Mew Miata owner, looking for performance improvement

A Miata newbie here. I just bought a 2001 special edition with 38,000 miles on it. While it is great to buzz around town in, I am seeking advice on performance improvement. What ever I do, I don't want the car to be real loud and I want it to be a dependable daily driver.

Has anyone had any experience with the "cold air" induction kits, teamed with an improved exhaust system? My guess is that this would provide very limited hp and torque improvement.

What about supercharger or turbochargers?

I would love to get some advice from some of the experts on this forum!

Welcome and congrats! Plenty of options for performance. How much ::2Dollar: do you have?

One of the speed freaks will chime in shortly. ;)

If you know enough about building a turbo kit let me know, I have a K03 turbo and an intercooler...

Well, I don't know much about turbo kits, but I am guessing that I will be learning more in the weeks to come.

well the intake is a good starting point.

Bolt-ons really won't do too much to increase the performance of the car. The extra sound may give you a seat of the pants performance gain though.

Think about saving for a basic supercharger setup. That would be a good performance gain.

Weight reduction is a good way to make a Miata faster, but if this is your daily driver, I wouldn't go to extremes.

Look into the Monster Flow intake from Goodwing Racing. Great product, and actually pulls better than some of the cold air intakes on the market. You can go with that and free flow exhaust for now to wake 'er up a bit and still be non obtrusive in the decibel levels. If you plan on a turbo, wait to get the header when you install, so you get the right one.

Check out Gary at Track Dog Racing.

He's 'swell folks' and local.

Any thoughts on pros and cons of turbo charging vs supercharging? I would think some kind of intercooling set-up would be helpful for both.

Is there a known "trouble free" turbo or supercharger kit that is somewhat known for use in a daily driver? I would like a relatively broad power and torque curve.

I assume that to get the benefits of either that you really need to upgrade the exhaust sytem too?

I will check out Track Dog Racing. Thanks for the info.

The M45 seems to be pretty trouble free. Track dog sells it.

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Originally Posted by black roadster

The M45 seems to be pretty trouble free. Track dog sells it.

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I'd be glad to give you a ride in an FMII '97 Miata, and Titus is running a Supercharger, I'm sure you could twist his arm for a ride. As a matter of fact I wouldn't mind a ride in his car either;)

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Originally Posted by black roadster

The M45 seems to be pretty trouble free. Track dog sells it.

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+1, I was thinking the same thing. Just keep it simple right now, enjoy the power and you can up the boost and intercool it later.

If you want to spend moderate amounts of money, spend it on the suspension (tires, sways, shocks, springs in that order) and brakes. Consider a roll bar (NOT a style bar) too. Your car will be much more capable at that point. If you want to GO faster (not stop or turn faster), don't bother with intakes, exhausts, or filters or such. If you will be satisfied with small steps, those are okay but nothing in the "small steps" category will compare in the least to forced induction. You could spend as much money on "small steps" as a low-end FI kit and never get close to the same bump in power/tq.

If it was my choice, I'd go to FlyinMiata (FM) (www.flyinmiata.com). They have everything you'll want, they'd be happy to discuss all your needs/wants by phone or email, and they are really good folks. The Miata community is very fortunate that there are several high-quality companies serving us with go-fast goodies: FM, Track Dog, BEGI, FFS, Goodwin. Also, if you are hesitant at all about doing your own wrenching, speak up. There are lots of folks here in the Metroplex that love that kind of thing and would be happy to pitch in.

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Originally Posted by cwisenheimer

If you want to spend moderate amounts of money, spend it on the suspension (tires, sways, shocks, springs in that order) and brakes. Consider a roll bar (NOT a style bar) too. Your car will be much more capable at that point. If you want to GO faster (not stop or turn faster), don't bother with intakes, exhausts, or filters or such. If you will be satisfied with small steps, those are okay but nothing in the "small steps" category will compare in the least to forced induction. You could spend as much money on "small steps" as a low-end FI kit and never get close to the same bump in power/tq.

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+1

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Originally Posted by TurboDuane

Titus is running a Supercharger, I'm sure you could twist his arm for a ride. As a matter of fact I wouldn't mind a ride in his car either;)

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Yep... come out to the Wed. Night GTG in Plano some time and I would be happy to take you for a spin around the block. ;)

I want a ride too.

Looking into the supercharger for the final ooomph factor.

Your welcome to ride in mine as well. Basic M45 with the TDR A/A IC plus a few other goodies.

You guys are talking over my head with all of these acronyms....

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Originally Posted by eluxton

You guys are talking over my head with all of these acronyms....

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So I take it you haven't visited the TrackDog Website. ;)

http://www.trackdogracing.com/

the more reading you do the more you will understand what it means.
Check out some of the sites and read the product descriptions, that
will help you decide what it is that you want to upgrade first.

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Originally Posted by eluxton

You guys are talking over my head with all of these acronyms....

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TDR= TrackDog Racing. It's a company that specializes in miata supercharging solutions.
A/A IC= air-to-air intercooler. TDR (see above) makes the one to beat.
M45= a particular supercharger that is common for miata kits.
FUT= F YOU TITUS!
NA= 1st gen. miata
NB= 2nd gen. miata
NC= you guessed it, the new ones.
MS= Mazda Speed. Factory performance parts
FM= Flyin' Miata. It is like TDR, but for turbos

If you want a ride in a miata with any combination of upgrades, come to the wednesday night GTG (get-together). 99% of the time, there are supercharged, turbocharged, and naturally aspirated cars on any given night.

