Jesters Collection - Mazda 3MPS/RX8 R3/RX7/MINI Cooper S
Discussion
Bright Halo said:
That exhaust is so shiny it is a shame it is hidden under the car!
My experience is that RRP do great products and offer excellent service/advice.
All very good points. However I seem to be that 1% of people who got a slightly out of spec sports cat which needed some modifications to get to fit. RRP have kindly enough honoured the warranty for the cat even after having to get it modified to fit.My experience is that RRP do great products and offer excellent service/advice.
So MX5/RX8 updates!
The MX5 is back with Eibachs (same as Mazda lowering springs just in an Eibach box), alignment and rust protection (Waxoiling). So here is a before:
Here it is after:
Much better to drive, the car feel so much more agile with the body roll dialed down and alignment making it a much better steer. Obviously it also looks goooood a tad lower!
There was a small issue though, when I was taken to the car there is now a new dent by the drivers door handle and scratch which is a good 10cm long from where the window meets the body down towards the handle. The garage has instantly said they will correct this, so it means I've got to give her back to get it sorted. My detailer has said he will check the repair work for me as it will need reprotecting after the work.
RX8 is now sporting a new voice box.
Resonated 200cell sports cat and back box has been fitted. Unfortunately the sports cat also needed some modifying to fit as it seems to have come off the jig a little bent at the manifold join which magnifies the fitment issue at the end. But the company I bought it from agreed to honour the warranty on the section even with it modified, so at least there was that.
The backbox is for a series 1 RX8 so this needed some altering. 1 hanger needed to be replaced and moved, the tailpipes which are modular had to have a section replaced and modified to angle down slightly as the R3's tailpipes are 3cms lower than the S1. Here are a few photos.
While not being the prettiest welds this photo shows the slight alteration needed to those sleved sections coming out from the rear box. Drop down at an angle to then exit the bumper. If I ever want them made pretty then they are just a clamped section.
All in all, second hand exhaust and the cost of alteration and fitting was still cheaper than buying one of the ready made R3 exhausts from the aftermarket. While having the added bonus of having a dual resonated decat section should I ever fancy going down that route.
Also the cheap ECP cat that was on the car has lasted barely 1000 miles before falling apart and being toast. This made the car run terribly between 5.5-7.5krpm. This was put on by the previous owner and this should be a lesson to any rotary owner or prespective one. These engines eat these cheap cats for breakfast. Don't cheap out, if you want to run a cat then spend a bit more and get one of the more "hardy" ones.
But, what really matters is how it sounds. My lord above, she sounds absolutely fantastic. When you get up the revs its amazing, I don't even care that i'll be out dragged by modern day hot hatches. Let off the throttle and she pops and gargles as all good rotarys do. I proper love this thing.
The MX5 is back with Eibachs (same as Mazda lowering springs just in an Eibach box), alignment and rust protection (Waxoiling). So here is a before:
Here it is after:
Much better to drive, the car feel so much more agile with the body roll dialed down and alignment making it a much better steer. Obviously it also looks goooood a tad lower!
There was a small issue though, when I was taken to the car there is now a new dent by the drivers door handle and scratch which is a good 10cm long from where the window meets the body down towards the handle. The garage has instantly said they will correct this, so it means I've got to give her back to get it sorted. My detailer has said he will check the repair work for me as it will need reprotecting after the work.
RX8 is now sporting a new voice box.
Resonated 200cell sports cat and back box has been fitted. Unfortunately the sports cat also needed some modifying to fit as it seems to have come off the jig a little bent at the manifold join which magnifies the fitment issue at the end. But the company I bought it from agreed to honour the warranty on the section even with it modified, so at least there was that.
The backbox is for a series 1 RX8 so this needed some altering. 1 hanger needed to be replaced and moved, the tailpipes which are modular had to have a section replaced and modified to angle down slightly as the R3's tailpipes are 3cms lower than the S1. Here are a few photos.
