Tracks best suited to MX5 (or other slower cars)

[upsidedownmark]

skibum said:

A few issues with over heating, but nothing a hole cutter and turning the heating on couldnt fix (although a new, considerably thicker rad has been ordered as the old one was well past it's best).

Edited by skibum on Wednesday 30th July 11:58

Sounds / looks like you're driving it well - wrt over heating, I had a few issues with mine on it's first trackday, fixed that by:

1) putting the belly pan back on under the engine (airflow going the right way?)
2) Ripping out the a/c rad (it was dead and empty anyway)

Both cheap and no problem since..

[QBee]

upsidedownmark said:

skibum said:

A few issues with over heating, but nothing a hole cutter and turning the heating on couldnt fix (although a new, considerably thicker rad has been ordered as the old one was well past it's best).

Edited by skibum on Wednesday 30th July 11:58

Sounds / looks like you're driving it well - wrt over heating, I had a few issues with mine on it's first trackday, fixed that by:

1) putting the belly pan back on under the engine (airflow going the right way?)
2) Ripping out the a/c rad (it was dead and empty anyway)

Both cheap and no problem since..

My TVR Chimaera has run cooler on track since I re-fitted the chin spoiler underneath the front. They leave the factory with one, but they tend to get knocked off on speed humps. It is a three foot wide, 1.5 inch deep piece of metal, pointing forwards and downwards at 45 degrees, that disturbs the airflow under the car, creating a little bit of a vacuum under the car and helping to pull air through the radiator amongst other things.

Is there anything similar for the MX5? I can post a photo tomorrow if you are interested. You can buy the TVR ones for about £30. This one is a little more expensive, but gives you the idea

http://www.racetechdirect.co.uk/tvr-car-part-u0890...

[T0MMY]

If your MX5 is a 1.8 and you're interested in turboing it I may have a complete (bolt on) HKS turbo kit for sale shortly (proper garrett turbo, not chinese copy). I've got it on my mk1 but pretty sure it all fits on a mk2 (have to check, especially the manifold). I got it brand new and it's done less than 5,000 miles.

Just bought a kitcar for trackdays and much as I wanted to keep the mx5 I just can't justify it. I've only ever run it on low boost but even with pretty minor extra grunt it is in a different league on trackdays.

This is it at Cadwell...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkYpP5B72M

Incidentally, re: braking at Coppice...even with the turbo in my car I don't even lift let alone brake...if you're in a standard MX5 you DEFINITELY should be taking that flat out. If you get the line right you'll be surprised how quick you can get round there.

Edited by T0MMY on Tuesday 5th August 20:15

[drakart]

[quote=T0MMY]

Incidentally, re: braking at Coppice...even with the turbo in my car I don't even lift let alone brake...if you're in a standard MX5 you DEFINITELY should be taking that flat out. If you get the line right you'll be surprised how quick you can get round there.

[quote]

Coppice is flat in everything.

Edited by drakart on Tuesday 5th August 21:53

[T0MMY]

drakart said:

Coppice is flat in everything.

Possibly so but I've never done Cadwell in a faster car. I do brake a bit on the bike but maybe that's self preservation kicking in...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzZ1WjXlFoE

More of a confidence thing, don't scrub off much speed.

[drakart]

T0MMY said:

Possibly so but I've never done Cadwell in a faster car. I do brake a bit on the bike but maybe that's self preservation kicking in...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzZ1WjXlFoE

Wimp!!

[gruffalo]

drakart said:

T0MMY said:

Incidentally, re: braking at Coppice...even with the turbo in my car I don't even lift let alone brake...if you're in a standard MX5 you DEFINITELY should be taking that flat out. If you get the line right you'll be surprised how quick you can get round there.

quote]

Coppice is flat in everything.

I have to agree, just a gentle lift to make the front stick and that is it.

1100KG and 450BHP.

[T0MMY]

drakart said:

Wimp!!

I have had the pleasure of sliding along Cadwell's tarmac on my arse at 100mph watching expensive bits fly off my previously immaculate bike It encourages caution...

[QBee]

Just done Cadwell this evening in my TVR Chimaera. Coppice was 100 mph, no braking, slight lift. Awesome feeling! Several MX5s there tonight, most were cannon fodder, but one dark one was as quick as my 300 bhp TVR. Never caught him. Anyone know who it was, what engine etc?

