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I'm totally confused, could somebody recommend some battery chargers for an AGM MX-5 battery? I just bought a new battery for mine but it's going to be parked for a loooong time before I'm going to be driving the car regularly so I need to keep it alive in the mean time. Holy fuckballs the amount of horseshit about batteries on the internet is staggering. I want a constant voltage charger for an AGM battery, right? I've gotten that far and then delved into a sea of vague specifications and "smart chargers" and I'm totally lost. 
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Aug 13, 2015 20:49
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Just get a battery tender 
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Aug 13, 2015 21:07
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Or if you're just parking it for a long time, take the battery out of it and bring the battery somewhere warm indoors with you. It'll be fine.
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Aug 13, 2015 21:10
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Seat Safety Switch posted:Or if you're just parking it for a long time, take the battery out of it and bring the battery somewhere warm indoors with you. It'll be fine. This is what I'm planning on doing with my battery for the winter, but since it will likely be parked in the garage from December through March do I need to do something about the tires since it will be sitting that long? I read about cars being stored getting flat spots on the tires. Is 4 months long enough to cause a problem like that?
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Aug 13, 2015 21:12
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I stored my Miata in a buddy's garage over the winter. No noticeable flat spotting on my Rivals, though it probably wasn't great for the compound to store them in -40. Regular tires will be fine. Worst case you have a little flat spotting to club out the first couple of drives.
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Aug 13, 2015 21:14
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Seat Safety Switch posted:I stored my Miata in a buddy's garage over the winter. No noticeable flat spotting on my Rivals, though it probably wasn't great for the compound to store them in -40. Do you mean >40 or -40? Because if it's -40 in the garage where the gently caress does your buddy live? 
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Aug 13, 2015 21:18
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Metric units, friend.
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Aug 13, 2015 21:31
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Seat Safety Switch posted:Metric units, friend. actually -40C and -40F is the same so that didn't help and is butt-cold Edit: Actually it did because >40C could still be warm and miata weather so obviously -40. Still curious where you live.
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Aug 13, 2015 21:39
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Western Canada. Admittedly it only went below -30'C a few times this year. His garage is uninsulated.
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Aug 13, 2015 21:57
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Phone posted:the manual transmission is archaic technology...I find it hard to understand why anyone would want one. If you're willing to live with all the electronic nannies that come in the club and the GT why would you tolerate an old fashioned, outdated technology? Somehow folks have the idea that any of these models will perform differently from one another-I doubt it. Of course-to each their own. Agreed. I not only purchased a new Miata with an automatic, but I hired a chauffeur (nice fellow, name is Dong) to drive me around. You guys are fools for driving your own dumb asses around.  jammyozzy posted:I'm totally confused, could somebody recommend some battery chargers for an AGM MX-5 battery? I just bought a new battery for mine but it's going to be parked for a loooong time before I'm going to be driving the car regularly so I need to keep it alive in the mean time. I've used this for the past three Winters, with the car in storage for about 4-6 months each year: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004PPXZIA Works fine, the battery will be in great shape when you put it back in the car and you can leave it hooked up on the tender indefinitely. (You could remove the battery and store it in the house/garage attached to the tender, which is what I do since the car is stored in a rented storage unit with no power, or you could leave it in the car while hooked up to the tender if the car is staying in your garage.) GutBomb posted:This is what I'm planning on doing with my battery for the winter, but since it will likely be parked in the garage from December through March do I need to do something about the tires since it will be sitting that long? I read about cars being stored getting flat spots on the tires. Is 4 months long enough to cause a problem like that? What kind of tires, out of curiosity? I suppose the first thing that comes to mind is to leave the car up on jack stands the whole time, but I've read that that might not be good for the suspension to leave it unloaded for so long. You could buy a cheap set of steel rims and tires just to swap on there over the Winter, but that seems a little excessive (for a Miata at least.) The other thing is to overinflate the tires, above normal riding pressure but within the nominal maximum. You could roll the car so that it sits on different spots, maybe doing this once a month or whenever convenient. I have never used things like these, which may be worth a shot: http://www.tirecradle.com/ http://www.amazon.com/Race-Ramps-RR-FS-Flatstopper-Pack/dp/B003ZAGJAM Putting something soft (carpeting, mats, etc.) under the wheels may have the same effect as the above devices for significantly lower cost. If you'd like, I can share my whole Winter storage procedure. Seat Safety Switch posted:I stored my Miata in a buddy's garage over the winter. No noticeable flat spotting on my Rivals, though it probably wasn't great for the compound to store them in -40. I went through the whole "extreme performance Summer tires in the Winter" thing when shopping for my new set. In this case, Dunlop (and TireRack) expressly recommended against storing tires like the Star Specs (and Rivals) in cold temperatures. I settled for the DZ102s and they're great. Prior to that I had Nitto Neogens (UHP All-Season, on the car when I bought it) that seemed fine after sitting in storage. They may have had some flat spots that needed to be driven out, but as I've mentioned recently the car does seem to have its own rough riding & vibration issues that can mask other things. Softer tires, I'd assume, would be more prone to flatspotting.
