What should my first Miata mods be?

"Frank Grimes" (FrankGrimes) 02/02/2014 at 21:35 • Filed to: None

0

33

catback

coil overs

tire and wheels

CAI

sway bars?

A3R0 > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 21:38

4

HOOSIERS BRO!

puddler > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 21:38

1

ls7.

DollaMoneyAve > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 21:40

2

Tires and brakes first, then do whatever makes you happy.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 21:41

0

turbo

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > puddler 02/02/2014 at 21:42

1

You can push more boost with a LS3 though.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 21:42

0

Super lightweight wheels with super sticky tires.

dogisbadob > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 21:43

0

Probably the tires first, along with the brakes.

Which Miata do you have? NA/NB/NC

Ian Duer (320b) > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 21:44

0

Really depends on price range.

For cheap, my vote goes to CAI because I like intake growl.

I'd says tire/wheel upgrade is highly dependent on your usage plans, same with any handling mods really. I was rather shocked (pun sort of intended) at how drastically wheels, tires, coilovers, and camber-plates changed the feel of my E36. I'm not sure I'd have followed the same path if I had it to do over again.

Tom McParland > A3R0 02/02/2014 at 21:47

0

For track days bro!

Tom McParland > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 21:47

2

LS swap....or tires and wheels

A3R0 > Tom McParland 02/02/2014 at 21:49

1

TRACK DAY BRO! GOT SOME HOOSIERS FOR THE TRACK DAY BRO?

Frank Grimes > dogisbadob 02/02/2014 at 21:51

1

NA

dogisbadob > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 21:52

1

Cool!

Stef Schrader > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 22:03

1

Rollbar for t3h hoon in more places.

If that's already on there, better tires, better brakes and suspension mods.

Frank Grimes > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 22:04

0

I think I want Vmaxx coilovers which are only $700 I cant stand the monster truck stance. Also The cost about the same as a set of shocks and lowering springs. But maybe tires first.

What are the downsides of coilovers? What do I need to know?

puddler > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 02/02/2014 at 22:24

0

boost? =

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > puddler 02/02/2014 at 22:29

0

Boost is any increase over atmospheric pressure provided by a supercharger or turbos.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 22:29

0

Absolutely roll bar. Massively increases safety and it's a requirement at a lot of tracks/autocrosses.

puddler > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 02/02/2014 at 22:34

0

puddler > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 02/02/2014 at 22:37

0

unnessisary. use it with a small engine. a miata with an ls7 > a miata without an ls7.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > puddler 02/02/2014 at 22:41

0

You're missing my point...

puddler > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 02/02/2014 at 22:43

0

nope. point taken.

the ls7 is the answer when the problem is miata.

if the problem is high altitude, bad heads, or you want to make woosh noises the answer is boost.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > puddler 02/02/2014 at 22:55

0

My point isn't that one is better than the other. The LS7 is better for n/a builds with its high compression, high revving ways. The thinner cylinder walls and high compression vs the LS3 make it less capable of handling boost stock. So if you want 600+ hp, a boosted LS3 is better.

I think we can agree that LS Miata is the answer to everything. Even when the question is, Miata?

JasonStern911 > Frank Grimes 02/02/2014 at 22:56

1

If it's an NA, water pump, coil pack, spark plug wires, spark plugs, fresh fluids, rotors turned, and new brake pads. You can procrastinate on the timing belt as it is a non-interference engine.

puddler > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 02/02/2014 at 23:01

0

turbo's, piping, intercoolers & the like all weigh things.

personally, i wouldn't even need an ls7, i bet a miata would be beaucoups of fun with an esslinger ford, keep it light, but run it loose so you can still hang it out...

i'm even a little jealous of the dude running the snowmobile powered miata, but i'd need a clutch and gears for a 2 stroke.

Squid > Frank Grimes 02/03/2014 at 00:27

0

The Vmaxx are a good choice for an entry level suspension kit. They are much better than the ricelands as FM put some effort into getting the damping rates down for the springs. If you have crappy tires you won't be able to appreciate what the suspension can do, but if you have tired suspension (which the factory shocks are generally garbage at 60,000 miles) it is easy to over power the suspension with grippy tires.

