2013 Mazda MX5 2.0 - fast road mini-project
Discussion
I have a '17 plate Skoda Citigo for bombing to work in/nipping to the shops etc, but my last "fun" car (for want of a better description) was a facelift E90 M3 DCT. What an engine and 'box combo that is! I had the OEM backbox 2 pipe mod done on it, and when giving it some stick, it sounded absolutely bonkers.
But, as much as I loved it (and I did) - the terrific balance, sublime drive-train, proper Jekyll & Hyde character - I started to think that I could get something a bit less practical as a second car. The Skoda gets most of the abuse and to be honest, the M3 spent most of its time just sat on the drive. When I bought the M3 it was my only car, but now I have the Citigo (which is actually fantastic! Amazing stereo for a cheap car), upwards of £25k worth of car sat there doing very little started to make less and less sense.
I wanted a small, light sports type car. I've never strayed too far from "normal" cars, so I thought something like an Elise might be too much of a leap for my first attempt. I considered a Boxster, but potential reliability issues bothered me. I thought about an S2000 but didn't really fancy a fabric roof, and if I was going to go convertible I wanted something a bit less spiky and more exploitable.
I soon decided I wanted either a GT86 or a Mk3.75 MX5.
I drove a couple of Toyotas, and whilst they drive brilliantly, the seating position is superb and they handle really nicely, I couldn't help but think that I could/should be in a convertible. Plus the engine is a bit gruff and wheezy. I drove several MX5's and loved the idea of one, the only thing concerning me being that I'm 6ft-something, long of leg and broad of shoulder.
If it were any cosier, I would have gone for the Toyota. But, I thought sod it. Go with the heart. I'm getting myself my first convertible.
I initially wanted one of the Recaro Editions, but decided that they just aren't worth the extra cash for a pair of seats. In the end, I got this little beauty. One of the several million special editions that Mazda produce, this one is a Venture Edition. So, sat nav, Bluetooth, bum warmers, possibly other stuff. Probably just an exercise in sticking a badge on to be honest.
It's a 2.0 with a lovely snickety 6 speed box, LSD, and around 160bhp. Grey Paint, tan leather, s
t stereo. I think these power retractable hard top variants (PRHT if you're a Mazda geek) weigh about 1100kg. So, nowhere near as quick as my M3, but it's honestly more fun more of the time. In fact, it's bloody brilliant.
This is how it looked when I first got it. Bought from Southampton, which some of you will know is absolutely nowhere near Grimsby. So, one 6+ hour train ride and a 5+ hour drive home (avoiding motorways, of course), I had this:
I already had a plan in mind before I bought the car. Decent coilovers, good fast road alignment and a power increase, then whatever else I feel it needs along the way, i.e roll bars, upgraded brakes etc. These cars share bits underneath with the RX8 and aftermarket support is plentiful.
I spoke to the chaps at Blink Motorsport about my plans. I initially wanted Ohlins coilovers, but they actually talked me out of it and into a set of Meister R. I know, Ohlins are up there with the really decent stuff, but for fast road and the odd track day, I'm told these actually perform slightly better on road and only slightly below the Ohlins on the track. As this car will be mostly a fast road car, I thought I'd take the advice of those who prep MX5s day in, day out.
They're now fitted, and I'm pretty impressed. I know Meisters of old were far eastern built suspension units, but the internals of these new CRD items are designed in conjunction with a UK partner called Black Art Design and are supposedly quite trick for the price point. Some info here if you're interested http://www.autotorque.net/parts/meisterr-zetacrd-c...
The car is now ace. Such a hoot to drive! So sharp, so tight. I hate to say this, but it really is like a little go kart. With a naturally aspirated 200bhp (or even a supercharged 240-300bhp
), it'll be hilarious fun. I now need to decide between BBR and Blink Motorsport for the 200bhp.
