How and wot....Bolt on more power 1.8
04-23-2012, 10:28 PM
#2
MFz Regular
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Chicago. (From Austin TX!)
Posts: 540
I hope you have deep pockets. Bolt on's are pretty ineffective with this car unless you are going with an IRTB setup. If you are looking to get into the 150+ range, boost is the only cost effective way.
You can snag a few HP from a Megasquirt. Unless you have forced induction, aftermarket intakes will rob you of some HP. Exhaust may make your butt dyno feel faster, but gains are negligable. Cams don't do much, but many have had success with the exhintake mod. It doesn't add HP, but shifts the powerband lower so you gain low end torque at the sacrifice of top end.
I tried this when I first got my 95. For half the cost of a NA setup that would be worth anything, you could have a screaming turbo or supercharger setup.
You can snag a few HP from a Megasquirt. Unless you have forced induction, aftermarket intakes will rob you of some HP. Exhaust may make your butt dyno feel faster, but gains are negligable. Cams don't do much, but many have had success with the exhintake mod. It doesn't add HP, but shifts the powerband lower so you gain low end torque at the sacrifice of top end.
I tried this when I first got my 95. For half the cost of a NA setup that would be worth anything, you could have a screaming turbo or supercharger setup.
04-23-2012, 10:38 PM
#4
MFz Regular
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Chicago. (From Austin TX!)
Posts: 540
The following quote is a good breakdown from a well respected Miata racer and builder.
Like I said. Do-able, but not cheap.
DO invest in the Megasquirt. Tuning is an ABSOLUTE MUST for any build. It may not give you tons of power, but you will feel it and have the knowledge for when you do up your HP.
The most you can reasonably obtain from a streetable BP on pump gas is about 185-190whp. That's using big cams, and then compensating at low RPM with VVT to make the car streetable. You can expect to spend something in the range of $6-8k for that longblock, and that doesn't include an ECU, exhaust, intake manifold, or any of the other small bits that would be required to make that kind of power.
For quite a bit less cost, you can fairly easily crack the 150whp mark using a healthy 2001+ VVT longblock, a Euro-spec intake manifold, a custom coldside intake, a full aftermarket exhaust, and a standalone ECU with a great tune. You should be able to find a low-miles VVT motor for about $1200, and the rest of the package will run another $2000-$2500.
For quite a bit less cost, you can fairly easily crack the 150whp mark using a healthy 2001+ VVT longblock, a Euro-spec intake manifold, a custom coldside intake, a full aftermarket exhaust, and a standalone ECU with a great tune. You should be able to find a low-miles VVT motor for about $1200, and the rest of the package will run another $2000-$2500.
DO invest in the Megasquirt. Tuning is an ABSOLUTE MUST for any build. It may not give you tons of power, but you will feel it and have the knowledge for when you do up your HP.
Last edited by dieselmiata; 04-23-2012 at 10:41 PM.
04-24-2012, 08:39 AM
#5
MFz Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: TN
Posts: 261
hmmm, unfortunate.. can anyone recommend reading material or video on understanding turbo and its effects hows and whys. and superchargers. looks like if I am going to do this later I am gonna have to learn some new stuff.
I would much rather do the work myself.. but I will have to get a much better grasp on terminology and such
I would much rather do the work myself.. but I will have to get a much better grasp on terminology and such
04-24-2012, 10:30 AM
#8
MFz Regular
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 75
hmmm, unfortunate.. can anyone recommend reading material or video on understanding turbo and its effects hows and whys. and superchargers. looks like if I am going to do this later I am gonna have to learn some new stuff.
I would much rather do the work myself.. but I will have to get a much better grasp on terminology and such
I would much rather do the work myself.. but I will have to get a much better grasp on terminology and such
I hope you base jump off it like most of us did here.
Having a goal is the most important thing in my opinion. Figuring out a plan that gets you to your goal is going to take a while if you want to educate yourself. Read, read, read.
I can tell you that power adders for the Miata are about as cheap as they come, due to the small size of the car. A mainstream full turbo system (kit) or a full supercharger kit will cost you just shy of $4000.
If your motor has high mileage, higher power levels may cause you reliability problems.
For 150whp, an MP45 supercharger kit will do what you want. I agree that getting a MegaSquirt is a good idea - the fuel/timing management that comes with the supercharger kits does the job but not elegantly. If you have any plans to start with 150 and maybe increase in the future... go with the MS. If you want the power and want to spend an absolute minimum of your time and involvement, buying an off the shelf kit is the way to go.
Anything above 250whp would benefit from forged rods & pistons plus a full upgraded fuel system, which significantly increases the cost. Most guys see this as the ceiling for power on a stock Miata motor. This is why having a goal is good - it starts narrowing down the options.
04-25-2012, 04:37 PM
#10
Red To Go
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Canton, MI
Posts: 2,600
