What have you done today/recently to your 5?

[NA6089]

Mahogany handbrake grip finished, making a complete set

[Daffy]

Working on catch can, and rad ducting for the SE.

Catch can done, started as an EBoy 3l, had to be opened up, divided into two, top filled with scrubbers, welded back up, and the bungs rearranged. It has lost a bit of capacity, but now fits neatly where the washer bottle was. Cam cover drilled and a 10AN fitting installed, the passage inside also drilled out. Cam cover needs to come off again, the EBoy copper scrubber has now arrived after three weeks waiting - someone is getting a poor rating for that! Hopefully all that will slow down the gas and not too much oil will come out with it, what does will be caught in the catch can.

The PWR oil cooler has been mounted on the intake side rear of the radiator. The SE twin fans have been replaced with a single stock fan. Between this and being a tracked turbo, cooling can become an issue, so the next step was to make sure that all the air coming in the intake goes out through, NOT around, the radiator - cue radiator ducting. I have to say, on looking at the gaps, it is amazing that these cars are not overheating all the time

The rad ducting on a PS and AC turboed road car is a right pain. I have sealed the sides to a fabricated bulkhead in the nosecone, sealed the bottom of the crash bar and underneath the aluminium part of the nosecone (where it bolts to the car near the top of the radiator. The radiator will be sealed to the side, and the last bit to be done is the area where the AC piping runs down beside the radiator. My fab skills have come a long way with this job, now approaching the level of a ten year old! Aluminium angle, pop rivets and rivnuts FTW!!

just to finish the job, Dann is making me an elbow to mate the stock piping with a Skunk TB. I have lost too many throttle plate screws to have one go through the turbo . When that arrives I will remove the piping and the intercooler, and paint it black - as well as (theoretically) making it more efficient, more importantly it will lose some of the 'come and book me for something' look

I'll get some photos up when I take them.

Next stop poly/bronze bushings in the spare arms ... and when they go in, so do the Xidas.

Looking forward to the pics mate

[greenMachine]

Turns out I didn't have any of the catchcan before installation. The catchcan came as a plain can with most access in the wrong places. The drain and vent were moved to better utilise the available space. The top was cut off, a 'U' shaped drilled platform was installed, with the space above the platform filled with green plastic scrubber - the stuff you use in the kitchen - which helps to condense any oil out of the vapour escaping from the valve cover. The top was trimmed with a slope to get the maximum height to fit under the STB.

This photo conveys the general shape of the catchcan, sitting snugly under the (slimmed down) STB. Only one inlet plumbed, the other is not (yet?) needed. Clearances are tighter than I had planned on. Breather goes to the Nitrodann CAI.


This photo shows the panels sealing the gap under the black plastic crash bar back to the red steel lateral structure, and the sealing of the top of that structure. No air can escape upwards (when the foam gap sealer and aluminium tape are applied).


A more complete version of the above, after re-installation of the crash bar.


Sealing the intake side - this is the simple side with no AC piping to deal with! In this photo and above can be seen the plate that will (when finished) seal against the nosecone bulkhead. No picture of this, it is just a sheet cut to sit around the bottom and sides of the intake mouth. Note that for future servicing needs, the panel sealing the intercooler piping is two pieces that can be unbolted to allow the piping to be removed without necessitating total dismantling of all the ductwork.


The bottom of the radiator was sealed with a piece of aluminium angle bolted to the tray bottom and a rubber gap filler, filling a gap of about 60mm between the tray and the radiator!!! I think I can find a photo of this, and I will also get one of the inside of the nosecone and the drilling of the valve cover oil breather passage, as well as some photos of the oil cooler installation.

[Wolfgang]

New tyres and an alignment. It's now running -1.0' camber all round which is a big improvement from the previous +1.5' camber it was running on the front.

[Wolfgang]

New tyres and an alignment. It's now running -1.0' camber all round which is a big improvement from the previous +1.5' camber it was running on the front.

I forgot to mention that the toe on the front was L -1.1mm R +1.9mm

[Magpie]

Started Project 804kg MX5 for WTAC 2019

Starting weight 216 kg 588 to go...
DSCN9885 by Eipeip, on Flickr

[3gress]

Started Project 804kg MX5 for WTAC 2019

Time to dig out all the seam sealant and stitch weld it, eh'?
If the rules allow?

[Sparra]

My 1992 Eunos V Special has had a full closed door paint job (included removing all of the little dings etc), a new Robbins cloth soft top, and a set of Yellowspeed coil overs installed (wheel alignment next week).
This refresh has my car looking about as good as a 26 year old car can be expected to look. Just the suspension bushes and the drivers side seat bolster to go, and it will be good for another 26 years.
Paint job was supplied by Dent Services in Toowoomba, and soft top was installed by Evans Trim Shop of Toowoomba. Both did a great job, with excellent service!

[3gress]

Care to enlighten those of us with sad paint on approximate cost of closed door refresh?
I've started to come to terms with the battle scars on my old girl but it is always fun to entertain the thought of a semi resto touch up in the future.
Just have to maintain self control and not end up hard parked again..

[3gress]

Finally got the brakes bled with no leaks.
Almost anyway. The only flare fitting to show any leakage ironically happened to be the only fitting not replaced and had been left untouched. Didn't even look at it the wrong way, every other hardline and flare fitting has been replaced, the rear left brake hardline being the only original piece left of the entire system, it had a minor leak at the tee junction fixed by tightening it a little more.
Props to my little spanner monkey for helping!
Making some doortrims today and going to attempt to weld/solder/braise a pinhole leak in the alloy radiator.
Irony playing it's part again, extensive mods to rad and no leaks, but a factory weld on a fan mount has enough of a leak to require attention.
Carbon top has been receiving attention too thanks to the probability of rain when twogun is rolled out for some shakedown laps.

[Sparra]

Care to enlighten those of us with sad paint on approximate cost of closed door refresh?
I've started to come to terms with the battle scars on my old girl but it is always fun to entertain the thought of a semi resto touch up in the future.
Just have to maintain self control and not end up hard parked again..

Cost for closed door $3750.
The rationale behind spending money on an old car? The mechanicals are all still problem free, so we decided to buy a new motorbike and refresh the NA, rather than buying a new ND. Two for less than the price of one

[3gress]

Daughter and i made up some doortrims as a craft project.
We used coreflute corrugated plastic sheet bought from bunnings and a hardy looking faux carbon fibre fabric we found in spotlight.
Very light weight and simple, quite happy with how they worked out.

[ManiacLachy]

That's excellent, great job. I've been wanting to do something similar for my SE, maybe in the new year.

[Okibi]

They look great

[Perthpom50]

Replace the front Lip on the SP. It was damaged from hitting kerbs both before I got it and by me when I first had it. Had it fixed and wasn't going to replace it, just paint the bumper but figured if I had it then I might as well fit it. Looks good at the moment, now just have to keep missing kerbs

SE in the background is the new project. (still to be finalised)