Cheyne's NA6 Photo Diary Mk2

[CheyneX5]

I dropped my Jellybean into the MX5 factory this morning for some underbody work.

I am leaving to go America today and will return in mid Feb. This thread will get a major update when I get back.

[CheyneX5]

It’s been a little while since I have last updated this; many things have changed on the car. Please read along as I explain everything.

23/11/2010

Time to straighten things out!

Ever since I got the car, I had been focused on fixing all of the problems, big or small. I had forgotten what it was like to simply drive the thing without scouting for issues and problems the whole time. I kept remembering how much better my old car was, no noises, smooth as caramel and bullet proof.

This was, in my eyes anyway, how the current 5 had to be. While many said it was a brilliant example and felt very good, I was thinking otherwise.

So, on the 23rd, after talking to Ben about this, he dragged me down to Hughes Super Car Services to get a wheel alignment.

Phil had worked on my previous car, his work is flawless.

We set the car up and then discussed what we were going to do. With more motorsport in mind and spirited driving, we went for quite an aggressive set up. This was to compliment the soon to come modifications.





The end results were:

- Front Negative Camber (2.3 degrees)
- Rear Negative Camber (2.1 Degrees)
- Front Total Toe (2mm)
- Rear Total Toe (2.7mm)
- Castor (4.5 Degrees)

As I mentioned, this is a pretty full on set up, very similar to that of Ben’s.

Noises and problems aside, I took the car out for a blat and instantly fell back in love.

Soon after, I drove back to Ben’s house, took off the big heavy 16 inch wheels and fitted his standard 14’s, wrapped in RE001’s. Not only did the car sit better, it responded a lot better too.



13/12/2010

So, the car has been good… Well… Until I drove Ben’s car lately anyway, as some may know, he fitted some whiteline adjustable sway bars. I was amazed at how much these transformed the handling of the car!

A few days later, I noticed something popped up for sale on the forum. Something that was very, very tempting… Flyin Miata Adjustable Sway Bars. I bought them instantly, never used either!

After collecting them, I went to get them fitted straight away!



While I was there, we also checked out the drivers side front wheel bearing, it had been making some noise and wobbles. We took it out and found that it was pretty badly worn.



At the time, we also noticed that the front brakes were very close to being metal on metal, the clips that held in the pads were also gone. This would explain why they were rattling and making so much noise.



So, while we were at it, on went new RDA Rotors & Bendix Ultimax Pads.





Everything was eventually fitted, the only thing I was concerned about was the angle of the bolts on the Sway Bar end links…







PIC

I took the car for a quick drive and the difference was very obvious, it didn’t last long though… Over time, the extra load from the sway bars practically shredded the bushes on the old end links. They also made it more evident that the tie rod ends and lower ball joints were on their way out. When driving the car though corners, it would feel very clumsy and loose, some of the time. Other times, it would feel ok. It was a very strange issue… This will be touched on soon.


21/12/2010

The first exterior mod!

One of the things I loved about my old roadster was the boot lip spoiler. I love the way it makes the car look that little more aggressive. I happened to find one floating around for sale on the forum, so, without hesitation I made the purchase.

A few weeks later, I took it to the MX5 Factory to get it painted and fitted. The result is great! It’s looking more and more how I want it to now.






15/01/2011

New Year. New Start.

This year, the car will be dríven. I have made a commitment to be more active on club runs and in the motorsport scene too.

As I was off to America at the end of January, I decided that I would get an entire list of what was wrong with the car and if it was not going to cost too much, everything would be sorted while I was away.

The following list was produced:
- Replace Worn Lower Ball Joints
- Replace Tie Rod Ends
- Replace Bushes in Sway Bar End Links
- Replace Cat Converter (had a blockage and was dead)
- Replace Gear Leaver Boots

The list was a good indication of what I already had in mind. However, instead of stuffing around with bushes, I ordered some Whiteline Adjustable Sway Bar End Links from MX5 Mania.



So, the day of international departure arrived, I dropped the car off in the morning along with the list and left it in the MX5 Factories hands…



17/02/2011

A New Car

A day after I arrived back home, I went to collect the car. Lee came with me.

As we drove down the road in Lee’s car, I saw my cheeky 5 poking it’s tail out the driveway. I was very excited!

I had a chat to Freddy the mechanic who greeted me with a table of parts.



This was all the stuff that was replaced.

