My Miata's FULL Build Spreadsheet: bit.ly/3z0SCg4 Need parts? Get 'em here! (Affiliate links for which I may be compensated) ►Seats: ebay.us/1pqgb4 ►Tires: bit.ly/3MTZFuU ►Fire Extinguisher Mount: amzn.to/3PIbKoY ►Floor Mats: bit.ly/380vaEa USE CODE: CASHED10 to save money! ►Roll Bar: trackdogracing.com/hd-m2hc.aspx ►Radio Upgrade: www.etsy.com/listing/917607004/ ►Exhaust: amzn.to/3BsiXV9 ►Forced Induction (Turbos, Superchargers): bit.ly/3z0SCg4 ►Coilovers: amzn.to/3RCITTK ►Swaybars: ebay.us/Q1wkeL
Good list!! I nearly lost my NA when my interior started burning up due to a clogged catalytic converter while on a road rally. Luckily a huge water bottle saved me, but i have carried a fire extinguisher in my car since then!! 👍
I love how you mentioned the door bushing make the door sound more solid. Then when you closed your door it sounded like a tin can getting kicked down the road. Great video as always!
@@CashedOutCars You saved me when i replaced my Golf front shocks last year. I have an NB too, and watch your vids. I have the door bushing on my old NB, it definitely makes a difference. Just playin on the noise.
@@luisfercaz No, the window doesn't seem to be a problem on mine. Take off your inserts and see if the plastic/rubber on the glass is worn out/broke off.
1. Seats, depends on the year and how you drive it. 2. Fire extinguisher, ?, Not too bad an idea for a modded car. 3. Floor mats - don't have any - replaced the carpet with something decent. 4. Roll bar - NO! way to close to my noggin, its way more likely that you'll get rear ended than roll over, you're going to get hit in the back of the head with that roll bar. 5. Radio - ya, the stock radio was lame. 6. Exhaust, Nah. I've had a couple of different ones, but they add next to nothing to the car (except as part of a turbo kit). 7. Forced induction, waste of money, spend your money on a faster car. I've run my car at up to 300 whp, and its fun, but not worth the money. 8. Suspension - yes, but don't lower it too much and make it drag over every bump. 9. Sway bars, yes, but with caveats. 10. Tires are not a mod. That's maintenance. Radiator is required mod for a turbo kit. Didn't see brakes on the list, four pot Willwoods or similar required with turbo kit, this means you need bigger wheels because the stock ones won't fit. Had my '97 since new, boosted since 2003.
Hey Cash, great top 3. I would add a wheel alignment as there’s no point in doing suspension/tyres/sway bars if the wheels aren’t pointing in the right direction.. 🙂
I feel like this list could have done without the floor mats and the radio for sure. Short shifters are great for these cars, and an upgraded cooling system is a must.
I tried to put some in there for people who weren’t performance driving oriented! I personally love the stock shifter feel, but like the brass bushing upgrade. I’ve been happy just an upgraded radiator, as mentioned at the end of the video. It’s done great for several years and tons of track driving!
@@SubRoyalty for spirited driving and definitely for track driving, upgraded cooling system is great. and if you go turbo or SC, you need an upgraded cooling system
@@SubRoyalty the 1.6 engine comes originally from a 323 and was transverse mounted where the cooling System goes into the engine from the backside. In the miata the coolant goes into the frontside. That can cause overheating on cyl 4 cause the ,,flow" isn't perfect.thats why alot of miata owners say: If you drive your car really hard or do trackdays with it, upgrade your coolingsystem. Mine has 200k km on the clock with the standart coolingsystem,but just a daily
8:35 I kept up with a turbo E46 in the corners on the FCP Euro Proving Grounds with no mods other than 15x8 wheels with Falken Azenis RT660 tires. You can't buy anything else that will make you that much faster for so cheap
So far I've done coilovers, wheels, swaybars. Went for Tein Flex Z with racing beat swaybars, and 15x8+25 wheels with 205 50r15. Car sits very low but has no issues clearing driveways and stuff, has never bottomed out. Handles like a dream. The coilovers made the ride quality better, surprisingly. I guess the OEM suspension on my 05' were tired. Not too harsh but a very noticeable handling upgrade. I need to go get a professional alignment now, but next on my list is mechanical locking differential, full exhaust, cold air intake, better radiator. Somewhere down the line i'm going to choose between turbo, K24 swap or ITBs. Leaning hard towards ITBs because I want to keep reliability high (car has 40,000 miles and is pristine). I can't wait man, these cars are so fun to modify and drive. It's my first project car and if I can, i'm going to try to keep it forever. I've driven very fast cars before and none were as fun as this tiny roadster with barely over 100 horsepower. Mazda really achieved something with these cars. Even my fiancee who has no interest in cars for the most part loves it, and is starting to show interest in them because of it. She helped me install the coilovers and rode along for the test drive afterwards. Pretty crazy considering 4 months ago she would only begrudgingly tolerate me talking about cars, lol. I think miatas are the ultimate hobby car and a great first car for people to learn with, as I am.
