NA Suspension Mods - coilovers, polybushes or what?
Discussion
Hi all - I'm a year into MX5 ownership and despite feeling the temptation to change for something with more poke, I think I'm going to spend some money on my S-Special to improve it.
Definitely I want some roll protection, so I'll be getting a TR Lane bar on which should stiffen it up. However, I also hear good things about coilovers, but when speaking to a guy who seems to know his 5s he suggested that lowering springs and polybushing the droplinks and rollbars would be good and half the price of coilovers. Anybody got any opinions on that?
Also feel free to suggest any other mods - I've just had a small windfall so tempted to blow it on the car (though I'm also told for forced induction I'd be better off buying a turbo'd car rather than charging the one I already have?).
Cheers!
Definitely I want some roll protection, so I'll be getting a TR Lane bar on which should stiffen it up. However, I also hear good things about coilovers, but when speaking to a guy who seems to know his 5s he suggested that lowering springs and polybushing the droplinks and rollbars would be good and half the price of coilovers. Anybody got any opinions on that?
Also feel free to suggest any other mods - I've just had a small windfall so tempted to blow it on the car (though I'm also told for forced induction I'd be better off buying a turbo'd car rather than charging the one I already have?).
Cheers!
I have had Meister-R Zeta-S coilovers fitted to my Eunos.
I bought it last year as a fresh import, and it had mk2 top mounts fitted already which lowered it a bit.
I then bought some koni shocks & eibach springs second hand but these were a bit too low for me at the front end so I prompted for the Meisters.
The difference is amazing and the ride quality on the Meisters is excellent.
I have heard of people shying away from poly bushing on 5's, especially the wishbones as they can dry out and cause the wishbones to fail - not sure if the same applies to ARBs, etc.
Are your brakes standard? Maybe upgrade to 1.8 carriers if it's a 1.6?
I would rather turbo a car myself than buy one already done - what you lack in savings, you make up for in knowledge of how well the job has been done (in theory).
I bought it last year as a fresh import, and it had mk2 top mounts fitted already which lowered it a bit.
I then bought some koni shocks & eibach springs second hand but these were a bit too low for me at the front end so I prompted for the Meisters.
The difference is amazing and the ride quality on the Meisters is excellent.
I have heard of people shying away from poly bushing on 5's, especially the wishbones as they can dry out and cause the wishbones to fail - not sure if the same applies to ARBs, etc.
Are your brakes standard? Maybe upgrade to 1.8 carriers if it's a 1.6?
I would rather turbo a car myself than buy one already done - what you lack in savings, you make up for in knowledge of how well the job has been done (in theory).
My car's a 1.8 so already has the bigger brakes - so I don't think those will need any work.
As to the Meisters Rs - sounds good, though I'm loathe to spend £600 or £700 on suspension for a car worth £2500 absolute tops. Then again if it's a keeper...
As to the forced induction route - good point. I can't spanner at all though so I'd need it done for me - any idea what it'd cost?
As to the Meisters Rs - sounds good, though I'm loathe to spend £600 or £700 on suspension for a car worth £2500 absolute tops. Then again if it's a keeper...
As to the forced induction route - good point. I can't spanner at all though so I'd need it done for me - any idea what it'd cost?
Anywhere between £1,500 and £2,500 I would think.
I am thinking about Supercharging mine at some stage but i'm too busy spending money on other stuff just now - it's an addiction
Just bought a strut brace and silicon coolant hoses today!
Do you have an aftermarket exhaust? I run a Cobalt cat-back s/s system and it sounds great.
What about alloys? I have bought some Enkei RPF1s in 14" as they are about the lightest wheels you can get which aids the handling somewhat (if you are running an S-Special, it should have BBS which are already quite light).
I am thinking about Supercharging mine at some stage but i'm too busy spending money on other stuff just now - it's an addiction
Just bought a strut brace and silicon coolant hoses today!
Do you have an aftermarket exhaust? I run a Cobalt cat-back s/s system and it sounds great.
What about alloys? I have bought some Enkei RPF1s in 14" as they are about the lightest wheels you can get which aids the handling somewhat (if you are running an S-Special, it should have BBS which are already quite light).
Yep - I see what you mean, for a low value car you can spend a lot on it...
I've considered new rims, but I do indeed have 14" BBS rims on it, so I think I'm good there for now (they're the main reason I liked the S-Special in fact).
I've chopped the stereo in for a new one and I might put some new speakers in the headrests or I may just bin the seats and get some new items - I quite fancy Elise seats in fact.
ETA: and yes, thinking about a Cobalt 'zorst too!
I've considered new rims, but I do indeed have 14" BBS rims on it, so I think I'm good there for now (they're the main reason I liked the S-Special in fact).
I've chopped the stereo in for a new one and I might put some new speakers in the headrests or I may just bin the seats and get some new items - I quite fancy Elise seats in fact.
ETA: and yes, thinking about a Cobalt 'zorst too!
Edited by Actus Reus on Wednesday 17th February 17:20
It depends what you want from the car.
If you want to use it on the road, a set of lowering springs and a good geo will do the job.
