so i was looking at some wheels and tires for a complete stock 1997 stock miata, i want to get 15x9 advanti storm s1s (possibly) with maybe 225/45/15. what kind of upgrades would i have to do? i just recently got into cars so im not too sure of things, like offsets, what kind of coilovers are good. etc. so please inform me with your gracious knowledge.

 

You'll want to do a lot of reading on what each change does, and also work out why you want to make those changes.

Often there's no simple answer of what's "good"
it depends on usage.

A coilover that's great for drag racing wont be good for circuit racing, and that one likely wont be good for daily driving, or budget, etc.

Offsets are easy to work out, since it's just basic maths.
Measure the wheels you have now, and see what clearance you have to the guards/arms/etc, then throw those measurements against the ones of the new wheels and see if anything will hit.
there's also websites which can do it the lazy way, if you prefer.


tldr:
work out what you want to do with the car
google for what other people have used for that same purpose.

 

I have storm s1's (15x8.5 i believe) for street duty (205/50/15, stock suspension) and i have zero clearance issues. With coils and a lower ride height, I would for sure have rubbing though. Ymmv

 

Storm s1 15x9 wheels require coilovers to fit. And on a NA miata will need a fender roll to clear 225 tires.

I believe 15x8 storm s1 with 205 tires doesnt need coilovers nor a fender roll.

Good midrange coilovers are, bc racing, feal
Top of the line is xida coilovers.

I'm currently running bc racing and very happy with street ride quality and track performance.

 

The extra weight of the 15x9 225 setup will be slower on track and street than a 15x8 205 setup in a stock powered car. Rotational mass is a big deal for accelerating and slowing. And the larger setup will contact stock springs.

 

I feel on fast tracks the wider setup scrubs too much as well, especially in flat out corners. Hurts momentum. It's probably faster on a tight and technical course tho, but not by much, a stock car isn't all that traction limited even on 205s.

 

If you're looking into coilovers, Meisterr has some pretty good stuff. I just picked up a set of Meisterr ZetaCRD's and I use them for autocross and daily driving. They're composed on the track and you can turn the dampening down to make them fairly smooth on the street, but they'll set you back $1000+ new (I was lucky to find them for $700 used). As previously said though it really depends on what you intend on using your car for. If you intend on racing your car and driving it on the street, I would definitely say to look into coilovers with adjustable dampening, and read a lot about your options. If you don't really intend on racing, I've heard Tein makes some okay stuff (Street Basis Z, Flex Z) that's pretty affordable. And don't get too tempted by the $300 ebay coilovers, you'll probably be disappointed.

About the wheels, 15x8's should be plenty. 15x9's will be heavier and, at least for now as you gain experience, will probably only slow you down.

 

What if i want a more moist experience? Positively drowning, even?

 

I'm not looking to drown, just drip a little. Any suggestions, Concealer?