mx5cartalk.com

Hi guys and girls,

Some of you that race at QR may alreday know of me or my car. I know Brian Ferrabee knows what the back of my car looks like, he was crawling all over the back of it at the first round of the QRCS

Anyway, I'm currently racing a grey 2000 WRX STi at the Top Gear and QRCS meetings but have always liked the thought of running an MX5. The time has come where I cannot support my WRX habit for too much longer and I'd like to get involved with the MX5 racing. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to catch up with too many of the guys at QR but if anyone would be willing to have a chat to me and let me have a closer look at one of these machines, I'd appreciate it.

I do have a few questions that someone may be able to help me with. Firstly, I'd like to race a car with a hardtop. I'm using to having a roof and a cage over my head and after seeing a couple of the guys in the rain last week, it didn't look too comfortable Actually truth be known, my wife said I can't race one unless it has a roof Anyway, is there anything I should know about having a hardtop on before I get into it? Out of curiousity, what does something like a NB8 with a full cage and hardtop weigh in race trim?

Secondly, I've been down the path of building a \"race\" car from scratch and realise how much money it can cost. This time around I'd like to start with something that is ready to race but I'm not sure which model to start with? I'm looking at starting in 2F with something NA but because of my love of speed and turbos I may be looking to progress down this path at some stage, money pending.

Lastly, anyone know where I can get a list of specs for each of the various models of MX5? I've been trawling the net but to no avail so far.

Cheers, Paul.

Easiest way to get in to it is to buy this...

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... &rd=1&rd=1

An NA8 with cage and hard top will come in at about 880 to 900kg.

I will be at QR on the 15th if you want to have a chat. Laguna blue with a hard top. I should be running number 44. Just come and say g'day. As a matter of fact, it's the car in the background of one of Lou's photos on the above link.

Cal.

Boyracer wrote:Easiest way to get in to it is to buy this...

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... &rd=1&rd=1

An NA8 with cage and hard top will come in at about 880 to 900kg.

Lou,

I'd love to buy that car but it's a bit pricey for me, sorry.

Have thought about something like this, any thoughts? PM me if you like.

http://my105.com/classified.asp?id=7011

Cal,

I'll be coming back from holidays on the Saturday night, hence I won't be running at the next Top Gear meeting. I am going to try and get out to catch up with a few of the MX5 guys, if I do I'll come and say hello.

Paul.

That white NB will need a lot of money spent on it to be competitive in Qld.

Cal.

Thanks for the replies so far. Just a few more questions I thought of?

From what I've seen so far most of the cars racing up here in QLD seem to be NA models running 1.8 litre motors. Is this purely because the NA models have been around for so much longer and there are more developed cars around or a case of having the lightest possible shell with some of the better late model gear transferred into them for the best power to weight ratio?
Which model would be a better starting point in your opinion NA or NB?

Cheers, Paul.

It's probably got more to do with cost and availability of panels ect. Hard to know what is best as there is only 1 2F NB currently running in Qld. It's probable they will work out better as they are stiffer. However, I believe it is a much more expensive exercise. I started with an NA8 so I got the big brakes, diff and 1800 motor. When I did the sums it worked out the same as buying a 1600 and converting all the bits over, but without the hassle.

Cal.

Panels and parts and stuff are actually cheaper for a NB...they are definately better in the chassis stiffness,and the front end geometry is better,the thing that lets the NB down is the weight,my SE weighs in at 1060...so you need the extra power to compete with the NAs,and more power costs more money....thats why it's better to run a Turbo NB.

Ok, so to be competitive in 2F it would appear the best way to go would be the NA given that it can run any gear that can be run in a naturally aspirated NB. The potential of a better power to weight ratio in the NA would appear to outweigh the slight advantage of the stiffer chassis of the NB at this stage?
I assume all of the SE, SP or replicas running turbos run in 2B given that they'd require a restrictor to run 2F. In this case I could run an NB as either an SE or SP replica. Does this just involve an engine transplant or is there a lot more to it?
Ultimately I would prefer to run a turbo car given that is what I've always run but not if it's going to cost and arm and a leg. The initial outlay would obviously be more for a eligible 2B car but are they also a lot more expensive to build/run than say a competitive 2F car, given that people would obviously be spending a fair bit of money developing a high end naturally aspirated engine package?

Paul.

You can not run a turbo in 2F. The capacity multiplier makes it a 3L. The cut off for 2F is 2.5L. If you want to race the competition in Qld build an aspirated 2F car.

Cal.

Wow, now my head is spinning

I just read this section from the CAMS manual, 2F section.

\"4.3 Supercharging: Where supercharging is recognised as standard production for the model, the boost pressure may be
altered. The drive pulleys of a mechanical supercharger may be modified to alter drive speed. A restricting orifice must
be fitted to the inlet tract prior to the air entering the supercharging device/s so that all air used in the combustion
process of the engine must pass through the orifice/s. The maximum internal diameter of the air intake into the
compressor is 34mm for a single supercharger or 24mm for each of two superchargers and must be maintained for
a distance of at least 3mm.\"

I couldn't see anywhere in the 2F regs where it says the maximum engine capacity is 2.5 litres, is it stated somewhere else in the CAMS manual or is that a QLD specific rule? I know under the Prodsports regs they have two classes for 2F cars under and over 2.5 litres but is that for NSW champs only?

Definitely the majority of the competition in QLD appears to be naturally aspirated and I will probably go that way, I'm just trying to figure out all the options before jumping in.

You will probably know Cal, is that 1.8 litre turboed NA owned by John Whittaker just a car that he runs at AASA stuff etc that doesn't comply to any CAMS regs?

Thanks, Paul.

John's car is 2A. It is currently the only 2A car in Qld. I fail to see the point. Of the 30 odd MX5's currently racing in Qld, about 25 are 2F cars.

Cal.

Thanks Cal.

I'm 90% sure I start with a naturally aspirated NA or NB car in 2F as that will be more suitable for my budget and get me amongst the field in QLD. I'd also like to do a few of the one hour races, especially EC, WP and PI. I assume there'd be quite a number of 2F cars doing these?

Paul.

There was only 5 x 2F cars at EC in Feb. http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/resul ... 7.ARDC.R11 Better turn out at PI in November because the Vic 944's fit into the class. They are called class E in Vic. The car of Kerry Finn is down as 2E, buts it's 2B, hence we won the class . http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/resul ... 6.PHIL.R18 We will be doing QR, OP & PI 1hrs this year and perhaps the EC in July.

Cal.

Yeah 40 car field at PI, now that sounds like fun

Paul.