2006 MX-5 2.0 Option Pack
Discussion
Accelebrate said:
Looks good! A lot more presentable than mine.
That's very kind, I'll happily take the ARBs off you for that price. Are you based in Basingstoke? I work in Reading a couple of days a week so might be able to collect.
I do yes, and work in Newbury. I’ll pull them off the car next time I’m down there and then we can sort out getting them to you. Won’t be for a few weeks though as I’m away a lot at them moment. That's very kind, I'll happily take the ARBs off you for that price. Are you based in Basingstoke? I work in Reading a couple of days a week so might be able to collect.
Got the rear brake lines fitted...
The fittings to the hard lines were seized to the old lines, they didn't want to break free until I applied a blowtorch for a bit. Pumping the brakes things already feel firmer, hopefully they're worth the cost and effort.
I've also picked up some wax spray from Toolstation, it's all of £3. Compared to the Comma Wax Seal that I previously used this stuff seems thinner (not a bad thing as it doesn't clog as easily) and doesn't smell quite as obnoxious.
It's white if you spray it on too thick, I assume it'll dry clear.
Another £3 purchase, a ground loop isolator...
The aux input on the stereo is often really noisy. I hadn't really thought about it too much as audio isn't really a big concern. Roshan spent some time fiddling with things on the way over to Germany and discovered the noise was only an issue if you're using the aux input whilst charging the device at the same time. He suggested a ground loop isolator, it worked
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
The fittings to the hard lines were seized to the old lines, they didn't want to break free until I applied a blowtorch for a bit. Pumping the brakes things already feel firmer, hopefully they're worth the cost and effort.
I've also picked up some wax spray from Toolstation, it's all of £3. Compared to the Comma Wax Seal that I previously used this stuff seems thinner (not a bad thing as it doesn't clog as easily) and doesn't smell quite as obnoxious.
It's white if you spray it on too thick, I assume it'll dry clear.
Another £3 purchase, a ground loop isolator...
The aux input on the stereo is often really noisy. I hadn't really thought about it too much as audio isn't really a big concern. Roshan spent some time fiddling with things on the way over to Germany and discovered the noise was only an issue if you're using the aux input whilst charging the device at the same time. He suggested a ground loop isolator, it worked
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
Edited by Accelebrate on Friday 24th January 11:43
HorneyMX5 said:
I've got a set with brand new drop links you can have for £80 if you want them? I bought them for a MK3 I'm now breaking as it's too rotten to build it into a sprint car, which was my plan.
Wow, I know the MK1 and especially MK2s suffer from tin worm but I didn't realise some MK3s were at the point already of being not viable to carry on with due to rot? Mazda really need to sort that out! How are you finding it compared to your old MK1? MK3s are growing on me and keep coming back to the concept of changing my MK1 for one A couple more little jobs. Whilst the car was reasonably high up I flushed the clutch slave cylinder. It's located behind the oil filter, there's a handy no-tools access panel to get to it.
I noticed MX5 parts sold replacement disc retaining screws for buttons when I was ordering the brake lines. I'd chewed the existing screws slightly when swapping the discs. It's quite satisfying to remove all evidence of previous bodges
After that, I got the wheels back on and the car down on the ground for the first time in a while. I went for a short test drive, I'm not entirely convinced the brake lines were worth it but it was great to drive the Mazda again, it's a fun little thing.
I also washed it for the first time since the ring - I've been busy recently, it's nice to have some time to tinker now that things are winding down for Christmas
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
I noticed MX5 parts sold replacement disc retaining screws for buttons when I was ordering the brake lines. I'd chewed the existing screws slightly when swapping the discs. It's quite satisfying to remove all evidence of previous bodges
After that, I got the wheels back on and the car down on the ground for the first time in a while. I went for a short test drive, I'm not entirely convinced the brake lines were worth it but it was great to drive the Mazda again, it's a fun little thing.
I also washed it for the first time since the ring - I've been busy recently, it's nice to have some time to tinker now that things are winding down for Christmas
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
Edited by Accelebrate on Friday 24th January 11:44
Accelebrate said:
A couple more little jobs. Whilst the car was reasonably high up I flushed the clutch slave cylinder. It's located behind the oil filter, there's a handy no-tools access panel to get to it.
I'm not entirely convinced the brake lines were worth it but it was great to drive the Mazda again, it's a fun little thing.
