1.6 turbo to k-swap???
 

I'm at a point where I would like more power and reliability. I currently have a 1.6 with an "upgraded" Greddy setup that I have running at 10 psi on the track. It certainly moves and I've been able to surprise lots of people on track with the little shitbox. I've been running into some problems recently with the ignition setup and I'm not convinced it isn't coming from some of the older tech the car was built on. The old Greddy setup also has a lot of lag compared to the more modern turbo setups and upgrading to a better turbo setup on the 1.6 seems futile.

I can obviously stick Mazda and go the 1.8 turbo route or I can do the k24 build route. The 1.8 (for the same price as the k24 build) will leave me with 300+ reliable whp with gobs of torque from what I've been reading. The k24 gives me 220 whp with a fantastic redline and more potential down the line and potentially better heat management. Goals for the build would include a good street car for spirited ralleys, a reliable track car that continues to help me learn, and ultimately to keep up / beat on the f80 m3 (2 track buddies have one and I don't want to be left behind).

My current dream build is a rotrex k24 with the getrag rear and bmw trans.

My question to you is will I miss the fun aspect of a turbo on the street if I decide to plog my money into a k24 swap? I'm looking for actual experience here not just bench racing.

No experience here but what made you decide k24 vs ecotec? I looked at both and it seems ecotec gives about the same potential for much less money.

I think a stock k24 is going to make the same torque as a greddy 1.6

Honestly, this is a thought I have been mulling over as well. 400whp k20 rotrex would be such a handful.

ecotech only makes like 170 doesnt it? And will feel like an unexciting turd compared to a K.

If I ever have to pull my 1.8 for any mechanical reason again, its going up for sale and I will K swap. I am of the opinion now, that for 225 hp track abuse, the k is a no brainer.

Can confirm. Except it will make ~200rwhp. Still feels gross.

When I was in your situation (I needed to build my motor) I would have done it in a second.

Concealer, were you saying the ecotech feels gross? Or the K24 feels gross?

The k doesn't look gross, but I have never driven one either. I can imagine a 6758 on one being quite the hoot.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/11...fe0c908b83.jpg

From this thread:

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthrea...light=k24+dyno

Ecotec feels gross. @vteckiller2000 can elaborate but i think he's got a long post in here somewhere about it.

I think we need a thread where everyone with a built BP gets to say whether they would go K or not, now that the swap is established with the BMW stuff too.

because I am in the situation where I can still choose, selfish I know.

i did, or at least very similar..https://www.miataturbo.net/general-m...p-turbo-91224/

Hate to throw more fire into the pit, but the swap to do these days is a K20 Head w/ K24 Block. There's tons of information on this swap online. With cams and FBO, they have been known to reach 260+ whp without touching the bottom end. This comes with stock-like reliability...

I want that, in an Exocet.

The shear thought of that makes me feel things in... places

ya, we know. its in the k swap write up by sav.

Sort of. I just want like, people's thoughts. We all know a K>BP in terms of performance and engineering and everything.

But for people like you that have gone down the road of built BP, would you do it again? That would be a good read.

10/10 would read. I'm in the same boat of determining if I go boosted BP or K...

Agreeed, built BP vs K. I keep going back to a turbo 1.8 but all the posts on here about cooling issues and turbo hardware make me cringe. Sure most of these issues have been thought out and potentially solved but OEM reliability seems hard to get.

With the supporting drivetrain now being being made available (rear end and trans swaps) the car now has tons of power potential. Id hate to build a BP to be limited by it. K's limit is much higher albeit with a cost.

track ready turbo bp- 10k
track ready turbo k- 20k

How wrong am I here? I bet not much...

Thats what i thought. I never understood the point of the ecotec swap.

k swap seems to be track ready out of the box at stock power levels.

fixed my earlier post to compare TURBO cost.