Ben Sale's white 1990 NA6

bensale · Postby **bensale** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:14 pm

I ran the car with the brakes like this at Wakefield back in October... It didn't seem to be an issue, i wasn't really uncompetitive... But I was having problems with braking points all day and struggling to get a feel for threshold... Maybe it was the car but it was more likely me not understanding the track completely. I think when I get the car back on the track for the sake of $100 on pads and a set of new rotors I'll do that. I'm going to be out of it for a bit though as I need to invest in some other things before I buy a new set of wheels and tyres.

I think 4.44 is the way to go. Awaiting a PM on that one... I hadn't looked at solo miata regarding diffs actually, good to know that i need a different pinion gear too! I was thinking about highway mileage (kilometreage just doesn't sound right!) today as I'm actually driving the car to Sydney tomorrow and potentially again a few weeks after. Anything dramatically shorter would make that horrible (or even just driving to Winton). When i get the Alfa back on the road I think I'll use it more and hopefully it will be reliable enough to do a few interstate trips...

Guran · Postby **Guran** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 1:38 pm

Ben, the braking zones at Wakefield are starting to develop ripples in the tarmac due to heavy usage. Turn 10 is the worst, because it has a very specific line. It means you can't brake quite as hard all through the braking zone. Tricky track!

bensale · Postby **bensale** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 4:48 pm

That could explain it.. I didn't think of the track, was just confused by the inconsistency in the way the car was reacting under brakes. I trail brake so could explain why the front end wasn't sticking like it normally would.

Agreed, tricky track. Can't wait to go back!!!

bensale · Postby **bensale** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:44 pm

Engine bay (in need of a good clean) now looks like this

I'm half way through insulating my airbox.. The amount of material that i've managed to scavenge so far was enough to do one half of the airbox properly. So I did that, covering the bottom and exhaust side (my scientific tests of placing my hand on the box indicated that covering the other two sides would be a waste of time.. Just have to do the front half of the box now..

I also fitted my new air filter... I know it's overkill... But it was good to buy off a client ;)

At garage cafe last night drkkos removed my carbon canister for me cleaning up the engine bay a bit and removing a few kg from the car. Today I decided to remove the Helmholz Chamber... Yes I know why it is there.. Although I was intrigued to see how the car reacts with my aftermarket CAI and this removed and if there is a drop in torque. If anything there seemed to be an improvement... However instead of simply just removing it I cleaned up the airflow in the intake too by simply taping over the hole allowing the air to stick to the outside of the pipe. I think I might need to test this when I get the car back on a dyno.

My lastest conundrum relates to air flow. A friend of mine did some math relating to the flow capacity of the AFM and figured that the car won't make more than around 82RWKW with it fitted. So basically I have 3 options... Deal with that as being my power ceiling and just have fun with the car as is (don't spend more money and time)... Install the internals of an MX-5 AFM into an RX-7 AFM / use an RX-7 AFM. Or get an after market ECU such as a Megasquirt PNP, Adaptronic etc...

I also got my new wheel last night, looking forward to these being orange and wrapped in some nice semi slicks!!!

I also borrowed -alex's idea & fitted one of the handgrips Envy Scooters gave us. Envy are one of the supporters of the Targa Australia videos, maybe we can open up a new market for them!! :lol:

(it actually feels really nice to use and looks the part too!!!)

Finally, Targa Wrest Point is coming up in a week, so keep an eye out for the daily highlights from that event!! As a warm up we shot this on Tuesday with Dean Evans from Tarmac Magazine.

bensale · Postby **bensale** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:37 am

Targa Wrest Point event preview video

bensale · Postby **bensale** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:24 am

Hmmm... I used to be fairly diligent when it came to updating this, not had so much time lately which is a shame..

Changes are...

- The front half of the car (bumper, bonnet and guards) have been re painted by Dick at the MX-5 Factory. An amazing quality job at a very reasonably price!

- The gearbox started making bad noises when I was down at Targa Tasmania.. I thought it sounded like the throwout bearing had died so Jarrad did the clutch but only half the noise disappeared.. The remaining noise was just a louder version of what the car has always had so I decided to persist with it until I could source a new box. But a few days later it became horribly noisy in any gear but 4th half way between Melb and Sydney, sounded like it dropped it's bearings and was going to blow up. The guys at Mania found me a late NA8 gearbox with very low kms and did a great job putting that in (as well as a new tailshaft as bits of the old gearbox ruined the yoke on the old one) for me at short notice and for a great price. Thanks guys!!

