CT's 92 Build

[CaffeineTripp]

The build for this car is going to keep in mind the point of Miata: Be lightweight, lower power, and handle incredibly well while having a modest budget. Of course, this has been done before with many cars on the forum, other forums, and out in the wild. I'm going to keep the car as stock appearing as possible, minus the current wheels. Though I'd love this



and a fastback hardtop might be in the future, I'll just stick with some modest exterior upgrades. The Miata is by no means going to be a racecar, nor do I have the budget for it, but something more fun to drive and give it a little spit-shine.

I'm going to stick with a naturally aspirated engine; adding to the power midrange and up top and create better throttle response by opening up the flow as best as possible and increasing the compression. 10.5/11:1 pistons, extrude honed, intake, camshafts and gears, and some heavy machine work on the head should liven it up.

Electronics are going to come in by MS; remove the MAF and switch to MAP, have the ability to run E85/race gas or pump on the fly. Add in a WBO2 for tuning and that's about it.

For the drivetrain I'll be staying as close to stock as possible, just utilizing OEM parts for upgrades. No more open differential for this car. Lightweight flywheel and a slightly heavier pressure plate with a one-up disc. Shift throw will remain near stock or completely stock depending on how I feel about it. Any suggestions on what feels better; short throw or stock?

Brakes aren't going to be that big of an upgrade. The EBC Red Stuff pads do a fine job, but having some piece of mind swapping to SS braided hoses for a better feel would be nice. No need for a BBK or drilled/slotted rotors.

Fuel will be an easy upgrade to run E85; bigger injectors, larger fuel pump, larger fuel rail, and FPR. Pretty cake.

Suspension and handling is almost done. H&R springs are on and poly bushings are here. Some chassis bracing, mostly for S&Gs in weak points, but not too much else. No need for a $1,200 coilover kit or fender bracing, well, unless I win a lottery.

Cooling shouldn't be an issue, but aluminum radiators look pretty.

Ignition will consist of stock coil, NGK wires, and iridium plugs (if the 1.6 likes them).

Overall, that's about it. Built for fun, modestly, with not a lot of investment. Maybe some internal work down the road with rods, balanced crankshaft, fully blueprinted engine (unlikely), and some other drivetrain parts, but not much of anything after that.

[HarryB]

Welcome! Your initial targets sound great, but building a N/A 1.6 does not worth the hassle. Either leave it stock or invest that money for a low-boost turbo or supercharger. You can get perfectly linear power output and response, and it will most probably cost you the same, even maybe less.

BTW fender braces are supposed to make a great difference, so you might want to reconsider down the line ;)

Eager to see more!!

[DarylSibcy]

I normally stay quiet with these sort of things to see how someone develops their car. For once someone is looking at following down a path I've gone with (I do not have a build thread yet, I want to spend time getting a good chunk of content).

Very few people will recommend building a 1.6, I understand why. A 1.8 is the fastest and by far the cheapest way of gaining another 15hp and 10lb/ft. There's no replacement for displacement. Think of your budget though, whilst I realise the aim is a modest build with not a lot of financial investment. Unless you're a guru with machining and have access to the tools blueprinting and balancing a crankshaft is gonna cost. Period. N/A is for people wanting a bulletproof engine over anything else. The benefit is it's then a solid base and the work can be progressive; cam install then headwork a few months later - that'll help to space out the cost.

For reference, my 1990 1.6 has cost me a lot for only 165hp~ at the crank, without touching the bottom end. Not stellar numbers; but it's at the expected 100-110hp per litre mark. I have the dyno printout to prove it for those who care. In the right hands, the car is lethally quick.

If you're happy with 100hp~ per litre theres nothing wrong with staying N/A. Theres no getting passed the costs, though I will admit most people with Forced Induction never confess the exact costs of getting a Turbo/Supercharger setup running flawlessly with bulletproof reliability.

The big question is if I were go back and do it again with the newfound knowledge I have, would I have gone with a 1.8L engine instead.... That's a good question. I'll happily give you a real-world cost breakdown if you want it

[Greasemonkey2000]

Welcome! I agree with Harry...reconsider some chassis bracing. On my last miata I had just about every bolt on brace(frame rails, butterfly brace, ppf brace, rear subframe brace, door bars) minus a roll bar which was next. I highly recommend frame rail braces(increased chassis rigidity, reduces cowl shake, provides a solid jack point and protects the flimsy factory frame rails) and fender braces (increases steering response, reduces/eliminates cowl shake) as they both have several benefits and no real downsides, imo. Some pics of your na6 would be great, look forward to the progress!

[DarylSibcy]

Agreed. Harry is right, get a set of frame rails or a butterfly brace from FM. Sigle best thing I did to my NA6 Roll bars and door bars tend to be very popular for chassis stiffening

Fender braces are waiting to go on, you can get different designs from several places but I'd assume they're all reasonably equal in their effectiveness.

One simple mod that blew me away was a set of delrin door bushings. They don't stiffen the car, definitely not, but they stop the doors rattling enough to make you feel more confident

[Paul B]

Door bars arent for everyone but it is one mod that i noticed within the first 10 feet of driving after installing them. (Other than turbo lolz)


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