The journey to Apu

Apu · Postby **Apu** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:30 pm

I think we all get excited when new stuff arrives! Simota pod filter (god, its tiny!) with "carbon" shroud, and Works Engineering teflon gearknob which I really like - its not icy cold in the morning (and doesn't get hot), and its also not as heavy as the iron snooker ball I had previously. It's actually made a difference to the shift feel as its nicely weighted.

box.JPG

The "carbon" airbox installed...make that one layer of not-so-well-laid carbon (doesn't line up well) over fibreglass. It works fine, I prefer the look over the standard airbox. Did this mainly for the intake sound, and probably lost a couple of horsies along the way...just little ones

installed.JPG

Now for my wife to complain how noisy it is...how many hours is the Icebergs Run?

Hjt · Postby **Hjt** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:22 pm

But it looks so sexy

nice work on the fitment also!

Bizi · Postby **Bizi** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:29 pm

Sexy indeed. No Irish people at the car show had anything like that on the 'Mk 2.5' MX5.

How did the install go? I believe that Hayden's been busy with you guys doing installs... or did you go to Dural?

Apu · Postby **Apu** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:27 pm

I did it myself and I needed to trim a bit due to the strut bar, and of course the brackets needed to be bent a bit. It still presses against the bonnet so I'll have to do a bit more bracket bending tomorrow.

I want to get some sort of ducting up from the opening under the left headlight.

Other than that, I really like the sound!

Bizi · Postby **Bizi** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 8:22 am

Time for a pictorial update of the Apu office?
The Sparco seat and retrimmed bits are now installed?
Any pics? Thanks!

Apu · Postby **Apu** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 8:38 am

Not yet! Just finished re-insulating the car - road noise was getting a bit much!

Haven't installed the Sprint V as I don't have the bolts and the buckles are on the seats getting leathered up...argh! Driving the boring car for the past 10 days

Apu · Postby **Apu** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 3:57 pm

Quite a few things have been added in the last few months since the Teins and carbon airbox went in! A bunch of other things I got from / through Works Engineering.

Exterior.JPG

The wheels are SSR Type C / Buddy Club look-a-likes at a fraction of the price. About $600-700 express freighted, but I did have to wait for the manufacturing run as I kept changing my mind - 15" or 16", gunmetal or black...and various combinations of those.

Rear wheel.JPG

At that price and 5.5kg for a 15x6.5 I'm not complaining (the 16" were a touch over 6kg)! Cheap enough that if I kerb a wheel, I'd replace it rather than paint it. All in, I knocked off ~2.7kg per wheel (stock NB8C 16" with Federal 595s vs these 15" with KU31s).

I had the Works Engineering alloy wheel nuts on previously as well but I think they look a lot better with these wheels...all black! Plus I added a 5mm spacer at the rear as I wanted a slightly wider track...5mm is just about the limits with having to go to a longer stud.

I also received my new interior recently. Yay! New leather seats, new gaiters for the brake and shifter. I'm obviously going for a monochromatic theme here. Black leather, perforated for the contact areas. The pictures don't do it justice - it looks plain leather but I really like the perforated / smooth leather contrast.

Now that I've got the leather seats and gaiters...leather door trims and steering wheel next!

Interior.JPG

And of course, black teflon shifter from you guessed it...Works Engineering. It's a lighter knob that the previous Motorworx one I got from Mania, and I much prefer the feel as you don't have the weight of the knob...plus it doesn't get too warm and it's not cold to the touch for my delicate hands on chilly winter morning!

Boots.JPG

Apu · Postby **Apu** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:44 pm

I'd been thinking about thicker sway bars for a while and contemplated the Signature ones on the group buy, but as luck would have it, a pair of SE sway bars magically appeared! So I grabbed them and installed them a couple of weeks back.

SE sway bars.JPG

Just a bit of a wipedown and they cleaned up really nicely, like new!

Front sways.JPG

And of course, what DIY install is complete without a leftover bolt/nut/screw/fastener, eh? This one belongs to one of the many trim pieces I had to remove... :oops:

remaining bolt.JPG

Post install, I can't say the car corners a whole lot flatter as I haven't been out for a serious drive yet...and will probably not know the difference now. What I did notice however, is that the car creaks and squeaks a bit more now. I guess there is less flex in the suspension now, and when I go over uneven ground (eg speed humps and driveways), it's the chassis that has to take up the flex.

Anyone else care to confirm / counter this?

Postby **NitroDann** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:07 pm

Did you use rubber grease on the bushes when fitting the sways?

Dann

Hjt · Postby **Hjt** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:32 pm

$10 he didn't haha, if you didn't ill help you apply it when I fit mine..

Apu · Postby **Apu** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:35 pm

Eh heh heh heh... :oops:

I only had marine grease, so I didn't apply it. I thought I'd get some lithium grease/spray but forgot and it wasn't until I saw the other post about the adjustable end links that I remembered.

In any case, the sway bars themselves haven't squeaked, it's the soft top and and chassis twist that I'm hearing.

[edit] ...and thanks for lighting one under me...I better get on with it before I wear them out. It's the OEM ones that came with the SE bars though.

Apu · Postby **Apu** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:25 pm

I'd been waiting for this for a while and when bear2230 advertised his 4:1 for sale...I just couldn't resist! So off we went to Mania, and got it fitted with a Torsen Type 2.

The original open diff with 3.63 marinating in Redline oil...

Open diff.JPG

And the "new" LSD with 4:1 ready to go back in!

LSD 2.JPG

I also decided to build a shade for Apu. It's fine during the week as it's in a carpark, but when it's home...the other cars take up the garage space :frown:

So, one galvanised pipe plus two pillars and clamps = ghetto pipe bender...

photo.JPG

Bore a hole, some concrete and shadecloth = summer shelter for Apu!

Shade up 1.JPG

Apu · Postby **Apu** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:27 pm

And I forgot...some inspiration from Coldie...

Coldie oil cooler.JPG

Oil filter relocation and oil cooler...getting me one of those!

Bizi · Postby **Bizi** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:50 pm

Apu wrote:Bore a hole, some concrete and shadecloth = summer shelter for Apu!
Shade up 1.JPG

Nice work with the mechanical go-fast mods for Apu.

Best advice on ghetto carports came from Eren at one of our MB meets: Get a good quality tarp from Bunnings. It will likely be tougher and offer more protection, has reinforced holes for connecting to cords or rope - and if it's crap, get it refunded! At least it's relatively useful for stopping more than sunlight.