- Also fitted new brakes front a rear, NA8 TRW pads which are a good price and to be honest feel as good as the much more expensive Hawk HP+

- I also painted the Lenso's orange (with a little help from Alex who did most of the work) and I'm really happy with how they look. I'll have to get some proper photos of them fitted when they're next on the car (in day light to show the colour).

I've finally got my butt to a few motorkhana's recently... I think 3 so far this year

DECA with the mx-5 Club was on Sunday and I don't think I've had a more fun motorsport day ever! Huge thanks to everyone who helped run the day, particularly deBounce who organised all of the courses and how the day ran and to Alex for helping make it so much fun.

Found out just before DECA that the handbrake cable was stretched through (won't hold the car on hills..) so will need to fix that..

Also have done a couple of track days with the boys at John Bowe Driving. Was at Sandown on Friday, the video below is fun.. Was pushing pretty hard and wishing I had put the semi's on in the morning as I probably would have caught them in I had...

And anyone with a spare 20 minutes should check out the Targa Australia videos from Targa Tasmania 2012. The videos on Mazda's channel are made by us too and there are a few definitely worth watching too

Apu · Postby **Apu** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:48 am

The fluoro-wheels-on-white look is really growing on me. The Lenso's look great Ben!

(Apologies for the side-track but there's a bit of an in-joke with some others who have some background on the Lenso and Works Engineering wheels)

bensale · Postby **bensale** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 12:31 pm

Thanks

They're a nice wheel and quite light which is good too. For the price you can pick them up for they're perfect track wheels.

Pamex · Postby **Pamex** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 12:50 pm

Ah, your handbrake cable is completely stretched too. Also, congrats on doing more motorkhanas. We'll be along to some more once I renew my CAMS license. :oops:

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 1:15 pm

I noticed the paint at garage the other day, looks like Dick's done a really good job of it.

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:57 pm

You don't need a handbrake to do well in motorkahna, as you have proved over the last two weekends, fastest on multiple tests and events.

Pamex · Postby **Pamex** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:12 pm

No, you don't, but it helps. I won novice class for last year, with no working handbrake the entire time. :-D

bensale · Postby **bensale** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:30 pm

And you haven't done too badly yourself either Alex..

And probably most sideways action of anyone at DECA :lol:

(kicking myself for forgetting the camera on that run...) At DECA the mx-5 was beating cars like Cam's Audi TTRS on the tests which is epic. I took the TTRS for a few runs and you can feel why... While you can launch control to 100 in 4.2 seconds it just doesn't have the agility of the MX-5 which you can drive with either the steering wheel, throttle, brakes or handbrake.. When it all comes together as in the first video when it was still wet enough to lock the wheels (only just though... Had to have Alex riding passenger reefing it up for me) it is pretty awesome!

Looking forward to doing more with a working hand brake! Think I'm getting the fast bit, just need the consistency which I lack. Like Pam's example, she's not necessarily the fastest on test but drives consistently.

On that it's pretty amazing that you can take a car with 305,000kms and do a track day where it overtakes Porsches and double enter it in two motorkhanas (and it copped a flogging at DECA...) and then drive home as if nothing happened with a happy car.

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:33 pm

Noone had as much fun as us at DECA \(^.^)*

Pamex · Postby **Pamex** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:41 pm

Certainly never the fastest! I do want to do some regularity work though, as a while back in one session at Wakefield I ran a 1.36.1, 1.36.3, 1.36.1 and 1.36 in the one outing. So I'm keen to see how I do at regularity.

You're completely right on how great high-mileage MX5s are at keeping it together though. I'm always amazed at some of the high mileage MX5s being a daily driver and motorkhana/ track pig. There's one I've heard of with over 500,000ks on the clock that regularly competes in, I think, South Australia. That's now my new goal: Get her to 500,000 on the original engine.

I am always amazed that my MX5, with now about 430,000km, can nip up to Bris and back with no problems, do a track day on the way back through NSW, some motorkhanas and still get me to and from work each day. They're terrific little cars.