spoonana
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 11:49 AM |
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Would an MX5 make a good donor car???
Hi,
I've been thinking this as you can pick up a MK1 for about £500/600 and they're 1.6 (im only 18) and rear wheel drive.
Can I get some opinions on this and what I should look out for
Cheers
Max
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NigeEss
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 11:54 AM |
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Yep.
Click Me
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.................Douglas Adams.
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dave
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 12:00 PM |
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MNR, Westfield and Roadrunner use the MX5 as a donor. I have stuck the MX5 engine and gearbox from a MK2 into my Tiger. Defo a good option as there
are fewer Sierra's around.
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adithorp
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 12:16 PM |
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Does the Pope poo in the woods?
Might be worth looking out for an import Eunos or Miata as they're more likely to have an LSD diff'.
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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Daddylonglegs
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 12:22 PM |
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Is a sand crab's arse water tight?
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
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tig dude
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 12:32 PM |
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I've just started one got an old mx5 mk1 1600 500 notes run it for two week make sure the motors ok 80% the way on fabrication of the chassis ,
looks like it's gonna work !!
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RK
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 12:38 PM |
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MX5 owners avoid me at meets because they know I see their cars as mere mechanical parts for my car.
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dinosaurjuice
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 12:50 PM |
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if your looking at racing you might want to look into the MEV EXOCET race car, i believe a dedicated series may start next year.
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D Beddows
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 12:55 PM |
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Why bother making a kit car out of it?  When my MX5 comes out of the garage next spring after some modifications it will be just as uncomfortable as
a kit car, handle just as well as 90% of them and should be able to keep up with most of them in real world terms (BECs driven by mad b'stards
from Charnnock Heath are more of a problem tho  ). The down side is that no matter what I do it will be about 250kg heavier than your average kit
car (otherwise I'd be able to keep up with more than just most of them!) - BUT the upside is it will only have cost me just over £2000
(including buying the car) from start to finish whereas ripping it apart to build a kit car would realistically cost me upwards of £6000 (at least) by
the time I'd finished........
But then I've been there and done the kit car building thing so if you actually want to build a car then yes, it's a great donor!
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welderman
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 01:11 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
Why bother making a kit car out of it? When my MX5 comes out of the garage next spring after some modifications it will be just as uncomfortable as
a kit car, handle just as well as 90% of them and should be able to keep up with most of them in real world terms (BECs driven by mad b'stards
from Charnnock Heath are more of a problem tho ). The down side is that no matter what I do it will be about 250kg heavier than your average kit
car (otherwise I'd be able to keep up with more than just most of them!) - BUT the upside is it will only have cost me just over £2000
(including buying the car) from start to finish whereas ripping it apart to build a kit car would realistically cost me upwards of £6000 (at least) by
the time I'd finished........
But then I've been there and done the kit car building thing so if you actually want to build a car then yes, it's a great donor!
I agree with Dave, keep the MX5, loose some of the interior and make it a little lighter.
ps im a mad bar steward lol 
Thank's, Joe
I don't stalk people
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/23/viewthread.php?tid=172301
Back on with the Fisher Fury R1
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D Beddows
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 01:22 PM |
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My apologies Mr Steward
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rdodger
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 01:41 PM |
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YES
I'm about to embark on a Haynes MX5 chassis with a full body. It will be supercharged to 250bhp.
Happy Days!
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 01:48 PM |
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Get yourself a copy of 'How To Build a Cheap Sports Car, by Keith Tanner.
All about building a seven using an MX5.
Don't worry about it being an American book, he's English.
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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spoonana
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 02:14 PM |
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thanks for this. in relation to just keeping the mx5 as an mx5.
Standard MX5 insurance: £3854
Kit Car MX5: £2012
Maybe all teenagers should driver kit cars, they're faster, more dangerous but they'll save you money on your car insurance
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D Beddows
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 02:25 PM |
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Yeah but odds are that by the time the kit car is on the road you wont be a teenager any more and will have some ncb behind you so the difference in
price will be neither here nor there - plus the £X thousand pounds more you're going to spend building a kit car FAR outweigh the savings in
insurance.....
I understand what you're saying ie you can't afford to insure an MX5 now BUT you're probably not going to have a kit car to drive
for a couple of years either if you're building one yourself - there's always buying a finished one of course!
