Possibly purchasing a turboed miata.. Greddy kit..
 

First post here, but im certain it wont be the last :P

I've been looking at Miatas for a while, and would've killed for a Turbo one, well i found it.. :P

FS/FT: 1990 Boosted Miata

There's the sale link. It some of the parts he has for the car. He says it's just turned on a base line tune.

I've read around on here for the past couple hours on the Greddy kit and everything it comes with :P
I'm finding that most of you call it shit, but specifically that the wastegates are shit. Which is what i believe has failed on this car.

Me and the seller got together on Saturday for a test drive, drove great under vacuum but wouldn't hold any boost at all. It's set without a MBC to wastegate specified which is 6psi. But like i said, it wouldn't hold any boost.

I looked myself at the IC and IC piping for leaks and things of that nature, and found nothing.
Both me and him think that it is the wastegate that has gone bad.

Just looking for yalls opinions?

I would NOT get that thing. Looks like a beat ass half assed car with a very basic setup and no tuning or proper care owned by some dr!fter ******.

I'd save up a little more and buy a cleaner car or boost a clean car myself.

fuck no man your money can go further true he has some good components but 4k is unrealistic.

Well when i went to look at it, it did have some dings and what not. But nothing, really set me off.
Looks never really bothered me.

I drove it and the diff sounds still pretty stable.

I understand and agree what you're saying about the tune.
I have a MBC sitting right next to me and i live in Richmond, VA so tuning will be done about two weeks after purchase.

I spoke with the guy whose shop it was built in and he vouched for the work.
As well as several other people.. hah.

But minus the looks and tune factor, any thoughts on the not building boost? Wastegate?

EDIT: Im not paying 4k for it ;) Ive looked around at other turboed miatas and the prices seem to get a little steep for me unfortunately.

I definitely appreciate the input though.

And if i were to turbo one myself, I already have my heart set on a FM turbo kit :P

I say pass also.

I would look for a cleaner stock car, rather than a already turbo'd one.

Anyways, half the fun is doing the work yourself and making it your own! :bigtu:

no offense to people with FM kits, but from what I see and what I have done with my DIY, FM is a little too proud with thier kits, thus being really expensive for what you get. I have spent a total of $2800 with included shipping and fuck ups for my DIY and it is definately comparable to the voodoo system. I would go with BEGi for a cheap dependable complete system if anything.

Pass.

A 1.8 is a much better starting platform.

Definitely agree, did all the work on my 300zx Tubo (1986), selling it tomorrow and feel like imma miss it terribly. :( But, things come and go.

I know i'd have the money to maintain this if anything were to go wrong, including engine failure. That doesn't mean im made of the shit but still. I've also spent some time looking for stock miatas and from what i've seen in my area, they range from 4k-5k. With over 130k miles, some even as high as 180k. Though i do know these motors last quite a while. I'm really only looking at the 1.6l, a few 1.8s got mixed in there though. I'm thinking that this would be a good thing to learn off of though, whether it be a mistake or success.

FS: DOPE Miata, slammed 0 offset

Lemme throw that out there.
That's my next choice.

Everything seems pretty nice.
However, i've seen the kid drive, and i hate it. Saw him spin out more than once and i'm not entire faithful that he has done all the work he has claimed to of done.

But what are your opinions?

The way i have been thinking of things, i could get this miata for now, save up purchase a nicer one later, take whats good from this one and then upgrade the turbo kit.

But that's just a rough outline.... very rough.

the reson FM and begi are so expensive is becouse they are pnp solutions for people who either cant figure out how to put shit togther DIY or people who dont care and just want the shit done. You have to respect that not all of us can be DIY'rs or want to be.

Agreed. Though i can understand what he is saying about the FM kit.

Honestly, all and all, im really looking to put 180 or so to the wheels.
Had planned on getting a tune on 10psi, and whatever that got me was fine.

the silver car is atleast clean imo if you have the cash burning a hole in your pocket in my book both are acceptable for the correct price. They both have nice parts and stuff you will need/want. The best thing going for the silver one is a clean body and relatively new suspension. neither of them have real tires etc for putting power down.