I also fitted 17x8 et45 O.Z Leggera HLT's and Kumho Ecsta PS71 tyres upon various recommendations. It now looks like this:
But, as much as I loved it (and I did) - the terrific balance, sublime drive-train, proper Jekyll & Hyde character - I started to think that I could get something a bit less practical as a second car. The Skoda gets most of the abuse and to be honest, the M3 spent most of its time just sat on the drive. When I bought the M3 it was my only car, but now I have the Citigo (which is actually fantastic! Amazing stereo for a cheap car), upwards of £25k worth of car sat there doing very little started to make less and less sense.
I wanted a small, light sports type car. I've never strayed too far from "normal" cars, so I thought something like an Elise might be too much of a leap for my first attempt. I considered a Boxster, but potential reliability issues bothered me. I thought about an S2000 but didn't really fancy a fabric roof, and if I was going to go convertible I wanted something a bit less spiky and more exploitable.
I soon decided I wanted either a GT86 or a Mk3.75 MX5.
I drove a couple of Toyotas, and whilst they drive brilliantly, the seating position is superb and they handle really nicely, I couldn't help but think that I could/should be in a convertible. Plus the engine is a bit gruff and wheezy. I drove several MX5's and loved the idea of one, the only thing concerning me being that I'm 6ft-something, long of leg and broad of shoulder.
If it were any cosier, I would have gone for the Toyota. But, I thought sod it. Go with the heart. I'm getting myself my first convertible.
I initially wanted one of the Recaro Editions, but decided that they just aren't worth the extra cash for a pair of seats. In the end, I got this little beauty. One of the several million special editions that Mazda produce, this one is a Venture Edition. So, sat nav, Bluetooth, bum warmers, possibly other stuff. Probably just an exercise in sticking a badge on to be honest.
It's a 2.0 with a lovely snickety 6 speed box, LSD, and around 160bhp. Grey Paint, tan leather, s
t stereo. I think these power retractable hard top variants (PRHT if you're a Mazda geek) weigh about 1100kg. So, nowhere near as quick as my M3, but it's honestly more fun more of the time. In fact, it's bloody brilliant.This is how it looked when I first got it. Bought from Southampton, which some of you will know is absolutely nowhere near Grimsby. So, one 6+ hour train ride and a 5+ hour drive home (avoiding motorways, of course), I had this:
I already had a plan in mind before I bought the car. Decent coilovers, good fast road alignment and a power increase, then whatever else I feel it needs along the way, i.e roll bars, upgraded brakes etc. These cars share bits underneath with the RX8 and aftermarket support is plentiful.
I spoke to the chaps at Blink Motorsport about my plans. I initially wanted Ohlins coilovers, but they actually talked me out of it and into a set of Meister R. I know, Ohlins are up there with the really decent stuff, but for fast road and the odd track day, I'm told these actually perform slightly better on road and only slightly below the Ohlins on the track. As this car will be mostly a fast road car, I thought I'd take the advice of those who prep MX5s day in, day out.
They're now fitted, and I'm pretty impressed. I know Meisters of old were far eastern built suspension units, but the internals of these new CRD items are designed in conjunction with a UK partner called Black Art Design and are supposedly quite trick for the price point. Some info here if you're interested http://www.autotorque.net/parts/meisterr-zetacrd-c...
The car is now ace. Such a hoot to drive! So sharp, so tight. I hate to say this, but it really is like a little go kart. With a naturally aspirated 200bhp (or even a supercharged 240-300bhp
), it'll be hilarious fun. I now need to decide between BBR and Blink Motorsport for the 200bhp.I also fitted 17x8 et45 O.Z Leggera HLT's and Kumho Ecsta PS71 tyres upon various recommendations. It now looks like this:
TVR MAN said:
That looks excellent on the new wheels and coilovers. I'm sure with the power uplift it will be great to 
Thanks. The wheels and subtle drop have certainly improved the looks. It definitely looks tougher and squatter now. Legend83 said:
Watching with interest - looks fantastic!
