Reply With QuoteOriginally Posted by MadMerv
other than a lower red line, i think the MSM is great
No I haven't. Is there something wrong with a Mazdaspeed Miata? The Protege and 6 were great!
92 Sunny 214k, 95 Dimples, 93 James Bondo, 92 SM (Speedie Jr)
Shelley, Apex, Tigger, Max, Baby(cats), Fluffy, Spot, and Peanut (mini horses), Cinnamon & Bitsy(dawgs)
MSR #1001, SCCA #208822Let's go racin'
other than a lower red line, i think the MSM is great
2005 Lava Orange MSM #601/1428
211 rwhp, 195 ft. lbs on 1/6/07
What is it like 3750-4000rpm red line isn't it.
Redline is @ 6500 RPM. Noone is really sure why; people have thought it might be the injectors, but the math doesn't work out.
The ECU is not happy when it sees positive pressure; it takes it about 1 second to get it all figured out. Feels like an 80's turbo car lagging.
It runs WAY rich; stock fuel maps start running good AFR's at about 10 PSI with an open intake. Stock is supposedly 8.5 PSI, but usually ends up at around 6.5 PSI due to a horrible TB inlet and a leaky BoV.
Suspension is a bit overdamped; it handles well, but it does not always feel natural.
Gearing is lower than other Miatas; the Mazdaspeed has a 4.10 rearend if I remember correctly. Combined with the lower redline this gives you 48 MPH in second at redline...
The stock turbo is SMALL, and has a reputation for fragility if you run the car hard. I'm not sure just how deserved that reputation is, but it is there.
There are fixes for all of the above "issues". In reality, you may never notice them. From personal experience I would say that the FM full intake helped a LOT. It does make a lot of noise, and should really be plumbed to the outside air, but it does improve drastically on the stock setup. I am also going to (when I get around to it) be installing a Hydra EMS. This is supposed to be a drastic upgrade for the driveability of the car. We shall see.
All in all, the Mazdaspeed is a good car, but it is VERY different from the "normal" Miatas, and not quite the same as a turbo'd Miata either. It has MANY unique parts that may be a pain to find if they need repaired (CV's, Halfshafts, Diff Housing, Transmission, Block, Head, Cams, etc, etc, etc). At the same time those parts may make for a more robust vehicle.
If you want to drive one, let me know. I would be more than happy to let you take a spin in mine.
Missing my Miata...
1990 CRX HF (78,000 Miles) FS/FT
I have not had any issues with mine so far. It is 100% stock and powerful enough for me. The suspension is a little tight compared to most other Miata's i have been in, but not horrible. I will say that the rims are a little on the heavy side and they bend easier than I would have suspected. The 205/40/17's are a little pricier, but you can always put on a set of 15's or 16's.
05 MX-5 Mazdaspeed #1024 Titanium Gray Mica
Merv,
To each his/her own. My fiancee loves hers, but to me, it's probably the last Miata I'd consider. Odd powerband, laggy, 6-speed, pogo suspension. I'm sure there are fixes for all of these issues.
All I'm saying is...go drive one. If you're a purist...
Speed
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Don't look...there's nothing down here for you!
http://houstonmiataclub.com/index.php?topic=113.0
not sure if our prez is still selling his or not. Good car, lots of tlc
i found my in austin and i live in corpus.... goodluck on finding one!! i have some H&R race springs for sell!! makes it stiffer and wayy better handling then stock!!
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