Just did a deal on an MX5.

[The Black Duke]

Hi there I have just done a deal on a MK1 1.8iS in green with a hardtop, a new roof and a good interior for £500 plus my old ZXR400 bike. I think it was a good deal as I took the ZXR to settle a debt and have not ridden it in a year. Anyway I have £2k to spend over the next 8 months to try and get it up to standard. The paint has faded slightly and it needs a rust repair on the drivers side sill. Also, the car is a bit tappety for about 30 secs when starting from cold.

Taking all this into account, what else do you think I need to make this car a great weekend toy and a satisfactory daily driver. Performance mods would be good as it is very slow compared to my old cossie. (I am looking for about 180bhp ish.)

[The Black Duke]

Sounds good. Will do a quick serviceon the weekend. The car has about 130k miles. Is it okay for a supercharger then?

[The Black Duke]

MX-5 Lazza said:

I'd do a full service on it - i.e:
Cam-belt, tensioners & waterpump.
Change cam-cover gasket.
Change CAS o-ring.
Oil flush & change using good full synthetic.
Fit new thermostat & rad cap (genuine Mazda).
Coolant flush & change (back-flush the rad & block using a hose pipe while the water-pump is off).
Fuel filter change.
Air filter change.
Check brake master & slave cylinders for signs of leakage.
Check clutch master cylinder for signs of leakage.
Check brakes to make sure they don't stick (I'd take them off and grease the moving parts).

As long as you do all this and nothing bad shows up then forced induction shouldn't be a problem. I've seen cars with that much mileage boosted to 200bhp and then go on to do another 100k miles. Just make sure you service it regularly - the more power you add, the more often you service.

Have a read of this thread.

Yeah I know what you mean about the servicing I used to do a service on the cossie every 2k miles or so.

Thanks for the advice and the link.

[The Black Duke]

J.P.W. said:

£2k to spend bringing it up to good condition? No way you'll need all that. Spend the money on petrol, tyres and ferry tickets and enjoy the thing!

That makes a lot of sense. I may just do that. I really want more power but eh! The fuel costs will go through the roof. May just keep it standard and just freshen it up a bit.

[The Black Duke]

I think I am going to change the suspension as it is a little bit tired. Also all my other cars have been polybushed, is this a good idea on the 5?