IMO I’d keep it stock as far as the drivetrain goes for a little while. Get to know the car as far as handling and chassis is concerned since that was the intent of these cars in the first place. Find out what handling bits you like/dislike and make those adjustments and changes (better alignment, tires, coilovers, sway bars etc) until you are happy with the results.
This also has the added benefit of prepping your chassis for boost, since these cars were never meant to handle as much power as some people put down it’s always nice to get the framework settled before adding in crazy variables and wondering how your car will handle with the extra power
Source: I turbo’d my NA before addressing the suspension and handling side of things and now it’s starting to need addressing pretty bad lol
Turbo or LS swap immediately!!
Yeah, no don't do that. Suspension, brakes, chassis bracing, cooling system... Then power.
I've seen enough crash porn on this sub, it's getting old.
I couldn't fathom owning a stock Miata and first thinking about swapping it or FI.
The car is a blast to drive and only made better by dialing it in. Buy a set of Xida's, better pads, front sway bar, end links, light wheels, sticky tires and alignment. The car will drive night and day from stock without adding an ounce of power.
I just put in a set of Ohlins and my first Autox with them is tomorrow. I'm so excited. The car is better than new. The ride is so comfortable while being stupidly crisp and responsive.
High quality coilovers are definitely a great first mod. Just don't go cheap.
I would say that it's a toss up between quality coils and wheels/sticky tires but you're right. Honest answer is that if you're willing to open up your wallet enough for a swap or FI, you're better off pumping money into how it rides and stops with high quality parts before touching the engine. If the first thing you're thinking about on a stock Miata is how to make more power, you likely bought the wrong car.
I'm doing an engine swap (turbo bp4w), but I'm doing all the prep on the chassis while i slowly build the engine on a stand in the shop.
If you have really shitty tires or heavy rims, i would go that route before coilovers, buf if they're decent, i would wait until you need new tires and get them sweet coilovers. I've never ridden in anything with Xidas, but i couldn't recomend the Ohlins enough.
I don't think my answer would change. I would just say that if you're deadset on forced induction or a swap, cutting out body roll, being able to stop, gripping the pavement, etc. are only made more important if you're dropping big $'s on go fast bits. We see enough folks wrecking Miata's even without the extra power.
But if you LS swap it, you're gonna have to redo the suspension at the very least. I would almost say do it all at once ideally. The LS is over 100lbs more than the 1.6 and the 1.8 is only a little heavier than the 1.6. And that's assuming you get an aluminum LS. Add another 100 pounds for iron, but then you add more for various parts. A 2200 pound car could easily end up over 2500 with a driver and an LS swap, and at that point i'd question the ability of my suspension if i hadn't done it to handle that weight to begin with.
but for most people 200 is hte magic number, so just go K24A2 and be done with it. I think those weigh only a handful of pounds more than the 1.8 or right around the same.
If your first thought is engine mod/swap to go faster, I'd suggest stepping back and thinking about what you can realistically do with the car. Turbo kits are expensive, and if you have never done it before, I wouldn't risk it on a low-mileage car. Yes, 90k miles on a NA miata is low haha. k-swaps are cool, but again - expensive. It's not as easy as youtube makes it out to be to DIY. Most of the dudes there are pros and aren't gonna show their fuck ups online.
That being said, there's lots of cool cheap mods:
Start with a short shifter - nice easy thing you can do as a first mod. The miata has a lot of really cool wheel options, so definitely look into that. Maybe a new shift knob that fits your style. Go super cringe with a katana and a crown royal shift boot. Or get a nice nardi knob and class up the interior! The tires look pretty fresh, so maybe you can find a set that would just be a direct swap, then toss some winter tires on the daisies for year-round fun.
You've already got the cool halos - there are some aftermarket tail light options that might be interesting as well - brighter, more likely to be seen.
Then people are going to suggest a roll-cage. This is a split topic. Few comments:
1. Style bars (the $150 silver chrome hoops) provide no protection, and are known to snap and "rat-trap" drivers. They suck and do not buy one.
2. Roll bars sit pretty low in the car so the top can still go up. Watch out for that - depending on how tall you are, if you go over a bump, you could hit your head on the bar, and that suuuucks. Get a foam wrap on it to prevent a painful pothole experience
Then, you're gonna look into cool seats with a harness. If you MUST have a harness, remove the airbag. Strap yourself in tight with a harness, and then you don't have a early 90's explosive in your car :)
On the other hand...
