MX5 Owners in here....bring your curling tongs
- Thread starter Conscript
- Start date
- Joined
- 14 Jun 2004
- Posts
- 17,509
- Location
- Newcastle U/T
hey chaps, just after a few pointers.
Me and a mate have decided to grab an old MX5 for weekends and possibly track days.
From what we can see the mods and stuff are extremely cheap compared to for our dailies (6mps and a honda civis type S)
Which engine should I be looking at really 1.8?
Are there any specific things I should check for engine?
I know to check for rust in the usual places and sills.
Whats the best trim to go for? specwise really.
We're not looking at anything expensive tho, seen a number of cars localish well under a grand
Are there any downsides to going with an import?
Also which mk should I be looking at for parts/panels being available.
I'd like to get a mazdaspeed kit on it at some point as think it improves the front end massively.
Me and a mate have decided to grab an old MX5 for weekends and possibly track days.
From what we can see the mods and stuff are extremely cheap compared to for our dailies (6mps and a honda civis type S)
Which engine should I be looking at really 1.8?
Are there any specific things I should check for engine?
I know to check for rust in the usual places and sills.
Whats the best trim to go for? specwise really.
We're not looking at anything expensive tho, seen a number of cars localish well under a grand
Are there any downsides to going with an import?
Also which mk should I be looking at for parts/panels being available.
I'd like to get a mazdaspeed kit on it at some point as think it improves the front end massively.
I went for a Mk2.5 sport due to 6 gears and LSD.
Panels are everywhere for every flavour, especially up here with AK Automotive breaking them.
Join NE-5's ~ MX5 North East England if you're on Facebook, you'll have to be accepted and then introduce yourself but it's a great community to be involved in, lots of people get together to help build and repair their cars, though sometimes a bit car park meet for me.
They do organise track days at Teeside Autodrome for about £50 all day open pit lane, its a great little track for MX5s given its just down the road.
Panels are everywhere for every flavour, especially up here with AK Automotive breaking them.
Join NE-5's ~ MX5 North East England if you're on Facebook, you'll have to be accepted and then introduce yourself but it's a great community to be involved in, lots of people get together to help build and repair their cars, though sometimes a bit car park meet for me.
They do organise track days at Teeside Autodrome for about £50 all day open pit lane, its a great little track for MX5s given its just down the road.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 13 Nov 2009
- Posts
- 11,632
- Location
- Northampton
1.8s make more power obviously but the 1.6s are supposed to be a little more rev happy (My 1.8 mk2 showed peak power a 6900rpm at powerstation though) I haven't driven a 1.6
So far the only engine issue I've has been cooling system related. Most of the hoses had disentegrated and so had the water pump Inlet.
Mk1s rot on the sills, mk2/2.5 go on the sills and the chassis rails.
For a track car then you would want a Sport based model for the LSD and larger brakes on the mk2/2.5
You'd actually be better off with an import as they tend to be a little less rotten.
Parts availability is much of a muchness as a lot of parts we're shared between the MK1 and MK2.
Edit: I ended up with a poverty spec 1.8 mk2 due to availability and budget. It's £500 to upgrade to a slightly better brake setup than the "Big brake" models, this is adapter brackets and 280/276mm discs over the 270/276mm on the sports. Used Torsen diffs usually go for around £300, and then finally if you aren't too fussed about getting your hands dirty you can have circa 240bhp with a TD04 turbo conversion
Other than replacing most of the cooling system mine has been faultless over the 18 months I've owned it and its now done 110k miles and now has 0.5bar of boost shoved up its backside.
So far the only engine issue I've has been cooling system related. Most of the hoses had disentegrated and so had the water pump Inlet.
Mk1s rot on the sills, mk2/2.5 go on the sills and the chassis rails.
For a track car then you would want a Sport based model for the LSD and larger brakes on the mk2/2.5
You'd actually be better off with an import as they tend to be a little less rotten.
Parts availability is much of a muchness as a lot of parts we're shared between the MK1 and MK2.
Edit: I ended up with a poverty spec 1.8 mk2 due to availability and budget. It's £500 to upgrade to a slightly better brake setup than the "Big brake" models, this is adapter brackets and 280/276mm discs over the 270/276mm on the sports. Used Torsen diffs usually go for around £300, and then finally if you aren't too fussed about getting your hands dirty you can have circa 240bhp with a TD04 turbo conversion
Other than replacing most of the cooling system mine has been faultless over the 18 months I've owned it and its now done 110k miles and now has 0.5bar of boost shoved up its backside.
Last edited:
An update on mine as well.....
It sheered the manual tensioner off the supercharger install, no boost or power steering until I can figure out how to get a bit machined to mount a new pulley, looking to take it to somewhere soon to get it sorted.
I'm also going to try and reduce the wheel size on the auto tensioner as it rubs against the power steering pulley unless I put what now appears to be too much tension on the belt and components, I reckon if I can reduce the pulley wheel by just few mm it'll give me enough clearance.
I'm also wondering if it was that that gave it the slightly vague feeling before, don't know if they could be linked, but I'll be getting the steering system looked at and maybe refresh the front bushes etc at least.
I've just nipped out and bought an RS Cup Clio 200 to give me time to get it sorted and not have to use it daily.
It sheered the manual tensioner off the supercharger install, no boost or power steering until I can figure out how to get a bit machined to mount a new pulley, looking to take it to somewhere soon to get it sorted.
I'm also going to try and reduce the wheel size on the auto tensioner as it rubs against the power steering pulley unless I put what now appears to be too much tension on the belt and components, I reckon if I can reduce the pulley wheel by just few mm it'll give me enough clearance.
I'm also wondering if it was that that gave it the slightly vague feeling before, don't know if they could be linked, but I'll be getting the steering system looked at and maybe refresh the front bushes etc at least.
I've just nipped out and bought an RS Cup Clio 200 to give me time to get it sorted and not have to use it daily.
I 'just nip out' to get the milk, lol.
Any hints on trying to find a knackered MK1 or MK2 I can cut the running gear and floor pan out of? Not a lot on ebay for cheaps
How cheap is cheap?
Try the MX5 BUY AND SELL Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/Mx5buyandsell/
You'll definitely get a hit there!
You'll definitely get a hit there!
AK will probably have one, they break loads of them.
They're on Facebook and often post other interesting bits and bobs they've taken off both UK cars but also lots of Japanese specialty bits too.
Any hints on trying to find a knackered MK1 or MK2 I can cut the running gear and floor pan out of? Not a lot on ebay for cheaps
Another question where AK might be the answer, you could probably build enough cars for an entire race series field from the stuff they've got stacked around the place!
I've got some Mk2.5 Bilsteins in the garage too after I replaced them with coilovers.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 13 Nov 2009
- Posts
- 11,632
- Location
- Northampton
Cheap enough for me to hack the body off the floor pan!
Building an Exocet by any chance?
I've been wanting a second car for a while, had some savings from being made redundant a couple of years ago and had viewed quite a few Clios locally over the last few days
I guess a less blasé way of putting it would have been....
I've just nipped out and finalised the paperwork on one.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 13 Nov 2009
- Posts
- 11,632
- Location
- Northampton
Fair enough. Have a browse through the MX5 groups on Facebook, they're full of complete morons most of the time but usually plenty of snotters that are rotten as a pear for not a lot of money