2003 Shinsen

[MaRcOp01o]

Howdy Howdy,

So the Shinsen OEM knob is fantastic and feels great! However it is old, a little worn and I want to preserve what is left of it so I got a shiny replacement.

I have been a huge fan of the R-Magic knob for years but never got one until today! It is a beefy boy and very heavy but shifting is silky smooth and looks right as rain with the silver accents in the interior.

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PS: It sits absolutely perfect on top of the shift boot!

[MaRcOp01o]

This came in 1.5 months before I expected!

It is nothing crazy but it is a Cusco Pillar Brace. Found it on eBay for a great price! Looks great with all the shiny silver and blue throughout the rest of the interior.

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[MaRcOp01o]

I got lots done in the past 2 weeks and have really been enjoying the NB.

I was able to get my clutch, flywheel, motor and diff mounts installed and it has made a world of difference. I am happy I did the clutch when I did because my pilot bearing exploded when I went to take it off. The motor mounts and diff mounts really helped with going into gear super smooth. The flywheel is a 10LBS flywheel so down shifts are very nice especially with the Autoexe intake.

I also did my brakes over the weekend and jeez I didn't realize how badly I needed that upgrade.

Next for the NB is suspension, I want a really nice dual duty coil over and I think I found it. I am leaning towards the Maruha BC Damper. I also will have more suspension bits en-route but I cant give too much away.

https://imgur.com/6uEPQmP

[— kung fu jesus —]

I’m not saying this because they are my friends, but honestly the best dual-purpose coilovers I’ve driven are Xidas.

I tried to convince Anthony, and when his first go around with coilovers left him sour, he relented. He loved them too.

[MaRcOp01o]

Oh absolutely agree. Xidas are the best for dual duty but the most I plan to do is AutoX and it would be 90% a daily so that’s why I’m leaning towards the maruhas because for the price I think they’d be great for what I want plus they have great spring rates for road use.

[— kung fu jesus —]

You do know the Xidas have selectable springs rates and 949 will help you choose the best for your application? Mine saw 90% daily driven usage and they were extraordinarily comfortable.

You can also get them serviced at in the US at a few different shops if something goes wrong.

#justsayin

[Greasemonkey2000]

I’m not saying this because they are my friends, but honestly the best dual-purpose coilovers I’ve driven are Xidas.

I tried to convince Anthony, and when his first go around with coilovers left him sour, he relented. He loved them too.

I don't think I've EVER seen anyone regret Xida's.

Oh absolutely agree. Xidas are the best for dual duty but the most I plan to do is AutoX and it would be 90% a daily so that’s why I’m leaning towards the maruhas because for the price I think they’d be great for what I want plus they have great spring rates for road use.

Imo, too many people think that if it isn't a dedicated track car then cheaper is OK, not going to lie I don't understand why because the street has far more challenges to be met then a dedicated track car so in my humble opinion it's almost the opposite.

I've made up my mind on Xida's and I have read up on just about every option I could find. I have a reasonably high standard to be met having previously had Fat Cat Motorsports(375/325) and FEAL(662/448, iirc, 12k/8k) Road Race coilovers and they were kind of opposite spectrum coilovers yet the FEAL coilovers didn't "feel" like they had that much more spring. If the valving is done properly, stiffer spring rates can ride well.

Ride height and tire choice are more of the deciding factors for(spring rates in general) which Xida's you would want and spring rates, even the Race(meant for 4"-5" pinch weld) can be had with 550/350(GS rates which have XL body) or XL(5.25" to 6") you can have as soft as 300/150.

Also you may not be aware but SuperMiata is *supposed* to be releasing their budget coilovers, Tecna, soon which will be around $1k shipped. In all fairness these have been years in the making and I think they will be a game changer for that price range.

I won't get mine till July or August so my first hand experience might be a little too late but a fellow Texan and Miata enthusiast, Jeff, has had around a dozen or so different coilovers on his Miata's, 3 or 4 were custom FCM coilovers and now he has Xida Race on his MSM and Xida XL on his NA, you can read his respective reviews.

It's funny, when researching a few other options I came across a few different threads on different platform forums where someone posted shock dynos for several popular miata coilover choices and several individuals that knew how to read the dynos/data commented on how the Xida's had the best valving of all the examples, certainly interesting.

I don't fault anyone for being budget minded but let's be fair here, you seem to have no problem with "paying to play" and seem to enjoy a steady stream of "disposable income" to contribute to your passion so why not spend it on something that is one of the most important aspects of any car, especially one that already handles so well from the factory. Sorry, Marco, not trying to be preachy or anything just trying to offer some perspective you may have not considered.

[MaRcOp01o]

Thank you both for the input! I drove on Xidas with a daily/autox spring rate and was very very surprised and really enjoyed them on the other hand I did a couple autox runs on my friends Maruhas and I couldn't tell a difference. Both felt incredible and both performed as I expected but for $900 less. I know I should go Xida or Ohlins but I am not trying to over do it too much financially in the suspension department but I have not bought the Maruhas yet so I will decide what I want to do.

[Greasemonkey2000]

Imo, the best way to feel out a suspension is on the street...not the track/autox where the difference will be harder to perceive by most. Even a full track would be better for comparing than an autox event, again, imo.

I definitely think that you can get 70-80% of the performance of Xida's from cheaper options but that 30-20% is the harder part to achieve and shows SuperMiata's experience/expertise. I encourage anyone not to take my word or the advice of any one person but to do their own research and make their own well informed decision, research is free but a uniformed decision can be costly.

[—atank—]

I honesty love this Shinsen Edition..................

[MaRcOp01o]

Imo, the best way to feel out a suspension is on the street...not the track/autox where the difference will be harder to perceive by most. Even a full track would be better for comparing than an autox event, again, imo.

I definitely think that you can get 70-80% of the performance of Xida's from cheaper options but that 30-20% is the harder part to achieve and shows SuperMiata's experience/expertise. I encourage anyone not to take my word or the advice of any one person but to do their own research and make their own well informed decision, research is free but a uniformed decision can be costly.

That is true I would be using them for the road. I will ask around and see what the Maruha guys say about using them on the streets but they have amazing springs rates for daily driver so I think they'd have great feedback.

[MaRcOp01o]

I honesty love this Shinsen Edition..................

Thank you! There is much more to come!

[— kung fu jesus —]

Ask Maruha about rebuilding options should you blow one out. Ask them for a damper/shock dyno too. If they can’t provide either, that monetary difference means nothing.

[MaRcOp01o]

Or I could just go lowering springs and top hats for my bilsteins, I am on the B8 struts with low miles and I love them but I sit to high and the MSM springs are much too soft so maybe I should go that route.

Plus would be financially a smarter idea.

[HarryB]

Would try FM springs (their rates are spot-on for Bilstein shocks IMO) and Maruha extended top hats. Of course, top-tier aftermarket coilovers should be better, but given your intended use I doubt you will need them.