NA Suspension Mods - coilovers, polybushes or what?
Discussion
Hi all - I'm a year into MX5 ownership and despite feeling the temptation to change for something with more poke, I think I'm going to spend some money on my S-Special to improve it.
Definitely I want some roll protection, so I'll be getting a TR Lane bar on which should stiffen it up. However, I also hear good things about coilovers, but when speaking to a guy who seems to know his 5s he suggested that lowering springs and polybushing the droplinks and rollbars would be good and half the price of coilovers. Anybody got any opinions on that?
Also feel free to suggest any other mods - I've just had a small windfall so tempted to blow it on the car (though I'm also told for forced induction I'd be better off buying a turbo'd car rather than charging the one I already have?).
Cheers!
Definitely I want some roll protection, so I'll be getting a TR Lane bar on which should stiffen it up. However, I also hear good things about coilovers, but when speaking to a guy who seems to know his 5s he suggested that lowering springs and polybushing the droplinks and rollbars would be good and half the price of coilovers. Anybody got any opinions on that?
Also feel free to suggest any other mods - I've just had a small windfall so tempted to blow it on the car (though I'm also told for forced induction I'd be better off buying a turbo'd car rather than charging the one I already have?).
Cheers!
My car's a 1.8 so already has the bigger brakes - so I don't think those will need any work.
As to the Meisters Rs - sounds good, though I'm loathe to spend £600 or £700 on suspension for a car worth £2500 absolute tops. Then again if it's a keeper...
As to the forced induction route - good point. I can't spanner at all though so I'd need it done for me - any idea what it'd cost?
As to the Meisters Rs - sounds good, though I'm loathe to spend £600 or £700 on suspension for a car worth £2500 absolute tops. Then again if it's a keeper...
As to the forced induction route - good point. I can't spanner at all though so I'd need it done for me - any idea what it'd cost?
Yep - I see what you mean, for a low value car you can spend a lot on it...
I've considered new rims, but I do indeed have 14" BBS rims on it, so I think I'm good there for now (they're the main reason I liked the S-Special in fact).
I've chopped the stereo in for a new one and I might put some new speakers in the headrests or I may just bin the seats and get some new items - I quite fancy Elise seats in fact.
ETA: and yes, thinking about a Cobalt 'zorst too!
I've considered new rims, but I do indeed have 14" BBS rims on it, so I think I'm good there for now (they're the main reason I liked the S-Special in fact).
I've chopped the stereo in for a new one and I might put some new speakers in the headrests or I may just bin the seats and get some new items - I quite fancy Elise seats in fact.
ETA: and yes, thinking about a Cobalt 'zorst too!
Edited by Actus Reus on Wednesday 17th February 17:20
Cheers for that - interesting post.
I didn't buy an NB car precisely because of the rust issue (and because the one good car I could find was out of budget as it was a cherished RS model), so I got an NA. I'd ideally not start again as I'm really pleased with what I've got, but I realise that spending a £3k on a £2k car is not sensible financially... I've also spotted an Integra Type R near me and I've wanted one of those since I was 18. Decisions, decisions...
I didn't buy an NB car precisely because of the rust issue (and because the one good car I could find was out of budget as it was a cherished RS model), so I got an NA. I'd ideally not start again as I'm really pleased with what I've got, but I realise that spending a £3k on a £2k car is not sensible financially... I've also spotted an Integra Type R near me and I've wanted one of those since I was 18. Decisions, decisions...
Very true - but I'm thinking of switching and if I'm thinking of switching it's worth weighing the two up. Either way the money's going on a car, but there's no point buying £2k's worth of bits for my Eunos and then immediately flogging it and buying an Elise.
£7k is some going though - what the hell have you done to it?!?
£7k is some going though - what the hell have you done to it?!?
OK, makes sense written down and doesn't seem too bad - indeed a lot of what you've got I'm gonna get if I keep it:
Meister R coilies
Dimitrol the underside (again)
New seats
TR Lane bar
Cobalt cat-back
New speakers in the headrests if I keep the seats
I've got a K&N Typhoon shoe-horned in at the moment, and think I'll keep the 14" BBS rims as they're light and I like them. 15s might allow for a wider tyre choice though? I replaced the headunit and cubby with the MX5 Parts kit back in May, and I might add some more blingy bits to lift the cabin, but that's not really a priority. It is, however, one of the few jobs I'd feel confident doing myself. I may also change some orange indicator lenses for clear versions.
Just posting on here makes me want to keep the car in fact, much as I fancy an Integra or a Lotus.
