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New to Miatas, new to cars.
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Hello!
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447183886 I picked up a 1997 Miata that's in brilliant condition (all things considered) here not too long ago as a learning tool and a bit of a toy. 81k miles, and paint is in OK condition, but there wasn't any rust on the vehicle that I could find which blew my mind a bit. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447183886 Interior is in like new condition, no tears or damage to the leather, and the plastics on the dash were all like new. Single owner Miata, the dude really loved his car. The car is mostly stock with Aftermarket "American Racing" wheels and a "Racing beat" exhaust kit that starts about half ways beneath the car. It sounds nice, but I'm not sure it affects performance at all...... https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447183886 I'm not well versed with the details of building a car at all, so I'm sure I'll make plenty of mistakes and make an idiot out of myself plenty of times. I've been lurking here for about six months, I'm sure it will be another 12 months before I touch the engine of the car, outside of maybe a cold air intake. Cars are also at the moment taking a bit of the backseat to my other hobby, cycling. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447183886 I'm looking to eventually get the car up to around 200 whp, while retaining a mostly stock look. Thanks for looking! I'll try to keep the cheeky scrub questions to a minimum. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447183886 1997 Miata No panel rust on an 18 year old car? Whaaat? Shitty image of the back of my car. Can't see the exhaust but whatever it's artsy. And they said Miata's weren't practical..... |
Hello. For what reason 200whp?
Stock is pretty damn reliable. |
Originally Posted by psyber_0ptix
(Post 1282468)
Hello. For what reason 200whp?
Stock is pretty damn reliable. The only complaint I have with the car, is that it's just a bit pokey. It's brilliantly quick around corners, but I keep wishing there was a bit more oomph. 200whp seems like it would be where the car becomes "fun", without being outrageous, but mostly it's an arbitrary number. I'd really like to car to be as reliable as it is currently, and if I can achieve 200whp and retain the reliability of the car I'd be stoked. At this point in time, getting into replacing parts to support anything more than that would get a bit iffy for my skill level. My eventual end goal for the vehicle is a clean looking roadster that's nice and quick, I'm not looking for a track monster. It looks like a supercharger is what I'm looking for, as I'm kinda liking the idea of a more even power band. That's all down the road. Brakes, then suspension, then power, unless I get a killer deal in there somewhere. |
Originally Posted by psyber_0ptix
(Post 1282468)
Hello. For what reason 200whp?
Stock is pretty damn reliable. |
I love seeing a newbie to the Miata community entering the way I did, via a clean, relatively unmolested NA.
And yet, pain, as I realize that the days of this are numbered. The earliest of the NAs is now older than my '71 Beetle was when I bought it. |
clean car, modest goals, good intro
welcome |
Thanks for joining, dickamusmaxamus!
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Originally Posted by Joe Perez
(Post 1282630)
I love seeing a newbie to the Miata community entering the way I did, via a clean, relatively unmolested NA.
And yet, pain, as I realize that the days of this are numbered. The earliest of the NAs is now older than my '71 Beetle was when I bought it. |
Originally Posted by Joe Perez
(Post 1282630)
I love seeing a newbie to the Miata community entering the way I did, via a clean, relatively unmolested NA.
The mod list is pretty short, lower it just a bit, boost the HP a bit, little things here and there, but I was lucky I got to start out with such a clean example of an 18 year old car. I have the previous owner to thank for that for sure. |
Originally Posted by 18psi
(Post 1282639)
clean car, modest goals, good intro
welcome |
https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Whee...7&autoModClar=
Found the wheels. Pretty light for what they are. I like the look, so I think they're going to stay. Power Pulse Sport Exhaust System for 96-97 Miata - Racing Beat That's the exhaust. Looks good, sounds good, not sure it does anything for performance. It'll stay unless I decide to swap the exhaust for a full kit. Doesn't drone too terribly which is nice. |
Thats very heavy for a 14x6.
