Mazda MX5 NC track car for my dad
Discussion
Hi all,
Thought this would be of some interest to people on here.
Bit of background.
My dad used to do track days in an Ariel Atom with a mate of his and eventually me too. He owned two different ones. Firstly a very basic spec one with 160bhp and then went on to a well spec' 240bhp. Anyway long story short he had alot of money out on the car which he wasn't too keen on. So he sold it. He was also more keen on the idea of a shared car with this mate of his due to them both using it and it being very cheap to do. He'd mentioned to me that he wanted to do an MX5 as he'd owned them in the past (mk2's) and liked them. I'd also taken him to the Nurburgring and rented Suzuki Swifts from rent4ring so he'd come round to the idea that modifications on cars were actually a good thing and could transform how cars were.
So just before covid kicked off (literally the winter of 2019) we went and got this MX5.
A early 5 speed 2.0L with 33K miles on the clock. It cost £3700 from memory which is nice and cheap to start with.
Screenshot_20230731_133636_Instagram by Ed Coley, on Flickr
So then over that winter it was time to do some mods. I've owned a tonne of modified cars in the past and so i do have alot of benefit of hindsight shall we say with what mods to do that actually make good, worthwhile, differences and also which mods are critical.
So the mods were.
Interior:
Rear half roll cage,
Pair of fixed bucket seats,
4 point harnesses,
Chassis:
Meister R clubrace coilovers,
H&R anti roll bars,
Brakes:
Uprated pads all round (started with mintex then went roddisons and now on carbotech XR8 which are super sharp and last a lifetime),
Brake cooling for the front with huge ducts (absolutely necessary for keeping consistent brake performance and feel and also make brakes last alot longer),
Braided lines,
AP racing R4 fluid at first and now Motul RBF660
Wheels & tyres:
Team dynamic 17x8 with 225/45/17 AD08rs Advan (wheels were dirt cheap brand new)
So in no particular order here are the pics of those mods going on.
20200123_013949 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200206_002750 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200206_002802 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200206_002811 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200317_191752 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200317_191759 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200317_191806 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200123_014018 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200123_014007 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200206_002854 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200206_002923 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200503_201959 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200503_202014 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200503_202008 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200503_204139 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200503_204154 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200503_213021 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200503_213032 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200504_145337 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200504_145348 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200504_150616 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200504_150621 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200505_174035 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
And the finished result. Once it was aligned i had to roll the arches a bit so that the wheels would fit. Basically just the lip rolled back.
20200512_205301 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20200517_182715 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20210305_174849 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
So to summarise a little.
I wanted to make sure the car was still comfortable and nice enough for my dad to use on the road. So when the cage went in a put back as much interior as i could. Obviously after a bit of trimming. It also ended up being a pretty good first effort. We came across some niggles. The original clutch died on us at at the end of season two the box was playing up so i changed that too although i think i've put both these issues down to the clutch not fully releasing so at the same time the box got done i changed the clutch master and slave cylinder along with a braided line just to try prevent anymore issues. Its alot better now.
Thought this would be of some interest to people on here.
Bit of background.
My dad used to do track days in an Ariel Atom with a mate of his and eventually me too. He owned two different ones. Firstly a very basic spec one with 160bhp and then went on to a well spec' 240bhp. Anyway long story short he had alot of money out on the car which he wasn't too keen on. So he sold it. He was also more keen on the idea of a shared car with this mate of his due to them both using it and it being very cheap to do. He'd mentioned to me that he wanted to do an MX5 as he'd owned them in the past (mk2's) and liked them. I'd also taken him to the Nurburgring and rented Suzuki Swifts from rent4ring so he'd come round to the idea that modifications on cars were actually a good thing and could transform how cars were.
So just before covid kicked off (literally the winter of 2019) we went and got this MX5.
A early 5 speed 2.0L with 33K miles on the clock. It cost £3700 from memory which is nice and cheap to start with.
