mx5cartalk.com

As most of you probably know, I have another track car, but I thought this would be a more appropriate area to discuss it's progress. It's been a while since I updated the old thread, but here's the short version of the build to date.

Well it only took one trip back to the track to realise that I make the worlds worst spectator, and that I was probably a bit hasty in selling my first race car. So a week after my trip to Lakeside, I purchased another road registered NA to start the process all over again.

This time though, it's a late 1993 NA8C, which I picked up complete with a hardtop at the right price.

And here it is just after I got it home:









Spent a weekend stripping it all out in preparation for the roll cage.









And here's what came out:

Unfortunately I got a bit slack with the camera over the next couple of months, and didn't end up with a lot of photos of the build process. Eventually though I got the car about 90% done and ready for it's logbook and mod plate inspections.

locking good, shame about the missing progress pics


what wing is that, do want

Got the paperwork all sorted and put the finishing touches on the car in readiness for it's first race meeting. I'd entered the 1 hour race at Morgan Park, which was part of the Shannons National meeting, as I thought this would give me plenty of time behind the wheel to test the setup and get a feel for the car.

All went well and I finished the weekend without a hitch, well except for the horn button that fell into my lap about two thirds of the way through the 1 hr race

Heres a photo from that weekend:

After that meeting I fitted a new Cooling Pro radiator, Haltech Platinum 1000 ECU and a 4.3 Torsen rear diff. Once again slack with the camera, so no photos

Had it on the dyno to tune the Haltech and it made an impressive 98HP at the rear wheels

I've just recently done a coolant re-route, fitted a shift light, removed the standard airbox and made a new intake. Had it back on the dyno and made another 7hp, making it 105hp at the wheels

Next mod will be a chromoly lightened flywheel and new clutch.

I promise I'll get the camera out and take some more shots very soon. If anyone wnats a photo of something particular, just let me know and I'll post one.

(Locky) wrote: what wing is that, do want

The wing came with the car so I don't know much about it. A few others have had a look at it, and no one seems to know what it is.

Paul.

you weighed it yet? would be interesting to see how much it weighs.

Tidy! Love the boot lid.

Looking good again Paul

16bit wrote:you weighed it yet? would be interesting to see how much it weighs.

Weighed it at Morgan Park and it tipped the scales at 1007kg with about 1/2 a tank of fuel.

Have since taken out about another 4kg and the lightened flywheel is about 3kg lighter than the standard one so it should be pretty close to 1000kg even with 1/2 a tank of fuel, when it's fitted.

Was pretty keen to fit a carbon fibre hardtop which would have removed another 17kg from above my head, but there hasn't been any clarification yet as to whether or not they're legal in 2F.

Some of the guys have gone pretty nuts with weight removal and got their NAs down to 900kgs. They are also getting about 157kw (210hp) out of their engines, so that's a power to weight ratio of 5.73kgs/kw. On the other hand mines putting out about 105kw (140hp) which makes it 9.52kgs/kw, big difference.

The car is also still registered and mod plated, so I'm still keen on keeping it close to 100% street legal.

Paul.

how do you get it to 900 kgs?! must have no power steering or anything.

16bit wrote:how do you get it to 900 kgs?! must have no power steering or anything.

Early NA6 chassis, remove sound deadening, no power steering, no air con, wind up windows, no hard top, half roll cage, remove all unecessary bolts, brackets and material behind the front and rear bumpers etc, and even cut down bolts.

TCR wrote:After that meeting I fitted a new Cooling Pro radiator, Haltech Platinum 1000 ECU and a 4.3 Torsen rear diff. Once again slack with the camera, so no photos

Had it on the dyno to tune the Haltech and it made an impressive 98HP at the rear wheels

98HP = 73kW doesn't seem to me all that impressive for a chipped NA8 . What was the timing set at? My stock NA6 pulled 71kW at MX5 Mania with 14 degrees timing.

Timing is at 14 degrees BTDC.

Different dynos, different days, they'll all produce different numbers. Probably about 28 degrees last Saturday when the runs were done. 140,000ks on the engine, so it might be getting a bit tired.

105hp (78kw) @ 6300rpm