I got the keys and turned her over, smooth start. I gave the throttle a blip… It was so smooth! The high flow cat that was fitted had made an incredible difference; the car also had a lot more torque too. The engine was much happier.
Next was cornering. Not a single issue, completely fixed. Mainly thanks to the new end links and the tie rod ends. It felt tight, grounded and very refined.

A few days later, I popped back to see Phil to get the front wheels re aligned. The alignment was pretty badly knocked out from the work that had been done.










So, right up to now, these are the latest developments on my car. I am very happy with where it is at mechanically. So happy in fact, that I am booked into Winton on the 6th of March. Big thanks to Ben who organized this for me. Best 21st Gift ever!



Aside from the above photo’s I have taken many others. Here they are.

A great sunset near my place.







Hangin out...





Hiding in a sneaky alley...





Front & Rear.





Having a coffee...



Wet Freeway.



Thanks all for reading. More updates after Winton.

[bensale]

Awesome update Cheyne, that was a really good, long overdue read! I'm glad you stuck at the car, the transformation you've made in it over the last 6 months has been phenomenal, you can be really proud of it now..! I really enjoyed my little drive today, even just pottering around you can really feel the transformation, it feels complete now, very tight, balanced and responsive. You've got a really nice set up now! I'm very glad you're happy!

I can't wait for Sunday, I know you're going to have an amazing day and become addicted to track days! It may end up being quite an expensive 21st present for you in the long run..! But I know I get a lot of joy out of track days, so look forward to you getting the same out of it as me! The photos are great too, a few are really, really nice! Good work! =)

[de Bounce]

Cars looking great
Be good to catch up on Sunday @ Winton

[CheyneX5]

Awesome update Cheyne, that was a really good, long overdue read! I'm glad you stuck at the car, the transformation you've made in it over the last 6 months has been phenomenal, you can be really proud of it now..! I really enjoyed my little drive today, even just pottering around you can really feel the transformation, it feels complete now, very tight, balanced and responsive. You've got a really nice set up now! I'm very glad you're happy!

I can't wait for Sunday, I know you're going to have an amazing day and become addicted to track days! It may end up being quite an expensive 21st present for you in the long run..! But I know I get a lot of joy out of track days, so look forward to you getting the same out of it as me! The photos are great too, a few are really, really nice! Good work! =)

I agree mate, long overdue indeed, thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the drive, i'm really pleased with how it's turned out. Very much inspired by your car.

Motorsport will be a very dangerous habit i think... A fun one too!

Cars looking great
Be good to catch up on Sunday @ Winton

Thanks Bob,

See you there

[CheyneX5]

One thing that i forgot to add to the last update was a current mods list.

Exterior:
Mazda OEM Boot Lip Spoiler
4x JDM Red Reflectors

Interior:
Brushed Vent Rings
350mm Momo Steering Wheel
Voodoo Spun Gear Knob
Leather Gear Boot With Red Stitching
Sony Head Unit with AUX
Sony 3 Way Splits
Polished BD Roll Bar
Removed Backing Foam in Seats

Suspension:
Koni Yellow Adjustable Shocks
King Low Springs
Cusco 4 Point Front Subframe Brace
Cusco 2 Point Rear Subframe Brace
Flyin Miata Adjustable Sway Bars
Whiteline Adjustable Sway Bar End Links

Engine:
Mania Cold Air Intake
Genie Turbo Extractors
Genie Turbo Mid Pipe with Hot Dog
Genie Turbo Muffler
High Flow Catalytic Converter
Timing Advanced to 14 degrees

Brakes:
RDA Rotors
Bendix Ultimax Pads

Tyres:
185/60R14 Bridgestone Adrenaline RE001

Thats it for now.

[91 Malibu]

Great write up, this is 1 very well sorted NA6 & it sounds awesome. Love the pic of yours & Lee's side by side in the carport.

[CheyneX5]

It's time for another update.

I have not had a whole lot of time for the car lately, other commitments have laid in place. In the past couple of months, it has been to Winton. I set a 1:16.000 on the short track, im very pleased with this for my first (proper) time on track. I have some footage that i will upload some time soon. There is more of a story to go with this day which i will put up once i get the car back next week, this leads to the next story... Three words... Short Nose Crank. Again!

Stay Tuned.

Ill give details and winton video when i have the car back and a little more time

[CheyneX5]

A long overdue update.