Ta DoubleD said:
Is the car "for Ann"? Whos she ha ha
It's "for" me, my initials are AAN.ECG1000 said:
Got a real soft sport for these. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out - good start so far.
I've always liked all MX5s. To be honest, it was the PH feature on the BBR-tuned Super 200 ND (Mk4) MX5 not too long ago that planted them in the back of my mind again. It also recalled to mind the PH feature on the BBR Super 200 NC . From that point the idea never really went away. MagicalTrevor said:
A friend of mine bought the MeisterR GT1 for sprinting and I've gone with the Ohlins. He's driven my car and reckons they might be slight better.... but then, they are more expensive so you'd hope so.
I don't think you'll have too much of an issue either way.
There's a very small part of me that wonders if I should have gone Ohlins (their well regarded reputation can't be ignored), but so far I'm very pleased with the Meisters. I believe the GT1s are actually a similar price to the Ohlins, whereas the CRDs are £800.I don't think you'll have too much of an issue either way.
I did a fair bit of reading up on them before hand and there are lots of MX5 owners who happily run the Meister CRDs. Time will tell, I guess.
edited for speeloing
Edited by 5er on Monday 9th October 18:15
Evoluzione said:
I have a 2ltr Sport tech in the same colour, but with black leather and soft top, the Bilsteins it comes with are very impressive, but not as taught as your Meisters I would have thought.
If I was to do any power mods it would be a 2.5 with a turbo
The Bilsteins are indeed very good, although allowed quite a lot of body roll. Obviously it's important to maintain wheel contact with the road for good back road progress (or you just end up hopping and skipping all over the place) but I did find the standard set up a little too floaty for my taste. If I was to do any power mods it would be a 2.5 with a turbo
You probably know that Roddisons have done a few 2.5 swaps. Much torquier, but less rev happy. Depends what you prefer I guess. A FI 2.5 would certainly go well though!
MagicalTrevor said:
I don’t think you’ll miss out for road and occasional track use. I just required the best performance I could afford/justify.
I know what you mean. I'd already spent the Ohlins money in my head, so that wasn't the issue. It was merely that I was recommended the Meisters for my use over the Ohlins. Blink were happy to fit them if I wanted them, and make more money off a set of those than the Meisters. I'll report how I get on with them over the coming weeks.One other exciting update is that I've got rid of the standard aerial. It's about 9ft long and was annoying me. This Honda Jazz item is minty condition and cost a few quid off eBay. Much better:
5er said:
Evoluzione said:
I have a 2ltr Sport tech in the same colour, but with black leather and soft top, the Bilsteins it comes with are very impressive, but not as taught as your Meisters I would have thought.
If I was to do any power mods it would be a 2.5 with a turbo
The Bilsteins are indeed very good, although allowed quite a lot of body roll. Obviously it's important to maintain wheel contact with the road for good back road progress (or you just end up hopping and skipping all over the place) but I did find the standard set up a little too floaty for my taste. If I was to do any power mods it would be a 2.5 with a turbo
What miles is it on?
If you plan on keeping it a while or even increasing its resale value I would recommend some undersealing and cavity wax injection. I did mine as it was very clean, no point in leaving it until it was rusting like most do.
Evoluzione said:
It was probably the extra weight of your hard top and 9ft aerial.
What miles is it on?
If you plan on keeping it a while or even increasing its resale value I would recommend some undersealing and cavity wax injection. I did mine as it was very clean, no point in leaving it until it was rusting like most do.
Probably What miles is it on?
If you plan on keeping it a while or even increasing its resale value I would recommend some undersealing and cavity wax injection. I did mine as it was very clean, no point in leaving it until it was rusting like most do.
Just turned over to 8500 miles. The work you mention is on my list of to-dos. Where did you have yours done?
lovely car.
do you have CRD or CRD+?
