Mx5, Chapter 2

[Red_Bullet]

Yup, I hear you. That's my excuse for not going to Morgan Park last year or this year. Trailer sounds good but then have to get something to tow it with, suitable tow vehicles are kinda unappealing to me for anything else. What a quandry! Maybe I need to get interested in becoming a grey nomad then a 4WD might have 2 uses.

[Okibi]

I have to read so that you can test MCAs and tell me if i can justify the upgrade cost.

[The American]

I have to read so that you can test MCAs and tell me if i can justify the upgrade cost.

I made it an easier decision for myself by accident.

I wanted higher spring rates in the front, and a set of 10kg/mm Tein springs came up on this forum for $150 so I bought them. Tein have a unique internal spring diameter and so you can’t use many other springs without modifying the spring seats.

These new front springs fitted fine, and while I was at it, I swapped the front 6kg/mm springs to replace the rear 5kg/mm springs.

It was then I hit problems:
1. When installing the last rear spring, the shaft nut partly stripped. I was able to tighten it to the correct position, but it is never coming off again.
2. The new front springs are the same length as the originals, but with the higher rate, they compress much less and as a result are too long for the target ride height - the coilover body at its lowest setting still left the car too high.
3. It handled badly. I don’t think the front dampers were up to controlling the spring rates. Tein recommend a maximum of 2kg extra rate before a re-valve is required.
4. Fulcrum Suspension offers a rebuild service, which I could have used to replace the damaged shaft and re-valve for the spring rates, but the cover charge is about $190 per corner, plus the cost of parts and another set of front springs at $300. That’s a total of $1060 to spend on dampers that you can buy new today for $750.

So... they weren’t working for me, one was damaged, and the base cost to fix was going to be half the cost of a new better set.

At this point I decided that spending to repair/customise the Tein might be good money after bad.

So which alternative to buy? I went with MCA largely because they are local to me - Josh Coote personally loaded the box into my car. Xidas would have been a choice if not for the need to purchase from the US. BC’s appear to have supported others very well, and Yellow Speed are distributed by Mx5 people in Australia. I have no idea if there’s any practical or performance difference between any of these products. MCA sells alternative spring rate sets very cheaply (as do the others)

The MCA’s came with helper springs and set to a ride height that was almost exactly 100mm to the pinchwelds - a little too low even for my purposes (enough height adjustment either way to get to my camber target). They don’t have front brackets for the ABS sensor wires which was annoying.

They do feel very good to drive on, but I don’t really know how to describe the experience - my only recent reference point is cheap Tein’s designed for road comfort, and therefore not really fit for purpose. Almost anything would have been an improvement.

I am confident that I was driving beyond the limits of what the Tein dampers were good for, and I am yet to find the new ‘limits’ on the MCA’s.

Sorry Okibi I’m not sure how useful this review is!

I do believe that the higher spring rates have helped, particularly on soft rubber. The last event was on new A050 softs, and so there was loads of grip to work with and to make the higher spring rates work.

[The American]

The first ever hillclimb in Central Queensland was run today on the Mount Morgan Range road.

Did you get out there for a look?

There were a few Mx5s around the place on the day. A gold one owned by a fellow who’s son was competing in an M3, and Rodger who had his 10AE there and was one of the marshals at the start line.

[Okibi]

..Sorry Okibi I’m not sure how useful this review is!..

I will gauge their success in toblerone bars

[The American]

I had entered a Hillclimb and Runway Sprint next weekend in Gunnedah, but the scruffy mouse won’t be back from the painter in time.

Work is also taking me all over the place at present - Sydney, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne in the last few weeks, and so don’t really feel like spending more time away from home. The delay in completing final repairs is perhaps a blessing in disguise.

[The American]

Speaking of Perth, Racewars moved their annual runway sprint from Wyalkatchem Airport to Albany in recent years, and for this year they are adding a hill climb at Mount Clarence to the weekend’s activities. Hopefully some WA Mx-5s will get involved. Very picturesque

[The American]

Back a page or two, I collected at tyre barrier on the way to a class win at the Oakey Street Sprints:


I put the car back together using second hand parts and elbow grease, and then handed it over for paint.
Today I collected the car from the fellow who has completed the repair and paint for me:



It looks better than it did before the incident, and I am quite happy with the result.

[The American]

must be about time for some more activities...

[Magpie]

Good news!

[The American]

Poor, neglected Mouse has sat on the trailer, untouched since mid year.

Meanwhile Virgin tells me that I’ve done 44 flights and spent three days in the air this year... ...Motorsport has taken a back seat.

[The American]

Finally the drought is broken!




Took home a second in class (over 3L) behind an LS engined BMW

[Daffy]

Outstanding effort mate, well done

[The American]

Apparently, my last run of the day bumped me into 4th outright.

There really is something quite special about the Mx-5 - a very rewarding little car to compete in.

[Red_Bullet]

Nice drive, you should go on Australia's got talent.