Hoodedreeper's MX5 (Purple Project)
Discussion
A small update 
I wasn't too keen on the BMW Sparkling Graphite painted rocker cover,it looked too dark against the black Inlet Manifold and the front cross over pipe for the air box. So I sent the spare over to a local Powder Coaters. I got it back at the beginning of the week and fitted it today
I also fitted a Polished Plug Cover,both work really well I also took a visit back down to H&S Performance who helped me fit a Stoney Racing Ancillary Hose Kit. These guys have been incredible the past couple of months and I cant thank them enough.
I have absolutely no idea what the colour of the purple is. I originally asked for Candy Purple (but they only do basic Candy colours). He said he can do Cadbury's Purple,but this looks very pearlescent in direct light.
Noobie error,i forgot to clean the threads for the front oil breather hose and Coil Pack,so those aren't currently bolted down
I wasn't too keen on the BMW Sparkling Graphite painted rocker cover,it looked too dark against the black Inlet Manifold and the front cross over pipe for the air box. So I sent the spare over to a local Powder Coaters. I got it back at the beginning of the week and fitted it today
I also fitted a Polished Plug Cover,both work really well
I also took a visit back down to H&S Performance who helped me fit a Stoney Racing Ancillary Hose Kit. These guys have been incredible the past couple of months and I cant thank them enough.I have absolutely no idea what the colour of the purple is. I originally asked for Candy Purple (but they only do basic Candy colours). He said he can do Cadbury's Purple,but this looks very pearlescent in direct light.
Noobie error,i forgot to clean the threads for the front oil breather hose and Coil Pack,so those aren't currently bolted down
Heres a little video for you (PLEASE WATCH)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUHq21QhaNE
This has been extremely difficult to keep secret for the past 11 months!!
It all started back in January when i was at Autosport International. I was surrounded by Forced Induction on the MX5Nutz Club Stand,staring at the display of Turbo and Supercharged cars for 3 days started the urge.
At the time,the Interior was booked in to be done in March,and aesthetically the car was pretty much done which only left the engine bay. Having gone the Turbo route with the previous MX5,i thought i'd head down the other path and try out a Supercharger.
So it seems the Eaton M45 from a Mini Cooper S was the popular choice to fit,so the search for one began. Having just missed one on eBay that had covered 25k and being the later generation with teflon blades,it went for £450 delivered. At least i knew this was the kind of money region i was looking at for a unit.
Then i happened to stumble across a For Sale advert on Facebook for one. I dont think i could have sent a message to the seller quick enough! After a few messages back and forth,i had managed to secure myself a Charger that had only covered 19 delivery miles (yes,you did read that correct). It was removed due to a damaged pulley,which by looking at the photos was some-what repairable anyway. Included was a second throttle body with blanking plates and dual cable throttle wheel,all for the sum of £140.00 delivered!
Amongst the vast amount of research i found Aran and Taffylude's build threads on Nutz,who both kindly documentated everything including where to buy it and the costs. This was the perfect Guide for a novice like myself! Massive thanks to them both!
So i took the Charger to work to give it a good clean,removing the PTO and making a blanking plate. At this point i also cut the mounting lug off and blanked the breather port next to it.
RX8 420cc Injectors purchased,these worked great on the turbo build and will help give me some extra ponies. These were sent off to BLiNK Motorsport to be cleaned/flow tested/new seals. They did an incredible job and had a very fast turn around,highly recommend them!
AEM Wideband from Dan at Fast5
As the weather was good,i got some painting done. I wanted a pretty basic looking engine bay,almost OEM,so i went for the classic Wrinkle Black finish. I ended up painting the Inlet Manifold,both Throttle Bodies,Radiator Slam Panel,Wiper Scuttle Panel and Thermostat Housing. Sadly i've only got a photo of the Throttle Body at the time (the rest can be seen in the engine bay photos above)
TR Lane Kit ordered,this was one of the most expensive items and took approx 6 weeks to be made.
