What do you MX5 enthusiast think of Mazda based Kitcars?

[Dreamspeed]

I’m a big fan of kitcars, and I think everyone knows by now that pretty much every kitcar has a donor car, usually an older car that is stripped of its useful bits and the rest is scrapped. (Sorry if I’m dumbing this down too much!)

You may be aware of several kits on the market and I was wondering what your views were on having your pride and joy chopped up for one of these? From the stripped out track day projects to the Ferrari 250 kits?

Is it a good thing, are some kits ok, but others terrible; is it best just to keep the MX5 as it is but tune it up? Can a well sorted MX5 beat the track day focused machine? Any and all points are welcome.

[Eighteeteewhy]

Great idea for cars that are rusting away, the engine etc are usually ok.

[anonymous-user]

I think they're a great idea in theory, but for example the Exocet retails at about £3k from memory and that's if you build it yourself, so if you have an MX5 with great mechanicals but dodgy bodywork, £3k could get you a lot of bodywork, paint, suspension refresh etc giving you a nearly new classic!

[VladD]

I think it's a shame to scrap a car to use as a donor unless you really have to, but having said that MX5s aren't exactly rare, so it's not as if anyone will notice the loss of one, especially if it's on it's last legs body wise.

I quite like kit cars too. Not just because they're a bit individual, but because the process of building the car is, I imagine, quite fulfilling. I think the MX5 would be an ideal donor because of it's price and it's Front/Rear layout, so I'd expect a few more kits to spring up in the future. If there was a kit to build a Lotus Elite replica on MX5 running gear, I'd be very keen on one myself.

[MX-5 Lazza]

Lotus Elite? Most people would say lotus Elan! I'd say the MX5 is too big to be a donor for an Elite kit, those Elites were tiny! I like your thinking though

I'm assuming you are referring to


and not

[VladD]

MX-5 Lazza said:

Lotus Elite? Most people would say lotus Elan! I'd say the MX5 is too big to be a donor for an Elite kit, those Elites were tiny! I like your thinking though

I'm assuming you are referring to

Yes, that one. Beautiful thing. There's a guy in Devon who was supposed to be working on a kit, but not based on MX5 running gear and based on a chassis rather than the monocoque that it was famous for. He seems to have gone a bit quiet though.

[MG CHRIS]

Im actualy building one as i speak the exocet i could of repaired the donor i bought for it no serious rust on it apart from the 2 front wings. But if i spend say 3k repainting it, new suspension, interior etc i still end up with a mx5.

With the exocet i can personalise it to the way i want it no one exocet is the same mine is the first gold and black colour scheme. I have replaced all the bushes with ploy bush set will fit new coilovers etc it will be around 6k including the iva. But the enjoyment is in fabricating brackets for the lights seeing what works and what doesn't the great community within the owners site with many builds going on almost all questions will be answered by someone. Also when it's built i can say i built that with my hands i made that part etc.

The mx5 is a great donor to use for a kit car and the exocet makes good use of pretty much everything from the donor and the things not needed can be sold and make the money back from the donor and then some.

[Dreamspeed]

Oh yes, I quiet agree the actual stripping of an old donor vehicle and then re-building the new kitcar is very rewarding, but that’s the view of the kitcar builder, who obviously purchased an old MX5 with no emotional attachment to the original car.

I look upon some donor vehicles, and I have a hard time believing anyone having an attachment or following towards them, but the MX5 has almost a cult following of its own, similarly as does the MR2. I was just wondering what the views were of say the “MX5” owners club; Are they fine with the idea of their beloved marque being chopped up and used for parts?

I found myself in a similar situation with the Ford Cougars Owners club, who were obviously great fans of the original car; unfortunately I had a difficult time telling them that I’d bought one just to cut the roof off, because that’s all I wanted for my project!

[Corpulent Tosser]

As the owner of a MX5 and a track focused kit car (Hayabusa Fury) I have to say they are very different beasts and IMO even a very well sorted MX5 could not live with a track focused kit car.

As for using an MX5 as a donor, well why not ? Instead of an old Ford RWD donor, which must be getting rarer, the Mazda has the benefit of modern and available mechanical parts new, as there are so many sold, breakers would be a good source of second hand parts.

[MX-5 Lazza]

There have also been around 1 million MX5s built so it's not like it's a rare classic that's being scrapped. In fact I'd say it's more of a sacrilege to chop up something like a Ford RWD Cortina/Granada/Escort these days as there really are getting quite rare!

[matlee]

Just like MGChris i am also in the process of building an Exocet. The donor i bought was too good to strip (had quite a few tasty mods) and i found myself having second thoughts but eventually started chopping away. My total spend has been in the region of £4.5k, granted i could have spent that improving the mx5's bodywork, engine mods etc etc but that wasnt the reason i bought the mx5 in the first place. Ive wanted to build a kit car for as long as i can remember and it just so happens that the one ive chosen requires butchering an MX5. Im not bothered whether or not someones tuned/modded mx5 is faster around a track than my exocet (to be honest i doubt i'll ever take it to a track) nor am i bothered about the mx5 being more practical than an exocet, or any other comparison in favour of the mx5 that ive heard, ive built and invested in the exocet for myself and my own pleasure.

