felrivad's Riviera Blue 1990 Miata Restoration
The Riviera Blue Miata
Photo: The Riviera Blue MiataA 1990 Mazda Miata restored during COVID, now midway through a turbo build
The owner, felrivad, fully restored a childhood 1990 Miata during 2020 lockdown, stripping it to a bare chassis, repairing rust, and repainting it in Porsche Riviera Blue. Every part of the car was rebuilt or replaced with handling, braking, and ergonomic upgrades, and the thread later continues into a planned turbo conversion using a spare long-nose 1.6 engine as a mock-up.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Paint
- Porsche Riviera Blue
- Engine (original car)
- Mazda 1.6 long nose
- Clutch
- Supermiata 1.8 lightened flywheel with 4-puck sprung sport clutch
- Radiator
- Supermiata radiator
- Cooling reroute
- Supermiata Qmax reroute
- Turbo (planned/in progress)
- ATP Turbo GT2560R, 0.64 a/r, internal wastegate, 6-7psi actuator
- Fuel system (in progress)
- Flowforce 960cc injectors with DW200 fuel pump
- Ignition (in progress)
- R8 coil-on-plug kit
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 1
- GT2560R turbochargerATP Turbo
0.64 a/r internal wastegate unit with 6-7psi actuator, purchased for the turbo conversion
In the shops
GT2560R Turbocharger ↗
Flyin' Miata· $1,549.00 USD
Blouch Dominator 1.5G2-R Ball Bearing Turbocharger ↗
JDMuscle — Mazda MX-5· $2,316.50 USD
Fuel & Ignition 2
- 960cc fuel injectors with DW200 fuel pump kitFlowforce
Ordered as a set for the turbo fuel system
In the shops
725cc/min EV-14 Fuel Injectors ↗Flyin' Miata· $429.00 USD
Bosch 550cc Injectors, Set of 4 (NC Turbo) ↗Flyin' Miata· $325.00 USD
DeatschWerks DW200 255 LPH In-Tank Fuel Pump Kit ↗
Moss Miata· $114.99 USD - R8 coil-on-plug ignition kitFlowforce
Chosen over an LS2 coil build as a cheaper, lead-free ignition conversion
In the shops
On-Plug Ignition Coil (S-Type V6, to M45254) ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $52.59 USD
On-Plug Ignition Coil (X-Type & S-Type V6, from M45255) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $38.91 USD
Lucas Ballasted Ignition Coil ↗
bpnorthwest.com· $31.99 USD
Cooling 2
- Supermiata aluminum radiatorSupermiata
Replacement radiator fitted as part of cooling upgrades for the turbo build
In the shops
Mishimoto 3-Row Manual X-LINE Aluminum Radiator ↗
MiataSpeed· $500.07 USD
Mishimoto Aluminum Radiator (90-97 Miata, Manual) ↗MiataSpeed· $397.87 USD
Mishimoto 99-05 Mazda Miata Manual Aluminum Radiator ↗MiataSpeed· $298.99 USD - Supermiata Qmax cooling rerouteSupermiata
Used to route aftermarket water temp sensor at the back of the head
Gearbox & Drivetrain 1
- Supermiata lightened 1.8 flywheel and 4-puck sprung sport clutchSupermiata
Fitted to improve pedal feel and reduce rotating weight versus stock 1.6 clutch
In the shops
FM ND Clutch/Flywheel Kit ↗Flyin' Miata· $968.00 USD
FM NC Clutch/Flywheel Happy Meal ↗Flyin' Miata· $779.00 USD
ACT 4-Pad Sprung Race Clutch Disc ↗MiataSpeed· $170.99 USD
Photos
53 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from The Riviera Blue Miata. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
The Riviera Blue Miata - Miata Turbo Forum - Boost cars, acquire cats. 32this post at The Riviera Blue Miata ↗
The Riviera Blue Miata - Miata Turbo Forum - Boost cars, acquire cats. 14this post at The Riviera Blue Miata ↗
The Riviera Blue Miata - Miata Turbo Forum - Boost cars, acquire cats. 7this post at The Riviera Blue Miata ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
The Miata had been handed down to the owner in elementary school and lightly modified with cosmetic parts over the years (wheels, roll bar, hardtop) but stayed largely stock mechanically while awaiting a full restoration.
Restoration during COVID
Working for free out of a friend's body shop in exchange for painting the car later, the owner stripped the car to a bare chassis, had it media blasted, welded rust including new a-pillars, repaired dents, and resprayed it in Porsche Riviera Blue. Every part was restored or replaced, down to sanding and repainting nuts and bolts, taking 904 hours total.
Performance upgrades
Where possible stock components were swapped for upgraded parts, focused on handling, braking, and ergonomics, with the aim of building a weekend/autocross/track car while remaining streetable.
Turbo project begins
After running out of funds for a turbo build during the restoration, the owner later acquired a spare overheated 1.6 engine to use as a mock-up for building oil and water lines and wiring, and began planning sensor placement and fitting.
Parts sourcing and fitting
The owner bought a GT2560R turbo and fittings from ATP Turbo, fitted a Supermiata radiator, Qmax reroute, and clutch/flywheel combo, and ordered a Flowforce injector and pump kit with an R8 coil-on-plug kit, working through questions with vendor staff.
Track testing and troubleshooting
The owner ran a track day at Sebring on the restored but not-yet-turbocharged car, improving lap times across sessions. Afterward, inspection revealed coolant loss from the overflow tank under track conditions and a possible small oil leak near the head gasket, which the owner was still investigating.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at The Riviera Blue Miata ↗
Worth knowing
- Plan sensor and fitting locations in detail before starting a turbo install to avoid rework
- Smaller specialist vendors like Flowforce, Supermiata and AWR were praised for responsive support
- Packaging matters when ordering fragile parts like gauges, as poor packaging led to a damaged return