Our New 2012 PRHT SS Project....

[eluviis]

I agree with AZ - I think that if you work with a manufacturer and design a set of springs that works with Koni shocks for NC2 you'll make a killing. It's common knowledge all over miata.net that just about all springs available for NC2 will leave the front of the car higher than the back. I think that you now having this car allows you to step up and be the first to sort this one out.

[Brian]

Hi Guys,

You have my complete agreement. In fact, already made this pitch to Jeff at Progress once and failed. But I will give it another try..

[Chris Thompson]

Today we are flogging this project at its first autocross!

Man, I wanted to see your (Andi's) new car. Work kept me from the Q both days this weekend

I have a feeling my new (to me) '08 daily driver won't be stock very long! Watching your development progress. Any chance you can get us a PnP device to turn off DTC? ABS doesn't bother me but that dynamic traction control is a bit too dynamic.

[AZ Sun Lover]

Hi Guys,

You have my complete agreement. In fact, already made this pitch to Jeff at Progress once and failed. But I will give it another try..

Hmm, I will make a call also and bend an ear.

Maybe if we get owners calling & or emailing Progress about the same, Jeff & Company may just build something that would work much better with the PRHT and soft tops. We have Mazdaspeed PRHT springs on my wife's 08 GT soft top. My wife & myself like the rake they give her car. Heck I even buy another set of Progress springs myself! I already have a spare set of Progress springs setting on the shelf in the garage. I invite anyone who is local to come over and take my car for a test ride. I have giving out my keys more than a few times, it's fun to see owners coming back with big smiles. I was very lucky to get Michelle @ Progress to sell me their 1st set of powder coated gray springs MX-5 springs.

Thanks Brian for your help also.

AZ

[eluviis]

Hi AZ - Are you in Arizona or SoCal? Maybe we should get together.

I went to Goodwin's on Thu to buy the smart top and to get acquainted with the shop. Brian wasn't there but I had the pleasure of meeting Brad.

Given that I ended up deciding my NC2 would stay a road car I just ordered leather for it, so I had to hold out on the coilovers/shocks. I'm pretty much set on coilovers at this point so I can control the ride height. Of course, this wouldn't necessarily be the case if there were suitable springs for NC2 PRHT available.

The little Copper red NC was out front and I got a chance to take a picture of it beside my True Red.

[mazdaracerchick]

Took my little copper red out for it's first play date on Saturday for SCCA Practice day. Had SOOO much fun! After driving our supercharged beast for the past year it was quite a difference but I have to admit I almost had more fun in my "stock" Miata.

Of course it is not 100% stock, I am a Goodwin after all! As discussed in this thread we have the Progress sways which really increased performance... but like Brian I am looking forward to some springs/coilovers, etc.

We installed the new street header and hooked up the RoadsterSport race exhaust for the event which I have to admit I really enjoyed the sound of. With the top down it sounded amazing, louder of course than the Q but fun for the weekend. Perhaps if I was a 20-35 year old male I would want it all the time but I am not and don't need that kind of attention at Trader Joe's

Have a few other mods planned and I am anxiously awaiting my new Enkei wheels...I am quickly becoming a mod-junkie, oh well!

Here are a few pics of the event with me driving getting coaching from the best instructor ever!

BTW, looking for a name for our little copper red. Any suggestions?

[Brian]

Dyno work complete on our RoadsterSport Street Header Project, car feels substantially faster at all rpm points because it is making more power from low to high. It's a real hoot to drive now and I am destined to get a speeding ticket because of all the fun I have been having.

