PeterB - Evo Gold NB8A

[PeterB]

Continuing my run of maturing gracefully by getting more road rather than track orientated vehicles I have purchased an Evolution Gold NB8A to run in the MX5 Clubman class. Mawer sports 1300 race car to Purple 6-pack Charger to racing RX7 to turbo NA6 to NA6 race car - Fanta then NA6 track/road car – Britney and now NB8A.

NB8A 1998 (originally sold as a Victorian car PAN980 by Essington Mazda) in Evolution Gold with black leather seats, a/c and an OEM body kit (ducktail, side skirts and bib spoiler) with around 150,000 km and she drives well and is in pretty good condition.

She came with heavy 17x7.5” BSA motorsport rims, so I re-fitted stock NB8A rims for road use.

I will be running in the Clubman class 4 and have the considerable challenge of chasing Gus and Bryan around, so it will be fun to learn the NB. I have an entry in for 7 December for her inaugural trackday.

I have fitted the Brown Davis ROP, Sparco Sprint V and 6 point harness from Britney. I swapped the larger rear muffler for a stock one from Helen’s green NB8A and fitted the Torsen 2 from Britney.

The Torsen 2 is one modification for Clubman, and I will get a ruling as to whether the OEM body kit is considered cosmetic or the second modification.

I will be running 205x50x15 Kumho KU36 on 15x6.5” Aray rims, if I can get them back off Helen’s car, for track days and I also have a set of 15x7” rims with 2nd hand Yokohama A050 semi-slicks to run a state round or two.

Carco (MX5 Solutions) is fitting a new radiator, thermostat and hoses as the existing ones are suspect and December at Wakefield is not a day for dodgy cooling systems. She has had a full service, spark plugs and fuel filter so should be set for some spirited driving.

Now for some gentlemanly fun.

[Guran]

Great stuff Peter. Class 4 is going to be even more fun this season with some tough competition. Gus is setting a VERY tough benchmark. Looking forward to 7th Dec. I'm hoping that I've now solved my 10AE's cooling and power steering hose issues. Fingers crossed.

[PeterB]

Carco (MX5 Solutions) fitted a new radiator (due to the dreaded discoloured header tank), hoses and thermostat and a new fuel filter. The also did water pump and timing belt as they did not look like they had been done previously (now at 151,000 km). Spent a bit, but cheap insurance for now hopefully trouble free running

Wheel alignment at AC/DC and some Hawk HP Plus front pads next week and she is track ready.

Registered in Class 3B for the 2015 State Supersprint championship as I will only be running selected rounds and may pick up a few points at Wakefield. I can run my existing 15x7" semi-slicks and run without a passenger seat to make it easier to carry them on-board.

[PeterB]

ACDCs road/track wheel alignment was completed by Don. Front came up at -0.5 degrees camber and max caster available. Rear was nearer to -2.5 degrees camber. Some of the bushes are a bit soggy.

The 7 December track day was a good, but frustrating introduction, re-learning how to drive on an old stock suspension and Kumho KU36 road tyres. The a/c came in handy while waiting for runs.

The NB8A is stock except for the Torsen 2 differential. Brake pads were well used Carbotech XP10 on the front and street pads on the rear. She ran faultlessly all day.

I had lots of fun squirming around the track and each run gave a small improvement, and I had some great close runs, but I could only manage a 1.17.1 which is well off the pace I need to find. Gus and Bryan are in the high 14 and low 15s, a long way ahead.

I need to experiment with tyre pressures as I think I went too low (down to 32 psi hot), and as the day progressed I wasn't getting enough bite on turn in and she was understeering quite badly. However the problem was more likely the way I was setting up for corners, as Britney used to turn in so well, so I will need to re-learn to throw it in with more enthusiasm.

Helen wants her wheels and tyres back (very unreasonable), so I will need to get a suitable set for myself before February.

A great event, run with the usual MX5 club efficiency. The 1 minute of noise for Russell B was a great idea.

[Guran]

Peter, I had a very similar alignment from Don but felt it was too understeery for my tastes. Don did warn me that that's how he likes to set them up. It probably works for others but I prefer a looser setup so I can get it turned. I've now got about -1.25deg front which is the same as on Little Reddy and I'm much more comfortable. The catch is that my braking G is considerably less than Gus's and that's where he gains heaps of time on me. He has lowered springs whereas I have the stock Bilsteins.

[PeterB]

Thanks Bryan

It was interesting looking at the photos from Wakefield, as mine looks like it is tucking under the front left in understeer. I need more tyre pressure than the 32 psi I tried, so will start higher next time.

I will also try to screw some more -ve in the front (and lose some castor) and take some out of the rear for a better balance and have a car that responds to the throttle mid corner. I was also locking the rear brakes, probably due to weight transfer and too much rear -ve, as the photos show the rear almost unweighted.

Although slow, I was faster every session so at least it is moving in the right direction.

She performed without problem and the temperature never varied, so that was reassuring. It was also strange getting used to power steering and I was a bit ham fisted, being used to a heavier manual steering.

Roll on February.

[PeterB]

Had the wheel alignment re-set as her xmas present.

Could only get -0.9 degrees at the front, so set her up with that and brought the back in to only -1.5 degrees, so she should be a bit better balanced and more throttle responsive.

I was given a basic Go-Pro for Xmas so I will install that to see where I can improve (just have to make sure that my mother doesn't see the footage !!!).

Just waiting on the Hawke + pads to come in and she is ready.

Entries are in for the SDMA hillclimb in Canberra on 1 Feb, then the MX5trackday on 8 Feb.

[PeterB]

SDMA Hillclimb in Canberra on 1 Feb 2015 was a great day.

