Budget Builds - Miata Edition

"MooseKnuckles" (andyschenk) 12/14/2013 at 18:56 • Filed to: Oppo Budget Build, Miata, MX5, FTK

1

11

Is there any other edition??

( Full Disclosure : I've been drinking. That is all.)

So you've just found your MX5 Miata, best $4,500 you've ever spent, it's home now and you've just explained to your increasingly impressed wife "babe, it was a steal, and just.. look at it!"

So she's pissed. No one man could have anticipated this.

Let me back it up, 3 months ago you suggested to the same wife that "hey, maybe we should redecorate the living room." Puzzled and suspicious, yet she agrees! She thinks to herself "maybe my parents, friends, mailman, and toothless homeless guy were wrong about you after all".
You put yourself through hell, HELL, looking at 73 shades of the exact same taupe and trying to not let on that you still have no goddamn clue if taupe is actually a colour or if your wife has a newly discovered speech impediment and is pronouncing "grey-brown" weird.
So some paint, crown molding, and wall mounted picture frames without pictures in (what!?) later you're ready for the new couch. She's lets you pick it, as if SHE is doing YOU a favor, as if this is your little reward. Dream on lady, dream the F on.

Flash forward to now. That same couch your wife let you pick out (ha!), that same couch you knew you'd be sleeping on post Miata purchase - you evil genius you - is sitting in your grey-brown living room, ready for you.

This 2000 Miata has seen it's fair share of asphalt. 187,000KM on the clock, it's 1.8L engine purring like a cat you've been feeding dino-oil it's whole life, and a paint that would make manly-man !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! himself question his faith in his trusty Porter Cable.

With a better chance of catching a leprechaun's fart in a butterfly net than having sex with your wife...ever again, you focus that attention and hope on the car.

Let's be realistic, we'd all love to say that this Mazda's small heart grew 3 size that day, with an LS1 drop (ask Dr. Suess to check my math), but this is a budget build and you're a no talent ass-clown.

I'm not married and this is not my car, but I did have to Google Search taupe to confirm it's grey-brown nature.

So Oppo, we have a build on our hands. Budget is the same price paid for the car: $4,500. The intent is to track by spring - road course and auto-x. What are we stripping out, what are we bolting on? How would each of you build this blank canvas?
Brakes, tires, sway bars, chassis bracing, intake, seat(s) coil overs. You decide, you pick, you price it your way.

Details of the car: it has mirrors and a clutch. Look at the pictures.

And none of this Monopoly Community Chest shit: You found an LS1 at the side of the highway, advance to start and collect an ass kicking for being dumb!

Budget: $4,500

E30Joe drives a Subaru > MooseKnuckles 12/14/2013 at 19:19

0

Coils, remove all excess weight (not much), chassis reenforcement, spent the rest on black jack and hookers.

daender > MooseKnuckles 12/14/2013 at 19:20

3

Let's see...1.8l NB Miata build...

Powerplant:

Sell engine (+500$), buy VVT engine from an 01+. (-800$) = (-300$)

Buy LSD rear end. (-500$)

Buy JDM intake manifold. (-500$)

Aftermarket long-tube exhaust header. (-250$)

Buy stock axle-back exhaust, cut out muffler, weld in pipe, and you have DIY race exhaust! (-40$ if you have tools to cut and weld) Do NOT remove the axle-back and do nothing about it, your rear bumper will get crispy under there.

Handling:

15x8 Wheels plus either Hoosiers (track) or Toyo Proxy (aka, pixie dust). (-800$)

Koni NA-Miata race shocks for front (-260$x2), Koni Sport rear (-150$x2)

Racing Beat's LARGEST SWAY BAR PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE plus end-links and blocks. (-300$)

Racing Beat racing springs (-500$)

Safety/Interior:

Remove interior, part and sell (+500$-1000$) (assume only +500$)

Harddog Rollbar (-500$)

5-point racing harness. (-150$)

Sparco or Recaro racing seat. (-300$)

Cheap hardtop. (-600$)

Basically a Spec Miata. Total cost: roughly 4410$.

Brian, The Life of > daender 12/14/2013 at 19:59

1

This should be on a laminated wallet-size card.

daender > Brian, The Life of 12/14/2013 at 20:00

0

I just stop by the local Miata shop to remind myself.

CKeffer > MooseKnuckles 12/14/2013 at 20:06

0

Flying Miata and/or Racing Beat will be your friend here...provided you're in the states of Canada, not sure what the european equivalent would be.

FM V-Maxx XXtreme Stage 2 Sport package: This kit from flying miata includes a set of their height and damping adjustable coilovers as well as a set of their sway bars and associated hardware ($969.00)

FM Butterfly brace and frame rails: underbody chassis stiffening that will help button down any chassis flex ($399)

FM Shock Tower brace: More chassis stiffening ($159.95)

FM Header/High flow cat/ Exhaust package: better flow means more power, though to take full advantage you'll likely need some sort of tuning solution ($1,050.00)

Hard Dog roll bar: cause getting crushed in a roll over would suck, thus we'll go with the more reinforced one ($425)

Total: $3002.95

From there a set of light wheels ant good sticky tires would be my suggestion, but this would be a good start, and is pretty much how I plan for my build to go.

Frank Grimes > MooseKnuckles 12/15/2013 at 00:48

0

I have literally been scouring the internets for miatas to replace my mustang. Also t makes me sad there are so many hateful people out there who actually bought a automatic miata.

MooseKnuckles > Frank Grimes 12/15/2013 at 11:09

0

This post does have ulterior motive, i'm thinkin it will be a Miata Spring for me, so this was partially to help kick start research. But ya, so many autos, it's sickening

Frank Grimes > MooseKnuckles 12/15/2013 at 11:32

0

Is there much weight difference from a first gen compared to say a later 2001 ish car? Despite having more powah the later cars are a bit slower accelerating.

Also I wonder if a manual trans swap would be difficult considering how simple the cars are.

MooseKnuckles > Frank Grimes 12/15/2013 at 13:25

0

Early 90's they were around 2200lbs (116hp), mid-90's 2300lbs (130hp), early-oo's 2400lbs (140). But those weights aren't exact as some cars would have been optioned differently.
The weight saved and power loss may not be worth it, as I'll assume most of that weight gain is in structural improvements (and some lame-ass safety). Cockpit brace for side impact was added in 97 for instance.

I'd go for a later model which already has more power, then strip it down: spare tire gone, lighter seats (or just no passenger at all), radio+speakers, A/C, roof and components, apparently the hard top is lighter.. If you really get aggressive with pulling factory components out you can ditch 100lbs.

Frank Grimes > MooseKnuckles 12/15/2013 at 13:28

0

Are there fiberglass panels availible like hood fenders deck lid?

MooseKnuckles > Frank Grimes 12/15/2013 at 13:35

0

I think fenders are already fiberglass, maybe.. The only hood and deck lid replacements I've seen (haven't looked hard) are CF and cost about $500 a piece. CF fenders are $500ish as well. Weight saving is pretty minor for the price you pay. Might as well put that coin into a light weight fly wheel and an LSD, or whatever.