Something fun followed me home (323GTX content)

Well... technically I followed it home as it was towed. Coolant leak out of weird drain port... on top of radiator (bleeder probably), old plastic screw cracked in half.

Apparently last two owners had motor issues and gave up or moved on due to life changes. So now its my turn. Once I get it plated I'll start playing around with it and trying to see if the motor really is dying. If I'm lucky.. it isn't, if i'm not, I have a miata motor to toss in.

Then its AWD play time :)

Oh and that miata is for sale... no drivetrain, but might be able to include vlsd rearend, stock 5spd..... $500 ;)

DUDE my roommate has one of those. Looking forward to getting some seat/wrench time in it.

PM me about the Miata. if its a clean tub, i would be super interested!

Awesome. Get it running good and rallycross it.

Like the color too btw. Looks like a real clean car.

cxhb wrote: Awesome. Get it running good and rallycross it. Like the color too btw. Looks like a real clean car.

Has some rust around the edges, but its well worth saving.

Oh... and if it doesn't need motor replaced... I could Caveman Class this puppy.. and be in the 1k under class.

Awesome find! If you'd like any help with it, I'd be happy to!

love it.

Lugnut wrote: Awesome find! If you'd like any help with it, I'd be happy to!

I might take you up on that. Its just different enough from my miata stuff that an extra eye might not hurt.

Got my wideband bung welded into downpipe. Wideband wired up. Touched up/cleaned up a bit of the gauge panel wiring. Changed oil to my typical Delvac and going to give this motor a chance.

Also found that the wastegate vacuum feed was run from feed... to wastegate... with a T going to the intake arm. Unless my memory is really funky... that means the wastegate never saw boost and stayed closed.... making INFINITY BOOOOOOOST.

If a lead pans out on a gtx parts car... I'll definitely let you know and you can help me strip it down for backups :)

sounds like a killer score! congrats!

NICE! Always loved the GTX, parts availability always scared me off though

splitime wrote:

Lugnut wrote: Awesome find! If you'd like any help with it, I'd be happy to!

I might take you up on that. Its just different enough from my miata stuff that an extra eye might not hurt. Got my wideband bung welded into downpipe. Wideband wired up. Touched up/cleaned up a bit of the gauge panel wiring. Changed oil to my typical Delvac and going to give this motor a chance. Also found that the wastegate vacuum feed was run from feed... to wastegate... with a T going to the intake arm. Unless my memory is really funky... that means the wastegate never saw boost and stayed closed.... making INFINITY BOOOOOOOST. If a lead pans out on a gtx parts car... I'll definitely let you know and you can help me strip it down for backups :)

Infinity boost is what done blowed up the Howdy Civic. I can't in good conscience recommend that. Although, as small as the turbos are on GTXs, I doubt you'll have issues.

unevolved wrote:

splitime wrote:

Lugnut wrote: Awesome find! If you'd like any help with it, I'd be happy to!

I might take you up on that. Its just different enough from my miata stuff that an extra eye might not hurt. Got my wideband bung welded into downpipe. Wideband wired up. Touched up/cleaned up a bit of the gauge panel wiring. Changed oil to my typical Delvac and going to give this motor a chance. Also found that the wastegate vacuum feed was run from feed... to wastegate... with a T going to the intake arm. Unless my memory is really funky... that means the wastegate never saw boost and stayed closed.... making INFINITY BOOOOOOOST. If a lead pans out on a gtx parts car... I'll definitely let you know and you can help me strip it down for backups :)

Infinity boost is what done blowed up the Howdy Civic. I can't in good conscience recommend that. Although, as small as the turbos are on GTXs, I doubt you'll have issues.

Funny thing is though, this engine should be able to handle all the power that turbo can put out... of course... without injectors... ew. But the ecu does have its own fuel cut and tune, something Reich Ecu.

Just got back from a 30 minute beat down... and the car didn't mind it at all. I think... i win? Even if motor goes... i just toss in miata one in garage :p

OH and the miata I mentioned... is pending to a sandboxer.

