Hey all, I'm Wales and I'm from Sydney NSW (Australia). I've had my 1999 NB MX5 for just under a year now and I'm at the stage where I'm really wanting a bit more power as well as just a turbo experience (first car with a turbo). My 1999 NB is at 310,000km / 200,000 miles however it has recently had a new engine with 40,000km / 25,000 miles installed and a new gearbox/clutch and a low KM torsen. I'm chasing around 150kw~ ATW (200-220 hp) and would prefer to keep it a whole kit. I have some experience working on cars but that's been limited to mainly basic work such as intake, suspension, brakes and oil. I will also NOT be tuning it myself. I'm unsure if my clutch is heavy duty but it was replaced very recently. If it does need an upgrade, this will not be factored into the budget. I would also like to keep in mind future upgrade paths such as building the engine and having to upgrade minimal parts if possible. Not a priority however. It will be a daily street car with occasional track use so ideally something fairly reliable.

Current mods:
Shockworks Coilovers
Torsen LSD
Whiteline Swaybar
Pod Filter Intake
Yokohama AD08R's 205/45/16 on 16" NB8B Wheels
Potentially a heavy duty clutch(?)

Being in Australia, my options are quite limited and everything is so expensive. I'm happy to piece together a kit but it seems like a whole set kit would be easier to do. I have a budget of around $6000AUD ($4500 USD) for parts and ECU+tune. It's flexible so I might be able to work with it. Allocating around $2000AUD ($1500USD) to get a shop to install it but if you guys can persuade me to DIY I might just give it a shot. So all up around $8000 AUD for the turbo setup installed and tuned.

So far I've gone to MX5 Mania and been quoted around $10,000 ($7800 USD) for a drive in/drive out service with their AVO kit and around $15,000 ($12,000 USD) to get a kraken kit done. Both a bit too high for my liking. Especially the AVO Kit as it's likely done with a cheap adaptronics ECU.

Flyin Miata seems like a good option however am currently unsure of the shipping cost to Australia as well as not sure if it'll be enough for my power goals / upgrade potential. Very little talk of them here in Australia.

InitialParts has an Ebay kit for around $3100 AUD ($2100 USD) without ECU and injectors. I'm very wary of ebay kits but they don't seem like a chinaturbo kit. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/28379771...wAAOSw94NcetYd Still very wary though.

BlackCat Motorspot from the UK offer a complete kit for a NB : Mx5 Turbo Kit. 'The Lock, Stock And Barrel Kit' - BLACK CAT MOTORSPORT and I've been quoted $1200 AUD ($900USD) to have it shipped here. It comes with a ME221 ECU however I can have that removed and save $1200 AUD ($900USD). This comes with a TD04 however they mentioned for my power goals a TD05 would be more suitable which would add another $700 AUD ($400USD). Is this worth it? I'm still doing my research so if anyone can comment on this kit it would be appreciated. So all in all, around $5400 AUD ($4000 USD) shipped. I would need to get my own ECU which I plan to anyway.

BOFI Kit? https://bofiracing.co.uk/turbo-kits/...-mx-5-na-nb-2/ Saw good mention of it but I haven't asked about shipping to Australia. Website seems to be a bit laggy for me but parts seem legit. I'll keep an eye on them. They're closed at the moment and I'll ring them when they're open to ask about shipping to Australia and the cost.

Terms of ECU, I've got a tuner who recommends and tunes Link ECU's in Sydney but I'm welcome to suggestions. Would prefer something with good future proofing and not just the cheapest ECU you can get. I'd like to avoid Megasquirt as it's very rarely used in Australia and I'd be quite hard pressed to find somebody to tune it unfortunately. Heard good things about Motec but they're a bit too expensive. Might be able to find one second hand but not sure if that's worth it?

I've allocated in my mind a fairly reasonable budget and goal. If my power goal and budget do not line up please feel free to let me know and I will adjust them accordingly if need be. I'm in Australia so everything is expensive or unavailable. If I've left any crucial bits of information out please let me know. If it's something from overseas, I do need to factor in shipping.

Kind Regards, Wales

 

Hi Wales,
I'm also in NSW Australia but near Bega so this may help, sorry its a novel.
Your budget will require you to do some work yourself, no 2 ways about it and more you do now the better on your wallet and the easier it will be down the track to identify and fix issues yourself.
I'm currently selling my dirt bike to Turbo my NA8, I will be doing the install DIY. I have done stuff like this before so it's not a big deal (mechanic by trade).
My car will be 99% street use and not my daily.