There is also a lot of things i hate about buying a car that is already modded. Such as not knowing how things WERE and how things ARE hooked up. And how they are SUPPOSED to be hooked up. I've never dealt with Megasquirt so this would be my first time. As i stated before, this car would be a huge learn experience and it is definitely something i would love to learn.

I know the boosted miata has 550cc injectors, megasquirt, the rollbar in it is down to the frame, pads are fresh, work was done by a reputable shop (Can't remember the name off the top of my head). I can't remember much more, not off the top of my head anyway.

I mean i figure for the same price, i can get a already boosted one but that would bring problems with it. Body work isnt too big a deal to me as my uncle has some connections. The suspension on the blue one isn't too old either and it's tein type flex. Im not really looking to track the car, not yet anyway, got a lot going on. And neither of these cars is in really track condition by my standards. Pretty much just looking for a fun DD, yet something i will be able to work on and change/upgrade.

It's not really burning a hole, its the fact that i do not have a car, as of tomorrow anyway, and i have a fulltime job i have to get to ha.

well my advice get a cheap ass civic and stack big bills until you can get something nice imo delayed gratification does pay off.

I've hooked up an air gun and tested my waste gate. Probably too much pressure for it, but I'm not sealing the gun to the hose perfectly, so it's not getting the full 70psi that my compressor is set to, and it's been holding a perfect 12psi for quite some time without issue, so I'm guessing I didn't damage it.

This is with a greddy turbo but a new waste gate. Forget where I got it but I hacked the bracket off the stock greddy unit and bolted it to the new waste gate and it's worked well so far.

Edit: Just scrolled down to the pics. I'm with everyone else, skip.

Yeah i can't stand civics. Sorry haha.

It crossed my mind though.
I'd end up boosting it and blowing it up honestly. lol

And what did you think about the Silver one.

I mean i know the blue one is no looker :P

Exactly. I wouldn't put the money into something that was done by someone else. Whether is a junk headache that needs lots of redoing, or a well put together car, its still someone else's work.

In my mind its better to buy a clean, stock, unmolested miata and start from scratch.

If you look around you'll find a clean stocker for a good price. Just because it's already got a turbo and a handful of other mods, doesn't mean $3k-$4k is a good price. Could be more of a headache than its worth.

Look around on here a little more and do some research. You can easily piece together a turbo kit via the classifieds and vendors here on a budget.

But on the other hand, if your just looking to get in a turbo miata soon as possible and just fool around with it, then maybe its more worth it to you to buy one that's already modded.

That last statement pretty much hit it on the head. I've looked around on here for cars and at parts a little bit but i've always been a fan of fresh out the box and the cars have been either too far away or out of price range. All the turbo kits run around the same price with IC and all that stuff, so i would probably go with either the FM one or the BEGi one.

Though, now thinking about it, i think i would redo a lot of the wiring that was done in the Blue one. Both a good way to learn how and why it was done that way,make it cleaner, and make it my own.

I appreciate all the input, it's helping :P

And hearing "walk away" from the blue one from people who deal with Turbo miatas helps as well :P

well we did kind of consider your impleid expereince lvl when we told you that.

Well ive had two turboed cars before. 86 300zx and 05 GTi.
Nothing major.

I have a baisc to advanced knowledge of turbos, how they work etc etc. As i stated, this car would be a huge learning experience as it would be my first N/A to T car and first time with MS. I looked at the tuning software he had for it, seems easy to understand and learn. I haven't read much up on that yet. It would allow me to get my foot in the door for a later turbo project, possibly another miata. I can always read and gain more knowledge, no problem, im by no means stupid :P

Again, i appreciate the input :P

I clicked the link and did not read anything else so I don't know if it's been covered yet or not, but STAY AWAY FROM THAT CAR.

EDIT: I'll be a bit more specific since you're coming from DragVA you're probably going to fight this advice. notice my location, I am from the area, I know the car, I've driven the car, stay away from the damn car. Find yourself a nice clean unmolested NA, there's plenty of them floating around in VA especially in the beach area and if you work your way towards Richmond Charlottesville, where exactly are you located, I may even be willing to make some calls back home and help you find something if it'll keep you away from this damn thing.

