When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Well, I finally created an account and I'm all ears and eyes as I embark on my MX-5 NC Miata journey...I recently purchased a 2011 MX-5 Miata Grand Touring with the soft top and the 6-speed manual. The car has about 40K miles on it and appears to be in fantastic shape without any rust. I have received the following parts and they are all in boxes waiting for somebody who knows what they are doing to modify the car. I also want 3 ECUTEK (or possibly other source) tunes: 93 Octane Street, E85 Street, E85 Track. So, if anybody wants to throw their hat in the ring, suggest places to do the work or offer other thoughts, please do! I now have waiting:
1) 17x9 Konig Hypergam Wheels (17.5 lbs)
2) 245/40R17 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Tires
3) XIDA NC Coilovers with Touring Rates: 280/224 (5/4k)
4) Powerflex Polyurethane Sway Bar Bushings (Front & Back)
5) Whiteline Adjustable Sway Bar End Links Front (KLC141)
6) Whiteline Adjustable Sway Bar End Links Rear (KLC144)
7) 3.63 Ratio Ring and Pinion
8) Clutchmasters FX300 Clutch (not FX350)
9) Clutchmasters Aluminum Flywheel (FW-750-AL: 9.2 lbs)
10) RoadsterSport "SUPER-Q" Muffler
11) MagnaFlow MX-5 Midpipe OBDII & CARB Catalytic Converter (#5571437)
12) Mishimoto Radiator (MMRAD-MIA-06)
13) Kelford Cams 211-T (not 211-T2)
14) Kelford Behive Valve Springs KVS17-X (84 lbs)
15) K1 Forged Rods 21mm Small End 011BL16576 with 3/8 ARP 2000 bolts (526 gms with bolts)
16) Ford Oil Pump 8E5G-6600-AE
17) Deatschwerks 340LPH Fuel Pump DW300c (9-307-1009)
18) Injector Dynamics 1050cc Injectors ID1050X (1050.60.14.14B.4)
19) Fab9Tuning Turbo Kit with EFR6758-F(v), Aluminum Bearing Housing; Exhaust Manifold; All Piping/clamps; Treadstone Bar and plate, offset turbulator Intercooler (10.5x18x3.5 core)
20) Battery Relocation Kit with XS Power Compact AGM battery (S680), 13.7 lbs intercooler
21) Turbosmart IWG75 (Twin Port) EFR Wastegate Actuator (TS-0620-1143)
22) Thermal Zero EFR B1 Size Turbo Blanket (TZEFRB1-L)
23) “Super Tough Nylon” (Delrin) Door Bushings
24) Supertech 5.5mm Viton Valve Seals (VSI-05.5E-8)
25) BorgWarner EFR Speed Sensor Kit (179430)
26) Supertech Forged Pistons (~9.5 CR) 21mm Small End – 291gms (P4-DU875-N6)
27) Supertech 21mm Wrist Pins with 2 Wire Locks (91gms)
28) NPR Piston Rings 87.5 Bore, 21gms (21-GNH08750)
29) King Racing Crankshaft/Main Bearings STD (MB5442XP STDX)
30) King Racing Rod Bearings STD (CR4604XP STDX)
31) Denso Extended Range MAF Sensor
32) Fab9Tuning Oil Cooling Kit with Setrab Proline 6-Series 25 Row Oil Coiler (50-625-7612) and Setrab Sandwich Adapter (19-SPT76-34-180-22)
33) Zeitronix Flex Fuel Integration Kit for ECUTEK
34) Turbosmart eBoost2 Electronic Boost Controller with 4 Port Solenoid (TS-0301-1103)
35) Wilwood 140-12907-DR Forged Narrow Superlite 6R Big Front Brake Kit with 2 Piece 12.88” Slotted, Drilled, Curved Vane Rotors and 6 Piston Calipers
36) Wilwood 140-15034-DR Narrow Dynapro Radial Big Rear Brake Kit with 2 Piece 12.88” Slotted, Drilled, Curved Vane Rotors and 4 Piston Calipers
37) Carbotech Brake Pads Front (CTWM-7416-XP10) Rear (CTW-7812-XP10)
38) ARP Engine Main Studs (218-5402)
39) ARP Engine Head Studs (218-3702)
40) Turbosmart Oil Pressure Regulator OPRt40 with -4N Ports (TS-0801-1002)
41) Wilwood Brake Proportioning Valve (260-8419)
42) Ford/Motorcraft Full Synthetic Manual Transmission Fluid (XT-M5-QS)
43) Castrol SRF Racing Brake/Clutch Fluid (12512)
Hmm. I need to update my profile to include a location. It's Dingmans Ferry/Milford PA. I am willing to take the car as far as 750 miles to have to work done. I was hoping the same shop might be able to do the tunes too but it seems like good tuning shops don't want to do the mechanical work much anymore or they outsource it at a premium.
