Lachstock and Four Turbo Charged Cylinders ['04 NB SE]

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 11:37 am

ndragun wrote:Cheaper than a rattle gun;

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online ... mendations

But a lot more work when the wheels have to go off and on multiple times!

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:12 am

I had a ride and drive of an S2000 yesterday at lunch, that belonged to a guy in my office. Despite the mods to my car, I think the Honda still has the edge in speed, and it's definitely the stiffer chassis. Seats sat a little lower, at a good height for me, and the noise in upper rev range is a lot of fun! Unfortunately I didn't have any handy twisties around to get a feel for the handling, but the suspension did feel quite stiff.

It's a cool car for sure and at launch was definitely the premium product (and you paid for it!) but I think I'll be sticking with my SE :mrgreen:

I love the MX-5's character, the endless possibilities to customise your car to your liking, the aftermarket support, the community, and with a few more tweaks my car should leave the S2000 for dead :twisted:

ndragun · Postby **ndragun** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:26 am

Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ fits nicely in this company as well Lachy. My 5 year old son for some reason became absolutely obsessed with the 86 at some point, so for his birthday recently I hired one from Hertz and picked him up from kindy in it :wink:

(Bearing in mind you can only hire an auto from Hertz) It felt tight as a drum, very very pointy - very well sorted dynamics. Utterly uninspiring engine-wise though until you were above 4000rpm. If you drove around keeping it above that RPM it was great. This is what I think the frustration is with an S2000 as well - in order to have fun you have to work hard keeping the revs up. Easy to do on a twisty road or track, but somewhat frustrating day-to-day...

See if you can find a drive of one Lachy ;)

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:21 pm

Oh, I did

When looking to buy my 5 earlier this year I wanted to check out an NC and an 86, found a dealer with both in the lot and scheduled tests of them back to back. I would rate the S2K over the 86 without question. And I rate the 86 over the NC.

I like the 86, just needs more fun under the hood, which can be done for some money, but at the moment it all adds up to be too expensive. In a few years the used values will be attainable, they'll have a fantastic community, great aftermarket and for not too much money you'll be able to build yourself a great looking coupe that handles and goes! :twisted:

(But I'll still be in my SE with a huge grin from ear to ear

)

ndragun · Postby **ndragun** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:46 pm

ManiacLachy wrote:When looking to buy my 5 earlier this year I wanted to check out an NC and an 86, found a dealer with both in the lot and scheduled tests of them back to back. I would rate the S2K over the 86 without question. And I rate the 86 over the NC.

Interesting... I've never dríven an S2K... Guess I should.
I'd just always heard they were frustrating to live with day-to-day. Since I was frustrated enough with the 86's terminal lack of power down low, I figured the S2K would be even worse.

I really liked the rigidity of the 86 though - something I guess we'll only be able to achieve in a 5 with a roll cage!!

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 1:06 pm

Yeah, S2K has that same lack of torque and power down low as the 86, but much more up top. And yeah, it'd be a pain to drive around at 4k all day!

I just love trying out cars

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 6:46 pm

Yesterday I pulled out the rear coilovers installed not long ago at the Dodgy Day, and re-set them. I'm pretty sure I didn't do them exactly right or the same as each other on the dodgy day, as evidenced by the driver's side rear bottoming out, but not the passenger. I had to dial out the driver's side to extend the shock length the day after D-Day and reduce the pre-load on that corner, this would have likely thrown out a few things in terms of balance and heights, but at least I wasn't bottoming out! :roll:

So with the aid of my new Ryobi impact wrench, I re-did them. No issues this time as I think at least some of the wisdom Magpie imparted to me has finally sunk in :mrgreen:

. Note, the fronts were not an issue because Magpie did those himself, while I looked on :wink:

And man, the day was a stinker (today too, but at least I'm not crawling around under a car today!) I'll be glad when this humidity dies off!

Nevyn72 · Postby **Nevyn72** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 8:03 pm

ManiacLachy wrote:I'll be glad when this humidity dies off!

That should be sometime after you move down to the Southern states where the climate is more reasonable! :wink:

zero00 · Postby **zero00** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:08 pm

ManiacLachy wrote:Oh, I did

When looking to buy my 5 earlier this year I wanted to check out an NC and an 86, found a dealer with both in the lot and scheduled tests of them back to back. I would rate the S2K over the 86 without question. And I rate the 86 over the NC.

I like the 86, just needs more fun under the hood, which can be done for some money, but at the moment it all adds up to be too expensive. In a few years the used values will be attainable, they'll have a fantastic community, great aftermarket and for not too much money you'll be able to build yourself a great looking coupe that handles and goes! (But I'll still be in my SE with a huge grin from ear to ear )

Just let me know when Lachy, there's a GTS 86 manual sitting in my garage [covered in dust!] and just itching for a run! Of course it doesn't go out in this weather but as a few will say NOTHING WRONG WITH THE PERFORMANCE, just get the revs up!! I left the BP the other morning but didn't go over 7000rpm while merging!

As for handling, my NB has all the suspension goodies and the 86 in standard format handles far better at Lakeside [it's one and only run]

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 7:54 am

Nevyn72 wrote:
ManiacLachy wrote:I'll be glad when this humidity dies off!

