Mazdaspeed6 for road racing

[Code Monkey]

Hello everyone, a few weeks ago I purchased my first Mazda and have been lurking and reading up on mods since. I took my Speed6 to the track last weekend and the car felt loose in the back thus my initial mods will be all geared toward stiffening up the car rather than adding more power.

The plan for now is to install the Dreadnaught and Juggernaught, CorkSport RSB, and c-pe rear motor mount. Also, the SURE short shifter set (CounterShift, Anchors, and ShortCut) as well as a wider acceleration pedal for easier heel-and-toeing (my feet are pretty narrow). I am hoping to have all of the above done in the next three months or so.

The next step will be installing H&R coilovers together with endlinks and SPC adjustable ball joints. Hopefully will have that within a year.

Somewhere between the two I want to upgrade the fuel pump, get the Cobb AP and collect, analyze, and understand the data before I jump into adding more power. At the moment I am inclined towards doing all the power mods at once (SRI, TIP, DP, TP, FMIC) and having the car pro tuned and I think I should be done (I do not think I will be upgrading the turbo, manifolds, etc, I may even just do a 2.5" race pipe and not bother with the 3" DP). Right now it looks like power mods will be "year two" upgrades.

Anyway, it is quite a list and I have a long way to go. Should be a fun ride.

---------------------------------

Ignore the gay ramblings above. Here's a road map of what have been done to the car:

BNR S3 -- 22mar2013-22apr2013
roll cage -- 25may2013-27jun2013
car on fire -- 21sep2013-26oct2013
suspension -- 24jun2014-03jul2014
custom fmic -- 10jun2015-14aug2015
fender flares -- 18jul2016-12aug2016
build engine + EFR 7163 -- 26nov2016-present

Failed & aborted projects:

GTX3071R EWG -- fail, turbo sold, fuck that oil drain line
meth -- aborted, went custom fmic instead

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Non-Mazdaspeed projects:

'01 MR2 Spyder -- ongoing
endurance racing -- ongoing
'91 Miata build -- discontinued

[Squid]

Welcome, and Im sure you´ll find the car more and more exiting to drive the more mods you do.. I think your modlist looks good, exept your conclusion that you maby won´t do a full 3" turbo-back exhaust. When it comes to power you truly find some awesome-to-have hp/tq in throwing away the OEM dp.. Just a consideration.. =)

//Squid

[Code Monkey]

"As you eat, your appetite grows". I have a feeling that I will be upgrading the exhaust as well....

[jroc]

Currently on my phone and out of town so ill keep this brief for now, but I used to track my ms6, then went to a miata.

Id look into wheel/tires as well. I was running 17x9 255-40-17 tires.

Unless youre going to drag race/launch the car, the dreadnaught is more than fine, dont worry about the juggernaught. Id also suggest the bc coils in place of the h&r's. I did fine on ksports, took a bit of tweaking though.

Id stay tmic as I went to fmic and on track saw my ECTs skyrocket

Thumbs up on everything else.

[BobtailedSnail]

@jroc what was the offset of those wheels?

[DANE.MPS6]

I just got my speed6 a week ago ...runs great....but the first minute you run against another car and they beat you by a few feet....you gonna start wondering ...what if....what if I had more power?....thats all it takes......and I seem to be having the same problem with my rear ....Im gonna upgrade my rear diff. brace and mount...as I think the previous owner launch the car a few more times than needed........so good luck....but remember power craves more power

[Raider]

Op is headed in the right direction. I know there are ms6 parts in the fs section if ya go VIP.

[Code Monkey]

@jroc, great info, I am pretty sure my list will change a little as I go, this is just a preliminary list I made after reading the forum. Once I outgrow the 6, I will go for a two-seater and at this point I am 99 percent sure it will be a Miata. I got a ride in a Miata with two instructors and boy was that fun. I was thinking about purchasing a separate set of wheels just for the track, but if that comes it will be after I am done with suspension.

@DANE.MPS6, if you track your car, the straight line does not matter much. I do not "race" around town, I get my thrills on the track, so I could care less if somebody beats me from a red light. Tracking is all about cornering.

