Topic: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

Mostly interested in the top 5 chassis/suspension/brake upgrades or mods but I suppose it can be broken down into Top 5 Chassis and Top 5 Drivetrain.

This would be for the NA model.

Asking for a friend.

Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

1. Trade it for something from the 80's Chrysler FWD collection
2. Trade it for something French
3. Trade it for something eastern block
4. Trade it for something 2 stroke
5. Trade it for something british



I kid I kid.

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Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

An Iron duke would be an ultimate update.
4TB also an option, might be hard to get.

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4 (edited by billybobster 2017-04-13 03:00 PM)

Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

I've not been involved in a Miata Lemons effort, but I play one on TV. Err... I mean my track day car is a modded up 1995 Miata.

Part of the chassis advice depends on what year is the NA. The 90-93 NA (with the 1.6L) had a reputation for being floppy. Caging helps a lot but there are still ways you can stiffen them up especially in the front section in a Lemons DIY kind of way including stitch welding seams, under the front fender braces, a shock tower brace that really braces. Go look at what Flyin Miata offers (they make good stuff) and DIY reverse engineer.

Drop the drag a lot with a DIY fastback hardtop.

DIY-turbo the car a la Eyesore. Easier said than done but makes a big difference in a great handling car like a Miata. Don't go high on the boost, you can run 8psi all day with stock injectors and ECU, if you solve the fuel regulation.

OEM NA components are cheap to free. I got a good short block for free. Heads and 5 speed transmissions can be gotten for the "my wife said to get rid ot these" price too, so stock up.

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Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

Two Words:

SU Carbs.

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Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

stock springs or cut X coils?

stock NA brakes w/ Autopzone pads or ?

stock alignment or adjust to get X* caber and Y caster and Z toe?

Stock swaybars or swap out for rusty rebar?

Manual or power steering? Or just some rope like your childhood tobaggan?

Stock radiator or one from a 1988 F350 diesel?

Best to use 1994 ad later rear axles or 90-93 bolt in style are fine? Or swap out for bedposts and a few nails?

Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

I thought the eyesore folks had a pretty good writeup of all of their hackjob miata tricks.

Some stuff requires knowing people in the industry w/ fancy equipment (ex: shock dyno) but it's interesting reading


Handling
http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ … cksaw.aspx

Cooling rerouting & upgrading
http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ … route.aspx

Ghettocharging
http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ … rging.aspx

All articles
http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ … miata.aspx

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8 (edited by billybobster 2017-04-14 09:42 AM)

Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

Spank wrote:

stock springs or cut X coils?

stock NA brakes w/ Autopzone pads or ?

stock alignment or adjust to get X* caber and Y caster and Z toe?

Stock swaybars or swap out for rusty rebar?

Manual or power steering? Or just some rope like your childhood tobaggan?

Stock radiator or one from a 1988 F350 diesel?

Best to use 1994 ad later rear axles or 90-93 bolt in style are fine? Or swap out for bedposts and a few nails?

Have your friend search n' lurk on...

miata.net
miataturbo.net
General Googling

Springs - Chinese no-name springs are sooo cheap on eBay. 500F/300R or so. Or 700F/500R.

Brakes - stock rotors and calipers are just fine, do ducts & fluid. Pads - how much do you want to spend? I use G-Loc XP10/XP8 (aka Carbotech) - a Spec Miata popular setup.

Camber - 2.5 ish, caster - max it out, toe - zero it out

Sways - OEM is good on rear, go more burly on front

Manual or power steering is a good question - the hot setup is to depower a PS rack (search webz for right way), that's what I have on my track day car. So much front end feel. But might be too much for the arms on a Lemons length stint.

Radiator - more cooling always better

Rear axles - ?

25X Loser - Delinquent Racing - '86 Rust-Tite Merkur - 9 years (when do I get to stop?).

Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

This http://www.ecotecmiata.ca/ can be done in Lemons budget with some work.

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Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/pts/6063767293.html
https://images.craigslist.org/00S0S_aaZmXY76sJD_600x450.jpg

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

11 (edited by Evil Genius 2017-04-19 12:19 PM)

Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

Max out Camber
   Cut stock 2001 later sport springs
   2001 and later sport shocks (bilstiens)
   lightest wheels possible
   brakes don't matter, cheap ass rotors and whatever pads you like, I use ST-43 or CL RC5
       (if you are overheating brakes on a Miata, you're doing it wrong, really.)
   toss the rear sway bar, or not, but DO NOT upgrade it.
  On a 1.6 open up the intake tract and lean out the AFM for power
  On a 1.8 add a Fuel pressure regulator and lean it out for power
  Use NB shock top hats on NA cars for more room to lower car
  Don't use a header unless you are doing internal engine mods, they rob toque and make no more power (proven over years of dyno-tuning Miatas)
   Weight is your enemy, every little thing matters.
   Be very careful of over-stiff suspension, be it expensive or china-crap grade, it will slow you down. Compliance is a big deal, it keeps your tires on the ground. Miatas have a wonderful suspension, let it work, and remember, you are on 200 TW street tires.   
    China-crap springs can vary by 40%, we've tested, don't use 'em
   Have fun.

   -John


   Oh, and I forgot, take out that Mazda drivetrain and install a 3 cylinder, two stroke Yamaha Motor and CVT... it's a guarnteeeeeed  win.

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Re: Top 5 LeMons-friendly upgrades for a Miata?

Who are you guys kidding.  You know darn well he's going to put a BMC A-series in it and none of this will matter.

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