: Greek NA build :: Begi-S powered trackday car :
07-05-2008, 12:27 PM
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: Greek NA build :: Begi-S powered trackday car :
Opening this build thread is a great opportunity to introduce myself, my car and also thank you for the great information in this forum. I have my 1991 miata for almost 2 years and the car went from almost stock when bought to a very capable track car. Here is a pic of the car when it came to my hands:
The car had stock brakes, suspension and just a KN filter in the stock airbox. I drove the car on the track and then I gradually made slight changes where the car wasn't really good. Some pics of the car through the years...
:
:
:
:
:
:
Right now the car has a Harddog Hardcore rollbar, a good seat and harness. The stock suspension which has seen better days was swaped for Tein Flex(stock 7kg/mm front - 6 kg/mm rear) and all the bushings changed with the SuperPro kit.
I have added FM frame rail braces and welded the door sills. Both changes together with the roll bar made a great difference in chassis stiffness.
I've used several sets of Hawk Blues but now run Carbotech XP10 front XP8 rear that seams to be much better(especially in street use were Hawk destroy the rotors).
The car normally runs 15x7 rims with 195/50 15 R-compound tires(Hankook Z211, Toyo R888, Silverstone FTZ-R, Yokohama A048). I've also tried 14x6 with 185/44 14 and 225/45 15 Kumho V70A in 15x7,5 that made think about emilio's 15x8 more and more.
The stock VLSD was changed for a Cusco clutch type unit.
(For all the above pics and some DIY/installation info, for those understanding greek, can be found here)
I was pretty happy with the way the car performed but the urge for more power was always there so I registered here and starting looking for information about the different kits/setups. I bought a Megasquirt PnP and had the car running for some months now and I got closer to selecting the best turbo for my use...
The car had stock brakes, suspension and just a KN filter in the stock airbox. I drove the car on the track and then I gradually made slight changes where the car wasn't really good. Some pics of the car through the years...
:
:
:
:
:
:
Right now the car has a Harddog Hardcore rollbar, a good seat and harness. The stock suspension which has seen better days was swaped for Tein Flex(stock 7kg/mm front - 6 kg/mm rear) and all the bushings changed with the SuperPro kit.
I have added FM frame rail braces and welded the door sills. Both changes together with the roll bar made a great difference in chassis stiffness.
I've used several sets of Hawk Blues but now run Carbotech XP10 front XP8 rear that seams to be much better(especially in street use were Hawk destroy the rotors).
The car normally runs 15x7 rims with 195/50 15 R-compound tires(Hankook Z211, Toyo R888, Silverstone FTZ-R, Yokohama A048). I've also tried 14x6 with 185/44 14 and 225/45 15 Kumho V70A in 15x7,5 that made think about emilio's 15x8 more and more.
The stock VLSD was changed for a Cusco clutch type unit.
(For all the above pics and some DIY/installation info, for those understanding greek, can be found here)
I was pretty happy with the way the car performed but the urge for more power was always there so I registered here and starting looking for information about the different kits/setups. I bought a Megasquirt PnP and had the car running for some months now and I got closer to selecting the best turbo for my use...
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07-05-2008, 12:29 PM
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***post in 2 parts because of the image per post limit***
So this week arrived this:
:
:
All the components that I received...
Separated Gases Downpipe:
:
:
:
The manifold...
:
Garret 2554R(made in Japan)...
:
:
all the above together...
and misc stuff...
:
:
[/quote]
The kit is a Begi-S kit with Garret 2554 turbo the separated gases downpipe and the heat shield as extras and no fuel pressure regulator. I also have a LC-1 here that I hope will work flawlessly if I install it correct. The goal I'm after is getting as close to 200 whp keeping boost close(or bellow) 1 bar but that will have to wait since I still don't have intercooler, radiator and a good clutch.
My plan is to install the kit as is and run the minimum boost possible(5-6 psi)while I will decide on the intercooler and radiator setup. My concern is if the stock injectors can handle the 5-6 psi any suggestions?
On the intercooler and radiator issue since the car is mainly track driven the heat is a major issue so I keep thinking that a v-mount setup with vented hood is the best way to go but installing this kind of setup seams to be a complicated procedure(I welding skills are basic at best and I have no access to MIG/TIG so fabricating stuff isn't simple...)
I'm open to suggestions/opinions...
A big thanks again to the great info here and the shops that helped getting the parts needed since I'm in a...different continent and that can make things difficult! Thumbs up to Begi(turbo stuff), Diyautotune(MS,LC-1), Flyin Miata(rollbar and frb) and Emilio(pads and soon rims).
P.S: Sorry for my poor english...
So this week arrived this:
:
:
All the components that I received...
Separated Gases Downpipe:
:
:
:
The manifold...
:
Garret 2554R(made in Japan)...
