**The Money Pit Challenge: Is My Modified Miata Faster Than a Stock Model?**

I'm Zach, and this is the Money Pit. Today, I'm at a real-life racetrack to find out if my modified Miata can keep up with a stock model.

So far on Money Pit, we've taken this $2,500 Miata from a stock clunker for a real slam dunker. We've put almost $9,500 into it and it feels like a totally different car. It feels like a race car. But is it a race car? Is it actually any better than it was?

The question is, have all these parts made this thing any faster than a stock Miata, about a 1:46? Now there's only one thing left to do, and that's find out. So the question is how much faster can I even run than a stock Miata? How much faster can I run than a battle-hardened 1:46?

I think to make all this stuff worth it, I got to break into the 1:30s. I would say I've gotta shave at least six seconds off that 1:46 to get into the 1:30s to make it worth it. I think we can do it. Let's take a look at everything we've done so far to get us to that 1:30 whatever.

All right, so let's talk about where we've spent all that money. For wheels and tires, we wanted to set up an Enkei RPF1 wrapped in Toyo R888Rs. They're being suspended by a set of Skunk2 Coilovers. We've got H&R Sway bars under there doing their thing. We've got a bunch of chassis bracing from Flyin' Miata and V8Roadster and from Zerek.

We've also got OMP seats and harness, Miata Roadster short shifter, Exedy clutch and fly wheel. We got a racing beat intake on there, and a Roadster sport header back to a Magnaflow exhaust. We've got innovative engine mounts holding the engine in place. That has totaled up to $9,500 just in modifications. Doesn't include the $2,500 I paid for the car.

The money that we haven't spent is on brakes and our cooling system. Those are my biggest concerns for today. So let's find out if all this work will pay off.

(Gauges still on. That's good news. Temps are still acceptable. That's even better news. Should be able to take this full go.)

There we go, gauge is dead. Gauges just died. Men, I thought we were in good shape. The car feels so good and we made a whole hard lap without overheating. Then the temp started creeping up on the second lap, like pretty hard and the gauges went.

Gauges died on the second lap with a 20 amp fuse. There is a real issue and I don't know what it is yet. And putting bigger fuses isn't the fix. So...

So what's the mean for us today? - I think that means today that the fastest lap we're gonna run is the 1:56, which is really disappointing. I mean, we weren't doing it any favors by dragging it into the desert to beat the hell out of all day.

But I was hoping it would hold together, at least once. That's not the case. So it looks like we're gonna have to do some serious cooling upgrades and get back here. Because honestly, this is my personal mission now. I need to get into the 1:30s on this track in this car.

And on that bombshell, remember to subscribe to the channel, follow me on Instagram, @ZackJobe, and follow Donut, @DonutMedia. I really appreciate you guys watching me give it a shot, and I hope it goes better next time.

