Ron's Monster Miata Build

[coloskydiver]

Looks like you're making quite a bit of progress. Now that he motor is almost done, can you estimate about how much you will have into just the motor? I have seen built 302 crate motors available for just under $5k but I'm guessing you've spent quite a bit less than that so far.

That's about right but depends on what you are comparing it to. Here is the break out.

1. Used block off of craigslist- $100
2. Machine work- $375(basic work, had more done)
3. 331 stroker kit $1300
-forged crank, rods, pistons, rings & bearings
4. Trick Flow Top End Kit $2500
-Aluminum Heads, Cam, Timing Set, Roller Rockers, Intake Manifold, Upper Plenum, gaskets & Valve covers.
5. Oil pump- $45 (approximately)
6. 30lb Fuel injectors & billet fuel Rails $300
7. ECU off Ebay $75
8. Wiring Harness of Ebay $50
9. 75mm BBK throttle body/EGR $235
10. MSD Pro Billet Distributor $245
11. Ford Racing Wires $45


Right around $5k but all high performance parts and many crate engines do not include a distributor, wires, etc. and you need to figure the labor. I knew what I wanted and how I wanted to build it,plus I learned how to do it myself. I am far from a mechanic but want to learn and I have. I could have built a stout little motor for a lot less. Honestly, I have no idea what this thing is going to crank out. I am hoping for about 400 HP at the crank and 320-330 at the wheels. Once everything is running and broke in, I am considering a 75-100 HP shot of Nitrous due to our elevation. We will see on that, I still need to get my big break kit, roll bar sway bars, racing seats, rims & tires. I still have a long way to go and not enough money. I cant wait.

[erod550]

Yea this is the crate engine I was looking at:

http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts/part_details.asp?PartKeyField=10842

I've seen it elsewhere on the web for $4799. But you're right it doesn't come with all the stuff that you have listed there, it's just the long block. Doing it yourself you're saving quite a bit of money plus like you said you get to use exactly the parts you wanted and learned a lot in the process. If I ever do take on a project of this size I think I would rather do it myself too because I also am not a mechanic but would like to learn. I'd just be afraid I'd screw something up and end up messing up an expensive engine.

[coloskydiver]

If I ever do take on a project of this size I think I would rather do it myself too because I also am not a mechanic but would like to learn. I'd just be afraid I'd screw something up and end up messing up an expensive engine.

Honestly it really was not that bad. Older single cam, push rod engines are actually fairly simple. There are a ton of books and as long as you have done you homework on the front end, assembly is easy. I was surprised, but i have not started it up yet either. One of my goals with this project was to build a high performance motor that I knew inside and out, so if at any time I want to pull it out of the Miata and put it into another project, I can.

[coloskydiver]

Got a few more parts in the mail and decided to spend the evening in the garage. I got:
1. 90 degree polished water inlet
2. 180 degree performance thermostat
3. Ford Racing 9mm plug wires
4. MSD Pro Billet Distributor designed for the Ford 5.0
5. Boss Frog- Frog Arms







I was really excited about the Frog Arms. I had everything apart and thought that this would be a great time to install these. A lot of guys have really good things to say about these braces. Here is the description from the web.

"Miata "Frog Arm" Braces. What the heck are Frog Arms? They are braces that install underneath the front fender of the Miata and massively reinforce the structure. They bolt directly to the door frame hinges, and through a small port in the fender, near the shock towers. The Frog Arms stiffen the unibody both vertically and laterally, and eliminate many of the rattles and shakes common with older Miatas. What do they do? People who have installed these braces have noticed a significant change in the front end performance. Users also report less bump steer. For everyday street driving, people report less shakes and rattles going over potholes and railroad tracks. Note that the Frog Arms make the front end considerably more stiff, thus they will increase the driving feedback. This will NOT smooth out the ride of the car. The front sway bars will work much more effectively, and the handling around tight corners will be noticeably changed with the reduce body flex."

This weekend I will be install the most of the front accessories. I got all the brackets, hardware, light weight aluminum under drive pulley kit, alternator and tensioner. The only thing I need to find is an air pump "smog pump" and ac unit. I still don't understand what purpose the air pump serves but know I need it to pass emissions.

[94mx5]

The Frog Arms are a crazy idea! I have never seen anything like those before! You can bet I will be wanting a report on what you think!