I have been building a fun N/A set up but honestly I miss boost, its addictive so you have been warned . I have a Gary Stewart ported BP4W head shaved 60thou with 256/9 TODA cams, supertech springs, TI retainers,Mazdaspeed SUB's, flat top manifold blah blah ect ect. I'll store that and hold till later. you have a BP4W head standard with the better port angles.
So i'm going to turbo my basically stock (for now) BP05, how i'm doing the turbo and rough prices are;

- Kraken turbo kit- $4000 AUD delivered, thats the full kit with turbo, exhaust, intercooler ect. His turbo is from Pulsar which I believe is Chinese made and balanced in Europe, Pulsar turbos are used on heaps of XR6 Turbos in Aus.

- MS3, i'm leaning towards MS labs Basic- $1500 AUD. There is heaps of tuners for Megasquirt in NSW, however if you don't want to go MS get a Haltech, heaps of tuners in Sydney including Mania, you will be at $2k+ AUD for a Haltech.

-Add $1000AUD to your budget for **** like blow off/re-circ' valve, heat shielding and all the little **** that pops up like gaskets oil, silicone, bolts, hose clamps ect it adds up fast.

I will install MS3 and do the basic tune without turbo on, plenty of info on this forum and videos on youtube. The base map on Rev's ecu's are pretty good to start with so I don't expect it will take a huge amount and is a great learning experience getting familiar with tuner studio. Don't be scared, if you research, take your time and don't do something completely stupid it's fairly safe while non turbo and you can always go back to base settings. MS has by far the largest amount of support on the mx5/miata platform so problems are usually solved here rather than paying to go to a tuner. keep in mind a good base map will save time on the dyno and money, again this is why i'm going the way I am with the MSlabs ECU.

- I have a spartan 2 wideband controller already. Add wideband to your budget $250AUD+.

- I also have FlowForce 640cc injectors so once running well I will add them and re-tune fuel settings till it runs well again. Also add injectors to your budget $460ish AUD.

With ECU ($2K), Kraken turbo kit ($4k), $1000AUD for crap, wideband and injectors you are at $7710AUD without fitting and tuning.

I will then install turbo kit, run gate pressure (8ish psi) and very safe timing. Tune it as best I can and triple check everything is doing what it should. There is heaps and heaps of info here to DIY your install don't be scared to research and if after that you have questions ask. Always search first.

Next step, I'll take it to the dyno to have the boost and timing tuned/increased, hoping for a reliable 220-250HP at the wheels on the stock motor. This step is beyond what I feel comfortable doing on the street.

I also plan to have a tune for emissions as I will be getting it engineered in NSW which requires testing in Botany or Penrith from memory. keep in mind 250HP at the wheels is generally considered the upper limits of your 5 speed and con rods.
220-250WHP in a car this light is a blast and great fun, if you haven't had a car like this it will feel like the fastest thing on the road and you will love it...... for a while . If you are engineering add $2k by the time you pay for reports and tests, you will have some change here hopefully.

After this power level it starts getting expensive fast and honestly I think your power goal is great. I wouldn't plan on going further until you have had a good amount of time to get a handle of that power and get the tyres, suspension and brakes sorted before going further. You will want more power one day.

I have an ORC clutch and flywheel that is meant to hold 300HP but we will see. If you are unsure of clutch change it now or find out exactly what it is as getting on a dyno and having the clutch slip is annoying and expensive. I did it on my RX-7, it sucks.

I will enjoy my car at that 220-250HP level and then start getting the stuff together to build my motor and go for 300ish HP such as ATI dampener, boundary engineering oil pump, pistons, rods ect. I will fit my ported and Cammed head to that. building the motor is a reliability thing as much as a power thing for me and I have a good amount of the parts already from my N/A build so its not a giant leap for me now.

With 8.6:1 pistons and my shaved head I will be at about 10:1 static compression the same as our NB8B VVT motors (cams will lower my dynamic compression). I'll be running on our 98 pump fuel so plan on getting about 300HP with a nice spread of power.
If it hits 280 before knock I don't care, if it hits 320 great but i don't care. I just want it reliable like you and should be sweet little thing with that head, i'm not focusing on peak numbers more the spread of power.
I am keeping P/S and A/C which adds some complication but ditching A/C is tempting except where I live gets ******* hot but also freezing in winter so for comfort and fogging windscreen I plan to try keep it.