Meister R coilies
Dimitrol the underside (again)
New seats
TR Lane bar
Cobalt cat-back
New speakers in the headrests if I keep the seats
I've got a K&N Typhoon shoe-horned in at the moment, and think I'll keep the 14" BBS rims as they're light and I like them. 15s might allow for a wider tyre choice though? I replaced the headunit and cubby with the MX5 Parts kit back in May, and I might add some more blingy bits to lift the cabin, but that's not really a priority. It is, however, one of the few jobs I'd feel confident doing myself. I may also change some orange indicator lenses for clear versions.
Just posting on here makes me want to keep the car in fact, much as I fancy an Integra or a Lotus.
That's basically what I want to do - get my hands dirty and learn a bit about mechanics; would also be nice to do with my son when he's a bit older.
I also have air-con and might well ditch it - apparently it works, but like you, in a cabrio in this country I fail to see the point - in my Boxster I used it maybe once, and that was my only car (I was stuck in traffic on the M25 on a hot day and was burning).
Thanks for your comments so far - really useful and encouraging too.
I also have air-con and might well ditch it - apparently it works, but like you, in a cabrio in this country I fail to see the point - in my Boxster I used it maybe once, and that was my only car (I was stuck in traffic on the M25 on a hot day and was burning).
Thanks for your comments so far - really useful and encouraging too.
Thanks all - gonna get Meister Rs and possibly some chassis bracing as well as some sort of roll-over protection, probably TR Lane. Finally I'll get some foam out of the seat. Beyond that it'll just be some cosmetic messing about and a geo. Oh, and maybe somr new headrest speakers. I have the 14" BBS rims which are pretty light already, I think?
Car will probably stay SORN'd until April whilst I get the work done; can't wait for April and hopefully some sunny days. Thanks again, chaps. Oh, and good thread Chimp - will keep an eye on that.
Car will probably stay SORN'd until April whilst I get the work done; can't wait for April and hopefully some sunny days. Thanks again, chaps. Oh, and good thread Chimp - will keep an eye on that.
That's exactly who I've been looking at - that tubing that's been heat-treated (I think) to get that kind of oil in water look is great. However I want to get the work done in one hit, and I suspect TR Lane will be able to do me something immediately for 'my man' to fit at the same time as the coilies go on.
There's also a lass on the Facebook forums (Elin? Erin?) whose fella is gonna fabricate some and they look alright too. Again time is a factor.
There's also a lass on the Facebook forums (Elin? Erin?) whose fella is gonna fabricate some and they look alright too. Again time is a factor.
So, just to update this I've decided on 3 mods for the car for now:
1. Meister R suspension (standard CRD as it's mainly for road use) - ordered on a Saturday and arrived the following Tuesday, and 10% off using the Nutz discount.
2. Roll Bar - I've ordered a GCFabrications GCR3 bar - it's their biggest and toughest looking bar, so hopefully up to the job. £400 odd delivered as I had it powder coated too.
3. Exhaust - an old MOT reports some escaping gases, so I'm going to get an MX5 Parts cat-back system fitted
That's it for now - next up probably seats and harnesses so as to make proper use of the roll bar. I'll also probably de-tango the car, and maybe add a few subtle graphics to go with the fairly lairy (KTM Orange) roll bar. As somebody said earlier, this is addictive isn't it?
1. Meister R suspension (standard CRD as it's mainly for road use) - ordered on a Saturday and arrived the following Tuesday, and 10% off using the Nutz discount.
2. Roll Bar - I've ordered a GCFabrications GCR3 bar - it's their biggest and toughest looking bar, so hopefully up to the job. £400 odd delivered as I had it powder coated too.
3. Exhaust - an old MOT reports some escaping gases, so I'm going to get an MX5 Parts cat-back system fitted
That's it for now - next up probably seats and harnesses so as to make proper use of the roll bar. I'll also probably de-tango the car, and maybe add a few subtle graphics to go with the fairly lairy (KTM Orange) roll bar. As somebody said earlier, this is addictive isn't it?
Well I have now had the Meisters fitted, and the roll bar and an MX5 Parts cat-back.
I've only driven the car once since, but I'm impressed with the quality of the ride on the Meisters, and they + the roll bar have stiffened the car up and reduced roll significantly.
Also want to say that if you're in the market for a roll bar GCF are EXCELLENT - first class quality fabrication (to my eyes) and really good customer service. I'd not hesitate to use them again.
As and when I have time I'll stick a thread in readers cars in case anybody's interested.
I've only driven the car once since, but I'm impressed with the quality of the ride on the Meisters, and they + the roll bar have stiffened the car up and reduced roll significantly.
Also want to say that if you're in the market for a roll bar GCF are EXCELLENT - first class quality fabrication (to my eyes) and really good customer service. I'd not hesitate to use them again.
As and when I have time I'll stick a thread in readers cars in case anybody's interested.
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