Stutopia Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Much as I loved my one track outing in the Cayman, I spent more time worrying about sending it off into the hedge and a mammoth bill, than I did about finding out where the limit of grip was. Track insurance for it was just silly money, so I have been sniffing around auto trader looking for something slowish and cheapish to play with on track without being crippled by financial anxiety. I initially test drove an ND MX-5 with the sexy new angular looks and 180bhp, but found the seat to be too high when forward enough for my little legs and also the pedals to be quite offset to the right. Much as I liked the interior and the exterior, being comfy comes first. Accordingly, I test drove an NC a couple of weeks ago and much preferred the seating setup. Yes it's 20 odd bhp down on power and a bit more lardy but it fitted me much better and was a hoot to drive. Before I knew it I had put down a deposit on a 2013, 2.0 manual Roadster, that's been only ever been driven by one lady owner, to church and the Mazda dealer (every single year!). Naturally, for British convertible driver, I picked it up on Day 1 of the current endless hurricane, so I've not had a chance for any topdown fun, but I couldn't resist an extended B road run to see what all the MX5 fuss over the years is all about. Obviously, it's a bit lacking in out and out pace compared to the Cayman, and the body roll scared the life out of me initially, compared to the flat attitude I'm used to, but once I adjusted myself to the feeling I absolutely loved it. The gearbox is so sweet, even better than I had on the BRZ. The lightweight and lowish traction are so much fun on wet roads. I can't wait to give it a try in the sunshine. For now, I'm mostly leaving it alone, aside from a stereo that's not from the dark ages and some new pads and fluid for a shakedown at Blyton Park on 12th March. After that, I've got my eye on some coilovers and one of the BBR GTI tuning packages - supercharger sounds like so much fun... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Good work Stu! Rip everything out that you dont need. Coilovers. And you are good to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 47 minutes ago, coldel said: Good work Stu! Rip everything out that you dont need. Coilovers. And you are good to go! That's one possibility, especially as the gorgeous tan seats are super slippery and unsupportive, but I might keep some creature comforts and address the power to weight ratio by upping power, rather than saving a few kilos on interior trim and sound deadening. I know it's against Chapman and all that but I'm getting too old to be uncomfortable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Good fun, ain’t they? Still love mine even though it’s ugly as sim (to my eyes), but I didn’t buy it for the looks. Get some RC5+ pads on there and it’ll stop like it should as well, and I can definitely recommend a smaller stubby gear knob to make the shift even better: that was a day one mod for me and I’ve never felt the need for any further improvement at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEADPHONES Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Bagged yourself a nice one that's hardly ever been used in anger 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 2 hours ago, Ekona said: Good fun, ain’t they? Still love mine even though it’s ugly as sim (to my eyes), but I didn’t buy it for the looks. Get some RC5+ pads on there and it’ll stop like it should as well, and I can definitely recommend a smaller stubby gear knob to make the shift even better: that was a day one mod for me and I’ve never felt the need for any further improvement at all. Funnily enough I’ve got a little type-r style knob on order and handbrake handle to match. Plus some alcantara gaiters as mine has a small rip in the “leather” one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoogyRev Posted February 24, 2022 Share Posted February 24, 2022 Awesome little cars, I had a 1990 1.6 Eunos and then a 2006 2.0, loved the 06 model, such fun to drive. Looks like you have bagged yourself a good example 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted February 24, 2022 Author Share Posted February 24, 2022 9 hours ago, DoogyRev said: Awesome little cars, I had a 1990 1.6 Eunos and then a 2006 2.0, loved the 06 model, such fun to drive. Looks like you have bagged yourself a good example 😎 It’s going up on the ramp tomorrow for the first time, then I’ll know if it’s good or made of rot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted February 24, 2022 Share Posted February 24, 2022 I’m not looking under mine. If I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. Much how I treat religion. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAN@ADRIAN FLUX Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 Hi, If you do ever need any help with track day insurance then please feel free to drop me a line. Regards, Dan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_Muxlow Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 Nice little car there. What a nice little gem of a find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted February 27, 2022 Author Share Posted February 27, 2022 After two weeks of waiting, the sun finally arrived today and boy did I take advantage! Had a lovely spin around Derbyshire and Yorkshire, bit chilly on my skull (must but driving hat) but the fire in these and the heated seats are marvellous for keeping you toasty. So much fun this little thing, can't believe I waited this long On the downside, I also washed it for the first time and removed all the dealer makeup - there's a fair bit of paint correction to do if the dry weather holds... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEADPHONES Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 You've been truly fortunate to have experienced so many "driver's" cars. When you have time it would be great to hear your "compare and contrast" stories with regards to the 350z, BRZ, Porsche and MX5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 16 hours ago, HEADPHONES said: You've been truly fortunate to have experienced so many "driver's" cars. When you have time it would be great to hear your "compare and contrast" stories with regards to the 350z, BRZ, Porsche and MX5. You're dead right, I am a very lucky boy. To be honest, much of my research when I start looking at cars is seeing what the motoring press think, for the price bracket I have in mind and my requirement (typically no need for big boot or lots of back seat space!) and then driving the options and seeing which one fits. I also have some irrational preferences, I don't really care for VAG, I do like Jap stuff, BMW and Mercedes are not high on my list to try (although Cayman replacement might be a quick saloon/coupe), I used to say I like rare cars but I think the MX5 now disqualifies that! In terms of comparison, the Cayman is by far and away the "best" car, but then again, it costs at least double what the others did (comparing new prices, more like 4x on used prices). So it's a bit unfair to compare, but that won't stop me though. The Cayman's big wins are on refinement, cabin quality, outright pace, fabulous chassis and it also happily cruises on the motorway at nearly 40mpg. The PDK is fabulous for town and motorway driving and I love the paddles when I'm in the mood, the speed and smoothness of shifts is astonishing. Even the deep frunk and limited rear boot offer practical solutions for GT work. The only downside is that you have to be going really, really fast to feel like you're going fast. I'm sure that cruising down the autobahn at 130 feels lively, but with our speed limits you're quickly in to licence losing speeds if you're on wide open throttle for more than a few seconds. Getting near the limits of grip on UK roads is just irresponsible IMO. On track though, absolutely mega, if money was no object I'd have one just for track work (probably a GT4.0) and not worry about the consumables or risk of bending it. The 350z is a great GT Sports, I absolutely loved it, but again, it was a little too fast for UK roads. Once you're at the top of 3rd, you already troubling the local plod. Downsides were the impact the weight has on agility, the low MPG, less than fabulous interior plastics. But that's all due to cost and the tech available at the time of production. For the money, I can't think of much that delivers as much as the Z, truly a fun, beautiful and charming car. I do still miss mine from time to time. The character, noise, looks and pedigree are all superb and I would have bought one to track (instead of the MX5) if it wasn't for the fuel costs and the impact the weight has on consumables. I will get a 370z Nismo at some point, in red. Just mega. The BRZ and the MX5 are very similar, low weight, low BHP, all about the handling and peddling it hard to make progress. Wether this appeals to a driver more or less than the qualities of the 350z is purely subjective. There's no, one is definitively better/worse IMO, it's just what you prefer from your car. Lighter and more adjustable, get the BRZ. More grunt and more GT and better noise, get the Z. Compared to the MX5, the BRZ has the better chassis and more grunt and is definitely quicker because of these things. It has a superb driving position, better even than the Cayman and much better than the MX5. The BRZ's low centre of gravity and low seating really make you feel involved. It's a cliche, but it feels like it rotates around your hips. In truth, I never should have sold the BRZ. My big problem with it was, the ride quality was a bit unfriendly and crashy on harsh surfaces - the solution to this was to drive it less on the road, more on the track and get some quality coilovers fitted. Instead I sold it. Which was daft as it had all the problems solved (bigger brakes, remapped, cabin improvements). That said, the one thing it didn't have that the MX5 does have is a folding hard