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Aug 14, 2015 00:33
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Atomizer posted:Agreed. I not only purchased a new Miata with an automatic, but I hired a chauffeur (nice fellow, name is Dong) to drive me around. You guys are fools for driving your own dumb asses around. The tires are Yokohama Advan A11A summer tires that came on the car when I bought it. I'll be replacing them with Michelin Pilot Super Sports when they wear out because those are my go to. I was trying to avoid spending $250 on those wheel cradle things because they seem so unnecessary, like a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist, but that's just gut reaction, not informed in the least. And yes I'd be very interested in your winter storage procedure.
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Aug 14, 2015 01:06
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leica posted:You like shifting ancient tractor transmissions? To each his own, I guess. Mazda should have used the ultra modern Powerglide in Miatas I heard the early beetles has a crank starter and thought that was the coolest thing. It's me, the worst AI luddite.
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Aug 14, 2015 03:39
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All this talk of "winter storage" is making me appreciate California almost enough to overlook the horrendous housing prices.
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Aug 14, 2015 06:02
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Yeah gently caress winter storage, year round supremacy 
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Aug 14, 2015 06:09
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Enjoy your hurricanes and earthquakes!
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Aug 14, 2015 06:37
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GutBomb posted:The tires are Yokohama Advan A11A summer tires that came on the car when I bought it. I'll be replacing them with Michelin Pilot Super Sports when they wear out because those are my go to. I'm not familiar with either of those tires, but they're not super soft & sticky so for what it's worth they're probably not super-prone to flatspotting. Like I said, you should be able to avoid those cradles by just parking over something soft and squishy, like carpeting. You can either try to find old rugs or whatever on CL, or buy some bulk from a hardware store. You just need anything softer than the concrete that you'd otherwise be parking on. Getting the materials will be the easy part; actually getting it under the wheels will be slightly more challenging. This is what I'd recommend for a storage procedure, modified for storing it in your own garage since you don't have to deal with a storage unit like I do: -Change oil & filter. Changing other fluids would be fine if you're willing to go with the rest of the trouble & expense. -Fill with fuel, add stabilizer (I've used both Seafoam and Sta-Bil, and don't have a preference.) The drive home will get the stabilizer circulated and hopefully the gas station is close enough to home where the tank will still be almost completely full. You want to leave as little free space in the tank as possible to reduce condensation and water mixing with the fuel. It won't be a lot of water regardless, but you don't want to do anything that will make the car harder to start. I've always been able to get mine started on the first try after pulling it out of storage, but it is a little rough. -Wash, wax, vacuum, etc. The car should be as clean as it ever will be going into storage, so you don't have anything caked on there for months and don't have any food that might attract critters. -Park (over the mats/carpet/whatever.) -Throw a tub of desiccant into the passenger footwell: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029EGUNG -Fill tires to near max pressure. -Chock the front and back of a wheel. -Place transmission in neutral, and disengage parking brake. You don't want anything to get stuck on you, and the chocks will hold the car. -Remove wiper blades and pad the arms (with rags, etc.) You could alternately just pad the blades and leave them on if you're going to replace them right after taking it out of storage. -Plug exhaust and maybe intake with rags (to prevent ingress of critters.) -Either: a) remove battery, bring inside, hook up to tender, and place insulators (plastic bags, etc.) over the leads, or b) leave the battery in the car, hooked up to the tender, with the trunk lid gently lowered. I prefer the former, even if it wasn't necessary in my circumstance. -Cover. This is what I use, and is both cheap and perfectly sufficient for indoor storage: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ALJ410 -Suspend insurance. You don't need collision coverage if you're not driving the car, and the premium savings basically pays for the cost of storage in my situation. -Don't touch the car until Winter's over; none of that "just start it up for 15 minutes every month" or whatever bullshit. Reverse the process when you finally get to take it out of storage. Changing the oil again would be a good idea. MattD1zzl3 posted:I heard the early beetles has a crank starter and thought that was the coolest thing. It's me, the worst AI luddite. I'm the type of guy who still wants a motorcycle with a kick starter.  Rhyno posted:Enjoy your hurricanes and earthquakes! Don't forget the drought!
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Aug 14, 2015 08:08
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Atomizer posted:I've used this for the past three Winters, with the car in storage for about 4-6 months each year: Hah my garage, you're funny. I'm lucky to have a driveway to work on, the battery's gonna be tucked up indoors with me. That charger looks perfect, thanks for the help.