Edited by matlee on Saturday 21st July 00:00

[MX-5 Lazza]

My MX5 is highly modified, updated suspension, supercharged & intercooled etc. and is based on a high-spec Mk2.5 Sport with AC. I've fitted a rear cage and Mk3 heated leather seats. It's a comfortable place to be, very fast on the road and usually one of the quickest cars on track with the only thing holding it back being the driver.
I still have more fun in our track-dog standard engine Mk11.6 on track though. It's the challenge of trying to get the most out of what's available and the cheapness of the car meaning it doesn't matter much if we bin it.

Despite that, if I had the space, I'd build an Exocet or the Westfield MX5 kit too.

[Munter]

I'm all for building kits from mx5s. People building kits buy the cheapest ones that have dodgy bodies. It's either the scrap heap in a few years, or turned into something fun.

I don't see anybody buying a mint £3k mk1 to build a kit. Those will change hands between people who want to keep the mx5 as it is.

[Dreamspeed]

Some very interesting comments, and some I didn’t even consider, such as the loss of the practicality of the MX5 for the stripped out track car.

The MX5 with the supercharger sounds very tasty! (Any pictures of the conversion?) Could this be done on the Exocet? What’s the power gains, cost?

I would also tend to agree with Munter; a clean original Mk1 shouldn’t be used as a donor, not only would it be pretty sad to chop one of those up but you’d probably regret doing it a few years later when the price of clean Mk1’s go up. (Learn from people who chopped up the original Datsun 240z a few years back!)

Here’s a question, if you raced the two cars together; a clean Mk1 and an Exocet with the same mechanicals, which would you put your money on?

IMHO the smart money would be on the Exocet on acceleration and cornering, but I think the MX5’s aerodynamics would help with a higher top speed, or would the loss in weight of the Exocet allow it to “punch” its way to an even higher top speed than the original donor? What is the weight difference between the two? Is it advisable to replace the original Mazda coils/shocks to better match the new weight of the Exocet for lower ground clearance and better handling? Has anyone done this?

It’s good to hear that MX5 enthusiast are ok with their cars being chopped up for kitcars; I would hope that Exocet owners could be “under the same tent” at car shows with MX5 owners.

[ronime]

Dreamspeed said:

I think the MX5’s aerodynamics would help with a higher top speed, or would the loss in weight of the Exocet allow it to “punch” its way to an even higher top speed than the original donor?

Hmmm...

With a hardtop, door windows rolled up and more ponies than stock, the MX-5 might pull out a higher terminal speed over a similarly powered Exocet.

With the roof and side windows down the MX-5 has the Cd of a house brick and I think that the Exocet's lower weight would more than compensate for any aerodynamic inefficiencies.

Aesthetically, I prefer the Roadrunner SR2 over the Exocet.

[matlee]

Dreamspeed said:

The MX5 with the supercharger sounds very tasty! (Any pictures of the conversion?) Could this be done on the Exocet? What’s the power gains, cost?

What is the weight difference between the two?

Theres a v8 powered exocet on the mev forum as well as a few kits being built with a supercarger/turbo charger. If you upped the power to around 200bhp with forced induction youd be looking at around 300bhp per tonne (Thats more than a 911 turbo, GTR, R8)
As for the weight difference an Exocet will be in the region of 250-300kg lighter than the mx5.

[MX-5 Lazza]

Who cares about the top speed? It's handling and acceleration that's important!

[HeatonNorris]

Good idea, in theory.

But the Exocet is bloody ugly.

[Dreamspeed]

MX-5 Lazza said:

Who cares about the top speed? It's handling and acceleration that's important!

I would have to disagree with you on that point; I believe both handling/acceleration and top speed are equally important. Although track days are common, V-max days are also gaining in popularity. Most people can experience the handling/acceleration of their cars on a day basis, but maxing it out is something of a treat.

I have enjoyed some 175mph runs which where very exciting. And let’s not forget, it’s not handling/acceleration that gains bragging rights down the local, it’s top speed.

Also, putting the law aside a moment and lets agree that thrashing your car around like a loon, is just as “naughty” as cruising down the M1 at 140mph; but I’d challenge anyone in their Mazda based Track car, that I’d get to the south of France before them, in my old Audi Estate! (It’s not diesel and has two turbos).

[Dreamspeed]

HeatonNorris said:

Good idea, in theory.

But the Exocet is bloody ugly.

This seems to be a common quote; and although I appreciate the fun factor of the Exocet, I would have to tend to agree with you. The original MX5 is a pretty little car, whereas the Exocet sadly isn’t.