That's a great story! Sounds like you guys are really enjoying the car. A K24 swap should be plenty reliable too, but it is quite expensive. I have a full build on one on my channel! It's a fun car!
I have an NC club edition. It's already got the upgraded rims with Bilstein shocks. It has a brace in the engine bay that comes with it. You just need less stuff when you get the club edition. I actually straight piped mine
Alternative style = sway bars = 16 inch rims (from those cars with 15 inch stock and 16 inch sports trim upgrade discards, cheap tires too) = lift for tire-rims wheel-well suspension-travel clearance = suspension zero.ed(caster, camber, king-pin-inclination, ...) = intake manifold big = light and quick reaction engine (LPT, ignore BHP, torque at third gear slight slip, second gear wheel spin, first gear for ...) = exhaust flowing = fat cushion seats
The thieves and dealerships and motor-garages probably protested about hacking the mistake of 16inch rims-tires by manufacturers and brands. And also the jump from 15inch rims to 17inch rims leading to profile thin. Inventory costs of all sides = take them for free, mind the tire-expiry, you will be going back to 15inch rims, the thieves will have to hold their guns till later and be crotch squeezing michael-jackson for the time being...
After you've done all that I'd consider adding performance brakes for safety lol, these small discs ain't gonna stop 200hp even if the car is lightweight
When I bought my na it was lowered on racing beat springs and koni shocks with a racing beat front sway bar, and it had advanti 15x7s but everything else was stock. Since then I’ve done led lights, cai, yonaka exhaust, and I’m working on building a long nose 1.6 so I can swap my short nose out
the best first mods I did to my mx5 is to make the chassis stronger by installing Frame Rails Chassis,Chassis Brace Kit, Five Piece, and Delrin Door Bushings as well as roll bar as make the chassis stronger with is need it is you want to put some more power help you with car handling as well as make your car more safe I personally make my mx5 with idea having safe road car as well as a drift car.
My nd softtop has, spider grill, spoiler, Alcantara interior, ulter exhaust, eibach lowering springs, stubby antenna. And I'm very happy, better than stock.
I used the ashtray space and bought a cupholder insert from ebay. It's just a piece of black molded plastic with two holes that snaps in. It cost less than $30 and works (and looks) great!
I don’t know why I am watching this 😂. I love my 99% bone stock Miata and I prefer driving safe over racing 😭. The only mod I do see myself adding is the roll bar.
Do you recommend a roll bar for a miata thats just daily driven? I feel like it might be dangerous to have a piece of metal that close to my head when driving without a helmet in case of a rear end collision
That becomes a tougher call. Early NAs, like you pointed out, don't have particularly high back seats. Of course, it's very situational when it'd help or hurt in that case
Mines stock for over a decade, wanna know the best thing I did with my 02 LS? change out the 16" rims for 15s and replaced the bushings in my gear shifter xD
Another useful mod is if it's a automatic transmission one. Throw that transmission in the trash and manual transmission swap it. automatic Miatas are worse less power, and the pathetic boring transmission it neuters the car enjoyment and potential
@@CashedOutCars I had driven automatics transmission and manual transmission Miatas. The automatics where limited in potential for more fun and driving experience. I get it if someone that is disabled and cannot drive manual transmission gets an automatic Miata that’s acceptable. But learning to drive manual transmission in a Miata that stock is not too bad . My first manual transmission car was a 2001 miata with a 6 puck clutch kit.