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Aug 14, 2015 13:11
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I'm most likely going to move from Florida to cleveland. (I can choose to buy a house for either $250,000 here, or $25,000 there) The prospect of winter storage doesn't bother me because it gives me an excuse to have an eccentric RWD winter beater on nice snow tires that cost as much as it does. (Any suggestions would be appreciated)
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Aug 14, 2015 15:35
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My 91 was the best car I've ever driven in the winter even though it had no heater, directional studded winter tires that were going in opposite directions in the rear, an open diff and Carbotech XP10s.
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Aug 14, 2015 15:40
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MattD1zzl3 posted:I'm most likely going to move from Florida to cleveland. (I can choose to buy a house for either $250,000 here, or $25,000 there) The prospect of winter storage doesn't bother me because it gives me an excuse to have an eccentric RWD winter beater on nice snow tires that cost as much as it does. (Any suggestions would be appreciated) Subaru Justy, its a winter beater and a great rallycross car all in one. Otherwise, Saab 9-2x
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Aug 14, 2015 15:59
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Phone posted:The p/n is NAY1-39-040. Retail is $70 per, but Rosenthal has them for $50, mazdaspeed is cheaper. Fuuuck how is this so cheap/IL so expensive
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Aug 14, 2015 16:14
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Phone posted:
Are these adaptable to older models? Is it worth it?
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Aug 14, 2015 16:43
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Probably. You'll need to figure out the bracket spacing and rotor to use though. (it's not worth it)
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Aug 14, 2015 16:45
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MattD1zzl3 posted:I'm most likely going to move from Florida to cleveland. (I can choose to buy a house for either $250,000 here, or $25,000 there) Actually, you can get a house for the price of a VCR in Cleveland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM
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Aug 14, 2015 17:32
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Phone posted:Probably. You'll need to figure out the bracket spacing and rotor to use though. I think the easiest NC brake upgrade is putting on RX-8 brakes on the rear, which is bolt on OEM, and I'm pretty sure that's not worth it either. Unrelated: currently driving in the mountains around boone, just stopped into penland because my wife wanted a break after going from Roan Mountain to Bakersville. man I loving love this car. GEMorris fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Aug 14, 2015 |
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Aug 14, 2015 17:53
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Comparing the NC to the BRZ or the base mini cooper... every other car is dangerously under-braked. I feel like the NC needs absolutely no help with stopping. Acceleration is another matter entirely.
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Aug 14, 2015 18:01
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I changed my nc oil myself for the first time since my free service with purchase and Jesus i love how the filter is fully prepped upside down to spill all over your arm. Well that's my story
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Aug 14, 2015 18:10
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ethanol posted:I changed my nc oil myself for the first time since my free service with purchase and Jesus i love how the filter is fully prepped upside down to spill all over your arm. Well that's my story In addition, gently caress that location. Right above the front subframe so it gets all over that and drips in like 5 different places. If you've ever crawled under a 2012+ ford focus, you'll laugh, since it's the identical block AND filter location, except there it's beautifully accessible.
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Aug 14, 2015 18:25
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BloodBag posted:Comparing the NC to the BRZ or the base mini cooper... every other car is dangerously under-braked. I feel like the NC needs absolutely no help with stopping. Acceleration is another matter entirely. Yeah, I have the full GWR exhaust and a Beat Racing CAI. I don't think I'd be having nearly as much fun up here if I was down 30hp. The problem with getting more power at this point is that all the options are quite expensive. 6k+ for a SC, 4k+ for a 2.5, and I'm not sure if new cams even do much.
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Aug 14, 2015 18:29
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BloodBag posted:In addition, gently caress that location. Right above the front subframe so it gets all over that and drips in like 5 different places. If you've ever crawled under a 2012+ ford focus, you'll laugh, since it's the identical block AND filter location, except there it's beautifully accessible. I have to laugh anyways because my last car was a jeep wrangler and neither did I have to jack up the car to reach the drain plug nor did I have to spill a drop of oil if I did the filter just right. It was also extremely easy to reach from the hood
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Aug 14, 2015 18:33
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GEMorris posted:Yeah, I have the full GWR exhaust and a Beat Racing CAI. I don't think I'd be having nearly as much fun up here if I was down 30hp. An off the shelf cone filter and exhaust isn't giving you 30 hp.
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Aug 14, 2015 18:46
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Phone posted:An off the shelf cone filter and exhaust isn't giving you 30 hp. I'm curious as to why you say that. Stock NCs dyno at around 140 at the wheels. Goodwin shows dynos at 167 at the wheels with just the GWR full exhaust (header, mid, muffler, which is what I have). I was assuming the front mount CAI (in the bumper, not under the hood) was worth maybe 3? Perhaps I'm overestimating there. So do you think stock NCs dyno higher than 140, or do you think Goodwin is making false claims, or what?
