Uni motorclub trackslag?
Discussion
As per my other thread ( linky), or uni motor club are looking for the next club owned car for use by members on track days. Its not unheard of for us to keep an current mot as some form of proof its not totally shagged, but it probably wont be taxed or insured.
I dont have much experience of the MX5 but and far more interested in the next car being a small rwd car than a striped out golf or a fat beamer.
What would be a reasonable priced for a tatty but functional car, what are parts like to get hold of (new or used) and how much. Is there anywhere other than PH classifieds i should be looking for mx5's?
It doesnt have to be pretty and we're not afraid to do whatever work needs doing on it (ie, free labour, half of us are graduate engineers) but obviously money is tightish so avoiding expensive work would be advantageous. Ditto, it might just get armoco'ed and is unlikly to be insured in any way if it does.
Daniel
I dont have much experience of the MX5 but and far more interested in the next car being a small rwd car than a striped out golf or a fat beamer.
What would be a reasonable priced for a tatty but functional car, what are parts like to get hold of (new or used) and how much. Is there anywhere other than PH classifieds i should be looking for mx5's?
It doesnt have to be pretty and we're not afraid to do whatever work needs doing on it (ie, free labour, half of us are graduate engineers) but obviously money is tightish so avoiding expensive work would be advantageous. Ditto, it might just get armoco'ed and is unlikly to be insured in any way if it does.
Daniel
I'm part of a group who own a track slag (Planet MX5 Motorsports). We bought an L reg 1.6 for £750 and spent about £150 doing full servicing on it to make sure it's reliable. We've since fitted GAZ suspension TR Lane roll bars and have some 1.8 brakes to fit (they are bigger than on 1.6). We have fitted a bucket seat but we will be changing it as it's too high meaning my head is above roll bars.
It's fantastic fun on the track, in fact I think I enjoy driving it on track more than my own 230bhp Mk2.5! It just goes and goes seeming to just accept all the abuse we give it. We've only had 2 problems with it so far - the second trackday the thermistor failed so it kept misfiring and the last trackday where the bolts holding the clutch master cylinder came loose so we lost the clutch for a while. Both problems have been fixed very cheaply.
We are in quite a lucky position as we have gained sponsorship from a number of companies (GAZ Suspension, Wheels in Motion, TR Lane, MX5 Heaven, Mazda on Track) so we have been able to get some of the more expensive parts cheap or free. It's amazing what you can get if you just ask so I'd definitely suggest you look at sponsorship from local companies.
It's fantastic fun on the track, in fact I think I enjoy driving it on track more than my own 230bhp Mk2.5! It just goes and goes seeming to just accept all the abuse we give it. We've only had 2 problems with it so far - the second trackday the thermistor failed so it kept misfiring and the last trackday where the bolts holding the clutch master cylinder came loose so we lost the clutch for a while. Both problems have been fixed very cheaply.
We are in quite a lucky position as we have gained sponsorship from a number of companies (GAZ Suspension, Wheels in Motion, TR Lane, MX5 Heaven, Mazda on Track) so we have been able to get some of the more expensive parts cheap or free. It's amazing what you can get if you just ask so I'd definitely suggest you look at sponsorship from local companies.
i'd say that the 5 was pretty much perfect for your needs. there's a reason that it's the most raced car in the world (apparently).
you should be able to pick up car with tax and MOT for under a grand easily. the engines and boxes are strong as long as they get serviced. yours will probably be rusty but if you have access to ramps and welders, which you should do at uni, that won't be a problem. a lot of expensive but worthwhile parts (braces, roll bars etc) you can probably make as part of a project. brakes are cheap. the only place you might end up spending money is on uprated suspension, but if you can adapt the car to take racing shocks and springs, you might get some bargains. otherwise you'll be looking at £4-600 for a set of springs and dampers, and £150 on uprated ARB's if you decide to go that route, £200 or so on polybushes if you think they are needed.
if you're careful, bearign in mind that you can sell a lot of the bits you don't need (seats, carpet, hardtop if it has one is worth £250 minimum normally), i reckon you can get a pretty competent track toy for a grand all in. also worth looking out for mildly track prepared (a lot of enthusiast cars will already have aftermarket suspension and decent brakes) MOT failure - most will fail on rust in front of the rear wheels.
you should be able to pick up car with tax and MOT for under a grand easily. the engines and boxes are strong as long as they get serviced. yours will probably be rusty but if you have access to ramps and welders, which you should do at uni, that won't be a problem. a lot of expensive but worthwhile parts (braces, roll bars etc) you can probably make as part of a project. brakes are cheap. the only place you might end up spending money is on uprated suspension, but if you can adapt the car to take racing shocks and springs, you might get some bargains. otherwise you'll be looking at £4-600 for a set of springs and dampers, and £150 on uprated ARB's if you decide to go that route, £200 or so on polybushes if you think they are needed.
if you're careful, bearign in mind that you can sell a lot of the bits you don't need (seats, carpet, hardtop if it has one is worth £250 minimum normally), i reckon you can get a pretty competent track toy for a grand all in. also worth looking out for mildly track prepared (a lot of enthusiast cars will already have aftermarket suspension and decent brakes) MOT failure - most will fail on rust in front of the rear wheels.
IMHO, go for the cheapest piece of junk you can find.
That way, once it's been raped all day by the entire motor club (and potentially completely destroyed by the less sympathetic members of the club) you can weigh it in for scrap and start saving for the next one.
When I was at So'ton, we did the same with a seriously rubbish old Nova and an old 205. Both were obtained for next to nothing and completely destroyed in a day.
For an extra £20 you could even get some rattle cans and complete the job...
Autotesting it on two wheels..
That way, once it's been raped all day by the entire motor club (and potentially completely destroyed by the less sympathetic members of the club) you can weigh it in for scrap and start saving for the next one.
When I was at So'ton, we did the same with a seriously rubbish old Nova and an old 205. Both were obtained for next to nothing and completely destroyed in a day.
For an extra £20 you could even get some rattle cans and complete the job...
Autotesting it on two wheels..
GHW said:
IMHO, go for the cheapest piece of junk you can find.
That way, once it's been raped all day by the entire motor club (and potentially completely destroyed by the less sympathetic members of the club) you can weigh it in for scrap and start saving for the next one.
Your not wrong, and certainly i think there's a lot of 'less is more' in this instance more than most.That way, once it's been raped all day by the entire motor club (and potentially completely destroyed by the less sympathetic members of the club) you can weigh it in for scrap and start saving for the next one.
If we were going to get an mx5 it would be something more like this than anything else (for those read this in 6months time 'this' mx selling for £100 with two days left, cat c write off for from a front and rear shunt)
One of the problem i have is an bit of an addiction to rear wheel drive cars since i bought the kitcar. I still drive the 306 and enjoy it, but it just feels like an a-b machine now even when i get it all going quite sideways. And of cause most sub £250 cars will be fwd, that said, you can still have a lot of fun in a fwd drive car and i have the kitcar to drive anway! (ha)
There also the fact that if i didn't buy the kitcar, that car i would have bought is an MX5, but that still doesn't the uni motorclubs car is the way to live out my "what could have happened if's" even if my wallet is getting very twitch just at the prospect of said ebay line above.
Hummm! Trying to think what other rear wheel drive cars there are, triumph herald would be nice, but even the toledo has got the point where its going up in value not down.
Mk one MR2 is another perhaps, although i wouldnt like to do much engine work on one and have had a bad on-track experience in one to last a lifetime.
Daniel
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