2005 MX5 'Launch Edition' BBR Super 200

2005 MX5 'Launch Edition' BBR Super 200

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TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

18,093 posts

273 months

Friday 12th August 2022
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Cambs_Stuart said:
Did you get to the bottom of the oil consumption?
I'm keeping an eye on it for now, it does seem to be using it fairly heavily but these engines are known for it, it's a high mileage car that's been fairly heavily tuned, and it definitely gets used properly.

The other day I met some mates for camping and his theory was that I should look into getting a thicker grade of oil (currently using 5w30). When I arrived on the day the engine sounded slightly "tappy" but then it smooth again the next day, so he thought that the thicker oil might help.

I need to take it to the local mx5 specialist soon for a health check and some rust treatment, so I'm going to ask their advice on that. Until then I'll just keep a close eye on things.

buccal

530 posts

193 months

Friday 19th August 2022
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No excessive oil consumption here, but I’m only on 43k.

I believe the post facelift cars may be better in this regard but I’m not sure how much difference the BBR stuff makes.

Anyway, here’s mine:





snotrag

14,464 posts

212 months

Thursday 1st September 2022
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Cars that have been owned from new by a suitably sporting owner, and regularly extended up to the redline tend to be fine - I bought my 06 from a long term enthusiast owner (who had tracked it a bit so not shy) with over 80k on it and it used not a single drop. Multiple family members have bought much lower mileage 'doris owned' cars that have all developed oil thirsts.

Its the oil control rings that fail, cause the oil burning, and when not kept on top of leads of bottom end bearing failure due to low oil pressue when the level drops under the pickup.

If its healthy when its modified - theres no evidence of modifications, remaps, BBR conversions etc accelerating the likelihood of oil usage.

The facelift cars do appear less prone but then - they are all newer.

TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

18,093 posts

273 months

Saturday 8th October 2022
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I haven't been using the car as much as I'd like lately, but I did get to the end of a tank of petrol, and an interesting experiment of sorts. I took it very easy on this tank, not only to see what the car will actually do MPG wise, but also to see if gentle driving had a big effect on the oil consumption. The outcomes are it does 33 MPG in mixed, gentle, urban driving, and the oil has not gone down at all from the MAX mark which I put in when I started the tank. With hard driving I would for sure have seen a noticeable drop in the oil level, so as with some comments I've seen on the internet, it seems that the engine does indeed like to drink oil, but if kept below about 3500rpm it uses very little. Add to the fact the car is coming up to 138K and is running a fair bit more power as standard, I'm not at all concerned about it now.

The next thing in the pipeline is the MOT, servicing, and I'll get quotes for the rust treatment. There was a chap on the NC-LE facebook group recently had his checked over and he said he was quoted £5k-£7k for the repairs and rust treatment, and that they basically advised him to enjoy it for a year or so and then get rid. That would be a bit of a nightmare scenario for me, but I know the arches have been done recently, so it'll be interesting to see how much I get quoted. I don't have the appetite for a £5k repair though, I have to say.

I have been starting to think I'm falling out of love with the car and/or driving recently, but another trip out in it today confirmed that I would regret it if I sold it, but at the same time, I have been thinking about what I might get instead, in the event of moving it on, but honestly, the MX ticks a lot of boxes, it really is a very good all round car. That said, I'd still like to try something else again one day, maybe VX220T, 370Z, GT86 with some mods? However, the MX really does nail the basics, so the replacement is going to have much to live up to. It's light, RWD, cheap to run, reliable, fun to drive, what's not to like?

If I keep it though, I definitely would like to get the final drive mod, I really believe it would make all the difference and give the car a punchy, hyperactive feel with shorter gears, the exhaust for a bit more noise (with the emphasis being on sounding nice rather than loud), and the fitment of a Pioneer touchscreen headunit as the current stock BOSE setup is pretty mediocre and definitely outdated, and using a phone cradle is a cock on.

TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

18,093 posts

273 months

Tuesday 21st February 2023
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Small update from me as it's been a while since I updated this.

Car flew through the MOT with no advisories. It did need a new thermostat at it wasn't heating up properly. Amazing how quickly the thing warms up now.

On xmas day one of my suspension arms snapped, which was unfortunate timing laugh Luckily, I was able to abandon the car at a country pub and await my rescuer!

I was starting to feel like I was getting bored with it, but I reckon it's a combination between crap winter weather and just not getting out in it enough. Too many JayEmm videos gets the mind wandering. Yet it always gets under my skin again when I drive it.

I have started to get the V8 itch, but honestly, I'm not sure I can be arsed with the expense of it all. I've got a good little runabout which I've become quite attached to, so if I do keep it, I've got a few things to get done.

