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I've been trying to build a minimum mod, reliable DD. Having chronic mod sickness, I've had minimal success keeping it stock. I've been trying to limit myself to handling improvements and weight loss. Having started with a base ND2 club ST, here are the main things I've changed:
16x7.5 wheels & 205/45/16 conti ECS
Roadster sport FSB & endlinks
Coilovers with 336/224 springs
JBR dif brace
JBR short shifter
Paco seat mounts
2 pc front rotors
Front LBBK with GS-1 pads
RS SSST muffler
I've found that I like things pretty close to where they are factory. Mostly what I didn't like was the feeling of the factory bump stops in harder cornering. I lowered ride height about 1", set camber at about -1.2*, and lowered FRC down a tiny bit to about 68%.
My ultimate goal is a corn tune & as close as I can get to 1k kg without sacrificing the nice daily road manners & conveniences it has. I think I can get down to 2222 lbs without much hassle this summer. So far, the only function I've given up is adjusting seat rails.
After chasing HPDE car glory then switchng to an attempt at STR autox glory with Beaker (ND1), my 30AE was destined for daily driver glory from the outset. It's rare that any car I own is "done" in terms of mods but this one has been so fr a while.
OFT reflash. Only made a few more whp in upper midrange. DBW maps make if "feel" torquier in low-mid range but it isn't.
RB axle back muffler. Quiet.
300/200 Xida Ace
17x9 6UL
245/40 Conti ECS
Lowered about 20mm
Leg Sport front lip
Supermiata prototype carbon duck bill rear spoiler
Paco seat lowering brackets
Supermiata steering wheel extension
G-Loc GS-1 pads F&R
That's it. No faster than stock. Rides better, handles better, just as quiet. Looks neat.
I suppose its inevitable that we build a 2.5 NC as a track rat at some point. So cheap and fast. Easily match a well prepped 86 lap time wise for about 1/3rd the total project cost.
Yeah, you posting about the OFT not really doing anything for power on the 2019+ earlier is why I haven't installed mine. I have an extended warranty on mine, so I don't think it is worth the risk. I might change my mind in the future if a full JDL exhaust and a tune gets 20 whp or something lol
I am going to keep the stock Bilsteins and put Goodwin's RF springs on them. I don't want to lower very much and I don't have any need for higher spring rates on the oil-tanker-destroyed roads where I live.
I have a set of your 17x8 6UL's with some 225/45 Conti ECS's waiting for warmer weather to go back on. Right now it is 15mm front and 20mm rear spacers on the stock wheels with some General AS05 all-seasons.
I have Recaros and Brembos from my Fiata that I will probably be swapping into the RF with Blackbird's lowering brackets. I have a very long torso and my head is in hard contact with the RF roof unless I slouch. I am 5' 10". I might go to the GS1 pads front and rear when I do that, although that would mean I would need new rotors front and back...
I sort of want to do a front lip and rear spoiler, but I finally understand Mazda's muted color philosophy on the ND. I have an Eternal Blue RF GT-S, which is pretty rare, and it just looks classy. I have gotten more compliments on it than any of the other 11 miatas I have had. I think it will stay pretty stock, other than springs, sway bars, and the Recaro and Brembo swap. Oh and I have all the Verus underbody panels and the rear diffuser that needs to go on.
I've been trying to build a minimum mod, reliable DD. Having chronic mod sickness, I've had minimal success keeping it stock. I've been trying to limit myself to handling improvements and weight loss. Having started with a base ND2 club ST, here are the main things I've changed:
16x7.5 wheels & 205/45/16 conti ECS
Roadster sport FSB & endlinks
Coilovers with 336/224 springs
JBR dif brace
JBR short shifter
Paco seat mounts
2 pc front rotors
Front LBBK with GS-1 pads
RS SSST muffler
I've found that I like things pretty close to where they are factory. Mostly what I didn't like was the feeling of the factory bump stops in harder cornering. I lowered ride height about 1", set camber at about -1.2*, and lowered FRC down a tiny bit to about 68%.
