So I bought a Miata...

[mefarri]

LOVE IT

[DavidPHumes]

LOVE IT

Is that a lisp I hear?

[Speedfab]

Yeah, what Josh said.  No turbo, at least not with that engine...  They are kinda like rotaries:  boost it, blow it.  And they just don't respond well to it.  Im sure a bunch of people will tell you "ZOMG noes my trubo Miata was the shit", but I'm here to tell ya otherwise.

PS:  Gay bashing will not be tolerated on Norotors.  Cock gobblers are just as entitled to transportation as everyone else.

[ncaudio]

Same color and just one year different than my '91 Miata, similar miles, mine has 97,XXX on it. Yea you will take a lot of ribbing like the lines I got from the guys at work including "all that car needs is a rainbow sticker on the back".

I'll probably be selling mine some time since I got a '03 S2000, the Miata is a good car. underpowered and with too little rear suspension travel, but very Cute   

[digitalsolo]

As I said on Facebook, I can't say much, I drive a MINI.

And on that same topic, the MINI is one of the best cars I've ever driven.  NO power, but it handles fantastic and is just plain fun to drive.   I know Miatas are similar.   I'm sure you'll enjoy it.   The gas mileage is a great perk, too.

BTW, if it was an auto, THEN you're batting for the other team. 

[orion4096]

Yeah, what Josh said.  No turbo, at least not with that engine...  They are kinda like rotaries:  boost it, blow it.  And they just don't respond well to it.  Im sure a bunch of people will tell you "ZOMG noes my trubo Miata was the shit", but I'm here to tell ya otherwise.

For a street car I'd be one of those people.  In moderation, a 1.8 can lead a very happy life at 200-250 at the wheels with a basic turbo kit and adequate cooling.  I owned one with a gt2554r at around 220 and it was awesome on the street.  My mistake was tracking it and random crap started to fail... BOV, turbo/manifold studs falling apart, downpipe cracking, overheating in 100+ weather.  This was mostly the result of turbo kits that weren't designed for track use.  All solvable problems now, but I was happier tracking a N/A car which is why I now have a ls6 miata...

[Cman]

The Miata engines LOVE turbos. No compromise to stock reliability (Sorry Speedfab). The only heat issues (and the one that drove me away from turbo Miata for track days) is hot side fasteners. Flyin Miata has inconel studs avalable now. I looked into that 8 years ago and the price was prohibitive for 10.

Steve

[Speedfab]

The Miata engines LOVE turbos. No compromise to stock reliability (Sorry Speedfab). The only heat issues (and the one that drove me away from turbo Miata for track days) is hot side fasteners. Flyin Miata has inconel studs avalable now. I looked into that 8 years ago and the price was prohibitive for 10.

Steve

I've been tuning shit near 30 years.  I've seen and worked on many turbo Miatas since the days of the first greddy kits in the late 90s.  This is my living.  Weak engines that don't produce comparable power results to many other better small 4 cylinders under boost, period.  Any power increase, in anything, is a decrease to stock life and reliability... this is just a fact (sorry Cman)  Now, they are by no means BAD, and Miatas ar GREAT track cars, but I'll call a spade a spade.

[Cman]

If you keep the power to less than 250 and tune them well they run for a very long time. I did more than 50 track days with mine.

If you want 300+ hp look elsewhere

Steve

[MPbdy]

I think the point is that 200 horse out of a turbo 4 cylinder is pretty piss poor even compared to other engines from that era.

[theantirotor]

this thread is starting to smell like stinky fart.

[jparker7]

I myself would not own one but I have driven one and it was fun as hell completly stock.  It would do donuts in the narrowist of roads.   Ive been trying for years to get my Dad to swap a Miata Motor into his Triumph Spitfire.  Maybe  little turbo for some added power.  The triumph would be plum scary with 3 times the HP.  I think its about 80-90hp at the crank now. 

[Cman]

Sorry if I am stinking it up. I have lots of respect for Tracy. The Miata engines have limitations. If you stay within those they are GREAT in a Miata.

I apprecitate the Speedfab experience... I have been developing engines in the corporate world for about the same time.

Steve

[digitalsolo]

If I was going to spend a few grand putting a turbo setup on a Miata motor and building it up, I'd put an F22C in it instead.   

Or an Ecotec.

[Cman]

Damn, I wish I could make SNS this year. You guys are Awesome.


Steve