While not being the prettiest welds this photo shows the slight alteration needed to those sleved sections coming out from the rear box. Drop down at an angle to then exit the bumper. If I ever want them made pretty then they are just a clamped section.
All in all, second hand exhaust and the cost of alteration and fitting was still cheaper than buying one of the ready made R3 exhausts from the aftermarket. While having the added bonus of having a dual resonated decat section should I ever fancy going down that route.
Also the cheap ECP cat that was on the car has lasted barely 1000 miles before falling apart and being toast. This made the car run terribly between 5.5-7.5krpm. This was put on by the previous owner and this should be a lesson to any rotary owner or prespective one. These engines eat these cheap cats for breakfast. Don't cheap out, if you want to run a cat then spend a bit more and get one of the more "hardy" ones.
But, what really matters is how it sounds. My lord above, she sounds absolutely fantastic. When you get up the revs its amazing, I don't even care that i'll be out dragged by modern day hot hatches. Let off the throttle and she pops and gargles as all good rotarys do. I proper love this thing.
Edited by Jester86 on Friday 2nd July 18:12
Fab update, the MX-5 looks just right now (I'm sure when the Mazda stylist drew it, it would have been at that ride height, not the tippy-toes it ended up being produced with). And yeah, turning the volume up a bit on a rotary allows you to enjoy the unique sound and the way the individual pulses blend into a smooth howl up top. Great upgrades!
samoht said:
Fab update, the MX-5 looks just right now (I'm sure when the Mazda stylist drew it, it would have been at that ride height, not the tippy-toes it ended up being produced with). And yeah, turning the volume up a bit on a rotary allows you to enjoy the unique sound and the way the individual pulses blend into a smooth howl up top. Great upgrades!
When I first placed the order for the MX5 I did umm and ahhh over speccing the springs from the get go, but made the decision to see what the car was like for a while before making up my mind. I can safely say that while on the stock bridgestones it gives the car a lot of movement, for me I wanted to make it a little more focused, a little more....sports car. PS4's and the Eibachs have been a great enhancement.The exhaust on the RX8 made me giggle like an absolute child. Blipping on the downshift, the pops as you lift off (we all know the rotary has more than enough fuel to burn to make legit unforced pops :lol
are brilliant. Best of all, the car doesn't seem to smell of fuel as I am sat idling or reversing onto my drive!Mr Tidy said:
That's a great collection OP. 
Great to see some colour too - especially the red Yaris. I've only seen grey ones so far and it's just so boring!
If you weren't up to your 4 car limit an S2000 might fit in quite well.
Thank you! Great to see some colour too - especially the red Yaris. I've only seen grey ones so far and it's just so boring!
If you weren't up to your 4 car limit an S2000 might fit in quite well.
I know many people like the purity of black/white on the Yaris, but I have always wanted to be a colour man. Amazingly my wife veto'd me getting a yellow Abarth a few years ago, but was more than happy for me to order an orange MX5 :lol:
The S2000 is a hard one for me, I've never been 100% sure on it. I know at the moment many people are making comments on the revised ND MX5 being a spiritual successor to the S2000. But I've never driven an S2000 to make such a comment. But Honda will probably never make something like it again, much like Mazda and the solely rotary powered cars.
Fleet Update:
Yaris
Still doing its Yaris thing and being rapid across any weather condition.
MX5
Really enjoying how much more responsive she feels, the front darts in just where I want it and the grip is tasty. Feels much more like a mini sports car now. Still waiting on the garage to get back to me reference repairing some minor damage that was caused whilst in their care.
MPS
Still waiting on overnight parts from the US. The catted downpipe is slowing everything down. She is still driveable so is getting pootled around in without stressing the turbo too much. But some paint defects have been noticed on one side skirt and rear bumper. Popped to the bodyshop who have apologised again and no questions booking it back in under guarentee.
RX8
Next small update, as I am starting to look at the cosmetic side of the car a little, was a headlight refurb.
