Performance upgrades and where to start

[theboyfold]

I'm in the process of getting rid of the Boxster and treating myself to something new. The current favorites are either an MX-5 or Honda Integra Type R.

The budget is around £5k and this can include upgrades.

So my question is what's the suggested upgrade path (the driver will also be upgraded with training as well!) and which one is the best 'template' to start with? I was thinking 1.8 MK1 import with an LSD fitted.

[JFReturns]

You could buy a very nicely tuned (turbo or supercharged) MK1 for that money.

If you want to do it yourself from a standard car it would be more expensive. Also, it depends on how much power you want. I brought a standard MK1 for 2k and have spent about the same uprating suspension, brakes, engine (NA) and for me it feels great. Not a great deal of straight line speed but fantastic in the twisties.

[theboyfold]

I don't think I want to go supercharged straight away as I might change my mind on it.

Granted I might miss the straight line punch I have at the minute, but I'm aware of that.

What upgrades have you done to yours?

[piefacemate]

You're thinking along the right lines, an import with LSD and bilsteins would be my choice as a starting point. Some special editions have recaro buckets which would be a great edition and neccersary if you're planning on any track work.

There's plenty of sc vs. Tc threads on here that you might find interesting reading.

[Munter]

A proper roll bar. And "better" suspension. And there's lot's of choice on the suspension front! For me it was just thicker ARBs and I was happy with that for years.

The roll bar to add a touch more stiffness, and a bit of a safer feeling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGHzyNJ3-kI&fea...

That's where I started. And stopped.

[theboyfold]

Thanks for the replies, the roll bar will certainly be on the shopping list!

At the moment the 5 is certainly my preferred choice over the Integra, as there is a better choice of cars out there and it'll be cheaper to get it a little bit sharper.

Is the upgrade to the Mk2.5 brake kit useful for track work as well?

[Munter]

theboyfold said:

Thanks for the replies, the roll bar will certainly be on the shopping list!

At the moment the 5 is certainly my preferred choice over the Integra, as there is a better choice of cars out there and it'll be cheaper to get it a little bit sharper.

Is the upgrade to the Mk2.5 brake kit useful for track work as well?

Put it this way. The MX5 race series don't do brake upgrades (well a bit of ducting I think is allowed). Assuming you're buying a 1.8 just stick standard disks, good pads and good Racing fluid in. Job done.

[theboyfold]

Sounds good and cheap!

All I need to do now is shift the Boxster and start the fun bit of finding a new toy!

[skinny]

i'd definitely get one already done, there are loads of cars out there with suspension and roll bars sorted, and decent brake set-ups that will come in well within your budget. check out teh classifieds on the mx5nutz forum as most on there have been upgraded in some way by knowledgable people.

[S Works]

Munter said:

A proper roll bar. And "better" suspension. And there's lot's of choice on the suspension front! For me it was just thicker ARBs and I was happy with that for years.

The roll bar to add a touch more stiffness, and a bit of a safer feeling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGHzyNJ3-kI&fea...

That's where I started. And stopped.

Makes me feel a bit sick. I'd really like to get a proper bar fitted to mine. Inquired with Performance5 but they can't source anything at a reasonable price at the moment due to unfavourable £/$ FX rates.

Can you recommend anything which is available in the UK (supply and fit preferably), will provide complete rollover protection, and has harness mounts?

[skinny]

google TR Lane for roll bars.

[JFReturns]

Yup, a video like that made me get one. Mine is a TR Lane one, ordered off ebay. They are hand made once ordered so allow two weeks for delivery. Any proper (i.e. no kwik s***) garage will fit it for you.

Obviously the main reason you get them is for safety, but they really stiffen up the chassis. Oh, and they look COOL.

[Howard-]

http://www.trlanefabs.co.uk/MAZDA-MX5-GPV-ROLLBAR.... quite like the look of that

How easy is it to bolt in? Anyone fitted one? Do you need to make holes? How much do they weigh?

Ta

Edited by Howard- on Saturday 24th July 08:14

[JFReturns]

- hard
- yes
- yes
- not much

[(steven)]

Howard- said:

http://www.trlanefabs.co.uk/MAZDA-MX5-GPV-ROLLBAR.... quite like the look of that

How easy is it to bolt in? Anyone fitted one? Do you need to make holes? How much do they weigh?

Ta

Edited by Howard- on Saturday 24th July 08:14

To save a repost look here for Fitting the TR lane GP Bar. (About half way down)

Main things to note is that if your above average height you will need to drop the seats to get your head below the bar. I'm fitting Elise seats to mine but life is getting in the way of progress at the moment. I would also recommend dropping in extra spreader plates than are provided as standard.

[OnlyMX5ives]

If you buy a std car and add bits its more fun (I think) but it will cost you WAY more than buying a modified one.

EG I have a Turbo car with 250bhp that I'm selling for £3950.

I don't think that would even cover the cost of the turbo kit and ECU, Wideband etc

So you're getting the car free !

[Disco You]

Well there are two ways of going about it:

Fanny about:
buy a car (1.8 import with an LSD) as you say. Grow to like it, spend money on a roll bar, suspension and geo setup, wheels and tyres etc etc

Feel the need for more power. Read about sc/turbo. Spend money on getting a kit and fitting it.


or

Dive right in from the start and buy a car which someone has already sorted including FI, saving yourself a fitstfull of cash.

I know which I'd do...

[GravelBen]

Disco You said:

Well there are two ways of going about it:

Or a third way, which is how I did it:

Buy cheap, slightly tatty but mechanically sound standard MX5 ('89 1.6 in my case), drive the wheels off it without caring very much because its so cheap, gain experience of MX5 limit handling. Start getting into track days, apply some cheap second-hand mods (ie rollbar, chassis bracing, 15" wheels), learn a lot about MX5s by tinkering and reading internet forums.

Start getting the bug about more extensive mods and power increases, sell the aforementioned (now slightly less tatty) MX5 for more than you paid and have a much better platform to know what you're wanting from a pre-modified example.

Edited by GravelBen on Monday 26th July 08:12

[theboyfold]

GravelBen said:

Or a third way, which is how I did it:

Buy cheap, slightly tatty but mechanically sound standard MX5 ('89 1.6 in my case), drive the wheels off it without caring very much because its so cheap, gain experience of MX5 limit handling. Start getting into track days, apply some cheap second-hand mods (ie rollbar, chassis bracing, 15" wheels), learn a lot about MX5s by tinkering and reading internet forums.

Start getting the bug about more extensive mods and power increases, sell the aforementioned (now slightly less tatty) MX5 for more than you paid and have a much better platform to know what you're wanting from a pre-modified example.

This was the original idea, but buying one which is a decent(ish) car already. So skip the first part of the plan.

However, the following does sound tempting

OnlyMX5ives said:

If you buy a std car and add bits its more fun (I think) but it will cost you WAY more than buying a modified one.

EG I have a Turbo car with 250bhp that I'm selling for £3950.

I don't think that would even cover the cost of the turbo kit and ECU, Wideband etc

So you're getting the car free !

The thing I should have done was buy the tidy one I was offered about 18 months ago for a silly low price, instead of buying the Boxster back... Hey-ho, what can you do!

[maser_spyder]

Check the 6 speed 'sport' too, it's stiffer than the standard Mk2 (or 2.5) as standard, our standard 2.5 sport still handles better than the modified Mk1.

Good starting point for mods maybe?