I miss my Miata

[Kostamojen]

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[DoinkMobb]

I did a stereo upgrade in my 2008 NC1 (non-Bose) earlier this year. I had some single DIN Pioneer headunit from 2013, along with some Infinity 6x9s I bought at the same time. While I had the doors apart, I did some fairly extensive sound deadening and rattle abatement. Barely better than stock, but better.

After being satisfied with subpar sound for over a decade, for some reason I decided I absolutely had to install a better system. I replaced the HU with a double DIN Kenwood Excelon DPX395MBT non-touchscreen model with the old timey display. I was listening to a mix of garbage MP3 files played off a USB stick I've collected over the years, some files as bad as 128 kbps. The combo of the new (more powerful) HU and some fresh FLAC files made a dramatic difference. The bass was kinda muddy, the highs were quite tinny, but overall, definitely better.



And then? I bought a cheap 200W 2 channel Sound Ordnance amp and mounted it behind the passenger seat. Again, I'm not sure what possessed me to go further down the stereo rabbit hole after never touching more than headunits and speakers for the longest time.



Another improvement, the sound was much cleaner at high volumes, but the highs were even tinnier now and I couldn't tone them down. With the PRHT down, this actually was OK, because the high frequencies cut through the wind noise, but with it up, it was almost painful. Again, further down the rabbit hole - time for new speakers.

I finally settled on some JL Audio C2650 6.5 components, but they weren't going to fit without some fabrication.

I used an xacto knife to cut out the old tweeter and then dremeled the opening up a bit and press fit in the new tweeter from the top, with a little tesa tape to ensure a snug fit. This thing isn't moving.





After much testing and many iterations, I 3D printed out some adapter rings in PETG. I melted in some brass fittings and used 16mm hex screws to attach the speaker to the ring.






Neoprene foam was used as a decoupler


Finished product, like a ****ing glove


I'd love to show you a before and after picture, including where I mounted the crossovers, but the good ol' nabisco image thing is not cooperating. Anyway, I did a little more sound treatment, derattled the door clips and mirror adjustment pad and the sound? Pretty pretty pretty pretty good. Like I'm hearing things in music I've never heard before, stuff I've been listening to since I was a teenager. Kinda amazing and well worth all the effort and money. I still had to tone down the tweeters a lot, I think because the interior is such a small space with a lot of hard surfaces.

I can clearly hear all the musical details even with the top down and the bass is decent enough without a sub. All the sound deadening and panel tightness make the mid bass punchier, but obviously, there's a lack of that low frequency hit.

And if you're saying "oh noes!!!1!" to all this weight and sound deadening in a Miata? It's fine. I want to hear my music and all the nice mechanical sounds, not weird buzzing and rattling. I added 25 lbs or so, it's fine.

[SubaDuba420]

Nice work, looks good and sounds like it sounds good.

I only fell 1/3 of the way down the hole, just did a new head unit, speakers & sound deadening in my 06 PRHT as the original speakers shat the bed. I can hear it, but if I decide the keep the car i'll need to fall a bit further down the hole...

And all the weight's right in the middle, it'll be fine.

[Kostamojen]

Left over 2024 Miata's have 0% APR this month...

Talk me out of driving up to Oregon to get this one

[blown ION]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

Left over 2024 Miata's have 0% APR this month...

Talk me out of driving up to Oregon to get this one

Ok, you shouldn’t go get that one.

Try to find a club or gt trim with the lsd and get that one instead. I’m not really sure how much of a difference it makes but it can’t not be better, right?

I got my nc back out last week after a winter nap and slight front bumper repair. Previous owner must’ve bumped something and had a smallish crack in the bottom corner. Also plasti-dipped the badges and amber parking lenses and added a Goodwin racing strut brace while it was down.

[DoinkMobb]

I went from an open diff to an OEM LSD that was rebuilt to better than factory tolerances and it's not a night and day difference, more like a quality of life upgrade.

I'm going to replace the springs in my Xida coilovers, the 11/7k setup was getting annoying in daily driving. Too many potholes, dips, abrupt transitions and random asphalt mounds around these parts. I'm going with a more reasonable 5/4k setup.

[subySerb]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

Left over 2024 Miata's have 0% APR this month...

Talk me out of driving up to Oregon to get this one

If you are ok with not getting the LSD, I'd go for it as it is a substantial discount from a GT or Club.
The drive back would be beautiful especially if you skip the freeways.

[KC]

Originally Posted by subySerb

If you are ok with not getting the LSD, I'd go for it as it is a substantial discount from a GT or Club.
The drive back would be beautiful especially if you skip the freeways.

Or get one and put an LSD in it later? (Unless you want to race where classes have rules against such things)

[vapore0n]

That is a good price indeed.
My wife is sold on a red mx5. I just dont want to sell the STI, yet. Its only got 50k miles!

I wanted a Z4 M40i, but those cost 70k

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by KC

Or get one and put an LSD in it later? (Unless you want to race where classes have rules against such things)

The diff I could put in later if I wanted it for sure, this would mostly be a travel around car less of a track/autox car. Would be great to drive up and down the coast in

I reaaaaly like the Sport because its just so stripped down. No sharkfin on the boot, none of the extra lip/sideskirts or spoiler, the 16" wheels, and the bare bones interior... The extra money saved could go towards mods too.

