1996 miata 1.8 swap turbo, so it's got the go, but other than that the car is nice and stock, I have about $1500 bucks left to do work, looking for ideas for what to do next, brakes? Wheels? Springs? Coilovers? Struts? I need help! I want the car for streetish, mostly track and autocross. I have big plans for the car but only $1500 for the next step,

 

build your own coilovers (600),pads and rotors around the car, (whatever you want to pay) rollbar? (600) tires with whatever is left. and find wheels later.

 

Yeah, I think a roll bar would be a good idea, now that you mention it...

 

Waited for a local part out and got my rollbar for 350. Definitely suspension/brakes/tires first.

 

$400 rollbar
$600 wheels (6ULs or the like, probably get 15x8s to keep cost reasonable).
$500 used suspension setup.

Try for used wheels to save some cash.

 

What should I look for in coil over setup? Who makes good ones? Found some Megan racing for $675 new, worth the cash?

 

Your shopping cart:
FlatOut 15x8, 25mm 4x100 Just 12.4 Pounds...FULL ANODIZED BRONZE. EA:$109.00 TOTAL:$436.00
Hard Dog M2 Sport Black Powdercoat W/ Single Diagonal EA:$385.00 TOTAL $385.00
Megan Racing Miata Street Series Full Coilover 1990-2005 Sale Price: $899.99

Order Subtotal: $1720.99

My wish list today... Just need tires...

 

looked for used stuff on MT before doing much, cant comment on the megans, as i have never seen them on a car.

 

Your list looks good except for the Megans. They won't be adequate.

First buy $60 ebay coilover kit for the coilover adjusters. Sell the springs from the kit here for $60 to someone who wants better than stock but won't ever track their car.

Then buy 550lb/in by 7" by 2.5" dia. springs for the front. Buy either 350 or 400/7"/2.5" for the rear. Get the house brand springs from Summit Racing for $138 for all four. You would want the 350 rear if you run the Flyin' Miata big front and rear sway kit or the 400 if you were running a Racing Beat or Flyin Miata large front bar and stock or no rear bar.

Now the hard part. Look for a good used or new set of '03-04 Mazdaspeed Miata Bilsteins, or the '99-05 "Hard S" or "sport" Bilsteins (they will be yellow, but not all yellow ones will be valved "Hard S"). If they are super easy to find and are in stock somewhere local to you they are probably not the right ones. Or you could find a used set of Spec Miata revalved Bilsteins, or FatCatMotorsports revalved ones, or Stewart Development revalved ones, or ISCRacing revalved ones, etc. Regular shocks won't do. Regular valved Bilsteins won't do. Most aftermarket superduper shocks won't do. If you don't have enough dampening in the shocks for the spring rate or if you don't have the right kind of dampening you will bounce like a lowered ghetto Honda Civic and never get grip in the corners. Everything else you can cheap out on but the shock valving is going to mean everything to you.

 

Or take the lazy route and get a VMAX Setup from FM. It works well on the street and track. I know a guy that did that.