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Originally Posted by boisking

FUT= F YOU TITUS!
NA= 1st gen. miata
NB= 2nd gen. miata
NC= you guessed it, the new ones.
MS= Mazda Speed. Factory performance parts
FM= Flyin' Miata. It is like TDR, but for turbos

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NA = also for Naturally Aspirated (non-turbo) or not boosted
to word it better...

lol..@ FUT...

Get your car sorted (alignment, upgraded suspension, better brake pads, etc.) before adding power. Plus, I'm a firm believer that a proper 4-point roll bar is one the best ugrades for a Miata. Then, if you have mad money left over, look at a supercharger or a turbo.

Gary at TDR can design a package and upgrade path for you.

I agree, particularly about the roll bar. I have been researching different bars available. In fact I spoke to Gary at TDR this morning.

I will definitely try to come out to one of the gatherings in Plano in the next month or so. I am booked solid for the next 3 weeks though. I appreciate the offers to let me check out some of your cars.

It seems that there are two opinions for increasing hp. Supercharging vs. turbocharging. I understand the fundamentals (turbo is driven by exhaust gases while superchargers are driven off the crankshaft in some fashion). Beyond that, I don't know much.

I am guessing that in this group, there are some solid opinions regarding pros and cons of these systems, not to mention the different kits available for each. I would love to hear your thoughts.....

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Originally Posted by eluxton

Supercharging vs. turbocharging. ...there are some solid opinions regarding pros and cons of these systems, not to mention the different kits available for each. I would love to hear your thoughts.....

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http://uplink.space.com/attachments/...n_of_worms.jpg

This argument is almost as polarized as what's the best Miata color, (it's black) or what's best, a NA, NB or NC Miata. (the NA is the best) ;)

The short answer is it depends. It depends on what your expectations are. Superchargers have more linear power but also have more limited over all HP potential. (not that 180-250 hp is limited IMHO) Turbo's power tends to kick in but you can get insane ammounts of power potentially.

The naysayers of each will say Superchargers are parasitic and rob you of HP since the motor drives the unit where as the turbo uses spent exhaust gases to drive the unit. On the other side of the coin, Turbos generate more heat.

There may be some truth to all of this but I don't think it's a major issue on any properly designed system.

As for who and what, that may be the simpliest part to answer.

You need vendors with the best known support. This is really important for trouble shooting since almost any aftermarket FI will generate questions.

Turbos - Flyin' Miata
Superchargers - Trackdog Racing

Also remember what the car will be used for MOST. If its tooling around for fun and some excitiement, go w/ turbo. Its for pure race go w/ supercharger. Heat is a big enemy when comes to smaller displacements.

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Originally Posted by black roadster

The naysayers of each will say Superchargers are parasitic and rob you of HP since the motor drives the unit

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I always thought superchargers added power. It sure is an expensive way to go slower!

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Originally Posted by boisking

I always thought superchargers added power. It sure is an expensive way to go slower!

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Actually, the main benefit of adding a supercharger is that you get an additional 25 lbs. of weight over the front wheels. Really helps the Miata feel more like the Civic it always should have been.

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Originally Posted by miataspeedracer

Actually, the main benefit of adding a supercharger is that you get an additional 25 lbs. of weight over the front wheels. Really helps the Miata feel more like the Civic it always should have been.

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:clap:

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Originally Posted by miataspeedracer

Actually, the main benefit of adding a supercharger is that you get an additional 25 lbs. of weight over the front wheels. Really helps the Miata feel more like the Civic it always should have been.

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:clap:+1

i think the best paint for a miata would be a two tone... black and white!!! FTW!

If you want to deal with some one that has 30 years experience in turbo charging contact BEGi in San Antonio................also for maxium power (and life) there is no question that turbos are the way to go. Reanult was getting 900 to 1000 HP out of there turbo motors in Fi back in the 80's and I believe the rules limited displacement to 1300CC............

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Originally Posted by VFR750

If you want to deal with some one that has 30 years experience in turbo charging contact BEGi in San Antonio................also for maxium power (and life) there is no question that turbos are the way to go. Reanult was getting 900 to 1000 HP out of there turbo motors in Fi back in the 80's and I believe the rules limited displacement to 1300CC............

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Did you mean F1? How about 1500 HP for qualifying from 1.5L. Not exactly streetable, or TCB approved.;)

My favorite F1 engine is the 1965 Coventry Climax 1.5 litre Flat-16 2.13" bore x 1.60" stroke 220/225 bhp @ 12,000 rpm 2 valve/cyl....... 90 cubic inches/ 16 cylinders = 4.75 ci/cyl. But this engine was never raced.

Formula 1 engine history

you are correct sir............F1 it is. 900 to 1000hp was in race trim if I remember correctly, 1300 to 1500 in qualifying. And this was with 1980's technology, imagine what could be done today.

I think it depends on what he is looking for, if he autocrosses a lot he might want something like irtb's for the throttle response. Not as much power as forced induction but better response which helps a lot down low.