seam welding an mx5

Fatty · Postby **Fatty** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:33 pm

apparently there is a \"how to \" guide on miata.net with diagrams etc, but i can't find it.

anyone done it? anyone got a link to the article mentioned above?

not that i'm gonna rush out and do this anytime soon, but it'd be interesting reading.

Steampunk · Postby **Steampunk** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:33 pm

I reckon lowmiata would know a thing or two

Matty · Postby **Matty** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:34 am

It's a lot of work to still be stuck with a convertible chassis...

Postby **Okibi** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:49 am

I wouldn't bother unless it's a race car.

There are those braces you can weld into the cabin of an NA MX-5s to stiffen them up like an NB.

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:01 pm

I imagine you just weld up all the seams. Hell of a lot of work for not a lot of reward.

As said, just whack on heaps of braces and a BD rollbar.

Fatty · Postby **Fatty** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:03 pm

Okibi wrote:I wouldn't bother unless it's a race car.

There are those braces you can weld into the cabin of an NA MX-5s to stiffen them up like an NB.

yeah, the one around where the transmission tunnel meets the back wall.. i have been searching around for one of them, can't find them anywhere. can't even find a picture.

who sells them ? ?

i already have the rollbar and front and rear subframe braces.

Matty · Postby **Matty** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:34 pm

nobody sells them (AFAIK). Mazda fitted a few to some NAs that they 'factory restored' and sold some time around 2000 as I recall.

You can see pictures in the Yamaguchi and Dinkel book.

Fatty · Postby **Fatty** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:23 pm

thanks matty. i thought i'd seen pics of someone on here with them welded in, bought from some tuner shop in japan.

coulda imagined it tho.

lowmiata · Postby **lowmiata** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:28 pm

I had typed a really long post but this frigin thing lost it so ill do it in a nut shell

make it to rigid and your chassis will fatigue alot sooner

if you ever have a minor rear end impact
your insurance company will throw your car back in your face when the panel beater rings them up and says we didn't allow to grind off all the welding because some twit welded all the seams!

not worth it on a road car the mx chassis is probably as good as you can get for a mass produced mono constructed vehicle

you still need a little twist

look at a say a wrx rally car after a few seasons (assuming there a no major dings)

the panels don't line up doors dont shut properly etc you need the flex so it can return to its original dimensions