First "mod" I did was to spray RUST PREVENTION (I used 6 spray cans of "Fluid Film") into every hole, nook and cranny. Modding is fun - rust repair isn't! Second mod was big ass twin horns from a 7 BMW - this is a tiny car and easily overlooked.
I feel power is one of the least important things in a Miata! That said, turboing is fun, and we did build a K24 swapped car, but handling mods always came first
Tbh most people won't use any of these mods since modding your car can get expensive and the reason Miatas are so great is because they are rather cheap
@@CashedOutCars it goes easier sideways then my bmw that 50/50 weight distribution is really great. It feels so much like a race car with only a 4 cilinder.
![10 Tips For Buying YOUR Perfect Miata | Mazda MX5 Miata Buying Advice [NA and NB]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DVCPFd3XxmU/mqdefault.jpg)
![10 Tips For Buying YOUR Perfect Miata | Mazda MX5 Miata Buying Advice [NA and NB]](/img/tr.png)
My Miata's FULL Build Spreadsheet: bit.ly/3z0SCg4
Need parts? Get 'em here! (Affiliate links for which I may be compensated)
►Seats: ebay.us/1pqgb4
►Tires: bit.ly/3MTZFuU
►Fire Extinguisher Mount: amzn.to/3PIbKoY
►Floor Mats: bit.ly/380vaEa USE CODE: CASHED10 to save money!
►Roll Bar: trackdogracing.com/hd-m2hc.aspx
►Radio Upgrade: www.etsy.com/listing/917607004/
►Exhaust: amzn.to/3BsiXV9
►Forced Induction (Turbos, Superchargers): bit.ly/3z0SCg4
►Coilovers: amzn.to/3RCITTK
►Swaybars: ebay.us/Q1wkeL
1# coilovers
2# swaybars
3# rollbar
4# seats and proper harnesses
5# and the most important thing for NA is wink mode 😉
bro just gave a better list on a comment
#6 add more speed
And teeth
One of the most useful mods that I’ve done to my NA8 was the sun visor delete with LED lights.
That's definitely a good one!
Ive been looking for one for so long, do you have a link you can give me?
@@shantheman4344 just look up na miata led visor delete
@@shantheman4344 just look up na miata led visor delete
@@andrewruenzel thanks man
Good list!! I nearly lost my NA when my interior started burning up due to a clogged catalytic converter while on a road rally. Luckily a huge water bottle saved me, but i have carried a fire extinguisher in my car since then!! 👍
Yikes that's a sketchy one, glad you were able to save it. It's nice to have the peace of mind!
I'm really loving the color scheme you have on the exterior, red body, black top and wheels. gives it great contrast!
i think its the only color scheme thats legal for miatas
I love how you mentioned the door bushing make the door sound more solid. Then when you closed your door it sounded like a tin can getting kicked down the road. Great video as always!
You should have heard it before!
@@CashedOutCars You saved me when i replaced my Golf front shocks last year. I have an NB too, and watch your vids. I have the door bushing on my old NB, it definitely makes a difference. Just playin on the noise.
@@astrobinge right on! Love to hear that. Yeah even with the bushings it sounds cheap, but slightly less cheap. They’re great cars, enjoy yours!
Does that help also with door window rattle?
@@luisfercaz No, the window doesn't seem to be a problem on mine. Take off your inserts and see if the plastic/rubber on the glass is worn out/broke off.
1. Seats, depends on the year and how you drive it.
2. Fire extinguisher, ?, Not too bad an idea for a modded car.
3. Floor mats - don't have any - replaced the carpet with something decent.
4. Roll bar - NO! way to close to my noggin, its way more likely that you'll get rear ended than roll over, you're going to get hit in the back of the head with that roll bar.
5. Radio - ya, the stock radio was lame.
6. Exhaust, Nah. I've had a couple of different ones, but they add next to nothing to the car (except as part of a turbo kit).
7. Forced induction, waste of money, spend your money on a faster car. I've run my car at up to 300 whp, and its fun, but not worth the money.
8. Suspension - yes, but don't lower it too much and make it drag over every bump.
9. Sway bars, yes, but with caveats.
10. Tires are not a mod. That's maintenance.
Radiator is required mod for a turbo kit.
Didn't see brakes on the list, four pot Willwoods or similar required with turbo kit, this means you need bigger wheels because the stock ones won't fit.