[drakart]

You can't fall off a car.

[T0MMY]

QBee said:

Just done Cadwell this evening in my TVR Chimaera. Coppice was 100 mph, no braking, slight lift. Awesome feeling! Several MX5s there tonight, most were cannon fodder, but one dark one was as quick as my 300 bhp TVR. Never caught him. Anyone know who it was, what engine etc?

What sort of times were you running?

[QBee]

T0MMY said:

QBee said:

Just done Cadwell this evening in my TVR Chimaera. Coppice was 100 mph, no braking, slight lift. Awesome feeling! Several MX5s there tonight, most were cannon fodder, but one dark one was as quick as my 300 bhp TVR. Never caught him. Anyone know who it was, what engine etc?

What sort of times were you running?

No idea. I don't time myself.
I was the same pace as that MX5 and a Clan Crusader, got caught by a track prepared Porsche GT3, otherwise was quicker than most, including a stripped out M3.

[gruffalo]

Obviously no official timing but a mate timed me for a couple of laps, averaged out at 1:44 but some passing required on each lap but not held up more than a second or two I would say.

TVR Cerbera for me.

Edited by gruffalo on Wednesday 6th August 09:22

[T0MMY]

QBee said:

No idea. I don't time myself.
I was the same pace as that MX5 and a Clan Crusader, got caught by a track prepared Porsche GT3, otherwise was quicker than most, including a stripped out M3.

Ah ok, I was just trying to get an idea of how fast this MX5 was. If it had decent track mods and a good driver, it may have just been a mild turbo job. 200bhp would be enough to get you round Cadwell in a very respectable mid 1.40s time in an MX5 I reckon.

A boggo standard power one can get into the high 1.40s which in my experience is actually quicker than the majority of trackdayers (in any car) seem to go round there. Actually that brings us neatly round to the thread topic again...Cadwell is a great track for slow cars.

Edited by T0MMY on Wednesday 6th August 17:33

[gruffalo]

Or...........Cadewll is a great circuit!!!

[T0MMY]

gruffalo said:

Or...........Cadewll is a great circuit!!!

Well that too Best track in the UK in my opinion although there are many I haven't done.

[roddo]

We lap Cadwell in our mk3 mx5's (standard running gear) but with good suspension and tyres @ 1:44

[QBee]

Mid 1.40s then. Gruffalo cannot effectively use his extra power at Cadwell, so my time would have been similar to his. I was catching and passing 4.5 Cerberas on the last TVRCC track day at Cadwell.

The fast MX5 was really quick on the straights too, whereas the other MXs were easy to pass on the straight. The fast one had race seats, harnesses and a roll cage, as far as I saw. I had guests with me, so never got the chance to chat to him.

The Clan Crusader was awesome. No top speed, I caught him on the straights, but that 500 kg, Hillman Imp based rear engined kit car really handled around the corners.

[T0MMY]

QBee said:

Mid 1.40s then. Gruffalo cannot effectively use his extra power at Cadwell, so my time would have been similar to his. I was catching and passing 4.5 Cerberas on the last TVRCC track day at Cadwell.

The fast MX5 was really quick on the straights too, whereas the other MXs were easy to pass on the straight. The fast one had race seats, harnesses and a roll cage, as far as I saw. I had guests with me, so never got the chance to chat to him.

The Clan Crusader was awesome. No top speed, I caught him on the straights, but that 500 kg, Hillman Imp based rear engined kit car really handled around the corners.

I imagine it was a turbo or supercharged jobbie then. Don't see that many MX5 engine swaps as it's so easy and cheap to take the FI route with these cars. Whether it makes them any more fun to drive is another question but it does make it a lot easier to overtake those occasional annoying drivers that refuse to lift off the throttle to let anyone past.

[QBee]

For reference I was getting up to 115 on the bottom (start-finish) straight, 120 on Park Straight, and did manage over 100 through the left-handed Coppice once or twice (bit of a bum-clencher, I will admit, as it tended to leave me on the wrong side of the track for the next right hander!). So that MX5 was definitely one of the quicker ones.