Now I have tried to do one on my MPS a year or so ago and it looked okish but I was never completely happy with the job. So when my detailer mentioned to me that there is a very good chap who does it to a very high standard I thought it might be worth my while. He popped over, we had a chat and agreed a price and did the job yesterday.
The drivers side was by far the worst, and it does appear like someone has tried in the past and not really done a good job. He told me there could be misting on the inside of the headlight so it might not be a 100% perfect job, but I was happy to let him loose.
So, 7 hours of work later, unfortunately I had to go to work so I wasn't able to see the job right as he finished. Here are what they look like now.
Very happy, these photos were taken in direct sunlight so will always look a little worse than they actually are. There is some misting on the inside and the drivers side is still the worst offender but overall a vast improvement.
If anyone is in the Kent area and wants someone to do theirs then its a chap called Mark at www.mi-resto.co.uk.
Yaris
Still doing its Yaris thing and being rapid across any weather condition.
MX5
Really enjoying how much more responsive she feels, the front darts in just where I want it and the grip is tasty. Feels much more like a mini sports car now. Still waiting on the garage to get back to me reference repairing some minor damage that was caused whilst in their care.
MPS
Still waiting on overnight parts from the US. The catted downpipe is slowing everything down. She is still driveable so is getting pootled around in without stressing the turbo too much. But some paint defects have been noticed on one side skirt and rear bumper. Popped to the bodyshop who have apologised again and no questions booking it back in under guarentee.
RX8
Next small update, as I am starting to look at the cosmetic side of the car a little, was a headlight refurb.
Now I have tried to do one on my MPS a year or so ago and it looked okish but I was never completely happy with the job. So when my detailer mentioned to me that there is a very good chap who does it to a very high standard I thought it might be worth my while. He popped over, we had a chat and agreed a price and did the job yesterday.
The drivers side was by far the worst, and it does appear like someone has tried in the past and not really done a good job. He told me there could be misting on the inside of the headlight so it might not be a 100% perfect job, but I was happy to let him loose.
So, 7 hours of work later, unfortunately I had to go to work so I wasn't able to see the job right as he finished. Here are what they look like now.
Very happy, these photos were taken in direct sunlight so will always look a little worse than they actually are. There is some misting on the inside and the drivers side is still the worst offender but overall a vast improvement.
If anyone is in the Kent area and wants someone to do theirs then its a chap called Mark at www.mi-resto.co.uk.
Fleet Update August 21:
Yaris:
Have clocked up about 1200 miles now and is still deeply impressive. Still love it!
MX5:
Still great to drive, still waiting for the garage to organise repair to the minor damage they caused, which is disappointing but hopefully that will be sorted soon. Due its second service soon and has about 5200 miles on the clock.
RX8:
Still sounds absolutely fantastic and I am still loving it. Need to get round to putting it on stands and get the wheels refurbed. But booked in with the RX8 owners club for GoJapan at Brands Hatch at the end of September.
MPS:
Is currently off having some of the paintwork sorted as there were some imperfections present and getting it done under paint warranty. But finally we have the parts from the US delivered so I can get it booked in for the fettling process to begin.
Corksport CST4
Corksport Catted Downpipe
Corksport Recirc
I already have the base map sorted for the COBB Accessport route for tuning. So I am hoping that all that will be needed is parts dropped in, base map loaded, then the remote tuning and logging can properly begin.
Yaris:
Have clocked up about 1200 miles now and is still deeply impressive. Still love it!
MX5:
Still great to drive, still waiting for the garage to organise repair to the minor damage they caused, which is disappointing but hopefully that will be sorted soon. Due its second service soon and has about 5200 miles on the clock.
RX8:
Still sounds absolutely fantastic and I am still loving it. Need to get round to putting it on stands and get the wheels refurbed. But booked in with the RX8 owners club for GoJapan at Brands Hatch at the end of September.
MPS:
Is currently off having some of the paintwork sorted as there were some imperfections present and getting it done under paint warranty. But finally we have the parts from the US delivered so I can get it booked in for the fettling process to begin.