There are 15x11's lighter than that. |
Originally Posted by aidandj
(Post 1282702)
Thats very heavy for a 14x6.
There are 15x11's lighter than that. |
As a general rule, I wouldn't buy wheels from TireRack. Yes, I know they're a forum sponsor and I'm probably breaking IB policy here, but while I adore their tire selection, there just aren't a hell of a lot of wheels that work really well on the Miata, and most of the ones they carry are not optimal in terms of weight.
Basically, there are two wheel vendors I trust. 949 Racing only sells one wheel, and it's one that the owner, Emilio, designed himself. I know Emilio pretty well IRL, and he's a smart guy who combined actual track experience with a functional level of engineering knowledge. Like choosing the correct sticker to slap on your window, the 6UL wheel is one of those things that automatically adds +5HP and +2 street cred when installed on the car. Goodwin Racing is a reseller, and while not everything they stock is great, if it is great then they do stock it. Like Emilio, Brian Goodwin is a good dude, and also a racer. Be wary of the 14" wheel. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but the selection of good tires in 14" gets worse and worse every year. It's gotten to the point where 15" tires are starting to not be made in certain compounds as well, though in general, something in the vicinity of 15x7 is still kind of a sweet-spot for a stockish Miata. Just out of curiosity, how many cats do you own? |
FYI Kosei K4R is sold on tirerack, comes in 15x8 and is very light (12.1lbs) and reasonably priced.
You end up saving a not insignificant amount of money when buying tires and wheels mounted and balanced for free. |
Originally Posted by dcamp2
(Post 1282767)
FYI Kosei K4R is sold on tirerack, comes in 15x8 and is very light (12.1lbs) and reasonably priced.
They just have a very low SNR, and shouldn't be counted on to give good advice to someone not well-versed in tire and wheel fitment on the Miata. |
Thanks for the heads up on the 14" wheel, that's something I was definitely not aware of. I was thinking of replacing the wheels anyways, as they look too narrow for my taste from the rear. I'm loving those Kosei K4R's, the price isn't bad and the width looks much better than what I'm rocking currently. I wish they had a bit more chrome as I think it would match the door handles a bit better. Definitely something I'll consider.
Along with the wheels probably going, I'm thinking that suspension is going to be one of the first things to go. As I mentioned in my original post, I'm not looking to slam this car to the ground, but I would like the ride to be a bit lower. Ideally, I'm looking for a stock experience, just lower... if that's a real thing... I see a lot of contradicting info posted here about putting lowering springs on stock shocks, which is a bummer seeing that the Tein lowering springs for the Miata appear to a pretty cheap first mod. I'm not sure I want to go full coilovers, because I want to retain ride quality, but I definitely don't want to buy springs if I'm going to destroy my shocks. I'm definitely open to recommendations in that department. I see a lot of talk about the megasquirt ECU system for a replacement ECU, being a computer guy this might be the part I'm most excited about. I'm starting to dick around with a script that would automatically log my rides, and upload them to one of my home servers when I get with range of my home's wifi so I can view them from my desktop. There isn't too much point in touching on power, as that's down the road unless something falls in my lap, but I'm thinking that a supercharger would be more satisfying in a little car, as there's more power across the the rev range. That's all I really know about it at the moment, and if I'm paying retail it will be a year of learning before I even consider pulling the trigger. Ideally (I'm finding that I'm saying that a lot) I'd like to have the aftermarket ECU in place for a decent period of time, so I can get a feel for what the car's numbers looks like stock, before I start dropping cash on the engine. Oh and the top has to get replaced, because there's a tear in the window, and the zipper pull is broken, which makes it a real PITA to open and close. Thinking I'm going with a glass replacement for the window, that might happen pretty quick here cause those appear to be surprisingly cheap. If anybody has suggestions for building a clean stockish looking Miata me please let me know. I definitely appreciate the effort you guys put into your posts, and the warm welcome I've received on this forum. |
Originally Posted by dickamusmaxamus
(Post 1282789)
I'm not sure I want to go full coilovers, because I want to retain ride quality, but I definitely don't want to buy springs if I'm going to destroy my shocks.
