MX5 Owners in here....bring your curling tongs

Thanks lads, in the end it was the fabled: "Oh look, the passenger side of my car is under an inch of water and i didnt even notice!"

Turns out ECU's don't like having a bath.

Clear out your sill drains regularly kids.

I know MX5's have a salon rep, but never in a million years did i think I'd be sitting in one on a sunday night fixing it with a hairdryer.
 
Any of you guys aware of early mk2.5's having a mk2 exhaust?

My exhaust has split at the backbox-to-midpipe flange (no laughing at the back).

Upon investigating, the cat on mine is part of the mid pipe and not the downpipe, which I believe is the arrangement for MK2's? (Mine is a Mk2.5 RS, possibly an early one - Chassis Number 2014xx)

It's just complicating things slightly as i'm possibly having to try and source a replacement mid pipe from the UK, want the correct one and I don't want to go through the hassle of sending it back etc.

This is the layout I have (Bottom one)

mx5zorst.jpg


Choices are either:
  1. Source same OEM mid-section from a breaker
  2. Look at buying this if the hanger is in the same area: http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/centre-pipe-aftermarket-mk2-p-3198.html
  3. Or look at something like the Racing Beat midpipe/including Cat, which of course is comedy money: http://www.racingbeateurope.com/bma...-cat-1999-2005-mot--msa-compliantb-2371-p.asp
Will be buying a new stainless backbox - more than likely a RB one.
Would be grateful for any help chaps!
 
What you've got is indeed the mk2 exhaust layout that's exactly how mine was

The mid pipe you've linked to at MX5 parts looks the same as the one I fitted from Euro Car Parts.

Eventually I plan on having a proper 2.5" midpipe with magna flow made up
 
Thanks bud - it's prob nothing that can't be fabbed up reasonably easily by an exhaust place - just a load of hassle fitting it in with work etc.

And as I said - the RB one looks great but £500 is a bit of a joke to be honest.
 
That looks right to me, one on the center box, 3 on the rear.

I ended up fitting powerflex hangers a week later as the old rubber ones had stretched and were causing the midpipe to bang in the diff on hard rights

The RB midpipe is a joke of a price I was quoted about half that to have one made
 
I'm pretty sure my brother has a manifold/downpipe/cat sitting in his shed from when he broke his mk2.5 sport last year. Can see if he wants anything/much for it if you're interested? Would then allow you to fit a mk2.5 centre pipe which gives you more options.
 
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Thanks mate but I ordered a solution this morning. Plus i'm based in Ireland and i'm sure he wouldn't want to ship it. Finally, I have recurring nightmares about manifold studs and so i'm going to leave everything where it is unless i have to.

Appreciate the offer though!
 
Hi folks

Picking up a mid 2007 NC 2.0i Option in Silver tomorrow.

Car is completely stock, and is thus still sitting on stock suspension. I spent yesterday trawling the interwebs trying to find out if fitting the 30mm Eibach springs to (non Bilstein) stock shocks makes enough of a difference to handling on their own, but every MX5 forum thread I read just seems to end up in an argument. I'm not interested in fitting coilovers at this time.

So, are the Eibach springs and a geometry reset worthwhile on their own for something that's never going to be used on a track, with just the odd slightly-spirited Sunday drive? I'm quite happy to keep the stock ride levels if not (the 4x4 look doesn't particularly annoy me). Geo with be done anyway of course.

Also, she's fitted with Avon ZV5's. Does anyone have any experience of those on a NC?
 
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Feels rude not to post this one in here too. Broke into the 12s a Santa Pod yesterday :D


Cob said:
Hi folks

Picking up a mid 2007 NC 2.0i Option in Silver tomorrow.

Car is completely stock, and is thus still sitting on stock suspension. I spent yesterday trawling the interwebs trying to find out if fitting the 30mm Eibach springs to (non Bilstein) stock shocks makes enough of a difference to handling on their own, but every MX5 forum thread I read just seems to end up in an argument. I'm not interested in fitting coilovers at this time.

So, are the Eibach springs and a geometry reset worthwhile on their own for something that's never going to be used on a track, with just the odd slightly-spirited Sunday drive? I'm quite happy to keep the stock ride levels if not (the 4x4 look doesn't particularly annoy me).

Also, she's fitted with Avon ZV5's. Does anyone have any experience of those on a NC?
Click to expand...

I believe @scaza has fitted just Eibach springs?

