[haris300]

I bought this 1.6 Miata with 100k miles so I'd have a non turbo daily driver. I got bored and decided to throw on a basic turbo setup and a few mods here and there. So much for leaving it stock. Looks like my z32 has a new boosted buddy in the garage.


This is just a start, many more mods and goodies will be coming soon.


t25 Garrett turbo setup @5psi for now
slightly upgraded but still quiet exhaust
upgraded pads and rotors
coilovers (ordered, waiting for shipment)
some interior mods
various engine bay deletes/tucks
and a few other things here and there


More interior, exterior, suspension, cooling, and tuning goodies are on the way. Seems like Megasquirt really is the way to go on these. I'm very used to using NIStune on the Z but I see no difficulty in learning new software.

It's real fun to drive as a daily even at 5-6psi. When I get the urge for 18psi, I take the Z out for a drive.

Of course I have a few more things I need to take care of, but this is how it sits now. I plan for a custom intercooler setup with proper positioning and ducting so that my cooling system is not rendered inefficient for my setup. I live in Houston so Summer isn't as forgiving as it is in other states. Upgraded radiator, coolant reroute, and fan mod are already being taken care of. Waiting on parts to come in is nerve racking.

Well, I'll do my best to keep this as updated as possible.

here are some current progress pictures for now

^current status

don't mind the pre coilover ride height

thank you for looking!

 

[haris300]

engine bay resprayed and wire tuck completed tonight

 

[haris300]

Built a better radiator overflow tank / catch can today.

Materials:
-stainless steel drinking bottle from Wal-Mart - 5$
-plastic T fitting
-vacuum hose
-rubber o ring (not necessary but it gave the T fitting a nicer fit.

I took the plastic cap off of the bottle and drilled a hole in the middle so that I could insert the bottom of the T fitting into it. You can use an O ring for a snugger fit if you feel like it.

Once the T fitting was in place, I attached a proper size piece of hose to it from the inner side of the cap.


Then I filled the new tank back up with water, screwed the modified cap back on, and attached the rubber drain hose I took off from the factory tank cap.

Last step was to attach the hose that comes from the radiator cap and secure the new tank/can. I put it behind the AC dryer/receiver and used SS fastening ties to hold it in place.

Works great and keeps the bay tidy. Not bad for a 5 dollar modification. I'm probably going to fit the factory overflow cap to make it look like it belongs more. I also ripped off the red pin stripping that came with the car and redid it in black.

 

[haris300]

****, no one likes me. Oh well.

Ordered a Megan Racing radiator and a GReddy cap for extra bling.

I took out the thermostat and found this. I don't think it's a factory part since I was told the factory one is a 2 way valve. I put it in boiling water and it doesn't open. Ever. The other side looks like it was bent up by pliers or something..odd.

Ordered a new OEM thermostat and gasket yesterday. Also expecting some more goodies next week.

 

[LowerClass]

The engine tuck looks super clean man! I was rocking Jmags for a bit also lol I bet that Z is a beast.

 

[emtran]

After seeing your Z build I was waiting for a build thread for the Miata. Cant wait to see what this turns into.

 

[Neo]

Nice build bro. Keep it comin

 

[haris300]

Megan Racing radiator was out of stock so I ordered a Mishimoto instead.

Started working on a heat shield yesterday. Finished it up today, pretty much made it into an enclosure for the hot side of the turbo.

I'll update again when all my stuff comes in the mail.

 

[haris300]

I changed the fuel filter today. The fuel that came out looked like **** water..and the amount of loose particles in the there really gave me a scare. It was pretty damn clogged for 100k but the car is 21 years old, so go figure..

It's actually running surprisingly better now. I didn't think I would even notice a difference. It's also nice that that damn aftermarket thermostat has been replaced. The 2 way OEM one is actually opening up and doing it's job. No more running without a thermostat anymore.


I got my Garagestar cooling panel in the mail, it looks amazing. Pretty damn good quality and it was just 40 dollars shipped. Got a bunch of other parts in the mail too but I'm still waiting for my radiator and coilovers.

After daily driving the car for some time, I'm really debating on whether or not I want to up the boost from 5psi. I know it's pretty low, but I'm not going to lie, I don't drive it that hard and never really felt the need for more power. I've just been using it as a fun little cruiser to take to college and other near by places. We'll see what happens after I fab up a new intercooler setup.

 

[haris300]

Look what decided to show up finally.

 

[blu92]

Engine bay looks nice!

 

[Stoly]

Looks good!

 

[_spyder]

Underrated build thread, awesome stuff here. Go up to 10psi, it won't hurt anything

 

[haris300]

Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate the positive feedback.

I knocked out the install after dinner tonight.

 

[erikonetime]

sub'd. great thread, love the engine bay.

 

[banzai]

looks good so far . clean bay!!

 

[haris300]

Installed the coilovers today. I love the way these look in the engine bay.

Front is full stiff
Rear is 3 clicks from full stiff

I'm probably going to go another 3/4 inch lower.

 

[Bluegs03]

i love the black pin stripe 'ing (sp?) it completely changed the exterior for the better!

 

[haris300]

tweaked the suspension to my liking today. Going to have my buddy align it on Wednesday. I absolutely love how this thing corners.

 

[Rezist09]

Wow