Matt's MY08 NC Roadster.

[hks_kansei]

Matt, you really need to update this thread more often, it's always a real pleasure to read, you can really feel the passion you have for your car, and the car lifestyle in general.

[JBT]

That MGA looks very noice indeed.

[Regie]

ahh Matt i saw all those sports car club cars going through Kangaroo Valley about 1pm or so yesterday. Some nice cars in the convoy there

[CoffeeBoss]

Matt, you really need to update this thread more often, it's always a real pleasure to read, you can really feel the passion you have for your car, and the car lifestyle in general.

I'm glad to hear you enjoy reading it They are only two seaters afterall, so i try to share the enjoyment as best i can. Unfortunately, work does have to take precedence!

As far as being a fan of the car lifestyle, well, as they say: like father, like son.

That MGA looks very noice indeed.

ahh Matt i saw all those sports car club cars going through Kangaroo Valley about 1pm or so yesterday. Some nice cars in the convoy there

They were quite a tight knit group. I mainly chatted to the wife of the couple who were driving the MGA. When they told me they had a hard top variant at home, i replied, of course you have two, because one of them is always off the road, right? I don't think it went down to well...
She had an NC at home, Galaxy Grey as well. And her son was there in his white NA6. I thought this quote was the most telling:
"we started out mainly as a group of MG drivers, but now we're all getting MX5s"

[CoffeeBoss]

Fish And Chips Run
So, it has been a long standing joke between myself and a few of the esteemed members of this forum that i have never been along to a Fish & Chips runs, despite being constantly invited to them for many years now! Well, Stefan's persistance finally paid of this week, and i made it along to my first Fish & Chips run.



What a fantastic way to spend a "school night". Great weather, good food in Balmoral and genuinely nice coffee in Dee Why, and a top bunch of true enthusiasts. There is also a surprisingly entertaining little route that links it all together.

It was quite a momentus occasion, if i may be so bold. It was Jonno's birthday, and he was behind the wheel of his birthday present to himself, a delicious Marina blue NA6. It's good to have you back buddy, hopefully it's good to be back!

Also present was MX5Cartalk's favourite 'former' MX5 driver (and dare i say former PostBoss on these very forums ) with his 'new' toy. I like referring to the Hako as "That Car From The Internets" since it has gathered such a following on some forums that it's clogging the pipes.



Having now seen (and heard!!!) it in action, i can fully understand what all the fuss is about. I managed to slot in behind Kevin during the second part of the run over to Dee Why, and the way this thing squats and goes totally belies it's age! So much torque! It was awesome. I think for me, (and possibly for many?) I rationalise my excitement like this - it's gratifiying that this is a Japanese car from an age when they were generally maligned as a producer of cars (particularly in this country, and particularly with regards to sports cars). Watching it hammer out of corners had me thinking, this machine is definitely a feather in the Japanese car industries cap.
It looks fantastic on the road as well.

We finished up at Moltofino in Dee Why, who kindly took us in although they had begun packing down for the evening. I'm pleased to say, the coffee was excellent!

[CoffeeBoss]

So i've been a little lax updating my thread of late, just too busy - which is a good thing.

Anyhow a couple of updates to make, some new bits, some drives, and some tracktime.

For this post, a quick recount of the recent MX5 Breakfast Club's Tatler Winery Run



This was a fantastic run, and with the good graces of the organisers and the winery, it will be an annual event extended to other Roadsters as well.

The Breakfast Club idea is essentially a flavour of MX5 Club runs that suits the more enthusiastic drivers amongst us, who like to get up early and enjoy some great driving roads before the weekend traffic appears. In this case, we all met at Windsor for a 7AM run down the Putty Road to the Hunter Valley.











Once there, we converged with latecomers from Sydney, and the Hunter Valley Chapter of the MX5 Club for a genuinely quality breakfast at the Tatler Winery.



Since Mazda's MX5 is celebrating 20 years this year, we also did a model line-up for photos. Lighting and location were not ideal, but I'm sure everyone get's the idea: that's a 1989 NA on the left hand end, through to a new 2009 model NC2 on the right hand end.



All in all, i think we had around 50 MX5's present. We were also joined by some SR311 Fairlady Roadster's.... seriously cool cars, those. One of the MX5 Club guys was telling me how they used to run rings around the MGB's at trackdays when they were released. Good to see they are still in the hands of enthusiasts.









