Mazdachris's Spazda Roadster

[mazdachris]

Well I thought I should probably put up some images of my car.

It’s obviously not the most modified Roadster in the world but in my own way I feel I’ve made all of the best improvements I can do and really now feel I’ve got a car which really suits my driving style.

I’ve had a whole bunch of problems with it lately, one of those things really where one thing goes wrong and it seems to set in motion a chain of events that empties your bank balance in a shockingly short space of time. But now it’s fixed, half hour into giving it a drive and all the annoyance has completely disappeared.

Anyway, here’s the spec

Exterior

Mostly standard, other than the factory spoiler and Driftworks decals which are actually there to cover up a paint blemish on the driver’s side read quarter

Suspension, brakes and chassis

Driftworks Control System coilovers
Super Pro full poly bushes all round
Front and rear lower chassis braces
Axxis Ultimate carbon/ceramic brake pads

Engine and exhaust

Standard 1.8i mk1 engine
Silicon hoses
Pipercross cone filter
IL Motorsport stainless cat-back exhaust
IL Motorsport silenced de-cat
TorSen diff

Interior

Cobra Monaco S driver’s seat
Driftworks 4-point harness
JDM Tyte Yo white steering wheel
White dial kit
Ebay spec 8-ball gearknob
Real imitation suede trim

Wheels and tyres

WedsSport 15” wheels sprayed matt black
Toyo R888 tyres

For drifting:

Ebay spec 14” wheel x4
WedsSport 14” x2
Cheapo tyres on all though currently sporting Pirrellis which are surprisingly decent.

Most recently I’ve used the R888s on the front with Pirrellis on the rear for drifting which seems to give a good balance to the car.

Stuff I’ve got which I need to get round to fitting

Few external bits and bobs including a JDM style (yeah I know..) numberplate bracket
Braided brake hoses (will be accompanied by a new set of pads)
Cheapo-spec Driftworks harness for passenger side (not going to be fitted till I get another bucket seat)

Stuff I hope to buy in the future

Front and rear upper strut braces
Brake cylinder stopper
Flyin’ Miata butterfly brace (I’ll also need to have the underside treated and undersealed as it’s a bit bashed up at the moment due to lowness)
New bucket seat. I’ll probably get something a bit better than the Monaco S as it’s a bit wide for me, and fit the current seat to the passenger side. I’ll probably need to do some thinking about how to sort out sidemounts.
Vented headlight cover to get some airflow under the bonnet
Might think about an uprated radiator
MORE SEAT TIME!

And then once the chassis is all sorted, I’ll start thinking about improving the power. I’m still really not sure about what direction I want to go in with this. At the moment though, I don’t feel like I’m pushing the limits of what the car’s capable of with its current setup, so there’s probably no real need to increase the power until I find that its lack of power is holding me back.

Here, have some pictures:










Comments etc appreciated

[Silverfang]

Surprised how well those pictures turned out.

It's a cracker of a car though, having been out in it many a time, few cars managed to distort my vision with lateral G forces
Hopefully at the next DYWB day we can finally get some decent pictures and footage of you drfiting it up

To be said, I'll probably look shockingly bad at my first attempt

[jamie k]

Cool car mate.

What cage is that? I just bought one that came up for sale on here. not got round to fitting it yet.

I think ill be picking your brains for a few ideas over the up and coming months as i start to sort mine out

[mazdachris]

Oops knew I'd forget something, heh. That's a Hard Dog Hardcore (or something like that). Very decent quality, you can see how chunky it is and as it's bolted directly to chassis hardpoints it's very sturdy and certainly helps remove some of the flex.

I might think about having some front legs and door bars added to it at some point in the future to give a little more chassis stiffness, but for the moment I'm happy with it. Having seen what happens when these cars fall over, I've got to say I'm not sure I'd be that confident taking it on track without one.

[Jimthejunior]

Nice, would love one with a 13b up front. Why do you run 888's? Seems a very extreme/expensive choice for road going wheels.

[mazdachris]

It's more of a weekend car for me than a daily driver, since I cycle to work. I've had a lot of different sports tyres, some good and some not so good, but on a warm dry day with them up to temperature, the R888s are absolutely in a different league. The feeling of driving on them is like nothing else.

Plus since they're 195/50/15, they're not really all that expensive considering.

[Silverfang]

Originally Posted by Jimthejunior

Nice, would love one with a 13b up front. Why do you run 888's? Seems a very extreme/expensive choice for road going wheels.

They're a cracking tyre, Chris has on many occasions had me having tp brace myself using the front roll bar and haning onto the seat as those tyres grip like $h!t to a blanket!