The reason is that Miatas don't have a lot of free suspension travel. On the stock suspension, you wind up spending a lot of time on the bump-stops, and stock 20 year old bumpstops are about as compliant as a liberal in a police investigation. As you lower the car even slightly, you wind up hitting the bump stops even harder and more frequently. Stiffening the springs softens the ride. It does this by actually allowing the springs to do their job, and keep you off of the bump stops in the first place. As an added benefit, aftermarket coilover packages (the good ones, anyway) typically use shock bodies which are slightly shorter than stock (more free travel), bumpstops which are considerably shorter and more progressive than stock (more free travel and less-harsh engagement when you do hot the stop), and on the really good ones, upper mounts which provide even more free travel yet. The worst thing you can do for ride quality is to lower the car without stiffening the springs and dampers to match. A well-built coilover package is capable of providing a lower static ride height, more suspension travel, better handling, AND a more comfortable ride on the street. |
Cutting springs is the best way to get lower. And you really don't loose any ride comfort at all. Just make sure to do it correctly.
Don't use a torch. Heat is a springs worst enemy. http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticl...a-hacksaw.aspx |
Haggard AF
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Originally Posted by aidandj
(Post 1282794)
Cutting springs is the best way to get lower. And you really don't loose any ride comfort at all. Just make sure to do it correctly.
Don't use a torch. Heat is a springs worst enemy. FrankenMiata - Handling with a Hacksaw > MotoIQ - Automotive Tech, Project Cars, Performance & Motorsports |
Originally Posted by Joe Perez
(Post 1282792)
Miatas can seem a tad counterintuitive in this regard, but all else being equal, installing stiffer springs and dampers will actually improve ride quality, especially on an NA.
The reason is that Miatas don't have a lot of free suspension travel. On the stock suspension, you wind up spending a lot of time on the bump-stops, and stock 20 year old bumpstops are about as compliant as a liberal in a police investigation. As you lower the car even slightly, you wind up hitting the bump stops even harder and more frequently. Stiffening the springs softens the ride. It does this by actually allowing the springs to do their job, and keep you off of the bump stops in the first place. As an added benefit, aftermarket coilover packages (the good ones, anyway) typically use shock bodies which are slightly shorter than stock (more free travel), bumpstops which are considerably shorter and more progressive than stock (more free travel and less-harsh engagement when you do hot the stop), and on the really good ones, upper mounts which provide even more free travel yet. The worst thing you can do for ride quality is to lower the car without stiffening the springs and dampers to match. A well-built coilover package is capable of providing a lower static ride height, more suspension travel, better handling, AND a more comfortable ride on the street. OK, well that is some great info. I was originally looking at Tein products, after a friend recommended them for great value for their quality, something like: |
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Couple more shitty cellphone pics for those that are interested.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291435 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291435 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291435 The interior is in very good condition overall. The leather shows signs of wear, but it's very slight for what I would expect out of a vehicle that has 80k miles. As mentioned before, no signs of wear in the dash, and everything works! I did replace the stereo (it was already aftermarket) for one that was newer, and was black to match the rest of what was going on there. I'm planning on sticking a Nexus 7 in place of the head unit, and hiding the head unit somewhere else. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291435 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291435 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291435 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291435 The damage may be hard to see given the quality of my shit ass phone, but there are places on the trunk where it appears that paint was slapped on with little care, slopping over the trim etc. On the hood, there are the typical rock dings, about 20 of them, but each one was filled with paint to prevent rust. The gas cap is dented, it appears that something was left on the cap before the cap was closed.... https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291435 wohoooo stock engine shot. |
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Couple more shitty cellphone pics for those that are interested.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291450 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291450 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291450 The interior is in very good condition overall. The leather shows signs of wear, but it's very slight for what I would expect out of a vehicle that has 80k miles. As mentioned before, no signs of wear in the dash, and everything works! I did replace the stereo (it was already aftermarket) for one that was newer, and was black to match the rest of what was going on there. I'm planning on sticking a Nexus 7 in place of the head unit, and hiding the head unit somewhere else. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291450 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291450 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291450 https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291450 The damage may be hard to see given the quality of my shit ass phone, but there are places on the trunk where it appears that paint was slapped on with little care, slopping over the trim etc. On the hood, there are the typical rock dings, about 20 of them, but each one was filled with paint to prevent rust. The gas cap is dented, it appears that something was left on the cap before the cap was closed.... https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1447291450 wohoooo stock engine shot. |
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Update on the car.