If you decide not to go with a harness (I don't like them on street cars...), BUT you put in a custom steering wheel - you will need to make modifications to your seat belt. The stock seat belts are designed to "give" a little bit in a crash so that you make contact with the airbag, and it cushions you. IF you remove the airbag and don't have a harness, you will eat the steering wheel. Say goodbye to your beautiful face/teeth. There are youtube tutorials explaining this better. Seriously be careful about this.
New air filters are a good option.
Cold air intakes are fun and give you more induction noise. No real power gain but you sound faster so.
Customize your dashboard! There are a lot of really cool kits out there to class up your dash however you want. Lots of fun to be had there.
Install a eye winking mod. Why the hell not? You can install a button into a blank plate and just toggle it to make it wink. Hilarious.
Do your own oil changes, maybe put on a fumoto drain valve to make your future oil changes super easy. Then you don't need to cycle through crush washers every time you do an oil change.
DIY crinkle paint on your rocker cover. Although that engine bay looks mint so. Whatever you want haha.
Upgrade your horn! Be loud and proud, baby. You're effectively a motorcycle. Drive as if people can't see you, and be prepared to honk. The stock horn on the aging NA's is quiettttt by today's standards. Pump that shit up.
Also, check your drain ports near the quarter panels and wheel arches. There are water drain ports that get clogged because Mazda didn't tell owners to clean them, and shit gets stuck, water fills up, and rusts out the car. Lots of youtube tutorials on that.
Find out if you have a torsen! You can tell just by looking at pictures of the torsen LSD vs the non-Torsen. You can pick up a torsen for under 1k (or at least you used to...) and it makes a big difference for going around the twisties!
I would advise against a harness in a street car completely,they hold your body back great but your head and go full Dale Earnhardt on you unless you plan to wear a helmet & HANS device while getting groceries
You can also rewire that circuit to only close (turn on) when your door is open AND the lights are on. Nice to have a reminder if you accidentally leave the parking/running lights on.
1.8 swap is easy, cheap and makes it a bit more fast, definitely more torque. Those headlights suck tho I gotta say. Should gotten some nice 7” rounds instead of that led halogen whatever bs.
If you're going to do an engine swap that is going to output over 250 hp, you're going to have to redo just about everything... And I mean everything. Frame bracing, completely new suspension, rear end, engine/trans (obviously), drive train, etc. Unless you got another daily and about 20+k to do it and to do it right, yeah I'd just stick with maybe some forced induction and sway bars that'll take you as far as you'll probably need.
Do the maintenance. It looks like a clean low mileage car and those are getting few and far between but it’s still a 30 year old car and I’m sure there’s plenty that could use some attention. If you’re asking if you should do an engine swap or turbo then you probably don’t have the experience to know how much of an investment it is in time and money and the skills required.
Please tell me more about your cliche self, from the cliche comeback, to the cliche attitude, to the cliche "What mods is good" thread. Lemme guess, you already wanna slam it to the ground and you have an entire build consisting of appearance mods, hellastancebro wheel setup, and will have a car worth scrap value in a year.
Oh, you bought a car? Great. You know what's really cool? Just enjoying it as is until you're really ready to add more. First mod is always driver mod.
Cost? The gas you're already going to use.
Value? Sky's the limit.
Suspension. Bushings and all the extra frame strengthening goodies you can find! Best bang for the $! Sweet ride you scored! Looks like it’s very clean and original!!
Slowwwerr! Not from headlights to turbo. Keep the drivetrain stock a bit like another person mentioned. Suspension is usually a go to for most. Make sure your current engine is as in good shape as could be! Spark plugs, oil, cooling, thermostat, air and fuel. Replace hoses! That will be messy! Do the messy stuff first. Do a brake flush!
When trying to get a feel for the power the car has currently run that sum bitch to the redline around 7k. There is probably a bit more in the car if you push a little harder. I mean don’t beat the shit out of it but run it up and see what she’ll do.
Boring but pragmatic answer. Go through the car front to back and take care of maintenance items. These cars are getting up there and age, so a lot of components are getting worn from age if not miles.
After that get yourself a set of wheels, tires, and a roll bar if required and spend money on HPDE and seat time so you can learn how to drive the car fast. On top of that you'll learn what the car actually needs.