Either one is fine in my opinion. Get the silver one if you want to go racing!

heap of shit

Both are pieces of crap. The blue one doesn't even hold and boost psi, no interior, body damage. Without the Tein Flex and wheels its a sub 1k car. Are those used mods worth the extra money?

The silver could be ok. I have one question though...How can he do a motor, ecu, harness swap and not know how to set the timing?

Find some nicer cars. Be willing to drive to find what your looking for.

Im located in Midlothian, just on the outskirts of VA. And im pretty much willing to drive anywhere in VA to look at one. The blue one was 2 and a half hours away. I've browsed VAdrag, craigslist, local paper, etc and i can't really find too much.

As far as the silver one, i know he himself didn't do the motor swap, it was bought already swapped and the suspension installed.

Anymore information on the blue one would be great. As far as it not getting into boost, the wastegate is messed up..

All opinions are welcome, thats what im looking for. But a reason behind your opinion would be wonderful :P

Thanks again guys.

EDIT: Im not the classic dragVA trash talking guy. I simply use it as a way to advertise my shit and find cars in VA. I hate most of the people of there, as they're dickhead.

Buy something that's stock or something that ONLY HAS SUSPENSION and build it from scratch. Then, when something breaks..you will know how to fix the problems that will inevitably arise because you did the work yourself. Also, if your fixing fuckups its because YOU did it...not because your tracking down someones shitty work.

The silver one is a better platform then the other, however, you can get NA's for under 3 grand all day on craigslist that have less then 188k miles and haven't been touched by a guy who cannot change his spark plugs. (but will include them with the sale?WTFSAUCE?!)

Agreed. I've decided to walk away from the Blue one and the Silver one. I'm going to spend the day trying to find a decent one, and if you guys care i'll keep you posted :P

Regaurdless of the one i get, i do plan to turbo it eventually, but i see that there is a lot i have to learn first :P

Again i really appreciate the help you guys have given me.

Why don't you throw out some criteria, and I'll see if I can help you. Start by mentioning how much you'd like to pay ;)

Haha, that helps even more. Im selling my car for 3000, right now i have a few hundred in the bank but im looking around the 4k range. Color doesn't matter too much. Hard or soft top but soft top in good condition. Would be great if it already came with suspension mods as i JUST did the 300zx's and i dont wanna doing it again xD. Wheels are a plus. As far as mileage, i've found that im not gonna beable to get under 150k :P So mileage doesn't really matter cause 1.6l are relatively cheap, correct?

FS: 1990 Mazda Miata $4000 OBO

Found that last night...

EDIT: The closer to me the better as i'm borrowing my moms car, though i dont mind... she drives an 08 GTi 6 speed manual :), BUT the closer the better.

Rule #1: Never buy a car off VADriven. Almost every car on there is beat to shit.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/n...662661124.html

Sadly. Any other ideas on where to look? I've looked in local papers and what not. And i slightly resent that as my car is listed there xD.

dude my buddy picked up his car last month in as good a condition but with stock suspension, wheels etc, for 1k dollars dude stop trying to spend so damn much.

Missed the link the first time. Sadly, he didn't leave a number but i shall email him.

Here's the win in my book:

3900 .. both tops (sell one for 900 if you don't want it). Its got a 1.8 and a torsen.

1994 Miata M-edtion Leather 5 speed

And a thuper-duper luggage rack!!! :giggle:

In all seriousness though, looks like a decent platform for sure, and you can probably know them down a few hundred bucks too.

That one is in Harrisburg PA. xD Little too far.

EDIT: But that would definitely be amazing...

EDIT: FAWWWWK, now i want that one xD I had originally wanted an M edition for the factory LSD.

It's a 4 hour drive doing the freakin speed limit.

Good point...
I will have to talk this one over..

Appreciate the help :P

Um, your not going to find a steal in your area unless you are willing to wait. 4 hours is not that serious for a good deal and a good platform like that M.

Yeah i understand, problem is, i have to find someone who is willing to make that drive with me. I don't really have any friends here yet since i just moved to Richmond 3 or so weeks ago. But again, i understand.

EDIT: Talking things over with my mom tonight, i'll keep you guys posted.

I bought mine bone stock off a guy in Vermont through ebay. I probably paid too much, but the car had 40k miles and was mint so I didnt care.