Had my '97 since new, boosted since 2003.
Im 16 and i might be getting a Miata for my first car very soon, this video helped alot. Thanks
Hey Cash, great top 3. I would add a wheel alignment as there’s no point in doing suspension/tyres/sway bars if the wheels aren’t pointing in the right direction.. 🙂
I certainly agree with that
finally, a video with miata mods that isnt just "uhhh just do a engine swap"
Great vid. I am gonna get a Miata nb 1.8 soon. What ECU are you using since you have a turbo kit on your car?
I feel like this list could have done without the floor mats and the radio for sure. Short shifters are great for these cars, and an upgraded cooling system is a must.
I tried to put some in there for people who weren’t performance driving oriented! I personally love the stock shifter feel, but like the brass bushing upgrade. I’ve been happy just an upgraded radiator, as mentioned at the end of the video. It’s done great for several years and tons of track driving!
How is an upgraded cooling system a "must?"
@@SubRoyalty for spirited driving and definitely for track driving, upgraded cooling system is great. and if you go turbo or SC, you need an upgraded cooling system
@@SubRoyalty the 1.6 engine comes originally from a 323 and was transverse mounted where the cooling System goes into the engine from the backside. In the miata the coolant goes into the frontside. That can cause overheating on cyl 4 cause the ,,flow" isn't perfect.thats why alot of miata owners say: If you drive your car really hard or do trackdays with it, upgrade your coolingsystem. Mine has 200k km on the clock with the standart coolingsystem,but just a daily
@@flipflop7577 Right. Good way of articulating why it isn’t a must.
I'll Come back for this video soon as I old enough to get drivers license and buy miata
actual no.1 is sourcing a hardtop lmao
Fr haha, picked up a hardtop w my bro. It cost about half of what I bought the Miata for 😂
@@basedoffvlad8113 good condition ones are hard to come by too. Im actually about to be selling one so im hyped to make 2k ez lol
Door bushings? I'm all over that! Thx awesome tips. I've got a Honda Del Sol but I love your videos. My son has a Miata.
Both are sweet cars, enjoy them!
8:35 I kept up with a turbo E46 in the corners on the FCP Euro Proving Grounds with no mods other than 15x8 wheels with Falken Azenis RT660 tires. You can't buy anything else that will make you that much faster for so cheap
Agreed, I drove a turbo Miata there last year with 660s and they rip!
So far I've done coilovers, wheels, swaybars. Went for Tein Flex Z with racing beat swaybars, and 15x8+25 wheels with 205 50r15. Car sits very low but has no issues clearing driveways and stuff, has never bottomed out. Handles like a dream. The coilovers made the ride quality better, surprisingly. I guess the OEM suspension on my 05' were tired. Not too harsh but a very noticeable handling upgrade. I need to go get a professional alignment now, but next on my list is mechanical locking differential, full exhaust, cold air intake, better radiator. Somewhere down the line i'm going to choose between turbo, K24 swap or ITBs. Leaning hard towards ITBs because I want to keep reliability high (car has 40,000 miles and is pristine). I can't wait man, these cars are so fun to modify and drive. It's my first project car and if I can, i'm going to try to keep it forever. I've driven very fast cars before and none were as fun as this tiny roadster with barely over 100 horsepower. Mazda really achieved something with these cars. Even my fiancee who has no interest in cars for the most part loves it, and is starting to show interest in them because of it. She helped me install the coilovers and rode along for the test drive afterwards. Pretty crazy considering 4 months ago she would only begrudgingly tolerate me talking about cars, lol. I think miatas are the ultimate hobby car and a great first car for people to learn with, as I am.
That's a great story! Sounds like you guys are really enjoying the car. A K24 swap should be plenty reliable too, but it is quite expensive. I have a full build on one on my channel! It's a fun car!
Good balence between performance and livability mods, liked!
Thanks! 👍
I've had a fire extinguisher in my turbo Miata since the beginning, definitely cheap insurance!
Certainly. Glad I had it for their car. I hope I never have to use it on this but it's nice to know it's there!
Fellow CT NA owner here, always good list of upgrades, still havent done any but a steering wheel lol
CT gang! Thanks for stopping by!
Number 1 is tyres. Totally agree.
love this vid, considering getting a Miata
damn only ~800 views. this is my first video I've watched from you and its really good, deserves more attention!
