so i can save about 500-700 a month or so set aside to do whatever i want with . So i can afford to greddy my 90 in about a month no problem with what i have and what i would have saved in the next month. Or should i just continue t o drive around on 14 degree timing with my stock 1.6l and just save up for a nice begi mani/dp/MSPNP and supporting mods. OR just get a begi kit, not deal with many DIY issues get great tech support be CARB legal here in CA? Keep in mind if i go the DIY route or Begi kit i will need to have a new diff and clutch where as if i go with the greddy i can slowly upgrade things as needed for example, diff,clutch,stripes pipes, ect.

Let me know what you guys would do if you were in my situation, keep in mind i am a full time student and that 500- 700 saving is after my cell phone bill, gas, insurance and ocasional weekend things w/ friends and the woman.

Thanks alot
Nick

 

Get something nice. Both BEGi and Greddy are Carb'd so that's easy enough.

Mark

PS - Check BEGi's website later today, you might see a surprise.

 

I am DIY a begi kit basically. I would save per month and buy as possible, ie MSPNP then WBO2, then dp.manifold or turbo as they come about. I think make a plan, lay it out, keep a list of new prices vs used and buy when right.

 

this is a hustler thread.

 

If you've got the patience and want to do it right from the beginning... then I suggest parts in this order. Assuming $500-$700month

Month1: MSPnP... get it installed and running using the base tune and get a good feel for the software. Do the IAT and VariTPS at this time.

Month2: Clutch w/all the seals and gaskets and stuff, dual feed fuel rail mod, tranny/dif fluid, motor mounts, fuel filter. If you're in the 200whp ultimate goal range, then a ACT HD is the hands down favorite around here for a clutch. Above 200whp, there's some debate, but you can't go wrong with the ACT XT. For fluids, Redline or Royal Purple are easy to find. The Mazdaspeed motor mounts are stiff than stock and dramatically increase driveline feedback and shifting accuracy.

Months 3 and 4: Several things to buy. Purhcase the Mani and DP (1 per month). First you've gotta decide what kind of turbo you want. T25 or T3 to make it easy. You can research the pro's/con's of each, but you should match it to your driving style. I'm a big fan of early spool and really cheap, so I bought a used T25, but later spool/big top-end can be had just as cheap with a used T3. If you want ball-bearing or new, expect to spend in the $500 range.
Also this entire time you've been looking for a set of injectors 440-550(check the FAQ for PnP injectors) and a good deal on a turbo (if you run across one). A boost gauge and 12ft of vaccum line. You'll need an air filter (K&N universal cone or oval).

Month 5: (Assuming you've got a Mani/DP and a turbo) You can now buy your IC and all your piping because now know the inlet/outlet size of the compressor. You can mount your IC and fab up the coldside piping easy enough. The hotside you can eyeball based on how you've decided to route your pipes (AC? or PS?). Also need to buy oil feed/drain lines and water lines. When you've got the car up in the air it might be a nice idea to tap the oil pan.

Now you've got everything I can think of to get you safely boosted... time to install. You'd do real good to soak everything in PB Blaster overnight, like the manifold nuts and anything on the exhaust you'll need to unbolt. You'll need to tune on a dyno, so budget a few hours at your local shop. If you keep all the stock parts, it should only take you an afternoon to convert back to stock, re-smog, and then re-turbo for your annual checks. It's a pain, but it means you don't have to buy carb.

Of course, you can just buy a Begi kit and be done with it forever in an afternoon.

Speaking of exhaust, did you have any thoughts there... stock exhaust and turbo are not friends.

 

MazdaComp, not MazdaSpeed. The MazdaSpeed cars got the same mounts as all the rest.

Basically, these: http://www.finishlineperformance.com...n&key=MIAD1056

 

^Yup, those are the ones I have... made a very noticeable difference in the whole feel of the car (for the better). Granted my stock ones were both torn completely through...

 

Yup. As of this afternoon, Greddy just became irrelevant: http://www.bellengineering.net/Pages...ems_BEGiS.html

 

I know the biggest single item in any kit (sans ECU) is the turbo itself. ATP sells the GT25r for over $900. I think you could do just as well buying all the parts in that kit seperately from Begi, and sourcing a used T25 plus a few feet of eBay piping and still have enough left over for a BOV, injectors, and a Devil'sOwn.

I'd love the security of a brand new turbo... but in this case it's gotta be half the cost of the kit. I still bet Begi sells the **** out of them! Hell, if I had to do it all over again... that kit might be where I started. Good on'em for listening to their customers and doing this... it's a long time coming.

 

+1, I probably would've gotten their new kit minus the turbo if it were available when I was buying. (I already had a free GT2554)

 

$1,266.47 for my turbo/manifold/DP/oil feed/oil drain. Keep in mind that I paid $300 for a turbo that sells for over $900 normally, so if you were to reproduce my setup with all new parts, the total would be around $1900. BEGI sells the same setup, with an FPR and a crossover tube to get you started, for $1700. For someone assembling a high-end DIY setup, this is an excellent base.

 

The new kit is damn solid. If I was willing to buy greddy, I would not consider it anymore.

However, my build is done, and I've only spent 900 dollars at this point. Not counting stuff that I bought early with great savings then changed plans and sold at market value making some $.

Right now I'm getting my DIY MS working, then I have to fix oil leaks, namely it seems valve cover gasket as well as oil pan. If my oil pan does indeed have a leaky gasket, I'm inclined to take it off and tap it then. Bargain shopping can be a little hard, it allows you to spend money as you have it, but things can pop up for cheap and you have to be able to spend money almost at impulse. But it got me a 50 dollar t25 that i've rebuilt and is rock solid.

 

No question about it. If I were building my setup today, as opposed to a year and a half ago, I'd buy the new Bell kit in a heartbeat. I'd probably have still ended up installing the EMU (well, maybe an MSPNP) but the turbo, manifold, and downpipe alone justify the purchase price IMHO, especially if you plan to re-sell the AFPR.

 

You are all referring to the new Begi S-series kit correct? Other than not having a separated gases downpipe, intercooler, or ceramic coated manifold, is it any worse than the other kits? It seems like a hell of a deal and finally something like the greddy for the 1.8, just a lot better.

 

The new S kits make the GReddy obsolete. The best cast manifold in the business, a fantastic turbo, and a very solid downpipe, as well as the rest of the fiddly bits to make the setup work. It's a terrific kit.

 

Ya, I can see that it's miles ahead of the greddy, what I meant to say was how different was it from the S1.

But in any case I think that this kit is the solution for me and many other people who want to get a cheap turbo setup that is a good base to start with.

 

Ummm, I would stick it in the stock market and buy a Bugatti Veyron in 20 years. Or maybe a nice Ferrari, it's your $Million, you can do with it what you want.

 

no intercooler, no coolant reroute, no t-clamps, no divorced wategate...probably a few other things i'm missing. the things that count are the same, manifold, turbo, FMU...

 

Something just occurred to me.

CARB EO D-349-1 (which covers the '94-'99 cars) is probably still valid, however D-349 (the '90-'93 exemption) specifically calls for an IHI or Aerodyne turbocharger, and thus I question whether it is valid for any of Bell's current 1.6 kits.

I'm going to email Bell for clarification.

The full text of the CARB paperwork for the '90-'93 kit: http://arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/devices/eo/D-349.pdf

and the '94-'99 kit: http://arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/de...eo/D-349-1.pdf