I have a set of Illuminas and 1inch lowering springs but I haven't taken the plunge yet because the car only has 29k and wasn't turbo. Now that the turbo is online, I know I need to get to work. I have been thinking about just installing the shocks and not the lowering springs. I have read that the springs will upset my geometry and ruin some of the genius in the original engineering. The only compromise I don't mind is a stiffer ride, cause I'm not that old yet. However, lowering the car will look great with my future rims purchase. Will the tokicos alone (with good tires) give me enough handling to hang with a stock S2K?

 

After the turbo install I noticed how much I hated my Koni/oem spring setup with F/R bars.



Went to Koni/FM/FCM bumps with only a Front bar and couldn't have been happier.

 

Yes you can. You could go with Tein's or JIC's and be even happier
Becides my turbo, my Tein's where the single best thing I have ever done to my Miata.

 

Tein springs or did you do a complete coilover setup?

 

I love my 440/350 GC's with custom valved bilsteins. It was $840 all said and done, including FCM stops. I've been arround in many different cars with coilovers, and many people say the difference if any is marginal. Even the local guy with a formidable track record for a street car on a local track thought the difference between his HA's and my set-up was marginal. I have stock sway bars btw.