That should be sometime after you move down to the Southern states where the climate is more reasonable!

It's not that bad (he says spending the night with the air con on, still sweating). When are you going to pay us a visit?

zero00 wrote:Just let me know when Lachy, there's a GTS 86 manual sitting in my garage [covered in dust!] and just itching for a run! Of course it doesn't go out in this weather but as a few will say NOTHING WRONG WITH THE PERFORMANCE, just get the revs up!! I left the BP the other morning but didn't go over 7000rpm while merging!

As for handling, my NB has all the suspension goodies and the 86 in standard format handles far better at Lakeside [it's one and only run]

Roger, we both know you don't actually have an 86, why keep telling everyone you do? :wink:

But should you ever find one, I'll very happily take you up on that offer!

zero00 · Postby **zero00** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 9:44 am

ManiacLachy wrote:
Nevyn72 wrote:
ManiacLachy wrote:I'll be glad when this humidity dies off!

That should be sometime after you move down to the Southern states where the climate is more reasonable!

It's not that bad (he says spending the night with the air con on, still sweating). When are you going to pay us a visit?

zero00 wrote:Just let me know when Lachy, there's a GTS 86 manual sitting in my garage [covered in dust!] and just itching for a run! Of course it doesn't go out in this weather but as a few will say NOTHING WRONG WITH THE PERFORMANCE, just get the revs up!! I left the BP the other morning but didn't go over 7000rpm while merging!

As for handling, my NB has all the suspension goodies and the 86 in standard format handles far better at Lakeside [it's one and only run]

Roger, we both know you don't actually have an 86, why keep telling everyone you do? But should you ever find one, I'll very happily take you up on that offer!

Maybe that white thing in the garage [86BXR] is a bl**dy Lada!!

Heading off in a little over a week on a 3,000km road trip south and back! Of course if the weather continues like it is then I will take the NB

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 9:50 am

I just did a nice morning run up Mt Mee, pulled into the BP for a coffee and a donut, but no other MX-5s

Have fun on your trip!

zero00 · Postby **zero00** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 12:25 pm

ManiacLachy wrote:I just did a nice morning run up Mt Mee, pulled into the BP for a coffee and a donut, but no other MX-5s

Have fun on your trip!

It's WEDNESDAY!! I won't see you guys Sunday as I have the Club run and Presentation/Christmas Party up Mt Nebo

Enjoy your break Lachy :MOCHA_LES:

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 2:36 pm

I've been meaning to post an update for a while now, but I wanted to include photos and the between the horrible weather we've been having lately and my lists of chores to do when it's been fine I've had no time to get the car clean and out for some photos. So this will mostly be words.

My little car had a pretty big December. The coilover's went in at the end of November durring the dodgey day. I've had them out and in since then, and lots of adjustments. I make a mistake, realise what I did wrong and do it again, then I make another adjustment. Pretty happy with it now though, that rattle gun got a great workout, and I'm begining to wrap my mind around suspension.

My trolley jack - a cheap POS from SCA - has got to be replaced! Barely fits under the car, and can only just lift the car high enough to slip the jacks on their lowest height under car. I tried to jack from the diff, found an angle where I could get to it without contacting the bracing, but it's quite difficult to push the leaver through a limited range of motion, and doesn't actually get the car high enough. Having raised and lowered the car many many times the past month or so, I'm fed up. Nevyn72's "Gigantor" looks good :wink:

What else? I had my 110k km service, it was due at 107k, but I wanted to push it back out to the even 10s. I had done an oil change at 105k and figured as this was a minor service the car could last an extra 3k. While in for service I had Automotive Plus install a Twin Hoop roll bar. Expensive, but I think well worth it, it's engineered, it definintely braces the car and makes it safer, and I like the look to boot! No more windblocker, but honestly I think I must be too tall and my head must be in the slipstream anyway because I never noticed a difference with it up or down, so no real loss for me.

And a day or two later I got an alignment done at Fulcrum Suspenssion in Stafford, I gave them the specs from Flyin Miata (http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/alignment.php) and they got them pretty smack on. The car is nice and darty now.

For Christmas I got a nice Blox Type-R shift knob (http://bloxracing.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=359), in what they called "Platinum", but is a shiny metalic black. It's nice and weighty, works really well with the MR SSK, has a red 6-speed map on top and has completly illiminated the extremel annoying vibration I was getting from the stock knob fitted to the SSK. Being Black with Red it fits the interior colour scheme of the SE nicely.

Santa also brought me some slimline Classic plates for the car (https://secure.ppq.com.au/pages/classicrange.aspx), it's your normal number, but on a nicer looking plate and at only $165 they suite me just fine!

I did ask Santa for a helmet for christmas, but I must not have been good enough last year. I'll have to fork out for that myself!

I have one more reveal for the car, but that'll need pictures. If the weather gods co-operate hopefully Sunday will be good for a few shots.

Nevyn72 · Postby **Nevyn72** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 5:08 pm

ManiacLachy wrote:I have one more reveal for the car, but that'll need pictures. If the weather gods co-operate hopefully Sunday will be good for a few shots.

Nice work mate, was the next reveal errrr, 'present' when you went for coffee on Sunday or are you hiding it from everyone for the moment? :wink: