2006 Mazda MX-5 NC 2.0 Sport
Discussion
geraintthomas said:
sdh2903 said:
If your buying from euro car parts then check www.carparts4less.Co.Uk. Same company same parts just cheaper.
Wait... how on earth does that work? You're right, it's identical and I've saved about £30, but why would they do that?Always worth checking the price on both stores, as although CP4L is usually cheaper that's not always true. I often end up splitting orders between both. The pricing on the eBay stores for both brands is different again. 
Demon Tweeks have a surprisingly good range of spring options for the NC:
https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/performance/suspen...
Demon Tweeks have a surprisingly good range of spring options for the NC:
https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/performance/suspen...
It's actually demon-tweeks that I'll be purchasing the springs from. Their Eibach's are £172.74 delivered at the moment which is great, so I'll be pulling the plug on those.
I'm just in a pickle with pads. I'll be doing the odd track day here and there (maybe once every 2 months) and the standard road pads have been great. Essentially I'm not looking to go full-on track pad as it would be a waste, but I also don't want my pads to be toast after a single track day. The difference between the OEM Brembo equivalents and pads such as StopTech, EBC and so on are double the price. I suppose I'd be getting much less fade, better bite and longer lasting pads?
Edit: Actually, OEM pads are £86 front and back, StopTech's are £136 front and back, so it's not a huge difference for what must be quite a large improvement. It's about £424.98 with new suspension, discs and pads. Not including the alignment I'd need.
I've got a wedding to save up for, so my bank's going to hate me...
I'm just in a pickle with pads. I'll be doing the odd track day here and there (maybe once every 2 months) and the standard road pads have been great. Essentially I'm not looking to go full-on track pad as it would be a waste, but I also don't want my pads to be toast after a single track day. The difference between the OEM Brembo equivalents and pads such as StopTech, EBC and so on are double the price. I suppose I'd be getting much less fade, better bite and longer lasting pads?
Edit: Actually, OEM pads are £86 front and back, StopTech's are £136 front and back, so it's not a huge difference for what must be quite a large improvement. It's about £424.98 with new suspension, discs and pads. Not including the alignment I'd need.
I've got a wedding to save up for, so my bank's going to hate me...
Edited by geraintthomas on Thursday 25th March 12:09
I used Brembo road pads on track days for a while, I'd generally only get a single day out of them and they'd be juddering all day whilst the pads left large deposits on the discs. I think my last set of Stoptechs did eight track days, so they're more than worth the additional expenditure.
It sounds counterintuitive, but I think a lot of people are harder on their brakes during their first few track days. Most people can happily floor it down a straight but it takes some time to build up the confidence to carry increasing amounts of speed through a corner.
It sounds counterintuitive, but I think a lot of people are harder on their brakes during their first few track days. Most people can happily floor it down a straight but it takes some time to build up the confidence to carry increasing amounts of speed through a corner.
Accelebrate said:
I used Brembo road pads on track days for a while, I'd generally only get a single day out of them and they'd be juddering all day whilst the pads left large deposits on the discs. I think my last set of Stoptechs did eight track days, so they're more than worth the additional expenditure.
It sounds counterintuitive, but I think a lot of people are harder on their brakes during their first few track days. Most people can happily floor it down a straight but it takes some time to build up the confidence to carry increasing amounts of speed through a corner.
That's literally amazing. Part of me was always skeptical of exploring the more expensive consumables due to being too scared of wearing through them so fast, but that example shows that whilst they cost 2x as much, they last 8x as long and perform better. It's a complete no brainer. Thanks for the recommendation, I'm going to purchase the discs, pads and suspension this evening.It sounds counterintuitive, but I think a lot of people are harder on their brakes during their first few track days. Most people can happily floor it down a straight but it takes some time to build up the confidence to carry increasing amounts of speed through a corner.
Would you say the same for tyres? The better the brand, the more use? Or is it purely performance that you're getting for the money?
geraintthomas said:
Accelebrate said:
I used Brembo road pads on track days for a while, I'd generally only get a single day out of them and they'd be juddering all day whilst the pads left large deposits on the discs. I think my last set of Stoptechs did eight track days, so they're more than worth the additional expenditure.
It sounds counterintuitive, but I think a lot of people are harder on their brakes during their first few track days. Most people can happily floor it down a straight but it takes some time to build up the confidence to carry increasing amounts of speed through a corner.
That's literally amazing. Part of me was always skeptical of exploring the more expensive consumables due to being too scared of wearing through them so fast, but that example shows that whilst they cost 2x as much, they last 8x as long and perform better. It's a complete no brainer. Thanks for the recommendation, I'm going to purchase the discs, pads and suspension this evening.It sounds counterintuitive, but I think a lot of people are harder on their brakes during their first few track days. Most people can happily floor it down a straight but it takes some time to build up the confidence to carry increasing amounts of speed through a corner.
Would you say the same for tyres? The better the brand, the more use? Or is it purely performance that you're getting for the money?
geraintthomas said:
Would you say the same for tyres? The better the brand, the more use? Or is it purely performance that you're getting for the money?
Harder/cheaper road tyres don't seem to like being abused on track, if you get them too hot they seem to 'chunk' i.e. large chunks of rubber detach from the tread. Semi-slicks seem to use compounds that respond better to some heat and become lovely and sticky, the rubber seems to smear a bit like a nice climbing shoe rather than break up, so if you're pushing them to that point you'll see better longevity. But then you can also spend loads on some really soft and sticky tyres and they'll be great but not last very long. I think I've found my happy-medium in cheaper semi-slick tyres, as they offer reasonable performance, longevity and aren't completely awful if it's damp. Others will disagree.Unless you're particularly attached to your current road tyres I'd try them first, if nothing else it'll make you appreciate some of the differences tyres can bring and you probably won't destroy your road tyres during a single track day (as always, many variables there).
Alignment really helps too, my limited experience with road tyres on track days pre-dated moving away from a road alignment. Before my negative camber was increased a little I'd usually wear the outer edges heavily whilst cornering, leading to very uneven tyre wear. With more negative camber my tyre wear on track is a lot more even and I'm not creating a hot spot on the outer edge. However, go too far with a track alignment and you may have a similar issue with inner edge wear during your road miles.
Some fantastic advice here, thank you! I'm not as clued up as I should be with the difference in the performance characteristics of different tyres so this is some great information. I'll let you know what I get with all of those elements.
Something I've been wondering about for some time is the design of the rear bumper. There's a section that's begging for a diffuser, but is relatively blank. This is exaggerated by the exhausts sticking out either side, so I've wanted to include some diffuser fins to not only help house the exhausts a bit better, but to make the rear end look more purposeful.
There isn't a great deal of selection. There's the full-on diffuser for the NC but this is over £150 plus painting, delivery, and so on. I don't mind the design of the current bumper, I'd just want some sort of fins to fill in the gaps, so
I've found some fins on ebay for £9 (alarmingly cheap) to see how these would fit.
Very good quality that are fixed in with screws. There's blanking plates too to hide the screws.
Here's a temporary test (accidentally upside down too) with tape to see how it looks.
Before
After
Initial thoughts are that they're a bit too aggressive and as the car currently stands, it wouldn't suit it. However, when the car is lowered with matte anthracite wheels, yellow calipers and grey door decals, I think these would suite it quite well. I'll test fit again when all of this is done.
I'm warming to them though, especially for £9.
Something I've been wondering about for some time is the design of the rear bumper. There's a section that's begging for a diffuser, but is relatively blank. This is exaggerated by the exhausts sticking out either side, so I've wanted to include some diffuser fins to not only help house the exhausts a bit better, but to make the rear end look more purposeful.
There isn't a great deal of selection. There's the full-on diffuser for the NC but this is over £150 plus painting, delivery, and so on. I don't mind the design of the current bumper, I'd just want some sort of fins to fill in the gaps, so
I've found some fins on ebay for £9 (alarmingly cheap) to see how these would fit.
Very good quality that are fixed in with screws. There's blanking plates too to hide the screws.
Here's a temporary test (accidentally upside down too) with tape to see how it looks.
Before
After
Initial thoughts are that they're a bit too aggressive and as the car currently stands, it wouldn't suit it. However, when the car is lowered with matte anthracite wheels, yellow calipers and grey door decals, I think these would suite it quite well. I'll test fit again when all of this is done.
I'm warming to them though, especially for £9.
Edited by geraintthomas on Friday 26th March 14:41
May be worth checking Roddisons Motorsport in Sheffield if you're near there. I got my lowering springs/alignment for my mk3 there and I run his brake pads on my mk1 currently.
Only thing worth noting on the springs only option, is it can make the rear a tad more bouncy depending on the road. If I was to do it again I'd go MeisterR Coilovers.
RX-8 yellow dot Anti-Roll Bars are a straight swap also, for a cheap upgrade.
I think those diffuser fins are maybe a tad too drastic for how it sits just now.
Only thing worth noting on the springs only option, is it can make the rear a tad more bouncy depending on the road. If I was to do it again I'd go MeisterR Coilovers.
RX-8 yellow dot Anti-Roll Bars are a straight swap also, for a cheap upgrade.
I think those diffuser fins are maybe a tad too drastic for how it sits just now.
Sko77y said:
May be worth checking Roddisons Motorsport in Sheffield if you're near there. I got my lowering springs/alignment for my mk3 there and I run his brake pads on my mk1 currently.
Only thing worth noting on the springs only option, is it can make the rear a tad more bouncy depending on the road. If I was to do it again I'd go MeisterR Coilovers.
RX-8 yellow dot Anti-Roll Bars are a straight swap also, for a cheap upgrade.
I think those diffuser fins are maybe a tad too drastic for how it sits just now.
Agreed with the diffuser fins, they're far too drastic for now but as said I think it may suit it a little more with the stance that it'll have in the future.Only thing worth noting on the springs only option, is it can make the rear a tad more bouncy depending on the road. If I was to do it again I'd go MeisterR Coilovers.
RX-8 yellow dot Anti-Roll Bars are a straight swap also, for a cheap upgrade.
I think those diffuser fins are maybe a tad too drastic for how it sits just now.
Good to hear about the springs, will certainly keep it in mind. I don't mind it as such as it's not my daily so I'd happily sacrifice some road comfort. The RX-8 ARB's are something that I've got written down too and will grab them when they pop up.
We have a new Mazda at the household!
Maddie's learning to drive, and she wanted a car that was:
- Small
- 5 door
- Reliable
- Attractive
- 'Quirky'
- Petrol
- Cheap to insure and tax
We looked at Suzuki Swifts, but after my dad owned one we started to seriously dislike them. Boring layout, doors that sounded like van doors closing, etc. Then we looked at the Toyota Yaris which could have been a fine choice, but the dash is a little 'odd' for someone learning to drive. We looked at a Volkswagen Golf, but they were £150 a year to tax, more on insurance, noisy diesel engines (the petrols had horror stories of engine failures).
Finally we looked into, and purchased, a Mazda 2 Takuya 1.3 petrol for £2,500.
A chain driven 1.3 NA petrol with some nice creature comforts for the car that it is. It has electric windows front and back, folding and heated mirrors, bluetooth, remote central locking with alarm, climate control, trip computer, front fog lights, dual interior lamps, projector headlights, and some of the comfiest seats known to man. It's £30 a year to tax, and for Maddie it was incredibly cheap to insure. She's 28, never driven a car before, owns only a provisional license, no NCB, and for a years worth of comprehensive insurance with breakdown cover, it only cost £311.
On the drive home I was very impressed. I had the impression it was going to be small and cheap, and by cheap I mean 'hollow'. Scratchy plastics and an overall cheap feel; but I couldn't have been further from the truth. The seat was far too high for me, until half way into the journey I realised you could lower and raise it. Lowering it made the driving position spot on. The suspension is outstanding, soaking up bumps with no metallic knocks or bumps that you may get in a cheap car. There's not a single rattle inside either. Sure the 1.3 petrol engine feels underpowered when doing 70mph, but it pulls from low speeds quick enough for someone's first car. Space inside is very generous with a big boot, and considering it's smaller than a Fiesta it's hard to think how they've pulled this off. The driving position, suspension feel and build quality makes it feel like you're driving a bit of a bigger cruiser, but you step out and realise how small it is.
Downsides of this car in particular? The clutch has a metallic 'click' when pushing it in and lifting your foot off too, but doesn't when pressing it on an angle. I have a plan for this, but it's not a game changer if it can't be fixed. The front alloys have corrosion, so I'll refurbish these. It has some horrendous dust caps on, but they're corroded on so the garage will need to place new valves in. Gear knob and gaiter has some wear in them, so will be purchasing new ones, and the rear bumper has a scratch. That's it. It has 12 months MOT with no advisories, serviced, 30 days warranty and 112,000 on the clock which, for its condition, is remarkable.
It's also made me look into selling the Ford Focus Titanium and swapping it for a Mazda 3 in Soul Red. But that's another conversation, and also another thread...
Maddie's learning to drive, and she wanted a car that was:
- Small
- 5 door
- Reliable
- Attractive
- 'Quirky'
- Petrol
- Cheap to insure and tax
We looked at Suzuki Swifts, but after my dad owned one we started to seriously dislike them. Boring layout, doors that sounded like van doors closing, etc. Then we looked at the Toyota Yaris which could have been a fine choice, but the dash is a little 'odd' for someone learning to drive. We looked at a Volkswagen Golf, but they were £150 a year to tax, more on insurance, noisy diesel engines (the petrols had horror stories of engine failures).
Finally we looked into, and purchased, a Mazda 2 Takuya 1.3 petrol for £2,500.
A chain driven 1.3 NA petrol with some nice creature comforts for the car that it is. It has electric windows front and back, folding and heated mirrors, bluetooth, remote central locking with alarm, climate control, trip computer, front fog lights, dual interior lamps, projector headlights, and some of the comfiest seats known to man. It's £30 a year to tax, and for Maddie it was incredibly cheap to insure. She's 28, never driven a car before, owns only a provisional license, no NCB, and for a years worth of comprehensive insurance with breakdown cover, it only cost £311.
On the drive home I was very impressed. I had the impression it was going to be small and cheap, and by cheap I mean 'hollow'. Scratchy plastics and an overall cheap feel; but I couldn't have been further from the truth. The seat was far too high for me, until half way into the journey I realised you could lower and raise it. Lowering it made the driving position spot on. The suspension is outstanding, soaking up bumps with no metallic knocks or bumps that you may get in a cheap car. There's not a single rattle inside either. Sure the 1.3 petrol engine feels underpowered when doing 70mph, but it pulls from low speeds quick enough for someone's first car. Space inside is very generous with a big boot, and considering it's smaller than a Fiesta it's hard to think how they've pulled this off. The driving position, suspension feel and build quality makes it feel like you're driving a bit of a bigger cruiser, but you step out and realise how small it is.
Downsides of this car in particular? The clutch has a metallic 'click' when pushing it in and lifting your foot off too, but doesn't when pressing it on an angle. I have a plan for this, but it's not a game changer if it can't be fixed. The front alloys have corrosion, so I'll refurbish these. It has some horrendous dust caps on, but they're corroded on so the garage will need to place new valves in. Gear knob and gaiter has some wear in them, so will be purchasing new ones, and the rear bumper has a scratch. That's it. It has 12 months MOT with no advisories, serviced, 30 days warranty and 112,000 on the clock which, for its condition, is remarkable.
It's also made me look into selling the Ford Focus Titanium and swapping it for a Mazda 3 in Soul Red. But that's another conversation, and also another thread...
robf1uk said:
Quick note on the Mazda 2, as you mentioned the Fiesta - the Mk7 Fiesta and this generation Mazda 2 share the same platform and engines so the architecture is pretty much identical (in case you weren't aware). 
Ah now I wasn't sure if it was the KA or the Fiesta, but was aware it was one of them. Thanks! The Mazda 3 is the Focus too, isn't it?I'm in a really similar position - looking to move house next year so need something fun but fairly sensible. If it wasn't for the house move then sensible goes out the window.
The NC is on my radar, but I'm super concerned about how many of these cars have wrecked bottom ends due to oil starvation.
The NC is on my radar, but I'm super concerned about how many of these cars have wrecked bottom ends due to oil starvation.
BlueComet said:
I'm in a really similar position - looking to move house next year so need something fun but fairly sensible. If it wasn't for the house move then sensible goes out the window.
The NC is on my radar, but I'm super concerned about how many of these cars have wrecked bottom ends due to oil starvation.
You really can't go wrong with an MX-5. There are scare stories but as long as you have service history and it sounds perfectly smooth from cold (ask the seller not to warm the engine) then you'd be fine. It would be very smooth, even with the bonnet up standing in front of it.The NC is on my radar, but I'm super concerned about how many of these cars have wrecked bottom ends due to oil starvation.
The main thing to look out for is rust, so feel the underside and take a screwdriver and poke around. My hand went through a sill on one I viewed.
My wife has had a very similar Mazda 2 1.3 since 2014, so reliable and cheap to run! Average cost is now just under £91/month (initial car cost included, assume no value in it, insurance, tax, major service every year, decent tyres, alloy refurb, breakdown) excludes fuel - doing 12k a year.
On another note I check car adverts every Sunday for my old NC and saw it was advertised (finally) but already sold - so gutted, keep yours as long as you can and if you think of selling it (sit on the decision for a while haha!). Miss S6 MXV
On another note I check car adverts every Sunday for my old NC and saw it was advertised (finally) but already sold - so gutted, keep yours as long as you can and if you think of selling it (sit on the decision for a while haha!). Miss S6 MXV
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