Well I started with a 1990 red, piece of **** Miata that I bought for 1500 bucks. I had never been happier about a car purchase. I bought one cause my Dad had one when I was growing up and it was awesome. I bought it because I always liked them, didn't really know about their performance, the following, blah blah blah etc.



I started with M.net and the local tampa club. Got involved with CR and so on. The car got painted, wheels, etc, **** that doesn't matter.


It would eventually get to this point.


Cute, right? Well around this time I had bought a M45 supercharger and some band aids. I started doing maintenance on the car so it would be ready for all this crazy amount of boost I was gonna throw at it.

I eventually got it on and running. The first day I ran it without any management. It was a bad situation and I was forced to do it. I watched my wideband and it never went too lean....

I installed a voodoo box and thought it was awesome. A week and a half later I realized it sucked and ordered a MS3X. I installed that and a FMIC when I saw my stupid high intake temps. 210 degrees brah! This was the set up


Then I decided to get rid of all this extra crap on the car. I needed money to pay for the MS3 and I didn't care for most of it anymore. This is how the car sits now.



I hope to get rid of these stupid wheels soon. Damn things are too full of swag and they are holding me down.

My plans after were to buy a bigger crank, TDR tensioner and run a dual throttle body system or BOV system..... then it hit me... why the f*** did I want to spend another $500-$700 on this SC system and hit 170WHP... maybe... I spoke to a friend around 10pm, drove a day, then took it off the morning after. I don't think I have ever made a better decision about this car.



Now its turbo time. My DIY set up isn't gonna be the greatest, but it will be a **** ton better than the M45 SC. Fun fact, I installed, did all the different set ups, and took the supercharger off inside of two months. Seriously, the thing didn't even last two months in the car. Here is the plan

MS3X
Wideband boost gauge
RX8 injectors (prolly the yellow ones)
Ilovetacotaco manifold
Brains eBay turbo
custom downpiepe
BOV, oil lines, etc, etc

Fun thing is this, I just replaced my clutch with a stock 1.8 set up. I thought I was gonna have a supercharger forever and that would last me. Well, I'm sort of stuck with that because I really don't want to replace another clutch. So this will limit the amount of boost I should run, unfortunately.

Anyway, those are the plans. Is it the best plan in the world? No, not at all. But it will be a budget set up that should redeem me for being a total dumbass and installing a SC on my car.

 

Good for you man.

I literally did the same thing. Well, I actually never was going to stay supercharged, but decided to throw on a MP62 coldside blower til I got it turbo'd a few months later. Drove it for 1 or 2 days, then took it off a day later.

Turbo FTW

 

Solid post, and good ideas. I honestly don't understand why anyone would install a supercharger over a turbo unless it was for a very specific class of racing.

 

Well here is was my reasoning
1. I wanted just 150WHP
2. I didn't want to tap my oil pan
3. Turbos are unreliable
4. I wanted bolt on

I found out all of my reasoning was dumb. 150WHP on a SC isn't all it cracked up to be, I'm sure tapping my oil pan can't be that scary, turbos are way more reliable than a SC (stupid belts), and a turbo is bolt on.

Just got off the phone with a guy who is buying my old supercharger. It sold inside of a hour after posting it. Got a solid $825 to buy turbo parts.

 

Just make an offer to buy Brain's stuff, he's grumbling like he is going to put his car back to stock and sell off the parts anyway.

Good choice on ditching the M45, you are going to love the turbo

 

Sounds like the same logic I was using when I first started looking into forced induction. I'm glad I did much more research before I pulled the trigger on any parts.

Except the MS. Best purchase I ever made for the Miata.

I also fooled myself into thinking "I just want to run 5-6 psi."

 

What!? I was looking for the same turbo and found one. But it is oil cooled only and I thought that was strange.


Ya, I need more than that crap. Gonna run enough boost till the clutch slips!!!

 

Nothing wrong with oil cooled only. Plenty around that last forever. It's tried and true technology.

What clutch are you running now? If it's stock you're gonna slip at about ANY meaningful boost pressure.

 

Make it rain for him and watch as damp turbo parts start hitting the floor

 

I have to ask...why the tacotaco manifold?

 

I can't multiquote because I suck, so I'll try and answer everything.

Is oil cooled ok? I'll pick it up then. I mean, its just $160 bucks.

It is a brand new stock 1.8 clutch and flywheel. I put in my large post that I thought I wouldn't go past a SC. Its now kicking me in the ***. I'm hoping to see a decent amount of power. If not, I'll bite the bullet and swap the clutch.

I don't think I can make it rain with a mere $800 bucks.

I'm going with the tacotaco because it is stupid cheap and tested to stay around. The thing that pushed me over the edge to do this was that I could do it all for the sale of the SC. I have to install this turbo for $800 bucks. Shouldn't be too hard to do.

$300 for turbo and manifold
$250~ for downpipe (I have no way to weld myself nor any knowledge. Gonna have to pay someone)
$250 for oil lines, fittings, BOV, etc.

Then I'll sell my fancy JDMtyte header and TDR heatshield for a little bit of extra cash.

 

Get singles. You don't know Brain very well

 

Going to the bank to get my $800 dollars in singles...

 

Misread ignore.

 

I don't mean to be a dick... but did you read?

I know that my reasoning was false. That is why I put was

Also, my plan is posted in the OP.

 

I misunderstood the meaning of was since you did buy it after all. Anyways good luck to your journey to real power

For the jdm tyte manifold, check miatanet. They go nuts for shiny "upgrades" that dont make any power lol.

 

hahaha we're so used to n00bs being retarded that I bet every other person is going to haze you then realize you're actually doing the opposite and praise you

 

lol 18psi is right here, i admit i straight up screwed up when reading. Man its time for me to go to sleep.

 

Its ok, I deserve a bit of hazing for installing a supercharger. At least I made money off it. If I didn't sell my voodoo box and MSD box separately, I could have made more money. Oh well.

I bought my whole exhaust from a local guy. It is some JDm header with a flex pipe, has a JASMA stamp. Looks like a HKS something. Should go for a decent amount.

Turbo shopping spree goes down sunday!

 

Its ok, I understand that you guys go through a lot of noobs.