billybunters - from a bmw z4 to a mx5 se

[billybunter]

[Bizi]

How are you finding the 'new' toy and your almost-finished 'old' SE toy, billybunters?

Asking since I met a great bloke locally with a white NB (RS, kind of a NB Clubman) being set up as a track toy - and he might benefit from your thread!
Your thread could get him a bit inspired but bear in mind it will be more beast than beauty given its track-only use!

Did you get the red striping sorted out?

[taminga16]

New toy picked up today.

Hi BB,
Check this site, http://www.royal-enfield.com/motorcycles/clubman
Love the alloy tanks and the pipe.
Greg.

[kris]

This is such a brilliant car and one of my favourite threads, hats off to all your good work!

[taminga16]

I just wish that the company could revive an 'Indian' brand name. Would be fun on a few levels. Then set it up for some salt lake runs and try to break an old Kiwi record.

Hopefully the chrome work is top class, otherwise it could be a bugger to keep polished...since the SE is taking a while to polish.


Speaking of the SE, are you leaving off the red rocker 'Mazdaspeed' stripes or getting revised solid lettering ones, Billybunters?

Check here.
http://www.indianmotorcycleimports.com.au/
And here, not new but....
http://www.parkerindian.com.au/
Greg.

[billybunter]

hi all
sorry stripes still not on - since i got the bike ive been on it daily. see what a 40 year break does to ya.....
just came back from a run in the mx5 ........runs really well and sometimes you don't realise how good a car they really are.
7k in second and 3rd and your really flying along. been about a month since i drove it and the push back into the seats is great fun
yeah i saw the royal enfield and if it or the cafe racer arrives in australia in the next 12 months i plan to buy another one if they don't push the price to high above 10k.
the bikes great fun ........slow but fun! only done 460klm and the run-in speed now is 80klm.

[Bizi]

Not nagging about the striping but I found something different, just FYI since it's generic looking enough to not look like you are specifically adding a GT3 stripe - but funky design and maybe a way to keep the funky red theme going.

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/4/2/7/ ... 7333_o.jpg (looks photoshopped though)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Porsche-914- ... 1e6abf5301

Or go higher quality - probably a better place to start. I love this stripe on the 997.
http://www.kistudios.com/gt3-004.html
http://www.porschestripes.com/gt3.html (many variations - better than your old one, IMHO)

Or go the ultimate stripe.
http://vbdgraphics.com/portfolioproject ... ripe%20Kit
Or just look at the gallery of lots of racecar stripes.
http://vbdgraphics.com/portfoliocategor ... 20Graphics

If you are still motivated, I hope you find something amongst these sites!

[billybunter]

will check em out

[Novice1]

Read every post. Great build and great read.

One thing that stood out was that a porsche boxster handles better than an mx5. Just wondering why and is that the consensus of people who have dríven both.

What sort of mods would be required to make the mx5, SE handle like a porsche boxster.

I drove a workmates boxster and was very impressed.

Cheers Novice1

[Bizi]

One thing that stood out was that a porsche boxster handles better than an mx5. Just wondering why and is that the consensus of people who have dríven both.

I've dríven a Cayman S (Boxster with a roof and bigger/tougher 3.4L flat six, stiffer suspension etc) and it's a completely different experience.

A mid-mounted flat six with a snarl at 4K rpm, right behind you, is something amazing and mid-engined handling is very sharp. But to enjoy the 4k RPM snarl, you are driving much faster than an enjoyable speed in the MX5.

I think the way to make the MX5 handle like a Boxster is to save/invest/get enough money to buy a Boxster and enjoy them both and enjoy their differences.

For me, MX5 is license-preservation. I would not last long really enjoying driving a Boxster on the road because I'd get addicted to that mid-engine growl at 4K rpm.

Back to Billybunter's car. Have you touched it recently or still re-living your motorcycling fun times?

[Regie]

I'm sure wilch will prove us with a comparison soon. His misses has just bought a Boxter. He has to compare it to his supercharged na

[billybunter]

still have got around to it. your right.............i spend a lot of time on the bike.
i took the mx5 for a 100klm burst yesterday to dig up some termites for my birds.
it ran extremly well but i have this urge for more power. with my mods i've got a bit of power but a few $K invested would get me some more
when i had the boxster i ran it through a rough set of twisties of around 2 to 3 klm klm. 3rd gear running and it was fast smooth and flat cornering.
since then ive been back in a z3 - z4 and the se. the se was the pick of the 3 but i still think the boxster did it better and easier and the ride was much better.
is the boxster a better car................might be untill something goes wrong and thats when your 10 year old car which was $100k plus new bites hard in spare parts money.
I think the se's are good value and hard to beat. Mine starts all the time and apart from mods i have not spent cash on useless repairs.
most the euro model i had were usually one owners and low klms and i still had to spend constant cash.

[timk]

Assuming you already have the AEM intake and SMB exhaust?

Ohlins DFV, up the boost to 0.8 bar & ChipTorque reflash to get rid of the lean hesitation!

After that it becomes a very expensive exercise... beefier connecting rods, larger turbo etc.

[billybunter]

Its been a while but I've finally got the new stripes on - 4130 supplied and fitted. Took the car for a run through the snowy mountains and got a few photos to boot

[MackTheKnife]

Its been a while but I've finally got the new stripes on - 4130 supplied and fitted.

Jeebus, that's over half what I paid for my whole car.

Looks good, gives it a hint of the Carerra RS look.