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Oakesy2001uk

Oakesy2001uk

Oakesy2001uk

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Joined
7 Sep 2005
Posts
3,312
I had pretty much settled on getting an s2000 next year but now I'm not so sure.

After giving up racing bikes to buy my house earlier in the year I'm getting the itch really bad, and need something! Problem is no-one is doing the bikes anymore, a good friend of mine is building a civic VTI track car, so could pop along to a few car track days a year, and some ring trips, hence me needing a capable car!

My golf (now at 144k miles) is still going strong, but must be nearly worthless at this point, so I'm tempted to use this, but no matter how much I spend on the golf it will never be particularly capable on track surely. (its a standard mk4 gti 1.8turbo, with a re-map, forge re-circ, and 17" OZ wheels).

My commute is now 5 miles, could happily use the push bike really! and I have the other halfs micra to use for other trips so don't need much in terms if practicality really.

Basically I think if I get an s2000, I'd love it too much, and not want to track it, and also, the golf is going to be difficult to sell (a scuffs, scratches and high mileage, plus no standard wheels), and not worth a lot (plus I'm getting rather attached to it!). I'm tempted to rip the back seats, carpets and sound deadening out, bang some roll bars, bushes and suspension on and use the golf! But then it has overheated twice (in over 2 years and 40k miles) and the turbo and clutch must be getting close now on a chipped car with this mileage!
What to do!
 
there is that! I have always loved cars and bikes, but with all of my friends having kids etc.. and not having the funds for both, nothings as fun on your own! plus I wont ride bikes on the road anymore, the car I could enjoy on both.
 
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CS||nuTs said:
MX-5 + SC?
Click to expand...

you know I was just on ph classifieds looking for an early tidy mx5..... I would have to sell mine though which will be a pain! but could whack a turbo on with the next work bonus! :-) looking on ph, there are a few high miler damaged gti turbos on there at 1750-2k. so mine is basically mechanically sound, (mot due now so will have to be), but has a 3 inch square scratch and dent on the rear quarter, and the front bumper is a bit of a mess. That said the interior is lovely, and it does drive well!
My worry is the non standard wheels (swapped them for the standards (they are curbed 17" OZ's) so I could get some grip after the re-map) chip and dump valve might put people off? would you sell as standard or leave it all on?

I already have a dummy budget "project mx5" shopping list that is a worrying ammount!! lol
 
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Depends how "capable" you need it to be, I bet if you strip your car down & sort the suspension it be quite a lot quicker. You could even consider changing engine parts and getting some real power out of it.

If you want to sell it get the scratches repaired, wash and wax it and see what happens. It'll either sell or it won’t.
 
For the MX5 you will want to spend about £800 on suspension to get it really good, there are cheaper ways but it involves a bit more working out on your part (getting Bilsteins revalved). The 1.8 brakes can take extra power really well, so all you need are good quality plain discs with uprated pads like ebc yellowstuffs or axxis ultimates.

Then the engine, once again this is how diy you want to go. I've priced up a list that is sub £1.5k and will get the 1.8 no problems to 250bhp with a quick spool up. Which in a car which weighs less than a tonne, it's plenty quick enough! If you want anymore info then just ask.
 
If I strip and sort the suspension the I'm looking at towards a grand by the time bushes are done etc... then if the (still original) clutch and turbo give up the ghost I may as well have bought something more fit for the purpose in the first place.

With regard to mine, its not going to fetch mega bucks with he mileage as it is, so surely I'd be best selling it as a bit tatty but mechanically sound?
 
saitrix said:
For the MX5 you will want to spend about £800 on suspension to get it really good, there are cheaper ways but it involves a bit more working out on your part (getting Bilsteins revalved). The 1.8 brakes can take extra power really well, so all you need are good quality plain discs with uprated pads like ebc yellowstuffs or axxis ultimates.

Then the engine, once again this is how diy you want to go. I've priced up a list that is sub £1.5k and will get the 1.8 no problems to 250bhp with a quick spool up. Which in a car which weighs less than a tonne, it's plenty quick enough! If you want anymore info then just ask.
Click to expand...

A copy of that plan with an instruction book? lol

I think a turbo mx5 is the way to go. are the early ones a better bet being lighter?
I also quite fancy having a go mechanically, always been a competent "have a go" mechanic, but never done more than basic servicing.
 
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Go for a 94-97 area mk1 1.8 mx5. It has the best 1.8 for adding a turbo too as it has the lowest compression ratio. Also it has the advantage over the 1.6 of not having to upgrade the brakes.

To be able to do a turbo that cheap you would either have to be able to weld, or know someone who can. Plus happily build an ECU from a kit, so that will involve soldering. Plus finally you may want to map the engine yourself to save cash. You would use the turbo off the S13 (T25 size) or the S14 (T28 size) which both are perfectly good in an MX5. The big thing is to get hold of a good exhaust manifold and a decent downpipe to match, that is the difficult part of doing it yourself. If you did that then I suppose you could get away with welding really.

Mine is a 94 1.8, but mine has loads of extra. For example it has MSSS (lots of speakers), air con, power steering, electric mirrors. Which all add weight, but for a uni coursework we weighed the car and it came out at just about dead on 1000kg without any fuel.
 
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