It didnt matter that the original pulley was damaged as it was being replaced with a smaller one. I went for a 15% reduction as i wanted it reliable and i had read smaller pulleys could lead to potential belt slip. I ordered one along with a modified By-Pass Valve from 1320.co.uk
I knew removing the pulley was going to be a major task,so i left that in the capable hands of an Engineering company around the corner from mine. It took them a few days to do,but it came off clean which is the main thing
I made some gaskets for the TR Lane inlet and outlet and bolted them together. The charger received a coat of Wrinkle Black paint too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUHq21QhaNE
This has been extremely difficult to keep secret for the past 11 months!!
It all started back in January when i was at Autosport International. I was surrounded by Forced Induction on the MX5Nutz Club Stand,staring at the display of Turbo and Supercharged cars for 3 days started the urge.
At the time,the Interior was booked in to be done in March,and aesthetically the car was pretty much done which only left the engine bay. Having gone the Turbo route with the previous MX5,i thought i'd head down the other path and try out a Supercharger.
So it seems the Eaton M45 from a Mini Cooper S was the popular choice to fit,so the search for one began. Having just missed one on eBay that had covered 25k and being the later generation with teflon blades,it went for £450 delivered. At least i knew this was the kind of money region i was looking at for a unit.
Then i happened to stumble across a For Sale advert on Facebook for one. I dont think i could have sent a message to the seller quick enough! After a few messages back and forth,i had managed to secure myself a Charger that had only covered 19 delivery miles (yes,you did read that correct). It was removed due to a damaged pulley,which by looking at the photos was some-what repairable anyway. Included was a second throttle body with blanking plates and dual cable throttle wheel,all for the sum of £140.00 delivered!
Amongst the vast amount of research i found Aran and Taffylude's build threads on Nutz,who both kindly documentated everything including where to buy it and the costs. This was the perfect Guide for a novice like myself! Massive thanks to them both!
So i took the Charger to work to give it a good clean,removing the PTO and making a blanking plate. At this point i also cut the mounting lug off and blanked the breather port next to it.
RX8 420cc Injectors purchased,these worked great on the turbo build and will help give me some extra ponies. These were sent off to BLiNK Motorsport to be cleaned/flow tested/new seals. They did an incredible job and had a very fast turn around,highly recommend them!
AEM Wideband from Dan at Fast5
As the weather was good,i got some painting done. I wanted a pretty basic looking engine bay,almost OEM,so i went for the classic Wrinkle Black finish. I ended up painting the Inlet Manifold,both Throttle Bodies,Radiator Slam Panel,Wiper Scuttle Panel and Thermostat Housing. Sadly i've only got a photo of the Throttle Body at the time (the rest can be seen in the engine bay photos above)
TR Lane Kit ordered,this was one of the most expensive items and took approx 6 weeks to be made.
It didnt matter that the original pulley was damaged as it was being replaced with a smaller one. I went for a 15% reduction as i wanted it reliable and i had read smaller pulleys could lead to potential belt slip. I ordered one along with a modified By-Pass Valve from 1320.co.uk
I knew removing the pulley was going to be a major task,so i left that in the capable hands of an Engineering company around the corner from mine. It took them a few days to do,but it came off clean which is the main thing
I made some gaskets for the TR Lane inlet and outlet and bolted them together. The charger received a coat of Wrinkle Black paint too
In the mean time i was getting ready for the engine bay work to be done,which saw alot of new gaskets and bits and pieces ordered,aswell as new nuts,bolts and washers for various things for the build. Luckily i got majority of the parts from MX5 Parts when they had their discount on!
This then brings me to last week,i had booked the week off so i could fit it. With the turbo build i had to get alot of help from various people as i was pretty clueless with what to do and how to fit it.
I managed to fit the kit on my own! Doesn't sound alot to most,but its pretty achievable on my part (yes,i admit i had to get a second opinion on a few bits,but i'd rather be 100% sure!)
Here are some various photos from the fitting stage:
Radiator Fan moved into the centre,brackets made and the fan wiring extended
Intercooler Pipework Mock Up (Driver's Side)
Manifold removed to fit the Wideband Sensor (its at a stupid place and was easier to remove the Manifold)
I got the Charger mounted in the Engine Bay (knowing it would need adjusting at a later date). Also got the Tensioner Bracket on and the Intercooler all plumbed in
Nice and Stealthy!
This then brings me to last week,i had booked the week off so i could fit it. With the turbo build i had to get alot of help from various people as i was pretty clueless with what to do and how to fit it.
