude had $10k in receipts (including the $4k he paid for the car).

 

Don't spend too much on the car/setup/tires/tow rig that you cannot afford or dare to drive it on the track anymore.

 

Water lines don't need to be braided or hard if you use adequate heat shielding around manifold, turbine, and downpipe.

Many of my problems often stemmed from improper heat shielding initially including a melted dipstick handle that cost me an oil pump.

I also unfortunately learned that oil lines can be made of material inside that may not actually be suited for oil or high temperatures. Local hydraulic shop guy's fault on that one cost me a turbo.

 

Don't buy a shell. Don't get me wrong it was a fun experience putting together a car that had only interior wiring harness and tires. I learned quite a bit from it. However it costed me more in the long run instead of buying a good running Torsen Miata with all the body panels from the get go. Buying body panels over the internet also blows. Ebay steering wheels/hubs are cheap and you can literally bend them with your fist.

Other than that its been a fun time. Ive built a few turbo setups and enjoyed it. My next Miata is going to be an NB though for a little bit more comfort and a whole lot more power (built 1.8) but that's way down the road after i get my Engineering degree. Most important lesson is the one you learn from =)