$600 NA Build Thread - Just notes and thoughts - opinions wanted

[majornerd]

As I said in my introduction I won the Miata lottery. I paid $600 for a NA with hardtop. So far I have done the standard lube and filter and today completed the 1.8l brake upgrade. I am reading like crazy and trying to figure out the best path for upgrades. I love the simplicity of the Miata compared with anything else I have owned. My goal is to create a daily driver that can trounce an e46 M3 - bastard at work needs to be taught a lesson.....

This is my wishlist as of today - I would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks


So I bought my first Miata and fell in love. I got a great deal and am going through the car replacing and upgrading what I can to make it what I want.

My goal is to build a daily driver that can whoop on an e46 M3..... advice is very appreciated, please let me know if you see anything that is less than great.

Looking for the following:

1. 1.8l engine - complete for swap
2. Transmission
3. clutch disk
4. flywheel
5. pressure plate
6. pilot bearing
7. throwout bearing
8. shifter
9. inner/outer boots
10. clutch cylinder
11. clutch lines
12. slave cylinder
13. power train frame
14. speedo cable
15. Manual ECU
16. Momo style wheel and hub, prefer quick disconnect - no full wood
17. Turbo setup - not sure what I am looking for here, but my end goal will be 260-310 WHP
18. 1.8l rear end / differential
19. Frog legs
20. Large sway bars - front and rear
21. Springs and Shocks or Coils - I am thinking I want the FM VMaxx
22. FM Level clutch or equiv
23. FM Butterfly Brace
24. FM Canon Rear Brace
25. Hard Dog Duece Rollbar
26. V8Roadsters complete tubular control arm set
27. Bosch H4 conversion kit
28. FM pedal kit
29. 1990-97 dual gauge pod
30. FM 1.8 conversion kit
31. 1.8l brake dust covers
32. remove power steering and replace with purely manual steering
33. 1.8l brake upgrade Done
34. Replace all bushings with polyurethane (any tips for this would be great - I would like to do this and the suspension very shortly (as soon as the FM VMAXX's for NA with NB conversion are back in stock)

[rozza]

If you're going to turbo it to ~270hp, I would have thought that it's not worth the time, effort and expense of an engine swap...the 1.6s are meant to be just as responsive to forced induction I thought....?

[concealer404]

I'd swap.

And probably throw rods and pistons in there while i was in there.

If you wanted to get real cute, an FE3N or KL + turbo would be a monster, and either motor could easily handle those power levels without any internal work.

[Schain]

I don't know anyone with a 260-310 whp daily driven Miata. Do you have a second car as backup transportation? Good luck with your build.

[concealer404]

I'd daily drive mine if it was the only car i had and didn't care about salt damage. It's surprisingly easy to live with.

[tankluda]

Damn man, hows the condition of it? that crazy cheap

[JTninja]

Gotta be quicker...

http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=55840

[The Driver]

I don't know anyone with a 260-310 whp daily driven Miata. Do you have a second car as backup transportation? Good luck with your build.

I do. The guy I know has a sunburst with 290 HP at the crank and a Caterham (Lotus) 7 with a little over 300 at the crank. Both cars have NB VVTI engines. You better be a hell of a driver with that much power in hand...

[concealer404]

I do. The guy I know has a sunburst with 290 HP at the crank and a Caterham (Lotus) 7 with a little over 300 at the crank. Both cars have NB VVTI engines. You better be a hell of a driver with that much power in hand...

I don't really find it that bad to be quite honest... Mine's around 270whp, i don't know what that comes out to at the crank, though.

[Chops]

You better be a hell of a driver with that much power in hand...

This is true, especially a street car on street tires... On the street!

My old '96 200SX SE-R was putting down 390hp at the front wheels and that thing was a handful (yes, it was the sr20de motor). 1st, 2nd and a good part of 3rd was virtually useless if you got on it from a standstill, constantly having to feather the throttle to gain some kind of traction and acceleration.

I can only imagine 310hp at the rear wheels of an NA which is about 700-900 lbs less than the SE-R I had. The ass-end would be wanting to come around front every chance it got. At least with FWD, all I had to worry about was major torque steer. LOL

[concealer404]

Weight transfer of a RWD car would make the Miata farrrrrrrrr easier to drive. :)

[Chops]

Weight transfer of a RWD car would make the Miata farrrrrrrrr easier to drive. :)

True. The reason for all that white smoke bellowing out from the front of my car all the time. The damn sunroof would suck in that smoke like a vacuum too! Haha But you'd still need to watch the throttle in the twisties with the Miata. Just a tad too much gas and around you go. Then again, with FWD, too much gas and you keep heading straight! Not good for going through a turn... LOL

[concealer404]

True. The reason for all that white smoke bellowing out from the front of my car all the time. The damn sunroof would suck in that smoke like a vacuum too! Haha But you'd still need to watch the throttle in the twisties with the Miata. Just a tad too much gas and around you go. Then again, with FWD, too much gas and you keep heading straight! Not good for going through a turn... LOL

Oh i'm aware.... :lol:

My DD is a fairly majorly boosted FWD car. ;)

[Chops]

Oh i'm aware.... :lol:

My DD is a fairly majorly boosted FWD car. ;)

Nice. Without going too far off topic, mind sharing what FWD car that would be? Just curious.

[concealer404]

Nice. Without going too far off topic, mind sharing what FWD car that would be? Just curious.

