Track Car - Which Turbo Kit ?
Discussion
I have a 2003 5spd 1.8 MX5 trackday car which needs more power, there is so much opinion on the net that it is hard to make any decision, even turbo versus supercharging opens a can of worms.
Lots of info on this forum but hard to sort the wheat from the chaff
So, I am asking for useful experience/advice, looking for around 180bhp, reliability more important than outright power, budget around £2k excluding labour.
Working in a proper professional MOT workshop, lifts, diagnostics, lathe, mill, welders etc just lacking Forced Induction experience and a dyno really.
Lots of info on this forum but hard to sort the wheat from the chaff
So, I am asking for useful experience/advice, looking for around 180bhp, reliability more important than outright power, budget around £2k excluding labour.
Working in a proper professional MOT workshop, lifts, diagnostics, lathe, mill, welders etc just lacking Forced Induction experience and a dyno really.
A friend of mine has a 10th anniversary that's running a flyin' Miata turbo kit at 205hp. While the car is very fast and is fun to drive on the road, we've both took it out on track and we both agree that it's much harder to drive consistently fast and less enjoyable than a standard mk1 which we have also done track time in.
My local track is Blyton and all the 5s I've seen on it that aren't still n/a are supercharged, and they fly round. If I was building a boosted track car, I would build a supercharged one.
My local track is Blyton and all the 5s I've seen on it that aren't still n/a are supercharged, and they fly round. If I was building a boosted track car, I would build a supercharged one.
First question - are you an experienced track driver?
The reason I ask - my '01 1.8 is supercharged and has over 240bhp, GAZ God Pro suspension, lightweight 15" wheel with track tyres etc. but on track but that doesn't mean I am the fastest out there. There are far better drivers out there in Mk1 1.6 cars with standard 114bhp engines who go flying past me just because they go into and, more importantly, exit corners much faster than me so I am just using my power advantage to try to keep up on the straights.
So my personal checklist would be:
1 Suspension
2 Seats
3 Experience. Lots of it.
4 More experience.
5 Just keep driving it!
7 More power.
I hope you don't take that the wrong way - obviously I don't know you at all, but when I go on a track day with the likes of Roddo & the other race drivers, I realise that actually, I'm nowhere near being a good enough driver to even make the most of a standard powered car let along one with more power.
The reason I ask - my '01 1.8 is supercharged and has over 240bhp, GAZ God Pro suspension, lightweight 15" wheel with track tyres etc. but on track but that doesn't mean I am the fastest out there. There are far better drivers out there in Mk1 1.6 cars with standard 114bhp engines who go flying past me just because they go into and, more importantly, exit corners much faster than me so I am just using my power advantage to try to keep up on the straights.
So my personal checklist would be:
1 Suspension
2 Seats
3 Experience. Lots of it.
4 More experience.
5 Just keep driving it!
7 More power.
I hope you don't take that the wrong way - obviously I don't know you at all, but when I go on a track day with the likes of Roddo & the other race drivers, I realise that actually, I'm nowhere near being a good enough driver to even make the most of a standard powered car let along one with more power.
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