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Aug 14, 2015 20:01
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I punched in "goodwin gwr exhaust dyno" and the first result was an mnet post that shows a 144 to 154whp jump and that it only makes more power above 6k (and considerably less from 0-6k as well as significantly less torque across the board) and the closing comment was "I am planning on getting the tune done in the next couple of weeks". No one is getting 30hp out of a cone filter and exhaust. I don't remember if you said that the PO flashed the ECU on yours, though.
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Aug 14, 2015 20:09
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MattD1zzl3 posted:I'm most likely going to move from Florida to cleveland. (I can choose to buy a house for either $250,000 here, or $25,000 there) The prospect of winter storage doesn't bother me because it gives me an excuse to have an eccentric RWD winter beater on nice snow tires that cost as much as it does. (Any suggestions would be appreciated) I hope you like potholes. Not rwd but subarus handle our weather well.
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Aug 14, 2015 21:49
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Phone posted:No one is getting 30hp out of a cone filter and exhaust. I don't remember if you said that the PO flashed the ECU on yours, though. With a stand alone ECU and good tune it's possible isn't it? IIRC I read that NB2's can get a decent bump in hp with intake/header/exhaust/ECU and a tune, dunno about the NC's though.
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Aug 14, 2015 22:32
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leica posted:With a stand alone ECU and good tune it's possible isn't it? Later on in that thread that I alluded to, he got a tune and posted that up as well. 144whp w/ CAI 154whp w/ CAI + Goodwin Exhaust (significantly down on torque everywhere though, and only has a gain vs stock from 6k to 7k) 160whp w/ Tune/Flash + CAI + Goodwin Exhaust Healthy NBs will put down around 115whp bone stock; this is where Mazda was revising numbers all over the place so 142-ish at the crank. A VICS manifold (or Squaretop), a tuned cold air intake (20-24" in length), RB header, 2.25-2.5" full exhaust, and a standalone will get you into the 140-150whp range depending how healthy the motor is.
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Aug 14, 2015 22:42
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So the stock NC ECU can be flashed? That's pretty sweet, did not know that. Also I thought that all NB2s had a VICS manifold stock, what's the deal with that?
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Aug 14, 2015 22:50
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VTCS for all NB2s; VICS was only 99-00.
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Aug 14, 2015 23:17
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Ah yes my worst fear came true. An idiot presumably looked right over my miata and backed into it in a parking lot to snag a spot he passed.
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Aug 15, 2015 01:52
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| # ? May 30, 2024 08:48 |
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Phone posted:I punched in "goodwin gwr exhaust dyno" and the first result was an mnet post that shows a 144 to 154whp jump and that it only makes more power above 6k (and considerably less from 0-6k as well as significantly less torque across the board) and the closing comment was "I am planning on getting the tune done in the next couple of weeks". Phone posted:Later on in that thread that I alluded to, he got a tune and posted that up as well. Yeah, I found that thread and read through it. I certainly think I was being overly optimistic about the effect of the mods on my car, since I wasn't the one who bought and installed them, I didn't research them nearly as much as I would have if I was making the individual purchases. Still, a few strange things with that thread: 144 whp on bone stock puts him at the top of stock dyno's I've seen, 135-140 seems a lot more common. The loss of torque and almost nonexistent gains before reflashing the ECU seemed to suggest he may have dyno'ed the car right after installing the parts and the stock ECU had not adjusted at all. I dunno, but there aren't a large number of people complaining aboutGWR exhausts reducing their torque, seems like an outlier. 16 whp and a minor torque bump seems pretty minimal for like $1500 worth of parts. If I was spending the money I think I'd just save for a 2.5 swap. Phone posted:No one is getting 30hp out of a cone filter and exhaust. I don't remember if you said that the PO flashed the ECU on yours, though. Honestly, I don't know. It wasn't in the listed mods, but neither was the SmartTop module which is on the car. Is there anyway to know if the ecu was flashed short of taking it to an ecu tuner? Speaking of HP etc. Is there a Dyno in the triangle that you recommend? Now, in other news: I did two nice stretches of road today. The 1st was from Roan Mountain to Bakersville, and the second was the 226A/226 loop around Little Switzerland. The car handles great, and I agree with BloodBag that the NC needs a lot more power before brakes are an issue. However, I'm having some issues when going into corners very hard under braking, when I load up the outside front wheel, the tire is scraping the fender lining. I can feel where it has rubbed through on the driver's side, and I can feel some wear on the passenger side as well. It seems that the wheel is set slightly too far back in the wheelwell, which is maybe causing this? I'm running RS3's, 235/45ZR17.
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Aug 15, 2015 02:01
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