mk2.5 vvt sport. customers car in for full arches and sill replacement
You have to be very attached to your car before undertaking such a big job - mainly because the costs can far out-way the value of the car. In this case the car came in as a MOT fail and would have been condemned to the scrapyard if not attended to. As it transpired it went out of our workshop just as if it had come out of the showroom when it was new. The car now has many more years of use and will be a pleasure to take anywhere
The first pictures below show the car as it came in after the MOT fail. Both the rear sills and arches were riddled with rust and just flaked away when touched. The front sill section of the wings were also rotting away. However, the rest of the car, especially underneath seemed solid and good enough to warrant such a major rebuild. It was obvious when just pulling the rear sills away with your hand that the inner sill sections would also need some fabrication work. The complete project is detailed below along with photos of the car as it progressed.
Our normal costs for this cutting away the outer quarter panel and replacing with a new panel is around £750 per side but excludes any work on the inner sills or front wing work which is charged separately at a cost which is determined by the length of time taken (plus parts).
The first pictures below show the car as it came in after the MOT fail. Both the rear sills and arches were riddled with rust and just flaked away when touched. The front sill section of the wings were also rotting away. However, the rest of the car, especially underneath seemed solid and good enough to warrant such a major rebuild. It was obvious when just pulling the rear sills away with your hand that the inner sill sections would also need some fabrication work. The complete project is detailed below along with photos of the car as it progressed.
Our normal costs for this cutting away the outer quarter panel and replacing with a new panel is around £750 per side but excludes any work on the inner sills or front wing work which is charged separately at a cost which is determined by the length of time taken (plus parts).
Click to enlarge photos
The photos below show the panels as the rust was cut away. The inner sill section needed quite a lot of fabrication as did the inner wheel arches. All sections have to be fabricated individually and are then welded in place before rust treatment to protect them in the future.
The below photos show the inner and outer sections welded in place -then rust treatment - then zinc paint
Then it's stone chip to the lower half then undercoat - then topcoat - then lacquer. This was a pearl finish and we luckily got a scanned in (from the petrol cap) perfect match
After finally cutting back and polishing, the car was back to it's original paint finish , just as if it came from the showroom. Total time taken from the timecard = 89 hours. This included 28 hours over and above the standard outer wing cost.
Click to enlarge the photos
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1993 v Special Bare shell ground up restoration
In 2017 we did a ground up restoration for a client in London. Below is a full pictorial record of the bare shell as it came in - culminating in a full ground up nuts and bolts restoration..
Work has now started on the restoration of the excellent 'V' Special. The shell has been stripped and is on our revolving dolly. It has been cleaned off and with every nut and bolt removed, had a complete underseal. As you will see from the pictures below, all the original rivits are showing and the underneath is now ready to last another 20 years without being touched. Both front and rear wishbones have been bead blasted and painted with 7 coats of primer and 5 coats of Brilliant Black top coat.
The next stage was to strip the underneath of the car of every nut and bolt so we could underseal every square inch of the underside. Normally the underseal only covers around 50% of the underbody if just done from a ramp with everything still in place on the car. The pictures below show just how successful this method is.
The Car has now been sold to a client from Essex who wants the car completely restored to it's standard specification but replacing the standard Tan interior with black as per a 'S' Special. We would expect to have the car ready towards the end of June or early July.
The following new parts have been ordered for the car; 2 Front Wings, All new Calipers, Discs, Pads, Brake pipes, Braided hoses, Clutch, water pump, Timing belt kit, all oil seals, cam and CAS gaskets, Hood, HT leads, slave cylinders, ball joints and Track rod ends, complete set hoses and a new set of Black Carpets.
Client has chosen 5 spoke Enkie's which will be powder coated and fitted with new tyres, He has also favoured Black a vinyl hood with zip out window.
All the wishbones and arms have now been sandblasted and painted and have new bushes.
Work will begin after the Easter break with fitting the tank and fuel lines then preparing the main shell for paint. Whilst this is being done the engine, gearbox and diff will be all cleaned checked - ready for fitting to the subframes.
We shall post pictures on a regular basis.
The following new parts have been ordered for the car; 2 Front Wings, All new Calipers, Discs, Pads, Brake pipes, Braided hoses, Clutch, water pump, Timing belt kit, all oil seals, cam and CAS gaskets, Hood, HT leads, slave cylinders, ball joints and Track rod ends, complete set hoses and a new set of Black Carpets.
Client has chosen 5 spoke Enkie's which will be powder coated and fitted with new tyres, He has also favoured Black a vinyl hood with zip out window.
All the wishbones and arms have now been sandblasted and painted and have new bushes.
Work will begin after the Easter break with fitting the tank and fuel lines then preparing the main shell for paint. Whilst this is being done the engine, gearbox and diff will be all cleaned checked - ready for fitting to the subframes.
We shall post pictures on a regular basis.