top! Having had my first blast around the B roads in the MX5 this weekend, I totally get the charm (even in the cold). The presence of the elements, plus the hilarious body roll and the noises and the smells all make you feel like you're going FAST at 50mph, which to me is perfect. I can peddle the life out of it, get the sensation of speed and not worry about the plod. Downsides are I haven't found the perfect driving position, it's noisy on the motorway (wind whistles and road noise) and it seems to hunt around on the road surface instead of just going straight (this could be because mine has Pilot Sport 3s and may never have seen a wheel alignment). I've only had it for 5 minutes, so it's hard to really give it a fair review yet. In short, although they are all cracking driver's sports coupes, they all have slightly different jobs and if you find the right one, for what you want to do, I'd be amazed if you didn't love driving any one of them on the road. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 The mx5 seats are a bit crap, however I’ve used mine with a mk2 CG Lock since day one and that does rectify pretty much every complaint you could have with them. I’ve got a sparco sprint seat in the garage I keep threatening to install, but I love heated seats that little bit too much! Def get yourself an alignment, as it does transform the car as they’re very sensitive. I remember driving one when they first came out and hated it as it felt so numb, however mine with the fast road geo from Wheels In Motion is pinpoint sharp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 5 hours ago, Ekona said: The mx5 seats are a bit crap, however I’ve used mine with a mk2 CG Lock since day one and that does rectify pretty much every complaint you could have with them. I’ve got a sparco sprint seat in the garage I keep threatening to install, but I love heated seats that little bit too much! Def get yourself an alignment, as it does transform the car as they’re very sensitive. I remember driving one when they first came out and hated it as it felt so numb, however mine with the fast road geo from Wheels In Motion is pinpoint sharp. You’re dead right about the seats, comfy, attractive and warm but slippery and unsupportive. A proper setup is on my list, but first, just booked in for some PS5s at the weekend (got three different ages of tyre on at the minute, oldest being 2016!) and will get it set to stock then and see how I get on from there. Also @Ekona have you tried or heard anything good about lower braces, a few of mine are corroded and although I could save most of them, at least two need to go and I’m tempted to replace the lot. I tried asking on mx5nutz but I’m not really feeling the love over there compared to this place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 Can’t stand the place either, way too much noise to signal ratio there for my taste. Haven’t bothered with bracing at all on mine but then it’s a road car, however if they do half the job they do on MR2s and 350s then they’re well worth having imho. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted March 13, 2022 Author Share Posted March 13, 2022 The Mazda has had a little love recently. First job was to get it in the air and have a look for rot. Fortunately, nothing serious is wrong, the bad news is that a few braces are on the way out and the rear subframe is starting with surface rust. This is still early, so I'm going to find someone to give the subframe a clean and get some protection on it. I also ordered a nice selection of underbody Hard Race braces from Torqen, which will go on next time it's in and save me the cost of refurbing and treating the OEM bits and feeling a bit like a nice little mod too. She also got treated to new diff and box oil, had a deja vu back to the 350z with a tough shift into 2nd when it's cold, but the new fluid has made a world of difference. A set of “Rodders” (don’t ask, read it on a forum, but they held up magnificently and allowed me to test the ABS a few times) pads and some RBF600 and she was ready. I broke all the rules of car buying and not only test drove the car in the rain, but also purchased it in the rain and I have paid the price! Someone has taken a scouring pad to the passenger door and rear wing. I actually don't even have a photo of the worst of it. The middle of the passenger door was a disaster and the rear driver's side wing has been keyed and touched in by someone with no eyeballs. There's also a number of fairly serious random deep scratches where it would appear hairdressing equipment has been dragged across the roof and the bonnet. It's such a shame as the rest of it is in really good shape. So I got about it with a yellow pad and some blue compound, with my trusty 3" Rupes. Happily this is the traditional soft Jap paint, so it was quite easy to correct. There's still a few bits to do, but it's 80% done now and 100% better for it. It actually has a really nice flake in the blue paint, in the sunshine, that I had not noticed