Who here has sunk 10k+ into their Miata and isn't boosted yet?
 

Besides Hustler and myself?

3k into wheels/tires/suspension.
1k into drivetrain.
2.5k into paint. <- most bullshit one.
1.5k into turbo shit that is sitting around.
~700 into ecu/gauges/etc
750 into hardtop
x into brakes/slicks/visual/safety/etc.

The funny part is, it is 10k into good deals, used parts, some quality new shit like 15x9 6ul's and rs2's and such, nothing like going out and buying a FM AFCO suspension or Begi S5.

I think i belong to this club.
But i am almost there.

So I guess it counts if we've paid for the turbo stuff but not gotten it right?

BEGI kit: $4386
1.8 conversion + compeition mounts: $328
Butterfly Brace: $430
Clutch: $305
Brake Upgrade: $583
1.8 Motor: $500
Sway Bars: $200
Springs/Shocks: $700
Torsen LSD: $1125
Spark Plug Wires: $80
R Comps + Daisies: $250
Steering Wheel: $80
Wheels: $1104

That put me at $10071. I'm sure there are a few more things I'm overlooking but I'm gonna stop b/c I'm starting to feel my breakfast coming up :barf:

i can see me doing it. i'm gonna force myself to do brakes and suspension first.

my last reasonably modified car i did brakes later than i realistically should have (i waited until they needed to be replaced rather than doing them when i upped the power significantly). the car just felt more usable when it could stop as well as it went. after you have a nice overall balanced setup things become so much more fun.

in a miata dropping 1k+ into suspension alone would be more than worth it and easily justifiable.

read sig below.......i think i'm still under 8k including the cost of the car.

I have spent about 11k including the car (this doesn't include the old parts I sold, never put that together). I chose to turbo first, then upgrade the rest after. Your doing the oposite. So really your not behind, just doing it a different way.

After I put in my new suspension, wheels and tires I wish I had done that first rather than the turbo. Lesson learned.

Im in pretty good shape.
1992 Miata.
Came with Racing beat lowering springs and swaybars. Bolt on eye candy. Exposed cam gears valve cover, etc & Rims. Most of you don't like them. But I'm digg'n the rice. LOL
Then I bought:
MSPNP & Afm delete. $767 shipped overnight.
FM 2560 turbo & intercooler on Motor & tranny with clutch, wires and RC 550 injectors. For $1050 shipped to the door.
Boost Gauge. $60.00 ????
AEM Uego Wideband. $215
Knocksence and LED $55
Turbo Blanket and T25 gasket. $143
MSD boost control (I'm not using) $75.00
Free 3" muffler
3" exhaust $100
Timming light $100 ???
16.00 for cheap wrenches to cut down and grind.
+190 for selling some parts.
$2391.00
Yea, I add all extra expenses pertaining to the car.

Are you my twin brother? I've scored some really nice deals, but bought new 6ul's and rs2's. ;)

C

I might be close, but I'm almost turbo... Do you count all the turbo shit I've bought? lol.

$3000.00 Car
$360.00 Wheels
$125.00 Tires
$250.00 Brakes
$100.00 Short block
$450.00 Cylinder Head repair
$435.00 Roll Bar
$370.00 Total Megasquirt Investment
$190.00 LC1

$300.00 H-Beam Rods
$100.00 Block Machine work
$FREE Crankshaft
$FREE T3 Turbocharger
$100.00 T4 Compressor
$10.00 Turbo Rebuild
$160.00 Turbo Manifold Parts
$1065.00 MillerMatic180
$260.00 Welding Gas and Cylinder
$200.00 Chinacooler
$435.00 Stainless Enthuza 3" Catback
$57.00 Flanges
$119.00 Misc Mandrel bends
$159.00 Horizontal Bandsaw

I'm at $7810 Total.. Know I'm forgetting something.. :bang:

I'm turbo and have about 7 grand total into it, including the car. This is not including the new motor. :cool:

car 1600
suspension 800
seat 200
harness 200
paint 000
gauges 300
wheelsx2 500
r-comps 600
99 motor and trans (w/open rear swap)700
rear end 700
clutch 400
machine work 1300
pistons and rods 700
oil cooler 300
exhuast 500
begi s3 3800
mspnp 700
lc1 200
reroute 200
fuel rail 100
injectors 120
radiator 200
sport brakes 200

fuck, about $14000. That shit is out of control. I'm going to be pissed if this car is not reliable. At least I paid straight cash. I'm buying 1 set of 6ul's and every other cent I make is going to student loans...after my Washington wine country trip...which I may postpone to build my car in time for Hallett.

Holy shit hustler! :eek5:

anything worth doing is worth doing right.
-hunter s. thompson

I need this bitch to run.

