Random Snap – 025

When the Dark Star blew up, Darth Vader and his Storm Trooper jumped onto the Miata bandwagon!

Random Snap – 021

Here’s an old picture of Urban’s NB way before he installed the bomex bumper and Demon Camber wheels. It’s still one of the best NB’s around IMO.

Roadster Of The Week – Jonas’s MSM

Article written by: Adam Zitka and  Jonas Bereika
Pictures taken by: Giedrius Matulaitis and Tomas Petrovskis

This weeks ROTW is from a country called Lithuania, which is a rather small country in eastern Europe. In Lithuania, You don’t see too many Roadsters at all. This Mazdaspeed Miata happens to be the only one in the country too!

“So how everything started. In the middle of 2008 I was searching for a car that would be my daily driver with lot’s of space to fit my friends, bike and other stuff. I’ve been in love with Miata and other small cars like Lotus Elise/Exige since I learned how to drive a car, But it was not good as a daily driver (only two seats, not much space). I already had a Honda S2000 that was my weekend and track day car. But I’ve found this 2005 MSM imported from US, and just couldn’t let it go. I sweared to my self that this car will stay completely stock and no mods is allowed, But, you see how it has ended.”

Seeing this MSM rolling on the streets of Lithuania would be an interesting sight indeed, Considering how uncommon Roadster’s are over there. But what make things more interesting are the modifications that Jona’s has put on his MSM.

The car’s exterior has been revamped with a custom front lip, And a set of side skirts that were made in Poland. The guards were rolled and pulled to allow clearance for the XXR/Sportmax 002 wheels.

The cockpit of this MSM has not been left untouched. Jonas likes to drive his Roadster hard, and well we all know that the standard seats, Can be a little slippery in extreme conditions.  So Jonas has installed a Sandtler Roadster divers seat, Along with a 3 point Sabelt harness, These help him stay in the one spot, And in control when pushing the limits of the MSM.

Jonas has also installed a OMP steering wheel, Which not only deletes the OEM Nardi, But shaves some weight off the standard wheel. Other mods consist of a Stack boost gauge, Dildo shifter and Radio blanking plate.

Now we all know that the MSM is graced with a healthy boost of power from factory, Thanks to the IHI turbine bolted to the engine, But for some reason, Mazdaspeed decided to install a tiny intercooler. Jonas has replaced the factory intercooler with a much larger system. This not only gives the MSM a boost in power, It helps keep the intake temperatures down. Boost has been increased manually, And there is a 3 inch exhaust bolted to the OEM downpipe.

“The car has now been with me for two years, and I completely love it, even more than I bought it. For my needs it’s just a perfect car, simple, minimalistic, good-looking, small, rear wheel drive, has the power to make driving fun and can go top down FTW!! It’s hard to drive every day with a such low car, but when you like every mile with it, you drive only on good roads and don’t care if it’s the longer way. Only one point that I don’t like as much, is the colour, damn it’s hard to keep it clean, especially here in Lithuania where the streets are dirty. But, it’s the most exclusive mazdaspeed colour, only 200 MSM’s were made in black!”

“The future plans would be to add some more power, about 250whp would be perfect (it now has ~200whp), add a real roll bar. And to modify steering to get more steering angle.”

Remember guys, We are always looking for new Roadsters to feature, so if you have a killer Roadster you would like to see on RoadsterGarage.net, then shoot us an email at roadstergarage@live.com.au

Congrats Jonas, Your this weeks ROTW!

Modifacations:

Bigger IC
Custom intake
Custom 3″ turboback stainless exhaust
MBC (set to 0.7bar)
BC coilovers
TurboXS RFL bov
Sandtler Roadster homologated drivers seat (the same as Cobra Lotus race seat)
3 point Sabelt harness
QSP steering wheel
JDM Dildo shiftknob
Stack boost gauge
Fiberglass sideskirts (made in Poland, don’t remember company name)
Custom fiberglass front bumper lip
OEM rear mudguards
Rolled front and rear fenders
Removed AC
XXR002 R16x8″ ET0 wheels with 195/45 tires

Random Snap – 017

Here’s an NA Roadster exiting some rather twisty corners, Somewhere in South Australia.

Roadster Of The Week – Chris’s NA6T Roadster

Article Written By: Adam Zitka
Photography By: Scott Deeley & Various

Building any car on a budget is not as easy as some might think, But Chris from Saskatchewan, Canada, Has managed to build himself a turbocharged NA6 without selling out his kidneys!

“I ended up picking up the car after some lady hit my current daily driver at the time. I had driven many Miatas before 2 NA’s, 2 NB’s and 1 NC, SO I had a good feeling about the car. As I was in college at the time, I was pursuing something reliable, but something I could also have fun with and still do track events with such as AutoX and tentatively drifting.