I've s/charged my mk1 5 to just below 200hp. it's a track car and i don't regret any mod, it's all a journey. However, if i were in your shoes i would seriously consider nasp tuning. It'll give you a power hike and greatly increase the response and character of the engine. It's expensive and capped around 200hp, but FI is never as cheap or problem-free as many hope. That's what i'll do next time. imo these cars don't need big power hikes.
do you have CRD or CRD+?
I've s/charged my mk1 5 to just below 200hp. it's a track car and i don't regret any mod, it's all a journey. However, if i were in your shoes i would seriously consider nasp tuning. It'll give you a power hike and greatly increase the response and character of the engine. It's expensive and capped around 200hp, but FI is never as cheap or problem-free as many hope. That's what i'll do next time. imo these cars don't need big power hikes.
5er said:
Evoluzione said:
It was probably the extra weight of your hard top and 9ft aerial.
What miles is it on?
If you plan on keeping it a while or even increasing its resale value I would recommend some undersealing and cavity wax injection. I did mine as it was very clean, no point in leaving it until it was rusting like most do.
Probably What miles is it on?
If you plan on keeping it a while or even increasing its resale value I would recommend some undersealing and cavity wax injection. I did mine as it was very clean, no point in leaving it until it was rusting like most do.
Just turned over to 8500 miles. The work you mention is on my list of to-dos. Where did you have yours done?
^ Thanks all for the comments.
The standard suspension does drive fairly nicely, but yes, it is a bit floaty. The changes I've made absolutely transformed the car.
Anyway, I've not posted here for ages. I was enjoying the car with its few changes, but something was stopping me really gelling with the MX5. I'm quite tall and broad in the shoulders, and I was finding that I just couldn't get seated properly. I just felt like I was perched on top of the car, and I was getting pretty uncomfortable after spending anything more than a short spell behind the wheel. By this point I had tried "The Gordy Mod" where the base of the seat is lowered by stripping the underside of the seat, flipping a couple of brackets over, then refitting everything. This improved things a little, but more drastic measures were needed. Another issue was just how damn close my head was to the roof with it in place. I intend to do some track days in this car, and if it's raining badly on the day, I simply wouldn't get a helmet on with the roof up...
I decided the standard seats had to go.
I spent a long time looking into which seats to go for. I considered all sorts from Cobra Monaco to Recaro Pole Position and everything in between. I was concerned however about the lack of width in the MX5, and I was desperate to get much, much lower in the car. I didn't want to spunk a load of cash on some seats that still left me sat too high. I was going to do this once, and do it right.
So, I decided it had to be Tillets. These are effectively a GRP molded shell and are used in some Caterhams and Zenos models as standard. They're also fairly popular with Lotus owners as replacements for their standard seats. They are also super thin and would allow me to get really low.
I debated for a long time over which ones to get: either the B5 or a variation of the B6. After speaking to Steve Tillett, he advised my that for my body size, the B5 would work better as it's less restrictive for the larger frame. I was pretty much about to bite the bullet and order a new pair of seats, when I was reading PHer and photographer GF.Williams' Readers Rides thread on his gorgeous Exige V6 and saw that he would soon be selling his Tillett B5s to upgrade to a set of B6. Ever the vulture, I PM'd him straight away and we came to a deal on the B5s.
Very quickly, these were delivered by George (thanks mate!) They're also heated, which is pretty rare.
Now there's not many options when it comes to mounting aftermarket seats in the MK3. A company called Planted do some, but they're expensive and I wasn't convinced they'd be ideal. Then, luckily for me again, a chap on MX5Nutz posted that he was having a small run of base mounts made up at his local machine shop. So, I bought a pair of these:
Mounting the seats to the bases was the next hurdle. George kindly chucked in the side brackets that he'd used to mount the B5s in his Exige. The left and right pair were different for each seat, and sadly neither were really useable for mounting my driver's seat. The best of the pairs wasn't suitable for a couple of reasons: it mounted the seat so low that my arse was literally on the floor. I wanted to be low, but not quite that low! Also, the super low height of the bowl of the seat interfered with the rear brace section of the bar bracket, meaning I couldn't get the seat as far back as I wanted. I ended up sat with my legs splayed out and up at an odd angle, so some different side mount brackets were needed.