@Raider, just went vip.

[Stealth01]

JROC's a smart guy, but I disagree on the Juggernaught. Do both at the same time. The bolts on the front brace can still shear even with a top brace upgrade. Less likely, but still possible.

[jroc]

Originally Posted by BobtailedSnail @jroc what was the offset of those wheels?

+48, but used a 5mm spacer up front to clear the upper control arms due to my camber. They were TR Motorsport c3's.

Originally Posted by Stealth01 JROC's a smart guy, but I disagree on the Juggernaught. Do both at the same time. The bolts on the front brace can still shear even with a top brace upgrade. Less likely, but still possible.

his money, but I dont think its necessary.

[BobtailedSnail]

Originally Posted by jroc +48, but used a 5mm spacer up front to clear the upper control arms due to my camber. They were TR Motorsport c3's. his money, but I dont think its necessary.

You think you could have put a 275 on there with issue? I know there is an thread for this but I figured I'd ask someone who might know a lil more firsthand? I know a 275 is OVERKILL but just knowing the tire Clearence limit helps

[jroc]

In the rear its possible with the right offset wheel, in the front you would need fender flares. 255 is the limit in the front

[BobtailedSnail]

Damn you MAZDA!!!! Dont wanna run staggered tires so 255 it is

[Code Monkey]

Updating this thread, mostly for myself, so I can see how my mod path and thinking evolved over time. I am rocking the Cobb AP at the moment, running happily the stage1 93 map. A PTP stage 2 HPFP is on its way and because I paid a shitload of money for it, I decided to do a quick power mod because the remaining elements are so cheap.

Just received a stock second cat from @Speeden6, will gut it and use as a test pipe. Will soon be ordering the CorkSport SRI and TIP, and getting a custom tune from @atvfreek (who just joined the perm team, yay). We should start tuning the end of May as I still have some track days coming and do not want to throw the new hardware at the car one day and go and beat the shit out of the car the next day.

Today I finally got the SPC joints installed. The attached pictures show the before alignment (with the camber adjusted to the max the joints allow on stock suspension, all other numbers as is) and the after specs. I guess I could have left the rear camber the way it was but I am tracking the car in two weeks and if I don't like it I can always get another alignment. Btw, the second time I tracked the car, I turned the DSC off and the car handled much better, lol.

After the tune, and before going back on the track, I will need new brake pads and rotors. At this point I am 99% sure I will go with new OEM rotors as I have not seen anything aftermarket that impressed me. I want to stick with blank rotors and the only alternative seems to be Centric Premium but I read somewhere that these are the same guys that make Stop Techs and if this is true this is China crap (someone correct me if I am wrong). The time for a more expensive setup will come later. The pads will be either Hawk HP+ or maybe the Porterfield R4, I just found out the latter are made for the Speed6 and am intrigued by them. Will probably throw in stainless steel brake lines too and flush with Motul RBF600.

Next in line will be the RMM and a BSD kit with baffle. Then, the RSB and the diff mounts. Then I will need to save some money for new wheels and tires. Rims will be either the 17x9 Enkei RPF1 (duh) or perhaps 6ULR Charcoal (unless someone tells me they suck). Tires will be 245/40.

After all that, I should be pretty much set for the track. Spring, shocks, or custom coilovers will have to wait until I feel I became a better driver + I have to do more research on the subject.

[jroc]

had the hp+ on the ms6, had to flush the fluid after every track DAY, not weekend. fluid boiled over, even after running SS lines and Motul.

i have an almost brand new set of hawk DTC60 front pads, less than 200 miles on them. TEN of those miles are on track just sitting collecting dust as ill never use them again. let me know if youre interested

[Code Monkey]

Lookie what I got today... Will have to wait a couple weeks with the install, I want to do the freektune first, the CorkSport SRI and TIP should go in tomorrow.

The next track weekend is June 23-24.

[Code Monkey]

Finally got the rotors and pads installed. They squeak like crazy, sounds like a train is stopping, I bet my neighbors will like the sound of those at 6 in the morning.

