Housey's MX-5 Race Car Plans!

Housey said:
I already have a race licence, took my ARDS back in 2009 and I had one when I was younger too.

The MX-5 championship is big, there are over 100 cars registered and some fo the races will see over 40 cars take the grid. It is a very good series which is well run with good support and TV coverage. The reality is you start breaking things on a FF1600 and your repair bills will show you the difference. I also didn't want to do single seaters as I am 43 and my ambition is simply to get into a VLN or Britcar endurance race and this is a good step on the ladder to achieve that. I would have course LOVE to do Le Mans but right now that is a pipe dream though achievable if I were to really focus on it.

At the moment I plan a few races this season and see how it goes. My feet are well on the ground and I expect to start towards the back half of the grid and spend most of my season there until I get some experience.
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Yeah, as I said I have heard good things about MX-5 series - you'll love every minute of it I am sure.
It's a shame that Le Mans is now so full of professional teams, back in the 80s when my father raced it, there were many more privateer teams racing on a relative shoestring, where today even a drive in a GT3 Porsche could probably cost you as much as a house! The VLN however is still relatively affordable. My hope is to do that too at some point, so perhaps we'll see eaach other on track :)

Incidentally - I'd say if anything a formula ford could be raced for similar money or less than the Mx-5 ... but that does depend a lot on what you work you can do yourself/level of competetiveness/and what you actually break. For example knocking off a corner on the FF might be a couple of hundred for a wishbone, where the same incident might write off the shell of the mx5? But equally - you have the benefit of widely available 2nd hand parts for peanuts on the Mx-5. The budget I'll be running my FF2000 on is tiny :)

I really look forward to following how you get on. Perhaps I should start a blog too!
 
pcoltrane said:
Yeah, as I said I have heard good things about MX-5 series - you'll love every minute of it I am sure.
It's a shame that Le Mans is now so full of professional teams, back in the 80s when my father raced it, there were many more privateer teams racing on a relative shoestring, where today even a drive in a GT3 Porsche could probably cost you as much as a house! The VLN however is still relatively affordable. My hope is to do that too at some point, so perhaps we'll see eaach other on track :)

Incidentally - I'd say if anything a formula ford could be raced for similar money or less than the Mx-5 ... but that does depend a lot on what you work you can do yourself/level of competetiveness/and what you actually break. For example knocking off a corner on the FF might be a couple of hundred for a wishbone, where the same incident might write off the shell of the mx5? But equally - you have the benefit of widely available 2nd hand parts for peanuts on the Mx-5. The budget I'll be running my FF2000 on is tiny :)

I really look forward to following how you get on. Perhaps I should start a blog too!
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I know a number of people who race across the levels and there are always seats coming up, though Le Mans is a bit special and I am so far off being ready, qualified or funded to run there. Just a childhood dream to either race at Le Mans or compete in the RAC Rally..........or both. Let's start to walk first and then we can see if Le Mans is a long shot or a no chance.
 
Excellent. :D

Change the paint job though... I know that one of the main inspirations of the the Mazda designers was the Lotus Elan, but there was no need to copy the paint job too. ;)
 
Fantastic thread. :)

I remember you posting when you were thinking about a race car. This is certainly something I'd like to do in a couple of years time.

Are you allowed to run with a camera setup in the series? Would be awesome if that was allowed. :D

Eagerly await updates. *subscribed*
 
Flibster said:
Excellent. :D

Change the paint job though... I know that one of the main inspirations of the the Mazda designers was the Lotus Elan, but there was no need to copy the paint job too. ;)
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It will be repainted in team colours when we decide what the team colours are!
 
Went to see the car today, took a couple of pictures which I will post up later but it's a runner and a good basis for my race car. Build will start in the next few days, should be ready for track end of Feb early March. :D
 
Good stuff. My racing team is coming along swimmingly! ;)


First ma5da series, then eventually... formula 1! AMIRITE?! :D
 
I will be able to post up some progress shots shortly as work has begun I believe but when I popped in last week I took a few shots of my car and the others in various states of build. My car currently sit's in a grain store as we have MX-5's breeding and tend to slot em where we can fit em.

The engine as delivered. I am not going for a rebuild this time, going to compare it to rebuilds and then make the call but it will be decluttered a lot to what you see here:

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The rear end, the white bit is a big sticker and will be coming off, roll bar is going to as will need to be replaced will full FIA cage, which is waiting fitment. Obviously the roof is going so things like the rip don't matter, it's history.
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For comparison here is my mates car which we are completing first and then using as the basis setup for the others. We are working with the suspension manufacturer on the set up and we commence this in Wednesday.

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Looking good, looks like the blue one has had a rebuild? Very clean engine anyway! Have you got any details on the blue ones radiator? I want refresh some of the cooling pipes on mine, might as well change the rad as the plastic bits are becoming a bit transparent.

Did you say you had a roll bar? Any pics or info on that? I want a function rear "cage" for mine.
 
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