Shitty old heavily modified 1990 MX6 GT Turbo. ;)

[Chops]

Shitty old heavily modified 1990 MX6 GT Turbo. ;)

Hey, if it does what it's supposed to, that's all that matters.

[jaredef]

Then again, with FWD, too much gas and you keep heading straight! Not good for going through a turn... LOLI've always wondered, why does this happen?

[Chops]

I've always wondered, why does this happen?

Seriously?

Massive tire spin = no traction whatsoever = you go off the road in a turn

[concealer404]

I've always wondered, why does this happen?

A spinning tire doesn't turn too well. On top of that, when you accelerate, you unload the front tires. When your front tires are trying to steer AND accelerate while you're unloading them... yep.

That's what's called "understeer." :lol:

[jaredef]

i thought tire spin generated traction.

[Chops]

i thought tire spin generated traction.

Nope. Just heat and smoke. No traction.

[concealer404]

i thought tire spin generated traction.

In terms of pure physics... it will to a point. When the tire spins, acceleration is slowed, which brings a certain load back to the front, giving more traction.

Until you repeat the process.

[jaredef]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRRpZE314eQ/TkycUFS24II/AAAAAAAAPrM/z1b0peDvG6Q/s1600/troll+face.jpg

[concealer404]

Oh man. You sure got us.

[fastnfurious7]

Back to the OP's topic - you have quite a list there. I would think you would come out with more ponies, less headache & very close to the same money doing a V8 swap if you are good with a wrench.

[adamvanxxx]

Don't worry about rear sway
GT2860RS
Absurd flow hot side
Torsen
6 speed or be ready to replace 5 speed when it grenades
Tubular arms are not needed at all
lots of time for the poly bushings
Find something cheaper than the FM clutch kit
Pedal kit????
MEGASQUIRT



There are PLENTY people that daily 250whp+ cars, they just are on this forum.

[imperfekt]

lol @jaredef.

i think a 270hp miata would be insane. i'm shooting for 175 out of a jrsc 1.8, and i think that'll own a lot of unsuspecting victims.

have you thought about sc instead of turbo? look into the power levels of a simple, un-built mp62 charger... then think about what it'd be like if the engine were more built. :)

[adamvanxxx]

SCs are more expensive and harder to make power on. I have ridden in a M45 car and a 280whp NB, I would take a turbo car ANY day.


WAAAYY more money to make a SCd car even nearly as fast as a shitty turbo car.

[Chops]

SCs are more expensive and harder to make power on. I have ridden in a M45 car and a 280whp NB, I would take a turbo car ANY day.


WAAAYY more money to make a SCd car even nearly as fast as a shitty turbo car.

Not true. Besides, you're comparing the smallest SC to a good sized turbo. There's no way an M45 will come anywhere close to 280whp, even with a pulley upgrade. Slap an M62 with pulley upgrade then run it with the turbo car. I bet it'll be a whole lot closer.

Also, what was that M45 on, a 1.6?

[adamvanxxx]

Yes it was, I am not really comparing more or less just saying that even with a MP62 with a pulley will STILL cost 2x the amount to make the same power of a decent turbo kit.

Is there even anything bigger than the 62? Next step up would be a rotrex system and that will MAYBE get you to 300whp and cost as much as an LSX.

At least if you have a turbo and you want more power you just turn up the boost, you don't have to buy an overlay or grind the wheel smaller.

[concealer404]

SCs are more expensive and harder to make power on. I have ridden in a M45 car and a 280whp NB, I would take a turbo car ANY day.


WAAAYY more money to make a SCd car even nearly as fast as a shitty turbo car.


Lol if you're talking about my car... i'd be surprised if it was making 240whp at that time. Which makes the comparison all the funnier, really.


I'm with you.... s/c will be more expensive and harder to make the power. Unless you're a dirtbag like me. :lol:

[concealer404]

Yes it was, I am not really comparing more or less just saying that even with a MP62 with a pulley will STILL cost 2x the amount to make the same power of a decent turbo kit.

Is there even anything bigger than the 62? Next step up would be a rotrex system and that will MAYBE get you to 300whp and cost as much as an LSX.

At least if you have a turbo and you want more power you just turn up the boost, you don't have to buy an overlay or grind the wheel smaller.


M90. I wouldn't put an M90 on a BP anyways. What i would do is put a worked M62 on a BP. A built BP. A built BP plus a Magnusson-built M62 huffing 20-22psi would be interesting.

If you wanted to get crazy, an M90 could work... but i'd rather see that on a KL-swapped Miata than a BP-powered miata.

[adamvanxxx]

Yea it was your car :fp:

All that you just listed probably costs more than an LSX swap.


End of the line. Turbo

[concealer404]

Yea it was your car :fp:

All that you just listed probably costs more than an LSX swap.


End of the line. Turbo

I passed up on a Magnusson-built M90 for $400 a couple months ago.

Wish i hadn't. :lol:

[Chops]

Or throw in a n/a 13B rotary, bridge ported. Good for about 260-280hp at the wheels. Over 300+ with high compression rotors. :twisted:

I ran a bridge port 12A in my '84 RX7 with a Holly 650 and nasty, custom intake manifold, custom exhaust and header. It dyno'ed at 245hp at the wheels and had that awesome "blap, blap, blap" idle. Man, I miss that little car! Oh, and I used to shift at around 12.5k rpm!! Try that with a BP motor! LOL

[kung fu jesus]

power to weight ratio on the e46 m3 is about 10.25:1

say your miata weighs in at 2250, you need about 220 hp.

You can do that easily with a turbo at about 12psi.