Easter has now passed and we have made a start on the project. All the wishbones have now been sandblasted and painted plus we have gathered most of the new parts to go on the car. These include the following;
New Front wings
New Vinyl Hood
New brake discs, calipers, braided hoses and pads
New suspension dampers and springs
Couple of new hubs
New water pump, timing belt kit, oil seals and gaskets
New plug leads
New Water hoses
New TRE's and ball joints
New complete clutch
The fuel tank and fuel lines have been fitted and w/c 24th April will see us putting together the sub-frames - front and rear with all the wishbones and suspension. Gearbox and centre alloy frame will all be cleaned along with the type 2 LSD
13th May 2017
We have had a very productive couple of weeks and have managed to almost complete the chassis assembly. Just a few items to go on such as the rear Brake pipe and a couple of bits and bobs.
We started with the engine which was completely de-greased and them pressure washed down before painting. We fitted new front and rear cranks oils seals, cam oil seals, water pump, timing belt kit, complete clutch including spigot bush and new front and oil filter water hoses. This was then mated up to the gearbox that was attached to the PPF frame. The PPF had been sanded down then lacquered to help it keep it's shine for a while. The rear and front sub-frames had all the wishbones re-assembled with new cam bolts and the rear anti-roll bar fitted with new drop links. All new suspension (standard) was then fitted with new bolts. Geometry was ne by eye at this stage as a complete laser alignment will be done when the car is complete.
Photos below show the build as it happened.
We have had a very productive couple of weeks and have managed to almost complete the chassis assembly. Just a few items to go on such as the rear Brake pipe and a couple of bits and bobs.
We started with the engine which was completely de-greased and them pressure washed down before painting. We fitted new front and rear cranks oils seals, cam oil seals, water pump, timing belt kit, complete clutch including spigot bush and new front and oil filter water hoses. This was then mated up to the gearbox that was attached to the PPF frame. The PPF had been sanded down then lacquered to help it keep it's shine for a while. The rear and front sub-frames had all the wishbones re-assembled with new cam bolts and the rear anti-roll bar fitted with new drop links. All new suspension (standard) was then fitted with new bolts. Geometry was ne by eye at this stage as a complete laser alignment will be done when the car is complete.
Photos below show the build as it happened.
At the end of May we started to prepare the bodywork for paint. We have removed and or filled all the small indentations on the panels and the car was masked ready for paint.
It has taken 2 weeks to paint the car and apart from a catching the bonnet with my mask airline (will have to be re-done) all has gone well. We shall cut back and polish once the car is complete so this will be our last task. We are generally quite pleased with the result and
It has taken 2 weeks to paint the car and apart from a catching the bonnet with my mask airline (will have to be re-done) all has gone well. We shall cut back and polish once the car is complete so this will be our last task. We are generally quite pleased with the result and
THE MAIN BUILD
5th June and all the masking was removed after hardening over the weekend. A few bits to put back in the engine bay before getting the bodyshell on the hoist ready for mating up with the built up chassis. After the removal of the shocks (only put them on for the photo's), the body was lowered and mated up perfectly. Then it's a case of tightening the PWR frame and checking for the correct clearance before final torque up.
5th June and all the masking was removed after hardening over the weekend. A few bits to put back in the engine bay before getting the bodyshell on the hoist ready for mating up with the built up chassis. After the removal of the shocks (only put them on for the photo's), the body was lowered and mated up perfectly. Then it's a case of tightening the PWR frame and checking for the correct clearance before final torque up.
18th June - Things progressing nicely with the Black Racing wheels matched up with Yokohama Prada 3's and on the car looking stunning.
Right side of engine bay complete with all bits and bobs put back in place. New Radiator and all brackets painted along with new headlamp fixing rings and a new radiator overflow bottle and plug leads. All new gaskets on CAS and Cam Box.
Drivers door cut back and polished then hung with speaker and electric window mechanism fitted.
Managed to get a nice Nardi Steering wheel from a 'S' Special which looks the business.
Just need to put some oil in the gearbox and diff plus fit the exhaust and we should be just about ready to fire up the engine by mid week.
Right side of engine bay complete with all bits and bobs put back in place. New Radiator and all brackets painted along with new headlamp fixing rings and a new radiator overflow bottle and plug leads. All new gaskets on CAS and Cam Box.
Drivers door cut back and polished then hung with speaker and electric window mechanism fitted.
Managed to get a nice Nardi Steering wheel from a 'S' Special which looks the business.
Just need to put some oil in the gearbox and diff plus fit the exhaust and we should be just about ready to fire up the engine by mid week.
Car is now almost complete after having full laser alignment on a Hunter 2 system and has a full MOT. New hood fitted and a final machine polish
August 6th. Car now on the road after sorting out a few teething problems after the road test. Quickly sorted and given a good test drive on the twisty roads around Duns. With the I.L. Motorsport stainless exhaust, the exhaust note is fantastic. Think you all will agree - a very pretty car!!!
All ready for the new owner.
All ready for the new owner.
August 12th
Picked client up from Berwick railway station after he travelled up from London. Spent a couple of hours going over the car and test driving it, then back to my house for a coffee
Pictures below are the final chapter in the restoration. Clients face says it all and I was very sad to see it go.
Who's got the next project????
Possibilities;
1 Another Bare shell restoration?
2 Have a Lexus LS400 with a quad cam V8 that would fit into a Mk1? Possible 450BHP+
Picked client up from Berwick railway station after he travelled up from London. Spent a couple of hours going over the car and test driving it, then back to my house for a coffee
Pictures below are the final chapter in the restoration. Clients face says it all and I was very sad to see it go.
Who's got the next project????
Possibilities;
1 Another Bare shell restoration?
2 Have a Lexus LS400 with a quad cam V8 that would fit into a Mk1? Possible 450BHP+
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Supercharged Project 2016/2017
The 'S' Special for our Supercharged project for our client has finally arrived.
It requires quite alot of work as it has a few problems that need sorting but the shell is pretty strong although the sills have the usual 'The sills have been repaired' - but what they don't say is that it was repaired with filler!
Work will start shortly and we shall update the progress with some nice pics.
First job (apart from removing the rondels from the doors) is a new water pump. timing belt, seals etc along with a good engine bay clean before we put the supercharger in - then it's brakes and suspension change. We have a very good engine to go in but will set the whole thing up initially with it's current engine - just to make sure everything is 100% OK..
The 'S' Special for our Supercharged project for our client has finally arrived.
It requires quite alot of work as it has a few problems that need sorting but the shell is pretty strong although the sills have the usual 'The sills have been repaired' - but what they don't say is that it was repaired with filler!
Work will start shortly and we shall update the progress with some nice pics.
First job (apart from removing the rondels from the doors) is a new water pump. timing belt, seals etc along with a good engine bay clean before we put the supercharger in - then it's brakes and suspension change. We have a very good engine to go in but will set the whole thing up initially with it's current engine - just to make sure everything is 100% OK..
The car has some really nice additions to it it such as Watanabe Wheels, - RS*R JDM 4-2-1 Manifold, a very nice S/S complete exhaust, TR Lane cage etc etc. It is a very good basis to work on and we are very much looking forward to having it completed - Watch this space.
Project now started with some gusto. Engine stripped and new water pump, Timing belt and pulleys, cam box gasket, CAS 'O' Ring (old one was rock hard) and new plugs fitted along with oil change and filter.
Stripped donor BRP and have the space ready to fit (see pictures). With the aircon removed we have more space to work and it also gets rid of a huge amout of extra weight.
Luckily had a pal there today to help me fit the charger as it is a big lump and difficult to get in position to bolt in. Took most of the day with Black Dog heat sheild fitted over the very nice RS*R JDM manifold. Still to Do;-
Change over fuel regulator, injectors, Power Steering reservoir to re-locate, throttle housing to re-fit along with supercharger throttle, and fans to wire together so we get double cooling then it's on to the piggyback ECU. Looks fairly straight forward but have to remove the aircon main unit from under the dash first.
Then it's on to brakes and shocks. Have Gaz to go on and there all ready to fit.
Stripped donor BRP and have the space ready to fit (see pictures). With the aircon removed we have more space to work and it also gets rid of a huge amout of extra weight.
Luckily had a pal there today to help me fit the charger as it is a big lump and difficult to get in position to bolt in. Took most of the day with Black Dog heat sheild fitted over the very nice RS*R JDM manifold. Still to Do;-
Change over fuel regulator, injectors, Power Steering reservoir to re-locate, throttle housing to re-fit along with supercharger throttle, and fans to wire together so we get double cooling then it's on to the piggyback ECU. Looks fairly straight forward but have to remove the aircon main unit from under the dash first.
Then it's on to brakes and shocks. Have Gaz to go on and there all ready to fit.
It seems that the ECU is proving to be more difficult than anticipated. With the donor car being a type 2, the boom slang harness does not fit. Luckily was reccomended a chap in southampton who is going to make a new one for us. That is expexcted sometiume in the new year. so it's on to the suspension and brakes. All the throlle is now connected and new supercharger belt fitted and the engine bay is just about complete. Have the exhaust to tap and a bung to weld in to take the new Lambda sensor for the Air/Fuel guage but thats about all the supercharger mechanical about done apart from fitting all the air pipes and vacuum pipes and harder plugs to change.
Thats all the new suspension on (GAZ) along with new discs, braided hoses, yellow stuff pads and racing fluid. Guages have arrived so it's on to fitting the new Lambda sensor into the exhaust and plumb in the boost guage. - Nearly there!!!!!
The engine is now all complete and the new boom Slang harness has arrived thanks to Nigel West for his great service. All gauges fitted and correct jumper settings in the Emanage Blue system. New mesh Sidelights fitted with a matching grill which really shows off the front. Awaiting new seats and harness.