Got into a wreck in early January, young girl who just got her licence took a super late left turn and I smoked her. Wasn't my fault, but insurance ultimately totaled the vehicle. Fortunately everyone was OK, but the car wasn't going to make it. I purchased the vehicle back from insurance, and sold it to a great local guy here in Sioux Falls. Fortunately the drivetrain was prefect, so he was able to make the best out of a bad situation by bringing a sick little BRG back to life with my old cars engine. |
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But the story isn't over yet!
The gentleman I sold my car to helped me find a new car! He was(is) very in touch with the local Miata community, and hooked me up with a guy who was looking to offload a '92 that has a pretty nifty turbo setup. It's running a T-3 60 Trim Garret (don't know too much about it) and a LINK ECU on the 1.6 with stock internals. When last dyno'd it put 190 to the wheels at 12lbs of boost, but it seems to go up to 14 pounds. It's got various extra bracing, some sweet Fast and the Furious pillar pods, and an AFR sensor.... that displays bars instead of numbers....:facepalm: I'm in the process of being nice to it this summer while I save up the cash to rebuild everything over this winter. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1464813645 New wheels.... https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1464813645 Went with 15x7 Storms. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1464813645 Plan for this car, is doing the 1.8 swap with forged rods (and potentially pistons), MS3 ECU, and potentially a newer, less laggy turbo setup. Hoping to hit roughly 250 to the wheel when it's all said and done. Being nice to it for the summer, then tearing it all apart this winter. |
Nice turn around...
Get ready to take all of that turdo stuff & link ecu off :giggle: |
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To be honest it was probably for the best... I did really well with the insurance company, and I was awarded enough cash to pay for my new car, AND most of my race bike for this season. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1464813826
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mm nice bike
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Originally Posted by Girz0r
(Post 1335847)
Nice turn around...
Get ready to take all of that turdo stuff & link ecu off :giggle: These are some of the specs, I can't find the image I had that had the full list. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1464813980 |
I love my Venge
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Originally Posted by 18psi
(Post 1335849)
mm nice bike
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So that's pretty much where I'm at. I've sourced a local engine, just need to pick it up, pull it apart, get it refreshed and rebuilt with the forged internals, then wait for the snow so I can pull it all apart and get the engine swapped.
I'm still trying to figure out what turbo kit I'd like to go with. Since I'm just looking for 250 to the wheel, I get some options, but I'll get there when I get there I suppose. I just really don't like waiting till 4ish grand for the boost to actually kick in. Feels very Fast and the Furious. |
Spending my money on "Look Good" instead of "Go Fast"
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Updates.
Intercooler bolt fell out on the interstate at 80, which got the intercooler dragging on the highway. After changing my pants, and cleaning the brown out of the driver seat, I realized I had flipped the belt on the AC, so instead of fixing the belt (which was cut in half due to the intercooler piping being so shit) I just cut the AC belt entirely. Local guy picked up a nasty blue Miata from the Colorado area, and was willing to part with the hardtop at a very modest price. There's damage to the hardtop, but it's nothing that isn't fixable. Fortunately I have access to a nice little paint/machine shop, so next weekend myself and my sisters husband will be getting everything fixed up, and painted black. |
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