PH Fleet: Mazda Eunos Roadster

North Wales reveals the strengths - and a couple of weaknesses - in the 'PH project' Mazda Eunos

There's a danger with these euphemistically titled 'project cars' that you just spend all your time faffing about with spanners and not actually driving the things. Well, I'm glad to report there's no such danger with the Eunos and I have actually been putting the miles in. Having spent quite a lot of time faffing about with spanners. And learning that bodyshop guys – or at least the ones I went to see – aren't fun folk to hang out with.

It's all down to that damned stupid idea to put a stick-on plate on the front. The first one I stuck on wonky. Then it peeled off after I tried to straighten it and took the paint with it. No problem, I'll put another one on and cover the bald patch. But I cocked that up too.

Aforementioned bodyshops looked at it, teeth were sucked, shoulders shrugged and a general level of disinterest expressed as if I was asking them to do the job as a favour. Even when I pointed out that, yes, they would be paid for the work there was still little enthusiasm so in a sulk I went home and bought a whole new nose cone for sixty quid off eBay.

Another afternoon with the socket set and the company of Paul Hardiman's excellent service manual saw the front ends swapped relatively painlessly, the paint not quite a perfect match but better in generally better nick than the one I'd taken off.

With suspension deliberations still ongoing Phil from Performance5 got in touch having read about the car and shared some titbits based on his experience of developing his own bespoke damper set-up for MX-5s. Chatting with Phil it's clear he's got a real bee in his bonnet about the common misconceptions people have about suspension set-up and I liked his way of thinking so we'll see where this ends up.

Wait, I was meant to be talking about driving, not fettling. And driving I have been doing, and enjoying. The gods were obviously smiling on me too, a weekend away in Anglesey neatly coinciding with both a Circuit Days trackday on Anglesey circuit and three days of glorious spring weather.

On the back of chatting with Phil I was keen to push the car a bit harder as it is and find out for myself how the stock set-up could be improved and the combination of Snowdonia’s roads and the Anglesey circuit were a perfect testing ground.

Circuit Days has a pretty open door policy and I was more than a little intimidated to see some serious cars out on track with me, including a Ginetta G50. And boy is the Eunos slow in that company. Really slow. Enormous fun though, the satisfaction there in swallowing a brave pill and learning to carry speed rather than rely on horsepower to build it. Excellent marshalling made the speed differential between me and cars like the Ginetta bearable, some very on the ball blue flagging meaning I had plenty of time to get out of the way of the big boys and continue on my merry way with the odd cheeky skid now and then to liven things up.

Having rued the cost of my braided lines and new discs and pads I was now grateful for the firm, consistent pedal and perfectly adequate stopping power, given the modest performance. Something backed up by Circuit Days' Darren Langeveld who, having psyched himself up, bravely agreed to take the wheel for some photo laps. Clearly wary of what he was letting himself in for he kicked the tyres speculatively and asked if the Mazda was all in order. I affirmed it was and nervously watched as he sped off up the pit lane. He must have enjoyed it and was out for ages, returning with a fat grin and full of praise for the car and the brakes especially. Phew!

Poor little thing was feeling it by now though, a quantity of oil from the rocker cover gasket suggesting it hadn't quite seated correctly after the cambelt change – another one is sitting beside me awaiting a chance to fit it.

The drive back from Anglesey was a proper 'this is why I bought this car' affirmation moment too, the midweek calm meaning I got from Llanberis to Blaenau Ffestiniog and saw just two other cars. Blue skies, stunning Welsh scenery and wonderful flowing roads had the Eunos in its element, the best bit being this fun was all at (relatively) innocent speeds.

It's not perfect though and I look forward to talking more with Phil about possible suspension upgrades. I don't feel any desperate need to go harder but feel it might sit a bit better (and look a tad more poised) with a few millimetres out of the ride height. There's definitely a bit of wallow in the rear axle too, the dampers most likely worn and sitting into their travel meaning it both floats about and thumps into the bumpstops rather more regularly than is ideal.

Rather more gratifying is that all this'spirited driving' seems to have loosened up the Eunos’s vocal chords somewhat and it has now developed a most pleasing, Alfa-esque rasp to the exhaust. And that's one mod achieved without even lifting a spanner – yet another endorsement of the 'just get out and drive' policy I aim to live by now the weather is getting better.

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MrDarkBlack

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