:
:
all the above together...
and misc stuff...
:
:
[/quote]The kit is a Begi-S kit with Garret 2554 turbo the separated gases downpipe and the heat shield as extras and no fuel pressure regulator. I also have a LC-1 here that I hope will work flawlessly if I install it correct. The goal I'm after is getting as close to 200 whp keeping boost close(or bellow) 1 bar but that will have to wait since I still don't have intercooler, radiator and a good clutch.
My plan is to install the kit as is and run the minimum boost possible(5-6 psi)while I will decide on the intercooler and radiator setup. My concern is if the stock injectors can handle the 5-6 psi any suggestions?
On the intercooler and radiator issue since the car is mainly track driven the heat is a major issue so I keep thinking that a v-mount setup with vented hood is the best way to go but installing this kind of setup seams to be a complicated procedure(I welding skills are basic at best and I have no access to MIG/TIG so fabricating stuff isn't simple...)
I'm open to suggestions/opinions...
A big thanks again to the great info here and the shops that helped getting the parts needed since I'm in a...different continent and that can make things difficult! Thumbs up to Begi(turbo stuff), Diyautotune(MS,LC-1), Flyin Miata(rollbar and frb) and Emilio(pads and soon rims).
P.S: Sorry for my poor english...
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07-05-2008, 02:37 PM
#6
Looks like he's using MegaSquirt...your English is actually pretty good, better than most I see speaking it natively here in the States at least. If it were me, I would try to procure some larger injectors and wouldn't want to risk running lean on stock injectors-you are going to need them eventually anyway for your hp goals. I bought RX7 550cc injectors from guys on rx7club and had them send them directly to Injector Rehab (forum sponsor, check their cleaning deal)...had them cleaned and flow tested then shipped to me.
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07-05-2008, 04:39 PM
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Yes the car runs on Megasquirt PnP the last 4 months...actually here is a vid with the first start:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hOX2PgaCZU
Nothing special, just firing up for the first time.
About buying the correct injectors I was actually contemplating getting new RC injectors but their high cost compared to used RX-7 injectors is really putting me off.
Regarding my power and boost target I think that 440cc injectors should be enough(and adding bigger injectors probably means flashing my MS to latest High Res version).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hOX2PgaCZU
Nothing special, just firing up for the first time.
About buying the correct injectors I was actually contemplating getting new RC injectors but their high cost compared to used RX-7 injectors is really putting me off.
Regarding my power and boost target I think that 440cc injectors should be enough(and adding bigger injectors probably means flashing my MS to latest High Res version).
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07-05-2008, 06:52 PM
#12
Really nice looking car! Those volks look sick, especially when covered in a good days worth of brake dust.
What diameter is your SG downpipe? I remember the S-series coming with a smaller DP than the other kits (something like 2.25") and I was wondering if they give you the normal diameter pipe when you add the SG option.
You have a really nice build there, I can't wait to be boosted.
What diameter is your SG downpipe? I remember the S-series coming with a smaller DP than the other kits (something like 2.25") and I was wondering if they give you the normal diameter pipe when you add the SG option.
You have a really nice build there, I can't wait to be boosted.
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07-05-2008, 07:26 PM
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About buying the correct injectors I was actually contemplating getting new RC injectors but their high cost compared to used RX-7 injectors is really putting me off.
Regarding my power and boost target I think that 440cc injectors should be enough(and adding bigger injectors probably means flashing my MS to latest High Res version).
About the injectors: you're also on the right track; wait for an opportunity on some used 440cc and send them to the forum sponsor to have them cleaned and flowed. You'll have more than enough flow.
About the IC; you could try going with WI for the time being. You're going to need a new clutch pretty soon!
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07-06-2008, 11:53 AM
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Thanks for all the kind comments and suggestions!
The TE37s(and the 225/45 tires)were great but it was borrowed from a friend for the event...Hopefully I'll soon have some 6ULs to do the job!
The separated gases downpipe is approx. 2,5 in outside diameter so I believe it isn't a special piece for the S kit.
Eunos1800 I'm located in Athens, Greece. Very interesting setup you have there!
The TE37s(and the 225/45 tires)were great but it was borrowed from a friend for the event...Hopefully I'll soon have some 6ULs to do the job!
The separated gases downpipe is approx. 2,5 in outside diameter so I believe it isn't a special piece for the S kit.
Eunos1800 I'm located in Athens, Greece. Very interesting setup you have there!
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07-06-2008, 05:08 PM
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Are you in the Greek MX5 club?
I usually turn up a couple of times a year at the club, but it's mainly the trackdays i go to.
We had 1 at Kartadromo just before summer.
Track was obviously very small, but still a lot of fun throwing a mx5 around a go-kart track.
I usually turn up a couple of times a year at the club, but it's mainly the trackdays i go to.
