When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So I couldn't find the right allen key to adjust my suspension to account for the new top hats and I dropped my car, I measured less than 3.75" all the way around haha. Had some nice scrapping on the driver side fender liner all the way to the parts store. looks kinda cool anyway, but I bought a set of allen keys and brought it up to 4.5". Can't wait to try it out and see how it rides. Even with the accidental drop it felt a bit better. I was really riding the **** outta the bump stops before.
Well, I got my motor mounts done, after spending hours on struggling to get to the final driver side bolt, I finally did the sensible thing and pulled the header, which made it a snap to get out. I was up till 2am on Friday working on it, then again first thing in the morning. My fingers still hurt. not sure it made the improvement in shifting that I was hoping for, but my driver side mount was cracked.
I sent my car off to my friends house, who is doing some detailing work in his spare time. He is working wonders on my car. I go to pick it up tonight, but here are some of the pictures he has sent me. The car was loved by it's previous long term owner, but kept outside under a cover and it really showed on the underside/engine bay. A thick layer of dirt coated the underside, there were leaves in the engine bay and interior and the paint was significantly water spotted. He did a single stage correction on the paint, but said a 2 stage would have been more appropriate. Oh well, it's a track car. Also, he opticoated the wheels to minimize brake dust damage from the track pads (we will see).
When did you buy your TDR seats? I'm surprised they have single center hole in bottom part instead of 3 (for 5 or 6 point).
Fairly recently. October 2017. I hadn't really thought about it when I got them. Maybe that's just how they order them? Or maybe they had some on hand from a while back.
Is that an R Package? I see a leather wrapped steering wheel, and no R spoilers.
No, that's why R is in quotes. It's a base car, but it's been converted to manual steering, and I added a limted slip, and I have an R package lip I am gonna put on it. Good catch though
The leather wrapped steering wheel is something the previous owner added as well.
While no powerhouse the M45 has it's place. With good intercooler it will be a fun car. One of my friends has one setup the same way.
Hey thanks man, I appreciate it. Yeah, just gotta figure out if I want to pull the trigger on the TDR intercooler...I keep hoping I'll find one used for cheap!
I removed the tow hitch from the back of my car so I could installed a proper tow hook (and the weight savings, duh). When I went to set down my car using the diff for the first time (I had previously used the tow hitch). The diff moved upward considerably before fully contacting the subframe which gave me some pause about taking the car to Track Night in America (I still did).
Quite a bit of space there with the diff fully pressed up into the sub-frame... so I ordered some poly bushings (I should have done it when I swapped these in I guess, live and learn). I also noticed I have a leak from one of my axle seals which left a nice grease ring under the car (only leaks while spinning). Essentially I bought all new seals, bolts, crush washers the whole nine yards because I don't wanna keep messing with it.
Also, over the weekend I found a killer deal on some Xidas Race coil-overs with the spherical mounts and 800/500 springs, which is probably overkill for my casual use but we will see. Little dirty, but the savings was significant over new. I wasn't unhappy with my previous suspension but my friends won't shut up about Xidas so now ill probably be that guy who doesn't shut up about Xidas.
Hey thanks man, I appreciate it. Yeah, just gotta figure out if I want to pull the trigger on the TDR intercooler...I keep hoping I'll find one used for cheap!
Just get an ebay special. itll be more than adequate for the application.
Plan the intercooler to make it easy to switch to the turbo that you'll inevitably end up with.
I ran the M45 on my 1.6L for about a year. I would describe the experience like being granted a night with Kate Upton, but only being permitted three pumps. I switched over to trubo and it's a pretty big difference, although I'm still on my 1.6L motor, so now it's like I get four pumps. When I swap in my 1.8L it will be like eight pumps, which is cool because I'd probably only need six or seven.
Plan the intercooler to make it easy to switch to the turbo that you'll inevitably end up with.
I ran the M45 on my 1.6L for about a year. I would describe the experience like being granted a night with Kate Upton, but only being permitted three pumps. I switched over to trubo and it's a pretty big difference, although I'm still on my 1.6L motor, so now it's like I get four pumps. When I swap in my 1.8L it will be like eight pumps, which is cool because I'd probably only need six or seven.
Anything beats just getting to look from afar like I am now
Went and partied like it was my birthday! It sort of was, only a few days off. happy 32nd to myself.
Need to photoshop this to say Mazda LS A nice view that I had no time to enjoy Causing a backup at the corkscrew Very low traffic day, felt like I was out there by myself 90% of the time. the Atom was fast, it's driver was not... still faster than me though
Best time was a 1:59.7, sprinkled into a bunch of consistent 2:00.XXs. Definitely room for improvement, but for my first day at Laguna Seca I was happy to just have progress. When I started recording laptimes in the 3rd session I was only doing 2:06... basically a walking pace. Also, my first day with the Xidas on. Some guy came up to me and started explaining to me about the damper setting, saying I didn't need to set them super high. Then he introduces himself as Shaikh from FCM. I guess I should have listened, had a half spin the next session hahaha. In my defense, he was talking to me until my session started so I didn't have TIME to take his advice
Well after my 5th track day (thunderhill west, new PB 1:34.7) I finally decided to install the megasquirt that's been under my guest bed for several months. Got my vacuum line routed and wideband wired and calibrated and installed, fired her up, checked base timing, calibrated TPS, and had an anticlimactic drive to get some gas. Seemed to run pretty well from what I can tell. I ordered a car charger for my laptop since the battery doesn't last real long, gonna do some VEAL tuning this weekend. Current setup:
Stock BP05
MS3 Basic
Innovate MTX-L
Stock Intake/Manifold/IAT
Jackson Racing Header
High Flow Cat
Flying Miata Dual Exhaust
CA91
On Deck:
BP4W
M45
K&N Intake for NB (+NB throttlebody/IACV)
GM IAT
So I still haven't done anything with the BP4W or M45 so I decided to try and sell the M45 and fund a VERY mild N/A "build" on the BP4W:
Stock BP4W block
BP5a cam
Port and Polish
Decking the head .030
The result should be a significant bump over the stock BP05 that's in their now with it's low compression pistons and poorly flowing head. I don't really have a goal powerwise, but I am thinking if I see 150whp ill be satisfied for now.
I thought about going with higher compression forged pistons and rods but it just seems like a slippery slope...
Anyway, heading to Mazdas at Laguna Seca in a few weeks so hopefully Ill see some of you out there!
PFA a little shameless ripping off of Emilios work coating his intake tubing in thermal wrap. Didn't come out great but oh well, it should work fine. I need to come up with a solution to block off the filter area next. I have a header blanket I keep meaning to install too.
I also threw some of the heat wrap on my heat shield less undercarriage where my drop pan comes very close to the Catalytic Converter.
May be interesting to start with an nb2 block if you want slightly higher compression but don't want to build the motor. VVT may be nice, but I guess the utility isn't there for a car that's going to live at the higher revs where the mechanism isn't doing much.
Are you going to do valve springs as well? May not really add much power if you increase the rev range a bit, but could save you a shift here or there which may be worth something!
May be interesting to start with an nb2 block if you want slightly higher compression but don't want to build the motor. VVT may be nice, but I guess the utility isn't there for a car that's going to live at the higher revs where the mechanism isn't doing much.
Are you going to do valve springs as well? May not really add much power if you increase the rev range a bit, but could save you a shift here or there which may be worth something!
Yeah I have got a massive case of scope creep already but my builder is keeping me in check. When I asked him what springs he slapped my hand and said "leave it!"
I like the idea of the VVT block but it'd have to be a deal.
02-26-2018, 01:17 PM
0