- Clean it, properly! It's looking very grubby at the minute.
- MeisterR coilovers and fast road setup
- Cobalt exhaust (as suggested by snotrag) or a custom made (my mate did a great job on my MR2)
- Pioneer touch screen head unit and upgraded speakers
- Make the air con blow cold again
- Rust proofing by Stagshaw Land Rover (as suggested by gad-westy)
- Potential: Bucket seats, but this is less certain. Depends on cost, ultimately.
- Potential: ITBs for the noise and about 10% more power. Very pricey.

However, that is a significant investment on an 18 year old MX5 with nearly 140K on the clock, so it does open up the possibilities of trading to a different car, would certainly welcome any thoughts on this.

The upgrades would transform the car though, and the cost of upgrading is not insignificant, and any new car is an unknown quantity and could bring with it early bills etc, not sure I can be arsed the stress!

Total investment for this car and my proposed mods would be about £10k-£12k (depending on how much I get done), I'm not sure what else I could get that would be a better all round car while also being a relatively lightweight sports car with a fairly powerful N/A engine. On the flipside, some/most of the money invested would be gone.

Doing these upgrades and then enjoying the car would however allow me to save a bit more money to buy a car that is a genuine upgrade. Something like an Evora might be a nice car to aim for, but this can be a great little stepping stone in the meantime.

Bring on spring / summer!


Sko77y

361 posts

130 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2023
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MeisterR's will transform the ride quality, I always found the lowering springs to be quite crashy in the rear over bumps, almost as if there was a delay for it to settle.

I think rust treatment should be priority, good for you to be sorted or the next owner (whichever comes first), so benefits keeping or selling. You get seat lowering brackets from Jass Performance that are an inexpensive way to improve the seating position, to try out before bucket seats.

They seem prone to rusting at the side markers, the bootlid is aluminium so they tend to start around the numberplate lights, I've not seen it do similar to what you have before.

With how cars prices have gone recently, I'd vote ITB's (as long as the cars solid), you don't really buy them for the power anyway. Accompanied with some lightweight wheels and wider rubber, maybe RX8 yellow dot ARB's - it'd be a real B road warrior.

Of course my opinion is biased, but there's a reason most return to a 5.

Cambs_Stuart

2,875 posts

85 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2023
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I has MeisterR's on a subaru impreza. While they were possibly a bit harsh for transporting the family around, they were great when pushing on. I suspect they'd be fantastic in a MX5. I've currently got bilstein B14's in my clio, and they're the best road going coil over I've used. No harness on poor road surfaces, but great control as you pick up the speed.

TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

18,093 posts

273 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2023
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Thanks both. My mx5 specialist recommended the Meisters and said it would transform the car, especially the damping as you've pointed out, the car isn't too bad as is but it's noticeably more crashy than my Boxster S was (albeit that was on completely stock suspension rather than the Porsche sports suspension, and 17" wheels instead of 18), so it would be nice to address that.

I see that you can get the Sportives which are the cheaper option, height adjustable but no adjustable damping, and the ZetaCRDs which are twice the price and give you the adjustable damping, but I'm not sure I need this as I am rarely on a track.

If I did decide to stick with it I guess the important question as said is whether I get the rust proofing done first, just so I can be sure I'm modifying a solid car.

Cambs_Stuart

2,875 posts

85 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2023
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TameRacingDriver said:
If I did decide to stick with it I guess the important question as said is whether I get the rust proofing done first, just so I can be sure I'm modifying a solid car.
At the very least, I'd get it up the air and give all the usual areas a good poke before you buy anything expensive.

ECG1000

381 posts

143 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2023
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TameRacingDriver said:
- Clean it, properly! It's looking very grubby at the minute.
- MeisterR coilovers and fast road setup
- Cobalt exhaust (as suggested by snotrag) or a custom made (my mate did a great job on my MR2)
- Pioneer touch screen head unit and upgraded speakers
- Make the air con blow cold again
- Rust proofing by Stagshaw Land Rover (as suggested by gad-westy)
- Potential: Bucket seats, but this is less certain. Depends on cost, ultimately.
- Potential: ITBs for the noise and about 10% more power. Very pricey.
Nice looking car mate. Bet it's a lot of fun.

Personally I'd get it checked for rust, then protected properly before doing anything else.
Then if all goes well there, I'd look into the oil consumption issue. You could do a nice engine refresh for not much more than the the cost of ITBs. Ooooor, you could go mad and get BBR to do a 2.5 swap...

Either way, you'll have worry free motoring for years to comes with those items ticked off!

TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

18,093 posts

273 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2023
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ECG1000 said:
Nice looking car mate. Bet it's a lot of fun.

Personally I'd get it checked for rust, then protected properly before doing anything else.
Then if all goes well there, I'd look into the oil consumption issue. You could do a nice engine refresh for not much more than the the cost of ITBs. Ooooor, you could go mad and get BBR to do a 2.5 swap...

Either way, you'll have worry free motoring for years to comes with those items ticked off!
The oil consumption is one of the issues holding me back really.

The engine is high miles, and it tends to use very little oil when driven sedately (rare), but quite a bit when driven hard (often). The engine is very smooth and runs well, no knocking, no visible smoke that I can see.

The specialist said it wouldn't get any better, but should last for quite some time yet as long as I keep an eye on it.

The issue is, whether the cost of the rust treatment + potentially an engine rebuild + all the other mods makes it worthwhile as the total cost of the car plus all that work could see me into another car really. This is a decision I'm not taking lightly as whatever I get next might well end up being my 'forever' car.

ECG1000

381 posts

143 months

Thursday 23rd February 2023
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Yeah totally get that.
Perhaps the best approach is to look the potential of rust first. Then if all good go from there.

Will be a larger outlay than swapping cars, but sometimes better the devil you know…

Prawo Jazdy

4,948 posts

215 months

Friday 24th February 2023
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This is a really useful thread for me. I was considering a 986, but some journalist comments on a podcast made me question whether it was for me, and your experience seems to support that.

I’m after a fun third car, and saw an NC2/Mk3.5 BBR 200 advertised recently with a nice specification and a reasonable mileage and price. Unfortunately my shifts and family life didn’t allow me to go and see it before it sold. Buying a standard car and matching that specification always sees me spending more money than that one was advertised for, which is aggravating! I’d be looking at an NC2 as (AIUI) they have a stronger crankshaft and a higher redline.

As I’ve got small children, I’m being swayed by a GT86 for the potential for using the back seats occasionally. Also, I had an MX5 NB2 a few years ago, so would be keen to have something “different” from an MX5. I would be really interested to drive a BBR200 and a GT86/BRZ back-to-back to see how they compare. It sounds from reviews like the Mazda engine post-modification would be more interesting/useful than the Toyobaru’s, but that the Subota might be sharper to drive.

I tell myself that I could have a GT86 until the children are too big to use the back seats, and then start playing with an MX5, but that will be a while and NCs aren’t getting any younger or less rusty.

Interesting read - thanks.

Cambs_Stuart

2,875 posts

85 months

Friday 24th February 2023
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Prawo Jazdy said:
This is a really useful thread for me. I was considering a 986, but some journalist comments on a podcast made me question whether it was for me, and your experience seems to support that.

I’m after a fun third car, and saw an NC2/Mk3.5 BBR 200 advertised recently with a nice specification and a reasonable mileage and price. Unfortunately my shifts and family life didn’t allow me to go and see it before it sold. Buying a standard car and matching that specification always sees me spending more money than that one was advertised for, which is aggravating! I’d be looking at an NC2 as (AIUI) they have a stronger crankshaft and a higher redline.

As I’ve got small children, I’m being swayed by a GT86 for the potential for using the back seats occasionally. Also, I had an MX5 NB2 a few years ago, so would be keen to have something “different” from an MX5. I would be really interested to drive a BBR200 and a GT86/BRZ back-to-back to see how they compare. It sounds from reviews like the Mazda engine post-modification would be more interesting/useful than the Toyobaru’s, but that the Subota might be sharper to drive.

I tell myself that I could have a GT86 until the children are too big to use the back seats, and then start playing with an MX5, but that will be a while and NCs aren’t getting any younger or less rusty.

Interesting read - thanks.
I had a similar consideration when looking for a fun car, and ended with a RS clio. It's fun to drive, great on track and can fit people in the back. Plus it's so small it makes a great town car. When the children no longer need me as a taxi a MX5 is on the shortlist for a replacement.

TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

18,093 posts

273 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
Prawo Jazdy said:
This is a really useful thread for me. I was considering a 986, but some journalist comments on a podcast made me question whether it was for me, and your experience seems to support that.

I’m after a fun third car, and saw an NC2/Mk3.5 BBR 200 advertised recently with a nice specification and a reasonable mileage and price. Unfortunately my shifts and family life didn’t allow me to go and see it before it sold. Buying a standard car and matching that specification always sees me spending more money than that one was advertised for, which is aggravating! I’d be looking at an NC2 as (AIUI) they have a stronger crankshaft and a higher redline.

