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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Dec 19, 2018 21:25:10 GMT
Love it, sure I remember someone weighing theirs and like you said it only changed the weight dist 3/5% forwards That makes sense, I guess it would depend what else was done at the same time. This one has a tubular subframe and ally brakes with 2 part discs, as well as lighter manifolds and a few other things so I think about 35kg has been taken out of the front compared to a 'standard' V8 setup Russell |
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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Dec 22, 2018 18:19:20 GMT
Only a small change, but a cooling panel helps tidy up under the bonnet.  Just need to work out what to do with the intake manifold  I've removed the Lexus badge, thinking I just fill the holes and see if I can paint it to match the rest. Russell |
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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Jan 17, 2019 19:32:11 GMT
Been quiet for a bit ... well, sulking if I'm honest! The car has cut out a few times ... the worst one was at 8am on the 1st of Jan, on the way to Shelsley Walsh!
Got stuck into it the last few days and we think we have worked it out ... either a dodgy or blocked fuel pump. It's to be expected really, the car is nearly 30 years old, has had major surgery and then has been sat for 8 years.
So fingers crossed a new pump, filter and a good flush of the fuel system will sort it out.
I've also managed to find some better wheels - 6ULs, obviously! So once they arrive, and I've saved up for a bit, I can put some decent tyres under this beast and gain some confidence back into the car ... so I can move onto replacing the diff with an LSD
Russell
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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Jan 19, 2019 22:01:41 GMT
More progress, on my green 5. Decided after a bunch of false starts and lots of mind changing that I really just need to chuck it back on the road. This is 'my' MX5 I'm talking about ... bought it in 2009 and it has been through so many changes I can't even remember what half of them are. It started with a 1.6 engine, was changed to a 1.8, throttle bodies were added, then 2 different supercharger setups and then a turbo before going V6 briefly and then back to a supercharged 1.8. It's currently a bare shell up on jack stands with no running gear or wiring loom.
The floor has been dropped on both sides, and it has a superb full cage fitted that allows a hardtop to be used. It's not been on the road for any significant amount of time since 2015, so it's kind of lost it's way ... but each time I've thought of selling it, I've not been able to make myself do it.
Anyway, I bought a cheap rusty 1.8 just before christmas. Mainly to help a friend out if I'm honest, but although it's an absolute wreck of a car, it does start and drive. So in theory I have everything I need to turn my caged beastie into a running car and see if it will pass an MOT.
It's just a bare shell at the moment so there's a lot to do, but the basic plan is something like -
Finish fitting the Mk2 subframes, wishbones and hubs etc onto my shell.
Fit a 1.8 wiring loom to the shell, replace the cracked windscreen and tidy the rear legs of the Roll Cage
Pull the engine, box, PPF and diff out of the rusty 1.8 and chuck them into the shell
Refit the brakes (need all hard lines replacing), all lights, rad etc
In theory that's about it ... the dash could be fun as the cross brace of the cage will get in the way, so at this point we'll just zip tie the Speedo to the Roll Bar.
Connect up battery, add fluids and start trouble shooting... then chuck it at an MOT station and see what happens! In theory that's not too much work, but in practice I have a job, kids and 2 other project cars to juggle so we'll see how it goes!
Russell
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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Mar 1, 2019 15:53:00 GMT
Whole day on the V8 today ... thanks to some long distance trouble shooting from Phoenix engines I replaced the crank sensor, so time to test it out. Covered about 50 miles doing a circuit on the Welsh borders and it didn't miss a beat. Top down, listening to the V8 growling away and grinning my head off!!
I'll take some pics and do a proper walk round introduction once I've sorted a couple of niggles
Russell
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Post by Zed. on Mar 1, 2019 16:43:45 GMT
I'll take some pics and do a proper walk round introduction once I've sorted a couple of niggles interested  Rich. |
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Post by wannabe on Mar 3, 2019 22:08:27 GMT
I'll take some pics and do a proper walk round introduction once I've sorted a couple of niggles interested Rich. +1! |
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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Mar 29, 2019 20:54:36 GMT
It's amazing how much time you can waste chasing stupid problems around a car ... after thinking I'd solved the cutting out problem, the car stopped working 1 day later ... and has not run again since. I've had 3 or 4 days off work to try things with the car, and it's been to a garage who had it for 3 days and then gave it back.  This is meant to be connected. It's a broken solder joint, hidden by some shrink wrap sheath ... must have cost me 20 plus hours over the last 3 months!! 30 seconds after finding it, a crimp connector has been bodged on  Another 30 seconds and I've reconnected the battery and the car starts first time. The year can officially start, I have a working car again!! Well, it can once I've put back all the random bits I took out chasing this fault around the car ... Russell |
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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Apr 9, 2019 21:59:53 GMT
Few small changes, I'll try to do a few general pics of the car once I'm back from my hols in a couple of weeks and the main changes are finished New mirrors ... been running around for a few weeks with one yellow and one black mirror. Spotted these up for grabs, although they aren't in the best condition they are well made, and should come up nicely with a bit of work  Fitted a front lower lip as well, always liked the oem lip much more than the GV snowplough look  And I've started fitting a Roll Bar ... still need to finish it off, but the car's beginning to feel like it's mine now  Russell |
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Post by japanesewookie on Apr 10, 2019 21:29:26 GMT
loving the look of this, need to get my act together and finish my turbo build. come to a p5s meet and have a look over.
its James btw, we had a chat about porsche's at the kings arms. got the rs with an m2 bumper on.
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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Apr 22, 2019 8:50:06 GMT
Looks like I may end up selling this, looking at Elises at the moment ...
Russell
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Post by ecksjay on Apr 23, 2019 12:35:47 GMT
Oh go on then, i'll bite...
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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Apr 24, 2019 12:36:49 GMT
It's strange, but even though this is by far the best 5 I've had so far it doesn't feel like it's "mine" ... possibly because I didn't build it? Not sure, but I'll probably sell it and put my green car back on the road ... then have a think
Lotus Elise, another kit car (Lister Bell STR would be nice) ... not quite sure yet
Russell
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Post by ecksjay on Apr 24, 2019 20:14:53 GMT
price plz. i dont need another mx5.
but, yeah. price ^^;
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Post by Vindi (Russell) on Apr 24, 2019 22:26:59 GMT
price plz. i dont need another mx5. but, yeah. price ^^; Ha ha, I know what you mean ... I didn't need another 5 when I was offered this, but couldn't leave it! Probably £6k as it sits (apart from the zoom mirrors, they're off my green car), or £5k without the Hi Spec brakes and Roll Bar. I'll do a proper ad if it comes to that, but I have 4 people who'd said "if you ever think of selling it ..." so I'm hoping it will go pretty quickly Russell |
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le sigh