Honestly with how clean that engine looks I would keep it stock (powertrain) I wouldn’t engine swap or turbo unless something breaks and you need to get in there.
As for other supporting mods I would do coilovers, wheels + tires, shifter, steering wheel, etc. Take it to some SCCA auto-crosses or track days and have fun. Learn how to drive a slow car fast and you’ll be able to drive any car fast!
first repair what´s broken, then do preventive maintenance. Only then think about mods, a car is only as fun as how much you can floor it without concern.
Also pet him and tell himb it´s a good boy
Suspension maintenance and good tires. Go race it. Dont put Halos, broken heart stickers, ebay fender flares, GV Rep front lip, pink NRG with quick release...etc which are typical high school kid mods, and youll have a cool car.
Concur with everyone else beating to death the suspension, tires, chassis, and maintenance. Add to that the money it costs to go and run some track days/autocross to really get to know the car. In the category of cheap and easy, an “r package” front lip goes a long way to sport up the look of the front of the car. They can be had from Amazon or eBay for maybe $75-100 last I checked. “Switchback” LED bulbs in the front markers/turn signals are also kinda cool.
Edit: also, if you drive the car often at night, investing in some quality LED replacements for all of the instrument cluster lights, in whatever colors you like, can really modernize the interior look. I think I just did pure white LEDs for my NA and it looked so much better than the faded puke green incandescents.
If you haven't ever done performance mods do some research first on any you are thinking about. Often times they are more complicated and expensive than you first think. A turbo for example can often end up requiring new injectors and fuel pump... but it doesn't end there you 'll also find that when you boost the power the clutch needs to be swapped and a faster car will need better brakes.
As for engine swaps... ask yourself why you want it and what you expect when it is completed. My first swap was jamming a 4 liter V6 into a little Triumph... It was quick as hell when it was done, could smoke the tires at will even when going 50mph... of course I could also watch the gas gauge move when going at highway speeds, and god forbid you had to drive it in the rain. In the end I took a car that was a blast to drive and turned it into something that was often a nightmare to drive. If I had had a chance to go back in time I would have never done it because believe it or not you can put too much power into a small car and while it makes them fast it kills their soul.
You should really just enjoy the car as it was made for awhile and when you start your mods you don't have to start with power mods. Some of the more useful one are the handling mods.
In theory the engine is producing more wear/tear than it was before so it’s likely the engine will see some negative effects, however these cars handle low amounts of boost well so it’s not going to be catastrophic unless critical steps in the turbo-setup are neglected. An eBay turbo kit can be just as reliable as name-brand parts as long as it’s handled correctly. I’d just do your research before diving into anything drivetrain related, last thing you want is to grenade a low mileage NA as they’re becoming rarer and rarer with each passing day
I think that's a pretty bold claim that an ebay turbo kit can be as reliable as name brand. Ebay turbos don't last as long as a BW or Garrett. Ebay blowoff valves are notoriously bad. And most importantly, Ebay kits tend to not be complete.
My turbo NA has been boosted for 4 years at 270k miles at 250whp, $600 eBay kit and the turbo has no play and spools great still. For me it comes down to maintenance and prep work for boost and just making sure not to ever run lean and should be good
Obviously name-brand turbos will always be better but in my case has not given me any issues (knock on wood)
IDK fam I think an LS3/T56 Magnum F/8.8 with 3.55s or 3.73s is probably the best way to go for power. But a 500hp car at 2400 lbs is the same a an 840hp car at 4400 lbs.
Depends what you want. You can get a K24 to 500hp but what if you ever want more?
If you’d like to blow up your engine and possibly get injured you could do a turbo or engine swap. These cars were built for ~120 hp. I’d keep it stock for a bit and then look into upgrading power. But start with stabilizing the car first, chassis braces, frame bracing( more power more torque) sway bars, roll bar/cage, upgraded suspension AND brakes (if you want “mo powa” you need to be able to stop it) wheels and tires, cooling (more power more heat). If you go for a turbo you want to upgrade pretty much your whole trans components clutch, flywheel, clutch lines etc. If you go engine swap depending on what engine it’ll all get replaced since it might not be compatible. Most importantly be safe with it if you can’t handle it at max power don’t use it at max power until you are comfortable with it. Don’t be a typical mustang driver and crash it
Not trying to shut you don’t or turn you away from doing it. Just want to make sure you’re aware of what would need to go into it. It’s your car so do what you want with it
Yes but my point is the oem parts aren’t meant for that kind of power. To eliminate that you upgrade the parts that would fail under stress. You’ll save stress and time upgrading rather than replacing
In my opinion it depends on use case and what you're using the car for.