Screenshot_20230731_133636_Instagram by Ed Coley, on FlickrSo then over that winter it was time to do some mods. I've owned a tonne of modified cars in the past and so i do have alot of benefit of hindsight shall we say with what mods to do that actually make good, worthwhile, differences and also which mods are critical.
So the mods were.
Interior:
Rear half roll cage,
Pair of fixed bucket seats,
4 point harnesses,
Chassis:
Meister R clubrace coilovers,
H&R anti roll bars,
Brakes:
Uprated pads all round (started with mintex then went roddisons and now on carbotech XR8 which are super sharp and last a lifetime),
Brake cooling for the front with huge ducts (absolutely necessary for keeping consistent brake performance and feel and also make brakes last alot longer),
Braided lines,
AP racing R4 fluid at first and now Motul RBF660
Wheels & tyres:
Team dynamic 17x8 with 225/45/17 AD08rs Advan (wheels were dirt cheap brand new)
So in no particular order here are the pics of those mods going on.
20200123_013949 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200206_002750 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200206_002802 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200206_002811 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200317_191752 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200317_191759 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200317_191806 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200123_014018 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200123_014007 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200206_002854 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200206_002923 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200503_201959 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200503_202014 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200503_202008 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200503_204139 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200503_204154 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200503_213021 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200503_213032 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200504_145337 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200504_145348 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200504_150616 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200504_150621 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200505_174035 by Ed Coley, on FlickrAnd the finished result. Once it was aligned i had to roll the arches a bit so that the wheels would fit. Basically just the lip rolled back.
20200512_205301 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20200517_182715 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20210305_174849 by Ed Coley, on FlickrSo to summarise a little.
I wanted to make sure the car was still comfortable and nice enough for my dad to use on the road. So when the cage went in a put back as much interior as i could. Obviously after a bit of trimming. It also ended up being a pretty good first effort. We came across some niggles. The original clutch died on us at at the end of season two the box was playing up so i changed that too although i think i've put both these issues down to the clutch not fully releasing so at the same time the box got done i changed the clutch master and slave cylinder along with a braided line just to try prevent anymore issues. Its alot better now.
Alright so onto this years.
So the car is kept in a storage unit near to where we live. Before it went away we gave it a good old clean up but it seems the car leaked quite alot and because of that it was full of mould when we picked it up.
20230326_150306 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230326_150310 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
So at first i took the seats out, obviously cleaned those up loads but the carpet wasn't too bad. After i gave it a couple of days of thought I decided i'd just bin off the carpet. So i removed all sound deadening and then gave the inside a couple of coats of satin silver hammerite. I then got hold of some skateboard grip tape and cut out some sections to put in the footwells. I know its a nightmare with wet feet on stripped out interiors so this was a nice solution. Then all interior back in with a new steering wheel and we were done. While i was there i did take out as much as i could in terms of weight. So the headunit was removed, all speakers, both airbags, few electrical units for seatbelts and airbags, various brackets etc. It ended up being a reasonable amount while still looking lovely and neat.
20230411_164621 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230411_164632 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230413_135655 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230510_214139 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230510_220112 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230510_220118 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
I did obviously put the passenger seat back in too with harness. Also changed the drivers harness for a Schroth one as the one i'd put in at first was hard to adjust with lack of space and just awkward. The gearnob BTW was done alot earlier on. This was due to the clutch issue i talked about and missing gears. Also changed the plastic bush at the bottom of the shifter while i was at it but the aim was to get more leverage on the throws. I do aim to get a nicer looking one in there as it does stand out a bit.
So the car is kept in a storage unit near to where we live. Before it went away we gave it a good old clean up but it seems the car leaked quite alot and because of that it was full of mould when we picked it up.
20230326_150306 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230326_150310 by Ed Coley, on FlickrSo at first i took the seats out, obviously cleaned those up loads but the carpet wasn't too bad. After i gave it a couple of days of thought I decided i'd just bin off the carpet. So i removed all sound deadening and then gave the inside a couple of coats of satin silver hammerite. I then got hold of some skateboard grip tape and cut out some sections to put in the footwells. I know its a nightmare with wet feet on stripped out interiors so this was a nice solution. Then all interior back in with a new steering wheel and we were done. While i was there i did take out as much as i could in terms of weight. So the headunit was removed, all speakers, both airbags, few electrical units for seatbelts and airbags, various brackets etc. It ended up being a reasonable amount while still looking lovely and neat.