My ultimate goal is a corn tune & as close as I can get to 1k kg without sacrificing the nice daily road manners & conveniences it has. I think I can get down to 2222 lbs without much hassle this summer. So far, the only function I've given up is adjusting seat rails.
You did a JBR diff mount for a DD? Lol that is a lot of work for not much benefit on a DD. I had one on my 2016 Sport and I liked it, but I did not like the install.
I like my streetcars to be quiet, thus the axle back. I do probably 99% of my driving below 4000 RPM. And that RPM range the car it feels torquey, responsive and fun. I think having owned a chain of ridiculously powerful streetcars over a decade or two, spent about the same amount of time wheel to wheel racing, I have lost the burning desire for "more powah!" in my daily drivers.
I may end up selling the OFT is I don't think it's really doing much on this car. The OFT for the ND1 on the other hand, was quite effective.
The JBR dif brace was pretty easy with a SSST exhaust. If I was working on a car with an OE muffler, I'd pull it first. I just hate the rubberband drivetrain lash. The brace cleans it up. The JBR shifter is nice! Very crisp. Only negative is you have to apply more down force to get into reverse.
The JBR dif brace was pretty easy with a SSST exhaust. If I was working on a car with an OE muffler, I'd pull it first. I just hate the rubberband drivetrain lash. The brace cleans it up. The JBR shifter is nice! Very crisp. Only negative is you have to apply more down force to get into reverse.
I probably did it in the hardest way, because I am a horrible mechanic, but it seems you installed your diff brace pretty easily? I dropped everything in the rear and popped the axles out to put mine on, which is a pain in the ***. How did you install yours?
I like my streetcars to be quiet, thus the axle back. I do probably 99% of my driving below 4000 RPM. And that RPM range the car it feels torquey, responsive and fun. I think having owned a chain of ridiculously powerful streetcars over a decade or two, spent about the same amount of time wheel to wheel racing, I have lost the burning desire for "more powah!" in my daily drivers.
I may end up selling the OFT is I don't think it's really doing much on this car. The OFT for the ND1 on the other hand, was quite effective.
I still get 2-3 speeding tickets a year in my slow miatas, so I know an actually fast car would get me in so much more trouble. I definitely understand not needing more power in a daily.
I also don’t mind the Goodwin Race muffler on mine at all. Your 30AE is a soft top right? The RF mutes the Race quite a bit, so it doesn’t seem loud. I definitely noticed it more on my soft top 2016 and 2019. That Race muffler was bought used, so it has been on 4 different NDs now lol
I installed the dif brace by supporting the dif with a jack. Maybe pulled rear wheels? I can't remember. Regardless, the dif basically stayed in place & I reached over the muffler. Gloves & sleeves recommended for that sharp heat shield.
This guy over on mnet sorted out how to track individual tire pressure and temp data on the android torque app. There's no obvious mapping to tell you which sensor stream is associated with which wheel, so you have to fart with tire pressure a little to map the layout. Pretty cool. I didn't realize that our TPMS sensors also tracked temp. I wonder if that temp data is meaningful enough to pay attention to.
I installed the dif brace by supporting the dif with a jack. Maybe pulled rear wheels? I can't remember. Regardless, the dif basically stayed in place & I reached over the muffler. Gloves & sleeves recommended for that sharp heat shield.
You make it sound so easy... I did like the more direct feel from mine. Maybe I will try again in the future!
Did a couple cosmetic upgrades. Tossed in a revlimiter gauge face & guardian designs steering wheel. Guess I'll test them out next time I need to go panic buy some toilet paper.
This is the one I ordered for my 30AE (black-painted bezel was an option). Looks and feels great and I can't wait to put it in once the snow disappear. Hopefully we'll still be able to drive at that time.
Pro tip: visualize the L & R airbag lock springs as football goalpost uprights. You're trying to push the tops of each upright inwards. That took me a minute to figure out.
This is the one I ordered for my 30AE (black-painted bezel was an option). Looks and feels great and I can't wait to put it in once the snow disappear. Hopefully we'll still be able to drive at that time.
Oh, they finally do the black-painted bezels as an option?? Well, I will most likely be ordering one of those new 330mm ones with that, then!
01-11-2020, 05:27 PM
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