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I know this subject has probably been done to death & no doubt I will get flamed but I will risk it anyway.

I have a 1999 NB8a auto which is stock standard and I am trying to gain a little more power without going down the Supercharger or Turbo track.

I understand an aftermarket pod filter or CAI plus X force s/s headers with 2.5" s/s piping, high flow cat etc. will probably only give a gain of around 5hp for around $1,400 incl. labour.

Perhaps the better way to go is to instal an Adaptronic ECU for perhaps a 10 to 15 hp gain & extra 20nm torque?
Leaving the rest standard this would cost around $1,800 fitted (MX5 Mania).

Of course I could do both for around $3,200 but it is certainly not cost effective for the gain achieved & this is getting into S/C or Turbo money.

Anyone gone down the Adaptronic road with the NB model, & if so am I on the right track with power & torque gains & are there any complications involved?

I am not looking to cause a great debate about power gains etc....just hoping to get some advice from people who may have done this.

Any help appreciated....

Yes this question has been answered a million times.

Turbocharge and supercharge, either way, you are gonna need an exhaust and an ECU.

If you want to be cheap about it, I'd recommend you learning how to fit parts like an exhaust and intake yourself, its all bolt on and relatively easy.

I'm happy to help and will answer this question 1,000,000 times if needed

Hot off the press! My natural aspirated build, which is based on a NB engine, made 160 hp (120 kw) with a run-in tune and the cams at zero deg (GT Auto's hub dyno). However I'm not sure what the stock output of the NB engine is.

With respect to the ECU, mine was a Haltech PS1000, exhaust/headers are racing beat, cams are 298 deg in/ex, valves 10mm lift plus a few other mods.

Mazda rate the NB8A at 106kw and the 8B at 112kw

At the flywheel.


Mine dyno'd 75kw at the rears, that was with a diy mania intake and what may as well be no rear muffler.

Magpie, are you running higher compression/headwork?

what is your budget?

spikes wrote:Magpie, are you running higher compression/headwork?

Compression - 11:1 (exactly)
Headwork - Yes (done by MX5 Plus)

a shot of Nos.

just get a sport exhaust and it will feel faster. The moderate gains you get from spending $$ are soon morphed into not noticing. If power is the elixir there are plenty of more powerful cars than an MX5 but probably none of them as much fun. My sports exhaust is so much better than a stock one - at least to me.

Bullshit.

Your car has a sports exhaust !

I am not being facetious... does it really?

NitroDann wrote:Bullshit.

Your car has a sports exhaust !

I am not being facetious... does it really?

x2

LOL

I laughed long and hard at this

tescoking wrote:what is your budget?

Budget is around $1,500 to $2,000.

All I really want to know is if the CAI & headers, HF Cat etc. option is worthwhile (for the money) and if anyone has fitted an Adaptronic ECU to a stock NB without any other mods and, if so what were the approx. power & torque gains?

I realize that Magpie fitted a Haltech ECU to his car for great gains but there were also other power mods done as well that I don't want to get into coz mine won't be a track car.

I would also be interested to hear if anyone fitted any other type of aftermarket ECU as a single mod & power gains achieved.

Thanks for replies.

wiz043 wrote:I realize that Magpie fitted a Haltech ECU to his car for great gains but there were also other power mods done as well that I don't want to get into coz mine won't be a track car.

No problem There are a few other mods that I left out. Sorry I cannot give you any infor on the mods separately as they were all done at once. And it is not a track car, it is road registered and will be my daily drive.

Magpie wrote:

wiz043 wrote:I realize that Magpie fitted a Haltech ECU to his car for great gains but there were also other power mods done as well that I don't want to get into coz mine won't be a track car.

No problem There are a few other mods that I left out. Sorry I cannot give you any infor on the mods separately as they were all done at once. And it is not a track car, it is road registered and will be my daily drive.

Thanks for that...sounds like a great car for a daily driver. I am assuming you mean 120 kw at the wheels which takes it into SP turbo territory.

A standard '99 NB like mine would make around 75 to 80 kw atw. I am trying to achieve around 90 kw atw without breaking the bank....

I broke my bank account doing this build... Yes at the wheels. The tune will only get better now. I should have some more info tomorrow when it goes back on the dyno,it could be there Tuesday as well.