20230411_164621 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230411_164632 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230413_135655 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230510_214139 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230510_220112 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230510_220118 by Ed Coley, on FlickrI did obviously put the passenger seat back in too with harness. Also changed the drivers harness for a Schroth one as the one i'd put in at first was hard to adjust with lack of space and just awkward. The gearnob BTW was done alot earlier on. This was due to the clutch issue i talked about and missing gears. Also changed the plastic bush at the bottom of the shifter while i was at it but the aim was to get more leverage on the throws. I do aim to get a nicer looking one in there as it does stand out a bit.
Oh my f
king lord that mould. I've seen that on some MX-5s that have had a window down and left to rot but this was inside a storage unit? Was it already wet inside and the constant change in heat basically made the car humid?
I had this issue with my MX-5 which was outside all winter. Left the door slightly ajar for like 4 weeks, rain storms and everything. Never realised and "dried" it best I could, driver footwell had a swimming pool in it. Turns out the entire car was damp from the water evaporating and then dripping from the roof over everything was a quick way to get what you had lol.
Lucky enough 2 heaters, a big dehumidifier for a week dried it out. Now if the car is left for any period of time, I put a big tray of cat litter on the parcel shelf, 1 on each seat and 1 in each footwell. Stops any condensation nicely!
king lord that mould. I've seen that on some MX-5s that have had a window down and left to rot but this was inside a storage unit? Was it already wet inside and the constant change in heat basically made the car humid?I had this issue with my MX-5 which was outside all winter. Left the door slightly ajar for like 4 weeks, rain storms and everything. Never realised and "dried" it best I could, driver footwell had a swimming pool in it. Turns out the entire car was damp from the water evaporating and then dripping from the roof over everything was a quick way to get what you had lol.
Lucky enough 2 heaters, a big dehumidifier for a week dried it out. Now if the car is left for any period of time, I put a big tray of cat litter on the parcel shelf, 1 on each seat and 1 in each footwell. Stops any condensation nicely!
Ok so this now brings me to an update which took alot of man hours. Rear end rust.
As anyone into cars will know Jap cars love to rust. The MX5 is a great example of this sadly. When we got the car i'd taken a good look underneath and any rust was surface rust. However i'd said to my dad that it really needed sorting. My aim was to do it over winter just gone but due to lack of space i had no where to do it.
I removed the rear bumper to cut a vent into it (due to massive heat build up in the boot) and also fit a proper tow strap so my dad didn't have to fart around with the original ones every track day and smash his shins off them. At this point i kept on looking at the underside weighing up the job. I came the conclusion that it wouldn't take long to remove the whole back end. Which it didn't. Maybe 3 hours. What i didn't realise was how long it takes to wire wheel it all back. And how much effort it takes.
Anyway. So in the pics below are, strip down of rear end, wire wheel of rear end, rust converter and inhibitor rear end, etch primer rear end, seam seal every join, 2 layers of black hammerite, 2 layers of tar underseal. Other than underseal this was also done to every arms on the rear end. And new adjustment bolts were used. Obviously everything was greased before being fitted back and then paint pen marked to help in future. Oh and the subframe got acid dipped and coated.
Looks great now and feels alot nicer and tighter with the new super pro bushes. (bought full car kit yet to do front end)
20230524_181135 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230525_142644 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230530_101000 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230530_150001 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230619_143518 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230619_143525 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230619_143534 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230619_143531 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230619_143539 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230619_143543 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230619_143553 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230619_165008 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230619_165013 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230620_161213 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230622_165305 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230622_165312 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230622_165317 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230622_165320 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230622_165328 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230622_165331 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230622_174843 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230622_174852 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230622_174903 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230623_141742 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230623_141745 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230623_141749 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230623_141754 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230623_152552 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230624_163924 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230627_121148 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230628_121221 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230629_212103 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230703_054651 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230703_160702 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230703_160722 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230703_160737 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230704_184256 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230704_184316 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230705_181853 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230717_121400 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230719_115325 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230726_171951 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20230726_172047 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
So we had a shake down at Donnington evening and bar a slight weap from a new diff output seal it was fine. I changed that once home and the week after Donnington again for a full track day. We covered 318 miles just on track that day so it goes to show how good this car is and being able to take a beating without issue.