The Gold NB8A behaved beautifully for a 2nd in class 1/2 B with a time of 50.08. The hillclimb runs a combined Type 1/2 and all can run semi-slicks. My MX5 would be a type 1 if they split the class.

Class 1/2 B 1601-2000cc comprised 9 entrants - 1 MX5, 1 86GT, 1 86, 2 BRZ, 2 Renault Clio, 2 Peugeot 306.
1st was the class record holder in his modified Toyota 86GT with a very rapid 47.89, close to his record of 47.62.
Then my MX5 on 50.08 and 3rd was the 86 with a 51.02, so the MX5 held her own very well in a strong field.

Given that the best I did in Britney (with the same Torsen diff and same used A050 tyres) was a 49.51, I was amazed by this time from a virtually stock NB8A. My times were a sighting run of 51.72, then 50.12, 50.08, 50.14 and 50.29.

The NB8A lost a little time in the initial launch, but handled the twisty bits as well as the NA6, so a great and surprising day.

[PeterB]

A very hot day for the MX5 track day on 8 Feb 2015.

The gold NB8A performed faultlessly in the heat, so replacing the radiator, etc has proved to be a good move.

New Hawk HP+ front pads (with stock rears) and Dunlop ZII Star Specs with the improved wheel alignment made for a better car to drive and a 1.16.47 which was good step in the right direction given the extreme heat, and I think a 2nd in class 4 behind Gus, as Bryan's NB was out of action for the day.

Gus set a new Class 4 record of 1.14.5, a brilliant run in the conditions - well done !!!

Turn in was good, and despite some mid corner understeer, I had lots of fun chasing or leading comparable cars.

Also fun was trying to match Karl Battisson's times in the unofficial Canberra drivers challenge (in Don's borrowed NB after the NA6 turbo overheated) when he did a 1.16.48 and then I snuck in a 1.16.47, but Karl pulled out an excellent 1.16.0 to settle the matter, an excellent drive by Karl in an unfamiliar borrowed car.

It was also good to see Britney back on track looking resplendent with a rear half respray and lots of tidying up and NSW plates - full marks to Warren.

[PeterB]

The SDMA Hillclimb in Canberra on 1 Mar 2015 was another good day, but with mixed weather, hot and stormy.

The Gold NB8A behaved beautifully again for a 1st in class 1/2 B with a time of 50.11 (compared to pb of 50.08).

Class 1/2 B 1601-2000cc comprised 6 entrants - 3 MX5, 1 Toyota 86, 1 BRZ, 1 BMW 318i.

The class record holder in his modified Toyota 86GT was at the state hillclimb in Bathurst, leaving a close matched field, with my NB8A on 50.11, another NB MX5 on 50.31 and a BRZ on 50.33. The other MX5's final run was rained out, so he missed the chance of a final blinder, lucky for me as I was running car 1.

I should be running regularity with my Round 1 times of a sighting run then 50.12, 50.08, 50.14 and 50.29.
This hillclimb times were 50.47, 50.17, 50.86, 50.61, 50.11 and varied more as weather conditions changed from very hot to showers then storms.

The NB8A seems to lose a little time in the initial launch, but handled the twisty bits as well as the old NA6. A fun day and a trophy as well.

[Jeo]

MG motorkhana on the 22nd of March...?

[PeterB]

Unfortunately not available for that motorkhana and also busy for the Cooma hillclimb, I need to arrange my social calendar better !!

Have fun.

[PeterB]

May was a month of the good, the average and then the ugly.

SDMA hillclimb in Canberra on 3 May 2015 was a great day, resulting in a new pb of 49.71 (down from 50.08) and surprisingly close to my best in Britney of 49.51 for a 3rd in class behind the Toyota and another MX5. Good day all round and very satisfying.

Then the MX5 trackday on 31 May 2015 started well with a new pb of 1.16.12 in my first and second sessions for a 1st in class 4M (as Gus and Bryan were absent) and looking positive for some serious times. Still a long way to improve, but I was having more fun. Keith's fantastic 1.15.5 in his stock NB8B showed how far I have to go.

I fiddled with higher tyre pressures (up from 32 psi to 38-40 psi) and although the car felt better balanced to drive did not result in faster times and my times dropped off.

Then the ugly, as I came of track on my last run I could hear the sound of a large diesel tractor under the bonnet, so the gold car has been rolled into the shed until I decide which direction to go - re-build or 2nd hand. I will have a holiday in the sunshine first.

Ironically my two previous 1600s were running around faultlessly with their new owners.

So 3rd in class 4M for 2014-15 behind Gus and Bryan, but now an enforced break from motorsport for a while.

[Jeo]

Sad face.

[PeterB]

The motor is out of the car and an initial stripdown done.

Interestingly when I was removing the motor it was obvious some-one had been there before me.

The two top bellhousing bolts were missing and the short bolt from the rear gearbox mount to the PPF was replaced with a mis-fitting bolt and nut. Makes me think nervously about my enthusiastic hillclimb launches !!!

The sump gasket sealant was not original and the bellhousing was filthy with caked on old oil, so maybe a quick rear main seal replacement had been done in the past, or some other repair requiring the sump off and gearbox out ??

Big ends 1 to 3 are toast, with number 4 still servicable. The thrust washer shows sign of wear, but no apparent problems with oil pump, harmonic balance or other ancilliaries.

Diagnosis - oil surge through the fish-hook at Wakefield. I must cop responsibility as when I drained the sump, it came up at least 1/2 litre low - bugger. I am usually anal about checking oil level and run it a little above the high mark - so either I have mis-read the dip stick, or overlooked it in the rush of the morning as I was scrutineering and then driver instructing.

Note to self - triple check the oil level !!!

A quick measure looks like a hone a crank polish will be sufficient machining, but a good clean and measure will show as it has to be a stock rebuild so I can continue in Clubman class.