Engine fired up a dream and all OK. Tested the car but the roads were so wet I got wheel spin in every gear!. Difficult to tell but a little disappointed in the acceleration but this is the first MP62 I have used so it's very difficult to tell. The Mimi chargers seem to have more low down power but obviously with the larger blades, the 62 seems to come into its range at 4k plus revs. Also seemed to run very rich at full throttle so something obviously not right with the Emanage Blue. Also failed to get the Laptop to recognise the link lead after spending all day downloading software.
After looking into newer technology and asking around on the internet and other charger specialists, Andrew has decided to go all out and fit a stand alone ME221 ECU just ordered fro AK Automotive along with RX8 yellow injectors which should be here the first week in February. Car also booked in to be mapped. Thanks to all who gave us their thoughts on the best way to go including Dan from AK and others. It's a while since my last supercharged car so new technology sure has come around quick - along with me getting a bit older and slower!!!
Pictures below show the car on its first outing - a bit dirty but we are all pleased with it so far. With the ME221 in and properly mapped, it should be an interesting drive back from Durham. Looking forward to that!
Engine fired up a dream and all OK. Tested the car but the roads were so wet I got wheel spin in every gear!. Difficult to tell but a little disappointed in the acceleration but this is the first MP62 I have used so it's very difficult to tell. The Mimi chargers seem to have more low down power but obviously with the larger blades, the 62 seems to come into its range at 4k plus revs. Also seemed to run very rich at full throttle so something obviously not right with the Emanage Blue. Also failed to get the Laptop to recognise the link lead after spending all day downloading software.
After looking into newer technology and asking around on the internet and other charger specialists, Andrew has decided to go all out and fit a stand alone ME221 ECU just ordered fro AK Automotive along with RX8 yellow injectors which should be here the first week in February. Car also booked in to be mapped. Thanks to all who gave us their thoughts on the best way to go including Dan from AK and others. It's a while since my last supercharged car so new technology sure has come around quick - along with me getting a bit older and slower!!!
Pictures below show the car on its first outing - a bit dirty but we are all pleased with it so far. With the ME221 in and properly mapped, it should be an interesting drive back from Durham. Looking forward to that!
.In the meantime have looked at the rear sills. It seems that they were repaired semi-properly but the job was only half done. They had not dressed the welds off therefore had put about 5mm thick filler to get the shape. No wonder the magnet fell off. As you can see it is now good and solid after we had to weld just a small plate where we found some thin metal. Now all dressed down and skimmed, rust treated, undercoated and now stone chipped ready for paint. Will do this when we clean up the front spoiler and re -paint this as well.
We are now into February and the car is coming along nicely although it has presented us with quite a few challenges.
The ME221 is now in place along with the RX8 yellow injectors and the car has been on the Rolling Road at Evotune along with the mapping done by Jamie. The car is putting out around 204 BHP but the progress to that point is quite outstanding.
The ME221 is now in place along with the RX8 yellow injectors and the car has been on the Rolling Road at Evotune along with the mapping done by Jamie. The car is putting out around 204 BHP but the progress to that point is quite outstanding.
You can see some temporay wiring in the picture for the fans. For some reason the ME221 is not switching on the fans at temperature evenWe managed to pick up an Intercooler from Ebay at a good price so now this is installed along with a new Alloy radiator. With the radiator being considerable thicker than standard, and the fact that we had to drop it 20mm to allow for the intercooler pipes, things got a little tricky when we came to install the fans. The main cooling fan had to be replaced by two ait-con fans as the main fan was too thick to go into the available space. The replacement had to be modified as they caught the anti-roll bar so some trimming was required. Now all fitted but some remedial work left to do. Nice Carbing alloy front panel fitted to just tidy up the bay where we cut the front panel for the pipework.
Off to AK Automotive to have a temperature sensor fitted to the intake pipe post boost and to have the car laser aligned. We have had some trouble with the automatic tensioner on the supercharger as when cold it knocks quite a bit so we have ordered a replacement from the states which should be with us some time in March. You can see in the photograph below some temporary wiring for the fans. For some reason the ME221 ECU is not switching on the fans when reaching temperature so we have wired them in directly until we can resolve the situation. Also we ran out of time as the car had to be ready to go to AK the following day and did not have time to tidy them up!!!!
Off to AK Automotive to have a temperature sensor fitted to the intake pipe post boost and to have the car laser aligned. We have had some trouble with the automatic tensioner on the supercharger as when cold it knocks quite a bit so we have ordered a replacement from the states which should be with us some time in March. You can see in the photograph below some temporary wiring for the fans. For some reason the ME221 ECU is not switching on the fans when reaching temperature so we have wired them in directly until we can resolve the situation. Also we ran out of time as the car had to be ready to go to AK the following day and did not have time to tidy them up!!!!
All in all it has gone quite well with the usual highs and lows but the car really drives extremely well with plenty of immediate power. The beauty of a supercharged car is that it is perfectly useable for any occasion whether you are out shopping or out on the track. It is running at around .4 Bar .
