MX5 - Even better than I'd been lead to believe

[The Pupat]

it's an option but unless you are looking for 400+rwhp might as well keep the B-series mazda donk.

Cal: You're just a vegemite poof of course you need 400hp

[ALLMTR]

I don't think it really needs extra power, it was just an observation

We'll see......I'll give you three months...........

[Cal]

Cal: You're just a vegemite poof of course you need 400hp

That is why you have 40rwhp hey mate.

Cal.

[The Pupat]

That is why you have 40rwhp hey mate.

Cal.

But I want more that's gotta count for something.

[PASHN8]

We'll see......I'll give you three months...........

Sad, but true!

[CT]

First thing I'm buying, after the brakepads I ordered on Friday, will be underbody braces... as many as I can get. I want it stiff, SA roads arent exactly smooth and scuttle shake is annoying

Welcome to the obsession...try www.mx5mania.com.au for all your needs.

[CXTdreamer]

Wow...... I could spend a LOT of money with them

[ViNcEnXo]

We all could.

[CA18escort]

Well I have around 165kw at the wheels in my clubman I to be honest it is really at about the limit of being able to get the power to the ground. That is with a 1.8 with a t28 turbo fitted and running around 14 psi. Defintly an entertaining car to drive that is for sure.

Cheers
Paul

[Jabba]

what are the 89-91 models like? they are the only ones that are close to my price range. they look very plain, almost like a torpedo really.

[CT]

Plain as in no bling? They are are a basic sports car but you can certainly add plenty to them such as body bracing, suspension mods even a greddy turbo kit. They do have one common issue being the short-nosed crank problem but a search on miata.net or aus-cartalk will get you plenty of info on that one. For the money, you won't ever find a better handling car, unless you build a lotus 7 replica yourself. It's not a 1/4 mile queen though so don't be under any fantasy about low 13s. My race car will sneak into the 13s - just. But the smile from nailing a set of curves makes up for it.

[CXTdreamer]

Far more fun in the hills than my DR30 was even if it only has a fraction of the power

[Jabba]

that's cool. so sounds like it has a good base chassis to build up from. one thing that always had me curious though is the flex common in lidless cars. You often hear about how the convertable versions of a coupe suffer horribly and most of the time they are actually heavier than ther roofed siblings. It'd be hard to tell what it would be like if it had a roof i guess.

the more i see them, the more they are growing on me. I like the hard tops you can get for them. And just how little they take to look more like what the newer versions represent. Damn it guess i think you infected me :knock:

One thing that i can't get over though, is the ulgly little bubbly wheels they come with standard. a shame really, because if i got one, i couldn't justify to SWMBO that i needed new rims

[CXTdreamer]

The standard rims may not look fantastic, but they weigh four fifths of fuck all

[Babalouie]

that's cool. so sounds like it has a good base chassis to build up from. one thing that always had me curious though is the flex common in lidless cars. You often hear about how the convertable versions of a coupe suffer horribly and most of the time they are actually heavier than ther roofed siblings. It'd be hard to tell what it would be like if it had a roof i guess.

They all have noticeable body flex, but it's been designed so that it doesn't seem to affect the car dynamically like it does on most convertibles. The double wishbones and the steering rack are all mounted on their own cradles and so while the body will flex, it isn't the sort of flex that knocks the car off line, or requires a steering correction.

There are stacks of products that brace the chassis to increase rigidity, but most in the MX5 community feel that it makes the car feel better and maybe respond more sharply, but not necessarily handle any better.