Next plans will be power upgrades. I think if i new more than i do about what mods to do this would have already happened but i'm sort of stuck. I hear ou can go with cams, intake, exhaust manifold and a map and get to like 180bhp, i hear that a 2.5 duratech is a cheap swap. I just don't know. I do know that a real cheap option is exhaust, intake and a map and you'd get to near the 180bhp anyway but i kind of feel like its a do once and do right thing. I dont want to go to all the effort for it to still lack character and real aggression. Which is what i want for it.
Anyway any questions let me know. There will be tonnes of details i've missed.
As anyone into cars will know Jap cars love to rust. The MX5 is a great example of this sadly. When we got the car i'd taken a good look underneath and any rust was surface rust. However i'd said to my dad that it really needed sorting. My aim was to do it over winter just gone but due to lack of space i had no where to do it.
I removed the rear bumper to cut a vent into it (due to massive heat build up in the boot) and also fit a proper tow strap so my dad didn't have to fart around with the original ones every track day and smash his shins off them. At this point i kept on looking at the underside weighing up the job. I came the conclusion that it wouldn't take long to remove the whole back end. Which it didn't. Maybe 3 hours. What i didn't realise was how long it takes to wire wheel it all back. And how much effort it takes.
Anyway. So in the pics below are, strip down of rear end, wire wheel of rear end, rust converter and inhibitor rear end, etch primer rear end, seam seal every join, 2 layers of black hammerite, 2 layers of tar underseal. Other than underseal this was also done to every arms on the rear end. And new adjustment bolts were used. Obviously everything was greased before being fitted back and then paint pen marked to help in future. Oh and the subframe got acid dipped and coated.
Looks great now and feels alot nicer and tighter with the new super pro bushes. (bought full car kit yet to do front end)
20230524_181135 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230525_142644 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230530_101000 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230530_150001 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230619_143518 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230619_143525 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230619_143534 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230619_143531 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230619_143539 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230619_143543 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230619_143553 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230619_165008 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230619_165013 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230620_161213 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230622_165305 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230622_165312 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230622_165317 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230622_165320 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230622_165328 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230622_165331 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230622_174843 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230622_174852 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230622_174903 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230623_141742 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230623_141745 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230623_141749 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230623_141754 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230623_152552 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230624_163924 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230627_121148 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230628_121221 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230629_212103 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230703_054651 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230703_160702 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230703_160722 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230703_160737 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230704_184256 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230704_184316 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230705_181853 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230717_121400 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230719_115325 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230726_171951 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20230726_172047 by Ed Coley, on FlickrSo we had a shake down at Donnington evening and bar a slight weap from a new diff output seal it was fine. I changed that once home and the week after Donnington again for a full track day. We covered 318 miles just on track that day so it goes to show how good this car is and being able to take a beating without issue.
Next plans will be power upgrades. I think if i new more than i do about what mods to do this would have already happened but i'm sort of stuck. I hear ou can go with cams, intake, exhaust manifold and a map and get to like 180bhp, i hear that a 2.5 duratech is a cheap swap. I just don't know. I do know that a real cheap option is exhaust, intake and a map and you'd get to near the 180bhp anyway but i kind of feel like its a do once and do right thing. I dont want to go to all the effort for it to still lack character and real aggression. Which is what i want for it.
Anyway any questions let me know. There will be tonnes of details i've missed.
TheLoraxxZeus said:
Oh my fking lord that mould. I've seen that on some MX-5s that have had a window down and left to rot but this was inside a storage unit? Was it already wet inside and the constant change in heat basically made the car humid?
