Just bought a Mk3 - mods??

[DocSteve]

Hi all,

Thanks for any input here. I spent a while deliberating over what to do for a cheaper, fun road car that I can also use on track (track days, no racing planned as yet) than my Cayman S that I've just got rid of. That was a great car but far too expensive to regularly track and maintain.

So.... I bought a 56 plate Mk3 and intend to spend a few grand on it.

First off - it's registered as a 2.0 car but it's a 5 speed. My understanding was that in Europe the 2.0 wasn't offered with a five speed box but all of the service records confirm the same. Have I missed something?

Next - any suggested mods to improve its performance and handling. I've been thinking about polybushing it, Gaz adjustable suspension, uprated brakes and then ... forced induction.

Any help and advice gratefully received.

Thanks
Steve

[Shaw Tarse]

There was (I think) a 2 litre "Option pack" with a 5 speed 'box. The "Sport" got 6 speed
Sport also got 17" wheels.

[g40steve]

Look at my project thread on Nutz, http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...

Very good trackday/fast road car.

[skinny]

personally i wouldn't bother polybushing it unless you're sure the bushes have more compliance than you think you want. see what it's like with some decent suspension and and alignment first.

[sbird]

Small mods - bee sting aerial, alignment

Medium mods - coilover suspension, wheels, ecu remap

Big mods - sports cat/maifold, supercharger/turbocharger


How big is your budget?

[AndyMk2]

DocSteve said:

My understanding was that in Europe the 2.0 wasn't offered with a five speed. Have I missed something?

Yes look -> http://www.roadster-nc.com/2014/03/uk-mx-5-model-g...

DocSteve said:

I've been thinking about polybushing it, Gaz adjustable suspension, uprated brakes and then ... forced induction.

Start with the suspension alignment, good tyres, uprated springs and dampers (adjustable if you want), stronger sway bars (RX-8's are cheap), chassis bracing, all the usual stuff really.

You can either replace the exhaust system and remap the PCM, or go all out and turbo/supercharge.

There is so much potential.

[browno]

Good choice! I've also got a '56 plate 2.0 option, which I've had for a couple of years, and has been great fun so far.

I guess you'll probably see all of this, particularly if you look at Steve's build thread, but one big thing is to sort out the alignment - there is lots of adjustment, and it can make a huge difference. If you're going to do it though, it's probably worth tweaking the suspension while you're there. There are lots of suspension options around, so I can only speak for what I've had - I first went from standard to lowering springs and alignment, which made a difference (particularly visually!), but felt a bit too wallowy, and was definitely underdamped on the non-sport setup.

So after 12 months, I bit the bullet and ditched that setup for a set of Meister R coilovers which I got fitted and aligned by Paul Roddison in Sheffield - which transformed it - it now has much more composure, but also feels properly damped and controlled. The other benefit is that I can turn up the damping for trackdays - where it really feels much more planted than before.

I would certainly recommend getting some decent coilovers (I haven't compared others, so can't comment if they're better or worse, but I'm very happy with the Meisters) than going down the springs route - especially on the non-sport!

I have also just installed a pair of RX8 ARBs which feel to have made it ride a bit flatter, and are available relatively cheaply from ebay - It will be interesting to test them properly at Blyton in a couple of weeks. Other things I can think of - they seem sensitive to tyres - there's lots of info (and opinions!) on Nutz on that - I am currently on a set of Michelins, but think I'll be going for the Nankang NS-2R track tyres next to give them a go...

I guess the last thing - give it a try on track! The guys at Mazda on Track are very welcoming, and their days at Blyton have been a great introduction for me into trackdays, with lots of folks around to compare notes with!

[DocSteve]

Thanks for all the info guys and, yes, I now realise it is a 20.i 5 speed options model!

Budget is around 3-4k for initial mods. I'm taking it to Five Speed in Notts tomorrow for a chat about some options, partly because they seem to have a good reputation and also because they're fairly local. I was thinking of coilovers with a decent alignment setup which it seems Five Speed should be able to do a good job on. The next question is how to give it a fair bit more power without either it costing the earth or blowing up the engine (which I am told the Mk £s are a little more prone to do).

Tyres do seem to be a contentious issue. I suppose I'd be looking for some compromise between track and road use. It's currently got the 16inch wheels with stock Yokos on it. I was thinking of putting some Oz wheels on it at some point but any suggestions welcome. I'm more interested in improving its performance for now rather than its appearance.

Thanks again

Steve

[g40steve]

Come & have a go in mine, if 5 speed is near to you you cannot be far from me.

[DocSteve]

Thanks for the offer - it would be great to see your car. Had a good chat with Steve at Five Speed and it seems like there are two options - spend a lot on forced induction or even an engine swap or see what can be done with NA. I hadn't appreciated that the mk3 engine may not be strong enough without bottom end work to cope with forced induction for long.

First up will be Meister Rs, an alignment, some new wheels and discs/pads. Has anyone tried wider tyres than the stock 205s on 16 inch rims?

Cheers
Steve