Sold the kit :(, bought an MX5 Turbo :)
Humbug - 15/6/11 at 06:30 PM
Per the subject - I decided I wanted something more "refined" than the Stuart Taylor, so it was collected 10 days ago by Mark Litchfield,
who is based in Luton and said he sometimes lurks on here. I had an enjoyable time building, driving and tinkering with it, but it was time for a
change. After some thought I decided on an MX5 Mk1, and found this nice blue BBR Turbo model (150bhp out of the box) and with a recently fitted
rollbar, slightly lowered springs and an LSD. The engine was replaced last year with a relatively new (36,000 mile) one, and it's done 81,000
overall.
Bad bits - the crusty LH rear arch, and a bit on the other side, as well as "OK-but-just-patched-up-for-MOT" sills, so I am getting those
fixed properly in a couple of weeks.
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed a stump where the LH mirror should be - I stopped a mile down the road after picking it up to fill up
with petrol and thought I had better adjust the mirrors. It was stuck and the 17 year old non-stainless M5 bolt snapped off in a pile of rust 
.
Apparently it's a common thing and I have replaced both sides with stainless bolts.
Anyway, this doesn't mean I will abandon you and I hope I will still be allowed to come to some of the Newlands brekkies!
btw Geoff - does this mean I can't come to the Uxbridge show in July? I still owe you for the ticket. I will U2U you
Cheers
Simon
[Edited on 15.06.2011 by Humbug]
Simon - 15/6/11 at 06:45 PM
Just a trim please
Hope you enjoy your new toy
ATB
Simon
steve m - 15/6/11 at 06:52 PM
Nice one Simon!!
zilspeed - 15/6/11 at 07:12 PM
At the risk of being burned at the satke as a heretic....
I would suggest that you'll enjoy every minute of the MX5.
Good work.
deltron63 - 15/6/11 at 07:18 PM
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
At the risk of being burned at the satke as a heretic....
I would suggest that you'll enjoy every minute of the MX5.
Good work.
Go and stand on the naughty step, you bad boy
Steve Hignett - 15/6/11 at 07:20 PM
Jealous........
David Jenkins - 15/6/11 at 07:36 PM
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
At the risk of being burned at the satke as a heretic....
I would suggest that you'll enjoy every minute of the MX5.
Good work.
Nowt wrong with the MX5...
blakep82 - 15/6/11 at 07:39 PM
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
At the risk of being burned at the satke as a heretic....
I would suggest that you'll enjoy every minute of the MX5.
Good work.
Nowt wrong with the MX5...
have to say, never really saw the appeal myself.
still, if you like it, thats what counts. enjoy
Steve Hignett - 15/6/11 at 08:06 PM
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
have to say, never really saw the appeal myself.
I take it you've never driven one then! 
Kwik - 15/6/11 at 08:08 PM
i quite like the mx5, considering one for next year...
im considering going strait for the retro forza kit though, i like the look of classic cars, but not reliability, so seems about right for me...
also mx5's have amazing reliability and parts backup, cant really go wrong...
blakep82 - 15/6/11 at 08:10 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
have to say, never really saw the appeal myself.
I take it you've never driven one then!
correct! but nor do i want to...
they're just not my style lol
GeoffT - 15/6/11 at 08:56 PM
u2u replied to (twice....)
To clear up your obvious confusion the thing you're pointing at in pic 3 is...............The Roof
Well done with the new acquisition btw, I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with that.
Ninehigh - 15/6/11 at 09:14 PM
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
At the risk of being burned at the satke as a heretic....
I would suggest that you'll enjoy every minute of the MX5.
Good work.
Nowt wrong with the MX5...
Aye, there's a reason why I've had one on every incarnation of Gran Turismo. Will admit it does look a bit girly but you just have to make
sure it doesn't sound or act girly
D Beddows - 15/6/11 at 09:24 PM
It's the way forward - you could NEVER build a kit car to the same standard and they are huge fun to drive ....... you could always spend 10
years building something much worse and spend A LOT more doing it just to say you did it yourself but life is waaaaay too short IMHO
I've 'done it myself' twice and I've now got an MX5 before anyone starts........