I made the list myself. Any thoughts on it? I know the mid-pipe cat is a bit odd (but when I added EFI during my 1967 Thunderbird restoration, I added cats to the dual exhaust)
While this is my first Miata, not even my first Mazda, it is not my first car project. I am usually more into restorations or light restomodding and usually do a lot of it myself. My most recent full restoration is a 1967 Thunderbird 4 door which I fully restored but converted to EFI and a bit more wizardry. I currently have 5 car projects underway...the newest vehicle is the Miata, the oldest is a 1952 Studebaker and the most interesting is probably a 1967 Mercedes 250SL.
Are you staying 2.0 or moving up to 2.5?
Most serious builds start with a 2.5l swap first.
If you're really looking for serious power this would be the first step for me.
Nice list of active projects.
Is that Mercedes a "lift to shift" transmission. Always fun to watch a newbie driving one of those for the first time...
"It won't shift out of first" Help Me!
I very briefly considered swapping the engine, first for a V8 and then a 2.5. But frankly, I have a philosophical problem with engine swaps, actually many guys have the same one. In my head, if I change the block to a block it could not have had, it's not the same car. On the other hand, I can do anything to the engine I want and as long as the core (block) is legitimate for the car, it's okay...so I can change crank, pistons, rods, use turbocharger, supercharger, etc. and I won't feel like I'm "cheating" or violating the rules of the game. Obviously lots of guys don't feel this way and it is primarily and emotional rationale...but this has affected how I have made decisions regarding other cars. The '67 Mercedes 250sl has a 2.5 liter engine in it...I could have replaced it with the 2.8 liter engine of the 280sl that came out the next year but instead I had the engine bored and stroked, custom crank etc. bumping it up to about 3.1 liters (using modern components) at significant cost but I feel I have a modified 1967 Mercedes 250SL not a model or something from an historical point of view that never existed.
Having said that, I looked at a crank to achieve greater displacement through greater stroke...it would have required me to change up the pistons and the rods from the ones I already got. As I'm sure many guys know, on many engine you can increase the stroke somewhat with a changed crank and adjustments to ring and pin placement as well as rod length. I also wanted to keep the 21mm pins as part of keeping the engine components super light. In the end, discomfort over heaver parts, lower rpm (from longer stroke), sufficient deck height and a feeling that maybe I was getting too complicated with the build caused me to settle on the stock crank, new rods, new pistons with a revised CR, new valve springs and new cams, better oil pump and larger oil cooler.
My Mercedes, like most SL's of this era in the US, was an automatic with a "viscous fluid coupling"...the important part is that it was very old school and had no stator and was not torque multiplying. The best performance you could get on an SL of that era in theory was a ZF 5 speed starting in 1968 but these are like hens teeth, only available in Europe and only 882 were made, so pretty much no cars had it. So...I have a very unique custom 6 speed transmission that was made in Poland for the W113 chassis (230SL, 250SL, 280SL) from a BMW donor that is going in the car - it's still in the crate!
I forgot to mention that I also have an RX-8 Yellow dot bar for the front.
1) Recommendations for the lightest, reliable expansion tank...maybe trying to stick with plastic?
2) The intercooler I have seems extremely well made but it seems kind of heavy to me. I also don't know if it's fins are optimal for cooling. The core is 17.5" x 9.75" x 3.5" and the inlet and outlet OD's are 2.5". It says "Treadstone".
That is a good IC if it fits your sizing needs. Tapered end tanks, bar and plate, might even have a baffle. Treadstone is a premium brand.
Edit: mass in the IC isn't all bad BTW. The thermal mass can provide higher efficiency for short durations. A car that is expected to see long durations in boost may benefit from a lighter tube and fin style. On a primarily street drive car I think bar and plate is preferable.
Also, I was thinking about bracing and have read an awful lot here and in other forums about this topic.
Anybody know of options/solutions that use 7075 aluminum and as light as possible?
For tower bracing, best design discussion is interesting...some say cross tower isn't useful, need to tie into the firewall, others say...no. cross tower is most important. Also, a single welded piece desirable and to avoid multiple links while others say that is not important. Still others say don't waste your time or your money. Ditto for bracing under the car. Whatever I get, I would like 7075 aluminum, I think. I am not concerned to much with value but I do care about improvement vs weight cost.
10-20-2022, 07:12 PM
I'm Taking the Plunge!
3
