Hoodedreeper's MX5 (Purple Project)
Discussion
The back end is finally finished after dodging the poor weather for what seems like weeks on end.
It seemed this was going to certainly test my patience,and it did. What ever i done,another problem would arise,but i got there in the end.
By no means is it perfect and/or functional,but i like it
The wing stands could have done with being lower,but that would have meant cutting the bumper for about the 5th time,and it would have gone all the way to the bottom. I wasn't keen on the idea of the centre part only being held together with a small area of plastic at the very top.
But i guess beggers can't be choosers...onto the photos!
Just waiting for a couple of parts and i can get the cables fitted inbetween the wing stands. Then its time to remove the front bumper ready to make the DIY splitter and canards
It seemed this was going to certainly test my patience,and it did. What ever i done,another problem would arise,but i got there in the end.
By no means is it perfect and/or functional,but i like it
The wing stands could have done with being lower,but that would have meant cutting the bumper for about the 5th time,and it would have gone all the way to the bottom. I wasn't keen on the idea of the centre part only being held together with a small area of plastic at the very top.But i guess beggers can't be choosers...onto the photos!
Just waiting for a couple of parts and i can get the cables fitted inbetween the wing stands. Then its time to remove the front bumper ready to make the DIY splitter and canards
The wing stands will be powder coated gloss black at some point. I'm still in the stages of adjusting everything,so once things are right i'll get them painted I agree silver is too garish and bland and white would be too much.
I do have a hard top,however. The new Robbins softtop i had fitted a couple of months ago,the glass screen hits the roll cage preventing it from folding down all the way. This is stopping the hard top from going on,no matter how hard i try and push the softtop down further.
I'm swaying towards getting rid of the softtop and run a hardtop all year round,especially now i have the wing.
A fastback would be the greatest solution/idea,but my budget is now very limited,especially as of next year
I agree silver is too garish and bland and white would be too much.I do have a hard top,however. The new Robbins softtop i had fitted a couple of months ago,the glass screen hits the roll cage preventing it from folding down all the way. This is stopping the hard top from going on,no matter how hard i try and push the softtop down further.
I'm swaying towards getting rid of the softtop and run a hardtop all year round,especially now i have the wing.
A fastback would be the greatest solution/idea,but my budget is now very limited,especially as of next year
Having revisited this thread for a while to see the progress of the car my opinion on whether its my thing or not has changed a number of times.
At first it was a bit too bling for me for what is basically an MX5 however but with some of the more in your face features tamed for a more subtle and classy look which gave the impression "This guy really cares about his car" I soon liked it.
But I must admit that wing is a big step in completely the wrong direction. Usually im a fan of big wings depending on the car its on and whether it suits the function such as being a track car or time attack car or something JDM and tuned but on a tiny MX5 with a soft top it just looks like "oh look someone attached a cute little Mx5 to a Time Attack Wing". From the pictures above the one that tips it over that line for me is the side profile as it just hangs of the back and stands way too tall making it look like a massive weight hanging off the back of the car.
So i'm afraid to say my opinion on the car has changed once again for the worse
Please don't consider this a personal attack, its simply my opinion and at most consider it constructive criticism.
At first it was a bit too bling for me for what is basically an MX5 however but with some of the more in your face features tamed for a more subtle and classy look which gave the impression "This guy really cares about his car" I soon liked it.
But I must admit that wing is a big step in completely the wrong direction. Usually im a fan of big wings depending on the car its on and whether it suits the function such as being a track car or time attack car or something JDM and tuned but on a tiny MX5 with a soft top it just looks like "oh look someone attached a cute little Mx5 to a Time Attack Wing". From the pictures above the one that tips it over that line for me is the side profile as it just hangs of the back and stands way too tall making it look like a massive weight hanging off the back of the car.
So i'm afraid to say my opinion on the car has changed once again for the worse
Please don't consider this a personal attack, its simply my opinion and at most consider it constructive criticism.
Edited by Samjeev on Sunday 6th December 16:05
Received the second package from Garage Star,this time a pair of door bushings and a Thermostat sandwich plate.
Got the door bushings fitted. The doors definately have that nicer shut noise,but on the odd occasion they need a firmer push to shut them. I guess in time they'll wear abit and it wont happen so much.
Over the past week or so i've been busy making more DIY parts for the car. I first started with another sheet of Dibond and made the front splitter,followed by some front Canards out of some thin aluminium (it may be too thin,but will see how i get on)
I decided to curve the splitter into the corners of the bumper rather than having it the same width all the way around. Made some brackets from some 25x2mm steel plate and mounted to where the OEM undertray bolts to (i used the front stud).