Did you find flushing the clutch helped in any tangible way? I've been debating doing it since I refreshed the brake fluid (used the same Motul RB600F as yourself).I'm not entirely convinced the brake lines were worth it but it was great to drive the Mazda again, it's a fun little thing.
Interesting comments on the braided brake lines - a mod I have been debating doing, but I'm aware there's a lot of other things that can cause the 'softness' to the brake pedal. I do like the progression and low-speed finesse I can have with them when driving on road, I wouldn't want to lose that but equally I'd prefer a much firmer pedal with less 'slack'. A lot of that can be brake pad related. Before any of that I need to sort the discs (I'll get to that in my thread!).
RenesisEvo said:
Did you find flushing the clutch helped in any tangible way? I've been debating doing it since I refreshed the brake fluid (used the same Motul RB600F as yourself).
Interesting comments on the braided brake lines - a mod I have been debating doing, but I'm aware there's a lot of other things that can cause the 'softness' to the brake pedal. I do like the progression and low-speed finesse I can have with them when driving on road, I wouldn't want to lose that but equally I'd prefer a much firmer pedal with less 'slack'. A lot of that can be brake pad related. Before any of that I need to sort the discs (I'll get to that in my thread!).
You won't notice a thing, it's more a case of replacing the old fluid as its old and contaminated with water, debris etc which can shorten the life of the components.Interesting comments on the braided brake lines - a mod I have been debating doing, but I'm aware there's a lot of other things that can cause the 'softness' to the brake pedal. I do like the progression and low-speed finesse I can have with them when driving on road, I wouldn't want to lose that but equally I'd prefer a much firmer pedal with less 'slack'. A lot of that can be brake pad related. Before any of that I need to sort the discs (I'll get to that in my thread!).
Braided lines are a bit more of a track orientated thing has they help a little when the fluid gets hot or you're really standing on the brakes from high speed.
Yes, no obvious change after bleeding the clutch, it feels just as good as it did before, but I viewed it the same as replacing any other service fluids.
I haven't lost any progression with the braided lines, so I wouldn't worry about that. It was a little odd as I flushed nearly a litre of cheap Pagid fluid through before putting the Motul stuff in, I pumped the brakes whilst the car was in the air and the pedal felt firmer than usual. Once the car was back on the ground and I was reversing out of the garage I touched the brakes and the pedal went to the floor, it came back after a couple of pumps but the fluid level dropped a little. There must have been some air in the system, which is odd given how much I flushed through. The pedal now isn't quite as firm as it was immediately after changing the lines, so I might re-bleed and see if there's an improvement.
I haven't lost any progression with the braided lines, so I wouldn't worry about that. It was a little odd as I flushed nearly a litre of cheap Pagid fluid through before putting the Motul stuff in, I pumped the brakes whilst the car was in the air and the pedal felt firmer than usual. Once the car was back on the ground and I was reversing out of the garage I touched the brakes and the pedal went to the floor, it came back after a couple of pumps but the fluid level dropped a little. There must have been some air in the system, which is odd given how much I flushed through. The pedal now isn't quite as firm as it was immediately after changing the lines, so I might re-bleed and see if there's an improvement.
Accelebrate said:
It was a little odd as I flushed nearly a litre of cheap Pagid fluid through before putting the Motul stuff in, I pumped the brakes whilst the car was in the air and the pedal felt firmer than usual. Once the car was back on the ground and I was reversing out of the garage I touched the brakes and the pedal went to the floor, it came back after a couple of pumps but the fluid level dropped a little. There must have been some air in the system, which is odd given how much I flushed through. The pedal now isn't quite as firm as it was immediately after changing the lines, so I might re-bleed and see if there's an improvement.
Thanks for that. I had the same - the pedal was rock solid, really firm when the car was on stands, but as soon as it was back on the floor it wasn't as good. And yes I'd released the handbrake. I may have another go at some point, probably when I sort new discs for the front.I've collected some more wheels...
They're 17" wheels, technically from a Mazda 3 'Tamura' which was a limited edition in 2012 when the new 3 launched. I believe a few dealerships unofficially sold the wheels as an MX-5 accessory as they're the same width and offset as the original NC wheels.
I'm not quite sure if I like them or not
, but, they were...
Cheap (£170)
Conveniently on the way back from my in-laws after Christmas.
Wearing Rainsport tyres with reasonable tread, so might come in handy for wet track days.