I ended up going for a pair of Tillet EB1 brackets. I worked out that these would sit me up to 30mm higher than the Exige brackets if I need it, but they also have various points were they could be fixed inbetween the mega-low and not quite-so-low positions.
After much faffing, tweaking, fitting/removing/adjusting the seat and trimming of the base plate, buying different bits of hardware, fixings and Tillett plastic washers... I ended up with this:
What a revelation! This is exactly what I needed. I am now sat right down in the car, and all the way back due the the thin depth of the seat. I feel like I'm a part of the car now, and it feels completely different! Stupidly, I didn't actually measure anything before hand, but I reckon I'm about 12cm lower than I was when I was perched on the standard seat. Not only that, but despite looking hard and unforgiving, the Tilletts are extremely comfortable - more so in fact than the standard seats. They're nicely sculpted and hold the body in place very well.
The only thing to do now is paint the base plates a nice crackle-black type finish, hook up the seat heating (you can see the electrical multi-plug next to the seat) and frig the air bag warning light.
Mission accomplished! Super pleased with the outcome.
Then I got the passenger seat in. I'm temporarily using the better of the 2 Exige brackets for this until I decide how to mount them long term.
kostas_miata said:
NC1 owner here with a similar set-up and I have to say that with these mods the car gets transformed! Really like the Leggera HLT's as well
Cheers. I love these O.Z's, I reckon they look great. They're also nice and light and you know with O.Z that you're getting top quality. I think next time around though I need some wider tyres with a bit more meat, particularly in the rear.Medic-one said:
Great looking car. Stunning colour as well.
And your plate made me chuckle a bit. 4 AAN, reads like four-aan, which sounds like the Dutch word 'vooraan', which means 'at the front' (front in line, the first, etc), almost llike your car is saying "out of my way! I'm at the front!"
Thank you. That's a nice little fact, I like it. Vooran! AAN are actually just my initials but I like your idea better And your plate made me chuckle a bit. 4 AAN, reads like four-aan, which sounds like the Dutch word 'vooraan', which means 'at the front' (front in line, the first, etc), almost llike your car is saying "out of my way! I'm at the front!"
Mezzanine said:
Another watching with vested interests.
I am considering one of these next. Have heard they are a bit floaty so a decent suspension set-up would certainly also be considered.
I think they look great, and your modifications only improve on that.
Cheers.I am considering one of these next. Have heard they are a bit floaty so a decent suspension set-up would certainly also be considered.
I think they look great, and your modifications only improve on that.
The standard suspension does drive fairly nicely, but yes, it is a bit floaty. The changes I've made absolutely transformed the car.
CABC said:
lovely car.
do you have CRD or CRD+?
I've s/charged my mk1 5 to just below 200hp. it's a track car and i don't regret any mod, it's all a journey. However, if i were in your shoes i would seriously consider nasp tuning. It'll give you a power hike and greatly increase the response and character of the engine. It's expensive and capped around 200hp, but FI is never as cheap or problem-free as many hope. That's what i'll do next time. imo these cars don't need big power hikes.
Thanks, and I went for the CRD. I will go for the 200bhp NA route once our wedding is out of the way, that's swallowing all my money at the moment. I must admit though I can't wait to release a bit more power from the car.do you have CRD or CRD+?
I've s/charged my mk1 5 to just below 200hp. it's a track car and i don't regret any mod, it's all a journey. However, if i were in your shoes i would seriously consider nasp tuning. It'll give you a power hike and greatly increase the response and character of the engine. It's expensive and capped around 200hp, but FI is never as cheap or problem-free as many hope. That's what i'll do next time. imo these cars don't need big power hikes.