Headed back via the Old Pac, as you do - my car doesn't actually allow me to drive along the northern freeway, it threatens to stall repeatedly, and the wheel tugs violently towards the exit to the Old Pac. I think this should be a feature of all MX5s.

Came upon a group of bikes on the dual lanes being led by this nice old BMW. Ended up sitting in behind him to watch, as it was nice to see a rider on a reasonably classic bike who wasn't afraid to drop the knee through the bends. Put on quite a show once he saw us in the his mirrors.



Full gallery here

[JBT]

Mmmm, yes, the Datto 2000 was quite a weapon in its day.

[CoffeeBoss]

Front Brake Pad Upgrade Part 1 of 2: Carbotech Brake Pads

So, after much deliberation I have decided to try out the Carbotech Pads from the US. I picked them up from 949 Racing and ended up going with the entry level AX6 model. I settled on the Carbotechs for a few reasons:

- quite a few Hawk pad users in the States (Hawks seem quite popular amongst MX5 drivers) had switched to these and had glowing reports (no pun intended)
- Carbotech pads use a Ceramic-Kevlar compound which reportedly gives excellent "modulation and release" characteristics
- the ceramics also help reduce rotor wear over traditional pads
- braking torque is consistent over a wide temperature range (65°C - 650°C for the AX6 pads)
- price: the performance numbers seemed comparable to Japanese pads (Endless, Autoexe, Dixcel) that I was looking at which were a good 15-25% dearer and by most accounts would not last as long.

So, the sales bumf certainly worked

Mainly though, i was wanting to try out a near stock pad with good cold braking that could withstand the odd trackday.

The transaction with Emilio at 949 Racing was very smooth, and the pads arrived after about a fortnight.



I also took the liberty of ordering some of 949 Racing's braided lines for the NC. But those were not to be installed initially - I wanted to bed the pads in on their own first, and feel the difference from stock without any other changes.



So, new OEM front rotors were installed with the pads.

The bedding procedure for the Carbotech pads is very specific. The idea is to get the transfer layer down onto your new discs. Once this is done you get a better contact between pad and disc, and apparently this process is required to gain the full benefits that the Carbotech compound gives you. After a few decellerations from speed (100km/h - 40km/h) you can see the disc starts to take on a bluey-grey hue. TBH I didn't follow the brake in procedure to the letter, however I did take care to follow Indy's strict instructions which he recommends for ANY new pads, which is no hard braking for the first 300km. Indy's wisdom stipulates that you don't want to generate significant heat between a new pad and a new disc. This process worked wonders for the aftermarket pads I wore on the Lexus, so I'm continuing with this thought process here.

I'm very interested to see how the lifespan of these new pads (and the new stock discs) pans out as it should reveal just how good these pads are, and wether or not my bed in procedure was satisfactory!

[CoffeeBoss]

Circuit Club - October 5th

Since i had the new brake pads in and bedded, I really wanted to take them through their paces before i added the brake lines (and changed the fluid). So, a bit of a last minute decision, headed down to Wakefield to join the Circuit Club crew for the afternoon on Monday.



I also wanted to put a few laps on the Preceda 2's, as I like to christen all my tires on the track at some point.



With the weather varying from windy, sunny and warm to windy, cold and overcast, my Michelin Preceda 2 road tires turned out to be a good choice, as the track was cold and damp during some sessions. Once again, I cannot say enough good things about these tires - super consistent throughout the day, even in the warmer sessions, and super grippy even on colder/damper parts of the track. I love these tires. I can't bring myself to track them any more though, my wallet simply couldn't handle replacing them too soon.



Initial tests on the brake pads also proved very positive. Yes, they have excellent feel - really close to stock. Yes, the stop harder than stock, not a huge difference, but deceptively so because the feel is so consistent. Particularly with the boot jammmed full of luggage, the tail was very wiggly under brakes into turn 2 and the fish hook. I also noticed the extra bite on quick jabs, it really nails the front of the car to the tarmac more quickly.

I didn't bother with any timing, I was mainly there to suss out the track performance of my road tires and the new brake pads. But Karl hand timed some of my laps from the sidelines and said there were some 16's there. So I'm determined for so definitive improvements on these times for the MX5 Club Track Day on the 19th.

Some great shots by Wilton.

[Szemen]

Been to the track with it before? How's the Autoexe in it? HOWS THE BRAKES? Whats the time son!

[CoffeeBoss]

Been to the track with it before?

The answer is in this thread lazy boy!