I had this issue with my MX-5 which was outside all winter. Left the door slightly ajar for like 4 weeks, rain storms and everything. Never realised and "dried" it best I could, driver footwell had a swimming pool in it. Turns out the entire car was damp from the water evaporating and then dripping from the roof over everything was a quick way to get what you had lol.
Lucky enough 2 heaters, a big dehumidifier for a week dried it out. Now if the car is left for any period of time, I put a big tray of cat litter on the parcel shelf, 1 on each seat and 1 in each footwell. Stops any condensation nicely!
Basically yes. It had leaked in at the bottom of the windscreen when it was washed and because it was heating up the condensation had gone everywhere. I've obviously fixed the leak along with making sure all other leak points are fine. I've literally been inside the car without seats in while its being hosed down to make sure it doesn't happen again.king lord that mould. I've seen that on some MX-5s that have had a window down and left to rot but this was inside a storage unit? Was it already wet inside and the constant change in heat basically made the car humid?I had this issue with my MX-5 which was outside all winter. Left the door slightly ajar for like 4 weeks, rain storms and everything. Never realised and "dried" it best I could, driver footwell had a swimming pool in it. Turns out the entire car was damp from the water evaporating and then dripping from the roof over everything was a quick way to get what you had lol.
Lucky enough 2 heaters, a big dehumidifier for a week dried it out. Now if the car is left for any period of time, I put a big tray of cat litter on the parcel shelf, 1 on each seat and 1 in each footwell. Stops any condensation nicely!
Its hard to know what to do in storage. I have thought about leaving a window slightly agar to let it air but there is alot of dust in this unit and also birds. Don't want bird poo everywhere but i definitely dont want to sort out the mould again.
Yeh you know i thought at first that that might be a picture of ours ahahah.
Power wise if it was me i think i'd be saying cams, exhaust manifold, ITB's, cat back with no cats and a map.
Rear end wise i'd recommend doing sooner rather than later. I've basically managed to stop all the rust on that rear end now. During winter i will do the front end but thats alot easier as there is alot less to rot away.
Power wise if it was me i think i'd be saying cams, exhaust manifold, ITB's, cat back with no cats and a map.
Rear end wise i'd recommend doing sooner rather than later. I've basically managed to stop all the rust on that rear end now. During winter i will do the front end but thats alot easier as there is alot less to rot away.
Anyway here are some track pics.
XSP (762) by Javelin Trackdays, on Flickr
XSP (745) by Javelin Trackdays, on Flickr
XSP (715) by Javelin Trackdays, on Flickr
XSP (1507) by Javelin Trackdays, on Flickr
XSP (1713) by Javelin Trackdays, on Flickr
XSP (50) by Javelin Trackdays, on Flickr
XSP (344) by Javelin Trackdays, on Flickr
XSP (762) by Javelin Trackdays, on FlickrXSP (745) by Javelin Trackdays, on FlickrXSP (715) by Javelin Trackdays, on FlickrXSP (1507) by Javelin Trackdays, on FlickrXSP (1713) by Javelin Trackdays, on FlickrXSP (50) by Javelin Trackdays, on FlickrXSP (344) by Javelin Trackdays, on FlickrIf you're looking at do it right do it once, BBR do a Super200 for these that would be a better starting point than the 180. I think the 2.5 swap is more US as they're more readily available. You can still get them over here, I think folk swap a cams to get them performing a little better. You'd probably be into both options for the same money - unless your motors consuming alarming amounts of oil or is knocking I'd maybe go Super200.
Although as I type I just checked and there is also a Super 225 which if you're going all in you may as well! i think that adds cams in the equation.
Or a rotrex conversion.
Look forward to seeing which way you go, the work so far looks great.
Although as I type I just checked and there is also a Super 225 which if you're going all in you may as well! i think that adds cams in the equation.
Or a rotrex conversion.
Look forward to seeing which way you go, the work so far looks great.