We had 1 at Kartadromo just before summer.
Track was obviously very small, but still a lot of fun throwing a mx5 around a go-kart track.
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07-13-2008, 10:11 PM
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I was looking for a tuning laptop and after reading this thread I got more interested in Asus's Eee PC. Then the more I looked at the specs and searched the net the more it became clear to me that the EeePC might be an ideal, cheap in-car computer(as Joe suggested in the other topic).
The idea wasn't as novel as I thought since the relatively low price(for the specs)and the 7" screen made it a good gps/navigator choice so there were already EeePC users having successfully use it as an in-car PC.
There is an interesting article about it working as a GPS, containing some info about choosing the correct power source, the EeePC uses around 2500 milliamperes at 9,5V, here:
http://www.xor.org.uk/silkroute/equipment/satnav800.htm
Also looking at the msextra.com boards there was already some people using it with Megasquirt.
The EeePC:
I bought a Asus EeePC 701 4G Surf that was the cheapest model I could find in Greece. It has a 4G solid state disk drive with Linux(Xandros) preinstalled and no webcam. (Unfortunately buying the cheapest meant buying it in...Pink color but that's easily fixed with a case or a laptop skin)
The 7" screen is high quality and looks perfect for monitoring the things I was interested. For just monitoring what Megasquirt reads the Megatunix(the Linux/Unix software for MS)is perfect since it has a customizable gauges that can help get the best from the limited space. Here is a pic of the default Autometer-Style setup...
The OS:
However Megatune is probably the best tool for tuning the MS(it is without a doubt the one with the bigger support/user base) and since I have zero experience with Linux the move to Windows XP was...mandatory.
The preinstalled Linux is great(boot times approx. 25 seconds)and especially for someone wanting simple tasks(surfing, emails e.t.c.)the simple(easy) interface is very user friendly.
The move to XP meant slower loading times, possibility of hindered performance and lot's of Microsoft crap but I found a great guide in the EeePC forum to use Nlite in order to make a customized/lite installation of Windows XP. Superbly written with lot's of pics:
http://www.i64x.com/eeexp.php
Here you can see the difference of the a normal Windows XP SP2 install and the lite XP SP2 version I made using the above guide...
::
Not only there was an amazing difference in size(1.85 GB vs 395 MB) but boot times were approx. 20 sec. More size to the SSD and faster operation is a win win situation!
In car mounting:
First of all some pics to see the physical size of the laptop inside the miata interior...
:
:
The most simple and cheap choice is to mount it just like Joe's Tablet PC(with a custom mount in the position you see in the last pic). Power will be suplied with a car charger(like this one )modified to fit connector that powered the car stereo(already removed it).
The other plan was to butcher the EeePC and incorporate the LCD screen to the 2DIN free slot in my center console adding a 40$ ebay touchscreen conversion kit.
But...I keep thinking that there is a cleaner way to do it(but not cheap). I could buy a 7" LCD touch screen(100-170$) and permanently mount it the dash then make a mount in the glove box space for the EeePC so I can easily remove it when I'm not in the car. That way for the price of 2-3 regular gauges I can have a great display unit that looks cleaner and also let me make on the fly adjustments. I also keep the EeePC intact and can also use it outside the car. The GPS option and mp3 playback for the long drives are just added bonus. The power demand on the EeePC with the LCD closed is reduced and since the car has no stereo or other power consuming extras I believe that the setup will run well on a regular battery and all the above will weight approx. 2 kg.
Space in the dash bezel is tight but a 7" screen isn't that big:
:
The screen I'm looking is this Lilliput unit(not cheap but I read that the quality is good):
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lilliput-7-EBY70...QQcmdZViewItem
And I'm visualizing something like this:
Even if I go the more expensive route(buying brand new parts) for about 470-500$ you get an ultraportable laptop that doubles as in-car PC, a great LSD dash unit and except tuning/monitoring the engine you have media/audio playback and GPS.
The idea wasn't as novel as I thought since the relatively low price(for the specs)and the 7" screen made it a good gps/navigator choice so there were already EeePC users having successfully use it as an in-car PC.
There is an interesting article about it working as a GPS, containing some info about choosing the correct power source, the EeePC uses around 2500 milliamperes at 9,5V, here:
http://www.xor.org.uk/silkroute/equipment/satnav800.htm
Also looking at the msextra.com boards there was already some people using it with Megasquirt.
The EeePC:
I bought a Asus EeePC 701 4G Surf that was the cheapest model I could find in Greece. It has a 4G solid state disk drive with Linux(Xandros) preinstalled and no webcam. (Unfortunately buying the cheapest meant buying it in...Pink color but that's easily fixed with a case or a laptop skin)
The 7" screen is high quality and looks perfect for monitoring the things I was interested. For just monitoring what Megasquirt reads the Megatunix(the Linux/Unix software for MS)is perfect since it has a customizable gauges that can help get the best from the limited space. Here is a pic of the default Autometer-Style setup...