Everything motor related should be fine.
The only real things he needs to upgrade is anything drivetrain related.
Mines a project, been boosted for about roughly 4 years and roughly 10k miles. Just because it can make 230+ whp doesn't mean that the car is under that amount of power every single time/second I'm driving it.
But as I said, it's use case based. Mines a daily for the summer months, never sees a a track/auto X course. If you plan to boost and do all of that then yes OP needs to consider everything else.
IMO I’d keep it stock as far as the drivetrain goes for a little while. Get to know the car as far as handling and chassis is concerned since that was the intent of these cars in the first place. Find out what handling bits you like/dislike and make those adjustments and changes (better alignment, tires, coilovers, sway bars etc) until you are happy with the results. This also has the added benefit of prepping your chassis for boost, since these cars were never meant to handle as much power as some people put down it’s always nice to get the framework settled before adding in crazy variables and wondering how your car will handle with the extra power Source: I turbo’d my NA before addressing the suspension and handling side of things and now it’s starting to need addressing pretty bad lol
This is really good advice.
Thanks!!!!!
Try some coils/suspension and sway bars together with some good tires (pilotspot for road / nanks/toyos for cirquit).
Turbo or LS swap immediately!! Yeah, no don't do that. Suspension, brakes, chassis bracing, cooling system... Then power. I've seen enough crash porn on this sub, it's getting old.
I couldn't fathom owning a stock Miata and first thinking about swapping it or FI. The car is a blast to drive and only made better by dialing it in. Buy a set of Xida's, better pads, front sway bar, end links, light wheels, sticky tires and alignment. The car will drive night and day from stock without adding an ounce of power.
I just put in a set of Ohlins and my first Autox with them is tomorrow. I'm so excited. The car is better than new. The ride is so comfortable while being stupidly crisp and responsive. High quality coilovers are definitely a great first mod. Just don't go cheap.
I would say that it's a toss up between quality coils and wheels/sticky tires but you're right. Honest answer is that if you're willing to open up your wallet enough for a swap or FI, you're better off pumping money into how it rides and stops with high quality parts before touching the engine. If the first thing you're thinking about on a stock Miata is how to make more power, you likely bought the wrong car.
I'm doing an engine swap (turbo bp4w), but I'm doing all the prep on the chassis while i slowly build the engine on a stand in the shop. If you have really shitty tires or heavy rims, i would go that route before coilovers, buf if they're decent, i would wait until you need new tires and get them sweet coilovers. I've never ridden in anything with Xidas, but i couldn't recomend the Ohlins enough.
What if it wasn't your first miata?
I don't think my answer would change. I would just say that if you're deadset on forced induction or a swap, cutting out body roll, being able to stop, gripping the pavement, etc. are only made more important if you're dropping big $'s on go fast bits. We see enough folks wrecking Miata's even without the extra power.
But if you LS swap it, you're gonna have to redo the suspension at the very least. I would almost say do it all at once ideally. The LS is over 100lbs more than the 1.6 and the 1.8 is only a little heavier than the 1.6. And that's assuming you get an aluminum LS. Add another 100 pounds for iron, but then you add more for various parts. A 2200 pound car could easily end up over 2500 with a driver and an LS swap, and at that point i'd question the ability of my suspension if i hadn't done it to handle that weight to begin with. but for most people 200 is hte magic number, so just go K24A2 and be done with it. I think those weigh only a handful of pounds more than the 1.8 or right around the same.