Getting a CAI is basically pointless and really only makes noise on the miata. If you want the noise you can just take off the little snorkel going into the airbox. There really isn't much NA power you can extract out of these cars. You are better off getting the stopping and turning part down first before you search for power.

With regards to the sways, most auto-x guys run no rear sway to increase the rotation of the car. Really you need to figure out what you want to do with the car and how you want to use it.

When/if you get new wheels take into account how much the wheels weigh as increasing the unsprung weight impacts the miata negatively and you do feel it.

Most of all have fun and enjoy your car as it is you who has to drive it. But it is worth it to do the suspension right the first time than have to pay twice to get shitty components off the car.

BREADwagon > Frank Grimes 02/03/2014 at 06:12

2

The single best upgrade for my 1.6 NA (other than swapping to a '99 1.8) was stainless steel brake lines. I figured the old lines needed refreshing, but had no idea how big a difference the lines made. Braking effort at first felt way too hard, but after 30 seconds I was one with the brake pedal. Threshold braking is laughably easy and predictable.
Also, hold off on getting wider tires. Once you go wider and stickier tires, the car will grip like crazy, but won't be as fun. The handling limits will start to get too high to have fun on the road. It's hard to explain, but I have more fun with all seasons on the daisy rims than sticky tires on wide 16s. Don't get me wrong, wider tires is a huge upgrade, but I'd wait until you've learned the oem handling characteristics of the car without the increased grip.

I REALLY recommend you sign up at the miata.net forums. The guys over there are really awesome and there's more than all the information you would ever need on the miata. This question has been asked to death over there and the answer is always maintence is the first upgrade neccessary (trans and diff fluid, ngk blue spark plug wires, oil change, timing belt, water pump, brakes).
Cold air intakes and catbacks don't really have any gains, they are mostly for sound. Save up and get a standalone Ecu (megasquirt pnp for example) with wideband O2. Standalone Ecus give the biggest gain outside of a turbo kit or individual throttle bodies (you'd need a standalone anyway...)

YSI-what can brown do for you > Frank Grimes 02/03/2014 at 07:08

1

Listen to me, as I made a huge mistake going for the exhaust first. Get wheels and tires. It will make the car so much more planted. You are lucky, you have a Miata. Go and get some 949 wheels in 15x9 for 600 bucks and get some aggressive tires. Now go attack the autocross!!!

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > Frank Grimes 02/03/2014 at 10:31

1

Do a Fastback conversion!

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Frank Grimes 02/03/2014 at 21:22

0

I'm not the wisest, but here's the order I have done:

0. Mine is a '91, and it came with a hardtop. I'd put "hardtop" midway through your list.

1. Brakes (Flyin'miata kit)

2. Tires (Dunlop Direzza)

3. Suspension (Konis with stock springs, but if I had more $ I'd go coilovers or Flyin Miata stage II kit)

4. MagnaFlow cat (only because my old one was chewed up and rattled all over)

Next up is:

5. New all aluminum radiator (because 120ºF in Arizona summer)

6. Exhaust (Burns Stainless Racing)

7. Mega Squirt EFI

...because eventually...

8. Individual throttle bodies.

As others have said, CAI on a Miata is pointless; the Mazda engineers knew where to put the stock intake.

Frank Grimes > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username 02/03/2014 at 23:00

0

Holy crud you got a race car!

Where did you get the burns exhaust? Was it a kit or did you build it yourself?

Does a megasquirt pass emissions testing?

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Frank Grimes 02/04/2014 at 07:34

0

Everything after "Next up is:" hasn't happened yet.

So, no Burns exhaust yet, but after reading this article on Grassroots Motorsports a while back I knew that's what I would want when it came exhaust time.

Since I have a '91 it is ODB-I and emissions are a lot looser (e.g. no sensor on the cat), plus I'm in Arizona and emissions checks are easier than when I was in California. The ITB thing is a dream for me. I want a car that sounds intense without making the neighbors hate me.

DanZman > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username 06/26/2014 at 00:48

0

AZ only has emissions in Maricopa county. you can just get a friend to register it at his grandmas house in Prescott... ;-)