[Miata] Upgrades (was Replacing Rear Window)

[cagecko at comcast.net]

Wow.. we'd be really happy here in Sacramento if our gas was that cheap!! We're around $4.40 a gallon or so

I gotta agree with John about Flyin Miata - I got their springs for my '94 Miata, and kept my existing Bilstein HD Shocks (which were only about a year old), and am VERY happy with the results.  Their customer service is top-notch too.

Mark
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "John Freas" <john.freas at gmail.com>
> Previously on Replacing rear window, <mark.ariagno at boehringer-ingelheim.com>
> said...
> 
> >  Thanks John, you do know your cars.  Is the 1.6 a turbo?  My fiats all
> > needed lots of tlc, but at the time, cheapest little sports car around and
> > easy to work on.  I like the hinge idea for the plate.  All in all, I love
> > the miata.  Gas here in missouri just hit 4.10 ...ouch.
> >
> > What mods are fun projects on the miata?
> >
> The 1.6 can be turbocharged or supercharged through the aftermarket but they
> didn't come from the factory that way.  My car is pretty stock and the
> numbers I gave assume no performance mods.
> 
> I had a friend in college who spent most of his spare time under, around or
> over a Spider 2000.  It was a great, fun car but he drove it hard and they
> don't like that.
> 
> Our gas here is hanging between $3.92 and $3.99.  It won't be too long
> before it breaks the $4.00 mark.
> 
> Mods for the Miata are many, and asking which ones are fun is kinda like
> asking what flavors of ice cream taste the best.  It depends on what you
> like and what you want your car to be.  As I said, you can turbocharge the
> car, with bolt-on, time-tested kits that can produce 250 rear wheel hp and
> up.  They are made by a company called Flyin' Miata out in Colorado:
> http://www.flyinmiata.com, but since you are concerned with fuel I'm
> thinking that's not the direction you intend to go.
> 
> For handling mods you should also look to FM.  Sway bars, shocks (the OEMs
> are usually good for only about 30K miles or so), and springs are available
> for the car and each will improve handling.  FM has a package on matched
> components that comes in under $1,000 and produces a fantastically handling
> Miata (not that it was bad to begin with).
> 
> You can also add various intakes including cold air, and larger exhausts,
> and they will add a little to the performance and improve on the engine
> sound, but whenever we improve performance we also increase potential fuel
> flow, so beware ;)
> 
> Tires are one of the very first things I'd be looking at.  I don't know
> what's on there right now, but not only do good, sticky tires really make a
> handling difference, but they are a huge safety factor.  Make sure you have
> some good tires.  A lot of us go with summer tires in the non-snowy months
> and then either park the car or switch to dedicated snow tires on all 4
> corners in the winter.  The car handles snow extremely well with snow tires
> on, and is really scary without them.
> 
> I'd recommend you look around on miata.net and on FM's website for some
> ideas and come back for input from the crowd on the ones you like the sound
> of.
> 
> Happy shopping.
> 
>     -John
> ------------------------------
> John Freas <%20john7690 at comcast.net>
> 1992 *YELLOW* "Sting<http://john.freas.home.comcast.net/pix/sting/sting.html>
> "
> 1995 Black R Package
> "Spike<http://www.geocities.com/clash_girl/Spike_Scrapbook.html>
> "
> Elizabethtown, Indiana
> - Standard Disclaimer
> <http://john.freas.home.comcast.net/disclaimer.html>Applies -
> Team LS1,2, SP, the Gap...
> I love my Miata
> girl<http://www.geocities.com/clash_girl/Spike_Scrapbook.html>and my
> Miata Baby
> "I have no idea what those dimple things on the windshield frame are for."


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Subject: [Miata] Upgrades (was Replacing Rear Window)
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