Sko77y said:
If you're looking at do it right do it once, BBR do a Super200 for these that would be a better starting point than the 180. I think the 2.5 swap is more US as they're more readily available. You can still get them over here, I think folk swap a cams to get them performing a little better. You'd probably be into both options for the same money - unless your motors consuming alarming amounts of oil or is knocking I'd maybe go Super200.
Although as I type I just checked and there is also a Super 225 which if you're going all in you may as well! i think that adds cams in the equation.
Or a rotrex conversion.
Look forward to seeing which way you go, the work so far looks great.
At first it was a thought yes however after speaking to various people there are different opinions. One said that they don't make the power they suggest and that the dyno they use is very generous. Although as I type I just checked and there is also a Super 225 which if you're going all in you may as well! i think that adds cams in the equation.
Or a rotrex conversion.
Look forward to seeing which way you go, the work so far looks great.
the 225 kit is the ITB's on top of the 200. the 200 kit is cams, exhaust and a map.
To give you an idea the katerham 400 is the same engine with cams, exhaust and ITB's but they quote 210bhp.
We could very easily fit what is basically the super 200 BBR kit ourselves but it isn't going to cost us as much but it isn't going to be a real 200bhp.
a k20 would be great but at the end of the day if we are ideally aiming for 250ish bhp i tend to think the K series will cost us alot of money. It's temping to do this cheaper kit i'm on about and admit defeat there.
A tripple rotor on throttle bodies would be lovely IMO
The gearnob is part of this gearbox and clutch issue. Because that issue started with us all missing gears on track i thought it might be down to the feel of the stick. So i put this one on that i had from my drifting days along with a brass bush at the bottom of the shifter (oem is plastic) to get better throw and better feel.
Really the car is nice enough to deserve a nice looking one. Might try make one at work on the lathe.
Ok so some updates.
Over winter decided to do the front end refresh it was due. Also did the sides behind the side skirts and under the sills. Where there are plastic bungs in anything surface rust had started. The process was the same as the rear end. Take back to bare metal with a wire wheel on a grinder, treat it with rust converter, coat with an etch primer, two coats of hammerite and then two coats of tar underseal. I also used a cavity wax this time and went round the while car drenching the inside of all the rails in a thick wax. This car is now nearly totally rot free.
The remaining parts of the car that have rust that need treated are the front subframe and brackets along with the touch points to the shell. The car is now drinking oil heavily (about a litre per track day) so it's booked in for a new engine with some power mods with Performance Link (the guys who put K24 Honda engines in these). They will also do the front subframe and mentioned rust bits.
Rest of the polybush kit fitted now to the front arms.
I've also had seatbelt mounts welded in so that the harnesses are mounted to the shell of the car and not the seat frame. A lot safer in a big crash.
Front brakes are now RX8. The callipers are cheap (paid £100 plus £78 for rebuild kits for all 4 corners), disks and pads were due anyway so may as well go for something larger. Not really for any more brake force as that's fine but more for them lasting longer.
Oh and new brake cooling kit from Performance Delta. Easy bolt on kit with some very neat printed parts. Also means easier to work on as they are flanged at the arch liner.
Recaro SPG fitted to drivers side. A lot tighter than the previous and a bit lower too.
Pics.
1 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
2 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
3 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
4 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
5 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
6 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
7 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
8 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
9 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
10 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
11 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
12 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
13 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
14 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
15 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
16 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
17 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
18 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
19 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
20 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
21 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
22 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
23 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
24 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
25 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
26 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
27 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
So we have the first track day on Wednesday at Cadwell. A week after that it goes to Performance Link for its new engine and power work (expect about 200bhp from it), I've ordered some ARP extended wheel studs as i'm not totally happy with how many threads the nuts are on (although its now been like that for 5 years of use) and then long term it'll be all the facelift parts and a full paint job (which i will do myself for enjoyment and cost reasons)
Over winter decided to do the front end refresh it was due. Also did the sides behind the side skirts and under the sills. Where there are plastic bungs in anything surface rust had started. The process was the same as the rear end. Take back to bare metal with a wire wheel on a grinder, treat it with rust converter, coat with an etch primer, two coats of hammerite and then two coats of tar underseal. I also used a cavity wax this time and went round the while car drenching the inside of all the rails in a thick wax. This car is now nearly totally rot free.