Up to now we have spent around 110 hours on the car.
To date, the following has been done on the car;
New water pump, Followers, Timing belt, cam box gaskets, O ring, Plugs, Oil, Filters
New Brake discs, yellow stuff pads, braided hoses, brakes serviced
Exhaust re-aligned
Gaz Shocks fitted
Sills stripped and re-panted
AEM Wideband fitted with O2 sensor in decat pipe plus boost guage in dash
ME221 ECU
RX8 Yellow injectors
Supercharged stripped from Donor car and checked and cleaned.
Supercharger fitted to car
New Gauze filter
New S/C Belt
Intercooler fitted with Alloy/Silicone pipes
New Alloy Radiator
Modified A/C Fans fitted
Carbing alloy front panel
some Bonnet superstructure removed for pipework
Mapping by Evotune and rolling road output recorded at 204 BHP
Work left to do.
Fit new seats and full harness belts to run alongside standard
Replace exhaust gasket (blown since fitting supercharger!
Re-furbish Watanabe wheels
Machine polish paintwork.
Remedial work on intercooler pipes
Fit plastic air scoop to nose
Fit braided tow hooks
Up to now we have spent around 110 hours on the car.
To date, the following has been done on the car;
New water pump, Followers, Timing belt, cam box gaskets, O ring, Plugs, Oil, Filters
New Brake discs, yellow stuff pads, braided hoses, brakes serviced
Exhaust re-aligned
Gaz Shocks fitted
Sills stripped and re-panted
AEM Wideband fitted with O2 sensor in decat pipe plus boost guage in dash
ME221 ECU
RX8 Yellow injectors
Supercharged stripped from Donor car and checked and cleaned.
Supercharger fitted to car
New Gauze filter
New S/C Belt
Intercooler fitted with Alloy/Silicone pipes
New Alloy Radiator
Modified A/C Fans fitted
Carbing alloy front panel
some Bonnet superstructure removed for pipework
Mapping by Evotune and rolling road output recorded at 204 BHP
Work left to do.
Fit new seats and full harness belts to run alongside standard
Replace exhaust gasket (blown since fitting supercharger!
Re-furbish Watanabe wheels
Machine polish paintwork.
Remedial work on intercooler pipes
Fit plastic air scoop to nose
Fit braided tow hooks
Wednesday 15th February 2017
Now into the final staged of the mechanical work on the car.. A trip to the guys at AK Automotive to sort out the ME221 fan problem and to get the laser alignment done. Dan did a splendid job of resolving the fan problem by fitting a temperature sensor post supercharger and fixing an incorrect jumper setting on the ECU (not the boards fault). Just need to re-wire the two fans and try to tidy up the pipework.
Now into the final staged of the mechanical work on the car.. A trip to the guys at AK Automotive to sort out the ME221 fan problem and to get the laser alignment done. Dan did a splendid job of resolving the fan problem by fitting a temperature sensor post supercharger and fixing an incorrect jumper setting on the ECU (not the boards fault). Just need to re-wire the two fans and try to tidy up the pipework.
Thursday 16th February 2017.
When Andrew delivered the car to me back in November, I needed to test drive the car up the road to see what it was like. Andrew mentioned today how that short drive stuck in his memory as when driving flat out up the road, the car would not stay straight and was going almost lock to lock the whole time with me shouting 'This car handles like Shit' (or something like that).
Today was Andrew's first drive of the car since starting the project. It was touch and go to get it ready and my heart was in my mouth all the way to the station to pick him up, hoping that it would perform as I hoped it would. It did not disappoint. The car is - without doubt the nicest MX5 I have ever driven with the power throwing you into the back of your seat. In the 4.5 - 6.500 rev range it is particularly impressive. It also has the handling to match with the Gaz shocks doing a great job. These were really put to a very strenuous test on the B6355 which runs past my workshop on the way to Guiford. Most of car clubs use this road in the summer for a road trip as, not only is it picturesque, it is very twisty and demands all your powers of concentration. On a particularly undulating section which is next to the Whiteadder reservoir, there is a very large crest which we attempted a flying lesson. The car behaved perfectly resulting in only minor damage to the front spoiler where the car 'Landed' - removing most of freshly sprayed paintwork. Apart from a couple of 'Shaved bolts on the underneath of the car and quite a lot of 'tarmac' deposits and grazes here and there, nothing untowards Was a great moment and a testimony to the car which just confirms what a great car the MX5 is, especially one that is this quick. It was also a steep learning curve for Andrew who handled the car superbly. Can't wait to get Andrew and the car on the track to really put it through it's paces. No doubt it will cause a lot of drivers with expensive machinery to follow the path of the guys with the biggest smile on their faces that have just 'Flown' past them (pardon the pun).
When Andrew delivered the car to me back in November, I needed to test drive the car up the road to see what it was like. Andrew mentioned today how that short drive stuck in his memory as when driving flat out up the road, the car would not stay straight and was going almost lock to lock the whole time with me shouting 'This car handles like Shit' (or something like that).
