Project Reality Check: Miata Track Car Build Plan

"Poor_Sh" (ar4x) 10/22/2020 at 17:26 • Filed to: None

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Hey baby how you doin? I guess I’m not doing great, but there’s lots of reasons that I shan’t get into here. I’ve made a big BIG decision recently and I think some support would make me feel better about it I guess. See, I’ve talked about this before how I bought the 2014 Cayman S after tons of research, with plans to keep forever, with more recent plans to turn it into a track car after a few years (seats, roll/harness bar, harnesses and engine/suspension mods etc). I really really REALLY want this. It would be likely the best car I’ll ever track in my life and even though I could have gone about it maybe better financially I can at least afford it what I’m doing with the car now and then some. You might have guessed from the title, I’m now building my 99 NB Miata into the track car. Welcome to Project Reality Check.

I’ve been sorta on the fence for future car plans with heavy leanings towards track Cayman, Exocet the Miata, then daily the tow car or something.... but that’s all years away to afford and do all that work and while I could likely pull it off it would require a ton of time/money sacrifice I keep thinking I’m prepared for. The reality check was calling South Shore Autoworks and talking to their amazing guru Justin who is board member I think of my regional PCA, who sponsors many PCA DE track days, and tons of people at the events I’ve been to love him and his company. Thinking he’d give me a good plan to swap my Cayman seats (getting kinda beat up ) for some track seats, install the harness bar and harnesses, I called him and referenced previous customers he’d done just that for. They had some hoops to jump through to keep the car “road legal” but I thought it was fine. Justin steered me away. And not just because of the trouble I would have and safety issues (which I knew) but the cost was almost double what I had priced out in estimation for my plans. Certainly I could do it cheaper, but I wanted quality work.

Now, Justin as well as many others have suggested the “Buy a prebuilt racecar and trailer it” option as it’s always cheaper compared to building one from scratch. Good idea, race Porsche 944s, 987s, 996s are somewhat affordable and would be almost as good on track as my Cayman would be. But not only is that a single large purchase which I tend to shy away from, it’s also not doing the work myself which I desperately want to do as I’ve gotten so much further into wrenching. I want to make the car my own. Sure a spec Miata costs about as much as I’m planning to pay just to modify my current Miata I’ve already put some money into, but it’ll be mine. And it might be better than spec....

So if you’ve read this far here’s my general plan:
Step 1: Maintenance and Street Upgrades

Fluids all flushed

New aluminum radiator, coolant reroute kit, oil cooler, wires plugs and coils, belt, intake, engine mounts, install aftermarket oil temp gauge

Brakes get dot 4 fluid flush, new EBC green stuff pads and slotted rotors

Keep tracking the Cayman S as I’m currently doing and the Miata is still a daily/cruise car

Step 2: Autocross/HPDE Prep and Testing

Wheels and tires

Roll bar with harness bar

Track seats with high head support (I know it’s not good to run bars and track seats with stock belts but the Miata can do it with the seats and bar I plan with.... mostly safe driving)

Full suspension setup

EBC yellow stuff pads

Full exhaust

Clutch

Test at my local Autox which is 15min from my house and I can limp home from lol then maybe some TNIA, Cayman still trackable Miata still road driveable

Step 3: Full Trailered Track Toy

Harnesses, HANS, Fire Extinguisher, Weight Reduction

Rain Tire Set

Tow vehicle and trailer

Miata track only, Cayman just a fun old-ish Porsche daily keeping me in PCA and giving me comfortable fun road trips

Like I said, general plan. I have tons of research to do and questions I’ll ask over time using here and all the forums. I’m going to make occasional big posts like this to update the build until I’m done or Oppo disappears (pls no). I know this isn’t unique, new, interesting, or special in any way to the car world lol but hey it’s all those things to me! Hope you’ll keep up.

rctothefuture > Poor_Sh 10/22/2020 at 17:42

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Looks like fun! I wish I fit in a Miata well enough to track one. Sadly I’d have to move into a Fiero or a Porsche to fit my head with a helmet.

Poor_Sh > rctothefuture 10/22/2020 at 17:48

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I certainly wouldn’t pass the broomstick test currently if I just put a roll bar in, but the track seats should sit lower than the stock ones which will get my height right. Luckily (ish) my legs are long and my torso isn’t lol

Cash Rewards > Poor_Sh 10/22/2020 at 17:57

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You can also upsize the brakes to the ones that came on the Sport packages if you upsize your wheels. Also a lot of chassis bracing options out there. 

sn4cktimes > Poor_Sh 10/22/2020 at 17:58

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I initially ready that as “Miata TRUCK” and got WAY too excited. 

Poor_Sh > Cash Rewards 10/22/2020 at 18:03

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I’m definitely looking into the bracing as part of my “full suspension” upgrade. I’m not sure about the brakes and wheels though. If I’m not adding power and it stays around 2200lbs why should I need more braking and more expensive wheels/tires?

