NC Intake and Exhaust

[matt2424]

Just wondering if people had suggestions for intakes and exhaust set ups for an 05 NC?
Interested in value as well as performance increase and overall happiness with the product?
Just want to get as many opinions as i can before making my decisions,

Cheers,

Matt

[Guy_Coles]

Just wondering if people had suggestions for intakes and exhaust set ups for an 05 NC?
Interested in value as well as performance increase and overall happiness with the product?
Just want to get as many opinions as i can before making my decisions,

Cheers,

Matt

Have a look at my review of the Good-Win-Racing RoadsterSport here : viewtopic.php?f=29&t=48800

[deanb90]

Depends on many things. If you want best performance for your dollar i would get the roadstersport race single. It is cheap and extremely light, and from what i have heard it sounds awsome.. just deosn't look that good imo.

as for an intake, i would go AEM. around $300

[kris]

seems like there is quite a few nc's in the market for intake and exhaust upgrades... perhaps a group buy is in order?

[NitroDann]

Considering the price NC bits worth paying for are, Id be doing WAY more research before just going 'GB im in!'.

Dann

[kris]

True , but the roadster q package that GWR has certainly seems the business......

[NitroDann]

Independant same dyno, same day test proven?
What does it include?

Dann

[Charlie Brown]

Best bang for your buck is without doubt a set of headers. And yes dyno’s are not the be all and end all but my car registered 91.6rwkW standard and 105rwkW with the headers. Cost is about $555 landed, snail mail from Goodwin Racing. http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Pe ... haust.html

Cold air intakes for the NC, in my opinion, are a waste of money. The standard intake sits horizontally in the nose of the NC and takes in cold air without modification.
I have a Cobalt CAI fitted, cost was about $140 delivered including filter when I got mine it’s slightly dearer now. http://www.miatamania.com/Shop/ViewProd ... exID=73664
The Cobalt CAI is the same length as the stock intake but sits vertically with the intake behind the lower slot in the nose. The K& N panel filter has the advantage that you can wash it clean, which you do often as the CAI picks up sand and bugs easily.
I noticed no difference when I fitted the CAI and there is no additional intake noise. The AEM / Mazdaspeed (about $360 landed, snail mail from Goodwin Racing) sits diagonally across the nose, its longer than standard and may have a minimal increase in torque at lower revs. Chris has dynoed a number of different CAI’s on his race NC’s and only picked up 1kW.

Mufflers. A word of warning. If you fit headers there is only one muffler to get and that’s the Goodwin ‘Q’ (cost $836). Any other will be way too loud. I’ve tried 5zigen, and the Roadstersport with baffles in and both will have you defected and your neighbours chasing you down the street trying to do you some injury.
Also besides the overwhelming loud note you have drone which kills the pleasure of driving even with a loud exhaust note. I think the note the stock muffler gives with the headers is fine, the main reason I wanted to change was a decrease in weight which would eliminate me having to swap mufflers at the track.
Performance wise Goodwin has some figures on his site about the development of the mufflers which is a good read. If you believe the figures you look at about a 4rwkW gain. A new mid pipe (cost $643) around another 2 rwkW.

So summarising a set of headers for $555 will get you around 13rwkW.
Add an AEM intake, a mid pipe and a Q muffler for $1839 and you get another 7rwkW. Pretty easy to see where you need to spend your money.

[Zohxoco]

I got gwr header + mp + q muffler. it's loud but somehow the volume dropped off a bit after the track day, and no it's not cos I'm going deaf- that's something else I think even with the q there's plenty of drone which takes some of the fun out, and for some (including me) it causes the "parcel shelf" to vibrate when the top is up (a few towels thrown down there stops it but then you have to remember to take them out before top down...

another downside is that the engine takes centre stage in your driving experience, and the mx5 was never meant to be that kind of car. on the other hand you get more fun in situations that don't suit standard mx5 (eg traffic, straight lines)

ive forgotten what stock was like so can't comment on power. worth a comparison if someone is considering it, I'll drive yours and u drive mine ;)