Doing all the work yourself is not only a learning experience and gratifying, but its the right way to do it. Buying a car that's already modded with potential problems isn't a great idea. Buying a car that's modded but done correctly with no bs is a different story, but then you'll have to pay to play.

Buying a well maintained, stock or lightly modded miata is your best bet. If it looks like its got slap on parts, it was probably treated like one. There's been A LOT of nice cars for sale on here over the years. I understand your looking to do this ASAP, but at least look around a little more.

I completely agree about modding it yourself. And i've always been one for doing so and still am. I'm going to try to talk my mom into driving me up to PA to get that M edition one and i'll go from there.

Appreciate the advice and information!

Fly somewhere, drive home happy/thread

He sounds like he's (if you're not I apologize) about 17, so I have a feeling there'd be a lot of hurdles for him to be "allowed" to fly somewhere and drive home.

An amtrak ticket is 120 dollars from Richmond to Harrisburg on Saturday. 104 dollars if you leave on Monday morning. You have been spoon fed!

I got my 94 miata for two grand it has 127,000 miles. I live in VA beach, wait and oppertunity will come your way.

I will sell you my newly stock 92 for $1350. Has good tires on Rota Group-N wheels. Top is Duetto motors no zip glass rear. Engine is freshly rebuilt, about 500mi on it. No AC or PS, PS was fully depowered. It's Ford Mineral Grey and has some cosmetic issues, paint is has flaked in some areas, pass fender is banged up, has a dent under the pass door from a curb that needs repair. I never sweated this stuff because I only cared about function. After my last semi-built motor blew I decided to call it quits. It just passed inspection also. Everything has been gone over on the car.

I'm in Richmond if you are interested in meeting up and checking it out. I have the title in hand. PM me for my cell if you are interested.

Brian

I am watching CL etc like a hawk right now, so if my plans work out I can snap up whatever deals are available. And I can tell you that here in CO people get incredibly stupid incredibly fast on their pricing as soon as we have a few 70 degree days. CL for the whole front range reigon went from tons of cars between 3K and 7K to being unable to find anything under 6K that was not incredibly high mileage or beat to shit. And it happened in the space of a week. So if you are buying in northern climes, I woud wait untill next winter personally. At least here, people are stupid greedy bastards with these cars. They post BS like 'rare' and the ubiquitous doush comment that it has 'go-hart handling' due to the strut tower brace and 195 width new all-seasons. Then they try to sell a 92 for 5500 dollars because it has only 80K miles and a luggage rack.

Even if my life works out well I will probably wait untill next winter to buy, or drive down to NM where they are cheaper.

Well i ended up purchasing the silver one posted earlier in this thread for 2500.

Got the timing fixed, raised it and haven't had a problem since and i've already put nearly 1,000 miles on it.

After purchasing a timing light and some other misc shit, i ended up spending 2600 on it.

I'm 19 and honestly, i could have flown anywhere but i was slightly pressed on time as well as cash for getting a car so local would have been best.

I'm looking to possibly turbo it in the future so i'll probably just be lurking these forums for now since i'm NA. However, i greatly appreciate all the advice and help you guys gave me.

I think you made the right decision. Congrats on the car.

Yes, Good job peer.

Thank you :P I'm loving the way the car handles, and possibly attending my first autocross event tomorrow :)

Post pics.

I'll post some when I get home tonight, I'm on my phone at work posting now :P

If you have to buy something already turbo'd ...then wait.

Occasionally a good condition car with a BEGi FM kit and a good tune if not really engine management will pop up.

If you're not ready to take the above advice and buy a car with only basic suspension/wheel mods and build from there, then patience is the key. There are some real dumbasses out there trying to mod their cars, and you don't want to clean up their mess.



If I could go back though I'd prefer to build a setup. Find a clean 1.8L (bigger brakes, stronger diff, more displacement), and go from there. If it comes with nice shocks then great, one less thing to spend on. Then go buy a welder, or hit up one of the guys here that fabricates, and get the setup I REALLY want. This would be after putting in a MS and learning how to tune n/a of course.

Good luck.

I think he's ready since he did buy one with only basic suspension/wheel mods, and he plans to build from there...