Poor_Sh > sn4cktimes 10/22/2020 at 18:03

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It’s already my truck, it has a trunk rack.... I mean compared to the Cayman anyway.

BeaterGT > Poor_Sh 10/22/2020 at 18:07

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But, but...

Good luck with the build!

Poor_Sh > BeaterGT 10/22/2020 at 18:12

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Lol I’d love to have that but my 2 biggest problems aside from the initial cost is also needing a trailer and tow vehicle, and I want to do the work myself. Car work these days is like my only joy in life

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Poor_Sh 10/22/2020 at 18:26

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Congrats! This a better way to go about playing on the track. Buying a used SM, or ITA/S miata would still be massively cheaper, but this is still a way better idea than making a racecar out of your Cayman. How fast you’re going around the racetrack has nothing to do with how much fun you’re having, but it does have a direct correlation to how much you’re spending to do it. The quality, quantity and parity of the folks you’re racing against are the only things that factors into how much fun you’re having and what you’re learning from it.

That said, I’d offer that before you turn a single bolt or modify anything on the car you need to decide on the exact sanctioning body and class you’re going to race in down the road, and then know the rules verbatim and religiously keep up on the future rule changes and class evolution. You have to know this answer at the outset, because it determines every single other decision about the build of the car and design of the roll cage.   I have seen over the years a lot of heartbreak and financial damage by folks who built a car for track days, or drifting, and whole bunch of folks who built cars for playing with small clubs like VCA and PCA, that only years and tens of thousands of dollars later learned their car could either never be issued a log book by a major sanctioning body due to the cage design and build , and/ or that the car build would only ever be eligible to run in big boy, big HP, huge dollar production or GT classes where they didn’t want to play and would never be competitive. Last time I read the GCR, SCCA has 72 pages of rules governing the design and construction of roll cages.

Another reason this pertains to the early part of your plan is that your size and shape, the seat you’re going to run, how you’re going to mount the seat and if the seat is going to be adjustable (and if so, how) are all critical factors that determine the design of the roll cage. Any major sanctioning body is going to have extensive rules governing how the shoulder belts of the harness attach and the allowable angle of the belts and general geometry. The exact seat, how its mounted and the driver’s size all determine the design of the main hoop (and the seat- back brace) , and the seat itself also determines the design of the door bars. On smaller cars like a miata, this is even more critical with how small the area to work with is in general.

PCA in particular was pretty well know for letting folks go surprisingly fast and play surprisingly hard with pretty minimal equipment and real loose design standards for bars and cages. Cars built to local club or smaller sanctioning body safety rules too often end up not being able to play with a major sanctioning body without cutting out the cage and starting over again from scratch . On the flip side, if you build a cage to NASA or SCCA rules and have a logbook issued by them, you’ll be able to play with virtually any other sanctioning body. When it comes to cage rules, NASA and SCCA differ a bit in certain details and aspects of design philosophy , but they maintain reciprocity with each other. A car issued a logbook by one will be able to play with the other, and virtually any other smaller sanctioning body.

Poor_Sh > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/22/2020 at 18:49

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1st, thanks! The Cayman as a track car was really just I have a Cayman, now I like to track, I should eventually track the Cayman only like the other PCA guys do lol but they have $$.

As to sanctioning bodies, I don't plan on any racing or solo. Just HPDE and I have so much fun in that anyway and enough different "local" tracks to explore. I will make sure it's legal to PCA and SCCA HPDE qualifications so I can track with them though. PCA is actually pretty strict compared to every other group I've seen and talked to so far. 

B_dol > Poor_Sh 10/22/2020 at 19:33

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Currently doing the same to a 99' Miata after tracking my beloved BMW was too costly of a proposition a nd irreplaceable.

List of upgrades installed: supermiata coolant reroute, kyoto hyper-v radiator, supermiata clutch (street)

Next on deck when I find time to wrench again: Blackbird Fabworx engine mount, Blackbird GT3 Roll bar, Recaro Profi SPG and Garagestar Seat Rails. Having a fab shop mount the harness points for two used Schroth 6 pts I found.

If I can get that all done before 2021 I will turn my attention to the suspension and brake overhaul.

Poor_Sh > B_dol 10/22/2020 at 19:36

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Sounds like a similar list planned here! Hope it's as fun as I'm hoping lol

Cash Rewards > Poor_Sh 10/22/2020 at 19:43

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Whoever was the original owner of my 2001 was a badass and knew what they were doing. They ordered it without ABS, but with the Sport Package and LSD . So it came with bigger brakes from the factory, as well as a front struts tower brace and a rear cross brace by the diff. Everything but the billsteins. But the way I look at is if Mazda thought it necessary, it probably is. Flying Miatas frame rails and braces have nothing but good reviews

As for bigger wheel, a bigger contact patch goes a long way to maxing out the grip the chassis can deliver. Hence the braces. But the roll bar will help with that.

nermal > Poor_Sh 10/22/2020 at 20:44

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I’ve done two different track bikes and can speak to the similarities , despite less wheels. One was bought new and immediately torn into and converted to track duty. They other was one that somebody already converted, had an untold number of owners and history, with questionable.... everything.