I also spent $2200 just on track time last year. :cry:

maybe I should have bought that c5z on that cold, february day in 2006 when I found a deal on the brg, and thought I'd save money in the long-run. lol I guess after a few sets of r-comps, the green car will be cheaper than the vette.

with the price of the car, 6uls, Teins, and S3 I'm probably at ~12k

reddroptop, thanks for this thread! :bigtu:

I won't say how much but I get great comfort from some of the posts!

And that is after buying not 1 but 2 AEMs and an MS to boot!

yup.

turbo kit is there, but not on yet.
http://www.aus-cartalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=29515

http://www.markpakula.com/5/mewp/IMG_4732.jpg
black flag motherfucker.

where can I get the cusco rear brace and possible the braces in the car?

Working on it...I am at around 6k now and havent even started on the "performance" parts besides Megasquirt.

So add turbo kit (prolly begi s3) and clutch and upgraded rear end and I will be at 10k.

I will probably be at 15k not including the car when finished. No high end turbo kits, motor rebuilds, or $$$$$ things like that.

Other shit needed:

Cooling shit.
6spd.
Clutch/Fly
Safety shit, weld in harness bar into the 4pt bar, sparco seats, etc.
4 piston brake setup done properly.

Fuck. Alot of money, but at least it should be reliable, proven, and FAST. Going to keep it a long time is the plan, next replacement is a Lotus, even then, might as well keep the miata around if I have the space.

As hustler said, it is too expensive to track something heavier then a Miata. R-comps are cheap and plentiful used, or even new the 225/45 NT-01's are not horribly expensive.

What else could I get for 20k that does the same shit? An S2K, maaaybe. Even then, slower, but probably less bullshit, but who can keep a performance car stock? S2K mods are $$$$.

how much are hawk blues for us...$90 for the fronts. They're $300 for c5's alone, s2k's aren't much better and the cars are much more.

At first I just wanted a 9.5:1 99 motor...then God spoke to me at the track one day. It (she) said, "Hustler, you will build a miata and shit on the chest of viper and lambo drivers because they are ------s, and it makes their penii shivel up inside their bodies when a miata shits-tomps their souls. If you build it, girls thighs will stick together."
basically, a decree was made by god, and I can't ignore that. Its my destiny.

Paid 5900 cash for the NB back in August 06.

250 for a coil pack week after I purchased car
220 for timing belt stuff
200 on brakes
1100 on MS stuff and LC1
1600 on nitrous hardware and refills.
1100 on hardtop
400 on wheels
90 for the intercooler
140 for 550cc injectors
50 for pierburb fuel pump
120 for new stock fuel pump
110 for Mallory FPR
100 for fuel lines and fittings
210 for mandrel bends
200 for mufflers and glass packs
100 on welding supplies
55 tubing
80 EDIS ignition system
90 for SC crank pulley
100 for oil lines and fittings
40 for sandwhich plate
400 on tooling for the build
50 on hardware
110 for the SC's
30 for master and slave rebuild kits
200 clutch


7,145 in parts
13,045 including the cost of the car

And I'm probably forgetting some stuff and I'm by no means done purchasing stuff.

I could have sworn he said "If you build it, girls thighs will spread wide for you."

I bought my 94 for $6500, the PO bought the car for $7, and they put $11K into it in only 15K miles.

I thought .30 on the Dollar for a FI miata was a decent deal (not a great deal but fair). And that included a BLACK hardtop...

The next miata (or possible other car) I would think of putting $10K into would be an EV conversion...

http://www.jstraubel.com/EVpusher/EVpusher2.htm

http://smiliesftw.com/x/augentreher.gifhttp://smiliesftw.com/x/augentreher.gifhttp://smiliesftw.com/x/augentreher.gifhttp://smiliesftw.com/x/augentreher.gif

Dude better get some safety chains on that "trailer.."

14k in including car.... and thinking about buying an NB

I'm with you 100% on the next project car.

I had $8k in mods, $12k or so including car, before I was boosted. $4k into the interior, $2k in suspension, $1k in wheels and tires, $1k in clutch/radiator/brakes. Something like $17-18k in now, and not even close to done. I'll probably be into it $25-30k before I am finished. :/

What the crap can add up to 4k in a miata interior?

ahah

any Japanese parts place should be able to source them,
i used JDMYard here in Sydney, but in the U.S. it should be even easier.

FM headwork.

I'm about $25,000 into my car.

New carpet, top, leather seats, polished stainless rollbar, stereo and paint.

Koni's, sways, frame rails, braces & end links

2 sets of wheels 15x7 and 15x8 and tires TS-1 (need new ones) and RS-2

BEGi S3, Link , Dual Feed FR, gauges, Wideband etc

3" dual exhaust (Enthuzia custom)

Plus a lot of other crap.