Freektune is halfway done but my BATs are crazy high (+150) so I will be adding a 3.5" ETS TMIC next week or so.

AWR 88 duro motor mounts will be next. CorkSport is coming out soon with a front sway bar for the speed6 and I would like to install both FSB and RSB at the same time + SURE differential mounts. BSD and WT will have to wait until Fluidampr comes out with a damper for the speed6.

Meanwhile, I am working on Fat Cat Motorsports coilovers and new rims (17x9) and tires (245/40).

Hope to have all of the above in the next 9 months or so. After that, time for an upgraded turbo.

[Coaststarlight]

Help yea, a speed6 track build, looks good, I'm slowly doing the same to mine, I got BC Coilovers and a WhiteLine rear sway ready to go in soon

I'd recommend the rear trunk brace and some latter braces the gt spec ones, they do wonders for the car, H&R are good Coilovers, I'm glad to see someone putting in to this car's suspension, It's truly a great car to drive on a track, rather than to just throw bolt ons and power Mods at

[Code Monkey]

Looked at the GT Spec stuff, may add both braces in the future, thanks.

[mczimer]

I would upgrade the power steering cooler before it overheats your pump. It is a real weakness when tracking this car

[I<3Groceries]

Originally Posted by mczimer I would upgrade the power steering cooler before it overheats your pump. It is a real weakness when tracking this car

Good fluid goes a long way as well!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[razorscs]

Originally Posted by mczimer I would upgrade the power steering cooler before it overheats your pump. It is a real weakness when tracking this car

+1 on this! Yes good fluid goes a long way but it only does so much when you are pushing it for an extended amount of time.


Tappin'

[Code Monkey]

Fluids are checked and replaced if needed before and after every event.

[I<3Groceries]

I don't mean just clean fluid, I mean GOOD fluid. The factory fill is garbage.
Even if you don't upgrade the cooler, a quality fluid that can better handle the heat without boiling will be of great benefit.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Code Monkey]

Got this beauty installed today, 3.5" ETS.

[Importfan12]

For braces look at the TB Performance they just released a couple weeks ago. They used my car for the prototype and they really are nice and extremely affordable.

[Code Monkey]

Quick update to myself.

Did not attend the two events back in June due to the OEM clutch going bust. Took July and August off + there was no HPDE at the TWS in September, went with the Drivers Edge on Oct 13-14. Two more HPDE this year, Nov 17-18 and Dec 15-16.

List of mods so far:

SPC ball joints
Cobb AP
PTP S2 HPFP
SURE RMM
CorkSport SRI & TIP
gutted TP
ETS TMIC
tune
DBA 4000 rotors
Carbotech XP12 pads
CorkSport ss brake lines
SURE Dreadnaught
SURE Juggernaught
AWR endlinks
ACT 6 puck sprung + prolite FW
CorkSport ss clutch line
reinforced clutch pedal assembly
CorkSport short shift plate
JBR shifter bushings
JBR shift weight
949Racing 6ULR 17x9 +48
ARP 12mm extended studs front and rear
8mm spacers in front, 5mm in rear
235/45 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics

SURE PMM and TMM are on preorder, and FCM coilovers should be ready hopefully by the end of the year.

[Hapa88]

Mod list looks pretty good. You'll see your times really come down if you upgrade your tires to Extreme Performance Category tires (like Dunlop Star Spec, Federal 595RSR, Bridgestone RE-11, Hankook RS-3, etc).

Also with the increase in grip, you might want to start considering brake cooling. I did the Porsche GT3 brake deflectors and it made a pretty big improvement for me on the track. Might want to look into it.
Brake cooling?

[Code Monkey]

Yes, I will go with better track tires next time, I bought the ULR's used and they came with tires so why throw the tires away. Last week I caught a ride with my instructor in her GT3 RS and that thing is sick. Brake ducts will be in the works hopefully soon.

[Coaststarlight]

Originally Posted by Importfan12 For braces look at the TB Performance they just released a couple weeks ago. They used my car for the prototype and they really are nice and extremely affordable.

