at the end of the day you are going to spend whatever it takes for you to get what you want!
best advice:
1. do plenty of research
miataturbo.net
miatafiles?
miata.net
etc are all good sources of info in the recent months quite a few people have gone down the route of FI
2. If you see something you want don't get it straight away! it will still be there in six months time!
I don't know how much crap I have bought over the past 8 years only to store it for a number of years and then sell it to someone else
(My mrs thinks I have a problem with hoarding crap)
\"I don't know where she gets that idea\"!
3. when you finally decide on what you want and know that it isgoing to be right then buy it
with 4 major interior changes countless exhausts numerous body appendages I wish i had 'got it right' the first time!
4. if you have spent x amount on the car for the original purchase and planed to spend x amount straght after then all your questions arn't in vein! however when you carry out sugested modifications start with the cheap/easy ones first ie good wheel alignment bump the timing up lose a bit of weight out of the car, all those sort of things, there are plenty of threads detailing 'those first mods' which are exactly where you want to start.
5. 5 depends heavily on how long you plan to keep your car and what the current condition of it is!
IE. if you plan to use and abuse it for say three years then get something else don't go overbaord just have fun driving it and driving topless!
(keeping in mind you will 99% of the time get more for the car in a near factory condition than heavily modified!)
If the plan is to keep it for a long time and no reason to sell it in the upcoming years and you can afford to throw money into a black hole of turbo's and intercoolers then read on!
6. the way i'd do it if i had the time/money/(and be alowed to do it again)
I would start at the bit you don't see,
Suspension, drive train, transmission and engine
probably some tein things that all the guys rave about
light weight flywheel HD BB clutch get your trans checked out so you know its good, LSD pref. a 1.8 torsen
engine: Turbo baby only way to go!
This I wouldn't have done any different than what I had except fot the engine managment( next time i will pay someone sstraight up to do it
)
when buying engine parts it is ok to buy cheaper/secondhand etc but be aware that down the track these components you have added will cause problems.
and some will cause headaches and pains even when fitting
7. well thought out
A well thought out modified vehicle should not so much stick out adn say hey look at me it should somewhat be a statment of what you belive you can extend through a car
Picture your car as a work of art, at the end of the day you want to be able to park it on the side of the road and you want all the modifications to blend in and complete the package, not as you often see someone has just unloaded their credit card with 10 large at the local speed shop!
its the small things that create the overall 'art' you would say, be it completing the look your after, ie you don't stick big chrome on a JDM style drift car (though some do)
nor would you stick buddy club rims under the arches of a pimped lexus!
at the end of the day it is and will be an extention of yourself and only you know yourself better than anyone. hence you know exactly what you want but not yet!
gesus I can crap on!
8. Don't go overboard!
It will 5h!7 you no end knowing you have this awesome car but you cant take it anywhere cause of the amount of time you have poured into it and you couldn't bear anything happen to it!
on the other hand remember that it is JUST a car I realised this this time last year on the GOR i hit a roo at 100km/h just south of bega and came out of it very lucky with minimal damage!
(that would be my worst experience in the 5)
two days later I experienced the best week cassie and I have ever had
on the GOR!
there are plenty of ups and downs!
good luck!
