Dynojet Dynamometer Provided By: Mark Dibella, MD Automotive
1993 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Pros:
Cheap, rear-wheel drive, 50/50 weight distribution, independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, lightweight, low center of gravity, fun to drive. Miatas are the most commonly track raced cars in the world for good reason-they perform well in many important areas, except for one.
Cons:
Power-the early generation Miatas are known for producing very little of it. In fact, looking through the 2NR archives, 76 whp is by far the lowest baseline number recorded in any installment of Power Pages we could find. Pretty sad.
Notes:
The early generation Miatas aren't muscle cars, but even still-76 whp?! We knew something was drastically wrong. Not that we were expecting the car to squeal tire off the dyno at full throttle, but with a 116 flywheel hp rating, factoring in at least 20 percent drivetrain loss means the car should've made around 90 whp, especially since it had been given a full tune-up, two weeks prior. We checked compression, timing, checked for vacuum leaks, and so on...and were left with one possibility.
Jackson Racing SS High Flow Catalyst/K&N Performance Intake Kit
Pros:
As we had suspected, the cat had gone bad. Replacing it earned us over 13 whp off the bat. The Jackson Racing unit features full stainless steel construction, meaning it should far outlive OEM equipment, and features increased piping diameter for better flow. Adding a K&N filter kit brought almost four additional ponies. The kit includes everything you need to feed your engine heaping gulps of cool, clean air, including an insulator to shield it from the nearby header keeping hot air away from intake charge. Both components are CARB approved, for the win.
Cons:
None. The cat and intake delivered exactly what they promised and kept our car legal while doing it.
Parts:
Catalytic converter, gaskets, hardware; Intake filter, heat shield, brackets, hardware, and MAFS adapter.
Tools:
10-, 12-, and 14mm sockets, extension and wrench, 10- and 14mm open-end, Allen key, PB Blaster, breaker bar or impact gun, Phillips and flathead screwdrivers.
Installation Time:
60-90 minutes
Notes:
Looking at the poor excuse for a catalyst that came out of our stock Miata, we could see where power was robbed. The unit was a poorly adapted universal cat, which we suspect was designed to fit a smaller car; its piping diameter measured less than the exhaust surrounding it. On top of that, it was severely rusted inside and out, meaning that loose rust particles were becoming lodged against the honeycomb catalyst material during operation, obstructing exhaust flow and killing power-this is a common problem with older cars.