Corksport CST4
Corksport Catted Downpipe
Corksport Recirc
I already have the base map sorted for the COBB Accessport route for tuning. So I am hoping that all that will be needed is parts dropped in, base map loaded, then the remote tuning and logging can properly begin.
MrVert said:
That just looks soooo right….lovely stance 
Fantastic looking car you have there
Thank you very much. I hope there is something for everyone in my collection Fantastic looking car you have there
Bright Halo said:
They all look great! Being an ex R3 in Aurora Blue owner l have a particular likeing for that.
It must be difficult knowing which one to take for a drive. Mind you the Yaris must take some resisting!
Honestly it depends on the weather and obviously how I feel from day to day. I am about to go from Kent to Suffolk this weekend and will be taking the MX5 as it hasn't had as many decent trips out this year which makes me sad. So it is getting a good jaunt!It must be difficult knowing which one to take for a drive. Mind you the Yaris must take some resisting!
The Yaris remains stupidly capable and a remarkable thing and I also like the higher seating position compared to the other 3.
It is a "terrible" position to be in.
The RX8 easily sounds the best
So definitely a bit of an update to the fleet.
I have just said farewell to the MX5. With secondhand car prices as they are at the moment I could let it go at a great price which minimised the depreciation I've taken over the last 2 years. It worked out as costing about £140 a month cost to me, which is great. All done through Motorway so quick and stress free.
The other key factor in the decision was also that I preferred driving my RX8 over the MX5. So it was getting less and less use.
There is a very strong chance it will be replaced by something that has at least 8 cylinders at some point next year or whenever the bubble bursts and prices come back down.
Farewell to the most colourful car I have owned. They really are brilliant, but lacked a bit of drama/sentimentality over the rest of the cars I have.
MPS
Has finally been booked in with my garage but not until the end of October as they are flat out at the moment. I am happy to wait, but keen to get the work started!
RX8
Really really liking it more and more. Don't care about fuel economy. It will be on the RX8 Owners club stand/enclosure at Go Japan at Brands Hatch this weekend, my first proper car event since COVID so definitely looking forward to that.
Yaris
Not racking up as many miles in her, at around 1400 now. But still love every drive.
I have just said farewell to the MX5. With secondhand car prices as they are at the moment I could let it go at a great price which minimised the depreciation I've taken over the last 2 years. It worked out as costing about £140 a month cost to me, which is great. All done through Motorway so quick and stress free.
The other key factor in the decision was also that I preferred driving my RX8 over the MX5. So it was getting less and less use.
There is a very strong chance it will be replaced by something that has at least 8 cylinders at some point next year or whenever the bubble bursts and prices come back down.
Farewell to the most colourful car I have owned. They really are brilliant, but lacked a bit of drama/sentimentality over the rest of the cars I have.
MPS
Has finally been booked in with my garage but not until the end of October as they are flat out at the moment. I am happy to wait, but keen to get the work started!
RX8
Really really liking it more and more. Don't care about fuel economy. It will be on the RX8 Owners club stand/enclosure at Go Japan at Brands Hatch this weekend, my first proper car event since COVID so definitely looking forward to that.
Yaris
Not racking up as many miles in her, at around 1400 now. But still love every drive.
Attended GoJapan! for my first outing with the RX8 Owners Club.
Had a really good day, the fuel "situation" meant that some cars/spectators couldn't attend but it made for quite a relaxed show.
The day before I spent the longest cleaning a car in a long time, seeing as the RX8 is the only car I have that hasn't been detailed or ceramic coated. I even dug out a clay bar and spent some time on the panels! After seeing some good reviews I used some of Meguires Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax, which although I thought I buffed off well enough, the following day it didn't look like we had even bothered! But this mornings rain is showing some good beadage so maybe not all of it was in vain.
I was one of only 4 RX8 R3's there, but interestingly the rarest car I could have taken was my MPS, I didn't see a single MK1 at the show! Plenty of GR Yaris around.