Building a kit car isn't going to save you ANY money - but then that's not what it's about and wasn't the subject of your
original post as I recall
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adithorp
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 03:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
Building a kit car isn't going to save you ANY money - but then that's not what it's about and wasn't the subject of your
original post as I recall
...and who brought it up?
If he does keep it as an MX5 you ought to warn him about the cooling, Dave.
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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D Beddows
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 03:58 PM |
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lol - me?
Cooling is shocking as standard, especially if air con is fitted - how any air gets through the radiator with a condenser the same size as it hung in
front and two huge fans hung off the back is a mystery to me! Add to that the MX5 'scene' fashion for fitting radiator grills (not guilty,
came with the car) that can't let any air through above about 40mph and well...... Air con all gone as part of it's diet, undertray back
on (again car came without) and a new radiator, hoses, grill etc fitted so the bar stewards not going to overheat now...........
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rdodger
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 05:05 PM |
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Cooling is ok on mine even with AC, Chargecooler rad, 2 fans and a grill!
I will be doing the coolant reroute when I build the car.
Haynes "Build your own sports car on a budget" by Chris Gibb is the latest book. I believe there is a new one due soon especially for the
MX5, though the revisions are readily available on the Haynes forum
I will be using a chassis designed by Vodou
and supplied by Talon Motorsport as a kit.
The body will be this
From Jim Walker.
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D Beddows
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 05:27 PM |
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lol, fair enough, my radiator was a little bunged up as well it has to be said
That ^^^^^ looks worth takng an MX5 apart for 
A MEV Exothingy on the other hand much less so.............personaly I think whatever you build from your donor should be better (in terms of looks as
well as performance) than the donor or you're wasting your time and money. But hey, there are enough beyond repair rusty MX5s to go round at the
moment
[Edited on 20/9/11 by D Beddows]
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AdrianH
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 06:08 PM |
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As mentioned on the Haynes forum by TT, "Build a two seater sports car from a two seater sports car!"
If it means a shed destined for the scrap heap is being put into use, you enjoy building it, then I would consider it worth while. The main thing is
having fun, paitence and the money to complete, then the good weather to drive it in.
I like the closed body style in the picture.
Hope they are not picking on you Dave just because it got a little warm!
Adrian
Why do I have to make the tools to finish the job? More time then money.
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spoonana
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 06:25 PM |
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WOW, loving the response. Let me tell you a bit about me and the car Im building.
I bought the car as an unfinished project on ebay. It had a type 9 gearbox and 1600 xflow engine.
I am currently studying Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes University and next year I'll be racing in the 750MC Locost championship with
my other car.
So...
I've taken out the engine and gearbox, sold the engine to a friend and kept the gearbox for my race locost.
Being a student I have quite alot of time and alot of people to help me put it together. We think if we work on it solidly every day, we'll have
it done in a coupe of weeks.
With the cooling I was told i should use the rad from a 1.4 polo (can someone clarify this)
Everything else I think i've got covered.
Max
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stevegough
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| posted on 20/9/11 at 07:02 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by RK
MX5 owners avoid me at meets because they know I see their cars as mere mechanical parts for my car.
What? a bit like a vampire at a blood-donor session?
Luego Locost C20XE.
Build start: October 6th 2008.
IVA passed Jan 28th 2011.
First drive Feb 10th 2011.
First show: Stoneleigh 1st/2nd May 2011.
'Used up' first engine may 3rd 2011!
Back on the road with 2nd engine may 24th
First PASA mad drive 26/7/11
Sold to Mike in Methyr Tydvil 19/03/14
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vanepico
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| posted on 23/9/11 at 11:56 AM |
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Does the mx5 drivetrain fit into the standard haynes roadster chassis?
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thefreak
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| posted on 23/9/11 at 02:19 PM |
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I've got a couple of MX5s in the garage, one stripped and track only, the other is almost gutted for use as a donor.
We're going down the Exocet route and seeing how they're performing on track - if that's what you're after then it's
well worth looking at.
Buying the kit for <£3k and using most of the running gear from donor means anything you dont need gets flogged bringing the build price down.
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Furry
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| posted on 25/9/11 at 10:31 PM |
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hi spoonana
i have a 1.8 mk1 mx5 in the for sale section for around your budget
regards
paul
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