For track use, you will benefit from some coilovers and a geo.
Note that common denominator in those two scenarios
I wouldn't do bushes unless the old ones are shot, and then I wouldn't use PU ones unless you can afford Super Pro.
If you want to use it on the road, a set of lowering springs and a good geo will do the job.
For track use, you will benefit from some coilovers and a geo.
Note that common denominator in those two scenarios
I wouldn't do bushes unless the old ones are shot, and then I wouldn't use PU ones unless you can afford Super Pro.
Have a drive in a turbo or supercharged car and you'll probably not want to drive an N/A car again.
I weighed the pros and cons of DIY forced induction and even got as far as buying a resto car plus sourcing some of the bits before my S/c Mk1 was offered to me.
The conversion was originally done by Moss but the previous owner had spent thousands on add-ons to make it drive as well as it does.
My recommendation, especially if you're not particularly good at wielding spanners, would be to buy one already converted. If you take your time you should find one which has not only been fitted with a turbo or s/c but had the suspension sorted as well - c.£3k should find you a good one. Just be careful if looking at Mk2.5's for front chassis rail corrosion which can be a killer.
As to turbo v S/c there's endless debate over on Nutz.
To me there's nothing like stamping on the loud pedal and having the instant response of a S/c, however be aware S/c are thirsty as they pump all the time.
Mine, admittedly without intercooling so it needs to run rich, will consistently return 22mpg!
Turbo's are simpler and theoretically consume less fuel (if that's an issue) and modern management systems like Megasquirt reduce lag to a minimum.
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe.
I weighed the pros and cons of DIY forced induction and even got as far as buying a resto car plus sourcing some of the bits before my S/c Mk1 was offered to me.
The conversion was originally done by Moss but the previous owner had spent thousands on add-ons to make it drive as well as it does.
My recommendation, especially if you're not particularly good at wielding spanners, would be to buy one already converted. If you take your time you should find one which has not only been fitted with a turbo or s/c but had the suspension sorted as well - c.£3k should find you a good one. Just be careful if looking at Mk2.5's for front chassis rail corrosion which can be a killer.
As to turbo v S/c there's endless debate over on Nutz.
To me there's nothing like stamping on the loud pedal and having the instant response of a S/c, however be aware S/c are thirsty as they pump all the time.
Mine, admittedly without intercooling so it needs to run rich, will consistently return 22mpg!
Turbo's are simpler and theoretically consume less fuel (if that's an issue) and modern management systems like Megasquirt reduce lag to a minimum.
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe.
Cheers for that - interesting post.
I didn't buy an NB car precisely because of the rust issue (and because the one good car I could find was out of budget as it was a cherished RS model), so I got an NA. I'd ideally not start again as I'm really pleased with what I've got, but I realise that spending a £3k on a £2k car is not sensible financially... I've also spotted an Integra Type R near me and I've wanted one of those since I was 18. Decisions, decisions...
I didn't buy an NB car precisely because of the rust issue (and because the one good car I could find was out of budget as it was a cherished RS model), so I got an NA. I'd ideally not start again as I'm really pleased with what I've got, but I realise that spending a £3k on a £2k car is not sensible financially... I've also spotted an Integra Type R near me and I've wanted one of those since I was 18. Decisions, decisions...
Actus Reus said:
Cheers for that - interesting post.
I didn't buy an NB car precisely because of the rust issue (and because the one good car I could find was out of budget as it was a cherished RS model), so I got an NA. I'd ideally not start again as I'm really pleased with what I've got, but I realise that spending a £3k on a £2k car is not sensible financially... I've also spotted an Integra Type R near me and I've wanted one of those since I was 18. Decisions, decisions...
Since when did car decisions ever have to be sensible? I didn't buy an NB car precisely because of the rust issue (and because the one good car I could find was out of budget as it was a cherished RS model), so I got an NA. I'd ideally not start again as I'm really pleased with what I've got, but I realise that spending a £3k on a £2k car is not sensible financially... I've also spotted an Integra Type R near me and I've wanted one of those since I was 18. Decisions, decisions...
I've spent over £7k on my car (including purchase) since buying it last March and I know I would't get anywhere near that back if I sold.
If you enjoy it, and it makes you happy, what does the cost matter?
Very true - but I'm thinking of switching and if I'm thinking of switching it's worth weighing the two up. Either way the money's going on a car, but there's no point buying £2k's worth of bits for my Eunos and then immediately flogging it and buying an Elise.
£7k is some going though - what the hell have you done to it?!?
£7k is some going though - what the hell have you done to it?!?
Actus Reus said:
Very true - but I'm thinking of switching and if I'm thinking of switching it's worth weighing the two up. Either way the money's going on a car, but there's no point buying £2k's worth of bits for my Eunos and then immediately flogging it and buying an Elise.
£7k is some going though - what the hell have you done to it?!?
Very roughly:£7k is some going though - what the hell have you done to it?!?
£4.5k purchase (91 V_Special fresh import)
£900 - Enkei RPF1 alloys (still to get tyres!)