I managed to fit the kit on my own! Doesn't sound alot to most,but its pretty achievable on my part (yes,i admit i had to get a second opinion on a few bits,but i'd rather be 100% sure!)
Here are some various photos from the fitting stage:
Radiator Fan moved into the centre,brackets made and the fan wiring extended
Intercooler Pipework Mock Up (Driver's Side)
Manifold removed to fit the Wideband Sensor (its at a stupid place and was easier to remove the Manifold)
I got the Charger mounted in the Engine Bay (knowing it would need adjusting at a later date). Also got the Tensioner Bracket on and the Intercooler all plumbed in
Nice and Stealthy!
IAT and Idle Speed Valve hose fitted to the Intake hose
RX8 Injectors Fitted (after several issues with a crushed O-Ring!)
Belt fitted and tensioned. Air ducting and Pipercross Foam Filter fitted too. Megasquirt 2 V3 had also arrived and was fitted
And there we have it! Supercharged in 7 days
RX8 Injectors Fitted (after several issues with a crushed O-Ring!)
Belt fitted and tensioned. Air ducting and Pipercross Foam Filter fitted too. Megasquirt 2 V3 had also arrived and was fitted
And there we have it! Supercharged in 7 days
k. BMW E36 Variable TPS and the adaptor plate from Cerberus
Fitted some Purple LEDs to the RevLimiter Stirling Gauges
I took the car to have a Power Run to see what she's producing
Here is a short video i put together
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEg6vRTBcTs
181.7bhp
164.4lbft
Hoping to get some more mapping done early 2015 to smoothen out the AFR,hopefully should see a increase in power too
Fitted some Purple LEDs to the RevLimiter Stirling Gauges
I took the car to have a Power Run to see what she's producing
Here is a short video i put together
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEg6vRTBcTs
181.7bhp
164.4lbft
Hoping to get some more mapping done early 2015 to smoothen out the AFR,hopefully should see a increase in power too
any idea of cost including the M45?Update!
Got the BMW VTPS fitted and calibrated,me and Law managed to squeeze in some quick road tuning too
Saw a photo on Facebook of a airbag turned into a Gauge Pod,so I started to make my own. I've never used filler/fiberglass so I don't have much hope this will turn out any good.
Since those photos,the pods have had two layers of fine surface filler and have been rubbed down. Shape is pretty much done,just some minor areas to finish
Ordered some Aerocatch Bonnet Pins,once the initial drilling into the Carbon Bonnet was over,i overcome the fear of cocking it up.
1.8 Dimpled & Grooved Discs,Ferodo Pads and HEL Stainless Hoses fitted (just need to get the rears fitted)
While shopping for some cleaning products,i saw these and couldn't resist ordering some!
Gave the 'ol Gal a clean (she hasn't been washed since September,oops!)
Managed to grab this photo of the Runabout Type II fuel lid covered in frost from the other morning
Got the BMW VTPS fitted and calibrated,me and Law managed to squeeze in some quick road tuning too
Saw a photo on Facebook of a airbag turned into a Gauge Pod,so I started to make my own. I've never used filler/fiberglass so I don't have much hope this will turn out any good.
Since those photos,the pods have had two layers of fine surface filler and have been rubbed down. Shape is pretty much done,just some minor areas to finish
Ordered some Aerocatch Bonnet Pins,once the initial drilling into the Carbon Bonnet was over,i overcome the fear of cocking it up.
1.8 Dimpled & Grooved Discs,Ferodo Pads and HEL Stainless Hoses fitted (just need to get the rears fitted)
While shopping for some cleaning products,i saw these and couldn't resist ordering some!
Gave the 'ol Gal a clean (she hasn't been washed since September,oops!)
