Would you buy a $250 FFS?
 

Hey guys. I've been researching the FFS kit for quite some time, both here and other places. It seems to me that the consensus is that it's a great kit mehanically, but electronically (engine management) not so much. Well, the EMS is decent for 190-200 hp, anyways. Regardless, is it worth the approaching $5,000 price tag? Hell no.

However, I have the opportunity to buy a kit for $250. What's wrong with it, you may ask? Well, it caught fire. LOL

Now, I understand they have a lifetime warranty and Tom has a good reputation for customer support. So assuming we can salvage the kit, and this Tom guy really does back up his warranty (to this extent), would you go for it?

Also, I don't live in CA so smog isn't an issue. How much of a deal is it to run it with a MS setup?

so the actual supercharger, throttle body, all that was inside a fire?
warranty is for it breaking, not being incinerated by a fire

Sure, i'd go for it.

It's just as much of a deal to MS on that as it is on any other Miata. Or as little, depending on how you look at it.

Probably have to replace the coupler, or at least change the oil. Depending on how hot it got, the bearings could be toast, too. That said, there are companies that will completely rebuild them fairly reasonably. Friend had an MP45 rebuilt, including recoated rotors for less than I paid for my MP62.

For $250, it's worth a shot.

As strong as is the opprobrium which I harbor towards Tom, I have to jump on the "go for it" bandwagon for no other reason than because paying $250 for a supercharger which was consumed in a fire and then building a reliable forced-induction system around it is so positively aligned with the MiataTurbo Chakra that I fully expect kittens and rainbows to come out of the tailpipe under boost.

Well technically breaking and fires are all caused by a faulty something, but I'm splitting hairs and I'm not optimistic about the warranty covering fire. Then again I haven't called Tom yet...still waiting on some pics from the owner.

It's good to hear that MS can be run on it. However I'm swapping a rebuilt 1.8 into a 1.6 chassis. Im assuming that regardless of MS or power cards, I'd need the 1.6 electronics yes?

Finally, would you perhaps know of the company that rebuilt that m45?

Buy it. If you don't want it, I will buy it.

Jon Bond will rebuild them.

That being said, they are not that hard to rebuild.

Thank you for all the encouragement. It seems this venture isn't too far fetched. Hell if I can make 210 on even power cards I'd be happy. I'm used to the measly 1990 1.6 after all. I'll post pics for your dissection as soon as I get them. Thanks you guys. Always helpful here.

Is this supercharger a hotside (exhaust-side) or coldside (intake-side) configuration?

While it's possible that there may be some exception I don't know about, all of the kits which FFS makes, to my knowledge, are coldsides. In this configuration, the supercharger bolts directly to a custom-made intake manifold.

Intake manifolds are not interchangeable between the 1.6 and 1.8 cars owing to different port-spacing, and likewise are also not interchangeable between the '94-'97 1.8 engines and the '99-'05 engines. So you need to make sure that the supercharger kit matches the engine you're using, or else you're going to have to buy a new intake manifold.


In terms of wiring, it's somewhat easier if you buy an ECU which matches the year of the wiring harness in the car. For a '94-'97 engine, I'd say that it's best to keep the 1.6 harness. If you're going with a '99-'05 engine, then things get a bit trickier and the benefits of using an engine-year ECU increase somewhat, at the cost of greatly increased harness-hacking.

You can't.

Buy it no matter what, 250 is a steal for that hardware. If you can't use it, sell it for a profit.

I don't think any sane person is going to warranty a product after it was damaged in a fire. Maybe something like a fire-proof safe, but that's the only thing I can really think of where it might be warrantied due to fire damage.

You won't be happy with powercards. Anyone who has actually tried both will laugh at the idea of being happy with powercards.

Get the supercharger, fine. But don't go full retard. At least try to do the important part correctly if you don't want to buy another engine in 6 months or less. Cold side superchargers are stupid, so you need to make extra sure you are fueling and timing it correctly to stay out of For Fucks Sake dumbass-land. Don't set yourself up to be another victim of his design.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1436382505

Very good points. Thank you all. Now, I'm going to be using a 94-97 engine. I've yet to confirm what model engine the FFS was run on since he's out at lunch. But I think it was indeed on the NA 1.8 so the intake manifolds will match. Good tip on that, though. Thanks.

I take it then that no matter what, a MS unit would be best to use. I was leaning towards that anyways. I've been doing everything top quality so far (machine shop working on engine, etc) so I'd hate to use inefficient power cards.

My question now, and it's probably silly, is could I use a 94-97 engine, a 94-97 model FFS, and a 1.6 model MS?

Thanks again for all the help. Oh, and never mind the 210 hp on power cards comment. Meant to say 190. Oops.

You can't really do that, either. The 190hp part, that is.

Your plan of BP05 motor, BP05 FFS thoopercharger, and 90-93 megasquirt is good.

Well...turns out it's a 99/00 setup. So no puedo usarlo. :/ would you like me to refer you to the seller?

Nevermind, i keep forgetting that these aren't Rotrexes.

Yes, seller info please! PayPal ready

Look up"Alex Todd" on Facebook. Black logo picture. He's out of South Carolina. Name is scratchnsniff on mx5atl. Sorry, would copy and paste a web address but I'm on my phone. Hope you can work something out!