miatamania

iTrader: (9)

I'm 19, a sophomore at school, and my miata is my DD...I also run STS2 w/ a couple of local clubs and I love to auto-x it.
As it sits, I'm putting together pieces for a turbo kit and I'm starting to wonder about it. I know first off I'm going to need at LEAST another motor since this one is getting old and she's my DD so what if I blow one up? That, and the fact that turbo cars give a lot of trouble, plus the amount of work that still needs to be done...I'm kinda thinking about putting the turbo project on the back burner and just picking up a set of headers first and running STS2 for a while and slowly get enough stuff for the turbo setup. I figure I can get my harness bar, harness, new suspension on. And then start worrying about everything else.

Every time I think i know what route I want to go, I change my mind...and I start thinking I need more ****...and thats not a good place to go

I dunno, what do you guys think?

Fritch

well..... its really all up to you. I'd save up a lot and when you're ready, go ahead and turbo it. But remember, having the extra money around will be essential here. Its not that the car will become unreliable, but in the even that it does wouldn't you like a little cash to be able to take care of the problems?

fmowry

iTrader: (8)

I put a turbo kit on my '90 with 140K miles on it. No problems until I ran 16 psi and a 50 shot with questionable tuning. I really don't think a low boost turbo setup will lead to early failure than running the car the way it is. The Miata is a pretty good car to learn about pulling motors too. It's not that hard and you don't need any special tools.

Frank

kyle242gt

For track use, the last thing you want to do is add more power. Safety, brakes, tires, suspension ought to come first.

DIY turbo on a DD can be rewarding (BTDT) but it can also be monstrously frustrating when things don't work right and you should have been at work twenty minutes ago (BTDT as well).

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

we put a GReddy kit on Rappadan's miata in two hours. He's been boosting away happily ever since. The key would be something turn-key and something that would cause the smallest amount of downtime possible. But if you do it right the first time a turbo shouldn't give you any extra trouble. It's when we start tinkering, modding, and pushing the limits is when you start to see problems arise.

I agree if you are tracking, work on safety/comfort/handling then play with go fast. 10psi on the track is no fun with stock seats and belts

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

The motor was designed for turbo'ing. Corky posted a list on another forum I'm no longer mentioning of all the things this motor has engineered into it that make it turbo-happy! I think I also remember him saying that boost is not the enemy. Knock is the enemy. A stock motor tuned right at 12psi should last 100k miles. A stock motor at 2psi knocking like a woodpecker won't last the first stoplight. Tune it right and you'll have no problems.

That's not to say you won't break other things... it just won't be the motor. Another thing to maybe consider is another vehicle. How about something like this: http://charlotte.craigslist.org/car/227781883.html If you've got a friend you trust, both of you could go in on it and have a extra vehicle for piece of mind... plus, a truck is a cool thing if you've never owned one. Insurance wouldn't be that much more as you would qualify for a 2-vehicle discount most places and I'm sure you're still on your parents' policy.

What about this:
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/car/218002525.html
Chicks dig the rugged type:
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/car/226736018.html
Sumthin to getcha around campus:
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/mcy/227293904.html
Buy all 3, your buddies will love you:
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/for/224157261.html

SamS

iTrader: (2)

I was worried about the same thing. I turbo'd mine the summer before going off to school. The only problems I had after the install were a faulty drain line and my fuel pump wasn't putting out enough pressure. About $80 later, it's sitting in the parking lot 24/7 and makes monthly 250 mile trips home without a problem.

Atlanta93LE

iTrader: (5)

I've been in the same boat for a while. I finally decided to take the plunge, but haven't yet figured out if it's the best thing to do. Oh well, here we go!

miatamania

iTrader: (9)

hmmm.

I might have found a CRX in VA near my uncle that I might picked up. Or I might even try to get another miata...a 1.8 would make a much better choice so I can do everything right.

Its good to know you guys have all had positive experiences. I'm not going to stop my build, just slow it down a tad

akaryrye

iTrader: (5)

Like others have said, have a reliable car available. I opted to buy a second miata and that decision has given great rewards to me:

First, I have a reliable car and if im pulling the engine (or anything else) on the other one and hit a hangup, I always have something to get me to work and if i get sick of working i can say "goodnight" and finish the next day, which i do frequently.

Second, having a second miata is a great reference for how things are put together when i have it taken apart.

Third, it is fun to have a stock miata to drive because it is such a perfect car out of the box. I have yet to see wether I prefer my turbo or the stock car for autocross, but it may be a tossup.