Best place for Miata parts? Best mods!

[sdun]

You didn't try a Honda s2000? I drove one that I was painting and it was a blast to drive stock. I think it redlined at 9k and handled like a rat.

You know, over the last four months, I drove and researched, 2 Vettes, A Viper, BRZ, 370Z, 350Z, a new Mustang, 135i, Z4,and two Miatas. Ultimately I just chose the Miata. The Vettes were a close second and the Mustang ranked pretty high but the rest all have to many issues or maintenance costs for just screwing around. The Mazda is a well proven platform and have tons of aftermarket support.

[kingjason]

You didn't try a Honda s2000? I drove one that I was painting and it was a blast to drive stock. I think it redlined at 9k and handled like a rat.

I did look at those but never drove them. The fact they were not sold in a auto took them off the list. Same way with the Viper and Z06 I drove. I like for my wife to be able to drive all of our cars. It would be just wrong to by a Vert she couldn't drive, or any car for that matter. Also for all the speed guys, if I wanted something really fast I would build another turbo liter bike. I have had a couple of 200 mph + bikes that were a lot of fun but really now days I was just looking for a fun little daily driver. Something I could mod a bit and do some track time while not breaking the budget. Next year I will probably buy a RC8 or something.

[jayjohnson600]

So, in my limited experience with Miata performance, dropping weight has been surprisingly productive. Also reduce the rotating weight

Then run high octane pump gas and advance the timing until you find the sweet spot.

Lower the height and go with good suspension parts and tires.

Since the car doesn't have the impulse accelleration, get the car(and driver) to carry the speed through the turns.

I've been impressed with what these cars have to offer for such low costs, and now that the 1990 is about to be exempt from inspection, I'm going to see what happens after I put plenty of horsepower into the platform.

[Baron Von Crowder]

So, in my limited experience with Miata performance, dropping weight has been surprisingly productive. Also reduce the rotating weight

Then run high octane pump gas and advance the timing until you find the sweet spot.

Lower the height and go with good suspension parts and tires.

Since the car doesn't have the impulse accelleration, get the car(and driver) to carry the speed through the turns.

I've been impressed with what these cars have to offer for such low costs, and now that the 1990 is about to be exempt from inspection, I'm going to see what happens after I put plenty of horsepower into the platform.

Turbo?

[BradM]

I did look at those but never drove them. The fact they were not sold in a auto took them off the list. Same way with the Viper and Z06 I drove. I like for my wife to be able to drive all of our cars. It would be just wrong to by a Vert she couldn't drive, or any car for that matter. Also for all the speed guys, if I wanted something really fast I would build another turbo liter bike. I have had a couple of 200 mph + bikes that were a lot of fun but really now days I was just looking for a fun little daily driver. Something I could mod a bit and do some track time while not breaking the budget. Next year I will probably buy a RC8 or something.

Your wife is being deprived of fun. Teach her how to drive a stick, I taught my wife, she can drive the shit out of a manual now.

[Baron Von Crowder]

Your wife is being deprived of fun. Teach her how to drive a stick, I taught my wife, she can drive the shit out of a manual now.

My wife knows how to drive a standard, but doesnt want to. She learned when she was 16, but hasnt had to since, and gave it a go one time a few years back in my ranger. She did great for a couple miles, and then killed it at sonic, said she was done and hasnt done it or attempted since.

I have bought several cars in an auto with the "my wife can drive it too" and after the third one that she never did, I bought myself a manual.

[kingjason]

Your wife is being deprived of fun. Teach her how to drive a stick, I taught my wife, she can drive the shit out of a manual now.

I taught her to drive a lifted and locked YJ a while back and she was not a fan. To be honest I have no interest in driving a standard. I drove them growing up and even my 95 F350 I sold a few years back was a standard. Most modern autos can perform fairly close with a standard anyways and fuck a bunch of shifting. I can assure you if I leave this car while at work it will get driven. Same reason we have a KFX700. My wife would have hated four wheeling if she had to shift gears. Put her on the ole auto and she asked me what she had been missing her whole life. Not to mention after riding that thing I prefer an auto in that now also. What can I say I am getting lazy in my old age.

