Discussion
I have just decided its time to tinker with my mark 1 mx-5, im not looking for massive power gains but just a little more oomph and maybe sharpen up the handling. Are there any "must do" mods first? I have the car booked in for a stainless steel exhaust next week, with the guys at longlife. I will also be fitting a decat pipe at the same time, aswell as a pipercross induction kit with sufficient cold air pipes.
Is it worth looking at a performance manifold??
Regarding the suspension it already has blistein shocks and strut brace as standard. So im thinking of poly bushes all round and maybe new shocks and springs, as the car has covered 60000 miles? any other ideas? I dont want to go to mad money wise because im saving for a turbo conversion next year.........
Is it worth looking at a performance manifold??
Regarding the suspension it already has blistein shocks and strut brace as standard. So im thinking of poly bushes all round and maybe new shocks and springs, as the car has covered 60000 miles? any other ideas? I dont want to go to mad money wise because im saving for a turbo conversion next year.........
Get a set of GAZ shocks if you think the suspensions a bit tired :-
www.mx5mad.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_41&products_id=209
don't bother wasting money on manifolds & air filers if your saving for a turbo as you'll only have to take them off to be binned when you get the turbo kit.
I went for the BEGI street turbo 3 I/C 2 kit :-
www.mx5mad.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_36&products_id=215
its very comprehensive.
www.mx5mad.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_41&products_id=209
don't bother wasting money on manifolds & air filers if your saving for a turbo as you'll only have to take them off to be binned when you get the turbo kit.
I went for the BEGI street turbo 3 I/C 2 kit :-
www.mx5mad.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_36&products_id=215
its very comprehensive.
swansea v6 said:
some good advice cheers, just been out for a blat, with the roof down, and was wondering hom much fun the mx-5 would be if fitted with either the 1.8/2.0 or 2.5 v6 (from mx-3/mx-6), imagine the roar of that v-6 with the roof down.......
Imagine the roar of this with the roof down...


slinky
LS-1, LS-7.. hey, who knows...
6 numbers first might not hurt though!!
I've been toying with the idea of a V6 from the MX3 though... but I toy with many many silly ideas, Hodgy and I have already got plans for a procharged SBC 5 (500hp plus)...
Doesn't mean they'll come to fruition though!!
6 numbers first might not hurt though!!
I've been toying with the idea of a V6 from the MX3 though... but I toy with many many silly ideas, Hodgy and I have already got plans for a procharged SBC 5 (500hp plus)...
Doesn't mean they'll come to fruition though!!
slinky said:
swansea v6 said:
some good advice cheers, just been out for a blat, with the roof down, and was wondering hom much fun the mx-5 would be if fitted with either the 1.8/2.0 or 2.5 v6 (from mx-3/mx-6), imagine the roar of that v-6 with the roof down.......
Imagine the roar of this with the roof down...


slinky
Oooooooooooooooooooooh

As has been said, don't bother spending anything at all on performance mods if you are saving for a turbo.
And if you are having a stainless exhaust fitted, make sure it's at least 2.5" so the turbo spool-up won't be restricted.
Also, I'm pretty sure that a header won't give 10bhp on any na MX-5. You might find 3-4bhp if you're very lucky which isn't a good return from around £500. If you're supercharged to around 200bhp then a free-flowing header might gain 10bhp but not na.
A lot of rubbish is spread about na power mods but the fact is that it's hard to get any significant gains without a serious amount of money being spent.It can make the car sound much better and hence feel better but the dyno will show that there isn't actually any significant gain.
Full free-flowing de-catted exhaust & manifold - around £1000 - 5bhp?
Induction kit - £60ish to £+350 - no power gains recorded on any dynos I've ever seen, not even with the JRCAI which is about the most expensive and most highly regarded kit. In fact ALL mx-5's I've seen with an induction kit on a dyno have lost power! Mazda spent a lot of time and effort on the standard induction system (have you looked closely at it?) and did a good job of it apart from it being too quiet.
Gas-flowed head with ports matched to intake-exhaust manifolds + valve job - £lots - 5-10bhp?
Individual throttle bodies - £loads more - Not sure if this gives any more power at all either (but it does sound glorious).
Alternatively...
Cheap turbo/supercharger - £1500 - £2000 - £50bhp.
It's a no brainer really unless you are really into tinkering and have money to burn.
And if you are having a stainless exhaust fitted, make sure it's at least 2.5" so the turbo spool-up won't be restricted.
Also, I'm pretty sure that a header won't give 10bhp on any na MX-5. You might find 3-4bhp if you're very lucky which isn't a good return from around £500. If you're supercharged to around 200bhp then a free-flowing header might gain 10bhp but not na.
A lot of rubbish is spread about na power mods but the fact is that it's hard to get any significant gains without a serious amount of money being spent.It can make the car sound much better and hence feel better but the dyno will show that there isn't actually any significant gain.
Full free-flowing de-catted exhaust & manifold - around £1000 - 5bhp?
Induction kit - £60ish to £+350 - no power gains recorded on any dynos I've ever seen, not even with the JRCAI which is about the most expensive and most highly regarded kit. In fact ALL mx-5's I've seen with an induction kit on a dyno have lost power! Mazda spent a lot of time and effort on the standard induction system (have you looked closely at it?) and did a good job of it apart from it being too quiet.
Gas-flowed head with ports matched to intake-exhaust manifolds + valve job - £lots - 5-10bhp?
Individual throttle bodies - £loads more - Not sure if this gives any more power at all either (but it does sound glorious).
Alternatively...
Cheap turbo/supercharger - £1500 - £2000 - £50bhp.
It's a no brainer really unless you are really into tinkering and have money to burn.
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Had a shot in a Monster Miata and it was like driving a bus - and boy, did it hate going around corners.