[coloskydiver]

I need some opinions. It is time for me to start thinking about what rims and tires I will be running on this Miata. The problem I am running into is what size of rim to run. 14" are stock and I think I would like to run a 16" rim. 15" might be too small and 17" might be to big for the size of the car. This car will be more to the "tunner" side of the style scale and want it to look good. This car will see some track time but will be mostly driven on the road. Part of the problem here is that in my searches, the two top rims I like ones a 15" rim and the other is 17".

Here is the list of rims I have narrowed down in the different sizes:

17" Rims

#1

#2

#3- One of my Favorites


16" Rims

#4


#5


#6

#7

15" Rims

#8

#9- My other Favorite


This last one is probably my favorite out of them all but only comes in a 15" rim. It is a racing wheel that only weights 12Lbs and are not to expensive. Here are some pictures I found:





The 15's don't look bad but would like that to 1" bigger.

Whats your thoughts?

[94mx5]

Personally, I like the 15's the 99 Miatas had on the 10th Anniv cars. My wifes car has them, even though it isn't the 10th anniv edition. Someone slapped them on before we got the car.

http://www.miata.net/faq/wheel_weights.html

[rush24]

I like the look of #9....For sure the way to go...

[Rich]

I'd do #9 with some taller sidewalls to make up the 1/2" difference.

[erod550]

I did a few hours of research on wheels and tires for a Miata the other night and came to the conclusion that the 6ULs (#9) are the best looking wheel and not only that but probably the best functional choice for a high-powered Miata. It's hard to find wide (8"+) rims in sizes smaller than 18". Most 17s even are only 7 or 7.5" wide and you'll want a lot of rubber for the power you're going to be putting down. From what I've been reading, a very common setup is the 15x8" 6UL with 225/45/15 tires. They are only .3" taller than stock so you're speedo will be pretty close to correct, only 1% too slow. You can get the Hankook Ventus R-S3 in that size. Those tires are getting rave reviews from people in Miata.net. They'll wear out quick but they are really sticky and should help you get all that power to the road.

The 6ULs are super light and look great. They'd be the ones I'd get. I know you wanted bigger wheels but since the stock wheel is so small if you go up to 17" you end up with much taller wheels than stock and then the car sits higher and your speedo is way off.

[94mx5]

Just FYI, Costco is selling wheels now. Unsure what sizes/brands they have, but worth looking into if you can save some serious coin.

[Ranger]

Honestly, it depends on what you're doing with the car. Being a huge fan of aggressive offset and fitment I wouldn't choose any of those, personally...but I agree, I wouldn't go with a 16" rim. They're hard to find, and in general 16" tires are more expensive than 17s even. My friend has these Sportmax 15" rims on her Miata, I quite like how they fit...I'll try and find some pics.

[coloskydiver]

For liability reasons, Costco will only sell OEM sizes. I tried to buy over sized tire for my truck and they wouldn't sell them to me, only what ever size came on the truck. I am not sure about rims but am sure it would be the same. Just an FYI

[coloskydiver]

I have to be honest here, I am really torn about the rim size I am going to put on this car. I do agree that the last option is an awesome choice but do not think it is inline with my vision of this car. It is going to be a tuner style car and that means big rims.

What I mean is that from 1999 to whenever, 15" rims were stock on Miata's. On the 3rd Gen Miata's 16" were standard with a 17" option (standard on the Touring models). Here is a picture of a 2009 Miata with 17" rims. As far as size goes, the 17" rims fit the car very well, but I do understand that is a slightly larger car.


Here is another example. This is a picture of another Monster Miata build that is a 1st Gen, with the exact body kit I have (minus the hood) and has 17" rims. Again I feel that fits the car and the style I am after.


At this point I am leaning more towards a bigger rim than smaller rim. Once this thing is built and I decide to buy a set of track rims and tires, then the 15" 949 Racing rims are my first choice. I think I want to have a street set of Rims and a track set of rims, one for show and one for go. Again, I want to build this car to look good and it will be primarily driven on the street. After I have the car for awhile and everything is broken it, then I will make some upgrade for the track. For now I am just focusing on getting it ready for the street and I do feel that 15" rims are too small. I will just need to keep looking for a rim that fits both my budget and style.

[erod550]

I don't think you were even considering it, but whatever you do, don't put 18s on it. This is the most hideous-looking monster (truck) miata I have ever seen. He claims 19s in the auction but you can clearly see 215/35R18 on the tires. There's a lot more wrong with that car than the wheels, but just wanted to show an example of going too large.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mazda-MX-5-Miata-LOADED-SUPER-SPORT-CUSTOM-ORANGE-MIATA-WITH-NEW-19-WHEELS_W0QQitemZ170426028553QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item27ae2ed209#ht_14672wt_939