How's the Autoexe in it?

The answer is in this thread lazy boy!

HOWS THE BRAKES? Whats the time son!

OK, that requires an update, which will be forthcoming. Gotta get pics and such sorted. Otherwise it's just pages and pages of my waffling

Front Brake Pad Upgrade Part 2 of 2: 949 Racing Braided Lines

So along with the Carbotech pads I also ordered a set of braided brake lines from Emilio at 949 Racing. Here's the stock brake lines (passenger side front) -



replaced now with 949 Racing braided lines:


There was no real need for the upgrade - I have always wanted to try out braided brake lines, and they were very reasonably priced, particularly when compared with JDM items.

So after my 'practice' session at Circuit Club earlier on, I was in to IS Motor Racing to have the braided lines installed along with some fresh brake fluid ready for MX5 Club's October 19th track day. The lines come with all the required brackets to mount them to the factory points, but remove the elbow join as you can see above. The result is close to factory, with the line sitting a little lower at the front.
The rear lines required a slight widening of the factory bracket situated inside the rear guard, so that the bolt beneath the collar at the top of the line could rest inside the bracket (where the factory lines hex bolt would sit). This prevents the line from rotating at the top. The line then secures to the factory tab that sits over this bracket. So a cursory modification to get them to fit the rear.

From Monday's track day, I can report that the brakes overall were excellent, both in feel and stopping power. The feel is very progressive, the deeper you go on the pedal, the more stopping power the pads give you, you can really feel the increase up to maximum as your foot heads towards the carpet. I think detailed is how I can best describe it.

All in all, on initial impressions I'm really impressed with the braking setup for a relatively modest outlay. My braking was far more aggressive and confident then on previous track day outings. How much of this is due to the braided lines is hard to say, I'm inclined to attribute most of the braking improvements (including the nice progressive feel) to the new pads. I do believe you could feel the difference with the braided lines if you drove them against stock lines back-to-back, but in all honesty I was hard pressed to pin-point the improvements the lines made specifically. Certainly though, the brake feel through my feet is exceptional now. But particularly on a new car, braided lines are certainly not a necessity even for track days, but if the budget allows, I'd recommend them all the same.

Monday's MX5 Club Track Day report to follow when i get some more time.

[Guran]

Hey Matt! It was great to finally have a good chat with you on Monday at Wakefield Park. We had met briefly before on the Iceberg Run II, but didn't get to talk. And now I've finally read through all of your garage thread. Excellent stuff. I had dropped in here once or twice in the past, but only ever read the most recent couple of posts. Reading the whole thing in entirety is much more enlightening! You've inspired me to start my own garage thread for "Little Reddy".

Sounds like you probably know my mate Floody and his Polo GTI from Circuit Club. I've known Paul for ~4 years and we've done heaps of drives. He was originally going to buy a MINI Cooper S (like me ... 2002-2008), but ended up with the Polo on a BFYB basis. However, he's remained involved with the MINI forum community ever since. We still get together for drives, weekends away, BBQs, and (would you believe it) a funeral, even though most of us from the MINI forums are now driving other cars. A great bunch of friends!

Since we're practically neighbours, we should meet up for a weekend drive sometime. Your loop down to Kangaroo Valley and back via Jamberoo is one of my favourites too -- usually with an extra loop up to Saddleback Mtn. I'm married and have a 5yo son so would need to leave at least one of them at home if I took Little Reddy, but I'm sure I could swing something. I also discovered on the drive home on Monday that Peter and Chris Feutrill must live somewhere near Bowral ... they were behind me in their respective Grey NC and Black NB8A coming through Moss Vale but then I lost them near Sheepwash Road. Not sure if they're on this forum though. I reckon we could accumulate a good little gathering for a Sunday morning pie and coffee at Robbo Pie Shop.

[CoffeeBoss]

Hey Matt! It was great to finally have a good chat with you on Monday at Wakefield Park...You've inspired me to start my own garage thread for "Little Reddy".

Likewise, great to finally make your acquaintance. This thread is all worth it if it inspires others to share their experiences. It's what makes forums like these great. Hopefully your a little more concise than me

Sounds like you probably know my mate Floody and his Polo GTI from Circuit Club.

Yeah, I think i may have met him once or twice. Have crossed him on drive days before, I think he knew some of my mates from the Clio Sport (now Oz Renault Sport) group. Seems there's lots of cross over where good handling cars are concerned!