Today was Andrew's first drive of the car since starting the project. It was touch and go to get it ready and my heart was in my mouth all the way to the station to pick him up, hoping that it would perform as I hoped it would. It did not disappoint. The car is - without doubt the nicest MX5 I have ever driven with the power throwing you into the back of your seat. In the 4.5 - 6.500 rev range it is particularly impressive. It also has the handling to match with the Gaz shocks doing a great job. These were really put to a very strenuous test on the B6355 which runs past my workshop on the way to Guiford. Most of car clubs use this road in the summer for a road trip as, not only is it picturesque, it is very twisty and demands all your powers of concentration. On a particularly undulating section which is next to the Whiteadder reservoir, there is a very large crest which we attempted a flying lesson. The car behaved perfectly resulting in only minor damage to the front spoiler where the car 'Landed' - removing most of freshly sprayed paintwork. Apart from a couple of 'Shaved bolts on the underneath of the car and quite a lot of 'tarmac' deposits and grazes here and there, nothing untowards Was a great moment and a testimony to the car which just confirms what a great car the MX5 is, especially one that is this quick. It was also a steep learning curve for Andrew who handled the car superbly. Can't wait to get Andrew and the car on the track to really put it through it's paces. No doubt it will cause a lot of drivers with expensive machinery to follow the path of the guys with the biggest smile on their faces that have just 'Flown' past them (pardon the pun).
A few little jobs done and other jobs added to the list. Watanabe Wheels are now away being refurbished via powder coating in a graphite colour and should be back next week along with new wheel nuts. Intercooler pipes tidied up and fans re-wired. New door window strip fitted along with new Wipac Lights. Awaiting new supercharger tensioner from the states then it's on to fitting new steering wheel, seats, harnesses, aerial and repainting the flying splitter. Then it's on to bodywork and a good machine polish.
Managed to get a hoist on loan for a few months so this should also be wired up and running for next week. No more lying on my back under the car - at least until May!
Managed to get a hoist on loan for a few months so this should also be wired up and running for next week. No more lying on my back under the car - at least until May!
We are now at the beginning of March 2017 and things are almost complete with just a few more jobs to complete.
Wheels have just come back from being refurbished in Anthracite and they look fantastic and have been fitted - along with new wheel nuts.
Front wing and the 'Flying' splitter have been re-painted along with a couple of chips on the rear bumper. Cam box has been painted a nice deep red and just finishes off the engine bay. Tow straps fitted to the front, a new rubber aerial fitted and new bonnet struts fitted. The bonnet struts came from Hong Kong and were quite expensive but I think every MX5 should have them as no more reaching for the bonnet stay. Easy to fit with no drilling or cutting..
Fitting the seats runners proved to be a bit of a challenge as the new seats are quite thick on the base which lifts the position up quite a lot. I had to make plates for the original runners to sit on which meant that even a couple of washers lifted the seat too high. This meant cutting the new plate exactly around the adjuster handle and mechanism which took forever. All done but not fitting them until just before Andrew comes to collect the car. That also goes for the new steering wheel as the last thing I want is my grubby hands all over them.
March 8th and gave the whole car a thorough machine polish and it's come up a treat. Good old turtle wax gives a final elegant shine. For a 23 year old car, the paintwork is quite good - albeit a few of the usual stone chips and bird shit blemishes.
Not very happy with the silicone bends on the intercooler so will have to attempt to make the pipework with as much alloy pipe as possible. Problem being that the 63mm 90 degree bends are not acute enough. Have managed to fabricate some alloy pipe that fits inside the silicone bends that stop the decompression and will look at changing the top pipes inside the engine bay for two of the original pipes that were on - pre-intercooler.
A few pictures below show the car as it stands now with just the interior to do a bit later on
Wheels have just come back from being refurbished in Anthracite and they look fantastic and have been fitted - along with new wheel nuts.
Front wing and the 'Flying' splitter have been re-painted along with a couple of chips on the rear bumper. Cam box has been painted a nice deep red and just finishes off the engine bay. Tow straps fitted to the front, a new rubber aerial fitted and new bonnet struts fitted. The bonnet struts came from Hong Kong and were quite expensive but I think every MX5 should have them as no more reaching for the bonnet stay. Easy to fit with no drilling or cutting..
Fitting the seats runners proved to be a bit of a challenge as the new seats are quite thick on the base which lifts the position up quite a lot. I had to make plates for the original runners to sit on which meant that even a couple of washers lifted the seat too high. This meant cutting the new plate exactly around the adjuster handle and mechanism which took forever. All done but not fitting them until just before Andrew comes to collect the car. That also goes for the new steering wheel as the last thing I want is my grubby hands all over them.
March 8th and gave the whole car a thorough machine polish and it's come up a treat. Good old turtle wax gives a final elegant shine. For a 23 year old car, the paintwork is quite good - albeit a few of the usual stone chips and bird shit blemishes.