[deanb90]

Best bang for your buck is without doubt a set of headers. And yes dyno’s are not the be all and end all but my car registered 91.6rwkW standard and 105rwkW with the headers. Cost is about $555 landed, snail mail from Goodwin Racing. http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Pe ... haust.html

Cold air intakes for the NC, in my opinion, are a waste of money. The standard intake sits horizontally in the nose of the NC and takes in cold air without modification.
I have a Cobalt CAI fitted, cost was about $140 delivered including filter when I got mine it’s slightly dearer now. http://www.miatamania.com/Shop/ViewProd ... exID=73664
The Cobalt CAI is the same length as the stock intake but sits vertically with the intake behind the lower slot in the nose. The K& N panel filter has the advantage that you can wash it clean, which you do often as the CAI picks up sand and bugs easily.
I noticed no difference when I fitted the CAI and there is no additional intake noise. The AEM / Mazdaspeed (about $360 landed, snail mail from Goodwin Racing) sits diagonally across the nose, its longer than standard and may have a minimal increase in torque at lower revs. Chris has dynoed a number of different CAI’s on his race NC’s and only picked up 1kW.

Mufflers. A word of warning. If you fit headers there is only one muffler to get and that’s the Goodwin ‘Q’ (cost $836). Any other will be way too loud. I’ve tried 5zigen, and the Roadstersport with baffles in and both will have you defected and your neighbours chasing you down the street trying to do you some injury.
Also besides the overwhelming loud note you have drone which kills the pleasure of driving even with a loud exhaust note. I think the note the stock muffler gives with the headers is fine, the main reason I wanted to change was a decrease in weight which would eliminate me having to swap mufflers at the track.
Performance wise Goodwin has some figures on his site about the development of the mufflers which is a good read. If you believe the figures you look at about a 4rwkW gain. A new mid pipe (cost $643) around another 2 rwkW.

So summarising a set of headers for $555 will get you around 13rwkW.
Add an AEM intake, a mid pipe and a Q muffler for $1839 and you get another 7rwkW. Pretty easy to see where you need to spend your money.

Very good info, thank you for that. I see goodwin has a full exhaust package for $1200~, going to consider that.

A better overall performance modification would be a 4.1 FGR swap. $550 for the wheel and pinion genuine

[Gmi]

AEM cold air intake is best bang for buck if you buy intake. But goes all the way down... So as a daily driver in my opinion wouldn't be suitable.

I have the Hks one. You will need to build a heat shield yourself, similar to LAILE. The Hks sounds good and dresses up your engine bay, also better throttle feel. Hp gain I gave no clue, probably close to nothing.

Roadstersport from goodwin; good value definitely. But if you have a big budget other options are:

HKS full system
RE amemiya full system

Both looking at more than 3500AUD. But you will add jdm points :p

[NC2005]

AEM cold air intake is best bang for buck if you buy intake. But goes all the way down... So as a daily driver in my opinion wouldn't be suitable.

I have the Hks one. You will need to build a heat shield yourself, similar to LAILE. The Hks sounds good and dresses up your engine bay, also better throttle feel. Hp gain I gave no clue, probably close to nothing.

Roadstersport from goodwin; good value definitely. But if you have a big budget other options are:

HKS full system
RE amemiya full system

Both looking at more than 3500AUD. But you will add jdm points :p

" But goes all the way down... So as a daily driver in my opinion wouldn't be suitable.
"


Why do you say that??

[Black_Penguin]

Bigger chance of sucking up water/mud/gravel. Mud and gravel will clog up the filter and reduce flow and water doesn't compress to well.

[Sailor]

Agree totally with CB!!
The Roadster sports header is without doubt the best bang for buck if you're looking for power and a nice sound to boot.

[Gmi]

Bigger chance of sucking up water/mud/gravel. Mud and gravel will clog up the filter and reduce flow and water doesn't compress to well.

Yeh.. And Sydney roads are horrid in some areas where big puddles just splash right in..