D Prepared Miata Build

[aMaff]

Mini-how-to, I suppose, on how to rice up a TSI:

Start with a TSI

Cut out your rice-mesh. For the corner light, I used the lens they included with it as a template

Oh look it fits! Actually it took a little trimming to get there... obviously SOMEONE forgot to take into account the angle that the lens sits in the housing. Oh well, it's just moderately crooked

Got all fancy and trimmed the larger bit to size properly. You're gonna need a clamp for this bit:

I didn't really get any pictures of doing the epoxy, but just be careful not to get it on anything that you don't want permanently epoxied... like a cell phone for example (hence, no pictars)

Here it is done-ish (the epoxy still needs to cure)

Boom! Only kinda crooked! (hah)

It's a Miata, it's not supposed to be straight anyway (rlaugh)



EDIT: I think I may rattle-can it black so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb...

 

[aMaff]

also plasti-dipped my gutted stock driver's side turn-signal, to keep things somewhat consistent.

 

[aMaff]

Man, haven't updated this in a while...

Hard mounted the Battery Tender ring connectors to the tiny Deka ETX9 battery. Having it tucked under the quarter panel makes it a bit of a pain to get the terminal clamps on / off every time I move the car. Having this "permanently" mounted with the quick disconnect will make it a lot easier

Quick disconnect terminal, cable tied to the brake light cables.

 

[bazooka joe]

nice work!

 

[JamesCH]

I like the aluminum battery bracket!

 

[aMaff]

I do too .
I wish I could take credit for it, but it was made by a fabricator friend of mine that also did the rollbar for my car. It's a great piece though. Does the job well and is super light.

 

[aMaff]

Another year another season! Even if she didn't make the 1st event of the season, she got out and about this last weekend.

So with that, what are this season's plans? They're not many, but they should help.

1. Brakes. It's an NA miata, which means the brakes are way forward biased. The "bandaid" for that leftover from when I was in STS is to run really aggressive pads in the rear and stockers up front. I'm going to try a couple of things, starting off with gutting the needle valve and spring from the stock proportioning valve, giving the car a straight 50/50 bias. I may end up needing to put similar front pads on after making THAT change, but getting more brake to the rear will be a good thing.

2. Stabilize the back of the car. It's been a little skittish (which I don't mind), but we run on a couple of sealed lots, including one that was recently sealed, that are fairly slick and I'm not getting enough weight transferred to the rear tires, causing it to be REALLY skittish. I think if I lower the rear springrates back down to the 450# springs (I've got 500s on there now) it will allow more weight transfer under power, and help settle it down in transition. That said, the tires we're on are dead as hell, so I'm going to see how it acts with fresher rubber, but I think this may be the right way to go.

3. Newer tires. Those will be going on probably after the next event. They're getting here in the middle of this week and I probably won't have time to swap them before our 3rd event this weekend.

4. Fix this:

5. Gut the trunk. That thing is SO heavy and I'm about sick of it.


I guess I've got a handful more hood-pins in my future

 

[JamesCH]

Are you trying to get more weight transfer to the rear axle? Or between the rear tires?

 

[apexlater]

Wow, it doesn't even look like my hands are on the steering wheel....maybe they aren't.(boom06)

 

[aMaff]

Are you trying to get more weight transfer to the rear axle? Or between the rear tires?

More transfer off of the front to the rear axle while under power.

Wow, it doesn't even look like my hands are on the steering wheel....maybe they aren't.(boom06)

Wasn't that right after you said "Hey check this out! I can steer with my knees!"???

 

[JamesCH]

Spring rates won't affect your front/rear weight transfer. I think that if you're breaking tires loose routinely with 115whp (?) your tires are most definitely toast. Softening or disconnecting your rear sway might help calm down throttle over steer on corner exit, but I still think tires are your culprit.

 

[aMaff]

Spring rates won't affect your front/rear weight transfer. I think that if you're breaking tires loose routinely with 115whp (?) your tires are most definitely toast. Softening or disconnecting your rear sway might help calm down throttle over steer on corner exit, but I still think tires are your culprit.