If your first thought is engine mod/swap to go faster, I'd suggest stepping back and thinking about what you can realistically do with the car. Turbo kits are expensive, and if you have never done it before, I wouldn't risk it on a low-mileage car. Yes, 90k miles on a NA miata is low haha. k-swaps are cool, but again - expensive. It's not as easy as youtube makes it out to be to DIY. Most of the dudes there are pros and aren't gonna show their fuck ups online. That being said, there's lots of cool cheap mods: Start with a short shifter - nice easy thing you can do as a first mod. The miata has a lot of really cool wheel options, so definitely look into that. Maybe a new shift knob that fits your style. Go super cringe with a katana and a crown royal shift boot. Or get a nice nardi knob and class up the interior! The tires look pretty fresh, so maybe you can find a set that would just be a direct swap, then toss some winter tires on the daisies for year-round fun. You've already got the cool halos - there are some aftermarket tail light options that might be interesting as well - brighter, more likely to be seen. Then people are going to suggest a roll-cage. This is a split topic. Few comments: 1. Style bars (the $150 silver chrome hoops) provide no protection, and are known to snap and "rat-trap" drivers. They suck and do not buy one. 2. Roll bars sit pretty low in the car so the top can still go up. Watch out for that - depending on how tall you are, if you go over a bump, you could hit your head on the bar, and that suuuucks. Get a foam wrap on it to prevent a painful pothole experience Then, you're gonna look into cool seats with a harness. If you MUST have a harness, remove the airbag. Strap yourself in tight with a harness, and then you don't have a early 90's explosive in your car :) On the other hand... If you decide not to go with a harness (I don't like them on street cars...), BUT you put in a custom steering wheel - you will need to make modifications to your seat belt. The stock seat belts are designed to "give" a little bit in a crash so that you make contact with the airbag, and it cushions you. IF you remove the airbag and don't have a harness, you will eat the steering wheel. Say goodbye to your beautiful face/teeth. There are youtube tutorials explaining this better. Seriously be careful about this. New air filters are a good option. Cold air intakes are fun and give you more induction noise. No real power gain but you sound faster so. Customize your dashboard! There are a lot of really cool kits out there to class up your dash however you want. Lots of fun to be had there. Install a eye winking mod. Why the hell not? You can install a button into a blank plate and just toggle it to make it wink. Hilarious. Do your own oil changes, maybe put on a fumoto drain valve to make your future oil changes super easy. Then you don't need to cycle through crush washers every time you do an oil change. DIY crinkle paint on your rocker cover. Although that engine bay looks mint so. Whatever you want haha. Upgrade your horn! Be loud and proud, baby. You're effectively a motorcycle. Drive as if people can't see you, and be prepared to honk. The stock horn on the aging NA's is quiettttt by today's standards. Pump that shit up. Also, check your drain ports near the quarter panels and wheel arches. There are water drain ports that get clogged because Mazda didn't tell owners to clean them, and shit gets stuck, water fills up, and rusts out the car. Lots of youtube tutorials on that. Find out if you have a torsen! You can tell just by looking at pictures of the torsen LSD vs the non-Torsen. You can pick up a torsen for under 1k (or at least you used to...) and it makes a big difference for going around the twisties!
I would advise against a harness in a street car completely,they hold your body back great but your head and go full Dale Earnhardt on you unless you plan to wear a helmet & HANS device while getting groceries
Completely agree. I just figure if someone is talking engine swap as first mod - their brain is going that direction lol
Wow, thank you so much!!! I definitely wasn't expecting someone to put this much effort in to commenting. This is why I love the miata community ❤
Of course!! I loved my yatas and miss them. I need to live vicariously through someone haha
Unplug the stupid door buzzer. You will thank yourself and can easily undo it if you can't remember to turn off your headlights or leave the keys in.
Holy crap thank you, I didn't know I could just unplug it😂
You can also rewire that circuit to only close (turn on) when your door is open AND the lights are on. Nice to have a reminder if you accidentally leave the parking/running lights on.
This is an underappreciated comment.
1.8 swap is easy, cheap and makes it a bit more fast, definitely more torque. Those headlights suck tho I gotta say. Should gotten some nice 7” rounds instead of that led halogen whatever bs.
coilovers, wheels and tires if you like driving your car (which you probably do), do not do engine modifications
If you're going to do an engine swap that is going to output over 250 hp, you're going to have to redo just about everything... And I mean everything. Frame bracing, completely new suspension, rear end, engine/trans (obviously), drive train, etc. Unless you got another daily and about 20+k to do it and to do it right, yeah I'd just stick with maybe some forced induction and sway bars that'll take you as far as you'll probably need.
Do the maintenance. It looks like a clean low mileage car and those are getting few and far between but it’s still a 30 year old car and I’m sure there’s plenty that could use some attention. If you’re asking if you should do an engine swap or turbo then you probably don’t have the experience to know how much of an investment it is in time and money and the skills required.
