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CX Racing 1.6 Turbo Kit - Worth it?

8K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  brontosaurus 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

Being a broke kid in college, I obviously like to find the cheapest things to do to my car, however, I do have a little common sense that won't let me ruin my car.

I saw this review of a CX Racing Turbo Kit for a 1.6 that really piqued my interest:



He paired his kit with an MSPnP2 and went into a little detail of self-tuning. I know that besides that, he has the Wideband O2 and a few misc items that he needed to complete the kit.

I found the kit here (at least the main part of it) and it comes out to a nice and cheap $978 (+ tax). So that, plus the price of an MSPnP2 (~$800 depending on where you get it), and then a wideband O2 with gauge (~$150-$200) comes out to around $2000, which... isn't bad considering my budget.

When I first got my car, I really wanted to turbo, so I learned from everyone about how I should spend my time researching and get quality parts, which I know is the best thing to do, there is no doubt about that. However, as a budget option that will allow me to learn the basics of turboing and tuning (especially if I can re-use the MSPnP2 eventually), this kind of thing is really appealing, especially if I can find an extra 1.6 to drop in (and run N/A) if this thing blows.

My goal is only around 8 lbs of boost, which from my research, yields about 150-160 HP. I know the stock open diff doesn't like a lot of power, so a torsen has always been on my list, as well as getting an NB 6 speed if I can find one. Also, I would likely pick up Rx-8 injectors, or something around 250-300cc.


What are your thoughts on this? Is this a path worth considering or is this just another tempting purchase that will be my demise?
 
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#6 ·
Mt.net has some very knowledgeable people and good information but some of those same ones can be/are complete tools most the time and worst yet that is the majority of the moderators(that post frequently anyways, branieck is the worst imo). Best to lurk and read then to post. It is a environment that doesn't encourage new members but I think that is the point. :suicide:
 
#7 ·
Lol yeah. I've gotten some decent feedback along with two separate remarks (;)).

The one thing I don't like is the post filter thing. Why not let the post go up and just deal with it later? If they're going to be so brutal about people posting nasty stuff when they post it themselves, they should just restrict people to being invite-only.

That said, I do kind of enjoy the smack talk because I've realized that people (usually) aren't out to get you, only just to poke fun.
 
#8 ·
Welp, my thread was getting somewhere and had plenty of information in it, but it was deleted for some reason. People were having a small and very fruitful discussion (I'm serious, it was good information), but before my second post could be approved by a moderator (I don't even know what that was about), it was deleted.
 
#11 ·
Have you checked out mkturbo.com? That is as budget as it gets and actually works, built by a miata enthusiast(Lars) and has a good reputation in the few years its been around.
 
#16 ·
Mkturbo would be your best option for a budget turbo kit; I would personally stay away from eBay. MT.net is fine as long as you conduct your research before asking a question and can take their version of constructive criticisms.

Example:

Hey, guys, I'm trying to wire up my COPS, but I wanted to know if you need a capacitor?

According to blah blah blah, I don't need one
*Link to appropriate thread*

But according to this thread blah blah, I need one
*link to relevant thread*

Not too sure what to follow?

-------------------------------------------

You get the idea, do not go to MT.net expecting to be spoon feed information or else you're going to have a bad time. They want empirical data/evidence over personal opinions.
 
#17 ·
When I had my first NA and was going to try and DIY, this was the absolute CHEAPEST I could come up with without using "eBay" tubular manifolds that are known to crack or with the same "eBay" downpipes, also known to crack. This was also factoring me in doing leg work of using my truck/trailer to get the car to and from an exhaust shop, finding and building my own oil and return lines, and also being prepared to deal with other "surprise" ancillary cost that would come up.

-1.6 Cast Manifold - $150
-Used, good condition T25 or T28 off an SR20 or Pulsar GTiR, ~$100-$200 depending on the "deal" you can find
-T25 to V-Band $30
-3" V-Band adapter $30
-90 Deg elbow for the downpipe $25
-Have an exhaust shop fab up the rest of the downpipe, the bends are gentle ~$25-$50(From experience)
-"eBay" exhaust-$150
-Reman RX-8 Yellow Injectors from Rock Auto $175
-Misc Oil feed/return line parts that you come up with yourself $50-$75(oil pan tap, fittings hose, etc.)
-"eBay" intercooler -$60
-Generic intercooler "kit" $100
-AEM FIC piggy back $310
-Wideband of your choice ~$175 - $200

Grand total= $1380- $1555 to get the car running, with a reliable turbo(assuming you picked a good one)ready for a tune.

If I were in your shoes, and looking to be around $2000, this is the route I would take:
MKTurbo kit $1500 + AEM FIC $300 + RX8 Yellow injectors $175 + wideband $175-$200 = $2150-$2175

If you're satisfied with being in the sub 200hp level, the AEM FIC piggyback can DEFINITELY get you there.
 
#19 ·
Careful that manifold is for T3/T4 turbos. eBay vendors don't have the cast 1.6 T25 manifold anymore, only for the 1.8 now. I would get a PRL Motorsports manifold kit and weld it yourself if you know how. That's the route I'm going down now.
 
#18 ·
Please don't be tempted by cheap cost of CX. Manifold will crack, downpipe will crack, Chinese turbo seals will blow... Sounds like you know that you will be changing things out eventually, why not start right the first time?

Why settle with used RX-8 inj. when you can get larger plug n plays for less and have more headroom for future. You can get Megasquirt for less if you build it yourself $500.

If all you're looking for is 150-160 get a JR M45 supercharger, it'll get you there in your budget range. I made 158whp/147tq @ 6psi running DIYPNP.

Problem is that I then wanted more and you will too. So I ended up putting together my own turbo kit, avoiding miataturbo. It has quality parts and cost me more than CX, but less than FM base kit, but it is also much more than FM kit.

If you decide against CX let me know and I can give you a list of what I used.
 
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