[Rustang]

Well I hope this being my first post on here I hope will open up a good discussion as I'm looking for some advice for my two Mx5's. I was debating whether to split this over two threads but decided it be best to keep it to one to keep things tidy.

So I'm looking for some advice on both my track NA and my daily NC, Il start with the NA as that's the more interesting question I feel.

NA
So back ground to my question, I got into Mx5's thanks to racing in historic and while out on a track day around Goodwood got offered to have a go in a MX5 NA, there was nothing remarkable about this MX5 other than it running on Dunlop L sections. which is the tyre we race in historic. These tyres are still made just as they were in the 50s/60s old tec cross plies. though being a racing tyre they don't have much grip but the grip they do have is very consistent. once of the reasons you see these old cars four-wheel drifting. So this mx5 was a real joy running on these tyres so we thought perfect a great chance to have a cheap practice car that will go round a track all day long with little to no issues.

So we got ourselves a nice little NA stuck some Gaz coil overs, an exhaust system, and a decent clutch in it and headed out for some fun. The Tyres we put on it were Avon CR6ZZ on it as Dunlop L's are expensive and don't last very long so we figured this would be a good alternative. This tyre turned out not to be a great match as they were much sticker than Dunlops but still a good midway point.

Now on the track, the car is rather inconsistent and does let go suddenly with little warning. We have softened off the coilovers to try and get the car to behave more like my MG midget but this doesn't seem to help much. I know we are playing with a modern chassis and trying to get it to behave like a MG midget of the 60s so this might not be realistic.

So I put it to you all have you got any ideas on how we might be able to get our Mx5 to dance more like a historic.

I Loved that racer she was a joy to drive and although the set-up that it ran on which allowed it to cock a wheel like that wasn't the norm it really worked for me and I got some great results in that car, as well as got attention from commentators and spectators who would always find me and talk to me about how high it lifted its wheel. I would love my Mx5 to do that but I doubt it be a good idea and isn't possible lol but still I can dream.

NC
So I just brought a 2007 NC with 36k on the clock. body work needs some love, no rust but the old couple who owned it before me seemed to like cleaning it with a dirty sponge as well as bumping into things. I was also had over a little in that it was all supposed to be up and together but turned out that the front and back left hand wheels had buckled (think they must have mounted a curb). All sorted with some nice Ultralight F1 wheels nice.
The silver lining is it has the factory fitted suspension pack so an LSD, and Blistein shocks which they didn't advertise, happy days.
I do want to lower the car a little and feel the suspension feels good I would like it to corner flatter. It seems a shame to take off the Blistein shocks but same time would it be better to go coilovers. do you guys have any recommendations on a good path? lowering springs seem like an option but I don't want to ruin the ride as it is my daily. would an uprated anti-roll bar fit the bill or some chassis bracing? If the latter there seems to be a ton of options for chassis bracing whats worth doing?

Any help here would be greatly appreciated as well as interesting to discuss. I know car set-up is an art form as changing one thing affects another and to truly understand it takes a lot of learning. It's something I'm woefully ignorant about and want to learn more to apply it to road and track.

Thanks for stopping by, apologise for my writing and grammar moving forward dyslexia is a right bitch

 

[Rustang]

Oh I they went to my introduction post?? That’s weird I wondered why you where talking about my question on that thread, just figured you had read it and jumped over to that one lol 😆

 

[Rustang]

Cheers for the advice and some interesting ideas for sure. The cocking wheel for Mx5 is a bit of a joke as I don't know if it's even possible. but interesting ideas on the bracing as well its something I have thought about in the past and might look at again. It has Gaz Coilovers on it currently, I didn't buy these myself it was something that my old man picked out. We race together as well as do track days together, it's a shared car which he doesn't use that much anymore. I was wondering whether speaking with the manufacturers would be worth ago and going through what I'm looking for?
The only issue with that is most people I have spoken to about this look at me as if I'm insane and tend to shack their heads lol. why I thought about putting the question out here as I see a lot of peeps are passionate about car set-up.

The car is high up due to the tyres but I should really sort that by rolling the arches, the current Avon tyres are chunky side. I have a look into the P6000 too as I know it's a tricky thing as the Dunlops behave in a certain way in that their grip (or lack of) is constant and predictable. what tyre we try out as an alternative needs to share that otherwise, paddock hill could be very interesting

as for ITB's I can not tell you how badly I would love to fit some of those not just for the response but the sound to.

You have given me some food for thought there

 

[Rustang]

Maybe I can try and start a new trend

This is definitely something to try, any bracing in particular. I'm guessing the chassis rails and front and rear bracing for the underside might do the trick? I have the roll bar fitted I'm sure that helps. as for the shocks and springs themselves like you mentioned that might be a little harder to suss out. I think you are right on building custom might be a little fanciful. giving fresh stock ago might be a decent idea just have to live with the high and see how it handles then play accordingly. I wonder if getting four-wheel aliment sorted and speaking with the right person and explaining what I'm looking for would help as well. I have to put up with the looks but hay hasn't stopped me so far

Four-wheel drifting space savers do sound epic XD, you just want a track to yourself and go at it and see what happens.

Is putting on a set of ZX10r throttle bodies a big job out of interest?

 

[Rustang]

I cant see cold start being an issue with ITBs, surely it's just a case of giving it a bit of gas when starting up. My racer had a single weber carb and is a fall race a-series and even on cold days, I can still get that darling to fire, just need to know how to treat her little tickle of throttle and she wakes up good and proper lol.

Out of sheer curiosity, I had to check if people have fitted twin 45 webers to these and they have, that's fantastic lol love that. seem tricky and pointless when you can put ITBs on there but still for the cool factor that's a load of fun.

For DanST doesn't seem too bad for what you would be getting, looks like the ECUs seem like they're a bit of money but that's not surprising.

 

[Rustang]

That does make sense dave if I'm understanding you correctly, the MG from the back is literally sitting on its arse when going through corners and lifting that front wheel. as much fun as it is to get that wheel to rise the main goal is getting the handling characteristics to be similar to the historic Midgets as I can, just down to wanting a car I can throw around brands hatch and get bum in seat time. nothing beats that for gaining confidence and learning tracks then going around and around, as long as you know what you're doing of course. The little A-Series engine in that car was producing 130bhp and raving to 7500 to 8000 rpm they only last a season (which for us was normal 6 race meetings) before they need rebuilding. so charging around in a historic all day isn't really an option unless pockets are deep. hence the 5

If she can four wheel drift and flows like these old motors I would have done it.

Oh and here is a rear view of the last time I got to go out in a MG, I think this is what you would call hitting the droop limit . I stuck this up in my introduction thread but think its applicable here as well.