before. I'll dig out a video of the before and after. Anyway, enough tarting it up, I bought this to track and that's exactly what I've done. Not before getting a full set of Michelin PS5s on her though. The PS3s she came with dated back to the dark ages and hard turned to plastic, the new tyres grip like mad. Whether or not that is a good thing on the fun stakes, time will tell. It's certainly dampened my flamboyant exits from T junctions! However, I was out at Blyton Park yesterday, via Trackday Solutions, who put on a great day with no nobheads and not too many cars on track either - I'll certainly be going through them again in future. A couple of paddock photos below are mine but the rest are from them, some great shots of my motor and also some of the motor exotic items too. Body roll? Yes please! This thing was absolute insane, the sheer speed it caught up and then disappeared, what a weapon. If the lottery comes in, a 600 LT is on my shopping list. Gorgeous little Ginetta out too, love to have a blast in one of these lightweight beauties. A few other cracking motors out too. The Manta was not on track, just advertising, as she's up for sale. Formerly of this parish @Paddy78 also made an appearance in his fantastic 996. The sound this thing makes is pure heaven. Nearly as good as my 981! The fact that’s basically a classic now and the engine is in the wrong place makes it all the more impressive to see Paddy peddle the life out of it on track and keep it from a life sat in a garage appreciating. All in all it was a great first day out in the MX5. The first couple of sessions were a bit cautious and I felt bad holding up the faster cars, but once I got used to it, what a fun car! The body roll is just hilarious, as you can see in some of the shots, and you really need to hold on in chicanes where the weight shifts quickly, but the agility and ease with which you can throw it about was amazing. I didn't have the usual sense of fear that I get on track with the Cayman that if I bin it, I'll be financially ruined and also doing the sort of speeds that mean everything will happen very quickly indeed. A few times I outbraked myself and got it all wrong and she just sucked it up and didn't bite back, totally chuckable and a pleasure to squeeze every last bit of speed out of. Considering the number and length of sessions I did, I was pleased to see nothing looked remiss in the engine bay and everything was still where the manufacture placed it, That said, this was a shakedown and there are things that need attention. The body roll needs sorting, maybe just ARBs or maybe some coilovers too. I need to be careful though because I enjoy the ride quality on crap road surfaces and don't want something that loses contact with the road when it gets a bit bumpy. The seats are laughable, I had to cling on to the wheel for grim death (my shoulders are knackered today) so I need to find either an aftermarket solution or the hen's teeth Recaro options for sale. Also, some more power wouldn't hurt... There was one casualty of the day. Motorsport can be dangerous. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEADPHONES Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 (edited) Great write up and photos. My condolences to the family of the deceased chicken Edited March 13, 2022 by HEADPHONES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted March 13, 2022 Author Share Posted March 13, 2022 I think it might be a pheasant. Either way, its goose is cooked. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted June 14, 2022 Author Share Posted June 14, 2022 Went to Cadwell yesterday with the MX5. What a track that is! Properly challenging elevation changes, double apex corners everywhere, jumps, the whole lot. Absolutely loved it. Hospitality tent for the babes to hang out in. All kinds of saucy metal out. I want tyre warmers! Plus some pro shots from the day too Fantastic day out, great facilities and such an amazing circuit - if you've not been, get it on your list. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted June 14, 2022 Author Share Posted June 14, 2022 Little bit of in car. My Mx5 and my mate's Mini posting very similar times. Me finding out the brakes were a bit warm - about half way into the big braking zone 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humpy Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Dont panic Captain Mannering! Looks like a great day out Stu. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Looks like your roof is broken mate, it appears to be stuck up on a lovely summer’s day… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted June 14, 2022 Author Share Posted June 14, 2022 Just now, Ekona said: Looks like your roof is broken mate, it appears to be stuck up on a lovely summer’s day… Top down is terrible for aero and I can’t afford to give any speed away on the long straights! Drove home with it down 😎 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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