28/2/11

As i had mentioned, Ben had bought me an entry to the Winton Short Track sprints for my 21st. This was an excellent gift! A few days before the day, i popped into a local Bob Jane to get a wheel balance, there was an annoying shimmy coming from one or two of the wheels.



5/3/11

Track Day Time!

I had been looking forward to this for a long time, this was going to be my first track day! I got up, packed my things and washed the car. At around lunch time, Ben and i set of towards Winton. The drive up did not seem to take too long, the car felt great. I was very happy about getting that wheel balance, no more shimmy.

We arrived in Benalla and had some lunch at around 2, we then made our way to the track. This was on Saturday, the driver training day was still taking place once we had arrived. I was itching with excitement. As i drove in, I could smell the Petrol, the burning rubber... It was fantastic!

Soon after arriving, we were told we could have a few laps for a small payment. Ben and I both shot our hands up and were off to the scrutineering bay. I drove my car in and got everything ready. All checks were going well until one of them told me to come over the drivers side front. "Hear that" he said as he shook the car back and forth from the side (it was a creaking/ squeaking noise). I was told to take the car back to the pit and jack it up.

After doing so, i had a look and could not see anything suspicious. A few people within the club came to give me some advice/ help and eventually found that i had ANOTHER dodgy wheel bearing on the drivers side front. This was the Third one. We could tell this was the problem because of the small amount of play when you shook the wheel. I eventually found someone with a breaker bar and socket to take the bearing off and then retighten it again. This did not completely eliminate the problem, but it got me passed scrutineering. A big thanks to Mr's B for helping me find the tools. I feel terrible for not remembering the fellows name who helped me with this, thanks a bunch! He was cookie's mate.



I managed to get a few laps under my belt before the track closed up. The car felt good, i still had slot of attention on the bearing though.

We went back to the motel to unload our things then met with the crew at the infamous Vic Hotel for dinner.

6/3/11

The morning went very smoothly, i unloaded the car, got my numbers, got a secondary bonnet restraint and waited to be called to the dummy grid. By this time, i had re checked the bearing and made sure everything was done up tight.

"RUN GROUP 5 TO THE DUMMY GRID".... The magic words, i threw on my helmet and made my way down.

The first session was really good, i had Ben come out with me and give me a few pointers. It was great to have someone point out my faults and show me what i could do better. I also got to ride shotgun with him in his White NA6, i was amazed at how smooth he was and how little effort he seemed to use. Something to aspire to i think

Throughout the day, the car would start to get a little hot, so i would back right off and put the headlights up to ram as much extra air in as i could. The RE001's seemed to perform very well, they stayed nice and progressive for most of the day. I also managed to stay on the tarmac the whole day which probably means i was not pushing anywhere near hard enough! My confidence got a lot better too.

In the end, i managed to set a 1:16.000 on the Winton Short Track. I'm really pleased with this for my first time. Especially seeing that i could only get 3-4 decent laps per session due to overheating. Not to mention a buggered bearing

What i took away from the day was:
- Brake much later.
- Hitting the Red line once in a while is ok.
- Use all of the road.
- Always have your foot on a pedal, no down time.
- Always make sure the cooling system is working 100%.
- Burson wheel hub/ bearing assemblies do not do well on a race track.

On the drive home, all i could hear was the awful grinding of the front bearing i had destroyed.

A big thanks again to Bensale, Mr's B, HIC-45S (Cass), DeBounce, Rob Downs, Gary, AROCA and the MX5 Club for a brilliant day.

Also, an extra thanks to mxfive95 for the camera mount, Ben for the Fire Extinguisher and Rob Downes for the Fire Extinguisher Bracket.

[lee]

I've lost track of how much you've modified your car in the time you've had it. You're creating something very nice there

[CheyneX5]

Thanks buddy, that was only half the update. I'll try to get the rest up today.

[CheyneX5]

Here is the video from WInton. The best lap is at the 3:00 mark.



Lets pick up from before.

A few days after getting back from Winton, i gave the MX5 Factory a call to ask what we should do about the bearing. They asked me to come in so they could assess it. After spending some time on the phone to Burson's and making a few other calls, it turns out that this was part of a faulty batch. I was not happy about this, i had wasted a lot of time coming back every time one of these little buggers failed. So i requested it be swapped with a genuine Mazda part. The photo's below show the difference between the Burson part and the Mazda part.





Three dead units



I have done just over 1000km's since the Mazda unit was installed and it's fantastic, not a single shudder or grind.