I originally left the centre of the splitter and used the two threaded parts on the bottom of the intercooler to mount it,but this pulled the splitter down leaving a gap underneath the bumper. So i cut the a section out of the middle so the intercooler fit snug-ish and made some brackets (will need to re-do them at some point as they're not the prettiest). Lastly i used a couple of adjustable turnbuckle rods for the centre.
I have noticed the splitter has pulled over to the passenger side since re-fitting the bumper. I'll get it up on a ramp and see if i can pull it across. It was a very very snug fit fitting the bumper back on,hopefully theres enough give in the brackets (once slackened off) to move it back across.
Next was fitting some tension cables to the wing stands. I used some 4mm wire cable with some 6mm clamps and eyelet bolts. Its definitely made a difference,its not swaying from side to side as i'm driving now
I haven't had the chance to drive it 'properly' yet due to all the rain we've had recently. From what i have driven it,it does feel more stable and the front hasnt gotten much lift (from what i can tell)
After taking the above photos,i notice how badly i need to adjust the suspension,another thing on my to-do list
Got the door bushings fitted. The doors definately have that nicer shut noise,but on the odd occasion they need a firmer push to shut them. I guess in time they'll wear abit and it wont happen so much.
Over the past week or so i've been busy making more DIY parts for the car. I first started with another sheet of Dibond and made the front splitter,followed by some front Canards out of some thin aluminium (it may be too thin,but will see how i get on)
I decided to curve the splitter into the corners of the bumper rather than having it the same width all the way around. Made some brackets from some 25x2mm steel plate and mounted to where the OEM undertray bolts to (i used the front stud).
I originally left the centre of the splitter and used the two threaded parts on the bottom of the intercooler to mount it,but this pulled the splitter down leaving a gap underneath the bumper. So i cut the a section out of the middle so the intercooler fit snug-ish and made some brackets (will need to re-do them at some point as they're not the prettiest). Lastly i used a couple of adjustable turnbuckle rods for the centre.
I have noticed the splitter has pulled over to the passenger side since re-fitting the bumper. I'll get it up on a ramp and see if i can pull it across. It was a very very snug fit fitting the bumper back on,hopefully theres enough give in the brackets (once slackened off) to move it back across.
Next was fitting some tension cables to the wing stands. I used some 4mm wire cable with some 6mm clamps and eyelet bolts. Its definitely made a difference,its not swaying from side to side as i'm driving now
I haven't had the chance to drive it 'properly' yet due to all the rain we've had recently. From what i have driven it,it does feel more stable and the front hasnt gotten much lift (from what i can tell)
After taking the above photos,i notice how badly i need to adjust the suspension,another thing on my to-do list
I bought a copy of Banzai magazine when you had your feature done as it reminded me of my old mk1 and I loved how tasteful it all was.
To be honest, I thought when I first saw it on Facebook that the car had been sold to some kind of idiot. It's a shame really, to see such desperation for attention take this form and with it a subtle car which didn't need to be shouty to stand out. And I know people will say 'but it's unique' - it really isn't. Similarly-deluded mx5 owners have been fixing Boeing-spec attachments to their cars for the last 18 months and they all look as retarded as the next, no matter how 'individual' the owner thinks he's being!
To be honest, I thought when I first saw it on Facebook that the car had been sold to some kind of idiot. It's a shame really, to see such desperation for attention take this form and with it a subtle car which didn't need to be shouty to stand out. And I know people will say 'but it's unique' - it really isn't. Similarly-deluded mx5 owners have been fixing Boeing-spec attachments to their cars for the last 18 months and they all look as retarded as the next, no matter how 'individual' the owner thinks he's being!
C.A.R. said:
To be honest, I thought when I first saw it on Facebook that the car had been sold to some kind of idiot. It's a shame really, to see such desperation for attention take this form
Who says it's got anything to do with attention-seeking or trying to be individual? Why can't people just do things to their car that they like and not be doing it for the sake of instagram likes or forum friends? People like you are exactly what is wrong with the modified car scene. The sooner you realise that nobody cares about your opinion, no matter how rudely or insensitively you put it across, the better off we'll all be.
Interesting to see the car develop over time - as a fellow owner I can say its not my taste however at least everything is done 'well', which matters much more, so all credit to you.
In order to make the wing more 'acceptable' to others there is an easy solution.
Throw away the rubber band charger, built/forged engine, big ball bearing garret turbo, and 350 horsepower.
Then you can have a wing as big as you bloody well want :-P
In order to make the wing more 'acceptable' to others there is an easy solution.
Throw away the rubber band charger, built/forged engine, big ball bearing garret turbo, and 350 horsepower.
Then you can have a wing as big as you bloody well want :-P
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