The already “built” bike was exponentially less expensive. It was also exponentially more frustrating as I found various “issues” with the way the previous owner(s) did things. After going through it, finding all of the problems and fixing them, it’s now running great. But it took a lot to get it there. That’s the thing that the other people telling you to buy an already converted car fail to mention - You won’t find out everything about it until you actually buy it. You will most likely spend less, but at the cost of not knowing what you’re getting.

If you want to build up your current car, do that, and don’t let other s try to sell you on something cheaper. I find that I had immediate confidence on the bike I built myself, whereas I needed to build it up on the used one. As with anything driven at speed on a race track, the most important thing you’ll need to do is come to terms with the reality of the risk involved - Be emotionally prepared to see it completely obliterated in a crash and burnt to a crisp, with nothing of value remaining. Possibly i n the first corner, possibly as a result of getting taken out by some other jagoff.

The last thing is the personal financial aspect . Big picture, you’re basically lighting every dollar spent on fire . It’s neither an investment n or an expense, just spending cash . Make sure you’re ok with that , and don’t rack up a bazillion in credit card debt in the process. Start planning for a diesel truck and toy hauler as well, skip the little truck or SUV and open trailer . It’s sooooooo much better camping at the track in your own personal mini hotel room. Makes it easier to drive farther away to other tracks as well.

WRXforScience > Poor_Sh 10/22/2020 at 22:19

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I’ve played with the idea of getting a Cayman as my next car (987.2) and track it like I track my BRZ (30+ track events a year), but like you I keep coming to the conclusion that the costs would be too high.

The broom test and other basic safety concerns could keep you from participating with a number of groups, and a rule change with the PCA (or a new safety coordinator for your current group) could keep you from being able to run your Miata. If I were you, I’d make sure to meet as many of the convertible rules as possible (really, that was one of the biggest reasons for me to get a BRZ instead of a Miata for the track) just to avoid being sent home or prevented from signing up for events.

Poor_Sh > WRXforScience 10/23/2020 at 00:56

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Honestly if I did it all again I’d get the 987.2 and put the money I spent getting the 981 in track time and wear items. I would kill to have a real track Cayman over a miata and hopefully this is just putting that eventuality off rather than canceling it.

As to the broomstick, I might have explained badly but I'm absolutely going to set the track seat up and roll bar choice to pass all HPDE convertible restrictions.

Poor_Sh > nermal 10/23/2020 at 01:01

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Thanks for the detailed response I totally agree. Knowing my Miata already is a big reason I don't want to buy an unknown track car even with amazing documentation. I'm not worried financially really I'm just finally being slightly more realistic lol I understand the game, it's my hobby so I'm happy to spend more just to have more things to do!

B_dol > Poor_Sh 10/23/2020 at 08:28

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It’s been fun! Forcing myself to do 99% of the work so it’ll be that much more rewarding when it makes it on track.

Car is currently on loan to my brother... he does not seem intent on giving it back hah

Poor_Sh > B_dol 10/23/2020 at 08:57

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Lol nice

B_dol > Poor_Sh 10/23/2020 at 09:56

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Have you decided on a suspension setup? Forum research leans on seriously overkill (ahem over budget) - hoping for a holiday sale...

Poor_Sh > B_dol 10/23/2020 at 10:05

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Sorta depends when my Step 2 comes along but highest I'd go would be the Xida (maybe xl since it's still kinda street driving) and the Supermiata swaybar kit. Definitely trying to pick up parts during sales though lol

B_dol > Poor_Sh 10/23/2020 at 11:51

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Yes leading towards the Xida or Goodin FEAL setup. Not trailering my car either, so needs to be a slight compromise

Poor_Sh > B_dol 10/23/2020 at 12:41

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I sorta feel like the difference between stock and a street/track setup is the significant difference, and then the difference between street/track and track-only might not be necessary. Could be wrong though. 

B_dol > Poor_Sh 10/23/2020 at 13:03

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Yes your are correct. I already made the decision to run 15x9 wheels and tires so the car will definitely be lower and marginally harshe r than a street oriented setup.

Do you have a hardtop for the car? Lots of track organizations require it...

Poor_Sh > B_dol 10/23/2020 at 13:05

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Not yet but it’s not required where I’d run first.

And I was thinking 15x8. Do the 9" widths fit inside the stock wheel wells? 

B_dol > Poor_Sh 10/23/2020 at 13:31

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15x9 fits but you need to be running lower than stock with coilovers. Honestly I may back off to 15x9 to maintain the playfulness and dual purpose use.

The donor