To recover seats it can cost over $ 1500 for good work, then add good carpet, gauges and rollbar. To that a sound system and 4G comes fast.

It's easy to start justifying that last 10-15k, I never want to go there, as then you realize you would have been better off starting with a better platform. (IMO)

You just get to a performance level where the the money sunk in is no longer offering a good return of your money.

I did think about that, but like the Miata for what it is 'small classic type sports car'

I did think about cars like the S2000, Z3, Z4 and M Roadster for about the same money ($ 10,000 for the Miata plus options) but I like the idea of a small 'cute girls car' that can blow the doors off a new 'HEMI' or a 'stang.

Also unlike a lot of people here I plan on keeping the Miata for at least 10 to 15 more years.

I thought the same thing,if I did not have pretty much a down payment on a house invested in the miata,I would most likely be driving a turbocharged S2000 or turbocharged M Roadster.

I plan to keep my car for a very long time,there's no point in selling it when you have a certain amount of money invested into it,unless something unexpected were to come up.

3200$ For my Miata
700$ For a New Top
3200$ Begi S + MSPNP + IC + GT2560+ LC1
800$ Wheels + Tires
1200$ Suspension
500$ Roll Bar
100$ Shift Knob
250$ Steering Wheel + Hub
400$ Clutch
400$ Radiator
400$ Timing Belt
= 11,150$

1150$ over budget, but I know its more than that considering I have had plenty of other related expenses.

I employ creative accounting techniques which prohibit me from including tool purchases in the total build cost :cool:. I consider tools as ancilliary expenses and I categorize them as mere side-affects of the project, like my not-yet-finished garage for instance...

IT hurts me to think about all the money I have in my car, and how its likely that the car will overheat, blow shit up, and never run right...just like my last turbo car.

But this one doesn't have those two fateful initials emblazoned on it ;)

I'm sure I'm $25K invested including the cost of the car.

First set of wheels and tires ~ 1k
2nd set of wheels and tires~ good deal at 300 bucks
Flares~ free
Lip~ 200 or so
Seats ~ 400 used
HDHCDD~ 300 bucks and a bunch of wrinkle spaypaint
Misc J D M crapola to make it pretty ~ about 1500 bucks

As for the Turbo build..... the whole thing pieced together, and welded up ran me about 3 grand, including re-making intercooler piping and the 2 exhaust designs I've used.

Then I bought a HYDRA, so add another $2k to the tally

Don't even get me started on the crap I've bought and then given away to the locals or thrown out when i was tired of it (carbon hood etc...)

Add that to a $13k NB, and factor in tuning costs and shit I forgot.... and my bank account is VERY unhappy!

well... since you asked:


car - $1200

suspension:
- bushings - ~$200
- used (but good) bc racing coilover kit - $750
- 550/300 springs - $200
- rb tubular bar - $170
- end links (still waiting for them) - $90
- fm frame rails - $185

brakes:
- 01+ sport calipers - $175 (yeah, i know)
- pads / rotors - $450
- braided lines - $100

body/safety/interior:
- cf seat - $650
- steering wheel + hub - $60
- shift knob - $50
- short throw shifter - $40
- shifter extender - $20
- speakers - $350
- carpc - ~$850
- front lip - $200
- boss frog roll bar - $350
- 5-point harness - $250
- new soft top - $300

wheels/tires:
- 15x7 konig rewinds + r-comps - $750
- lug nuts - $30

rear end:
- kaaz 1.5 (traded for website) - $850
- 1.8 upgrade - $450
- fluids - $40

engine:
- special ebay green valve cover - $300 (dont buy crap when you are waisted)
- megasquirt pnp - $700
- xd-16 - $200
- lc-1 - $200
- boost gauge - $90
- begi s + exhaust - $3500
- cops - $110 (w/ new plugs)
- 460s + dual feed rail - $150
- intercooler - $140
- radiator - $180
- gaskets, etc - $50
- mini cooper scoop - $50
- hoses, belts, etc - $200
- boost controller + ait - $50
- clutch - $300

i bet you i forgot something...


around $15k so far and counting (labor not included but around $2k there too.)

oh... forgot to mention that i only drove it like 5 times overall for a total of about 200 miles. i had it for around 4-5 months now too...

:bowrofl:

Here is a list of my mods (It is on Our Favorite site)

http://clubroadster.net/forum/garage...ehicle&CID=423

Please visit and rate my car a "10" :)

:cool:

I like the way you think! Good point, I've used the above items more on other things than the miata... So thats defiantly justified.

yeah, the $$$ add up when you're building a garage simultaneously.