Anyone who dismisses them without having ever driven one is a bit of a muppet I'm afraid Blake - I don't 'like' BMW's or
Audi's because of their perceived image but I actualy enjoy driving a fair few of them when I get the opportunity!
[Edited on 15/6/11 by D Beddows]
Humbug - 15/6/11 at 09:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Simon
Just a trim please
Hope you enjoy your new toy
ATB
Simon
At least it's got an extra strong hairdrier under the bonnet
I see there's a few other MX5 enthusiasts coming out of the closet, so to speak 
Surrey Dave - 15/6/11 at 10:17 PM
I think MX5's are great and I'm old enough now to have one!
As someone who uses his Locost circa twice a year , I am always very tempted........................
Where did you sell the '7' , Pistonheads?, how much did it fetch?
You can always u2u me if that is impertinent!
eddie99 - 15/6/11 at 10:22 PM
Looks like a fantastic donor
D Beddows - 15/6/11 at 10:44 PM
Fantastic donors need to be cr*p cars that can be made better -I'm old enough to know most base model Escorts/Capris/Sierras were cr*p cars to
own and drive and the money they make now is tbh ridiculous - MX5s........ if it's really beyond repair then go for it otherwise........
indykid - 15/6/11 at 10:54 PM
There's not much you could make an mx5 into that would be more fun or more practical than a stock car with decent pads and r888s.
Decent engine management and a turbo and it's a real track tool, though I've had easily as much fun with 115bhp as with 220 at 13psi.
My favourite trackday to date is donington with a 1.6 mx5 on r888s and carbotech pads. Yes you lose everything on the back straight, but my god, you
catch them up through the old hairpin!
blakep82 - 16/6/11 at 12:51 AM
quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
It's the way forward - you could NEVER build a kit car to the same standard and they are huge fun to drive ....... you could always spend 10
years building something much worse and spend A LOT more doing it just to say you did it yourself but life is waaaaay too short IMHO
I've 'done it myself' twice and I've now got an MX5 before anyone starts........
Anyone who dismisses them without having ever driven one is a bit of a muppet I'm afraid Blake - I don't 'like' BMW's or
Audi's because of their perceived image but I actualy enjoy driving a fair few of them when I get the opportunity!
its ok to have an opinion you know. i only said i never saw the appeal. never said it was wrong
would you like me to delete my post since you don't like my opinion?
i've been in enough convertable cars to know i don't like them and know they're not for me. the perceived image of mx5s and the like is
of little importance to me. its because i get a headache from so much daylight all around me like that, and as such, in hard top cars always drive
with the visor down, day and night.
[Edited on 16/6/11 by blakep82]
mangogrooveworkshop - 16/6/11 at 05:11 AM
Blake how the smell do you get a headache with daylight......it's Scotland you live in ....when did you find this daylight. Please tell ?
Mx5 is a great little motor and fairly bullet proof
David Jenkins - 16/6/11 at 08:25 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Humbug
I see there's a few other MX5 enthusiasts coming out of the closet, so to speak
I've never owned one, but I have driven one - performance of the one I drove wasn't great (it was an early 1600) but the handling was good
fun and I can see the appeal of mainstream reliability.
James - 16/6/11 at 09:03 AM
Borrowed my sisters beginning of this year. Was really fun and inspired me to get the Locost back on the road!!!
Cheers,
James
Davegtst - 16/6/11 at 09:04 AM
Pic 2 lol.
