GDSpeed's 10AE: Building Whats In My Head
04-04-2012, 11:49 AM
#1
MFz Lurker
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Virginia
Posts: 12
GDSpeed's 10AE: Building Whats In My Head
I've had a build thread for this car going for a few years on a small local board, but I wanted to share (ok, show off) on one more Miata related 
Comments/feedback welcome! I guess this isn't so much of a "build" thread, more of a "look what I built" thread, though as we all know its never finished...
I bought this car in Aug. of '09 with 87k on the clock. I was in school, had just sold my previous/first car (a '88 Toyota Supra turbo), and wanted something completely different - simple, light, agile, easy/cheap to work on, and so on. I had gotten into auto-x/driving the local twisties and a few friends had Miatas, so I took a closer look and this one followed me home. I bought it from a guy in Roanoke, VA who kept it all stock save for the HardDog single diagonal bar. Here it is the day after I bought it:
I'm the 4th owner - the car has spent its whole life in NC & VA and was kept very clean. It stayed mostly like this for the next two years while I finished up school. I did some little things here and there like rotors/pads/lines, an intake, Yoko S.Drive tires on the stock wheels, etc. I daily drove the car, did some auto-xing, and generally had a blast driving some great western VA roads.
(Holy body roll...)
After I graduated it was time to get things moving with the car. I had an idea in my head of the perfect Miata - something that was a fun street car that I could also enjoy auto'xing and doing track days, all while maintaining reliability and "ease of ownership" I guess you could say.
First up was a new Koyo rad to replace my crusty old stocker, followed by my first track outing at Summit Point, WV in Nov. '10.
I had a ton of fun, and it gave me some ideas on what I could improve on going forward. The street pads, stock suspension and the slip 'n slide stock seats definitely hindered things so I decided to improve upon those items next. 2011 was a year of mostly wrenching and autox'ing.
I installed FM's V-Maxx suspension kit in May of '11 and love them. All around great setup for the $$$
The next month my 6UL's came in:
And lastly my solution for the sub-par seats - Sparco Sprint V seats (on custom bases) and 6 point harnesses. My stock steering wheel had seen better days so I replaced it with a 330mm Sparco wheel and its perfect and a lot more positive to drive (its funny how much something like a new wheel can improve things).
By the end of 2011 the car was pretty well setup to my liking in all areas. It was definitely starting to become more like the vision I had for this car going forward.
I started off 2012 with a plan to install a few more items and from then on out just drive the car for fun and at events, with the only wrenching being maintenance-related.
I picked up a RB header, FM midpipe (installed with the Mazdaspeed Sport muffler I had previously) and FM's butterfly brace:
And finally, better brakes. Centric rotors and Carbotech XP10s/XP8s from Emilio @ 949. I'll copypasta my reviews here for these parts;
So that brings us to today. Here is the car as it sits, and a pic from my recent track day at VIR:
(I know, I was a cheapass and didn't buy the non-watermarked photo but I plan to)
It was raining the whole weekend but I still managed to have a blast. The car was a lot better to drive on track than before and I'm looking forward to doing more track events this year.
Looking forward, I think the only thing left to really explore is forced induction. I'm definitely not in a hurry to add power as I'm still learning the ropes of track driving, and still getting better at autocrossing with the power the car has now, but I've ridden in a couple of boosted Miatas and I know how awesome they can be.
Thanks for reading!
Current Mods:
Engine
RB Header
FM Mid-Pipe
Mazdaspeed "Sport" Muffler
Koyo 37mm Radiator
K&N "Typhoon" Intake/Monsterflow Airbox
Suspension/Drivetrain
FM V-Maxx Kit (Coilovers, Swaybars)
949Racing Endlinks
Mazda Competition FSB Mounts
Energy Suspension Poly Diff Bushings
949Racing "Race" Clutch Line
FM Butterfly Brace
Brakes
Centric Rotors
Carbotech XP10/8 Pads
949Racing Brake Lines
Wheels/Tires
949Racing 15x9 6UL Wheels
Toyo R1R 225/45/15
Body/Interior
'01+ Taillights
'01+ Center Console
Sparco Sprint V Seats
Sparco FIA 6 Point Harnesses
HardDog HCHTSD Roll Bar
Sparco 330mm Steering Wheel
Voodoo Shift ****
Comments/feedback welcome! I guess this isn't so much of a "build" thread, more of a "look what I built" thread, though as we all know its never finished...I bought this car in Aug. of '09 with 87k on the clock. I was in school, had just sold my previous/first car (a '88 Toyota Supra turbo), and wanted something completely different - simple, light, agile, easy/cheap to work on, and so on. I had gotten into auto-x/driving the local twisties and a few friends had Miatas, so I took a closer look and this one followed me home. I bought it from a guy in Roanoke, VA who kept it all stock save for the HardDog single diagonal bar. Here it is the day after I bought it:
I'm the 4th owner - the car has spent its whole life in NC & VA and was kept very clean. It stayed mostly like this for the next two years while I finished up school. I did some little things here and there like rotors/pads/lines, an intake, Yoko S.Drive tires on the stock wheels, etc. I daily drove the car, did some auto-xing, and generally had a blast driving some great western VA roads.
