WE TEST: Was $9500 Worth of Car Mods Worth It?

It’s time for our first track day in the Money Pit Miata! We’re taking it to Willow Springs for a track day hosted by our friends at EAD Exotics. We’ll see if all the money we’ve dumped in the pit has been worth it or just wasted!

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Money Pit is where you get to learn about cars as we work on them. Each ep we’ll breakdown how each component works and then we’ll upgrade it. Join us in our journey to build cool cars, learn about them, and drive the crap out of them!

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Donut Media is at the center of digital media for the next generation of automotive and motorsports enthusiasts. We are drivers, drifters, and car enthusiasts who love to tell stories.

[chyroid]

"That just gives us more episodes of Money Pit to make"

*everybody liked that*

[jacobforshee]

Gauges: Die
Zach: Can’t overheat if the gauges don’t show you you’re overheating

[anggoroanindhito]

"Does more expensive means more better?"

Wait wrong show...

[larsmorabe]

"money pit is not ending" I've never felt more comforted my whole life

[andmicbro]

Honestly Money Pit is the more educational automotive show I've ever watched, I've learned so much about upgrading and working on cars, so thanks for that! And next time, hopefully that record looks better!

[T]

I've had a similar issue with my wife's car; it was that there was a short in the wiring system because it was contacting a metal strut over the engine. I simply forgot to plug the wiring holder back into the support and it swung loose and made contact. The way that the gauges go out after a time, makes me think it's something similar where the wiring is moving around, making contact, and shorting out. Just my 2 cents.

[Caladuun]

Old racing trick with 'stock' cars: when overheating turn on the heat. Or, pull a Roadkill and remove the hood :^)

[scottmcqueen]

First lap, picks 5.

"Ah, I see that short shifter is paying off"

Haha

[tydontdy]

Next Mod: Driver Mod

Take a performance driving class with an instructor, that will help IMMENSELY and shave many seconds off your time. It will be worth it.
Plus it will be a good example to the internet that the most worthy mod you can do is improving your skill.

[johnathancrumm]

Those manual reset fuses are the way to go for your fuses that keep popping. I got me a couple of them. All you need to do is, reach down and slide the tab over to reset them. One fuse and no more throwing away them when they pop, only to keep putting a new one in there.

[kaynd]

Great effort! This is the essence of car racing. Making a reliable race car is tough.
There might be a harness problem that causes a short circuit under certain vibrations / g forces. This will require a lot of patience to pinpoint…

Just… please don’t have unrealistic expectations about the laptime gain.
Beating that record laptime, even if it was set on a stock miata, is a great accomplishment that may require lots and lots of training laps on that circuit, definitely better brakes, and lots of wasted brake pads / tire sets. Don't expect any mod (that is reasonably safe) to bring you at the 1:30 range automatically.

[JessInThe]

Whoever edited this episode: Good. Fucking. Job. Comedic timing and self references are on point!

[jaimeromero]

I first heard Parent Hunting and I was like... “Oh you’re gonna look for James’s dad?”

Then it hit me... you meant Parrot Hunting

[MAGICOmagique]

That's the most Money Pit episode of all! Still enjoyable, have a good vacation!

[johnnymichaelnoobmaster]

The faults and errors on an old car are hilarious at least and some of them unexplainable. Popping the fuse for the gauge cluster is unheard of, at least for me. Funny fact is in pops when it reaches redline and also burns through a bigger fuse. Like how is that happening? We'll find out in a future moneypit video.

[tezra]

I'm about to buy a Miata this week. Can you guys do an episode on what the first maintenance of your new project car should look like? I'm looking for a list of all things I should replace on day 1 of the project.

[Patrick.Weightman]

Took about $10k worth of stuff to build my car into a crawler, and every penny was worth it and required. Still building too!

[danielmorskijr]

I used to watch the track days at Willow from my roof. Loved hearing the cars scream up the sweeping right hander on the hill.

[TELEPATHICGAT]

"and on that bombshell"

*OH THE FEELS*

[John-mdld]

Zach: (puts car in fifth instead of third) "Is that fifth?? I've never done something so




Also Zach: (Forgets to put the ebrake on/put miata in gear when lowing it off jackstands causing it to almost roll him over...)