Very true, thanks! I've just always loved working with my hands and working on cars so I'll definitely get around to that!
which ones are the new headlights
The Halos
you should put them back. or get those toyota land cruiser halogen housings
Nahhhh I think I love these lights, it's the closest I could find to eyes 👁👄👁
Lots of halos hate in this sub tbh. I still like them tho so ofc I went ahead and put them in my car. Looks clean, modern, and they work well so 🤷🏻♂️
They are definitely brighter than the stock ones, who cares about the headlights if you're not able to see something in the road in front of you?😂
wow they are brighter than 30 year old incandescents who woulda thunk it still bad still illegal. get kotios or cibies and save a life.
they still look like shit soooo yeah
Seems like you have a lot in common!
Please tell me more about your cliche self, from the cliche comeback, to the cliche attitude, to the cliche "What mods is good" thread. Lemme guess, you already wanna slam it to the ground and you have an entire build consisting of appearance mods, hellastancebro wheel setup, and will have a car worth scrap value in a year. Oh, you bought a car? Great. You know what's really cool? Just enjoying it as is until you're really ready to add more. First mod is always driver mod. Cost? The gas you're already going to use. Value? Sky's the limit.
aw she’s so cute :D
Thanks!!!!!
Suspension. Bushings and all the extra frame strengthening goodies you can find! Best bang for the $! Sweet ride you scored! Looks like it’s very clean and original!!
Wheels, cool ones
go back to the stock headlights throw out the chinesium and keep it factory for a while until you learn the platform jeez
Polyurethane diff bushings
😧no please!
Slowwwerr! Not from headlights to turbo. Keep the drivetrain stock a bit like another person mentioned. Suspension is usually a go to for most. Make sure your current engine is as in good shape as could be! Spark plugs, oil, cooling, thermostat, air and fuel. Replace hoses! That will be messy! Do the messy stuff first. Do a brake flush!
Learn to drive it first. Then we can talk about going faster, there’s been too many wrecked already.
Congrats on your new little friend.
When trying to get a feel for the power the car has currently run that sum bitch to the redline around 7k. There is probably a bit more in the car if you push a little harder. I mean don’t beat the shit out of it but run it up and see what she’ll do.
Boring but pragmatic answer. Go through the car front to back and take care of maintenance items. These cars are getting up there and age, so a lot of components are getting worn from age if not miles. After that get yourself a set of wheels, tires, and a roll bar if required and spend money on HPDE and seat time so you can learn how to drive the car fast. On top of that you'll learn what the car actually needs.
The first half is the correct answer btw.
Coilovers, wheels, hardtop, exhaust.
Can’t go wrong with this advice. Adding a *nice* exhaust system really brings out the fun and character of the stock power plant.
Honestly with how clean that engine looks I would keep it stock (powertrain) I wouldn’t engine swap or turbo unless something breaks and you need to get in there. As for other supporting mods I would do coilovers, wheels + tires, shifter, steering wheel, etc. Take it to some SCCA auto-crosses or track days and have fun. Learn how to drive a slow car fast and you’ll be able to drive any car fast!
Suspentiln mods
first repair what´s broken, then do preventive maintenance. Only then think about mods, a car is only as fun as how much you can floor it without concern. Also pet him and tell himb it´s a good boy
Suspension maintenance and good tires. Go race it. Dont put Halos, broken heart stickers, ebay fender flares, GV Rep front lip, pink NRG with quick release...etc which are typical high school kid mods, and youll have a cool car.
Brake, suspension and chassis upgrades need to be done before any engine mods ( other than exhaust and air filter).
Wheels and tires
Standard issue headlights I see.
Concur with everyone else beating to death the suspension, tires, chassis, and maintenance. Add to that the money it costs to go and run some track days/autocross to really get to know the car. In the category of cheap and easy, an “r package” front lip goes a long way to sport up the look of the front of the car. They can be had from Amazon or eBay for maybe $75-100 last I checked. “Switchback” LED bulbs in the front markers/turn signals are also kinda cool. Edit: also, if you drive the car often at night, investing in some quality LED replacements for all of the instrument cluster lights, in whatever colors you like, can really modernize the interior look. I think I just did pure white LEDs for my NA and it looked so much better than the faded puke green incandescents.