(Holy body roll...)
After I graduated it was time to get things moving with the car. I had an idea in my head of the perfect Miata - something that was a fun street car that I could also enjoy auto'xing and doing track days, all while maintaining reliability and "ease of ownership" I guess you could say.
First up was a new Koyo rad to replace my crusty old stocker, followed by my first track outing at Summit Point, WV in Nov. '10.
I had a ton of fun, and it gave me some ideas on what I could improve on going forward. The street pads, stock suspension and the slip 'n slide stock seats definitely hindered things so I decided to improve upon those items next. 2011 was a year of mostly wrenching and autox'ing.
I installed FM's V-Maxx suspension kit in May of '11 and love them. All around great setup for the $$$
The next month my 6UL's came in:
And lastly my solution for the sub-par seats - Sparco Sprint V seats (on custom bases) and 6 point harnesses. My stock steering wheel had seen better days so I replaced it with a 330mm Sparco wheel and its perfect and a lot more positive to drive (its funny how much something like a new wheel can improve things).
By the end of 2011 the car was pretty well setup to my liking in all areas. It was definitely starting to become more like the vision I had for this car going forward.
I started off 2012 with a plan to install a few more items and from then on out just drive the car for fun and at events, with the only wrenching being maintenance-related.
I picked up a RB header, FM midpipe (installed with the Mazdaspeed Sport muffler I had previously) and FM's butterfly brace:
And finally, better brakes. Centric rotors and Carbotech XP10s/XP8s from Emilio @ 949. I'll copypasta my reviews here for these parts;
RB header/FM mid-pipe: Aforementioned gorgeous quality and craftsmanship, everything fit well with no problems. The slip joint in the mid-pipe allowed for lots of adjustability and made the install a breeze. As for tangible benefits, I can feel a bit more pep in the Miata's step. It definitely breathes easier; drivability is improved and it seems willing to reach for redline more hurredly. Plus the header looks **** and the combo sounds pretty good too - nothing ricey, just smooth with some nice noises on decel. I'm sure theres some weight savings in there as well.
FM Butterfly Brace: Holy *****. Its like a new car. Before, it was rattly, squeaky, and buzzy depending on road surface and rpm, but now theres none of that. None. Its quiet and solid as a rock. Seriously, the buzz it seemingly killed that was emanating from the center console somewhere was worth it alone. In my driving experience so far, all the inputs I can feel are measurably better, from cruising along to cornering with gusto. Bravo FM!
Carbotech XP10 (F)/XP8 (R) Pads: With Centric rotors and Motul RBF600 Fluid. This was the biggest surprise of all of them. I'm almost hesitant to type this as I feel like I should wake up tomorrow and find my brakes have eaten themselves, but these are downright civilized. They're ceramic carbon kevlar and rated at 250°-1650°/.mu ~.60 (XP10) and 200°-1350°/.mu ~.56 (XP8). Break-in procedure was 4 medium stops from 40-5 and 4 hard stops from ~70-5. Previous pads were Porterfield R4S.
Brake feel is awesome - modulation is excellent and they can STOP. Putting around well below their temp range, they actually feel very similar to the R4S's, until you get more into the pedal. That is to say, no scary stops. The old pads had very little in the way of bite, feel or modulation; these are definitely in another league. A few faint squeaks here and there, and the best part - they dusted less than the Porterfield street pads in my street-driving loop. So, street driving is so far very impressive. I'll report back with more thoughts after I get out to an auto-x and some track work.
