HFS's car thread | Nearly-5000-miles update

Various bits of recent news.

Firstly, I've reinsured the Insight. It was relatively inexpensive to do so and while I'll still probably be selling the car, it's just something I don't have to think about in the meantime.

Next, the Mazda is going well. Still needs new tyres, but otherwise I'm still enjoying it. And it's doing 35mpg to boot.

I've removed, and already sold the chrome style bar. Put it up on eBay for an auction starting at £20, with a BIN of £40. Someone immediately clicked BIN. Now I just need to ship it. Interestingly, removing it hasn't just improved the looks, and improved rearward visibility, it's also removed one of the day-to-day squeaks. Result.

Finally, gave Jauce a try after @Heldenzeit mentioned it. I've bought an issue of this:

9784938495374_1.jpg

Thought it a fairly low-risk item just to try out the service.

Going okay so far - we'll see if it arrives or not - but the costs are already a bit off-putting. I imagine relatively cheap items like magazines aren't the best value for money as far as shipping things go, but paying £8 for the mag (pretty good, compared to the prices I've seen in the UK for them) is less appealing when auction fees, bank charges and shipping add another £20 on top of that.

It still works out over a tenner cheaper than just buying one from a seller already shipping to the UK (most are in Australia, it seems) but if I'd known it would amount to that, I'd probably not have bothered.
 
homeforsummer
Finally, gave Jauce a try after @Heldenzeit mentioned it. I've bought an issue of this:

9784938495374_1.jpg

Thought it a fairly low-risk item just to try out the service.

Going okay so far - we'll see if it arrives or not - but the costs are already a bit off-putting. I imagine relatively cheap items like magazines aren't the best value for money as far as shipping things go, but paying £8 for the mag (pretty good, compared to the prices I've seen in the UK for them) is less appealing when auction fees, bank charges and shipping add another £20 on top of that.

It still works out over a tenner cheaper than just buying one from a seller already shipping to the UK (most are in Australia, it seems) but if I'd known it would amount to that, I'd probably not have bothered.
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I have that same issue haha, it has some great content. Hope it works out for you. You can combine and hold orders there too. Sometimes it saves on shipping.

EDIT: Somehow I missed this thread in my travels here. Car looks great! Glad you ditched the style bar. :cheers:
 
Heldenzeit
I have that same issue haha, it has some great content. Hope it works out for you. You can combine and hold orders there too. Sometimes it saves on shipping.
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Yeah, I think that's part of the problem. Looking forward to seeing it though - apart from anything else, I've always loved the cover art for the Hyper Rev magazines.
EDIT: Somehow I missed this thread in my travels here. Car looks great! Glad you ditched the style bar. :cheers:
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Thanks man :) Yeah, not a fan of style bars. I don't mind form over function, but they have too little of either...
 
Sounds like it's going well! I'd love to make an offer on the Insight but the Fabia is just a lower risk option and I'm quite happy running a beater at the moment. I hope it goes to a good home.

So what is the HP on the MX-5? I've recently been e-window shopping and whilst I knew they weren't about power, I was surprised how common the lower-output models were. Not sure I could live with <100hp :confused:
 
I thinks it's like 115bhp for the original 1.6.
 
ExigeEvan
So what is the HP on the MX-5? I've recently been e-window shopping and whilst I knew they weren't about power, I was surprised how common the lower-output models were. Not sure I could live with <100hp :confused:
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Clark
I thinks it's like 115bhp for the original 1.6.
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Thereabouts. 1.8s produce in the region of ~130hp and later (post-94) 1.6s produce 90-ish.

I've not driven the slower ones but while they certainly aren't fast I believe torque is similar regardless of the power output, so for generally batting around at 5/10ths it's probably quite good fun. And of course, the top still comes off, which contributes to that. I'd always go for the higher-power 1.6 in an ideal world but I did consider getting a 90hp one before I bought the Insight, because you can get good ones pretty cheaply and they're a little newer and fresher too.
 
There are very few cars that make the Mazda feel quiet, refined and cocooning, but this is one of them:

11055673_947565491929076_1482624122_n.jpg

I barely even noticed the wind noise on my commute home tonight...

