Mazda MX-5 turbo | Spotted
A turbo kit for a new MX-5 is about £5k; what about a whole turbocharged car for that money?
More than 20 years after it went out of production, the original Mazda MX-5 is probably too nice a car - certainly too collectible a car - to be gutting and sacrificing for a track project. It’s seldom that good examples come up now at less than a few thousand pounds (see here for the most expensive, if you dare), and you’re likely to be working on a car that’s a quarter of a century old. Really, nowadays, it’s a delicate, classic roadster that needs to be preserved for the future, rather than transformed into anything more mischievous.
Which is a shame, honestly, because the MX-5 has made such a great tuning base for 30 years now. Even Mazda got in on the act early with the original Le Mans car of 1991. What to do, therefore, if you wish to embrace the potential in an MX-5 but are unwilling to send an original to slaughter?
Simple: get a Mk2 MX-5. Oh sure, it doesn’t look quite as cute as a Mk1, but the fundamentals of MX-5 goodness - low weight, rear-wheel drive, revvy twin-cam up front - are present and correct. There’s as wide an array of tuning bits available, too. There are still good cars on offer cheaply, the knowledge base is vast, the pitfalls well known. And, as the Mk1 has proved, that will likely only last so long.
This Mk2 ‘NB’ MX-5 is the perfect example of what can be achieved. Once a 1.8 S, it’s been treated to a Chinese TD04 turbo, new injectors, an uprated ECU and a chunky exhaust to liberate somewhere in the region of 280hp - certainly enough to be getting on with given the kerbweight will be c. 1,000kg. That it’s backed up with a tougher clutch, braided brake lines and better pads is all very encouraging, despite the suspension apparently going untouched.
What’s most heartening to see, though, is just how much detail has gone into creating the advert for a £5k MX-5. It talks of all the rust-tackling work that’s been done (and admits those ruddy sills have begun bubbling again), the upgraded (and very red) hoses and leads under the bonnet, the folder “bulging” with receipts for service work and the switch that’s already been made to winter tyres. It’s an advert brimming with enthusiasm; everything would suggest this is a knowledgeable, diligent, conscientious owner. When the bad bits are mentioned alongside all that’s great - the cracked bumper paint, the reason the first engine went pop, the respray that’s “not the best of jobs” - the feeling is one of reassurance; in theory, a warts-and-all description leaves less lurking for the next owner to discover.
Furthermore, the real joy of an MX-5 - especially a tuned MX-5 - is in the driving, so to have a concours-perfect car would jeopardise that. Who cares if it’s not perfect? It’s an MX-5 that’s nearly 20 years old, nearly through its 100,000th mile yet has the best part of 300hp - it’s there to be driven, on road and track, and so those blemishes can simply be patina that’s added to. It’s a great driver’s car that you wouldn’t have to be too precious about - it’s amazing how rarely these kinds of cars come up.
Of course, while you could build your own MX-5 project with another donor car, that’s inevitably going to cost more than the £4,800 that this one - with the numberplate - is for sale at. In fact, as is often the case with MX-5s, it’s hard to think of much that would provide the same entertainment for a similarly meagre outlay. That it’s being sold with a bootful of spares and what looks like the most luxurious Mk2 interior ever simply seals the deal - once more, the answer would seem to be MX-5…
No it isn’t. You can start with a much lower figure than that.
Having said that, with a little bit of forced induction, the MX5 does go rather well (although I’m biased...).
This is a good place to start-
https://bofiracing.co.uk/product/lm1-garrett-turbo...
https://motorsport-electronics.co.uk/product/mazda...
drive in drive out from £2200
http://mtechautomotive.co.uk/mx5-turbo-conversion/
not that I've been looking....
I used to have a track prepped SC'd car, it was brilliant on the road & track. Quicker in a straight line than the s2000 which replaced it and far far faster round the twisties. Also better steering / more predictable on the limit. Hopefully with some mods the s2k will be a step above, will see.
Consumables are also very cheap!
Then i found a supercharger on a forum and bought it for £2k which had ecu, injectors, pipework, charge cooler, basically everything needed.. bolted all that on, then addressed the brakes and suspension because of the new power (206hp on the dyno).
Then the new power killed the 130k mile old clutch, so i upgraded that. Then finally after 3 years of fun on track and road, the sills failed an MoT and i decided i wanted a 2+2, so i stripped it to pieces in my garage. Somewhere in the region of £4k invested in total.
I shifted the SC kit on for £1800 to a chap in Germany. The car had a torsen LSD which are sought after so that went for £400. the brakes were barely run in so they fetched £150, The suspension £600. Engine was given to a mate, box was something silly like £15, plus various panels, nardi wheel, other bits landed about £200 total. I even had a "£5 corner" on the facebook group towards the end.
Total recouped in the region of £3000, so £1000 for 3 years of epic fun, Worth every penny.
Then i bought a 996 and spend a couple of grand regularly to keep it tip top.
It is perhaps a good one for someone who can do welding and bodywork themselves as otherwise you end up with a MK2 with five grand in it compared to the normal £1500 or less, which is not so easy to write off if the rust has really got hold, anything is salvageable (look at some of the work keeping classic Fords going for example) but could be hit with a big bill if you need to send it in and they start cutting it open and its much worse than it looked.
Easy to drop 2 to 3 grand to sort a ropey one if you get someone else to do it.
Otherwise, what a piece of kit !
Brakes, Radiator, Intercooler are just a few of the things to think about and a decent roll bar if you are going to track it. Mine also had race seats, harnesses, LSD and probably a few bits I have forgotten about. The bill was well north of £5k once you stop with man maths.
Great fun though, and I suspect I will shed a tear when it goes !!!
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