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

I've joined the club!

Rust is minimal to nothing and drives wonderfully, one happy bloke! Amazing what 3 figures can buy.

iZXJxc



 
Would buying a turbo'd MX5 be a good or a bad idea? What sort of budget would be required? I've seen few projects, but for the asking prices you can get something like a 350z.
 
IC3 said:
Would buying a turbo'd MX5 be a good or a bad idea? What sort of budget would be required? I've seen few projects, but for the asking prices you can get something like a 350z.
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Which gen of MX5? If you were to do it to a NC it'd cost similar to a 350z, probably be as fast, better handling and would be a few years newer.
 
MX5 has lightweight on its side and 350z doesn't, so a ~ 200bhp NA/NB would equal a 300bhp 350 in power to weight, lighter weight helps in corners, braking and general consumables.

It's only a bad idea if the conversion is not built well.

I'd like to Boost my NC, it would be a proper weapon, especially as you can tuck quite some rubber under its arches.

I have been looking at doing a new NC build for SC and in total done well it would be ~12k. (including a newer 2010-2012 NC)

I'd also like a Nissan, 370z more so though, but I would have to boost it :)
 
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IC3 said:
Would buying a turbo'd MX5 be a good or a bad idea? What sort of budget would be required? I've seen few projects, but for the asking prices you can get something like a 350z.
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Budget £2k for a rot free MK1/MK2 and either buy and fit the turbo kit yourself if your competent with spanners or pay the likes of Skuzzle/M-Tech to do the conversion for you. Turn key conversions are usually around £3k ifif memo serves. That will get you around 250bhp/220ft-lbs .

If you want to go silly with power prepare you bank account as it gets expensive.

I'm not sure I'd want to buy one already converted especially home built. I can probably answer just about any question you may have about them
 
I'm just looking at options further down the line, to turbo anything NA it costs money... that's one thing I learnt. :p I'm competent with spanners, but don't have a place to work on my car. I would have to finish what I'm doing the same day I started, so that's another thing that I need to consider when doing anything.

I know this is a bit irrelevant, as it probably wouldn't be my daily. But, what sort of MPG do you get from a turbo'd MX5 on a commute with a mixture of town and motorway?
 
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IC3 said:
I'm just looking at options further down the line, to turbo anything NA it costs money... that's one thing I learnt. :p I'm competent with spanner, but don't have a place to work on my car. I would have to finish what I'm doing the same day I started, so that's another thing that I need to consider when doing anything.

I know this is a bit irrelevant, as it probably wouldn't be my daily. But, what sort of MPG do you get from a turbo'd MX5 on a commute with a mixture of town and motorway?
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low 20s around town, mix of town/motorway low 30s, a good motorway run and it'll just about manage 40mpg. Add 10% to those figures and the 20% Methanol mix I run will reduce it by around that much
 
my turbo charged NC gets around 30mpg combined, 38mpg if you are doing a longer run (direct injection in the later engines so better economy). budget about 5/6k for a good mk3 and the up to the same again for forced induction depending on how you plan on doing it.
 
What about doing an engine swap? A honda engine like a K20, F20C, B18 etc. could be a fun project. I'll do some research, it'll probably cost as much, as slapping a turob kit on it or just under that. lol
 
4C everytime if you can live with the auto box. I would look into what it costs to maintain its carbon tub, I know there are services required to check/retorque etc that aren't cheap.

Tempted by one myself many times, not a fan of auto boxes no matter how much faster than me they are, really tried to like it as I love the 4C but I cannot get on with those flimsy shifters, lack tactile feedback, also feel shifters being on the wheel a mistake, column mounted seems the best way forward for this would suit me more when I am being a tit. :D

On the reliability front the ND seems the weakest of the two. engine and gearbox are well established in the Alfa, if you want a reliable ND get a 124 with the NC gearbox :D
 
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Pulled my engine today.

inGEcrc.jpg

Well they'd be a bit bent then, progress halted due to a combination of CBA and needing to order another clutch as a killed a Stage 3 clutch from competition clutch in <10k miles
 
Nasty, what power were you getting to do that, it was quite a bit wasn't it?

In other news, I'm 3 weeks from picking up my Exocet kit, if anybody needs any bits off an NB Sport let me know, the stripping is about to start!
 
wesimmo said:
Nasty, what power were you getting to do that, it was quite a bit wasn't it?

In other news, I'm 3 weeks from picking up my Exocet kit, if anybody needs any bits off an NB Sport let me know, the stripping is about to start!
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300bhp/265ftlbs when it let go. I've done the man maths and with some a few hours of dyno time really dialing in my boost vs rpm setup and ignition table I can limit torque to 220-230ft-lbs which will keep the engine fairly happy and continue to make the same peak power

I'd love to go down the Exocet route, lack of garage stops that one though.
 
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