The OS:
However Megatune is probably the best tool for tuning the MS(it is without a doubt the one with the bigger support/user base) and since I have zero experience with Linux the move to Windows XP was...mandatory.
The preinstalled Linux is great(boot times approx. 25 seconds)and especially for someone wanting simple tasks(surfing, emails e.t.c.)the simple(easy) interface is very user friendly.
The move to XP meant slower loading times, possibility of hindered performance and lot's of Microsoft crap but I found a great guide in the EeePC forum to use Nlite in order to make a customized/lite installation of Windows XP. Superbly written with lot's of pics:
http://www.i64x.com/eeexp.php
Here you can see the difference of the a normal Windows XP SP2 install and the lite XP SP2 version I made using the above guide...
::
Not only there was an amazing difference in size(1.85 GB vs 395 MB) but boot times were approx. 20 sec. More size to the SSD and faster operation is a win win situation!
In car mounting:
First of all some pics to see the physical size of the laptop inside the miata interior...
:
:
The most simple and cheap choice is to mount it just like Joe's Tablet PC(with a custom mount in the position you see in the last pic). Power will be suplied with a car charger(like this one )modified to fit connector that powered the car stereo(already removed it).
The other plan was to butcher the EeePC and incorporate the LCD screen to the 2DIN free slot in my center console adding a 40$ ebay touchscreen conversion kit.
But...I keep thinking that there is a cleaner way to do it(but not cheap). I could buy a 7" LCD touch screen(100-170$) and permanently mount it the dash then make a mount in the glove box space for the EeePC so I can easily remove it when I'm not in the car. That way for the price of 2-3 regular gauges I can have a great display unit that looks cleaner and also let me make on the fly adjustments. I also keep the EeePC intact and can also use it outside the car. The GPS option and mp3 playback for the long drives are just added bonus. The power demand on the EeePC with the LCD closed is reduced and since the car has no stereo or other power consuming extras I believe that the setup will run well on a regular battery and all the above will weight approx. 2 kg.
Space in the dash bezel is tight but a 7" screen isn't that big:
:
The screen I'm looking is this Lilliput unit(not cheap but I read that the quality is good):
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lilliput-7-EBY70...QQcmdZViewItem
And I'm visualizing something like this:
Even if I go the more expensive route(buying brand new parts) for about 470-500$ you get an ultraportable laptop that doubles as in-car PC, a great LSD dash unit and except tuning/monitoring the engine you have media/audio playback and GPS.
Last edited by Mythos; 07-13-2008 at 10:22 PM.
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09-07-2008, 02:38 AM
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Hot summer in Greece, beautiful beaches and vacations got in the middle of the build...
However I keep getting the last parts needed and finalizing some details.
Regarding the incar PC setup a lilliput 7" touch screen was bought...
and probably will be placed like that(and not in the dash bezel):
Emilio's 15x8 6UL are really amazing in person(far better than pics)...
***Unfortunately because we needed two sets and there was a delay in paying the second(and there was no stock left)this set will go to my friend's K20 powered Civic and I will have to wait until December
***
A used hardtop appeared at the right price and that also happened at the right time to get the car back on the street. The stock hood was completely removed(weight loss)and the hardtop bolted in place...
*Using a friends stock 14 in wheels at the moment...*
Also interested in making some aluminum brackets for the hardtop to replace to latches like the Spec miata guys.
I bought 305cc Supra injectors from a forum member and the only thing left before the turbo install is deciding on the intercooler-radiator setup...
A v-mount style setup should be very good at the track but our sessions are relatively small so a traditional setup would probably work as well.(The car no AC)
More images(and the above in hight res)here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2879996...7607013444219/
However I keep getting the last parts needed and finalizing some details.
Regarding the incar PC setup a lilliput 7" touch screen was bought...
and probably will be placed like that(and not in the dash bezel):
Emilio's 15x8 6UL are really amazing in person(far better than pics)...
***Unfortunately because we needed two sets and there was a delay in paying the second(and there was no stock left)this set will go to my friend's K20 powered Civic and I will have to wait until December
***A used hardtop appeared at the right price and that also happened at the right time to get the car back on the street. The stock hood was completely removed(weight loss)and the hardtop bolted in place...
*Using a friends stock 14 in wheels at the moment...*
Also interested in making some aluminum brackets for the hardtop to replace to latches like the Spec miata guys.
I bought 305cc Supra injectors from a forum member and the only thing left before the turbo install is deciding on the intercooler-radiator setup...
A v-mount style setup should be very good at the track but our sessions are relatively small so a traditional setup would probably work as well.(The car no AC)
More images(and the above in hight res)here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2879996...7607013444219/
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