Try to find someone who will let you drive a powered up miata in anger and see how different it feels if it tickles the fancy as it were
Try to find someone who will let you drive a powered up miata in anger and see how different it feels if it tickles the fancy as it were
Your Miata is roughly 250lbs lighter, and 25hp better than an SM. I’d venture it has better shocks and suspension pieces as well. You should make friends with one of the local SM hot shoes, and have them drive it on a test day or DE day. That will be the real test of whether you should sell it or not.
You guys gave me bad ideas, ya bastards. Halfway through the Rotrex install. Still 100% considering other car options. Will update the thread tomorrow with more replies. 
What racerfink said; you should be a coupe of seconds faster than a Spec Miata. Get one of the hot shoes to drive your car. Your spec is ever so slightly better than a super Miata and those are 2-3 seconds a lap faster than a Spec Miata.
I've had multiple race cars over the last 29 years; the Datsun 1200 I vintage race was my first and it's now 15 seconds a lap faster than it was 29 years ago. I tweak it a little bit every year and it remains fun. If your turning lap times within tenths of each other that's what racers aim for. The car is still 20 seconds a lap slower than my Formula car but the 1200 is in a run group with lots of people to race.
I'm lucky in that I've been able to drive everything from fast single sweaters to a few super cars and I tell everyone this; a Miata is the most fun car you will ever drive.
Again get a Miata hotshoe to drive your car and start fine tuning it even more. (If you are the Miata hotshoe guy ignore what I said)
My .02 worth.
There is a reason everyone has a C5. They are an excellent tool for the job. Coming from someone that has a Miata made me laugh at you.
Awesome advice guys. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm some rockstar, I'm just not a total schmuck behind the wheel either. I've got a lot to learn, but the question remains: Is there any point in experience where it's justified to move to an arguably faster platform? Some said yes, some said no.
Keep in mind too, SuperMiata only runs on the west side. Tracks like Buttonwillow, Laguna Seca, Spring Mountain, Autoclub speedway etc. All huge power tracks. The delta between an S2 miata and a SCCA sm is much bigger at power tracks.
Nice SC install - that was quick.
Don't forget to upgrade that radiator & maybe add an oil cooler before your 1st track trip.
Dashpot said:Nice SC install - that was quick.
Don't forget to upgrade that radiator & maybe add an oil cooler before your 1st track trip.
I was literally mind-blown how fast and easy of an install it was. I came home at 6pm and it was mostly done at 8pm, taking my time as well. The instructions (not that I used them) were extremely well written, and literally every nut and bolt is in it's own vacuum sealed and labeled pack.
Today, I just have to plumb the intercooler and install the engine oil cooler and rotrex oil cooler. It's a neat setup, there's a space (with included ducting) for the rotrex cooler on one side and engine on the other. I suspect it will have no issues keeping up with track work.
Is an S2K really going to be that much faster though? If you're at 150rwhp it's say 60rwhp more, but with an extra 30% weight. I'd tend to lean towards the C5.
I'm not sure about TT classes (I know with some organizations, cars can be highly modified and still compete), but I wonder if continueing to improve your NA might be an alternative way to go? It sounds like a number of your issues could be added/improved eg. ABS, windows, rattles, etc. You could gain a good chunk with aero and that might provide you with some new learning curve. A honda K-swap or Ecotec could make things interesting again.
I added a rotrex to my 130whp NA a few years ago... you'll need a bigger radiator for sure and you might as well do a coolant re-route at the same time. After I sorted the engine cooling- I needed a big brake kit. I think the 150whp Miata is the sweet spot for cheap/durable/fast enough. Adding boost wears a lot of stuff out.
In the hindsight- I wish I'd have sold the Miata and gone 350z. They are durable, decent aftermarket and can run under SM lap times without touching the engine- just brakes/wheels/tires/upper a-arms/alignment.
There is a member on here with a massively fast 350z time attack car and he essentially told me the opposite. In the fact that the consumables cost isnt great and it takes quite a bit to handle cooling/brakes properly.
Hmmmm- so my Dad built a 350z for running HPDE's at the same time I rotrexed my Miata.
His consumable cost was a little higher (tires and brake pads for sure). but the rest of the car was super solid for him. It was a Track model, so that may be the difference? My miata consumed 2 engines (one my fault for sure) and a lot of tires once it went past 200whp.
I also felt safer in the Z running the same lap-times. Just a bigger/more solid car- my Miata was a lot like the OP's- a constant racket of creaking and always worried about 'this car is could break in half at any point'. haha
Have you considered a toyobaru?
Is that the original radiator in the picture above? If so, that thing is a ticking timebomb. When the plastic gets brown like that, they're really brittle. I would definitely replace it ASAP.
The aluminum Ebay radiators aren't bad, probably a step up from OEM in terms of cooling. Not sure if it will be enough to cool a supercharged motor. I don't have any experience with a Rotrex but I ran an M45 for a while, and that thing made a ton of heat. While you're at it, it's also a good time to do a coolant reroute.
I'd say NC or C5 if you're not sticking with the NA. S2k Engine costs combined with how many seem to pop scares me.
C5 is a known quantity, engines are even more expensive but they don't seem to be that taxed. There are a lot of them on track, but that's for good reason.
NC is probably behind on development compared to both but 2.5s are cheap and the car easily fits a lot of wheel, tire, and brakes for what it weighs. Gwr has cheap-ish fiberglass hardtops, but roll bar costs suck. If it's going to be a dedicated track car I'd be tempted to just cage it. I've got an 07 that I did DEs in last year that I'm about to sell. Loved it but I split the middle on mods to keep it dailyable and I'm going to 2 cars for this year. That said I think you're going to need forced induction to be appreciably faster than your NA.
I've heard people say that you can drive a C5Z like a big miata also?
Jaynen said:I've heard people say that you can drive a C5Z like a big miata also?
Well, every car is a momentum car. It's just that some have more momentum than others and potentially make bigger holes in the scenery.
Late to comment but having owned 2 Miatas, a 01 S2k, an Exocet and now a C5 Zo6 all driven on track I can understand the desire for something different as well as faster than a well done NA Miata. None of the choices would be a bad fit for your needs/wants and the Toyoburu are a good choice. If I was in the market again in similar circumstances I would probably go Toyoburu or C5 but make sure I ran the costs beyond initial car cost. I would also consider how much street driving vs towing on a trailer the car would see so storage and people room and comfort factors as required.
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