Fun fact. In 2002, we sent a car to (BRAND X MAGAZINE) for a test. It had an FM II turbo in it along with a number of other modifications. I think we quoted power output as 260 hp. As tested by the magazine, it weighed 2530 lbs full of fuel and had a 51.9% front weight bias.
That car is known as Elvis and it now sports a 480 hp V8. Today, as tested by (BRAND Y MAGAZINE), it weighs 2661 lbs full of fuel and has a 51.9% front weight bias.
Yup, putting a V8 in your Miata will make it nose heavy and ruin the handling.
Another fun fact: the depreciation of that 2002 Miata has almost exactly matched the price difference between the BRAND X test configuration and the BRAND Y test configuration.
(note: while neither of those magazines are GRM or CM, there is an interesting and relevant exclusive coming in CM in 2013)
I heard the Flyin' Miata company won't last very long, either. 
mndsm
PowerDork
2/4/13 7:41 p.m.
I heart Elvis. But you all already knew that.
I have $27.50 burning a hole in my pocket. Let me know when the depreciation curve reaches that low...
Duke
PowerDork
2/4/13 9:07 p.m.
I suspect that would involve something a whole lot worse than happened to the Ferrari last year.
mndsm wrote:
I heart Elvis. But you all already knew that.
So did this one girl's mom. When I picked her up for a date, the living room in her mom's house was an Elvis shrine complete with bust and painted velvet.
I get that all the time with the 5.0 RX7, despite it weighing 20lbs more than stock but with the battery moved to the rear it is actually, marginally, lighter out front.
Of course it has 3 x the HP and 4 x the torque now
2K4Kcsq
New Reader
2/4/13 9:59 p.m.
why do I have a feeling both brand x and y belong to the same publisher?? 
I have no idea. Probably because there are only about three publishers of magazines other than Motorsport Marketing? 
We're allowed to have cars tested by someone other than Motorsport Marketing once a decade, it's in our contract 
My MG ended up the same weight as it was stock as well. Of course, this had more to do with the shop class design aesthetic of the stock front suspension as anything else. Seriously, I swear the end front end was made with a drill press and a sheet metal brake.
Keith, that's because it was!
Modern manufacturing technology has certainly increased the complexity of the parts that a small shop can produce in volume. Old machinists certainly knew how to create complicated parts (see WWII aircraft), but it took longer and tied up expensive equipment.
"A drill press and a sheet metal brake" probably aren't a bad description of what M.G. had.
They did have the ability to make castings. Heck, even aluminum ones. My Mini is older in design and definitely built to a price, but it's never struck me as being quite so crude as the B. Same with the Land Rover.
2K4Kcsq wrote:
why do I have a feeling both brand x and y belong to the same publisher??
Probably because source interlink owns every other motorsports publication at this point.
Well Keith. If you want to get respect in the automotive tuning community, maybe you should think about building a race car? maybe even campaign said car to show that your modifications work. While your at it, maybe you should actually build cars for customers and document your progress? I hear there's some race up in Canada that is pretty grueling, maybe you could enter that on day
RossD
UberDork
2/5/13 8:04 a.m.
What model year is Elvis?
Edit: It's a 2002. I can't read.
I don't know........ I recently bought our old Flyin' Miata project car and the kit totally ruined the handling. Now the tires always want to liquify, and at anything more than 1/2 throttle, the back end gets all squirrelly up until 50mph or so! 
The wrap is off and the car is going "undercover" updates soon:
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/1994-mazda-miata-turbo/
Congrats for Elvis! Long live the king!
Joe Gearin wrote:
I don't know........ I recently bought our old Flyin' Miata project car and the kit totally ruined the handling. Now the tires always want to liquify, and at anything more than 1/2 throttle, the back end gets all squirrelly up until 50mph or so!
The wrap is off and the car is going "undercover" updates soon:
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/1994-mazda-miata-turbo/
Congrats for Elvis! Long live the king!
...... holy crap. Is that thing making well over 300whp or something?
[edit]
Something is afoot... i went back to the project car page and mine makes more power, on stock suspension, with relatively E36 M3ty tires, and i can't get mine to break loose flat footing the gas in 1st or 2nd.
Keith Tanner wrote:
...it's never struck me as being quite so crude as the B.
I'd love to hear an explanation for the way they wired the B. I know I can't explain it.
Hey, congrats Joe! You'll enjoy that one.
Something is afoot... i went back to the project car page and mine makes more power, on stock suspension, with relatively E36 M3ty tires, and i can't get mine to break loose flat footing the gas in 1st or 2nd.
Something is afoot indeed. Mine is making less power than it did on the dyno (turned boost down a bit), but it is still a very wild beast. I think your car may be down on power, or it isn't getting power to the rear wheels. (clutch?)
Yeah, the wrap (as cool as it was) had to go. It was fraying in places, and since I never served in the military I felt like a hypocrite driving a car with a military theme. Mr. Tom Heath (PO) will be hanging the hood with the awesome pin-up girl in his garage, and this car will seem to be a little innocuous white Miata.
here little Mustang..........
In reply to turboswede:
But Ben is running an FM upgraded unit. Don't remember the specs but it isn't a stock unit.
Hmm, didn't he also say there were tuning issues with the setup in that car?
Ok, to be fair......my FM equipped car is currently running on "Fuzion" tires that are about as sticky as granite. This will change soon, but in the meantime I'm doing my best Vaughn Gittin Jr. impersonation.
