MX5: NA or FI?
Discussion
Hi,
I have owned a mk1 MX5 for many years and my Dad actually bought it new in 1990. Its my pride and joy and obviously has sentimental value. I have left it pretty well stock except for a K&N cone filter. I have always toyed with the idea of charging it.
I went for a drive in a TR Lane M45 supercharged mk1 and it was fast. However, for some reason I wasn't taken by it and I found the supercharger whine a bit too intrusive. I guess I would find any supercharged MX5 the same in that way?
Then there is turbocharging. I like the sound of turbocharging and understand that the power gains are substantial. However, I wouldnt be going for outright power but rather a small turbocharger that would be quick to be on boost. Are there ones out there that are quick enough so that the enjoyment and more importantly safety, are maintained. eg. I dont fancy feathering the throttle around a roundabout and experience lag followed by a load of torque just when I'm not expecting it?
Then there is the third option - doing nothing! A large part of me thinks that the beauty of the MX5 is that you can thrash it and go through a decent number of gears(even red lining) and at the end of it still be under, or more than likely, only slightly over the speed limit. With the roof down and the MX's back to basics nature the whole experience is quite liberating and exhilerating. However, forced induction will make things happen far quicker, whether it be getting to the speed limit or finding a ditch!
So my question is, what is the answer, NA vs Supercharged vs Turbocharged. If anyone has any experience with the various options, let us know your thoughts!
Many thanks
I have owned a mk1 MX5 for many years and my Dad actually bought it new in 1990. Its my pride and joy and obviously has sentimental value. I have left it pretty well stock except for a K&N cone filter. I have always toyed with the idea of charging it.
I went for a drive in a TR Lane M45 supercharged mk1 and it was fast. However, for some reason I wasn't taken by it and I found the supercharger whine a bit too intrusive. I guess I would find any supercharged MX5 the same in that way?
Then there is turbocharging. I like the sound of turbocharging and understand that the power gains are substantial. However, I wouldnt be going for outright power but rather a small turbocharger that would be quick to be on boost. Are there ones out there that are quick enough so that the enjoyment and more importantly safety, are maintained. eg. I dont fancy feathering the throttle around a roundabout and experience lag followed by a load of torque just when I'm not expecting it?
Then there is the third option - doing nothing! A large part of me thinks that the beauty of the MX5 is that you can thrash it and go through a decent number of gears(even red lining) and at the end of it still be under, or more than likely, only slightly over the speed limit. With the roof down and the MX's back to basics nature the whole experience is quite liberating and exhilerating. However, forced induction will make things happen far quicker, whether it be getting to the speed limit or finding a ditch!
So my question is, what is the answer, NA vs Supercharged vs Turbocharged. If anyone has any experience with the various options, let us know your thoughts!
Many thanks
This argument's been done so many times.
Personally I love an NA '5. Great fun to drive, really simple and easy to work on. Bit low on power though.
I now have a turbocharged one. Still massive fun to drive, and there's no compromise on safety, you just drive it accordingly. There is zero chance of you forgetting what's going on, and suddenly having a load of torque throw you off a roundabout. It does adds a bit more complexity into the engine, but really turbos are very simple.
Obviously there are a lot of different turbochargers available for every conceivable setup you could want, and the amount of knowledge available on the web should make it very easy to come up with a setup that meets your requirements.
Never tried a supercharged model.
Personally I love an NA '5. Great fun to drive, really simple and easy to work on. Bit low on power though.
I now have a turbocharged one. Still massive fun to drive, and there's no compromise on safety, you just drive it accordingly. There is zero chance of you forgetting what's going on, and suddenly having a load of torque throw you off a roundabout. It does adds a bit more complexity into the engine, but really turbos are very simple.
Obviously there are a lot of different turbochargers available for every conceivable setup you could want, and the amount of knowledge available on the web should make it very easy to come up with a setup that meets your requirements.
Never tried a supercharged model.
Edited by cocopop on Friday 1st June 10:32
Hi, I used to have an MX5 and was thinking of going this route a few years back - here's the thread
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
General Gassing is a great busy forum, but more 'specialist' threads can get lost quickly.
Suggest you get over to the MX5 section and ask the question. There is great expereince there and a friendly bunch.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
General Gassing is a great busy forum, but more 'specialist' threads can get lost quickly.
Suggest you get over to the MX5 section and ask the question. There is great expereince there and a friendly bunch.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&a...
I'm not sure - you sound happy with the car as it currently is, so maybe you could spoil how it handles if you mess with it drastically?
Would it be better to remap it (assuming it can be?) - then you wouldn't be changing anything mechanically but tuning what you already have to get the best out of it.
I've never driven an MX5 but I hope to one day
Would it be better to remap it (assuming it can be?) - then you wouldn't be changing anything mechanically but tuning what you already have to get the best out of it.