Shut these beds up. Hey guys, we just want to check in and let you know we're gonna take next week off for a much needed summer vacation/parrot hunting expedition. But don't worry. Nothing's ending. Money Pit isn't ending. We'll be back next week with all the regular stuff you're used to. We're just taking a quick vacation. Don't miss us too much.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- So far on Money Pit, we'vetaken this $2,500 Miatafrom a stock clunkerfor a real slam dunker.We've put almost $9,500 into itand it feels like a totally different car.It feels like a race car.But is it a race car?Is it actually any better than it was?Well today, I'm at a reallife racetrack to find out.(engine revs)So the question is, have allthese parts made this thingany faster than a stockMiata, about a 1:46?Now there's only one thing leftto do, and that's find out.I'm Zach and this is MoneyPit. Let's rip, baby.(upbeat music plays)(engine revs)So the question ishow much faster can I evenrun than a stock Miata?How much faster can Irun than a battle 1:46?I think to make all this stuff worth itI got to break into the 1:30s.I would say I got to shaveat least six seconds offthat 1:46 to get into the1:30s to make it worth it.I think we can do it.Let's take a look ateverything we've done so farto get us to that 1:30 whatever.All right. So let's talkabout where we've spentall that money.For wheels and tires, wewanted to set up an Enkei RPF1wrapped in Toyo R888Rs.And they're being suspendedby a set of Skunk2 Coilovers.We've got --(engine revs)We got H&R Sway bars underthere doing their thing.We've got a bunch of chassis bracingfrom Flyin' Miata and V8Roadster and from Zerek.We've got OMP seats and harness.Miata Roadster short shifterand Exedy clunch and fly wheel.We got a racing beat intake on there,and a Roadster sport headerback to a Magnaflow exhaust.We've got innovative engine mountsholding the engine in place.That has totaled up to$9,500 just in modifications.That doesn't include the$2,500 I paid for the car.The money that we haven'tspent is on brakesand our cooling system.So those are my biggestconcerns for today.It shouldn't be a very big breaking track.I shouldn't have to usethe brakes too much,so I think they'll be fine.But it is hot rightnow and getting hotter.It's supposed to be 103degrees out here today.So we're really going totest the cooling system,which is a known weakpoint on the Miata already.So I am a little concernedthat we're gonna overheat.But that just gives us moreepisodes of Money Pit to make.So it wouldn't be the endof the world, would it?So now the only thing left to dois put this thing on the track finallyand see if all that money is worth it.(burps)Shall we?(rock music)(engine revving)Flat out baby!(engine revving)The fifth!I've never done somethings so silly.All right, the car feels great,but after about one hardlap, we're getting hot,like overheating.So I'm gonna give it a minute to cool off,let it come back down to temp,and then I'm gonna go out, do a soft lapand then come across the line flyingand try to get one good time.So I'm gonna go do that now.(engine revving)(upbeat music)All right. So it seemsthat I popped the fusethat controls all the gauges,so none of my gauges work.So I gotta put a new fuse in it.Otherwise, I'm not gonna knowif I overheat it to death.(engine revving)When your red line thisthing, every once in a while,it pops the fuse thatcontrol all the gauges.So I lost my tuck and I importantly lostmy coolant temp sensor.So we wouldn't have knownif I was overheating it.So I just pulled backin to replace the fuseand now we're gonna get back out.Hopefully not blow a fuse again.(upbeat music)(engine revving)Well, the gauges popped again.We're just gonna run it.(upbeat music)Well, I'm sure thatwas exceptionally slow.Yeah, my gauge is blowing again,so I wasn't on full throttle.I think we can do it.Maybe if I could find a 20 amp fuse,that'll hold them together.So I put an even biggerfuse in the gauge spot,which is not the correct fix,but I just need to get through today.So hopefully, we're gonna go back outand the gauges will workand I can keep an eye on our temperatureand we can actually get some laps.Because right now, my lap timeis a minute and 56 seconds,which is unacceptable.I think we can do it.So hopefully the gauges stay on,hopefully the temp stays down,and we can turn some laps.But I'm starting to get concernedthat's not gonna happen.So let's find out.(engine revving)Gauges still on. That's good news.Temps are still acceptable.That's even even better news.Should be able to take this full go.(upbeat music)(engine revving)(upbeat music continues)(engine revving)There we go, gauge is dead.Gauges just died.(soft upbeat music)Men, I thought we were in good shape.The car feels so goodand we made a whole hardlap without overheating.Then the temp startedcreeping up on the second lap,like pretty hard and the gauges went.Gauges died on the secondlap with a 20 amp fuse.There is a real issue and Idon't know what it is yet.And putting bigger fuseisn't the fix. So--- So what's the mean for us today?- I think that means todaythat the fastest lap we'regonna run is the 1:56,which is really disappointing.I mean, we weren't doing it any favorsby dragging it into the desertto beat the hell out of all day.But I was hoping it wouldhold together, at least once.That's not the case. So it lookslike we're gonna have to dosome serious coolingupgrades and get back here.Because honestly, this ismy personal mission now.I need to get into the 1:30'son this track in this car.And on that bombshell,I guess, remember tosubscribe to the channel,follow me on Instagram, @ZackJobeand follow Donut, @DonutMedia.I really appreciate you guyswatching me give it a shotand I hope it goes better next time.Shut these beds up.Hey guys, we just want tocheck in and let you knowwe're gonna take nextweek off for a much neededsummer vacation/parrot hunting expedition.But don't worry.Nothing's ending. Money Pit not ending.We'll be back next weekwith all the regular stuff you're used to.We're just taking a quick vacation.Don't miss us too much.