The remaining parts of the car that have rust that need treated are the front subframe and brackets along with the touch points to the shell. The car is now drinking oil heavily (about a litre per track day) so it's booked in for a new engine with some power mods with Performance Link (the guys who put K24 Honda engines in these). They will also do the front subframe and mentioned rust bits.
Rest of the polybush kit fitted now to the front arms.
I've also had seatbelt mounts welded in so that the harnesses are mounted to the shell of the car and not the seat frame. A lot safer in a big crash.
Front brakes are now RX8. The callipers are cheap (paid £100 plus £78 for rebuild kits for all 4 corners), disks and pads were due anyway so may as well go for something larger. Not really for any more brake force as that's fine but more for them lasting longer.
Oh and new brake cooling kit from Performance Delta. Easy bolt on kit with some very neat printed parts. Also means easier to work on as they are flanged at the arch liner.
Recaro SPG fitted to drivers side. A lot tighter than the previous and a bit lower too.
Pics.
1 by Ed Coley, on Flickr2 by Ed Coley, on Flickr3 by Ed Coley, on Flickr4 by Ed Coley, on Flickr5 by Ed Coley, on Flickr6 by Ed Coley, on Flickr7 by Ed Coley, on Flickr8 by Ed Coley, on Flickr9 by Ed Coley, on Flickr10 by Ed Coley, on Flickr11 by Ed Coley, on Flickr12 by Ed Coley, on Flickr13 by Ed Coley, on Flickr14 by Ed Coley, on Flickr15 by Ed Coley, on Flickr16 by Ed Coley, on Flickr17 by Ed Coley, on Flickr18 by Ed Coley, on Flickr19 by Ed Coley, on Flickr20 by Ed Coley, on Flickr21 by Ed Coley, on Flickr22 by Ed Coley, on Flickr23 by Ed Coley, on Flickr24 by Ed Coley, on Flickr25 by Ed Coley, on Flickr26 by Ed Coley, on Flickr27 by Ed Coley, on FlickrSo we have the first track day on Wednesday at Cadwell. A week after that it goes to Performance Link for its new engine and power work (expect about 200bhp from it), I've ordered some ARP extended wheel studs as i'm not totally happy with how many threads the nuts are on (although its now been like that for 5 years of use) and then long term it'll be all the facelift parts and a full paint job (which i will do myself for enjoyment and cost reasons)
And some pics from trackdays last year.
1 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
2 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
3 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
4 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
5 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
6 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
7 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
8 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
9 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
XSP_3641 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
XSP_3741 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
XSP_4523 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
XSP_5105 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
XSP_5563 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
XSP_5735 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
XSP_5917 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
XSP_7095 by Ed Coley, on Flickr
1 by Ed Coley, on Flickr2 by Ed Coley, on Flickr3 by Ed Coley, on Flickr4 by Ed Coley, on Flickr5 by Ed Coley, on Flickr6 by Ed Coley, on Flickr7 by Ed Coley, on Flickr8 by Ed Coley, on Flickr9 by Ed Coley, on FlickrXSP_3641 by Ed Coley, on FlickrXSP_3741 by Ed Coley, on FlickrXSP_4523 by Ed Coley, on FlickrXSP_5105 by Ed Coley, on FlickrXSP_5563 by Ed Coley, on FlickrXSP_5735 by Ed Coley, on FlickrXSP_5917 by Ed Coley, on FlickrXSP_7095 by Ed Coley, on FlickrGreat thread and some really thorough work to make the car so good.
I really miss my MX5 (NC2) and definitely want to get back in one soon.
One question - are you going for a rebuild on your existing engine or something different? There are so many options around, it would be interesting to see what you do and what power gains you get.
I really miss my MX5 (NC2) and definitely want to get back in one soon.
One question - are you going for a rebuild on your existing engine or something different? There are so many options around, it would be interesting to see what you do and what power gains you get.
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