Ryephile

iTrader: (1)

Hello MiataTurbo

I'm a long time lurker but now that I actually own a turbo Miata it seems logical to join the party and introduce myself. My name is Ryan, and I'm an M.E. for an automotive supplier here in Metro Detroit. This is my 2nd Miata; I also had a '95 PEP in Laguna Blue that was basically stock about 8 years ago, and now I wanted to get back into a Miata but one with the wick turned up.

I just picked up a '92 "A" package Silver Stone Miata from a very nice fellow on miata.net [I suppose even there it's possible *snicker*]. It's a baby at only 49k miles, not a lick of rust anywhere, and has a few goodies on it:

*Greddy turbo kit with intercooler upgrade, recirculating diverter valve, and one-off cowl cold-air intake.
*MSPNP gen 1, NGK AFX WBO2, Stillen Fuel pressure regulator
*"stronger clutch", not sure whose but the pedal force is definitely higher than stock
*1.8L rear diff with Torsen
*Koni 8041 dampers with Hyperco springs, Eibach anti-roll bars, 1.8L brakes
*Hard Dog roll bar
*R-package spoilers front and rear
*Enkei RPF1's in 15x7 with Dunlop Star Spec's in 205/50-15

My intent is to build a conservative and reliable HPDE track day fun car that's still streetable so I can cruise to work with the top down on nice days.

Right now the car has some decent ingredients but is definitely a project in my eyes. The previous owner had the car dyno'd at 189whp and 183wLbFt at 8 PSIg on a DynaPack, which are typically optimistic or closer to crank numbers.

The tune the car had when I got it was marginal except at WOT. The factory 1-wire narrowband was feeding the MSPNP and the WBO2 was just for human feedback, which is hardly optimal. I just wired in the WBO2 and built an AFR targeting table, and already the car is running muuuuuch smoother at part throttle. I've also fixed up the timing table at part throttle as it was very conservative, not far off the "very conservative" MSPNP base map.

I have a Knocksense MS and DIYautotune EBC on the way to bring the car to the next level with the tune. A big thing I have to do is dump the factory MAF that's still in place and plumb in an IAT sensor.

Blah blah blah, pictures!

I picked up the car in Florida and drove through the Smoky Mountains and the Tail of the Dragon en route home. Here's the car at Fontana Dam.
Fontana1 by Ryephile, on Flickr

Fontana2 by Ryephile, on Flickr

A little easter egg, the inside of the trunk lid was signed by Bobby Rahal
BobbyRahal by Ryephile, on Flickr

Standard fare interior until I pick out seats and 6-points. Gauges are boost/vac on A-pillar, EGT and Oil Temp in center console vents, NGK AFX below radio.
IMG_3925.jpg by Ryephile, on Flickr

It's OK to laugh for now, this is how the catastrophe of plumbing and wiring looks right now. Definitely going to get cleaned up while it's on my watch!
IMG_3927.jpg by Ryephile, on Flickr

Lexington by Ryephile, on Flickr

Cheers,
Ryan

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

Welcome, Ryephile. Check out the Miata Gallery and post up some pics!

supercooper

Was Bobby Rahal a racer? Sorry if thats a dumb Question... We have a Bobby Rahal BMW dealership right up the street. Step mom bought a 335i from them. Badass car.
Welcome! Car seems pretty well sorted... but being that it has MS, you should try to delete that flapper box on the intake. Car looks to be in Great shape!!!

Ryephile

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the compliments, yea the car is pretty much a 22 year old time capsule. Even when you peel up the carpet and inspect the underbody, there isn't any rust anywhere. It's kind of amazing to these rust-belt-biased eyes.

FYI, Bobby Rahal is a 3-time Indy-car champion.


I've been doing some more reading in the awesome stickies here. Looks like a potentiometer TPS and high-res MSPNP firmware are in my future before I can fully take advantage of the EBC solenoid. And yes, the MAF flapper is going away as soon as I plumb in the GM IAT sensor.

In terms of drivability, the car only has one major annoyance, and that's low RPM 1k-2k RPM "bucking" during stop-n-go traffic. I read that too much ignition advance may be part of the problem, along with improper acceleration enrichment, so I'm working on those aspects to smooth it out. Any other tips? Pretty please?

supercooper

oh.... well, that would explain why they have an indy car with his name on it in the showroom. hahaha They said it was the real car, but i didnt realize Bobby Rahal was the racer... i thought he just owned the dealership, and sponsored the car. hahaha

thenuge26

iTrader: (2)

I'm not sure how reliable the Greddy manifold will be at the track. There are several places to get a replacement I think, Artech probably being the most popular on here.

Ryephile

iTrader: (1)

I'm all ears for replacement suggestions, even if it involves going to a different turbo setup e.g. GT2554R.

Are the FM or BEGI exhaust manifolds generally better for long-term reliability? Or whose is best in resisting warping?

*edit* The ARTech stuff looks nicely made, but I'm actually wondering if the lack of head flange cuts would hurt reliability with theirs too.

thenuge26

iTrader: (2)

Both are good as they are the same I believe. Artech is a fabricator here on the forum that can make you a Greddy replacement mani or a custom one of your choice. Check out Curly's build thread, his car is a great low-budget turbo racer who came from a Greddy setup. https://www.miataturbo.net/build-thr...h-build-63204/