Here are a few stand out cars for me on the day.
Had a really good day, the fuel "situation" meant that some cars/spectators couldn't attend but it made for quite a relaxed show.
The day before I spent the longest cleaning a car in a long time, seeing as the RX8 is the only car I have that hasn't been detailed or ceramic coated. I even dug out a clay bar and spent some time on the panels! After seeing some good reviews I used some of Meguires Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax, which although I thought I buffed off well enough, the following day it didn't look like we had even bothered! But this mornings rain is showing some good beadage so maybe not all of it was in vain.
I was one of only 4 RX8 R3's there, but interestingly the rarest car I could have taken was my MPS, I didn't see a single MK1 at the show! Plenty of GR Yaris around.
Here are a few stand out cars for me on the day.
The 323 was so cool and that red Civic was so clean with a cheeky little turbo dropped in as well. Was a genuinely fantastic retro car and I felt myself being drawn to the older stuff.
What is really hard is some of the old JDM cars eg.RX7's are such crazy money now that as much as I would love one, I am not sure I could justify it over modern competition at the price points.
There is a very strong chance it will be a non Japenese replacement whenever we get the bubble burst.
I would also sell my soul to own an LFA, although I am pretty sure I would have to sell my house to run one. The wife is definitely not on board with that plan.
What is really hard is some of the old JDM cars eg.RX7's are such crazy money now that as much as I would love one, I am not sure I could justify it over modern competition at the price points.
There is a very strong chance it will be a non Japenese replacement whenever we get the bubble burst.
I would also sell my soul to own an LFA, although I am pretty sure I would have to sell my house to run one. The wife is definitely not on board with that plan.
Small fleet update today.
MPS has just been sent off for its new Turbo and other juicy upgrades. Fingers crossed it all goes well so I can start the full logging and fine tuning of the map with my tuner soon!
RX8 is running sweetly and has been treated to an overnight part from Japan.....it only took 3 weeks. RE-Amemiya high pressure coolant cap. JDM yo. It was mentioned to me at Go Japan by a fellow rotary enthusiast that his coolant cap had failed at some point and it wasn't a bad idea to replace it. So £20 later it wanged its way across the seas to find its way into the engine bay. Who can resist JDM parts.
This kind fellow also recommended glueing the seals at the base of the rear window up as mine had started to droop. Apparently super common and allows water in. So I did that also.
Yaris, still stock and rocking it. Still honestly amazed at how this thing can straight line roundabouts and fling you down the road. The slowest thing about the car is me.
In a wierd twist I have a deposit down on an addition to the fleet, which I am extremely excited about. But I won't be able to get it till mid/end of Novemeber. Originally I was going for something non Japanese, however my best friend was looking for a skyline and found something he knew I would like, wanged over a link to the advert. Then I had to have it.
MPS has just been sent off for its new Turbo and other juicy upgrades. Fingers crossed it all goes well so I can start the full logging and fine tuning of the map with my tuner soon!
RX8 is running sweetly and has been treated to an overnight part from Japan.....it only took 3 weeks. RE-Amemiya high pressure coolant cap. JDM yo. It was mentioned to me at Go Japan by a fellow rotary enthusiast that his coolant cap had failed at some point and it wasn't a bad idea to replace it. So £20 later it wanged its way across the seas to find its way into the engine bay. Who can resist JDM parts.
This kind fellow also recommended glueing the seals at the base of the rear window up as mine had started to droop. Apparently super common and allows water in. So I did that also.
Yaris, still stock and rocking it. Still honestly amazed at how this thing can straight line roundabouts and fling you down the road. The slowest thing about the car is me.
In a wierd twist I have a deposit down on an addition to the fleet, which I am extremely excited about. But I won't be able to get it till mid/end of Novemeber. Originally I was going for something non Japanese, however my best friend was looking for a skyline and found something he knew I would like, wanged over a link to the advert. Then I had to have it.
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