So after a few quick emails back and forth between the previous owner, I quickly booked a plane ticket to Calgary AB, and flew out that night on May 2 2008. While I was in Calgary, I ended up picking up a set of sport max 501 wheels as I wanted something more than winter tires to summer drive on. When I picked up the car I had a good feeling about it and it put a huge smile on my face. I drove it back home to Saskatoon SK(700km) and there was no doubt in my mind I had bought a good car.”

“My first event I did was an AM drift event in Edmonton AB in July of 2008. At the time my current specs were fairly stock. A welded in 4 pt roll bar I made, an air filter, an exhaust and coilovers. I placed 8th out of 37. I was pretty content sitting in my roadster now, knowing i could throw down with 300whp skylines, S13’s, S14’s etc. I was 1 of 4 cars at that event who didn’t have a turbo on their car.

The car pretty much stayed stock for the rest of the year. Keep in mind I’m going to school, and trying to fund and build a race car doesn’t exactly happen too quickly when you’re in school.”

Seeing these pictures of Chris sliding his Roadster must have you wondering what that body kit is. It is a replica of the legendary Arios body kit, And it suits Chris’s car to a tee. He’s currently rocking a set of Sportmax/XXR 002’s, In 15×8 0 offset sizing. The NA6 was recently painted a fresh gloss black too, replacing the original green paint work.

Giving the NA6 such a low ride height, Are a set of Megan Racing coilovers with 10kg springs on the front struts, And 8kg springs on the rear. Most know that Roadsters’s don’t have much lock when it comes to drifting, Chris has addressed this problem with a pair of Secret Element inner tie rods. These increase lock at over 25%.

The cabin has been revised recently too. The newest edition is the welded in rollcage painted fluro green. Chris is getting serious nowadays and the 4 point roll bar he made a while ago needed an upgrade. The pair of seats holding Chris into place are a set of Sparco sprints,RCI Harness’s strap him down to avoid too much movement during transitions. The  steering wheel of choice is a Momo, and other than the necessities like the Trsico Boost gauge and AEM V2 Wideband, The rest of the cabin is completely gutted.

Chris gives the Khumo SPT tyres absolute hell, Thanks to the Greddy TD05 turbocharger and Megan Racing manifold bolted to the side of the engine. Theres a Megan Racing 2.5 inch dump pipe and Speedtech 2.5 inch resonated exhaust extracting exhaust gases. A Ebay intercooler and custom 2.5 inch intercooler piping helping the engine keep it’s temperatures down. Some 7MGE 310cc injectors, A Blox FMU fuel pressure regulator, and 1JZ Supra fuel pump increase the fueling capabilities. Chris has also installed a blitz blow off valve that expels the 12 pounds of boost that this setup creates.

All of this is controled by an Apexi SAFC II and a Bipes ACU timing controller, Many say these kind of things are the “Band aid’s” of engine management, But hey, If Chris has managed to run such a setup with great reliability then it just goes to show how good these units really are.

“As far as the car looking good. After that first event it got really really beat up with the slippery track on the first day and the large amounts of mud that accumulated on the car. I guess that’s why I decided to retire it as a daily driver and do solely track with it. It isn’t exactly comfortable anymore but it gets the job done.

The roads here in Saskatchewan Canada also take quite a toll on a low car. WIth the harsh winters and hot summers, it really wrecks the roads fast, so you become quite good at dodging pot holes, cracking your aero and scraping frame.”

We can’t wait to see what the future hold for you and your Roadster Chris!

Remember guys, We are always looking for new Roadsters to feature, so if you have a killer Roadster you would like to see on RoadsterGarage.net, then shoot us an email at roadstergarage@live.com.au

Congrats Chris, You are the Roadster Of The Week!

-Mechanical:

B6I-T – Made 115 whp stock
Greddy TD05 16G turbo running at 12lbs of boost
Megan Manifold
Megan 2.5″ down pipe
K&N Intake Filter
NGK Iridium Plugs and wires
Ebay Intercooler
Custom 2.5″ Intercooler piping
7MGE 315cc Injectors
BLOX FMU Fuel Pressure regulator
1JZ Supra Fuel Pump
Blitz Blow Off Valve
Custom 2.5″ exhaust with resonator made by Speedtech
A/C and Power Steering deleted

-Drivetrain:

1.8 Liter Clutchnet 6 puck Clutch with 99 Miata Fly wheel
1996 Miata Welded Diff

Footwork:

Megan Racing Coilovers 10/8kg Springs
Secret Element Tie rods
RSR Strut Bar
Full Custom 6pt Cage made to my specs
Sport Max 002 wheels 15×8 0
Kuhmo SPT tires 195/45/15
Hawk HP+ Brake pads

-Interior:

Sparco Sprint Racing Seats
RCI 5pt Harnesses
Momo Steering wheel
Trsico Boost gauge
AEM V2 Wideband
Mazda Speed E brake handle with spin turn knob
Gutted otherwise

-Exterior:

Knock off Arios Full Kit
Painted basic gloss black
Mazda Oem hardtop
Blue lensed headlights and bulbs