Ehhhhh
[Edited on 16/6/11 by Davegtst]
thefreak - 16/6/11 at 10:19 AM
Welcome to the club, I did the same a couple of months ago
quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
It's the way forward - you could NEVER build a kit car to the same standard and they are huge fun to drive ....... you could always spend 10
years building something much worse and spend A LOT more doing it just to say you did it yourself but life is waaaaay too short IMHO
That was the exact view we had. The locost had spent far too long in the garage being "built" and hadn't even got near the stage of
completion. Then when a car nut friend died in a car accident in Feb we said screw it, lets enjoy it while we've still got it! So sold the locost
and picked up a mk1, 1.8 MX5 Gleneagles.
It's now stripped, FG seats, 4 point harnesses, rollbar and GAZ Gold suspension fitted along with some 4 pot brakes and Pro Race 1.2s with A048
tyres and we're off to have a play at Cottesmore this weekend
quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
Anyone who dismisses them without having ever driven one is a bit of a muppet I'm afraid Blake - I don't 'like' BMW's or
Audi's because of their perceived image but I actualy enjoy driving a fair few of them when I get the opportunity!
And guess what we're towing it up there with... the new car in the family, an 07 A6 2.7 Avant Quattro lol
Then, over the winter, it's getting stripped and converted to an Exocet.
D Beddows - 16/6/11 at 06:04 PM
That went horribly post went horribly wrong in the last paragraph ........ a MEV Exocet?- possibly one of the worst looking kit cars since some of the
later Duttons....... are you absolutely sure!!! ?
lol each to their own
TimC - 16/6/11 at 06:16 PM
Best of both worlds here.
Ninehigh - 16/6/11 at 06:57 PM
quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
That went horribly post went horribly wrong in the last paragraph ........ a MEV Exocet?- possibly one of the worst looking kit cars since some of the
later Duttons....... are you absolutely sure!!! ?
lol each to their own
Oi don't you start having opinions! Otherwise I'll have to go and get the popcorn
D Beddows - 16/6/11 at 07:34 PM
lol it's nearly 10 years since I joined and my post count is pathetic considering - so I thought I'd try having an opinion again to build it
it up a bit
But no, seriously...... destroying an MX5 to build a MEV Exocet, are you absolutely sure........!!!!? lol
Mr G - 17/6/11 at 02:51 PM
quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
That went horribly post went horribly wrong in the last paragraph ........ a MEV Exocet?- possibly one of the worst looking kit cars since some of the
later Duttons....... are you absolutely sure!!! ?
lol each to their own
Are you going for a record of how many people you can offend in one thread?
D Beddows - 17/6/11 at 06:03 PM
lol, I know - 'me bad' is I believe the modern saying Don't worry I'm going to stop now and if I've REALLY offended anyone
then I apologise
It was the actually the Melos I was referring to MR G btw rather than the one in your signature - which I actually think has a certain visual charm
[Edited on 17/6/11 by D Beddows]
Stott - 17/6/11 at 07:18 PM
[Edited on 17/6/11 by Stott]
[Edited on 17/6/11 by Stott]
Mr G - 17/6/11 at 09:27 PM
Jasper - 18/6/11 at 12:30 PM
Hey Simon, we've been thinking the same thing then! It'll be my next car once I get a few £££ together again. Like you I used the
Locost/Stylus far too little to justify the cost and am after something cheap, reliable and fun to drive.
I'll have to get up to Newlands one day and have a ride
thefreak - 18/6/11 at 08:53 PM
quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
That went horribly post went horribly wrong in the last paragraph ........ a MEV Exocet?- possibly one of the worst looking kit cars since some of the
later Duttons....... are you absolutely sure!!! ?
lol each to their own
A car that handles as well as the mx5 but lighter and less baggage to haul around... I'm not taking it down town to cruise around Macdonalds
trying to inpress the local teenagers with my wikid 22" rims and my phat bodykit, I want to spend the day howling round a track or airfield
having as much fun as possible - just like today at Cottesmore. First proper outing with the mx5 and had a fantastic time.
To me the track car will be exactly that. Trailered to and from the track and put in the garage when finished... Who cares what it looks like