I've never driven an MX5 but I hope to one day
I personally wouldn't be messing with a 23 year old car and adding things like superchargers and turbocharges to it, not one that has so much sentimental value. You may spoil the car altogether as you're already worried about and if it's not done correctly, could cause all sorts of issues. If it's been in your family this long and is probably a fine example of an early MX5 then I wouldn't risk spoiling it.
If you want something with a bit more punch why not look for an MR2 Turbo or something similar. They're cheap enough to buy and would probably cost the same as fitting a Supercharger/Turbocharger to the MX5 anyway.
If you want something with a bit more punch why not look for an MR2 Turbo or something similar. They're cheap enough to buy and would probably cost the same as fitting a Supercharger/Turbocharger to the MX5 anyway.
densil101 said:
Anyone?
I've driven most varieties of early MX5 as N/A, Supercharged, Turbo.N/A - Fun to get the most out of it and legal speeds. Lack of power gets annoying after a while.
Supercharged - Feels like a bigger engine. Usually based on Eaton 45/62 chargers. 45's cheaper but hard to get over 200bhp out of them. Over the years, I took my 45 from 5psi to intercooled 8psi. An idiot (me) can bolt one of these kits on. Mini-based supercharger kits are available which keeps costs down.
Turbo - Better power than supercharging, some lag (not much of an issue these days), more complex install. More expensive.
I never tried Rotrex (Centrifugal supercharger), although very small, they seem to be the worst of both supercharger/turbo worlds.
After 15+ years of being supercharged, I wanted more power, N/A and lighter so fitted a rotary engine.
With the 1.6 mk1 engine I would say go turbo - I prefer the on / off boost split personality of turbo cars, and it means it will be more economical off boost too.
1.6 turbo kits are plentiful and can be picked up second hand for less than a grand normally on ebay/gumtree, and can give you a good gain for your money without running silly boost and cooling.
1.6 turbo kits are plentiful and can be picked up second hand for less than a grand normally on ebay/gumtree, and can give you a good gain for your money without running silly boost and cooling.
TheTurbonator said:
I personally wouldn't be messing with a 23 year old car and adding things like superchargers and turbocharges to it, not one that has so much sentimental value. You may spoil the car altogether as you're already worried about and if it's not done correctly, could cause all sorts of issues. If it's been in your family this long and is probably a fine example of an early MX5 then I wouldn't risk spoiling it.
If you want something with a bit more punch why not look for an MR2 Turbo or something similar. They're cheap enough to buy and would probably cost the same as fitting a Supercharger/Turbocharger to the MX5 anyway.
I'm of the same view - keep it original, but perhaps with some "tasteful" mods. A turbo in it has to increase the risk of it going bang. Plus, these things cost quite a bit, don't they - probably more than the car is actually worth.If you want something with a bit more punch why not look for an MR2 Turbo or something similar. They're cheap enough to buy and would probably cost the same as fitting a Supercharger/Turbocharger to the MX5 anyway.
If you like the way the NA car delivers it power and the spread of power across the rev range, then go for a supercharger as it gives an almost linear power delivery. It just feels like you are driving a car with a bigger NA engine. It's a little simpler to install too ( no need to change your exhaust manifold or run oil lines from somewhere to the turbo). Ultimately it's easier to get bigger power gains with a turbo though, but 200 is plenty already in a Mk1 MX5.
My old Eunos was supercharged with a M45 running 5 PSI. That level of supercharging was enough to give it a nice boost but not enough to make it feel really fast. It used to go wrong quite a lot. I ditched it. Had just as much fun and only slightly slower in the stock car.
I reckon you'd need 7+ PSI to make it start feeling really quick. And IMO a turbo car with a given output will feel faster than a supercharged one thanks to the turbo kicking in more abruptly.
I reckon you'd need 7+ PSI to make it start feeling really quick. And IMO a turbo car with a given output will feel faster than a supercharged one thanks to the turbo kicking in more abruptly.
Anyone fitted this throttle body kit to a Mk3?
http://www.jenvey.co.uk/home/throttle-body-kits/je...
Anyone know what the possible bhp increase would be? Is it possible to remap the existing ECU for these or is an aftermarket ECU required?
http://www.jenvey.co.uk/home/throttle-body-kits/je...
Anyone know what the possible bhp increase would be? Is it possible to remap the existing ECU for these or is an aftermarket ECU required?
TameRacingDriver said:
And IMO a turbo car with a given output will feel faster than a supercharged one thanks to the turbo kicking in more abruptly.
A few years back when my supercharged car had around 215bhp I took someone out for a demo drive after he's been out for a similar demo in a 250bhp turbo Mk1. He said that mine actually felt quicker because the power was always there and there is no lag whatsoever. That was made quite obvious on the road as on a slightly winding road he couldn't get away from me at all despite having an extra 35bhp and 60ish lb/ft. It's not all about numbers, power delivery makes a massive difference.Gassing Station | Mazda MX5/Roadster/Miata | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff