[Miata] Upgrades (was Replacing Rear Window)

Thu Jul 3 15:42:13 CDT 2008

John, don't be so fast to equate turbos with low fuel mileage.  My turbo
Miatas get roughly the same or better mileage than my NA ones.  Sure, you
can drive them hard and reduce the mileage, but you know that going in and
you can keep your foot out of it if you want to.

My '03 (1.8 turbo) with 257 RWHP gets roughly the same mileage as my '90
(1.6 turbo) with 170 RWHP, which gets slightly better mileage than my stock
'93 1.6, probably 90 RWHP.  The only difference is that I run Premium in the
turbo cars.  It's all in the right foot!

Sam

On 7/3/08, cagecko at comcast.net <cagecko at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Oh, and $4.40 is for the cheap 87 octane stuff at AM/PM .. most places are
> around $4.50-4.60 per gallon for the cheap stuff... if you want Premium (91
> octane) it's around 4.85-4.99 depending on where you go.. I'm glad I don't
> drive a diesel - I've seen it around $5.05 a gallon
>
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: 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."
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: cagecko at comcast.net
> To: "John Freas" <john.freas at gmail.com>,
> mark.ariagno at boehringer-ingelheim.com
> Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 17:35:19 +0000
> Subject: Re: [Miata] Upgrades (was Replacing Rear Window)
> _______________________________________________
> Miata mailing list
> Miata at list.realbig.com
> http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/miata
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "John Freas" <john.freas at gmail.com>
> To: mark.ariagno at boehringer-ingelheim.com
> Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 16:57:54 +0000
> Subject: [Miata] Upgrades (was Replacing Rear Window)
> 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."
>
> _______________________________________________
> Miata mailing list
> Miata at list.realbig.com
> http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/miata
>
> _______________________________________________
> Miata mailing list
> Miata at list.realbig.com
> http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/miata
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.realbig.com/pipermail/miata/attachments/20080703/fdd90ec5/attachment.html 