So, a couple of things have happened. The engine was pulled Wednesday and the new one will be going in Tuesday. It is a 2004 Mazdaspeed engine with a fully upgraded Deadbolt turbo. I'll be fuel injector limited for a while to 210-220whp, but a +40whp bump with a much more linear turbo will be nice. I will also be getting an Adaptronic Select ECU for the MSM, which a local friend happens to have from a parts car that he bought. No more 6500rpm bullshit. I'll be taking the engine to 7400rpm, everything I've read (and what I've seen this engine do repeatedly) tells me that 7400rpm will be absolutely no issue. This engine is coming from a friend of mine out of his white '94 NA (will be getting a 400whp 13b) and it runs great, compression numbers were all fine, and he's been taking it to 8000rpm for the past 12,000 miles with no issue (and this turbo is still doing it's thing up there).
I also did a preliminary cut on the rear bumper with Ihatecars (he cuts way cleaner than I do). I drove his car and it's officially the best NA I've been in. I never realized how much I like the 1.6 and how happy it is when in good condition.
DSC_0003 by Ethan Nicosia, on Flickr
DSC_0004 by Ethan Nicosia, on Flickr
DSC_0005 by Ethan Nicosia, on Flickr

Also, the best thing ever.
DSC_0002 by Ethan Nicosia, on Flickr

Got some 949 lugs.
DSC_0008 by Ethan Nicosia, on Flickr

DSC_0009 by Ethan Nicosia, on Flickr
DSC_0013 by Ethan Nicosia, on Flickr
DSC_0018 by Ethan Nicosia, on Flickr