Open up some more tyre options, as the 17" tyres are often cheaper than the odd 16" size.
The downside is that the four with tyres have got terrible lacquer peel. I'll tidy them up and re-lacquer at some point. The tyres are also quite old (Rainsport 2 from 2012).
The suspension is a bit high from lifting to swap wheels in the last two photos. I might leave them on for a bit and see if they grow on me for everyday wheels.
I've also booked another track day, at Anglesey this time
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
They're 17" wheels, technically from a Mazda 3 'Tamura' which was a limited edition in 2012 when the new 3 launched. I believe a few dealerships unofficially sold the wheels as an MX-5 accessory as they're the same width and offset as the original NC wheels.
I'm not quite sure if I like them or not
, but, they were...Cheap (£170)
Conveniently on the way back from my in-laws after Christmas.
Wearing Rainsport tyres with reasonable tread, so might come in handy for wet track days.
Open up some more tyre options, as the 17" tyres are often cheaper than the odd 16" size.
The downside is that the four with tyres have got terrible lacquer peel. I'll tidy them up and re-lacquer at some point. The tyres are also quite old (Rainsport 2 from 2012).
The suspension is a bit high from lifting to swap wheels in the last two photos. I might leave them on for a bit and see if they grow on me for everyday wheels.
I've also booked another track day, at Anglesey this time
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
Edited by Accelebrate on Friday 24th January 11:44
Nice choice of wheels! Not sure they'd work on my silver car, too much black perhaps.
Have you noticed anything in terms of ride swapping between 16 and 17"? I've long been debating getting a set of light 16" (cheapest way will be some OEM wheels probably) in place of the 17" I have on mine. Need to make a decision before I take the plunge on the much-needed wheel refurb I have in mind.
Have you noticed anything in terms of ride swapping between 16 and 17"? I've long been debating getting a set of light 16" (cheapest way will be some OEM wheels probably) in place of the 17" I have on mine. Need to make a decision before I take the plunge on the much-needed wheel refurb I have in mind.
Thanks, I'm still undecided if I like them or not 
. I prefer the design of the OE Sport wheels, but I've never spotted a set for sale locally that weren't ruined or expensive. It also feels a bit wrong to put Sport wheels on a non-Sport car - I'm probably overthinking things!
I hadn't actually driven the car when I made my last post, I took it into Oxford today to brave exchanging some Christmas presents at The Westgate. The ride is definitely different on 17" wheels. It's firmer and a bit harsher, no real surprises there with going to lower profile tyre. The steering still felt nice and responsive, I assume the larger wheels are heavier, I should weigh them at some point. The lower profile possibly might be better on the limit, not something I tested in the rain today.
It's interesting that Mada use the same width of tyre for the 16 and 17" wheels. The 16" wheels are 6.5" wide, the 17" wheels are 7" wide, both use 205 tyres. On the wider wheels the tyres look to me like they're bordering on slightly stretched.
I think my favourite set of wheels are the 16" facelift wheels that I've currently got my semi-slick tyres on. They're horribly corroded inside, I have family near Birmingham so I might drop the wheels off at https://www.citywheelrefurbishment.co.uk/price-lis... at some point for a chemical strip and powder coat, then get the road tyres swapped over to them and vice-versa.
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
. I prefer the design of the OE Sport wheels, but I've never spotted a set for sale locally that weren't ruined or expensive. It also feels a bit wrong to put Sport wheels on a non-Sport car - I'm probably overthinking things!I hadn't actually driven the car when I made my last post, I took it into Oxford today to brave exchanging some Christmas presents at The Westgate. The ride is definitely different on 17" wheels. It's firmer and a bit harsher, no real surprises there with going to lower profile tyre. The steering still felt nice and responsive, I assume the larger wheels are heavier, I should weigh them at some point. The lower profile possibly might be better on the limit, not something I tested in the rain today.
It's interesting that Mada use the same width of tyre for the 16 and 17" wheels. The 16" wheels are 6.5" wide, the 17" wheels are 7" wide, both use 205 tyres. On the wider wheels the tyres look to me like they're bordering on slightly stretched.
I think my favourite set of wheels are the 16" facelift wheels that I've currently got my semi-slick tyres on. They're horribly corroded inside, I have family near Birmingham so I might drop the wheels off at https://www.citywheelrefurbishment.co.uk/price-lis... at some point for a chemical strip and powder coat, then get the road tyres swapped over to them and vice-versa.
