should i buy this turbo'd miata?
 

i've owned 3 miatas but never a turbocharged one...i drove it around and loved it...the alignment is off a bit and theres rust on it...i took some videos, im just wondering what to look for in a turbocharged car, this will be my daily driver/only car so i need it to be reliable. we're meeting up again tomorrow, and its fairly cheap however its all the money i have to spend on a car as well. thanks.
tried to embed the videos but they showed up as white for some reason...

theres a 2 step system in it for WOT shifting and a computer plug behind the seat to tune it lol, i know i sound like a total noob but this is my first turbo car so be nice with the comments, i know my way around a stock miata really well...

Welcome, turbonoob. Check out the Miata Gallery and post up some pics!

It's difficult to identify anything as to what he has in the car, but what I saw looked promising. COPs plus a proper heatshield on the turbo is a good indicator. From what I heard he's got a nicely setup BOV as well.

What ECU does it run?

[Buzz Killington mode]
If buying this car will leave you without a significant cash ($1k - $2k) reserve dedicated to future repairs, you should not buy it. I would argue not buying any non-OEM turbo car as an only vehicle.
[/Buzz Killington mode]

He keeps his hand on the shifter when it doesn't need to be there, I don't like him.

He could be a decedent of God arm from initial D :bowrofl:

Getting back on subject I would agree with scrappy as you never know what can happen to any vehicle. Especially with turbos this possibility will increase two fold if not more. I guess if you are close to work spend the extra money on a bicycle just in case you have tuning issues or something blows

Still what ecu is he running?

AEM ecu is what he says it is.

Why are you just wearing socks? Sleepover at the guy's house?

Buying an already modified car is a tough subject. I personally know everything I've done to my car, have it well documented, receipts, etc etc, but it still has it's issues. Anything and everything could go wrong tomorrow or it could have no issues for years.

If you know your way around a stock miata pretty well, then start learning how to turbo it. Its not rocket science and even an idiot like failflora can throw parts at one. Just do some research and do it right the first time.

Don't get sloppy seconds unless you feel completely comfortable about it. Looking at that guy, I'm not too comfortable about it. lol

lol i was wearing slippers, we had just pulled out of my driveway...and yeah i mean i drove the car and it drove beautifully, idle fluctuated a tiny bit but not enough for me to really care, just figured it was because it was turbo'd. he only wants 3k for the car. not too bad considering it DOES have at least 5k under the hood.

the setup is quite nice...nothing like the shanghai half ass one I have.

I say buy the car. put the kit on a nicer miata and sell this rust bucket.

anyone notice that in high RPM the acceleration does not sound linear or smooth?

Compression test it! Something about $3k for that car worries me.

in his defense the road was rough and short so we couldnt really push it, when i drove the car i listened for any weird noises or issues and couldnt find any. the alignment is off and the idle fluctuates a tiny bit. it cranks for like a second or two before it starts but other than that it ran beautifully.

less than 3000 buy buy buy

I didnt see what year but if u dont have money for repairs on a 3k car you shouldnt be getting a turbo car at all.

dont hate cuz im broke lol. not all of us are that fortunate, i love miatas and it'd be awesome to own a turbo one. id have more cash to drop on one if i sold all my other aftermarket goodies. i got a hardtop, r package lips, mud guards, shorty antenna, rota slips, and a few other random parts that im holding onto. just looking for the right miata to put em on. and its a 94. torsen LSD

Well everything looks good. If hes willing to take it to a shop to get it compression/leak down tested (out of your own pocket not his) i'd do that. Otherwise everything that comes on the car is DEFINITELY worth more than 3k.

It's not "hate," it's good advice from people who have "been there, made that mistake, couldn't afford the t-shirt souvenir." Not every one can afford everything they want at any given moment in time.

I would recommend waiting for a nice, clean naturally aspirated car that you can put those parts on and build up over time or drive around while you save up some "emergency reserves" and pick up some one's project later.



Buuuut, you asked for advice and are then disregarding most of it so it sounds like you have a decision made in your mind, so just go for it. :)

As Jack said a clean NA is a great start however you'll end up spending more, on the other hand that turbo up there could be a very reliable car just like the seller says or it could be a ticking time bomb (but so could be an NA that has been abused)... You just don't know.

Reality is his upgrade path looks like it's by some one that knows what they are doing. That's all i could say. You could always unhook the wastegate from the turbo until you make some greenies (backup money) so you don't create boost (extra load).

Thanks everyone I bought the car for 2650. Changed the oil and replaced a lower ball joint/alignment and the car runs beautifully. I drive the piss out of it everyday and it puts a huge smile on my face. I do think the u joints are going out on it but that's a fairly cheap fix. There's a very very small oil leak (a drop every other day) and the heater core is gone. Leaks coolant with the heat on but doesnt leak at all with the heat off. I stitched the zipper for the glass window back up myself and I'm very happy with my purchase. Runs kinda rich but I don't wanna mess with the tune to be honest. Gonna get some ngk plugs tomorrow and try to get new ujoints/driveshaft sometime within the next couple weeks. The shifter is stupid loose on it but it doesn't pop out of gear at all. Maybe a 6 speed swap sometime in the fall? :) new quarter panels are only 125 each and 200 bucks in labor/paint. It even came with a spare set of shocks in the trunk lol. I'm stoked I'm loving my first turbo miata.

Oh and I dropped my hardtop yesterday carrying it up some stairs. Chipped a piece of fiber glass and shattered the back window. Super pissed about it but I figure I can make a lexan window and rivet it for that "rough track car" kinda look. Honestly the ecu alone was 1300 bucks. I basically got the car for free. The engine pulls hard. Supposedly it was put in about 3 months ago.

you don't need a new trans you need THIS Trackspeed has an aluminum one HERE also.

Sounds like you got a geat deal congrats, man.

Saw all the ---- you got on your other thread. Honestly the car looks pretty slow, but who says that's a bad thing - less wear on the motor right? lol, but seriously what PSI is this thing running at?

REALLY sucks about the hardtop.. mine fell off the car and chipped the fiberglass but DIDN'T break the window thank god. I feel you on that one, i was so enraged when my goddamn HT hit the ground.

The drive shafts are "not rebuildable". You can rebuild them but its more of a fab type thing than a replacment thing. There are aftermarket ones for about $200.00.

Also just rebuild the shifter with OEM stuff. Ive tried two aluminum pivot bushings on two different cars and they never fit right. Just my experience..