Not very happy with the silicone bends on the intercooler so will have to attempt to make the pipework with as much alloy pipe as possible. Problem being that the 63mm 90 degree bends are not acute enough. Have managed to fabricate some alloy pipe that fits inside the silicone bends that stop the decompression and will look at changing the top pipes inside the engine bay for two of the original pipes that were on - pre-intercooler.
A few pictures below show the car as it stands now with just the interior to do a bit later on
click on to see full picture
This car is now almost complete and has had a total of 153 recorded hours spent on it. In reality that is not the true time spent as some of the work has been a challenge to say the least and just could not justify the actual time taken. Most jobs have gone really well but others have taken considerably longer than planned. I have to admit that I enjoyed ever minute working on it. It came into my workshop several months ago as an average 94 'S' Special that handled like a dog. You could not drive it at any reasonable speed before it wanted to swap ends around and driving was just going from lock to lock to keep it on the road.
It is now probably one of the best supercharged cars out there. There are probably ones that are faster and produce more horsepower but I bet they are not as nice to drive as this car. If you want to go shopping in it then it behaves just as a normal MX5 - but if you want to have some fun then just put the right foot down and as long as the road is dry it will throw you back in your seat and launch itself along the road. In the wet it is even more fun!!!
Will be very sorry to see it go - but - have still got it for a few weeks yet!!
MOT to do so its got a full 12 months and then fitting of the seats and steering wheel - plus a little surprise Gizmo just to add a final touch.
Watch this space for final interior pictures.
16th March 2017. Car now MOT'd with only a wiper blade to change and a blocked screen washer jet to clear.
New Supercharger Belt tensioner arrived from the USA and some proper alloy pipes to replace the silicone ones on the intercooler as I was not happy with them.
Engine bay and all mechanical now finished Picture below which as you can see from the one above is a great improvement and has the benefit of no Intercooler pipe decompression which was happening before!
It is now probably one of the best supercharged cars out there. There are probably ones that are faster and produce more horsepower but I bet they are not as nice to drive as this car. If you want to go shopping in it then it behaves just as a normal MX5 - but if you want to have some fun then just put the right foot down and as long as the road is dry it will throw you back in your seat and launch itself along the road. In the wet it is even more fun!!!
Will be very sorry to see it go - but - have still got it for a few weeks yet!!
MOT to do so its got a full 12 months and then fitting of the seats and steering wheel - plus a little surprise Gizmo just to add a final touch.
Watch this space for final interior pictures.
16th March 2017. Car now MOT'd with only a wiper blade to change and a blocked screen washer jet to clear.
New Supercharger Belt tensioner arrived from the USA and some proper alloy pipes to replace the silicone ones on the intercooler as I was not happy with them.
Engine bay and all mechanical now finished Picture below which as you can see from the one above is a great improvement and has the benefit of no Intercooler pipe decompression which was happening before!
Took it out for a test run to check everything was OK. Very interesting in the wet as the car has so much power that it just wanted to swap ends. I have described the style of driving in the wet to 'Granny driving' as everything has to be slow and smooth - great fun tho!
20th March and the car is now completed. Seats, belts and new steering wheel now fitted and front wing cut back and polished.
Total man hours = 161 plus a great deal of brand new parts = One very, very nice 'Supercharged 'S' Extra Special!!!!!!!!!
20th March and the car is now completed. Seats, belts and new steering wheel now fitted and front wing cut back and polished.
Total man hours = 161 plus a great deal of brand new parts = One very, very nice 'Supercharged 'S' Extra Special!!!!!!!!!
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BRSCC mazda mx5 championship
Click to enlarge photos.
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We prepare a top 10 car in the national BRSCC Mazda MX5 Championship. As anyone who competes or follows motorsport will know; this means a lot of car preparation, setup tuning and inevitably repairs!
Cough, cough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbDkvWr32Nk The pictures to the left show the aftermath of the above accident, as well as the work we went through to get the car looking good as new. The before and after pictures don't tell the full story of the work required, with panels being replaced and beaten back to shape. Isolator and Undercoat has been applied and is ready for paint The paint and livery has now been applied. All that is left is to apply the race numbers and sponsorship decals to the car and it is ready for the next round. The car as it appeared at Castle Combe and Rockingham, after repairs and respray. Fortunately for us, both drivers have promised not to crash again! |
race reports
You can read the race reports for each of the rounds at the racing blog below. Though Drew and Euan are in their rookie season, and are sharing a car at each race weekend, they have already progressed into the A group and have a top 10 overall finish.
Silverstone Rounds 1 and 2: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/2015-brscc-mx5-silverstone-round-1-and-2/
Our first race ever; we qualify well and end up with a fourth place.
Brands Hatch Rounds 3 and 4: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/2015-brscc-mx5-brands-hatch-rounds-34/
A late night leads to broken bones. One of the drivers gets the chance to race on the famous Brands Hatch GP circuit.