Other things i'm doing which you may consider.
- ceramic coating manifold, exhaust housing and dump pipe, just to help heat management a little.
- Coolant re-route. I feel this is a must even on stock motors driven hard but I was waiting till I swapped heads to make it easy. Thinking i'll go the FM one.
- radiator upgrade, i'm going a Crossflow from FM or Supermiata. I'm hoping this will help with cooling because i'm keeping A/C.
- Mazdaspeed engine mounts for piece of mind.
- 6 speed for reliability.
- 3.63 diff, I have this already and are easy to get as they are in all our NB8Bs (NB2), I paid $100AUD.

All up I think if you are able to go outside your comfort zone a little and do the install yourself you just about have the budget to do it, tuning will chew up money fast and engineering will add to this more but I recommend getting it engineered from insurance standpoint and because you are in Sydney more chance of a defect without an engineers report.
If you do the install take your time, read heaps and double check everything. last thing you want is you car on the dyno and the guys there fixing stuff.
Have fun mate and let us know how you go.

 

alex summed it up perfectly for Australian conditions

Basically, your budget is too small for what you want to achieve and the work you're willing to do yourself. A Kraken kit is the best option IMO for us in Australia, if you were in the US then MKTurbo would be an excellent option. I'd suggest sourcing the kit yourself, Mania make a dollar on selling the kit to you. But really, you need to save a bit more and while you're doing that you should read, watch and learn everything that you can so that you can do as much yourself as possible. Even if you get a mechanic to do the install, having that knowledge will be massively helpful in resolving any issues and fine tuning the car going forward.

Also, don't do this if the MX-5 is your only car and you need it daily (or even weekly), there will be periods of time when the car is down.

 

Listen to this, he knows what he is talking about.

I hope your car is back soon Lachy, Now the NA has gone to it's new home the garage must feel like it has an SE size hole in it.

 

Thanks Alex, hopefully soon! The garage currently houses a black turbo 2001 NB8B - sadly it's not mine, just a friend's that need's some work.

 

That's just adding to the torture, fingers crossed for you mate.

 

Hey mate,

Cheers for the in depth reply. I took your advice and decided against turboing my MX5 with that budget. I instead bought a built NB SE turbo (blows blue smoke though) for a very good price. Worked out much cheaper than trying to do a turbo build on my NB8A with basically all the things you listed already done. Coolant reroute, clutch, intercooler, injectors, ECU, pistons, rods etc. Just in the process of trying to diagnose the blue smoke. Hoping it's valve stem seals and not turbo but I guess we'll see. I really appreciate your post and it helped me make up my mind a lot. Thanks man

Cheers, Wales

 

I seem to have missed this thread earlier.

Alex is spot on. Power costs, how fast can you afford to go? You have come to a decision about that. The SE is a good base, and importantly, it is a FACTORY turbo, so rego not a big deal, and swapping out the piddly IHI for something beefier is just that - swapping a turbo. The other advantage is the LSD, and allegedly a somewhat stronger 6-speed. Brakes are also good, if you get good pads. .

Blue smoke? Hopefully something simple and pretty cheap. Is the turbo the stock IHI, should be a few of them around cheap if you need to replace it.

Seems like the new car has made a lot of progress down the upgrade path already, good luck getting it sorted.

 

I've made a post in Engine that's pending approval regarding the blue smoke.

The SE is already heavily modified. Fully built motor making 210kw 500NM atw with lots of headroom on E85. The Turbo is allegedly a GT2871R and was dyno'd at around 14psi with a NitroDann custom manifold. Just trying to figure out what the blue smoke is, either valve stem seals or worse case scenario turbo. I'll leave it at that and continue the troubleshooting discussion in my other thread.

Cheers, Wales

 

500NM can't be right. That's around 370ft/lbs, and at that torque you should be making way more power than 210kw (280hp), like you should be over 300kw (400hp). AND your gearbox would have shattered. Maybe 500NM estimated crank? Still seems high to me though.

That said, good decision given your requirements. It would cost a lot to build that car and you've save. Once you sort out your smoke it should be good times. Post some pictures!

 

It was the dyno at Mx5 Mania if that's a point of reference. It was definitely at the wheels. I thought the torque number seemed a bit high as well. I was told the car should of been making 250kw atw on 25psi but on the dyno it only did 210 as per the sheet.

But yeah hopefully it's just the valve stem seals which I'll fix and then all is good. I'm booked in for a retune soon as well.

Cheers, Wales