Welcome to the channel! I appreciate that!
Just turbo charged my 95m. Even tho it’s still not actually that crazy fast. The sense of speed is wild haha
They’re a blast turbocharged! Enjoy it :)
Could you tel me the mod you did to the hood that let it stay open? The normal one in my nb is always a hassle to work with :D
I have an NC club edition. It's already got the upgraded rims with Bilstein shocks. It has a brace in the engine bay that comes with it. You just need less stuff when you get the club edition. I actually straight piped mine
Those are very nice cars, enjoy it!
Alternative style
= sway bars
= 16 inch rims (from those cars with 15 inch stock and 16 inch sports trim upgrade discards, cheap tires too)
= lift for tire-rims wheel-well suspension-travel clearance
= suspension zero.ed(caster, camber, king-pin-inclination, ...)
= intake manifold big
= light and quick reaction engine (LPT, ignore BHP, torque at third gear slight slip, second gear wheel spin, first gear for ...)
= exhaust flowing
= fat cushion seats
The thieves and dealerships and motor-garages probably protested about hacking the mistake of 16inch rims-tires by manufacturers and brands. And also the jump from 15inch rims to 17inch rims leading to profile thin. Inventory costs of all sides = take them for free, mind the tire-expiry, you will be going back to 15inch rims, the thieves will have to hold their guns till later and be crotch squeezing michael-jackson for the time being...
After you've done all that I'd consider adding performance brakes for safety lol, these small discs ain't gonna stop 200hp even if the car is lightweight
Good list.
I'd put swaybars first with tyres next to
Serious question and not a negative one - what does "go ahead and" mean?
a useful mod is my parents letting me get a miata for my first car 😭
My parents are letting me get one for my first car
What’s the best sounding exhausts for the Na 1.6?
Love watchin your videos man!
I appreciate that!
Thanks for the floor mat recommendation, just got my set for my nb2 and they’re great. The original mats were looking ROUGH
When I bought my na it was lowered on racing beat springs and koni shocks with a racing beat front sway bar, and it had advanti 15x7s but everything else was stock. Since then I’ve done led lights, cai, yonaka exhaust, and I’m working on building a long nose 1.6 so I can swap my short nose out
Enjoy it!
I love the tongue "mod" if you can call it
Is the fire extinguisher mount the large or small one ?
Helpfull video. I think I got the same wheel. Eagle alloy ?
the best first mods I did to my mx5 is to make the chassis stronger by installing Frame Rails Chassis,Chassis Brace Kit, Five Piece, and Delrin Door Bushings as well as roll bar as make the chassis stronger with is need it is you want to put some more power help you with car handling as well as make your car more safe I personally make my mx5 with idea having safe road car as well as a drift car.
Bro what do you mean by cup holders? My NB only has one, that’s in the arm wrest/center glove box.
It depends on the model and where in the world the car is! Typically they lack, up until the NB2
*im learning cars so don’t joke to hard but are all the Miata’s 1.9l? If no can a 1.9l still get mods
Great video bro
Thanks my friend!
wheels and tires and a coilover setup are the most important i think
You pretty much nailed the top of my list!
@@CashedOutCars I made this comment before I watched the entire video tho XD
My nd softtop has, spider grill, spoiler, Alcantara interior, ulter exhaust, eibach lowering springs, stubby antenna. And I'm very happy, better than stock.
Yo, your NA has cupholders????? I use the space behind the passenger seat and the center console 😅
I used the ashtray space and bought a cupholder insert from ebay. It's just a piece of black molded plastic with two holes that snaps in. It cost less than $30 and works (and looks) great!
I don’t know why I am watching this 😂. I love my 99% bone stock Miata and I prefer driving safe over racing 😭. The only mod I do see myself adding is the roll bar.
They're perfect from the factory.
