modding a car
 

Hi Guys:
I know this is a personal question, but I just want to get some opinion from you more experienced people. I have a 93 touring with 57k in nearly bone-stock condition. It probably is having a bad water pump..so I am deciding if I should do some work on it as I fix it. The car doesn't have a downpipe yet..which I know is a pretty important reliability mod.. but I need something to make me make up my mind..and I am thinking of a new intake and exhaust..should I do it? This is open for opinions so...please don't be offensive..thanks.

-Quen

If it really is just a bad water pump...fix it as long as the car has been okay otherwise without mods. There really isn't a need for additional mods if there's nothing wrong.

If you want a little more power/reliability and the exhaust won't cause you to get tickets in your area i say do it. Just remember that the "mod bug" can get addictive and expensive.

Definitely change out the downpipe. The cat-back is purely optional. Have the main cat inspected for clogging, but keep a cat in there.

Dave

I kept my car with a downpipe and cat-back for over a year. The car ran cooler, turbos spooled quicker, and the car sounded better. Reliability is increased, not reduced. Highly recommended. At the worst, you'll need a boost controller to reduce boost back to 10 psi (not likely with a stock intake though).

My opinion:

If you want to spend some money on the car, here's my suggestions:

1. Downpipe - reduced the underhood temps from the stock pre-cat nuclear reactor
2. Aluminum AST - the stock plastic one can crack from heat cycling so many years
3. Aluminum radiator - same as the AST
4. Electronic boost controller - even though you might not be increasing the car's performance all that much, it can help make sure you don't have any spiking in cold weather. You can also drop the boost down to the wastegate spring level to help not overwork the car all the time.

Other than that, just keep up with your normal maintenance items (spark plugs, fluids flushed, oil + air + gas filter changes). Make sure you have good rubber on the wheels and good brake pads. Then just enjoy driving the car.

When/if you replace the waterpump, also take the time to replace the thermostat. I would also suggest doing the Miata/FC thermoswitch at the same time. Good luck.

Thanks guys..now I have some idea what to do with it..however, I read about the efini Y pipe..What does it do exactly besides replacing the rubber one on US spec?

Thanks guys..now I have some idea what to do with it..however, I read about the efini Y pipe..What does it do exactly besides replacing the rubber one on US spec?

i asked the same question a week ago and from the pictures i was shown it is more free flowing which i was told will net about 10hp with supporting mods.

^its debatable if you will notice any performance gain. the only thing that it definitely does is eliminate one coupler. i personally wouldn't bother.


other than that, i wholly agree with Mahjik.

Regarding the AST and radiator - the chief problem with them is the plastic getting weakened by the hot coolant and cracking. Since the coolant runs hotter on an FD, it's a bigger risk.

But if money is an issue, a very low mileage or new radiator and AST are also valid options. I myself bought a brand new oem AST and an oem radiator for less than the cost of a single aluminum AST. Considering I might never put another 60k on my car, and right now I don't need the extra cooling capacity of the aftermarket radiator, I consider this route to be both smart and economical. It's not for everyone, but the stock parts aren't crap. They're just not very long-lived.

Dave