Anyway, I've not posted here for ages. I was enjoying the car with its few changes, but something was stopping me really gelling with the MX5. I'm quite tall and broad in the shoulders, and I was finding that I just couldn't get seated properly. I just felt like I was perched on top of the car, and I was getting pretty uncomfortable after spending anything more than a short spell behind the wheel. By this point I had tried "The Gordy Mod" where the base of the seat is lowered by stripping the underside of the seat, flipping a couple of brackets over, then refitting everything. This improved things a little, but more drastic measures were needed. Another issue was just how damn close my head was to the roof with it in place. I intend to do some track days in this car, and if it's raining badly on the day, I simply wouldn't get a helmet on with the roof up...
I decided the standard seats had to go.
I spent a long time looking into which seats to go for. I considered all sorts from Cobra Monaco to Recaro Pole Position and everything in between. I was concerned however about the lack of width in the MX5, and I was desperate to get much, much lower in the car. I didn't want to spunk a load of cash on some seats that still left me sat too high. I was going to do this once, and do it right.
So, I decided it had to be Tillets. These are effectively a GRP molded shell and are used in some Caterhams and Zenos models as standard. They're also fairly popular with Lotus owners as replacements for their standard seats. They are also super thin and would allow me to get really low.
I debated for a long time over which ones to get: either the B5 or a variation of the B6. After speaking to Steve Tillett, he advised my that for my body size, the B5 would work better as it's less restrictive for the larger frame. I was pretty much about to bite the bullet and order a new pair of seats, when I was reading PHer and photographer GF.Williams' Readers Rides thread on his gorgeous Exige V6 and saw that he would soon be selling his Tillett B5s to upgrade to a set of B6. Ever the vulture, I PM'd him straight away and we came to a deal on the B5s.
Very quickly, these were delivered by George (thanks mate!) They're also heated, which is pretty rare.
Now there's not many options when it comes to mounting aftermarket seats in the MK3. A company called Planted do some, but they're expensive and I wasn't convinced they'd be ideal. Then, luckily for me again, a chap on MX5Nutz posted that he was having a small run of base mounts made up at his local machine shop. So, I bought a pair of these:
Mounting the seats to the bases was the next hurdle. George kindly chucked in the side brackets that he'd used to mount the B5s in his Exige. The left and right pair were different for each seat, and sadly neither were really useable for mounting my driver's seat. The best of the pairs wasn't suitable for a couple of reasons: it mounted the seat so low that my arse was literally on the floor. I wanted to be low, but not quite that low! Also, the super low height of the bowl of the seat interfered with the rear brace section of the bar bracket, meaning I couldn't get the seat as far back as I wanted. I ended up sat with my legs splayed out and up at an odd angle, so some different side mount brackets were needed.
I ended up going for a pair of Tillet EB1 brackets. I worked out that these would sit me up to 30mm higher than the Exige brackets if I need it, but they also have various points were they could be fixed inbetween the mega-low and not quite-so-low positions.
After much faffing, tweaking, fitting/removing/adjusting the seat and trimming of the base plate, buying different bits of hardware, fixings and Tillett plastic washers... I ended up with this:
What a revelation! This is exactly what I needed. I am now sat right down in the car, and all the way back due the the thin depth of the seat. I feel like I'm a part of the car now, and it feels completely different! Stupidly, I didn't actually measure anything before hand, but I reckon I'm about 12cm lower than I was when I was perched on the standard seat. Not only that, but despite looking hard and unforgiving, the Tilletts are extremely comfortable - more so in fact than the standard seats. They're nicely sculpted and hold the body in place very well.
The only thing to do now is paint the base plates a nice crackle-black type finish, hook up the seat heating (you can see the electrical multi-plug next to the seat) and frig the air bag warning light.
Mission accomplished! Super pleased with the outcome.
Then I got the passenger seat in. I'm temporarily using the better of the 2 Exige brackets for this until I decide how to mount them long term.
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