In other news, I definitely need new tyres soon, as I spent three quarters of a roundabout earlier understeering and the final quarter correcting oversteer, none of which was intended.

I also need to correct a few other small issues. One is that the accessory belt seems to be slipping a little, as the power steering intermittently cuts out, and the other is that the car is leaving spots of oil on my garage floor. I'll probably take it for a full service soon and have them investigate everything else at the same time, just so I know everything is fully up to scratch before I start taking it on track etc.
 
Beeblebrox237
I've seen the Insight twice now and I think I'm in love. What a perfect little car.
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Yeah, it's great. Drove it again a few weeks back. If I properly had enough space for it and could justify the upkeep of two cars I'd be keeping it, but I really think it has to go at some point soon.
 
If I could afford to buy and insure it I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Sadly (for me) they're worth quite a bit and the insurance is barely believable.
 
11152680_10101138747817653_3208631092808044050_n.jpg

Excuse the crappy Facebook quality of the above. I uploaded it at "high resolution", supposedly.

No updates in a while, as I've not actually driven the Mazda much recently. I did drive it to have some photos taken for its appearance in the mag though, in our long-termers section. Looking forward to seeing it in print.

I've been drawing up a list of things that need doing to it though. First is having some tyres fitted and have the alignment done. I've got the tyres already, just need to find time to have them fitted. Incidentally, it's seriously difficult finding decent tyres for narrow-ish 14" wheels. Most cars running a similar setup to the Mazda are tiny-engined city cars now, and the choice of tyres is pretty much limited to eco-biased stuff as a result. It's kinda convinced me to find some wider 14s at some stage, maybe even some 15s. Far greater choice of performance tyres.

After the tyres/alignment, I'm going to have a full service done. Like, everything. Fluids, belts, brakes etc all need attention, and I may as well spend the money in one big chunk to get the car right. In addition to that, I'm probably going to have the 14 degree timing mod done - a quick, safe and inexpensive route to a little more power and torque.

That way everything will be healthy for some track time coming up. I'd also like to fit a bucket seat before then, which is the next stage, though I'm totally stumped as to what to get. Bride and Recaro are the obvious choice. The latter the preferred one, as I believe the available designs let you sit a bit lower. Plus they're more easily available in the UK. The downside is expense. I can get a decent, FIA-approved Sparco/Corbeau/Cobra seat for £200. The cheapest Recaro is about three times that. A lot of me wants a seat without branding on it too, as I'm not going for the full race-car look so huge lettering on the seat kinda cheapens the look.

After the seat? Who knows. I've had my eye on a Carbon Miata ducktail bootlid, but again those are quite expensive. It'd buy a lot of fuel, let's put it that way. A MiataRoadster short-shifter is also on the cards. I'd quite like the shifter in a higher position, both for looks and feel, and that's one way of achieving it. Plus, the Momo gearknob I have at the moment is a bit too globe-like, and if I'm going to replace that then replacing the rest of it would suit me too.

And the Honda? I've taken a bunch of photos ready to put it up for sale, but not yet pulled the trigger. It's a bit silly of me to keep a car I'm not using, but I do really like it. Plus, I've had impure thoughts about dropping in a K20 after spending last week driving these:

11150617_10101132309031033_2261888643960737819_n.jpg

Not that I can even remotely afford to do such a thing. But ~200bhp with 850kg (<1900lb)? Yes please.
 
Much interest in the Insight? I saw in Evo that you'd put it up for sale.
 
Clark
Much interest in the Insight? I saw in Evo that you'd put it up for sale.
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That was more for artistic effect than anything. Not actually put it up on any sites yet, though I did wonder whether any readers might bite. I'll put it up in the next month or so. Irritatingly, there's been a glut of imports recently which seems to have softened prices a little, but I'll see how it goes.
 
