Overdue Noob Intro from Greenville, SC
 

Hey ya'll,

It's about time I posted up here instead of continuing to lurk the forums. I'm Kyle, and I'm new to Miatas but not to cars. I've been working on and racing VWs for about 6 years. Finally got into a RWD this December when I scooped up a 95 tan leather package car (w/ factory Torsen) and all the power options for $1000. Just a bent control arm, ratty top, and damage to the door and fender. But otherwise a solid car w/ 110k on it. I'm building it with a few friends for the $2014 Grassroots Motorsports Challenge and we are going turbo!!! Naturally then this is the place to be. I've been amazed at how active the forums and classifieds are here compared to the other Miata sites (clubroadster, and miata.net) and I'm happy to be joining the community.

Anyways, I'll be looking to part out the interior and parts that don't belong on a "racecar" get help sourcing inexpensive components to get the turbo setup done in budget, and definitely for advice when search isn't giving me all the answers. Here are some pics of how she sits now

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1398407048

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1398407048

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1398407048

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1398407048

Linky to the build photostream on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/112365008@N08/

It definetly has my $1000 car beat.

Haha, thanks man! Whatcha working on? It's been lots of hard work and careful scrounging for cheap stuff to get it here. Wheels were $200 used with $300 for tires (first set is free for GRM). Cage was build from scrap yard tubing purchased at $0.50 a pound and I bent and welded it up in a buddy's garage. Total cost $35. It's amazing what you can do when you have literally zero budget!

Hey there. ;)

I'll see you down there for $2014.

Excellent! The more the merrier! Are you building a Miata too? Hows the project coming?

We've got a couple Miatas, but i'm bringing the MX6 again. :brain:

A few buddies and I went down there for the $2013 challenge to spectate and see if we really wanted to do it in 2014. I'm sure I may have seen you or your car down there as there were so many Miatas, lol! Where are you driving down from? Maybe we can get a good ol' fashioned cruise going

I didn't make it last year, i brought the car in $2012.

Driving down from Indianapolis. :) I probably won't ever bring a Miata to the Challenge.

This thing:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1398461132

Welcome to the site GRMiata, thanks for joining up!

Oh jeez!!! I promise to not say a word about the drive from SC. You sir deserve a beer for you dedication! Looks like you're getting a move on there too. How'd you finish up?

Glad to be here! I believe I have you to thank for some stickers. I just bought a clutch off of Blaen99 and he stipulated that I run MT decals to get away with that deal, lol! So a big thanks to you sir

Bad. 26th i think? Had some "minor" mechanical problems that included my turbo pretty much falling off, which explains the horrible and uncontrollable boost response the car had during autocross day.

Fixed it (mostly, still left half a gasket in there), smoked the clutch.

Found out later that the head gasket had been horribly blown for probably 4+ years at that point, was leaking oil into the combustion chamber (explains the 1qt every 300 miles habit it had), and my turbo was blown.

Looking for a top 10 finish this year and a 120mph+ (130mph would be nice) 1/4 mile trap speed. Car has a top 3 in it if i was ok with taking full advantage of the new tire rules, but as long as i keep running it on the tires i daily drive it on, it'll never do it. Should be around 2500lbs even and ~400whp this year. I'm actually putting it back together in the next couple weeks.

But that's why i don't need a beer. I've been daily driving it or almost 5 years now. Long distance is not a problem. :) :bowrofl:

That's rough, sorry to hear it! How do they account for you replacing worn out parts after you've already entered the car? Did you have to sell something off to do the head gasket? 400 whp?!?!?! What motor is in that thing? 120+ trap is absolutely booking it!

Worn out parts fall under "restoring car to condition when purchased for $900." I don't believe that the headgasket was blown when purchased, so i can replace under that clause. Even if not, head gaskets are about $12. Head gasket didn't seem to be causing much performance loss other than issues ingesting large amounts of oil. Was still pulling good compression numbers.

Stock motor and trans in the car. :bowrofl: $50 turbo. Stock ECU. Band-aid tuning for days.

Hmm, I did not know that. I was getting worried about how to do a timing belt in the future. It's fine for now but at 113k its only 7 away from service interval. So next year it will need it. I can't believe its running that much power through a stock trans with fueling/ignition band-aids for such a long period of time. Impressive to say the least.

You bought the car with an intact timing belt. As long as it doesn't fail DURING the competition and you replace it DURING the competition (ergo: you had two different timing belts on the car during the competition), you're just restoring the car back to as-purchased condition.

Yes, it can be a slippery slope, the idea is to just not abuse it. It's not a problem with most cars, but there's a couple of us nutjobs who daily drive our cars and we try not to spoil it for anyone else as crazy. :)

I'll show you what a 25 year old stock motor/trans feels like in an old Mazda when you get to the hotel this year. :brain: I love these motors. They're so bad, but so good.

I'm still a bit confused. I don't see anything in the 2014 rules that talks about it so is this from your discussions with the Grassroots organizers or from past rule sets. Also why the stipulation of DURING the competition? If the car makes it through the competition with no issues wouldn't it also be ok to replace the belt afterwards? If it has to get done then I guess it's not problem but that weekend there are more pressing things like racing and drinking beer :rofl: I'd be down to come check out the car. Some stuff was just built to last. I'm still nursing and 86 GTI along. It made it to 25 before the original engine went.

There's been a few threads on the subject. The point is that if you buy a car with an intact timing belt for $500, and it snaps a year later, it's now worth a different amount because of the belt. Or you can put a new belt on it and voila, you have a $500 car with an intact timing belt again.

Of course, any modifications you do "while you're in there" (Gee! This would be a good time for some cams!) count against budget.


You can replace the belt AFTERWARDS at no cost, but if you do the repair to make it through the rest of the competition, say... if you didn't get to take your drag passes and you fix it in the parking lot, the replacement belt hits. Because the budget is what parts were on your car during the competition. You get hit for two timing belts, they were both on the car.


This was hashed out because i'm still not 100% trusting of my transmission holding long-term, so i'm going to bring a spare trans with me. If i blow the trans during the autocross, throw the spare in for the drags, i have to take the budget hit of the second trans. (FMV.)



TL;DR: Fix something during the off season that broke, but was not broken when you purchased the car: No hit. Replace a broken component during the competition, hits budget. (Though honestly, i highly doubt anyone is going to call you on something like a timing belt. Trans or engine? yes.)

Thanks Concealer! That make more sense when you explain it that way. Guess I'll have to pop in to the GRM forums and see whats what. It appears I have been away too long. Damn school work getting in the way and all, lol. Hopefully I can get the belt to hold through comp but there will be many miles racked up between now and then for road tuning when our MS arrives... so fingers crossed!!!

Give my regards to DiGiulio