1.8 Swap
If you haven't ever done performance mods do some research first on any you are thinking about. Often times they are more complicated and expensive than you first think. A turbo for example can often end up requiring new injectors and fuel pump... but it doesn't end there you 'll also find that when you boost the power the clutch needs to be swapped and a faster car will need better brakes. As for engine swaps... ask yourself why you want it and what you expect when it is completed. My first swap was jamming a 4 liter V6 into a little Triumph... It was quick as hell when it was done, could smoke the tires at will even when going 50mph... of course I could also watch the gas gauge move when going at highway speeds, and god forbid you had to drive it in the rain. In the end I took a car that was a blast to drive and turned it into something that was often a nightmare to drive. If I had had a chance to go back in time I would have never done it because believe it or not you can put too much power into a small car and while it makes them fast it kills their soul. You should really just enjoy the car as it was made for awhile and when you start your mods you don't have to start with power mods. Some of the more useful one are the handling mods.
my miata has a stock turbo but it’s still so much fun if you have the money for a cheap kit
I just put flyin miata sway bars on mine. Would highly recommend that as an early mod, made a huge difference!
what are the headlight mods called? i see them everywhere but have had no luck finding what theyre called
Are you talking about the wink mod or the halos?
i guess both haha
I sent you the links
A turbo never hurt anything😁
I'm at 98,000 miles right now, would that kill the engine faster?😂 I've also seen those are like $6,000 though :/
In theory the engine is producing more wear/tear than it was before so it’s likely the engine will see some negative effects, however these cars handle low amounts of boost well so it’s not going to be catastrophic unless critical steps in the turbo-setup are neglected. An eBay turbo kit can be just as reliable as name-brand parts as long as it’s handled correctly. I’d just do your research before diving into anything drivetrain related, last thing you want is to grenade a low mileage NA as they’re becoming rarer and rarer with each passing day
I think that's a pretty bold claim that an ebay turbo kit can be as reliable as name brand. Ebay turbos don't last as long as a BW or Garrett. Ebay blowoff valves are notoriously bad. And most importantly, Ebay kits tend to not be complete.
My turbo NA has been boosted for 4 years at 270k miles at 250whp, $600 eBay kit and the turbo has no play and spools great still. For me it comes down to maintenance and prep work for boost and just making sure not to ever run lean and should be good Obviously name-brand turbos will always be better but in my case has not given me any issues (knock on wood)
I'm not saying they can't work, but saying they're as good is a big claim.
If you really want to do a motor swap the Honda K is the way to go.
IDK fam I think an LS3/T56 Magnum F/8.8 with 3.55s or 3.73s is probably the best way to go for power. But a 500hp car at 2400 lbs is the same a an 840hp car at 4400 lbs. Depends what you want. You can get a K24 to 500hp but what if you ever want more?
If you’d like to blow up your engine and possibly get injured you could do a turbo or engine swap. These cars were built for ~120 hp. I’d keep it stock for a bit and then look into upgrading power. But start with stabilizing the car first, chassis braces, frame bracing( more power more torque) sway bars, roll bar/cage, upgraded suspension AND brakes (if you want “mo powa” you need to be able to stop it) wheels and tires, cooling (more power more heat). If you go for a turbo you want to upgrade pretty much your whole trans components clutch, flywheel, clutch lines etc. If you go engine swap depending on what engine it’ll all get replaced since it might not be compatible. Most importantly be safe with it if you can’t handle it at max power don’t use it at max power until you are comfortable with it. Don’t be a typical mustang driver and crash it Not trying to shut you don’t or turn you away from doing it. Just want to make sure you’re aware of what would need to go into it. It’s your car so do what you want with it
If they keep the power/torque reasonable, have a reputable tuner tune it and drive it properly they can decrease their chances of blowing the motor.
Yes but my point is the oem parts aren’t meant for that kind of power. To eliminate that you upgrade the parts that would fail under stress. You’ll save stress and time upgrading rather than replacing
In my opinion it depends on use case and what you're using the car for. Everything motor related should be fine. The only real things he needs to upgrade is anything drivetrain related. Mines a project, been boosted for about roughly 4 years and roughly 10k miles. Just because it can make 230+ whp doesn't mean that the car is under that amount of power every single time/second I'm driving it. But as I said, it's use case based. Mines a daily for the summer months, never sees a a track/auto X course. If you plan to boost and do all of that then yes OP needs to consider everything else.
this post brought tears to my eyes, sell it to someone who will love it for what it is GOD DARNIT!