Been thinking about my plans for this car. Mentioned a few of them in the post above, but I think I've got more clarity on matters now.
  1. Full service, as mentioned above.
  2. Brakes. Got some pads on the way already, now looking into discs.
  3. Seat. Recaros and Brides are just too expensive at the moment, certainly if I want a pair. Instead, thinking of going for a set of Corbeau LE-Driver seats. They're designed for the Lotus Elise, which means they're low and narrow enough for the Mazda's cockpit. Because Elise seats are popular in MX-5s, mounting kits seem easy enough to come by too.
  4. Remove mudguards, as a prelude to new wheels. Want to see how it changes the look before diving into something more expensive.
  5. Wheels. Currently on one-piece BBS RS, 5.5x14", 45mm offset (I believe), and 185/60 R14 tyres. Plan is to go for 6x14s of some description, smaller offset, same tyres. Should sit a little nicer in the arches without being excessive or requiring arch rolling. Loathe to do anything that isn't reversible since I've got such a nice example of the S-Spec.
  6. Steering wheel. The S-Spec comes with a nice enough Nardi rim, but I'm not totally sold on the design and a few decades of hands have left it patinated in a way I'm not overly keen on. A Nardi Classic or Momo Prototipo is the plan. Yeah, everyone goes for them, but it's because they look great. Not interested in going smaller-diameter either. I prefer the look and feel of a larger wheel, and I'm not tall enough for a large wheel to get in my way.
After that, no specific plans, but the above are the priority.
 
Forgot tyres from the list above:

11357579_368791863318521_1566804923_n.jpg

Now fitted. Ride and steering feel instantly improved. Will have to wait and see what dry grip/wet grip are like once they've bedded in a little.

Had the alignment attempted too, but my offside trackrod end has seized, so they couldn't adjust that wheel. Need a new one of those, and have the car returned for alignment again to get everything pointing the right direction.
 
homeforsummer
Been thinking about my plans for this car.
Click to expand...
Revised my plans after finally taking the hard top off today.
  1. Chassis bracing. I was sceptical how much a polycarbonate shell could really do for chassis stiffness, but the scuttle shake on the way home was crazy. A seat belt tower brace is now a priority, as these are generally considered to be pretty useful and early 1.6s don't have them, followed by some underbody braces after assessing how much the seat belt brace does.
  2. Everything else mentioned above. Though I know have a full set of EBC brakes, they just haven't been fitted yet.
I've not taken any snaps of my car recently, so instead have a shot of a 1.8 NA I drove at Goodwood recently. Late-model, basic spec, no power steering. Quite enjoyed it - need to get my car on track soon.

11378404_833003460127759_1155139372_n.jpg
 
Beeblebrox237
I'm sure you've already seen this video, but I can't help feeling that this is quite relevant (turbo notwithstanding):
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I tend to watch MCM but hadn't caught that one.

The exact company that supplied those underbody braces is the firm I'm looking at for the seatbelt tower brace. I'm not sure about those underbody ones though - they seem to protrude below the chassis quite significantly, which is a bit worrying when some of the roads around here are so poor, and given the actual track outside the office has huge potholes and isn't paved! I've seen other ones here and there that seem to protrude less so I'm tending towards them.

Also keeping an eye on weight. Power will remain largely stock for the time being, so I don't want to add dozens of kilos of metal around the place if only certain bits are actually going to be effective.
 
Heldenzeit
OEM seat belt braces from the newer models are pretty cheap on this side of the world. Would that not help?
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They're fairly cheap here too, as they were standard fitment on the 1.8 models when those first arrived. However, one of the perks of writing for the magazine is being able to get parts for "better than cheap", so that'll be my first port of call...
 
Finally taken the car on track:

1171789_845733378809423_1604812922_n.jpg

Proper pictures possibly to follow. Anyway, lots of fun. Since 50% of the people there turned up in 911s and the rest were in equally fast stuff, I was probably one of the slowest cars there. Not a lot of power, not a lot of grip, but great stuff even so. The car is so nicely balanced in the fast corners.

Gave the new tyres a workout, anyway:

11380218_1023058957713705_361778699_n.jpg

The only thing is, my brakes and clutch are now in dire need of replacement. The brake pedal is very soft now, while the clutch is slipping more than it was before. I've already got a set of discs and pads ready for the car; just need to get hold of a suitable clutch now.

Oh, and seats. The leather standard chairs really didn't offer much support...
 

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