REPOST below of stuff posted in the dyno thread:



Spent about a week on the dyno with various prototypes of our new Street header with converter project. Tried the other designs available and then made several of our own. Tried all the usual tricks of playing with the primary size and you see above left our version of the PPE style except we use fewer sections, and give a little more clearance to the alternator with the number 1 primary. Did our version of that style for testing and comparison purposes. PPE went to production with that style because the STR rules required keeping converter in the 'stock location'...but those STR rules are now gone so also experimented more with style you see above right.....where we do classic hot rod mod of maxing the length of the primaries as much as possible by shoving converter down against the lower flange. Also played with primary diameter sizes. I feared the smaller primary diameter versions of the longer tube prototypes might be stronger on the low end but fall behind as the RPMS climbed such that we would need to make a decision on primary diameter between having top end power...or low end grunt. But, the results did not turn out that way. The larger primary version won the dyno battle at the low end...and the top end.

The winner is below! I guess it should be no surprise, it's just classic hot rod rules once again, longer and larger diameter primaries won both for low end torque....and high rpm power (which makes me think our new LONG tube PPE header should be a real winner on the dyno).



Header adds 10 HP on top of gains with just the RoadsterSport Q (which itself picked up a similar gain over stock). Bottom line is that our current full length RoadsterSport header with no converter will make even more power for less money...so if you want max power with a converter still in the system then it still makes sense to have that converter in the midpipe so you can max the primary length for max power. But, many have been interested in a performance BOLT IN header with converter...which will be 49 state LEGAL (EPA and OBD2 compliant, but NOT CARB APPROVED for California).... so we have now made the best performance header with converter that is possible, sending the winner back to the factory today and should have it on shelf in finished form in about 45 days. Graph here shows best stock run where we started on this car on same dyno, and best with our full exhaust using Q on the end and our street header up front.

Now a brief note on things that did NOT work. Folks email me all the time about how their butt dyno says some item they bought on EBAY makes 10hp and they ask us to test it. Well...while we were on the dyno for a week we took the opportunity to play with other stuff that folks ask me about, and NONE of it worked. The most popular request was several customers asking us to dyno test the Jet Power-Flow Mass Air Sensor. Well, that item does make more PEAK HP....but the cost was a big loss of torque from low to beyond 5000 RPMS. So we need to call that item BUSTED because though they might truthfully advertise 'more peak Horsepower', the result of that item is a SLOWER car. Another thing folks ask about every week is DROP IN FILTERS for the factory air box. At this power level we confirmed what we had tested back in 2006.....that all the drop in filters make NO DIFFERENCE IN POWER at this flow level. BUT, we have also tested the same drop in filters on our supercharged 2007 and at the flow level of the supercharged car (which still uses the bottom half of the factory air box) the filters do make a BIG difference (and the clear winner was our Cosworth Dry Element filters).

How has the SOUND changed? Not much. I am accustomed to our full length header with midpipe and Q on the end which makes a much more meaty and aggressive change over stock...but is not for everyone. In comparison, this combo with RoadsterSport Street Header retaining a converter and finished off with the Q has a volume at cruise that is not much different than stock, just a little deeper voiced. Only when I put my foot down and rpms climb over 4000 do you get more burble and throatiness than stock...yet never 'loud'. Thus, I think this will make a great 'wife approved' sleeper combo that makes more torque from start to finish but will not wake the neighbors!

[mazdaracerchick]

We have started a list of possible names for our little copper red.....thanks for your suggestions!

Penny
Cinnamon
Rhonda
Reba
Ruby
Scarlett
Roxanne
Rosie

Thanks to those who emailed us!

Keep them coming and vote for your favorite

[NavyLt]

Brian, the new header with built-in converter looks great! I have a Cobalt CAI with drop-in K&N filter, OEM exhaust manifold, GWR midpipe and Mazdaspeed exhaust on my '09 NC2. It is already fairly loud, so I am glad to hear that the new header doesn't increase the sound level too much. Earlier you posted that the price point should be about $550, is that still the case? Thanks.

[Brian]

We are on target for the price, but there is more to the story. The best hp is the version that pushes the converter so low that you will need to buy our O2 extension cords for a plug and play install. So, for those who don't want to splice wires to complete the install, this fact raises the installed cost to include the header and $88 worth of extension cords. Thus, part of me really hoped that the other style would win the dyno battle because that version can be installed without the cords, but it was no contest on the dyno, longer primary design much stronger.