[vapore0n]

what about the bose audio?
While you could upgrade later, oem sure would be nicer.

[TMSmith]

Sport is a good idea, but my old ND GT with the lsd was pretty awesome.


I'd like another ND but I think the most likely result is an NA.

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by vapore0n

what about the bose audio?
While you could upgrade later, oem sure would be nicer.

If I could option it without a stereo I would.

I ripped the entire stereo/wiring system out of the Impreza (along with the Airbag system lol) and don't miss it. I just run my podcast playlist on my phone when driving that around.

[Kostamojen]

My local dealer and the company I used to work for is advertising it for 2025 models. Might see if they can get me a red sport for 0% with S-plan pricing.

[Bill_Rockoff]

Supposedly, swapping out the open diff for the LSD is a lot more involved in the ND than it was in the earlier cars. (I once switched diffs after work, before driving 4 hours out to the coast, because the incoming diff had less lash and made less noise. I did it on ramps in about an hour, including putting away the ramps and washing up.)

The current Grand Touring version comes with the performance stuff anyway, it has the LSD and braces and I think everything in the Club except the possibility of Recaros and lighter wheels, and maybe bigger brakes? And "lighter wheels" is about 20% of the Miata aftermarket, and "bigger brakes" are another 5% easily.

My '91 came without a radio. (And without a/c. And without floor mats.) I put a radio in the second month I had it. It was 2,200 lbs, the radio was worth the 5 lbs.

If I were smart(*) I'd probably ditch the old **** we have (~200,000 mile E46 convertible, scruffy '95 Merlot track car that needs a top and tires and alignment and was sitting out in a friend's yard for a few years before we got it) and we'd get a new ND, maybe even that 35th anniversary Artisan Red one, which is a color my wife would prefer over the Merlot.

[Fish]

it took a driveshaft/axles/and the diff to get it done in a NA.. possibly the PPF?
it was a long time ago I did the Torsen swap

What's involved with the ND? do you have to drop the rear subframe?

[Bill_Rockoff]

Supposedly on the ND, yes, the rear subframe has to come down a few inches to give you room to get to the fasteners holding the diff into it.

On the NA/NB, it's just two nuts holding the diff up into the subframe, and you get to them from below.

The PPF is what took me the longest when I first removed my broken 6" diff to replace it with a 7" torsen from a 1.8 car. I had to drill out the axles to get the axle nuts off the ends protruding from the hubs, and I thought THAT was going to be the hard part. (The driveshaft was four tiny bolts, and the rear axles popped out of the carrier pretty easily once I got the ends out of the hubs.) But I broke a Craftsman ratchet trying to get the PPF bolts out, and I ended up throwing it away with the busted 6" diff still attached to it. I had to ride my motorcycle to MazMart and get a PPF and set of bolts, and ride home with the PPF sticking off the back with a red shop rag tied to the end to act as a red flag.

It was a project the first time. Subsequent times, it was pretty easy.

The ND looks like a bit of a project too.

[Pallendo]

Originally Posted by Fish

it took a driveshaft/axles/and the diff to get it done in a NA.. possibly the PPF?
it was a long time ago I did the Torsen swap

What's involved with the ND? do you have to drop the rear subframe?

If you have a 1.8l NA, then you just need the pumpkin. If you have a 1.6l NA, then most of the TorSen diffs are the 7" Ring Gear so you'll need just the Driveshaft and half-shafts. (Had the open diff on my '91 fail and lock up one day, and found a '94M at a local junk yard and had the swap done in under 3 hours).

PPF and subframes are the same. If you get a diff out of a '94, then you also get the stub axle setup from the earlier motor. The '95 and newer diffs have the stub axle as part of the half-shaft.

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by Bill_Rockoff

The ND looks like a bit of a project too.

You are talking to someone who just DIY installed a front LSD on his Impreza's 5-speed in his own garage

Rear diff is a cakewalk.

[subySerb]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

You are talking to someone who just DIY installed a front LSD on his Impreza's 5-speed in his own garage

Rear diff is a cakewalk.

In that case, get the Sport.

[NutBucket]

Do it!

[Kostamojen]

So here is the deal on the website for the 2024 red Sport in Oregon...



And it turns out a local deal has an indentical 2025 Sport coming soon. It doesn't have 0% but it does have 2.9$ for 35mos. Here is the deal for it, but excluding the S-plan pricing I could use with SCCA:




This same dealer also has a 2024 RF Club that has a big discount plus the 0% on the lot. Here is the deal for it:




Would it be worth the extra money for not going to oregon? Will be $600+ in travel costs looking into it.

And would the RF be worth it for its big discounts? Havent driven the RF yet and I will be driving longer distances with it...

[Kostamojen]

[subySerb]

I have a lot miles in a rental RF. I love how they look, top up or top down. The quieter with the top down advantage is a big one for me. The RF has so much noise by your left ear because all the wind is routed in that area and out the back window which is always open when the top is down.

Equipment wise, both the RF and Sport are similar when you exclude the obvious Club goodies.

[Kostamojen]

I think I need to drive an RF and ST back to back to see for myself.