It won't affect how much weight is transferred, but it will affect how quickly it's being transferred.. unless I'm totally thinking about this wrong?

What's a rear sway bar?

The tires are definitely shot, and like I said, I won't be touching the suspension until that's rectified. Making suspension changes with dead tires is a recipe for failure

 

[JamesCH]

It won't affect how much weight is transferred, but it will affect how quickly it's being transferred.. unless I'm totally thinking about this wrong?

What's a rear sway bar?

The tires are definitely shot, and like I said, I won't be touching the suspension until that's rectified. Making suspension changes with dead tires is a recipe for failure

Correct. You are thinking about it the right way, softer springs will mean that it takes longer for weight to be transfered because the car has to travel further to generate the same force with softer springs.

Lulz.

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[aMaff]

Right, took care of #4 on the list. Decided against using the metal screws that come with hood pins typically as they always tend to work their way out over time. I used M3 socket cap bolts, with a nut & washer on the other side. Should be a bit more secure that way. Added bonus of the hood sitting a bit more flush. I used some more of that 1/2" fuel hose to support it on the bottom side so now it actually retains somewhat the stock contour, as opposed to the hood sitting below the fender-line.

And I think I've added something to the list. Every time I stick my head under the sides of the hood, I freaking hit it on these things:

I believe the time may have come to cut those bastards off. That crap got old quickly.

 

[aMaff]

After today, we're definitely not making any suspension adjustments. The lot we ran on last weekend was just *THAT* bad. They had just re-sealed it. After running on a lot with some grip, I'm actually really happy with how the car handles, to the point that I'm considering whether or not to hold off of swapping the new tires on. Even with clapped out tires, it just freaking goes where you point it. Man what a good time

Myself:

Wayne (apexlater):

Even though I seem to have picked up a pretty nasty exhaust leak today. Hopefully it's nothing major. I'll get under it probably tomorrow some time and check things out and report back. Seems to be at the flange for the header to the test pipe, or from the test-pipe to the mid-pipe. We'll see.

 

[jbrewer4639]

Good job. That s*** looks fun as hell.

 

[aMaff]

Found my exhaust leak:

I've got a flex tube in the shop, but I'm not sure if it's the right diameter. I guess I need to pick up a pair of calipers tomorrow and make sure it's right. If not, I'll pick up another one and have a fabricator friend replace it. Not a difficult fix, but annoying.

 

[aMaff]

The exhaust leak hasn't been fixed yet, but there have been some changes from last event to this.

1. "New" trailer. My old trailer is gone to free up funds to pick up one that better meets my needs this weekend. I'm excited, because with the huge @$$ cantilever slicks, the narrow deck of my old trailer was no longer cutting it.

2. I finally "fixed" my IAT sensor's position. If you've ever looked really closely at pictures that include my intake, you may have noticed that there's this wiring snaking into the filter. That's where my IAT sensor had been. Yes, very suboptimal for so many reasons, but I needed somewhere to mount it on short notice and that was the ticket. Fast forward to now when I have a little time between events to re-think a solution, and a fabricator friend of mine recommended a bulkhead fitting that would accept the 3/8" NPT IAT sensor. It was an elegant solution as I didn't have to go out and buy an NPT tap ($$$). Now I still needed to figure out how to mount it. Either with a bracket near the filter, or simply drill a hole in the sheet metal somewhere in the engine bay to mount the bulkhead fitting.

Or, maybe just go back in time 23 years and have Mazda drill the hole for me. Yeah! I'll do that!!!

I don't even remember what went in that hole, but it was FREAKING PERFECT for what I wanted to do. Pic of the bulkhead fitting installed:

And the IAT with the wiring cleaned up a little to avoid any sharp / abrasive / vibrate-ey bits:

Yes, you can hate on my Zip Tie intake tie-down, but the filter has shown exactly zero wear on it for a season and a half where it is, so suck it!

 

[aMaff]

Boom!

 

[PrinceValorum]

I would like to have that trailer. You should mount a box on the front for all of your towing accessories!