new to miatas and looking for advice
 

here it is i'm new to miatas and i am looking at getting a one gen miata, and then build it up a bit and bet a turbo kit and all that jazz, but i don't know that much besides what little i have ready so far about miatas, so i need some help to figure out what kind of engine mods i should do so i can run about 15 psi without killing my engine, also what kind of kits are good, and i was looking at the greddy e-manage systems (are they worth the cash or are there better for less) and do i need a knock senser and all that. thanks for any info you can provide me with

-Ryan

Im running a stock, 200k mileage engine. @12 psi right now.... just to give you an idea what kind of abuse these engines can take, besides from the minor front main oil seal that was going out when i bought the car, my miata has been running like champ, (oh yea, overheating issue recently popped up for metoo).

I like my greddy kit, but in retrospect (spelling?) all i have left of the kit is the turbo and manifold. probably woulda been nicer to DIY a kit from scratch.

as for the knock sensor, it depends on your tune and what you decide to control timing with.

you might wanna read braineacks FAQ in the diy section, its a sticky on the top. very informational and it will help you get things sorted out.

Scott

sweet thanks for the advice

Hmmm.... why the magic number of 15psi? Better to set a power goal rather than a PSI goal. As a bunch of us found out yesterday, you can make 120hp or 230hp on the same boost... it's all in the tune. Keeping in mind that the car weighs about 2200lbs... HOW MUCH POWER DO YOU WANT TO MAKE? Then go about building a kit that will get you there. Setting a PSI goal doesn't do anything for you.

First, read this:
https://www.miataturbo.net/forums/showthread.php?t=4288

Then go here and check out every page on the website:
http://www.bellengineering.net/
Order Maximum Boost, or they usually have it at B&N or Borders:
http://www.bellengineering.net/Pages...cts_books.html

Then go here and check out all their products:
http://www.flyinmiata.com/

To get a good idea of all other major performance products for Miatas, this website is a good place to check things out, price products, and compare:
http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda...ml?id=Ua3XsGef

A turbo should be low on your parts list for a stock car... there are quite a few things to upgrade IMO before adding power:
Shocks/Swabars
Tires at least... the stock 14's are really light though
Rollbar
Brakes... just pads and braided lines to start

That'll be a good start. Your best bet if you plan on modding right away is to buy a car that's already modded, not necessarily turbo, but at least with the basic suspension bits and maybe some performance stuff. Check out the classifieds lower on the main forum page and visit www.miata.net in their classifieds. Lots of modded cars for sale.

You can't do better for a piggyback for the money than Emanage Blue. Lots of support around here for it. A used kit with the cables and injectors is the cheapest way to get full control of your fuel and spark. The new daddy on the block though is the plug-and-play Megasquirt.

Also, good advice around here, learn to use the . button... you know, make sentences and stuff.

thanks
 

thanks, for more info. i have good to the flying miata page, and have checked out there turbo kits and thought i'd buy one, but i wasn't sure if i really wanted to spend that much money for a kit. The 15 psi was just some number i decided to throw out there. i would really like to build the miata up to about 300 whp, but i'm not entire sure if this is possible without spending a lot of cash, my plan is two buy the car and then put in about 3 grand and basically be done with it, i saw/read in another area on this site about break upgrades, were you can use the break assemble from a newer miata and put it on a older on, the roll cage i already planned on doing. along with a street/track suspesion set up. i didn't on the other hand think about sway bars and all that, thanks for that and for the sites you sent me i will read them right away.


-Ryan

300 whp for 3 grand is gonna be real hard. But it is doable with a 16g ebay kit 600-900$ some WI 200$ and Megasquirt PNP 600$ Also if you buy a 1.6 a torsen or other 1.8 diff swap would serve you well for longevity 600-1200$. Stock R package suspension is pretty good 400$ Moving to 15*7 inch wheels and some 225-50-r15's is tricky becouse our wheels weigh 12 lbs from the factory coupled with 16 lbs stock tires you need to be carefull not to exceed 30 lbs or you will seriusly overwork your suspension ballpark my Enkie RPf1's from goodwin racing where 187$ apeice other sites have them for 270$ or more apiece. Also look at the tires you want i picked BFG gforce sports 80$becouse the had a similiar grip and wet performance to the S03's 105$ but better cold perfromance. Also you will need a clutch, ACT or some other name brand for 300whp 350-400$ the ebay clutch 160$ is good but only to about 230 or so whp. So you will also need some 460cc's or better to run 300 whp. Also varius hose couplers for the intake, and an exhaust. Roll bar isnt a must but it is recomended. Have you done the math on what you will have at 300 whp though?

Our cars weight on the raod with 2500 or less lbs with the driver included. A olderfoxbody mustang with a 5.0 wieghs in about 3000-3100 lbs on the raod. The mustang makes about 180 whp in stock form and runs a mid 14 sec 1/4 mile with a good driver, and traction, at about 16-1 lbs/hp. The mustang at 300whp is a high-mid 12 sec machine at 10-1 lbs/hp. the miata at 300 whp given proper traction has the potential to pull 11's, at 8-1 lbs/hp. Miata folk often under rubber there car when drag racing this coupled with our weak trannys past 250 lb/ft and weak diffs's in the 1.6 and weak lsd's torsen past 250 lb/ft. I hope this helps you outline the process abit more.

as magna said getting to 300 rwhp with just 3 grand is gonna be tuff. You would need a walbro 190 FP (fuel pump) at least to power those 440cc injectors. Are you going to put this in yourself? if so, do you have the tools neccecary and the knowlege? just another thing to factor in. THe miata's are great cars all around and putting a turbo in is just amazing. although :dancegay: its not all about power your car. did you know what you wanted to do with your car such as auto cross drift events or just drag racing?

wow thanks you guys have been a lot of help,
i haven't done the math, and i know my goal was 300 whp, but with my budget thats lookin a little grim, so i've lowered it to about 180-200, that i think is a little more doable with the money i have, i'm gonna be getting a lot of help from a couple freinds who are mechanics, and i'll be doing a lot of the work myself, i don't feel like spending a ton of money by sending it to a garage and then getting raped when i get the bill. what my goal is to get into some auto cross/time trial races, and not so much a drag car, but a car that'll be unsuspecting if some punk pulls up to me with lets just say a gto, i wanna be able to smoke him, i figure power to weight ratio would be in my favor, (a goat kicked my arsss pretty badly before and i'm not lookin at it to happen again) and if you guys now of anyone in nj that does miatas up like i am doing, could you tell me, plus someplace i can go for the time trial/auto cross racing.
thanks again for the help