Do you recommend a roll bar for a miata thats just daily driven? I feel like it might be dangerous to have a piece of metal that close to my head when driving without a helmet in case of a rear end collision
That becomes a tougher call. Early NAs, like you pointed out, don't have particularly high back seats. Of course, it's very situational when it'd help or hurt in that case
I got a black hardtop on my red na too
It's a good look! This one is skinned in chopped carbon fiber
Mines stock for over a decade, wanna know the best thing I did with my 02 LS? change out the 16" rims for 15s and replaced the bushings in my gear shifter xD
Nice changes, enjoy it!
black miatas look so much better than any other
Big rear view mirror. Nice guide though
That’s definitely nice for extra visibility, it’s extra important in these small cars
Broadway is the brand. Helps when bars are in the way. Also I clicked the link for your build sheet and didn't see turbo gear on there?
Strut tower bars front and rear.
What about winkmode?
Loud ass horn to stop the " I didn't see you" accidents
I agree that's an important one!
almost all of these are mainly for if ur gonna use the Miata for track or spirited driving, not really necessary for daily driving
You forgot rims for better look and fit wider tire
And brake pads / big brake swap, especially for small brake in NA
Brakes are definitely small on NAs, especially NA6s. I didn't include them since they were factory upgraded for the NB, but both are great mods!
I like that you wore your best holy pants for the video...
I like those pants :)
Another useful mod is if it's a automatic transmission one. Throw that transmission in the trash and manual transmission swap it. automatic Miatas are worse less power, and the pathetic boring transmission it neuters the car enjoyment and potential
I agree, manuals in these cars are a blast. There's definitely a place for autos, but for most of the time a manual Miata is far superior
@@CashedOutCars I had driven automatics transmission and manual transmission Miatas. The automatics where limited in potential for more fun and driving experience. I get it if someone that is disabled and cannot drive manual transmission gets an automatic Miata that’s acceptable. But learning to drive manual transmission in a Miata that stock is not too bad . My first manual transmission car was a 2001 miata with a 6 puck clutch kit.
Do you daily this or is just a track car?
This was a daily at times, now it's a dual purpose street and track car. I always drive it to the track and take it for cruises and drives frequently
Shift knobs what about shift knobs?
I agree that's a good easy way to change the feel a bit and add a bit of a personal touch
First "mod" I did was to spray RUST PREVENTION (I used 6 spray cans of "Fluid Film") into every hole, nook and cranny. Modding is fun - rust repair isn't!
Second mod was big ass twin horns from a 7 BMW - this is a tiny car and easily overlooked.
Good choice! I don’t drive mine in winter, but I did the same on my 92x aero to help save it since it’s a unicorn
What about for non racing miatas? ,:D
Is it just me that heard that it sounded like a fart at 1:32
HAH it sure sounds like it
Y'know, mine also makes 200 will horsepower. But you really gotta will it.
#1 mod should be engine swap to something with more than 100hp or boost
I feel power is one of the least important things in a Miata! That said, turboing is fun, and we did build a K24 swapped car, but handling mods always came first
where did you get that hard top? im trying to find one for my nb, and i dont want to have to sell my left kidney to afford one.
I found mine on marketplace but it was heavily damaged, check out my forged carbon fiber video to learn about how I fixed it!
#1 Jetstream popup delete
Tyres make minimal difference no body but tyre experts seem to get this
They make a HUGE difference. For lap time / grip, they’re the biggest improvement you can make
Clutch, brakes, and rotors…turboing should be the last on the list. Imo
1. LS Swap it
Thanks for watching
How's a 302?
I love my miata I traded my e46 328ci for it
Imma have it one day 😔 one day
Yes you will, I believe in you!
NUMBER 1 remember: maintenance
*Me who doesn't own a miata*
Well well well, let's find out
bro really missed the fabulous wiink mod
I did it on this car! I should have added it to the lost
I am very confused as to where his kneecaps are 😂
Tbh most people won't use any of these mods since modding your car can get expensive and the reason Miatas are so great is because they are rather cheap
Most probably won’t, but a lot of people do enjoy them and like modifying them, because they are so inexpensive!
Wheels? lighter stronger wheels, unsprung weight
wink mod
I agree, I love it
“Went ahead and”
❤
TÜV sagt sowieso nein
Engine swap
V8 swap
I got one :)
Only made it to the floor mats, the first few “mods” are already trash so I can tell the whole list was going to be shit.
You probably should have watched the whole video :)
I love my miata I traded my e46 328ci for it
Enjoy it! They're something special!
@@CashedOutCars it goes easier sideways then my bmw that 50/50 weight distribution is really great. It feels so much like a race car with only a 4 cilinder.