[Jimthejunior]

Originally Posted by Silverfang

They're a cracking tyre, Chris has on many occasions had me having tp brace myself using the front roll bar and haning onto the seat as those tyres grip like $h!t to a blanket!

I never said they were shit fella, did i? Just asking, as i said I thought it was a little extreme for a road going car with not a huge power output.

Not a dig at the driver the car or the tyres.

[mazdachris]

Personal preference really. I don't think power has that much to do with it, as it's not so much about putting lots of power onto the ground, as getting the car through corners at high speeds. They suit how I drive, they don't cost the earth, and for me that's enough really.

I'm hoping to use the car as much for trackdays this year as drifting, so they'll definitely pay dividends on the track. I would say that the handling with these tyres is not far shy of such cars as Lotus Elises and suchlike.

[griffo20022]

Love it! I absolutely adore MK1 MX5's would love to own at least one in my lifetime

Will you be at the next pod day then? If so I look forward to seeing it skid

[mazdachris]

You should get one, they're excellent to drive. They've got a bit of a reputation as being a bit girly, but actually a decent Roadster is a absolutely cracking drive.

I'll be there on the 14th, hopefully by that point I'll have fitted my PAS fluid cooler as well. Come and give me a shout

[-***JOKER***-]

Originally Posted by mazdachris

dude where di you get that pedding?? i need one for my back

[mazdachris]

Cushion Accessories | Cushions & Covers | Demon Tweeks Motorsport, Motorcycle, Modifying, Parts and Accessories

[-***JOKER***-]

ohh cheers mate

nice car by the way

[Captain Muppet]

I replied on your MX5OC thread, but here goes...

[DWforum]
gaaaaaaaay
[/DWforum]

Looks ace, want to swap?

[Skylineadam]

Very nice! How does the 1.8 engine fair against drifting? Does it feel capable to do what you want with it? Do you feel a good improvement from decat? Also would you recommend buying a differential?
Sorry for questions, as i am looking to buy a mk1 mx5 within the next month

[mazdachris]

The engine's fine. It's probably not going to win D1 any time soon but for basic skidding it's plenty of power really.

The decat doesn't really give any particular improvement in power, just makes it sound nicer so it's worth a few HP on the bum-dyno.

Definitely try to get one with a LSD. The 1.6i ones can come with a viscous. I've not driven on one of those but I hear they're reasonable. The 1.8i can come with a Torsen, and is usually the case when you get an import. Though most UK spec cars come without LSD. Obviously a welded diff or a good clutch diff like a Kaaz or Mazdaspeed, etc, is going to be best for drifting, but for basic skidding the Torsen is fine.

If you're thinking of buying one, buy this one

You'll not find better for the money

[mazdachris]

Originally Posted by Captain Muppet

Looks ace, want to swap?

I managed to miss this. Yeah I'll swap, when did you want to exchange? I'm not sure you'd do too well in BDC in mine though

By way of a small update, the car is, as it has been so many times recently, off the road again due to my general bumblefrickery.

There's a squeaking noise coming from each rear wheel. Couldn't work out quite what it was, but with the rear jacked and the wheels off, rotating the half shafts seemed to suggest the noise was coming from the CV boots. Tried to save myself some work by ordering some universal boots which wrap around and glue shut so I don't have to remove the hub/shafts. Unfortunately the new boots don't fit properly, and I didn't realise this till I'd cut the old one off. So it's currently sat outside, bootless, not being driven.

I might bite the bullet on this one and get Mazda to change them because I'm not sure I can be bothered and the weather is doing no favours. I figure if I whack a crapload of axle grease into the CV joint, then wrap the boot on and cable tie it for the moment, it should be ok for a slow drive to Mazda at least.

Unfortunately even though I cut the boot off, the noise is still coming from the hub, so I'm not sure what's causing it. Could be the bearing but it's a rubbery sort of noise, so doesn't seem like that could be it.

In other news, some new wheels arriving on Tuesday so I'll update with some new pics once the boots are sorted and I've fitted its new wheels. Should be blingtastic, and the new tyres a little more practical for daily driving than the R888s, plus allowing for some skiddy fun.

[mazdachris]

Here are a few crappy mobile phone shots of my car wearing its new Rota RB wheels. Observe the sweetness, and the flushness. They are made of win and awesome.

Big thank you to Driftworks, proving once again that if it's awesome, they can get it.

If i can be bothered this weekend, I'll give it a clean and take some proper pictures. I'm also hoping to remove the charcoal canister this weekend.







For those interested in the numbers, they're 15x8 et20 with 195-50-15 Toyo T1R tyres for some modest stretch.

[NikDev]

Nice rims! The pics don't do them much justice