As I’ve got small children, I’m being swayed by a GT86 for the potential for using the back seats occasionally. Also, I had an MX5 NB2 a few years ago, so would be keen to have something “different” from an MX5. I would be really interested to drive a BBR200 and a GT86/BRZ back-to-back to see how they compare. It sounds from reviews like the Mazda engine post-modification would be more interesting/useful than the Toyobaru’s, but that the Subota might be sharper to drive.

I tell myself that I could have a GT86 until the children are too big to use the back seats, and then start playing with an MX5, but that will be a while and NCs aren’t getting any younger or less rusty.

Interesting read - thanks.
Glad you find it useful smile

I would definitely say if you can stretch to a later NC then it's worthwhile, it does have the better, stronger, higher revving engine and you can also get the power hard top model which really gives you the benefit of two cars in one. I also tend to find on average that the late NCs are typically better looking cars too.

The GT86 is an interesting one for sure, probably a bit expensive for me at the minute for the performance, as I'm trying to stick to cheap cars ultimately (less stress and worry), but I would like to have one maybe one day, and get the unequal length headers, manifold and map to get rid of the flat spot and give it a scooby noise and a little more power smile

Prawo Jazdy

4,948 posts

215 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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Yours is the first NC I’ve ever seen with a removable hard top, and I think it looks better than the folding one. The folding top also adds about 40kg I think, and the NC isn’t exactly praised for its weight-saving. I can imagine it’s a quieter place to be for longer trips when the roof is up though.

TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

18,093 posts

273 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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Prawo Jazdy said:
Yours is the first NC I’ve ever seen with a removable hard top, and I think it looks better than the folding one. The folding top also adds about 40kg I think, and the NC isn’t exactly praised for its weight-saving. I can imagine it’s a quieter place to be for longer trips when the roof is up though.
Yeah, personally I've never really had much use for it, it's been sat in my shed basically since I bought the car. I'm going to sell it soon. It probably weighs about 20 kg but it does make a big difference to the refinement of the car, it feels like a very different car with it on, but I didn't buy it for that really.

The folding metal hard top version for me gives the best of both worlds, and although it does add even more mass, I don't suppose most people would notice it too much. Having the roof up on this basically serves one purpose, and one purpose only: keeping you dry. It certainly doesn't help with the refinement. laugh

On another note, this will be going up for sale soon. I'm not 100% sure what will replace it yet, but I am in discussions with someone about another Boxster, which will be a surprise to some after I sang the praises of this car, and I still stand by my comments that the car is more fun than a Boxster particularly at lower speeds, but I just really want a 'big' engined car again, and something with more comfort and refinement, as I am growing tired with cars that are essentially like biscuit tins on wheels biggrin

cerb4.5lee

30,690 posts

181 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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Exciting times ahead then hopefully TRD! thumbup

I'd love to sample a Porsche one day, and I've never even sat in one...nevermind actually driven one.

TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

18,093 posts

273 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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cerb4.5lee said:
Exciting times ahead then hopefully TRD! thumbup

I'd love to sample a Porsche one day, and I've never even sat in one...nevermind actually driven one.
I must admit I didn't think I'd end up going back but you never know, Boxsters still seem like cracking value for money ultimately, in a market where there are few cheap cars anymore, at least not the sort of cars I want to drive!

One of my mates has just bought a Macan too so he's quite keen for me to buy one as well. I've got my eye on one that looks nice but it'll need to be inspected as I'm taking no chances. I'm not expecting it to be cheap to run, but obviously if I can avoid an engine failure in the first few months that would obviously be good biggrin

buccal

530 posts

193 months

Thursday 6th April 2023
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TameRacingDriver said:
buccal said:
Great thread, not sure how I missed it previously.

I remember messaging you years ago when I had an RS Limited.

Funny we are both in super 200's now.

I often contemplate going the opposite way to a Boxster, (entirely for the flat 6) but very interesting to read your views. Gerraint Thomas who has a similar thread also said stay with the BBR.

Otherwise ITB’s are often on my mind but I’m worried it could be a step too far.

Off for a spin, will upload a pic later
We must both have impeccable taste biggrin

I must confess I do wish in a way I'd had a little more time with the Boxster, as I felt it was cut short prematurely, but it's definitely a more sensible, laid back type of car. As standard they are quite muted as well, I had mine booked in for bypass valves 3 days after the accident happened, so I never got to find out what that would have been like, but I think it would have made all the difference.

I'm always thinking about ITBs as well, but like you, wonder if it would be too much, and also, I have better things to spend that sort of money on at this stage - the most important thing will be to make sure the bodywork is sorted before winter, so that if I do decide to go that route, the car is fundamentally sound.

I've just been out just now, great fun as always. Enjoy! biggrin
Noooo, I see your back in a Boxster.

This is not going to help me trying to avoid that flat 6 itch ……