so I let my brother borrow my car...ADVICE on replacement
 

and now it lays down a smokescreen under hard acceleration.

Bastard.

Yep, swapped car for his motorcycle the last day I was in College Station so that he could take girlfriend, dog and presents home for Christmas. And yes, I was very nice to his Ninja.

Old motor had probably just about had enough anyways...so now I need to swap in something decent. Question is:

WHAT?

OPTIONS:

1. Build up a 1.6L

I am about to pick up a 1.6L that is in pieces, but the guy is trading it to me for my old daisies. My turbo setup is 1.6 based, and I don't really want to swap since I have a backup turbo, and the IHI flange isn't common. I don't have money to modify the hotside, especially if I'm going built.

I'd REALLY like to just explore the middle ground between 250-300whp, and hope to get away with just some M-tuned rods, and those HKS cams for sale now. I already have an adjustable cam gear and WI, as well as a compressor upgrade sitting on the shelf. I'd also like to do some mild headwork.

2. Find cheap, used 1.6L and make bastard ass brother help me swap it in one weekend.

This is supposedly the reason I stay content with a 1.6 and <250whp...cheap jy motors. Only problem is that I've been watching for a week, and neither CL or local junkyards are yielding anything mildly affordable. Once I get up to about half what a built motor would cost I know I shouldn't go that way anymore.


3. Be smart and build a 1.8L, and invest in a real turbo setup.

I really can't afford this at all, and for that amount of dough I'd rather start an LS1 swap. Too many things to upgrade, and I'd get carried away.


I've read a lot, and am really only posting to get some advice and check options I may have missed.

My budget is really non-existent, but if worse comes to worse I can scrape together about $1500. I also have an uncle that is a Master Mechanic and can help with engine assembly, but we'd still have to job out the usual block and head work.

TIA

That sucks.

If it were me, I would build a decent 1.6 motor that can handle a decent amount of boost and be fine with it.

Redoing hotside<lsx Miata as far as money and reliability goes.

Lack of budget plus the fact that you get some 1.6 parts for old wheels = go with 1.

In fact, why not just rebuild your current engine with a few goodies, and make your brother drive you around and/or let you borrow the Ninja?

Get help from your uncle either way. Generally uncles understand when siblings break stuff. Go figure.

This was the best I could find on CL right now:

Miata Motor 1.6-1990-92

Just spotted this:

miata engine and tranny

And this:

93 Mazda Miata

I live in Dallas and I have a 1.6 with 153k miles on it that may have been low on power but was fine when I pulled it. Its really, really, really cheap too. Its been sitting outside for a while with all holes plugged...the price is right too. If I were in your sittuation without a super-miata in the garage, I'd put that motor in my car with a turbo and smile.


How about this, you run a "package" from rharris to me and you can have the motor. You have to do it soon though so I can get this bitch painted on the now.

that right there is a good deal sir!

Deal of the century

I felt like I just accidentally stumbled on hustler's 'gay sex, river rafting' thread. :ky:

My brother (in law) does the same thing when he borrows my car.

Yup.

I'm doing a 1.8 swap, and with all the fuckin "do this while I'm at it," it is adding up to serious money.

If I had it to do again, I would probably just do the 1.6 over and call it a day. The incidentals have added up. This is a stellar deal from hustlefucker, take him up on it and bring that shit right to your uncle.

no kidding...may have to jump on it

I will see what I can do. I have to wrap up a physical inventory at work this weekend...but after that I'm free as long as it fits in the bed of a Silverado.

I was thinking about fixing up this thing I'm picking up in Pearland...but I can always build it later. The idea of a motor in ONE piece is very comforting. Bonus points if I can hit all errands in the same day. Looks like Monday is panning out...but will do it Sunday if I can finish reconciliation on Saturday.

We'll keep in touch. Thanks.

EDIT:
Oil consumption is through the roof. It burned a half quart in the last 4000miles before he took it. GPS says he traveled 400miles and it was a full quart low (I had topped everything off before he left). He also went through SIX TIMES as much methanol as I usually do during spirited driving. Pressure switch is set at 9psi.

I'm tempted to build a motor...but the so-called budget would mean dropping a class next semester, and using that time and money to pay for it and do the legwork. I also know, as webby is pointing out..that I'll get carried away. I'd rather just keep it running the way it was and build something badass after I gradumacate. Still runs strong...just leaves a long cloud with a fast Miata ahead of it. I'm gonna start calling it the RingFAilRocket.

Kick your brother in the nuts.


I let someone borrow my car for a similar situation...and he handed me his 205 (this was in 05) CBR600RR. I got back later and got in my car and it sounded like a WRX..CEL flashing. He claimed to have done nothing wrong....yet went through 1/2 tank of gas in a 20 mile trip. He had a 05 GSXR750 AE too........ he didn't have it much longer after I did a compression check and found he popped my motor. I have that damn GSXR away to some guy who builds race bikes. Fucker had to pay.

Ls1

2x, sell what u have from that kit and do a big boy swap :)

or you can always go with a supra motor in that baby :P

y not a big boi boosted mustang motor like nito :giggle: :hahano:

LS1 built short block to handle 20psi on a GT42R. Now we are talking.

Looks like I'm picking up Hustler's second hand motor for "free"....I'm still trying to figure out what he means by all holes plugged though....I usually charge a bit more than jy motor fare for that kind of thing.



Mike: I'd love to kick my brother right in the nads. He's a real fuckface because he treats his shit like it's made out of gold (even his stupid dog he let run all over my house at Christmas when I was considerate enough to everyone to put mine outside).

Then he drives mine like a madman. I let him take it for a spin after the turbo install and he really scared the shit out of me, I should have known. His Kawi is made to stand up to that (he does trackdays too), but my poor DD isn't.

Bitch is helping me swap motor next weekend though.

Wait for the right opportunity and play it off as an accident... maybe even give him one of those back-hand nut checks as he comes walking by...but claim it to be an accident :giggle:

I can count on one hand the number of people who have driven my car (the 02)..Me, my GF, Eric, the guy at Discount Tire that had to pull it in and one other guy. Funny-ish story about the one guy. I was at a friends dad's shop helping him work on his car and a 'friend of the family' customer stops by in a 930 Porsche 911 SC. So we talk about cars and he asks if he can drive my car down the street, I hop in the pax side and we go. Not even 100yds down the street I tell him to pull the fuck over and I'll drop him off at his house (that was further down the street). This guy was a complete fucking retard. He feels out the first couple of gear and then clutch dumps while the car is rolling and proceeds to DOUBLE CLUTCH :rofl:. He only did it into two gears before I todl him to pull over. I asked him "What the HELL are you doing?!?!" "Oh man it's the faster way to shift"....seriously, this living abortion thought it was seriously OK to double clutch and try to do it in .5 seconds.....while revving the motor as he punched the clutch pedal down. I feel sorry for such stupid people.

I shoved rags in the orifices because the motor is sitting outside. Its missing a few pieces that I cannibalized for my swap, but since you already have a 1.6 you have everything you need.

I'll be in DC next week from Sunday-Friday, so if you want to pick it up we're at the mercy of my step-father's schedule.