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
Edited by Accelebrate on Friday 24th January 11:45
Before heading to Germany I undid a mod by the previous owner and reattached the springs on the base of the seat. I found the springless seat uncomfy over long distances, but reattaching the springs left me sitting higher than I'd like to, with my head above the roll hoops. I still just about fit, but things were worse when wearing a helmet on track.
I'd seen a variety of mods done to the fixed height seat on the NC1, most seem to alter the rear mounting brackets only, effectively dropping the back of the seat base but leaving the front at the original height. On previous cars I've owned where the seat base angle can be adjusted I always raise the front up slightly to get comfy, so I reckoned that could work for me.
There's a long-running thread on miata.net on the subject - https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=319461 I shamelessly copied the dimensions kindly shared by ktulu26 for this design:
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showpost.php?p=7727720&...
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showpost.php?p=7719597&...
Here are the original rear brackets:
I think the last time I fabricated something from scratch in steel was bottle opener at secondary school. It's fair to say I don't have much experience with metal so I was curious to see what I could cobble together.
I started plotting out on some 4mm steel plate, with hindsight it would have been easier to start with some 40mm wide steel bar.
I didn't have anything that could easily make some reasonably straight cuts in steel. After some head scratching, I used some scrap steel as a guide for my grinder.
That worked quite well...
For the bends, I heated the pieces with a blowtorch and then clobbered them with a piece of wood and a big hammer.
It took a little while, but I was pleasantly surprised with how they came out. I went with a 10mm offset.
I rounded off the corners and drilled the large 14mm floor anchor holes out with a step drill.
The original brackets are held on with a single rivet and a small spot weld.
I drilled the rivets out in situ...
Then removed the seat and drilled the spot weld. The old brackets then prised off without much resistance. At least if I regret this mod I can bolt the old brackets back up quite easily.
I test fitted everything and marked the position of the 8mm holes for the mounting bolts. I gave my brackets a quick lick of paint so that they look a bit more presentable.
I used M8x16 high tensile bolts with spring washers to mount my new brackets up.
The end result is a rather impressive drop compared to the passenger seat that's still at the stock height!
The car now fits me a lot better, my eyes now naturally look through the middle of the windscreen rather than the top of the window frame and I can comfortably wear a helmet with the roof up. A very satisfying little project!
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
I'd seen a variety of mods done to the fixed height seat on the NC1, most seem to alter the rear mounting brackets only, effectively dropping the back of the seat base but leaving the front at the original height. On previous cars I've owned where the seat base angle can be adjusted I always raise the front up slightly to get comfy, so I reckoned that could work for me.
There's a long-running thread on miata.net on the subject - https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=319461 I shamelessly copied the dimensions kindly shared by ktulu26 for this design:
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showpost.php?p=7727720&...
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showpost.php?p=7719597&...
Here are the original rear brackets:
I think the last time I fabricated something from scratch in steel was bottle opener at secondary school. It's fair to say I don't have much experience with metal so I was curious to see what I could cobble together.
I started plotting out on some 4mm steel plate, with hindsight it would have been easier to start with some 40mm wide steel bar.
I didn't have anything that could easily make some reasonably straight cuts in steel. After some head scratching, I used some scrap steel as a guide for my grinder.
That worked quite well...
For the bends, I heated the pieces with a blowtorch and then clobbered them with a piece of wood and a big hammer.
It took a little while, but I was pleasantly surprised with how they came out. I went with a 10mm offset.
I rounded off the corners and drilled the large 14mm floor anchor holes out with a step drill.
The original brackets are held on with a single rivet and a small spot weld.
I drilled the rivets out in situ...
Then removed the seat and drilled the spot weld. The old brackets then prised off without much resistance. At least if I regret this mod I can bolt the old brackets back up quite easily.
I test fitted everything and marked the position of the 8mm holes for the mounting bolts. I gave my brackets a quick lick of paint so that they look a bit more presentable.
I used M8x16 high tensile bolts with spring washers to mount my new brackets up.
The end result is a rather impressive drop compared to the passenger seat that's still at the stock height!
The car now fits me a lot better, my eyes now naturally look through the middle of the windscreen rather than the top of the window frame and I can comfortably wear a helmet with the roof up. A very satisfying little project!
Edit Jan 2020 - Fix image links
Edited by Accelebrate on Friday 24th January 11:46
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