The springs probably won't make a huge amount of difference to the handling on their own, but coupled with a proper geometry setup it more than likely will. Plus as you say it fixes the 4x4 look
 
I have looked at putting eibach springs on my non sport shocks, yet everywhere I looked recommended for me to spend millions on a Shock/Spring combo.

In the end I got some BBR shocks and springs with 1000 miles on them (everything on my car is second hand) for £300. Along with stiffer anti-roll bars for £65 and a geometry setup using non-standard Mazda numbers and it handles awesome, while still riding bumps really well.
 
I'll maybe hold out for a decently priced kit then. I'm in no rush and have no problems buying second-hand kit. But I'll book her in for a geo set-up this week anyway.

What tyres are people running on the 16" rims?
 
Mk2 MX5 is dead I think. £2k's worth of welding required (Rear Wings, inner wings, inner and outer sills, some sill at the front. But not chassis rails (Yay!?) + other parts I am looking at £3k+ all in to get it back in A1 condition and that won't fix absolutely all the niggles. I really don't have time to do anything with it myself. They have offered £300 for the car because it currently also doesn't start, and £200 for some spares I have lying about. I am sure I could get more if I broke it myself but I just don't have the time :( Doesn't feel right letting it go that cheap but I think that is currently the best option.

I could get it back and spend £3k on an Exocet kit, but reality is I don't have time for that either.
 
Capt Doufos said:
Mk2 MX5 is dead I think. £2k's worth of welding required (Rear Wings, inner wings, inner and outer sills, some sill at the front. But not chassis rails (Yay!?) + other parts I am looking at £3k+ all in to get it back in A1 condition and that won't fix absolutely all the niggles. I really don't have time to do anything with it myself. They have offered £300 for the car because it currently also doesn't start, and £200 for some spares I have lying about. I am sure I could get more if I broke it myself but I just don't have the time :( Doesn't feel right letting it go that cheap but I think that is currently the best option.

I could get it back and spend £3k on an Exocet kit, but reality is I don't have time for that either.
Click to expand...
Gutted, sounds like time to let that one die though. I know people that spent the value of the car getting the rot cut out and then 18 months later were back to square one.

I was fuming tonight when I came home. Next doors cat has been walking over my car since I got the new roof fitted. He saw me out there cleaning it on Sunday and said "Oh, so you've got the new roof fitted then." "Yeah, just a shame it's a cat hair magnet" was my response to which the cheeky git said "yeah, they do blow around in the wind don't they." Yes pal, and what about the muddy paw prints :rolleyes: Anyway, forget it one of those things... then today I was about 15 feet away and I just thought "WTF has happened to my roof?!" Huge patch covered in dust, **** and cat hair. The thing must have been rolling around on it. So my freshly cleaned car on Sunday evening now looks rubbish and I haven't even driven it. Really wish I'd saved a ton and bought a vinyl roof now :mad:

Going to rig up a bracket to mount my ultrasonic cat repellent thing to the fence at the end of the drive pointed at the car at roof level on the weekend.
 
Cob said:
Hi folks

Picking up a mid 2007 NC 2.0i Option in Silver tomorrow.

Car is completely stock, and is thus still sitting on stock suspension. I spent yesterday trawling the interwebs trying to find out if fitting the 30mm Eibach springs to (non Bilstein) stock shocks makes enough of a difference to handling on their own, but every MX5 forum thread I read just seems to end up in an argument. I'm not interested in fitting coilovers at this time.

So, are the Eibach springs and a geometry reset worthwhile on their own for something that's never going to be used on a track, with just the odd slightly-spirited Sunday drive? I'm quite happy to keep the stock ride levels if not (the 4x4 look doesn't particularly annoy me). Geo with be done anyway of course.

Also, she's fitted with Avon ZV5's. Does anyone have any experience of those on a NC?
Click to expand...

I have the eibach 30mm springs on my mx5.

They make the car look much better.
My NC is worse on speedbumps than my NB.
Not a problem if I slow down, Bang if I don't.

As for handling they might be slightly better than standard, a little stiffer but they are not full on coilovers.

For road driving they are fine.
If you need coilovers to enjoy an mx5 on the road your doing it wrong IMHO.

Geometry at a decent place is a must.
I would be tempted to do that first, you may find that makes a big difference.
 
Time to sell the wife's MX5 I think. They still seem to retain amazing value for a car that is 7 years old and will make an epic car for someone being as it's a 1 owner car from new. Coming to Autotrader this weekend I think, will get wheels made like new and that's all it needs. Running like a dream, better with miles and bar 1 small glitch in year 1 with a warranty part, faultless.
 
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