From Trans-am to Miata
11-19-2012, 01:45 PM
#1
Newb
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
Posts: 2
Total Cats: 0
From Trans-am to Miata
Hey everyone,
I've been reading here time to time in the past few months of my Miata ownership for knowledge here and there, and I've finally decided to join.
I think I need the help
I'm used to third gen F-body stuff, Trans-am and Iroc-z suspension builds are fun... But a turbo miata is better
Unfortunately, my crank pulley fell off on the highway a few weeks ago, so I've been looking around (and saving money) for another pulley. Hopefully I'll be back on the road soon!
After that I have a lot of work to do with it. I really would like to get the suspension stupid tight (nice roads where I drive, Mission Viejo. No potholes!). I'd like to do a 1.8 swap (I have a '92), and do the turbo kit the right way, from scratch. PO had a godspeed kit installed, I was a . I'll keep it anyway just in case I want to scrap a 1.6 with it one day... 
Kit has served well though. Became very paranoid after I read about a lot of the exhaust manifolds cracking, but mine has held well (I don't drive TOO crazy... >_>)
All in all, I hope through this board I can get the knowledge I need (through search first!), the parts I need (through the parts section... I guess), and some friends along the way.
Cheers
I've been reading here time to time in the past few months of my Miata ownership for knowledge here and there, and I've finally decided to join.
I think I need the help
I'm used to third gen F-body stuff, Trans-am and Iroc-z suspension builds are fun... But a turbo miata is better
Unfortunately, my crank pulley fell off on the highway a few weeks ago, so I've been looking around (and saving money) for another pulley. Hopefully I'll be back on the road soon!
After that I have a lot of work to do with it. I really would like to get the suspension stupid tight (nice roads where I drive, Mission Viejo. No potholes!). I'd like to do a 1.8 swap (I have a '92), and do the turbo kit the right way, from scratch. PO had a godspeed kit installed, I was a
. I'll keep it anyway just in case I want to scrap a 1.6 with it one day... Kit has served well though. Became very paranoid after I read about a lot of the exhaust manifolds cracking, but mine has held well (I don't drive TOO crazy... >_>)
All in all, I hope through this board I can get the knowledge I need (through search first!), the parts I need (through the parts section... I guess), and some friends along the way.
Cheers
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11-19-2012, 01:48 PM
#2
Slowest Progress Ever
iTrader: (26)
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: The coal ridden hills of Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,022
Total Cats: 304
Funny thing is I went from a Trans Am GTA to my Miata. My GTA was pretty built, but my tiny turbo'd Miata would crap all over it and it gets twice the fuel mileage.
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11-19-2012, 01:54 PM
#3
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
Posts: 2
Total Cats: 0
Exactly! Nice to see more GTA guys out there hah... I still have my '88. I got 12-13mpg with it around town. Supercharged with an old Paxton SN93, fuel pump, ECU, suspension all around, etc. About 8k in the car.... I thought mid 13's felt hard in the T/A, until in the Miata I saw the needle hit 10psi, followed by the clutch slipping in second which was scary. 8) . Been addicted to the silly little car ever since... Makes the T/A seem like a waste of money... a heavy waste. Still fun though!
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11-19-2012, 02:46 PM
#4
Boost Pope
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,020
Total Cats: 6,588
Welcome aboard, Jake.
Funny story: My only first-hand exposure to the F-body world, apart from one 1977 model, comes from a former co-worker of mine who practically has a bow-tie tattooed on his forehead. Apart from the El Camino, the '74 Caprice Convertible, and the two Cadillacs, his pride and joy is a 1982 Z28 which is, shall we say, not stock. The car looks like complete dogshit on the outside, but despite the presence of a funny carburetor-shaped thing on the top of the engine and a complete absence of forced-induction, is shockingly fast.
One day, he happened to be riding in my car as we were going to lunch, and I took one particular corner as I often do, hard on the throttle in second gear with the tail-end rotating out noticeably. He turned to me and asked "Is this thing rear wheel drive?"
Uh, yeah Robert. That's why there's this huge space between the two of us which is oddly transmission-and-driveshaft-shaped overall. Robert was a brilliant engineer, but from his point of view, all Japanese cars are a 1975 Honda Civic.
To be fair, I also once had to run out and stop the technician at a smog-check station in Ohio after he rolled my car up onto the dyno with the front wheels on the roller and the rears sitting on dry pavement. That would have been ugly.
Funny story: My only first-hand exposure to the F-body world, apart from one 1977 model, comes from a former co-worker of mine who practically has a bow-tie tattooed on his forehead. Apart from the El Camino, the '74 Caprice Convertible, and the two Cadillacs, his pride and joy is a 1982 Z28 which is, shall we say, not stock. The car looks like complete dogshit on the outside, but despite the presence of a funny carburetor-shaped thing on the top of the engine and a complete absence of forced-induction, is shockingly fast.
One day, he happened to be riding in my car as we were going to lunch, and I took one particular corner as I often do, hard on the throttle in second gear with the tail-end rotating out noticeably. He turned to me and asked "Is this thing rear wheel drive?"
Uh, yeah Robert. That's why there's this huge space between the two of us which is oddly transmission-and-driveshaft-shaped overall. Robert was a brilliant engineer, but from his point of view, all Japanese cars are a 1975 Honda Civic.
To be fair, I also once had to run out and stop the technician at a smog-check station in Ohio after he rolled my car up onto the dyno with the front wheels on the roller and the rears sitting on dry pavement. That would have been ugly.
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11-20-2012, 12:58 PM
#9
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southcoast, MA
Posts: 47
Total Cats: 1
WOW! I didn't know there were this many folks here with third gen love. This SO wasn't the thread I was expecting.
Congrats on getting a turbo Miata. They're a blast to drive and the handling is superb.
I also own an '88 T/A and recently finished up my turbo miata. I love both cars for different reasons, but its hard to choose which will be driven on any given day! Both vehicles get tracked and while they're strong in different areas, they're still a blast to drive. The Miata gets WAY better gas mileage and is faster (as thirdgen mentioned), but the T/A will yield you A LOT of attention and thumbs up on the road and on the track.
Here's a few shots of some auto-x action of my mostly resto'd Trans Am for nostalgias sake:
(reeling it pack in after the pendulum started to swing)
Slalom.
Congrats on getting a turbo Miata. They're a blast to drive and the handling is superb.
I also own an '88 T/A and recently finished up my turbo miata. I love both cars for different reasons, but its hard to choose which will be driven on any given day! Both vehicles get tracked and while they're strong in different areas, they're still a blast to drive. The Miata gets WAY better gas mileage and is faster (as thirdgen mentioned), but the T/A will yield you A LOT of attention and thumbs up on the road and on the track.
Here's a few shots of some auto-x action of my mostly resto'd Trans Am for nostalgias sake:
(reeling it pack in after the pendulum started to swing)
Slalom.
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