My era of MX5 ownership! Twilight Blue NB8A

[RG.net]

very nicely done!

i have been meaning to do this for a while, but i may wait for the rollcage and bolt one up to that.

I'm suprised no one has actually produced these.

[hks_kansei]

mounting to the cage is a good idea, but I'm not sure how easy it is to do since most of the ext cradles cater for being bolted in, and you can exactly drill holes in teh cage.

from memory the CAMS regs say that it's a min 1kg ext, and the mount must be able to withstand 20gs (without deflection rings a bell?).

my one is quite secure, and good for club days, but I dont think the plate will take 20g without bending, I have no doubt it will hold 20g safely, it will bend, but not let go.

[rascal]

I think this mounting method is a better idea than on the cage as it keeps the weight low.
I know its only 1or2kg but every bit helps (Hey Wun...)

Good job with the mounting.
Another item for me to do now before the new season..

[hks_kansei]

ok, found wheels I like the look of.........



but with gunmetal centres for me!

anyway, they look nice and are pretty cheap (so I can save up easier)

the only problem is that they arent exactly the most amazing brand.......

Rota GT3.

have people used Rota's on an MX5? I've seen the pics of shattered Rota rims, but I've never heard a proper story behind them, for all I know they threw them off a cliff adn said "OMG they broke my rimmzz yo!"

[PUR157]

Ahhh... GT3s... Mania are getting a shipment of those in soon... *nudge nudge

The stories you hear about Rotas... and any "dodgy" rim for that matter are usually a result of their owners auto crossing, or running off the road digging into a gutter of some sort...
Just think about this, you always read of the bad experiences but how many more good experiences are there?

Conventional wisdom suggests that sensible driving and/or regular inspection for cracks etc your Rotas dríven on the street will be safe
(don't hold me to that though... if it worries you that much... don't be so superficial and get some ugly JDM rims... )

FYI they are replicas of GAB Racing rims... how much would those cost? I don't know... I've never seen a set for sale...

[CoffeeBoss]

Ahhhh, the Rota debate. For those who haven't seen aforementioned pics



TBH, have not seen such a pic featuring any JDM wheels. Buuuut Rotas do entice alot of hate, largely because they are practically all 'knock-off' designs of JDM wheels.

All superlight wheels are prone to cracking over time, Watanabes being a good example. However for a light road wheel on Australian roads, i wouldn't consider anything with remotely dubious quality. I have seen plenty of JDM wheels come out the other side of kerb/gutter/pothole hits that remain true. Inevitably, you get what you pay for.

Certainly though, i'd be canvassing Rota owners in Australian forums if you were keen to try them out. And speaking with David at MX5 Mania - if they intend to sell them, then they must have reason to believe they meet the standard their customers require.

You track or plan to track your car, wether or not it's on these wheels is kinda irrelevant, it speaks for the performance you expect from your car. I wouldn't compromise. Mazda source their factory wheels from JDM suppliers like Enkie for many reasons, and they are a light JDM wheel at a good price, hence that's my recommendation to those on a budget. No bias

Remember: "friends don't let friends roll on Rotas"

[hks_kansei]

Garage crew have seen this, now the rest of you can too!

my recent aquisitions:

Voodoo Spun knob with collar thing:



fits perfectly, look great, and is very confortable to use (yes Cheyne, I couldnt resist and drove home with it on)

I also picked up some Stainless vent rings and a "Roadster" gear surround, Havent had a chance to fit those two yet.

edit: now pics of the surround, it's very sexy!

[Szemen]

mmm! Love the gearshift surround. Very sensual, same with the voodoo~

Bit late, but support the industry that supports you. Don't buy knock offs..

[CheyneX5]

(yes Cheyne, I couldnt resist and drove home with it on)

Thats it, im telling your parents

[hks_kansei]

trial fitting:




the only issue, which is minor, is that the gear surround seems to not be exactly curved the same as the plastic stock one and so it has a little gap on the sides:



however they can be pressed down, it's not so bad now, I gave it a little shin love and slightly curved it so it's got less gap now, just needs a little more at the base and should be fine.

[tuned_to_fly]

very nicely done!

i have been meaning to do this for a while, but i may wait for the rollcage and bolt one up to that.

I'm suprised no one has actually produced these.

http://www.mx5vic.org.au/merchandise/msport.asp

A little more expensive then doing it yourself however I would need to spend a lot more then $40 to buy the required tools alone. They have a heap in cars doing all sorts of racing and have never had a drama. I covered mine in black felt and it looks like the extinguisher is attached to nothing.

[CheyneX5]

Wow, that looks great dude!

[hks_kansei]

viewtopic.php?f=51&t=37195&p=482841#p482841

I went for a drive today, and was in a storytelling mood.

I didnt even need to exagerrate anything!

[toymx5]

Hi !

I have a NB8A myself and was reading through your post and noted your comments about clearing the drain holes out, this interests me greatly as I keep finding leaves throughout the car and suspect mine may be blocked too ! Where abouts do i find the drain holes to check them ??

Appreciate any help you can give

ToyMX5

[hks_kansei]

hey there, to find the drain holes you need to put the roof up first, then hose down the car (roof area mainly)

then feel around the far corners (the corners near the seatbelts) for the edge of the carpet, lift up the carpet and feel around with your finger, you should feel a plastic tray sort of thing and somewhere in it will be a hole, it's about the same size as your finger.

you can then find something long (much longer than you need so it doesnt get lost in there) and flexible to put in there, jiggle it about but dont use too much force as you migth break or disconnect the drain tube.

slowly jiggle and feed the thing down the tube until it comes out the bottom of the car, it should push out all teh crap.

then just hose the outside of the car to see that the water flows through clearly.