FM Butterfly Brace: Holy *****. Its like a new car. Before, it was rattly, squeaky, and buzzy depending on road surface and rpm, but now theres none of that. None. Its quiet and solid as a rock. Seriously, the buzz it seemingly killed that was emanating from the center console somewhere was worth it alone. In my driving experience so far, all the inputs I can feel are measurably better, from cruising along to cornering with gusto. Bravo FM!
Carbotech XP10 (F)/XP8 (R) Pads: With Centric rotors and Motul RBF600 Fluid. This was the biggest surprise of all of them. I'm almost hesitant to type this as I feel like I should wake up tomorrow and find my brakes have eaten themselves, but these are downright civilized. They're ceramic carbon kevlar and rated at 250°-1650°/.mu ~.60 (XP10) and 200°-1350°/.mu ~.56 (XP8). Break-in procedure was 4 medium stops from 40-5 and 4 hard stops from ~70-5. Previous pads were Porterfield R4S.
Brake feel is awesome - modulation is excellent and they can STOP. Putting around well below their temp range, they actually feel very similar to the R4S's, until you get more into the pedal. That is to say, no scary stops. The old pads had very little in the way of bite, feel or modulation; these are definitely in another league. A few faint squeaks here and there, and the best part - they dusted less than the Porterfield street pads in my street-driving loop. So, street driving is so far very impressive. I'll report back with more thoughts after I get out to an auto-x and some track work.
So that brings us to today. Here is the car as it sits, and a pic from my recent track day at VIR:
(I know, I was a cheapass and didn't buy the non-watermarked photo but I plan to)
It was raining the whole weekend but I still managed to have a blast. The car was a lot better to drive on track than before and I'm looking forward to doing more track events this year.
Looking forward, I think the only thing left to really explore is forced induction. I'm definitely not in a hurry to add power as I'm still learning the ropes of track driving, and still getting better at autocrossing with the power the car has now, but I've ridden in a couple of boosted Miatas and I know how awesome they can be.
Thanks for reading!
Current Mods:
Engine
RB Header
FM Mid-Pipe
Mazdaspeed "Sport" Muffler
Koyo 37mm Radiator
K&N "Typhoon" Intake/Monsterflow Airbox
Suspension/Drivetrain
FM V-Maxx Kit (Coilovers, Swaybars)
949Racing Endlinks
Mazda Competition FSB Mounts
Energy Suspension Poly Diff Bushings
949Racing "Race" Clutch Line
FM Butterfly Brace
Brakes
Centric Rotors
Carbotech XP10/8 Pads
949Racing Brake Lines
Wheels/Tires
949Racing 15x9 6UL Wheels
Toyo R1R 225/45/15
Body/Interior
'01+ Taillights
'01+ Center Console
Sparco Sprint V Seats
Sparco FIA 6 Point Harnesses
HardDog HCHTSD Roll Bar
Sparco 330mm Steering Wheel
Voodoo Shift ****
04-04-2012, 01:02 PM
#3
Yep, it's almost exactly like my car with the exception of the exhaust and his looks really nice!
Welcome to the forum, glad to see another NB Represent!
Tell me about these Sparco Sprint V. What do you have them mounted on and how are they fitting. I'm not trying to hit on you, but how big are you?
Welcome to the forum, glad to see another NB Represent!
Tell me about these Sparco Sprint V. What do you have them mounted on and how are they fitting. I'm not trying to hit on you, but how big are you?
04-04-2012, 02:54 PM
#4
MFz Lurker
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Virginia
Posts: 12
Thanks schadenfreude, appreciate the comments!
Flying_Solo: I'm 5'7 150, 34" or so waist, so not big. The Sprints fit me very well - they're not the most plush seat in the Sparco lineup but they fit the car and my budget well too and I find them comfortable enough.
They're mounted on fixed custom bases made by these people. I showed them how and where I wanted to sit in the car and they built everything around that, and the pass. side seat is farther and lower to accommodate more people. I'm small enough that the d/s base creation didn't really involve cutting off any floor humps or hammering on the trans tunnel, but the pass. side was more involved.
Flying_Solo: I'm 5'7 150, 34" or so waist, so not big. The Sprints fit me very well - they're not the most plush seat in the Sparco lineup but they fit the car and my budget well too and I find them comfortable enough.
They're mounted on fixed custom bases made by these people. I showed them how and where I wanted to sit in the car and they built everything around that, and the pass. side seat is farther and lower to accommodate more people. I'm small enough that the d/s base creation didn't really involve cutting off any floor humps or hammering on the trans tunnel, but the pass. side was more involved.
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