'91 Mazda MX5 (NA Miata)

[CircuitHero]

Hi guys, Im new here after lurking for the past few days, just thought Id put a few pics of my ongoing Roadster project. Ive noticed you guys require a test (egg-nog I believe?) for newcomers and their cars, and although Im pretty sure nobody will doubt someone claiming to own a 17 year old hairdressers car, Ill play along anyway. Unfortunately, Ive put my usual moniker 'Nocturnal' on the paper (named after my photography business) assuming thats what I had called myself here. Apparently I was wrong.



Right, I bought this car a year ago as an essentially standard car. It wasnt originally my first choice, either, having come from a Stage 2 Nissan 200SX, I was more inclined to buying another Nissan, this time in the form of an R32 Skyline. My SX was featured in the 'readers-rides' section of a national magazine, too:


And a pic of my own:


But my other half has always loved MX5s, and after taking her for a spin in one as a bit of a laugh, I ended up leaving a £500 deposit with the owner. Oops...

How it started:


And after lots of work/money, how she sits now:


The goal for the car is a place in the 2009 Time Attack UK club class, which Im hoping to achieve through learning to drive the damned thing properly, and by transplanting a black-top SR20DET engine from a Nissan 200SX S14A, which will be the first swap of its kind outside the US. The full build thread for my car can be found by clicking here.

A brief outline of the spec:
Engine
-Apex'i cat-back exhaust system
-XS 4-2-1 manifold

Interior
-Mountney steering wheel

Chassis/Handling
-Spax RSX fully adjustable coilovers (front dampers 27/32, rears 29/32, ride height -30mm)
-Four wheel geometric alignment (rear camber -1.3 deg, front -0.5 deg, front toe out 1/16, rear toe in 1/32)
-Custom 3-point roll bar
-Sportmax 002 15x8J ET0 wheels, 195/50/15 Yoko A539 tyres

Exterior
-Garage Vary front splitter
-Rolled/slightly flared arches
-Bonnet lifters

I have some pretty big plans for the car, and Im trying to keep up to date with its performance by attending most of the trackdays I possibly can, and by heading back out to Germanys Nurburgring for a week in August.

Thats pretty much me.

[Ferrer]

I love those small Mazdas, altough I personally prefer them stock.

Nice car anyway.

[henk4]

does it look like your bonnet does not close any more?

[CircuitHero]

Yeah I get that a lot, the trailing edge of the bonnet is lifted to aid with cooling.

[ilikefast]

Yeah the stock mx-5 while a tight package is a bit underpowered so that engine swap will be great, would be really keen to see/read how it goes. I have just put that same engine into my Mk1 escort, and hopefully getting back on the track ain't too far away! (Can't drive it on the street in West Oz) What are you going to do computer wise?

[Rockefella]

Welcome to UCP!

Awesome little car you have there, I've wanted to throw a Miata around but I've never been given the opportunity. Hope you stick around, we don't bite.

[Waugh-terfall]

should be a proper pocket-rocket, are you Touge_SX off of PistonHeads by any chance?

[baddabang]

Needs an LSX but nice car.

[Type17]

I'd love a Miata (if i could fit in one, i'm 6.3 ). I've been trying to convince my friend to get one but he says it's too feminine. I don't think so but we all have our own quirks.

[clutch-monkey]

have you considered looking at a bullet conversion? there's a pair of them at our time attack sprints, bonkers car

[092326001]

miatas are great little cars

[MRR]

They are some of the best cars for amateur racing cheap, reliable and easy to fix.

[McReis]

Originally Posted by CircuitHero

Yeah I get that a lot, the trailing edge of the bonnet is lifted to aid with cooling.

It's OK to admit that it's more about style...
I only like the wheels, which unfortunately are too wide for the car. But I guess that's the point...

Welcome.

[CircuitHero]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have just put that same engine into my Mk1 escort, and hopefully getting back on the track ain't too far away! (Can't drive it on the street in West Oz) What are you going to do computer wise?

Top stuff! Did you have any issues at all? I have to admit, Im a die-hard Jap fan but the MK1 + 2 Escorts are one of my all time favourite cars. ECU-wise Im not really sure at the moment, from talking to Apex performance they seem to think Ill be fine either using an S14 ECU with a piggyback chip (such as the HD) and a decent map. Ultimately though, I want control over everything, so Im thinking of going down the AEM route.

Awesome little car you have there, I've wanted to throw a Miata around but I've never been given the opportunity.

Thanks man, you should grab a helmet and pop down to your nearest solo course, most of the Miata guys Ive met/talked to seem like a friendly bunch, Im sure they wouldnt mind taking you out.

should be a proper pocket-rocket, are you Touge_SX off of PistonHeads by any chance?

That I am mate. Although, I stopped posting on there after a couple of Ferrari owners proved their egos were huge. I put up offers of a free photoshoot for my portfoilio, and they basically said my photography was crap and wasnt worth their time. Each to their own mind, but the organisers of the Ma5da racing series didnt think so as Im doing work for their 2008 season.

I'd love a Miata (if i could fit in one, i'm 6.3 ). I've been trying to convince my friend to get one but he says it's too feminine.

Hah, I used to get that a lot when the car was near-stock. You learn to live with it.

It's OK to admit that it's more about style... I only like the wheels, which unfortunately are too wide for the car.

No honestly, dont sugar coat it, say what you think.

Actually, the spacers on the hinges at the back have very little to do with style. Afterall, if style was my main concern I wouldnt add something which made my car look like its been in an accident. Its actually more to do with cooling as I said. Obviously they dont work at speed as that area is high-pressure anyway. But theyre fantastic in traffic (this car is a daily driver afterall), and also in the pit lanes, as its a pretty common fact that MX5s are prone to overheating.

As for the wheels, meh. Theyre only 15x8J, the reason they look so wide is the 0 offset. People run much wider wheels on these cars, and since Ive rolled the arches they offer many advantages.