In reply to splitime:

Those wheels make that car

They're fun little cars, no question. I still miss mine. I had a spare that I wanted to put a 1.8 engine and trans into, that would have been a quick little sleeper. Too many projects though.

Even if the GTX motor is healthy, I'd stuff the Miata bottom end in anyhow. The low low compression of the GTX makes it a real dog off boost.

In reply to Keith:

Yah, but I'll take the lower comp, stronger pistons and stronger rods over the miata stuff. Even though miata motor would easily handle all this stock turbo can do.

Just going to rock it as it sits, upping the boost soon.... but thats literally it. I just need to find enough scrap vacuum hose sitting around so I can keep this a 100% legit 1k possible challenge car :p

The rods and pistons might be stronger in theory, but like you said - the Miata stuff can easily handle it as has been handily proven over the last couple of decades. Heck, the Miata bottom end is a lot stronger than the transmission in that car!

The GTX taught me that there is such a thing as too low a compression ratio Get one of those caught off-boost at 4700' above sea level and you're dead in the water until that turbo spins up. I actually had a couple of very anxious moments mid-intersection until I learned how to launch it like a turbo car instead of a naturally aspirated one.

The rods and pistons in the B6T are no stronger than what's in the BP. If anything, they're weaker.

For what it's worth, the BPT out of the later GTXs is essentially identical to the n/a BP motor, just with a factory turbo kit strapped on.

Swapping to a BP would be a very wise choice.

don't know if its been mentioned yet but: do not ever under any circumstances for whatever reason, lock the center differential on asphalt. Unless of course you like replacing unavailable transmissions. :)

great find btw. I used to autocross one. fun little car. :)

nice find. run the hale outta that motor until you blow it up....then swap in a bpt. thats my plan :]

/\ That's the GTX I was talking about.

93celicaGT2 wrote: The rods and pistons in the B6T are no stronger than what's in the BP. If anything, they're weaker. For what it's worth, the BPT out of the later GTXs is essentially identical to the n/a BP motor, just with a factory turbo kit strapped on. Swapping to a BP would be a very wise choice.

Interesting. You are the first that I've ever seen say that about the rod/pistons. Last I checked they were either slightly stronger (or just basically lower compression) and the rods were beefier... I'm fairly certain I've seen side by sides of GTX vs Miata rods and the miata ones were smaller. Thats good enough for me.

Staying with this motor is the wise choice... requires 0 labor and just drive :) Plus... i don't add money into it. Might seriously just pack it up and drive it down to run in the 1k challenge class.

135 miles as of parking it tonight. Lots of smiling. I need some mixtape cassettes for this BLING Blaupunkt cassette deck :p

splitime wrote: Interesting. You are the first that I've ever seen say that about the rod/pistons. Last I checked they were either slightly stronger (or just basically lower compression) and the rods were beefier... I'm fairly certain I've seen side by sides of GTX vs Miata rods and the miata ones were smaller. Thats good enough for me.

the gtx rods are stronger without a doubt. a healthy stock motor should net you safely around the 250whp region obviously w/ a couple bolt-ons. alot of us gtx guys found a new home at www.clubprotege.com once mazda323performance went under.

Isn't this another unfortunate situation of a great Mazda marred by a somewhat weak transmission? I think I'd be more worried about that than comparing rods in the B6T vs BP.

The GTX rods are beefier - but Mazda discontinued them for the Miata ones in the parts catalog.

The trans is good for around 250 or so, which wouldn't be a problem if this was intended to be a street car. But in a homologation special, yeah, it's a problem. And even with a stock powerplant, #2 synchro is weak from what I recall. The 1.8 versions have a stronger 'box, which was one of the big reasons I'd been thinking about a BPT for my "extra" one.

These days, the biggest enemy of the GTX is parts availability and rust, although the latter does help with the former for remaining cars

we are driving it to challenge this year.

we ARE.

i'm sick of trucks. haha