So, I've been shopping for a turbo Miata, right?

I have been whoring teh classifieds for a while, driving a few sellers crazy but haven't pulled the trigger on anything.

I found an '04 Mazdaspeed with 87k miles, stock, for $8900 (could prob get for a bit less, that's seller's asking price). It's the gray, which I like, and I've always thought the MS miatas are the best looking of them all with the racing hart wheels and gray paint and bodywork.

Anyway, My question is this: What sort of power mods can be relatively easily done to the Mazdaspeed? I have owned factory turbocharged cars before, and I've found it very easy to get 20-30 more hp by tweaking small things (or getting a tune). What can be done with a Mazdaspeed?

I've done some searching around but most builds I've seen include big changes like ECM and turbo swap outs, but that's not what I'm looking for. I know the stock turbo is teeny and won't support a lot of power. I'm not looking for 250whp. I'm just trying to find out what to expect from a Mazdaspeed miata with simple tuning and smaller mods.

Any input is appreciated!

 

Mazdaspeed miata is a great car. but all the turbo parts on it are pretty much piece of ****. As such I would recommend just ripping all the turbo stuff out and doing it yourself.

However, it has a lot of things that make it absolutely fantastic.
- Best ABS that came on a Miata
- Stronger axles
- The best trans that came on a Miata
- Pimp interior

The actual go-fast parts on the car are ****, though.
- 6500 rpm rev limiter or something retarded like that
- pea shooter exhaust
- intercooler size of my palm
- same shitty rods that every miata engine has
- boat anchor wheels

My advice is
- if you like it, get it
- don't spend any money on tuning. the stock ECU is a piece of ****. if you need to do emisisons - you're fucked. if not, a standalone will set you back at least $600.
- flyin miata sells a bunch of kits that will make more power but in my opinion, do not address the core problem that the stock turbo setup is horrible. And start at $1700
- a mazdaspeed miata with my car's drivetrain would be like, the best car ever made.

Finally, you can probably get a $10 manual boost controller and run MORE BOOST. I think stock is like 6psi. lol.

 

The absolute worst part of an MSM is the stock ecu.
It should be the 1st thing to get replaced. If you don't, even with bolt ons, it will hold the car back so much that you'll hate it.

Other than that, soviet pretty much nailed it.

IF I was getting an MSM, I'd order an MS for it before I even got the car. Then do basic stuff: upgrade the pathetic fmic core, downpipe, exhaust, intake, tb elbow, bov....And you're done. Great street car with about 230-240whp if you get a good tune.

 

Just get a boost controler and turn up the boost to 18psi. That is why that guys name is 18psi

Above that the stock rods break

With 18psi youcan make all the power 18psi made and do it on stock motor no $3000
Built waste of money

 

Pretty much +1 to what he said.

If you're not willing to change out the computer or run with your TPS unplugged, DON'T EVEN BUY THE CAR. The stock computer is crap and pretty much horrible to drive sportingly.

I've got smog inspection every two years. AKA every two years I'll have to install my stock injectors and stock ecu to pass OBDII test. Then MS and 650 FICs go right back in.

"Easy Mazdaspeed Power?" = MegaSquirt(most important), injectors(2nd most important), boost controller/gauge(need both same time) and intake. Should be around 200whp @ 13psi and $1000-$1500

 

corksport exhaust
BEGI reflash
Boost controller
intercooler

suspension and wheels.

 

See:

Mazda-speed.com - Index

Flyin' Miata : Tech: Mazdaspeed upgrade path

BEGI MSM Recommended upgrades - BEGi

I started with an AEM CAI which alone brings the car to around 135rwkw and makes the car actually feel like it has a turbocharger. Best bang-for-buck mod you can do on a factory MSM.

The FM complete 2.5" MSM exhaust I added wasn't as obvious to the "butt dyno" but an actual dyno showed an additional 10rwkw.

A manual boost controller will allow you to increase boost pressure but above 10psi you will suffer boost cut between 4500-5000rpm due to the crappy ECU.

The FM O2 signal modifier fixed that for me but others have reported it did nothing for them.

There is a resistor mod that can be done to help eliminate boost cut (see first link and search the forum).

Larger injectors (Supra 305cc, also badged as 315cc, are commonly available and needed when you start producing greater hp - 321cc injectors, if you can find them, are the largest the factory ECU can handle).

Eventually you'll be unhappy with the crappy factory ECU and will upgrade it (the resistor and O2 signal mods are only band aid solutions and your car will NOT be factory smooth).

 

hows your piece of **** non-running hacked up car that barely made 350whp?

fgt

 

First off, thanks a ton for all your responses. Now I know exactly what I need to do to get to 230 whp. I understand that the stock stuff sucks, but I don't need something insane.

With a BEGI reflash, boost controller set at 10 PSI, and a better intercooler, along with a full intake and exhaust, it seems like that should put it right around 200 WHP. Is that accurate?

Thanks for the links Lokiel.

It seems to me that perhaps the MSM isn't the best choice for me. It does seem like a very nice car, but I am looking for a motorcycle replacement, not just a very nice car.

that being said, i would probably be happy with something along the lines of the little enchilada package from FM. I could probably save a few hundred by sourcing my own intercooler but perhaps it's not worth it. I definitely like the look of the MSM and I know I want an NB. I can buy this MSM for about the same price as I'm looking at for other used NBs, and none of those are NB2s, few of them have 6-speeds in them.

Time to do some thinking.

 

I think Pitlab was being sarcastic. You need a standalone, not a shitty reflash.

 

what? begi has the best products period

 

Cant wait to start building mine! Came with out a motor.

 

No I was not actually.

I have been in enough reflashed MSM that I can say it works. Also pretty good choice if you are keeping the stock turbo. In TX it is bonus because it will return OBDII codes.

 

I'll add a bit to this thread...since I've been living with my turbo'd 02 and a 05 MSM in my garage for 5+ years.


Like others have said, the ECU SUCKS M.NET STYLE *****. I've been in a couple of cars with the BEGi reflash and they were TONS better.

The 4.10 rear-end just about sucks as big of ***** as the ECU. Combined, it makes the car 47.19475e times shittier. Swap the junky 4.1 for a 3.9 r&p if you can.

Stock turbo is good for ~220rwhp.

Steering rack. Change it out. Some retard at Mazda decided that 17" wheels meant they had to revise the steering rack...and added about 6-7 feet to the turning radius. Just get any regular NB rack.

Typical I/I-C/E/MBC mods and the reflash will make for nice power delivery.

 

Thanks for the responses guys. If I had more money to spend I'd definitely go this route, but for my purposes and not caring too much about the nice bits, I think I will go ahead and keep shopping for a turbo'd miata sortof like Jernigans... In fact.. Might just contact him again and see if we can't make something happen. I absolutely love the looks of the MSM but that's not really my priority right now. I would only take the MSM if, with a few mods, I could get it up to good power levels, but doing stuff like the steering rack, plus the whole intake, exhaust, turbo, ecu, and still having weak rods... Not worth it to me at this point.

damn nice car though, hurts me to pass it up cuz I think it's by far the best looking and riding Miata ever. I drove one shortly after it came out and absolutely loved it, but things were different then. I was just a snot nosed kid then, not quite 18 years old, lol