[kingjason]

Hey Jay.

I have a Miata of my own too. My dilema is do I spend money supercharging my '13GT or do I start my V8 conversion on the Miata?

Since I'm tempted to get rid of the Mustang since I have a new kid again and get a 4 door, the V8 project may win out.

I picked mine up for $1200 and it runs great, but it needs lots of body and paint work. It will be getting that this fall most likely. If you guys have never driven a Miata hard at an autoX or on a roadcourse, you don't know what you are missing. The other nice thing is they are easy to work on, fun to mod, and tough as nails.

No matter what you do though, they are always slow in a straight line. They are silly slow stock. Modded with turbos or superchargers, they are still slow..... and then once you go to a V8 the chassis is way overpowered.

Best places for Miata parts: Moss, GoodwinRacing, and FlyinMiata. I've dealt with all 3 over the years and had good luck with them. I'm going to start doing business with Monster Miata pretty soon too.

I had not seen Goodwin Racing until you posted it. Great site and very nicely set up with reviews and dynos.

I will say you cost me some money though. Koni's, Progressive coils, Racing Beat sways and Super Q exhaust. I had to get my ducktail out of Japan since no one in the US makes one worth a damn. I didn't do the ceramic header yet because I can't decide if a full exhaust and tune will tide me over or if I am going to order the new super charger. I am really big on reliability and I do not want this thing to be really loud so the FI with stock header may be the preferred choice. I do like the fact that if the engine pops a 2.5 from a Mazda 3bolts right in and everything attaches to it for a whopping 2k. My wife has already informed me it will be her summer car.



There is a couple of Harley odds and ends mixed in and a new pond cover but my wife just laughed when I sent her this pic.

After the mods.

[kingjason]

Soooo the black 07 sold before I could buy it back front the dealer. I had traded it in on the beast in the back ground while I was trying to sell my Jeep. Needles to say I missed my little sports car. So I found this jewel in Longview for a heck of a price. 2013, 30k mile, Club, Auto. I wont lie I spent a little more then I was looking to since I was after a black 09+, however I couldn't find anything that wasn't sketchy anywhere remotely close. Well I am not disappointed. Apparently they worked all the bugs out by 09 and there is no doubt in my mind this car is a little better in every way than then 07. Don't get me wrong the 07 was great, handling wise after all the work, but this thing just feels tighter, tranny shifts firmer, higher redline, better internals, and the radio is improved. Hell I have no desire to even mess with the suspension at this point. This set up is almost as good as the after market I had on the 07. I put the Goodwin Super Q on it today and ordered a very clean looking carbon ducktail that a company just came out with. Its similar to the one on the black car but carbon and doesn't need the emblems moved. After I square away a lightly used dirt bike I will be going to work on this. Either Electric SC for about 50hp, or a turbo for around 100 hp. You can't get crazy with the autos, although one of the other guys just did a valve body upgrade and it may be just what the auto needs with more HP. I might do Fox coil overs and a brake kit eventually but in no hurry.

[Craizie]

Looks 100x better.

[petyweestraw]

You lost me at electric sc

[kingjason]

Looks 100x better.

You know I wanted a black one but I really dig the Club paint jobs. They all look good, plus white doesn't show off dust as much.

[kingjason]

You lost me at electric sc

Yeah I am leaning towards the TDR turbo kit but the Electric kit is very nice and 50hp is a lot in one of these. They have a new controller out that ups the boost gradually just like a normal supercharger instead of instant on. Hell full exhaust and a tune will get you 30hp, just not sure I want the noise of a header. They actually have several SC kits out for them now. I haven't seen anything good on the Kraftworks kit yet or I might even be tempted to go that route. There was a 414 HP 2013 turbo running around for a bit. I think that might be a little to much usable power in a 2500 lb car. One guy in San Marcos has a Cosworth set up and I think he is reliably daily driving 350hp.

[Denny]

Electric SC?!

[petyweestraw]

I just don't buy it is what I'm saying.