TB Performance SUCKS!!!


Dont put any of there fail crap on the car, unless you want to throw away money on parts that do absolutly nothing but ad weight and possibly cause saftey issues, everything from TB is worthless garbage, hes band on many forums for a reson

[6ixof1]

Subbed this thread cause I like my 6 and want to take it to the track and zoom zoom zoom.

[Code Monkey]

Originally Posted by Coaststarlight TB Performance SUCKS!!! Dont put any of there fail crap on the car, unless you want to throw away money on parts that do absolutly nothing but ad weight and possibly cause saftey issues, everything from TB is worthless garbage, hes band on many forums for a reson

I googled around a few months ago and came to the same conclusion.

Originally Posted by 6ixof1 Subbed this thread cause I like my 6 and want to take it to the track and zoom zoom zoom.

Take it to the track now. Driver mod = most important mod.

[Importfan12]

The TB performance braces weigh less then 15lbs combined so weight is not an issue. And the braces for the MS6 actually do make a difference. There have been some changes at the company in the last coupme months and they are for the better. He uses a better stronger material now. A lot of other cars are having great success with the parts also.

[Code Monkey]

@Importfan12, do you have any pictures of your racing seat and cage? Was the cage a direct fit or did you have to do extra work? This will likely be my next step after the coilovers.

[Importfan12]

Pm me your email or number and I will send some over. It is the autopower and it was a direct fit installed in less then an hour.

[Coaststarlight]

Originally Posted by Importfan12 The TB performance braces weigh less then 15lbs combined so weight is not an issue. And the braces for the MS6 actually do make a difference. There have been some changes at the company in the last coupme months and they are for the better. He uses a better stronger material now. A lot of other cars are having great success with the parts also.

If it does nothing, it's extra weight no matter how little

And I've seen the new stuff, still crap.


TB's defense was "these fit well, cheapest price, and are very light"

That means what if the braces do nothing?

You waste the least amount of money? You install well-fitting garbage? You only add the smallest amount of unnecessary weight?


I think it's a joke that he thinks those braces actually do anything, he started erasing my comments when I pointed out that The Speed6 A-Frame brace from TBperfromance mounts to the 5 Mill tabs that hold the splash guard in place, since then the topic has been removed, guess 247 relized he's a looser too

[Code Monkey]

Last month I was promoted to a Blue Solo group at the Texas World Speedway. I will still ask an instructor to jump in the car with me at least once each track day, still have a lot to learn. I also met a local guy who makes cages and once I get racing seats and harnesses, he will make me a custom weld-in half cage, NASA or whatever I want approved. The car definitely has more grip on wider tires but I am pushing the car harder and harder and went out four times at the track (one spin off, three straight lines) so safety mods will have to take priority. I am hoping to have the seats, cage, HANS probably by May (still waiting on FCM coilovers).

Last weekend did the following:

cleaned intake valves
PTP injector seals & studs
GrimmSpeed PnP IM & TB
JBR IM & TB TIG
blocked off EGR
TB coolant bypass

The BATs dropped about 20 degrees on average but the true test will come in the summer when the BATs were as high as 185.

Doing a quick retune with the freek later this week.

[Coaststarlight]

Very Nice!, also, if you want some more cooling, change your coolent/anti-freeze mix, I currently run 80% Distilled water and 20% anti-freeze, running that + a Ron Davis AWR Radiator + heater on blast (aimed to foot well) I was running at a constant 177F on the lead follow

[jroc]

man, 235s are skinny. with those spacers and the offset of those 6ULS, youre able to run 255-40 up front and rear, provided you take off the spacers in the rear.

[Code Monkey]

Originally Posted by jroc man, 235s are skinny. with those spacers and the offset of those 6ULS, youre able to run 255-40 up front and rear, provided you take off the spacers in the rear.

Thanks, I will definitely go for 245s in the future, maybe 255s. I bought the wheels used with the tires on so why not use them up first. Do you think 17 x 10 rims will be ok for the MS6?