Castle Combe Rounds 5 and 6: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/2015-brscc-mx5-castle-combe-rounds-56/
A visit to the tyre wall leaves us at the back of the grid for both races.
Rockingham Motor Speedway Rounds 7 and 8: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/06/28/2015-brscc-mx5-rockingham-motor-speedway-rounds-78/
Wet, wet, wet. Final result is 9th place in the A group, our best position yet.
Cadwell Park Rounds 9, 10 and 11: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/2015-brscc-mx5-cadwell-park-rounds-91011/
New suspension components would allow both drivers to qualify in the top 10.
Oulton Park Rounds 12 and 13: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/09/08/2015-brscc-mx5-oulton-park-rounds-1213/
Strong pace was unfortunately wiped out by an accident in Qualifying - the rest of the weekend was about damage limitation.
Spa Francorchamsp 750MC Guest Round: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/2015-750mc-5club-spa-francorchamps-guest-round/
We travel to Belgium to race at the famous Spa Francorchamps! Despite limited running in testing, both drivers scored top 10 results with Euan finishing 5th in his race.
A little about the car as well. The regulations limit what we can do meaning the engine is a standard 1600cc, with only a head skim and three angle valve seats being allowed. The suspension is GAZ Gold Pro, the wheels are Team Dynamics Pro Race 2 (though Rota Slipsteams are also legal). Our control tyres are Hankook Ventus Evos to keep costs down. The brake pads are free but we run EBC YellowStuffs to save on costs. Our roll cage is substantial and is built by Safety Devices. Other than that, the car is standard.
Oulton Park - 22nd August
Bit of a troubled weekend with both Euan and Drew encountering problems during the weekend. On the very first lap of Qualifying, Drew slid wide into the tyre-wall and did a bit of damage to the nearside after the re-build and then Euan got taken out with a rival failing to see him alongside. No great results on this occasion but all good experience.
Only 12 days to re-build the car as it's off to Spa in Belgium on 3rd Sept for a European Round of the MX5's
Silverstone Rounds 1 and 2: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/2015-brscc-mx5-silverstone-round-1-and-2/
Our first race ever; we qualify well and end up with a fourth place.
Brands Hatch Rounds 3 and 4: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/2015-brscc-mx5-brands-hatch-rounds-34/
A late night leads to broken bones. One of the drivers gets the chance to race on the famous Brands Hatch GP circuit.
Castle Combe Rounds 5 and 6: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/2015-brscc-mx5-castle-combe-rounds-56/
A visit to the tyre wall leaves us at the back of the grid for both races.
Rockingham Motor Speedway Rounds 7 and 8: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/06/28/2015-brscc-mx5-rockingham-motor-speedway-rounds-78/
Wet, wet, wet. Final result is 9th place in the A group, our best position yet.
Cadwell Park Rounds 9, 10 and 11: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/2015-brscc-mx5-cadwell-park-rounds-91011/
New suspension components would allow both drivers to qualify in the top 10.
Oulton Park Rounds 12 and 13: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/09/08/2015-brscc-mx5-oulton-park-rounds-1213/
Strong pace was unfortunately wiped out by an accident in Qualifying - the rest of the weekend was about damage limitation.
Spa Francorchamsp 750MC Guest Round: https://milneforsterracing.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/2015-750mc-5club-spa-francorchamps-guest-round/
We travel to Belgium to race at the famous Spa Francorchamps! Despite limited running in testing, both drivers scored top 10 results with Euan finishing 5th in his race.
A little about the car as well. The regulations limit what we can do meaning the engine is a standard 1600cc, with only a head skim and three angle valve seats being allowed. The suspension is GAZ Gold Pro, the wheels are Team Dynamics Pro Race 2 (though Rota Slipsteams are also legal). Our control tyres are Hankook Ventus Evos to keep costs down. The brake pads are free but we run EBC YellowStuffs to save on costs. Our roll cage is substantial and is built by Safety Devices. Other than that, the car is standard.
Oulton Park - 22nd August
Bit of a troubled weekend with both Euan and Drew encountering problems during the weekend. On the very first lap of Qualifying, Drew slid wide into the tyre-wall and did a bit of damage to the nearside after the re-build and then Euan got taken out with a rival failing to see him alongside. No great results on this occasion but all good experience.
Only 12 days to re-build the car as it's off to Spa in Belgium on 3rd Sept for a European Round of the MX5's
our motorsport history
We have been preparing cars and involved in motorsport for over 40 years , mainly in Stage Rallying but more recently in trackdays.
We have extensive knowledge in not only making a car fast, but also balanced and reliable.
To see how we can help you; call us any day of the week on 07780468805 or
01361 883727 if after 6pm, or complete our contact form.
We have extensive knowledge in not only making a car fast, but also balanced and reliable.
To see how we can help you; call us any day of the week on 07780468805 or
01361 883727 if after 6pm, or complete our contact form.