£700 - Meister-R Zeta S & fitting
£150 - Cobalt cat-back
£400 - Dinitrol underseal
£300 - Zoom Engineering carbon mirrors
Plus various other bits of trim (retro toggle switches, mk2 windbreak, new head unit) and very recently induction kit, silicon coolant hoses and front strut brace.
It is finally getting to my vision of what I want in a Eunos/5 - I appreciate the money spent will not be recouped, but she's a long term keeper so I am happy to spend it.
Wait until I decid to go FI, then the total could hit 10k
OK, makes sense written down and doesn't seem too bad - indeed a lot of what you've got I'm gonna get if I keep it:
Meister R coilies
Dimitrol the underside (again)
New seats
TR Lane bar
Cobalt cat-back
New speakers in the headrests if I keep the seats
I've got a K&N Typhoon shoe-horned in at the moment, and think I'll keep the 14" BBS rims as they're light and I like them. 15s might allow for a wider tyre choice though? I replaced the headunit and cubby with the MX5 Parts kit back in May, and I might add some more blingy bits to lift the cabin, but that's not really a priority. It is, however, one of the few jobs I'd feel confident doing myself. I may also change some orange indicator lenses for clear versions.
Just posting on here makes me want to keep the car in fact, much as I fancy an Integra or a Lotus.
Meister R coilies
Dimitrol the underside (again)
New seats
TR Lane bar
Cobalt cat-back
New speakers in the headrests if I keep the seats
I've got a K&N Typhoon shoe-horned in at the moment, and think I'll keep the 14" BBS rims as they're light and I like them. 15s might allow for a wider tyre choice though? I replaced the headunit and cubby with the MX5 Parts kit back in May, and I might add some more blingy bits to lift the cabin, but that's not really a priority. It is, however, one of the few jobs I'd feel confident doing myself. I may also change some orange indicator lenses for clear versions.
Just posting on here makes me want to keep the car in fact, much as I fancy an Integra or a Lotus.
I detangoed my sidelights about a month back.
Put them in the over to soften the glue, remove the orange lense and reassemble the units.
I fitted silvatec indicator bulbs and LED sidelight bulbs - what a difference! I then sanded down the little raised letter on the sidelights, reflectors and side repeaters, and poslished them up so they are silky smooth now, and no letters to trap excess wax (small but very effective mod).
Last weekend I ripped out the old aircon as it had no gas in it and I don't see the point of aircon in a soft-top - must have weighed about 18kg once I removed the pump, bracket, condenser, rad, etc.
I am really enjoying getting my hands dirty with this wee car - I bought some CJ Autos adjustable ramps and a Halfords professional 200 piece socket set and have been getting stuck in doing stuff that, to date, I have always got my mechanic mate to do for me.
It really is quite satisfying doing things yourself.
I need to stop the spending for now, just need to get tyres and the new alloys on, then I am going to fully clean under the bonnet and get ready to drive her from April onwards - I have a MAzda CX-7 for a daily driver so this one can be a high days and dry days car.
Put them in the over to soften the glue, remove the orange lense and reassemble the units.
I fitted silvatec indicator bulbs and LED sidelight bulbs - what a difference! I then sanded down the little raised letter on the sidelights, reflectors and side repeaters, and poslished them up so they are silky smooth now, and no letters to trap excess wax (small but very effective mod).
Last weekend I ripped out the old aircon as it had no gas in it and I don't see the point of aircon in a soft-top - must have weighed about 18kg once I removed the pump, bracket, condenser, rad, etc.
I am really enjoying getting my hands dirty with this wee car - I bought some CJ Autos adjustable ramps and a Halfords professional 200 piece socket set and have been getting stuck in doing stuff that, to date, I have always got my mechanic mate to do for me.
It really is quite satisfying doing things yourself.
I need to stop the spending for now, just need to get tyres and the new alloys on, then I am going to fully clean under the bonnet and get ready to drive her from April onwards - I have a MAzda CX-7 for a daily driver so this one can be a high days and dry days car.
That's basically what I want to do - get my hands dirty and learn a bit about mechanics; would also be nice to do with my son when he's a bit older.
I also have air-con and might well ditch it - apparently it works, but like you, in a cabrio in this country I fail to see the point - in my Boxster I used it maybe once, and that was my only car (I was stuck in traffic on the M25 on a hot day and was burning).
Thanks for your comments so far - really useful and encouraging too.
I also have air-con and might well ditch it - apparently it works, but like you, in a cabrio in this country I fail to see the point - in my Boxster I used it maybe once, and that was my only car (I was stuck in traffic on the M25 on a hot day and was burning).
Thanks for your comments so far - really useful and encouraging too.
10k is pretty easily done (over a few years).
As for suspension, mk2 bilsteins from the RS are pretty decent and you sid be able to get a set for under £150 including top mounts. Not tried the eBay specials at the sane price but quite happy not letting them anywhere near my car
As for suspension, mk2 bilsteins from the RS are pretty decent and you sid be able to get a set for under £150 including top mounts. Not tried the eBay specials at the sane price but quite happy not letting them anywhere near my car
Edited by skinny on Tuesday 23 February 23:02
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