Lesson Learnt: Always use Genuine Parts!

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On a brighter note, Lee and Myself managed to get down to Albert Park just after the GP finished to take some shots. I was allowed to borrow a nice lens from work. The motion shots did not turn out too bad. The ISO had to be turned up quite a bit, the car was probably doing around 30km/ph.

We did get some funny look from passing traffic, i think we went back and forth through that corner for at least 30mins.









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A Small Encounter of a Roadster Kind at Garage Cafe

A month or two ago, we had something slightly different turn up to Garage Cafe, It was a Suzuki Cappuccino. It's is owned by Daffyflyer's mate Caswald. It's truly a brilliant little car.

My self and Lee were given the challenge of removing it's roof. Not as easy as it sounds, being a Targa Top and all. It took us around 11mins. Ben was then given the task of putting it back on. It took him only 7mins.

It really is as small as people say, it makes the MX5 look huge!







And just for shits and giggles...




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1/5/11

SNC Revisited.


I had just had breakfast and thought it would be a good idea to warm up the car before i went out. I turned it on and left it for 15mins. When i came back it was ticking along nicely, minus the annoying lifter noise. Why not check the oil i thought to my self, so up went the bonnet, out came the dipstick and on went the rag. It was starting to get dark, as it does... Out of the corner of my eye, i saw something that i really did not want to see... The crank shaft pulley was wobbling, it was pretty bad too. Right on cue, my heart sunk. This happened to my Roadster as well, however, i knew that this time, it was a lot worse. When we fixed the old car, we ended up replacing the motor with a long nose unit.

As this one was more damaged, i got straight onto looking for a new motor. I wanted to try and find something local to save on freight but i did not have much luck. MX5 factory had one but it was from an Auto which meant lower compression.

I took it out to the guys again and asked them to have a look, they confirmed it was as bad as i thought. I still had the Kia available to me, so i left the MX5 in their hands...



I received a call about a week later with some disappointing news, as they were pulling it all apart to see how bad it was, a whole lot of chemical weld dropped out of the pulley! This had happened before. Who ever tried to fix it did a terrible job too.

There is no point in being angry though, i bought the car with very little history.

After telling me of the unfortunate history, they mentioned that they had found a great long nose motor. This was music to my ears. After discussing price, which was very cheap in comparison to the last car, i gave them the go ahead. The reason i was so direct in choosing a new motor is because of a few things:

-The car was due for a 200,000km service
-The motor got hot at winton
-It felt tired and drove like crap when it was cold

I also went out to help them take out the motor to speed up the process and save some money on labour. Lee was also kind enough to lend a hand. After we got the motor out, it was friday night (last week). While we were chatting, Freddy, the mechanic at MX5 factory said he would like to do the motor swap the next day (Saturday). This was his day off, but he insisted. He was determined to get it done. Lee also put his hand up to help out, also so he could learn how to work on his own car. I unfortunately had to work that day but they were not fussed.

















After a few phone calls, updates, messages, it was Saturday night. The engine was in. Credit goes to Lee for taking the following shots:















Lee and i headed out after work on Monday to go and collect it. As i caught a glimpse of it, i had a sudden rush of adrenaline. I felt really excited about driving the car, this was the first time i had felt like this about this car. Something that i though died when the Roadster did.

I turned the key and it sprung to life with no hesitation at all. Even though it was stone cold, it idled like it was no issue at all.

After having it for just under a week and putting 400km's on it, i'm in love. It has that much mid range torque that it could nearly be mistaken for a 1.8L... in comparison to my old motor anyway. It does not seem to have as much top end kick as i thought it would but i think that is because it happens earlier in the rev range.

They also fitted a machined flywheel which makes a nice difference.

Here it is. So very, very clean. Also, i had a crinkle black rocker cover fitted too.










Thats it for now.

Thanks for reading!

[CheyneX5]

It turns out that the gentleman who helped with the bearing at Winton was the great Daniel Decker. I had absolutely no idea of your background until just now. I feel quite honoured mate. Thankyou so much for your help ;)

[Old Dude]

Great read and great work Cheyne.
looks good

Cheers
Dale

[bensale]

Nice update and some great photos! Glad you enjoyed Winton, you really should get out there and do some more sprints days. There is one at Winton in August, you should enter!

The new motor is very nice, I love the mid range it has, feels very healthy =)