Since we're practically neighbours, we should meet up for a weekend drive sometime....I reckon we could accumulate a good little gathering for a Sunday morning pie and coffee at Robbo Pie Shop.

Sounds brilliant! Robbo pie shop has recently changed hands I hear. I'll challenge your pies with John Majuer's selection in Burrawang, and Michael's coffee at Three Creeks in Robertson is probably the best in the area... just sayin'

You have PM.

[CoffeeBoss]

MX5 Club Track Day - Wakefield Park, October 19th 2009

October 19th marked my first MX5 Club track day.

Over the years, my trackdays have predominantly been conducted with Circuit Club.

I was relishing the chance to mix it with some similar cars, and trade pace notes with some other MX5 drivers.

This was also to be my first run on the A048 semi slicks I have fitted on to my OEM wheels.

We showed up for scrutineering at 8AM, and the place was already packed. Over 80 drivers had signed up for the day!!!

Along for the rider was Andrew in his '02 Titanium NB8B. The also happens to be THE first MX5 I ever drove, and the car that really started the whole Roadster obsession for me. So it was great to finally see this car (and it's driver) out on the track - FINALLY!!!

Karl had dríven the Hilux down with my set of OEM wheels in the back, and we set about fitting them after the driver induction. This cost me my first session. And would cost more.



You see, foolishly i thought I'd throw my stock wheels on with my Mcguard lug nuts. They took about 4 goes around the car to seat them tight against the wheel, which I thought was odd, but halfway up the hill from turn 2 the steering was shaking so badly I knew I had lug nut issues. I nursed the car back to the pits to discover that half of the lugs on the front were barely finger tight. They just were not holding against the stock wheels.
What I couldn't understand is why these lugs have never been an issue with my Enkies. On closer inspection, the crown on the the McGuard (which rotates to prevent scratching of your nice wheels) is a perfect fit for the seat on the Enkies. However they do not seat right into the stock wheels holes. So you can evidently never get them tight enough against the stock wheels to hold.

I had brought my stock lugs along, but with all the lampooning around with wheels, I had mixed the stock wheel positions up and once they were on the balance was all out. SO, back to the Enkies and my road tires (this ended up being a good thing anyway!)



N00b lessons learnt thus far:
- Aftermarket McGuard lug nuts are not compatible with OEM wheels
- Mark your tires properly with chalk, less you mix them all up when it comes time to refit them!

MX5 Club run their track days as a Supersprint Style event, with groups running 6 laps each which differs from the Circuit Club track day format I'm used. Since so many drivers had signed up for the day,while groups were running the next group was formed up on the dummy grid so they could be released as the last car left the track. Lunch was also skipped.



So, when I finally got out there, I found it a little unnerving initially to have to get stuck straight into an attack on my PB by the end of the first lap. In previous track days, I have always taken a solid lap or more to get warmed up. Getting quickly into that driving mindset was actually a really good exercise for me.



So too was sharing track time with such similar cars - you either get some really good match ups with other cars of similar pace, or just plenty of free track.

Here I am sneaking up the inside of Alan/Gobsmax out of turn 10, who is shaking his fist at being passed by a cardigan Great timing on the shutter Andrew!





Working on my wider turn 1 entry while I chase down my arch nemesis, Mr Gavin Cross




Trainspotters will spot Re99ie catching some sun in this shot - good work on getting down, if only for moral support



By the time lunch had passed, I had managed 4 sessions, most of them with times in the low 1:15's. There was a computer setup in the tower and after each session I would race up there to see what my current PB was. 1:15:05 appeared, and after the next session, 1:15:00 !! It was a little frustrating! But by the end of the day, I had netted my current PB:

1:14:95

The improvement throughout the day was primarily down to better lines. I got some great advice from some of the more experienced drivers on the day (thanks to Ian, Chris as always, and others). The brakes were definitely stronger and you can go so deep on these new pads. But the best thing I did was just simply things some more, and get rid of some unnecessary gear changes (was going down to 2nd for the fishhook, for example).

I was just happy to finally get into the 1:14 bracket, even if it was by the skin of my number plate frame. Since I got the car I have had a 1:14:xx on street tires as a personal benchmark. While I want to get some time out on the semi-slicks, I'd like to get another set of wheels with street tires to work on my street tire times further.





Trainspotters might also notice I'm wearing the Number 16, for the "Route 16" NC Club of Japan

[sliq]

great work coffeeboss. you're G-ing me up for the track

i'll be on there soon....