Newbiata

Located in Bellevue, just purchased my first Miata about two months ago and have been lurking here for the past year or so. So far I'm planning a restomod path, and forced induction later on. So far I've replaced the suspension with Koni Str.t's in the front and back. This car is great and every Miata owner I've met is incredibly friendly and talkative! 1994 classic red, with ABS, 128k miles, and I believe it has the Torsen LSD. Looking forward to posting here more often and meeting everyone!

Artifex

Welcome welcome!

Post up some pictures, we'd love to see them.

How do you like the Str.t's? I just replaced my OEM shocks with KYB Excel G's. I was considering the Str.t's but went with the KYB's instead.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Ya'all both messing up. Bilsteins are the only answer for oem shock replacement.

Artifex

Yeah, but I couldn't get billy's at $46 per shock. The KYB's ride wayyy better than my blown OEM shocks. I read that they last a good while, too. I recently bought some FM springs off here so now it's time to save for Koni yellows.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

That's a lot of terrible decisions to make in one post. I am impressed!

albumleaf

iTrader: (7)

Keep making awful incremental upgrades until you end up with Fatcats and seppuku.

Artifex

Care to elaborate? I needed to replace my oem shocks. I searched the stock replacement options within the price range I set. I rigorously researched each option and decided on the KYB's since people had better things to say about them as opposed to AGX, STR.T, Bilstein HDs etc.
I don't autocross, nor do I track the car. I don't need upgraded suspension.

and to clarify the possible confusion, I'm not running FM springs with KYB shocks. I'm still on stock springs. I understand the shocks can't handle the spring rate. I got the FM springs for a good deal and I'm storing them until next summer when I can afford "upgraded" shocks.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Not one person in history has had anything better to say about GR2s than Bilsteins, ever.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

STR-T and AGX are not junk


........said no one ever

the only thing worse, are the bottom barrel china shocks that make no effort to even disguise themselves are something of quality

Artifex

Maybe I misspoke (mistyped?), I didn't mean to compare the Bilsteins to the Excel G's as they are twice the price and were out of my price range at the time. I would have gone with the Bilsteins or Koni yellows originally but I needed replacement shocks sooner rather than later.

Anyway, apologies for the thread-jack, OP. Welcome to the forum.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

If a quality part is twice what you can afford, save twice as long. Voila!

18psi

iTrader: (76)

but do they even rub on your FUCA?

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

You can rub my FUPA any day big boi.

Artifex

I get that, I really do. Which is why I saved for an MS3 instead of getting an MS2.

As I said, I needed to replace my shocks and couldn't afford a more performance oriented set. There was no dampening left in the stockers, I was practically riding on the springs alone. I wasn't looking for 'better' shocks, only OEM equivalent. Therefore, Sensens, Excel G (Gr2), STR.T, and AGX were what I was looking at. I read that AGX are trash and STR.T were up there (down there?) too. That left Sensens and Excel G. I wound up going with the Excel G's for OEM replacement because they fit my budget and people praised the OEM feel and reliability.

I understand you guys hate because you love, but maybe not in a thread where we welcome someone new?

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

I was going to point out the Megasquirt that you bought, but it seems you already understand the irony.

AGX > GR2. The point i'm making is that there isn't any real reliability issue from riding on blown shocks while you save the extra hundo or two to get quality shocks that will outlive the rest of your car.

Yellows are pretty universally reviled as well. The only place they really have (and most people aren't using them now anyway) is in Street class autox where the horrible "jacking down" characteristics of them is useful to get you on bumpstops as quickly as possible to bring your wheel rate into race car territory, just without any of the control that an actual decent shock offers.

This is the perfect thread to spread love!

Artifex

Yep, I understand the irony. the Idea was to refresh the suspension to hold me over while I slowly save up for quality turbo bits. Slowly as in 1-2 years. I'm coming up on my junior year of my EE degree so I won't have money/time for Miata things, unfortunately. I found the FM springs so now it looks like I'll be upgrading suspension before turbo instead of after.

Thanks for the insight on the yellows, I really appreciate it. I was pretty set on getting yellows but now I'll start searching around at other options to go with the FM springs.

Artifex

The thought of driving my car with 4 blown shocks for another 4-5 months to save for proper upgraded shocks makes me cringe.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Imo sell the springs. Spend some time in the Budget Bilstein thread.

Artifex

Appreciate the advice, headed there now.

matrussell122

iTrader: (1)

If I were to do it all over again I would get a ms3 and keep it NON TURBO until I did everything else I wanted like suspension, brakes, saftey stuff, and mild aero. Then after all that I would do a k swap or if I stayed bp do a full 1.8 vvt build with proven parts