Managed to grab this photo of the Runabout Type II fuel lid covered in frost from the other morning
Small Update:
Finally got round to getting the hose take off and IAT bung welded onto the Intercooler pipe
Which resulted in the IAT wires breaking off at the plug,managed to get around it but potentially made it worse. It'll be fine for now,but at 10:30pm in very cold conditions,i didn't want to be out there for much longer
Fitted the stainless Fuse Box cover that's been sitting about for a couple of months
Purchased an Alloy Washer bottle
And fitted Got the Alloy Scuttle Panel machined to allow access to the cap
With the original bottle removed,the air ducting was in a much better positioned and shortened
Gave the engine bay a good clean too,as it hadn't been cleaned since it was painted
Finally got round to getting the hose take off and IAT bung welded onto the Intercooler pipe
Which resulted in the IAT wires breaking off at the plug,managed to get around it but potentially made it worse. It'll be fine for now,but at 10:30pm in very cold conditions,i didn't want to be out there for much longer
Fitted the stainless Fuse Box cover that's been sitting about for a couple of months
Purchased an Alloy Washer bottle
And fitted
Got the Alloy Scuttle Panel machined to allow access to the capWith the original bottle removed,the air ducting was in a much better positioned and shortened
Gave the engine bay a good clean too,as it hadn't been cleaned since it was painted
Update time
So this week I embarked on a road trip to go visit Nick at Skuzzle Motorsport to have the car mapped.
Nick worked his magic and was incredibly speedy in mapping her! Thinking it would take all day,infact only took him till Lunch time.
When I had it dyno'd a few weeks after it was charged,it was 142hp @ the wheels and 180hp @ the flywheel.
She's now a healthy 170hp @ the wheels and 204hp @ the flywheel! Its a lot smoother to drive and less punchy,Nick said he can adjust it to bring back some of the punchy-ness,but I'd have to sacrifice some Torque which I didn't want to do. The fueling is a lot better,she doesn't flame any more,but Nick kindly demonstrated how to change that in Tuner Studio. He did adjust it so it pops and burbles nicely at 4000rpm now
Overall,incredibly happy and pleased with the results and the work/service by Nick! Cant recommend him enough!
So me and Mrs Reeper spent another day in the area and then headed home. Needless to say,after a 577 mile round trip,the Monster is in need of a bath now
I'm sure everyone on here has dreamt of owning a particular car/car part. Ever since I've been involved with modified cars,i've always fallen in love with one particular alloy wheel.
I promised myself that one day I hope I could be so lucky to own such a wheel. So I bit the bullet and ordered them,knowing they're custom made to order,the waiting time would be an absolute killer and it seemed a lot longer than it actually was.
So after a 12 week wait and numerous emails sent bugging Rich at Driftworks,i finally took delivery of them today!
//WORK Meister S12P 15x9j ET0 in Gloss White
Mrs Reeper bought me some Wide Arches for Christmas. So i'll need to wait to have those fitted before the Works can go on.
I'll be wrapping them in 205/50 Rainsport 3 tyres. They seem to have a very good review and they're pretty good price wise.
So this week I embarked on a road trip to go visit Nick at Skuzzle Motorsport to have the car mapped.
Nick worked his magic and was incredibly speedy in mapping her! Thinking it would take all day,infact only took him till Lunch time.
When I had it dyno'd a few weeks after it was charged,it was 142hp @ the wheels and 180hp @ the flywheel.
She's now a healthy 170hp @ the wheels and 204hp @ the flywheel! Its a lot smoother to drive and less punchy,Nick said he can adjust it to bring back some of the punchy-ness,but I'd have to sacrifice some Torque which I didn't want to do. The fueling is a lot better,she doesn't flame any more,but Nick kindly demonstrated how to change that in Tuner Studio. He did adjust it so it pops and burbles nicely at 4000rpm now
Overall,incredibly happy and pleased with the results and the work/service by Nick! Cant recommend him enough!
So me and Mrs Reeper spent another day in the area and then headed home. Needless to say,after a 577 mile round trip,the Monster is in need of a bath now
I'm sure everyone on here has dreamt of owning a particular car/car part. Ever since I've been involved with modified cars,i've always fallen in love with one particular alloy wheel.
I promised myself that one day I hope I could be so lucky to own such a wheel. So I bit the bullet and ordered them,knowing they're custom made to order,the waiting time would be an absolute killer and it seemed a lot longer than it actually was.
So after a 12 week wait and numerous emails sent bugging Rich at Driftworks,i finally took delivery of them today!
//WORK Meister S12P 15x9j ET0 in Gloss White
Mrs Reeper bought me some Wide Arches for Christmas. So i'll need to wait to have those fitted before the Works can go on.
I'll be wrapping them in 205/50 Rainsport 3 tyres. They seem to have a very good review and they're pretty good price wise.
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