The car has been sold. It was fun while it lasted. It is time to move on to my new toy...

The new owner and the new LS1 motor he put in it!!!

Heres the full story on how to do the swap from him

http://www.v8roadsters.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=33

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page 1... my car
page 2... 1st Turbo setup
page 3... 2nd and 3rd Turbo setup
page 4... Coolant reroute
page 5... My Wheels
page 6... My Roll Cage
page 7... Stuff for sale

Last pictures before I sold the car

 

 

 

 

 When I 1st bought my Miata it looked like this

 

 

I decided I would get to know how the car drove stock for awhile. The only mod I installed was a Hard Dog Sport bar. The car was pushing my limits for awhile. Then I got used to it and pushed back.

That’s when I went with a set of 15x6.5 Jax light wheels, Freedom Design Shock tower bar, Racing Beat springs and KYB AGX shocks. Talk about night and day difference. I never knew onramps could be so much fun. Who needs to go to Six Flags? Once again, the car was pushing my limits. It didn’t take as long to get used to it this time though.

That’s when I started thinking about Forced Induction. I would troll eBay and Miata.nets Classifieds daily. I was in the “powermods” asking questions almost everyday. I found a good deal on a used FMII from Bassmaster from the forum. The only problem was I had a 99 Miata. I picked it up anyway though. I eventually traded Roadsterdoc from the fourm the 94-97 FM exhaust manifold and downpipe for a 99AVO manifold and downpipe. After looking around some more I stumbled across a Link 2 injector setup in the classifieds. I picked this up from AustinP. I found a NPR intercooler on eBay. Then just as I was about to install everything my motor seized.

I don’t know what or how it happened. I figured it was the #4 bearing problem. The dealership told me I had too many miles so they would not replace it. I found a motor with 12,000 miles on it on eBay (no, really I did). It came with 2 transmissions. 1100.00 shipped to the door. Hell of a deal!

Anyway after installing the motor, it was time to get back to getting the Miata boosted.

I ran with this setup for almost 2 years. People always told me I would blow it up with the 2-injector setup. I ran it rich and checked the plugs often. The only problems I had where intercooler pipes blowing off, 1 broken transmission and part throttle richness. I would have a huge cloud off black smoke then acceleration. Lean tip in? Lol I had rich tip in. After the 1st 6 months of abuse the clutch just could not take anymore. I went out and bought an ACT Xtreme Pressure plate and a Clutchnet 6 puck sprung disk. In all honesty the power I was making then was more than enough. Like all people who go forced induction I had a yearning for more. Some don’t act on it, some do.

That’s when I started to formulate the next upgrade path. I ordered a set springs and sway bars from Flyin Miata. I found a used Racing Mazda exhaust manifold, wastegate dump tube and 3” downpipe. I then picked up a Tial 38mm wastegate and a Super 60 turbo from eBay.

I purchased an AEM wide band O2 from Flyin Miata. I sourced a Koyo radiator from Brian Goodwin. I researched long and hard on what ECU I wanted to use. I ended up going with a Haltech E6K. No plug and play here, “splice and pray”.

Exactly one week after installing the new setup, I blew out 2nd gear showing off. I was working a lot and traveling so my car sat for about 3 months till I could get around to working on it. Yes, all that money spent and I had a car that still didn’t work. Well I finally got around to installing the transmission. I blew the motor a week later. I broke the ring land on pistons 3 and 4. Well once again the car sat for months because I did not have any money to fix it.

About 3 months later I go and buy a 94 motor from the junkyard. I pull the head and put my 99 head on it. I start working for Alamo Autosports around this time. Now I had access to a good welder and a Dyno. So I redo all of my horrible intercooler piping and get it Dyno tuned.

Before...

After...

2 weeks later I blow it up again around August of 2004.

It was around then that I decided to change some things about my car:
-Built motor with Arias 8.5:1 pistons and Eagle rods
-Ported the oil pump and add a washer for more pressure
-Match ported 94 head (my 99 head was destroyed)
-Swapped the lifters and cams from the 99 head to the 94 head
-Unorthodox adjustable cam gears
-I traded the AEM wideband for a LM-1
-I sold the Haltech and picked up a Autronic
-I installed 1st Gen Elcipse Coils with Bosch igniters
-I re-routed my cooling system.
-I went to a 3” down pipe and exhaust.
-Made a dual feed fuel rail out of the stock 94-97
-Ran a fuel return line to the tank and added a fuel pressure regulator
-I installed the Justmiata PPF brace
-Removed the Charcoal canister
-Powder coated polished valve cover
-Drilled and tapped oil pan for oil temp sensor
-Picked up a Turbo Blanket
-tore apart my diff and cleaned it up

Well it started and idled really well. Just when all was going well I had a water leak. The thermostat cover broke on the back and my water pump was bad. How odd I never have bad luck…

Oh well, I sourced another thermostat cover had it welded the same. I have purchased a water pump and will install it. I cut the bottom of the cam gear backing plate. I only removed the lip that covers the water pump. Now I can remove the water pump with out taking off the cam gears. I hope to be tuned and running soon!

Well I got all the bugs worked out. I am running 12psi and have a little over 500 miles on the new setup. I hope to dyno it in about 500 miles or so.

I need to wash and detail the engine compartment and the car still. I just can't stop driving it long enough to do so!

I finally made a few dyno passes today. Keep in mind that on top of this built motor is essentially a stock 95 top end. The main difference is that it has been mildly match ported. It also has a 99 throttle body on it now. I am also running a 2 1/2 down pipe w/ a racing beat 2 1/4 mid-pipe. This flares back into the Roadster Sport 2 3/4 muffler.

I was running 16.6 psi. I don’t have an A/F reading because I used the Autronic’s datalog of the LM-1 wideband. It was around 12.6 when it rolled into boost at 3800rpms and then it steadily dropped to 10.8 A/F around 5600 to 7500 rpms (redline). I kept pulling fuel till I felt uncomfortable. I called it quits after making 6 runs. It is nice that it is running rich and not lean. I just don’t think something is right. I pulled a lot of fuel. I am not going to push it. I am going to drive it for a couple of days and watch the A/F. If things look the same I will lean it out some more and up the boost.

Some current pictures of the car