What to waste a $1000 on?

[NitroDann]

So I am in a position where i have a thousand (maybe 1500) dollars that as to go towards painting my NA6. But who cares about paint when speed exists?

So Im looking for suggestions as to spend the above amount on my car.

So far its a Na6 with..
-HKS hippermaxx circuit coilovers
-Whiteline swaybars, with bushes from whiteline to suit
-Full exhaust (heat wrapped extractors into a 2.5 inch mandrel bent stainless system)
-SSR 3 piece racing wheels
-Bendix Metal king brake pads
-Braided metal brake lines
-Mania style intake
Along with that its got no air con power steer or stereo etc etc.

Its a daily driver so it has to be P plater cop friendly. My thoughts so far and megasquirt and removed AFM, 1.8 torsen lsd, nitrous, and mostly a half cage.

Begin discussion.

Cheers,
Dann

[philz]

LSD

or some good tyres if the current ones aren't up to scratch.

[NitroDann]

Im going to need one eventually when the car goes turbo, but am i really going to improve lap times a lot with a stock 1.6 and an lsd?

Dann

[RawSouth]

Yep, you really will.

And they are fun in the wet ;)

[NitroDann]

My mx5 goes sideways enough everytime it rains to land me in jail once per storm if i were caught every time.

Ok so two votes for lsd.
3.9 ratio? future turbo car.

Dann

[bensale]

Its a daily driver so it has to be P plater cop friendly.

nitrous

I agree, an LSD, especially if you're going turbo. A roll bar is personally next on my list.

[NitroDann]

I'm glad somebody appreciates my humour.

Ok, so 1.6 or is it worth $1800 for a full 1.8 upgrade?

Dann

[sliq]

blow it on some bracing.

[sliq]

and the change for a BD roll bar

[NitroDann]

I have a boilermaker friend and lots of tools so Ill have a strut brace and seatbelt tower brace and a new much stronger rear arm mount brace in the coming weeks anyway.

BD bar?
How much? Cams legal? going to protect my GF in the passenger seat?

Thanks again,
Dann

[NitroDann]

Also i have a flyinmiata style undercarriage cross brace coming also.

Dann

EDIT:

Heres a link from when i bought it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/qidili/334 ... 054366138/

[Fatty]

another vote for a 1.8 torsen LSD upgrade.

[Locutus]

Ok, so 1.6 or is it worth $1800 for a full 1.8 upgrade?

general opinion is that it's definitely worth the upgrade. the 1.6 will give up on you if you drive the car 'the way it's meant to be dríven' - especially if you drop a torsen in the 1.6 diff housing.

torsen? pffft... get the real deal
viewtopic.php?f=82&t=39418&hilit=cusco
we need the numbers!

[Guran]

My recommendations in order of preference:

1) powder coated Brown Davis rollbar ($780 from Mania + $30 for CAMS certification) - if you plan to do track days
2) Torsen LSD (~$1200 if you're lucky)
3) Flyin' Miata butterfly brace ($1400 from Mania)
4) NA8 brake kit upgrade (cost?)

Or you could use the cash to fund a year's worth of track days, including tyres and brake pads. I reckon you'll have more fun with the track days! And after that, you'll really know what bits need upgrading.

[Sasso]

Hey Dann,

Don't forget if you get a 1.8 diff the car will be slower until you get the turbo in, a lot slower if you get a 3.9. So lap times will drop. Oh yeah btw getting a torsen made my car less tail happy in the wet, and easier to control when it does go.

Do power mods all at once with turbo setup including the appropriate diff for the power you make (will need 1.8 diff, torsen or clutch then choose a ratio). I don't suggest getting it yet unless you are going turbo in the next few months, but seeing that you're celebrating spending only 1k on your car I think you'd be saving for a little while for a decent turbo setup (save 14K or so before you begin). Brakes are something you could upgrade but again wait till you do your turbo setup so you know what brakes you need. You might want a big brake kit or Sport brakes rather than normal 1.8 brakes. Which won't do anything for the car now, its not needed, if anything the added mass will slow it down.

Don't forget with the MS you will then need to pay for tuning which you might not be able to afford if you get the ECU itself. Removed AFM wont give you more power, keeping stock fueling and ignition system will keep the car nice to drive too.

What's wrong with the paint on the car? If its really bad why don't you just paint the car? I would.

If you want to drop your lap times then buy a set of wheels and semi slick tyres. Best bang for buck lap time wise. But not really necessary unless you have turbo or are in competition so I wouldn't get them yet.



If you dont want to paint the car thenI would get BD bar and put the rest toward track days, ie replacing tyres, brake parts, fuel and entry fees.