mx5cartalk.com

So I have had my 180sx for the last 8 years and it runs with about 300rwkws and makes an awesome track drift car and I love it to bits , but I get no enjoyment driving it on the streets anymore , as I spend most of the time looking in the mirror waiting to get done. I own a trailer so there is no point keeping it regoed anymore.
So the perfect street car on a buget that still looks awesome and isnt cop bait is an NA mx5.
Always loved them and one came up cheap so the deal was done.
It was ruff and missing half it's paint but ran like a dream.
Had my mate paint it for me in stock 2pac white and it looked brand new again.
Few little bits to get a roadie , and away we went.
Had it regoed 2 days and the water pump let go. :drip drip
So a new pump and timing belt and all seals and pullies and it was back together and like new.
Next was a nice set of BC coilovers and some tuff little simmons rims.
I didnt want "epic" rims as I already have that look on my 180 , so some 15 / 7 + 38 to the trick.
Some kumo ku31s up front seem to be ok.
Rear tyres that came with the rims are rubish tho , sp they will be next to be changed. Lucky I have been in to drifting for over 10 years is all I can say.
Next mods is roll over hoops , bit of added safety without looking to over the top. I have a track car so it dosnt need to be cams spec, so next will be some more suspension stuff. I really want it to handle aswell as it can but not quite sure what to do next no a budget, how do I stiffen the car up with adding butterfly braces and what not?
Anyway awsome little cars and I love my little mx5 already. I can just as much fun in a 50rwkw car as I can in a 300rwkw car. Well almost.....
Even tho I cop it off all my car mates the mx is staying and is awesome.
They just dont get it........

My wife has always preferred roses, but I've always found these require less watering ...

Welcome.

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I can see it.

Welcome.

Hey guys what are some good cheap mods to really get this car nice and stiff and turning in. Atm all I have is a frnt strut brace and some Bc coilovers. I have them set pretty soft , I have some ku31s on the front but I did think the car would be quicker mid corner. Where should I start , I can feel that the car is quite soft , as in flex. Without going over board and going butterfly bracing , what should I do? Swap bars? any cheap under body bracing from later modles that bolts on? All tho it is just a street car I still want it to be quick in the corners. Cheers chris

Stiffening the chassis won't make it corner faster.

Get a proper wheel alignment at a performance alignment shop and some better tyres.

Dann

Yeah I have it dailed in to where I want it , having been drifting for 10 years I knoq where I like my wheels to point. Alihnment was one of the first things I did. But yeah I think a pair of Toyo R1Rs might be the go for the front. Car still would feel to soft tho. You can feel the flex in the chassis as in most soft top cars. What is the next mods most people do?

The butterfly brace is useless forget that.

First off its unlikely that setting your coil overs soft is stiff enough to control your springs.

Also where did you get your alignment specs from?

Tyres will obviously change what alignment it needs to go get some tyres and then align it again.

It's work but the next step I'd do after is poly bushes on everything.

Right now my car has full race bush set stock suspension and NO sway bars at all with my own alignment and it's much better than stock bushes and white line sway bars and stock suspension.

Dann

Interesting cheers for that. How do you find the roll in the car without any bars in it? Polly bushes sounds like a good idea tho. Did you do every bush? If so would I need a press to install some of them?

It's god a decent amount of roll. Nothing like a commodore or anything still. But because these have double wishbones with properly designed camber curves so it still grips very well.

The bushes however make the car very responsive. If you ask it to turn in or change direction halfway through a turn it does. No ifs, now waiting, no change of direction on and off throttle in the corner just nice compliant steering and excellent feel.

Dann

Well I hardered up by about 2 clicks the damping rates on the coil over's and it seems to have mad a huge change to the car. The car started to point where I wanted it too again. I then fitted a pair of achilles 123's up the front and now the car is dam fast. Very well handling car for just coil over's a strut brace and some semi slicks up front. The great ocean road is great fun to drive on again. Next will be some roll hoops , that will also work as a rear strut brace. Good fun little car. Loving it. It does make about 250rwkws less then I am used to but still just as fun.