MX5Ireland

Hairdressers car turned banshee needs new home. My MX5 project is complete a couple of months now, and has been running 100% reliably including a track day at Mondello and an NCT giving it the all clear. I bought it as a project, which is now complete, and I’ll either put the money towards the next project (probably a classic car) or put it into savings as a house extension is on the near horizon (the sensible option – boo!). I have it insured as a classic car with Allianz through Autoline brokers at a cost of around €350 – not bad considering the modifications!

I started with a very very solid car, which has been in the Octane family since landing in Ireland from Japan. Magnus and CMYK have owned this car and can attest to its condition (if they made it over to the new website!). No rust (even behind the front bumper). No modifications to the body, interior, suspension.



The basic spec of the car is as follows:
- 1994 Mazda Eunos 1.8L
- LSD
- Tax until end April
- NCT until end August
- Mileage: 110,000 km
- Air conditioning
- Original floor mats, still in good condition
- Original 14” Daisy wheels
- Sony stereo with USB connection
- Speakers in the seat headrests
- Tan leather seats
- Electric windows & mirrors
- Pop up headlights for the ultimate 90’s win!

The car has an extensive service history. Loads and loads of receipts, manuals and booklets from Japan. It was fitted with some choice upgrades in Japan, many of them I suspect were fitted from new by Mazda. Upgrades include:
- MazdaSpeed exhaust manifold
- MazdaSpeed short shifter
- MazdaSpeed leather gearknob
- Braided brake hoses
- Mocal oil cooler
- Mazda hard top
- Nardi steering wheel
- Polished cam cover



Recent love and attention it has received includes:
- Oil change, spark plug change, clutch fluid change (DOT4), brake fluid change (DOT5.1)
- New(ish) tan vinyl soft top in excellent condition (as it spent most of it’s life under the hard top)
- New ARB drop links
- New exhaust (stock pattern) fitted 3 months ago
- Radio aerial replaced (telescopic motorised)
- Door cards replaced with better condition and newer designed ones
- New door speakers
- Spare wheel reconditioned
- Passenger window regulator replaced
- Boot lid replaced as paint was faded
- 15” BBS wheels with nearly new Toyo T1R tyres



As some of you may know, I set about supercharging the MX5, which is now fitted and running perfectly. I kept a spreadsheet of all the costs of the parts, and it came to €3170. Here’s a list of what was fitted:
- Eaton M45 supercharger from Mini Cooper S Works (which has upgraded pulley)
- Alloy intercooler Kit
- Megasquirt ECU and temp sensor
- Wideband sensor and gauge
- 460cc RX7 injectors
- Dual throttle body kit (gives smoother idle)
- Tim Lane supercharger parts (mount, outlet, inlet, tensioner plate & pulleys, hoses)
- 10" Slimline fan
- Bonnet lifter kit
It’s never been rolling roaded, but power is suspected to be around 200bhp, but more impressive is the instant torque and linear power delivery. Wails like a banshee when under boost, but very quiet when maintaining speed (thanks to the stock exhaust).



Negatives:
- Small rip in the seat
- A few marks on the dash
- Hard top has a few small marks, but I’ll touch these up when I get a chance

Price:
Winter is a terrible time to sell a convertible, but I’m in no rush as it’s taxed and insured until end May. It would be great to sell it as it is, as it’s a fantastic all-round package due to the comfort of stock suspension with the extra oomph of the supercharger, but if someone is interested in the car without the charger, I would restore it back to stock. Either way, I won’t be selling bits separately until the car is sold, so please don’t ask.
As there are so many upgrades, I’ll state a variation of prices:
- All modifications, supercharger, hard top, 14” and 15” BBS wheels: €4400
- Without hard top: minus €400
- Without BBS wheels: minus €300
- Without supercharger: minus €1300

The car has cost me well over €6000 to get it where it is now, and I feel it’s very reasonably priced, so I’ll hold out for the money I want, and enjoy the car in the meantime! Everyone knows MX5s are ultra-reliable, but are fairly slow in stock format. This car brings the best of everything (except a V8). If you’re interested in it, please don’t hesitate to get in touch to take it for a test drive – the proof is in the driving!

How it looked on stock 14" wheels (yellow lights now removed and returned to stock ride height)

Wow

If only ....................

That's a lot of car for the asking...I'll bet you will get it.

John

seems that most people when they do a TR Lane mini supercharger conversion usually sell up shortly after.

how long does the belt last before it needs replaced ? i heard the tr lane kits give very poor belt life and at £15 a go it adds up

also this is an eaton mp45 supercharger , the old jackson racing superchargers are the m45 units

Has the car been professionally mapped so the engine wont lunch itself on its drive home.....just askin

charged_rs -

Are you interested in buying? If not, I would appreciate it if you would not post comments hinting that my build is not up to scratch. You're more than welcome to come out and have a drive yourself and then make comments. Thank you.

I'm selling up, as I want to move on to the next project (probably a classic Mini). There's loads and loads guys using TRlane kits on www.mx5nutz.com/forum for many years reliably. The key is in the belt alignment, just like any supercharger build. It's been running the same belt for months now, so the alignment is spot on. It will come with 3 spare belts just in case.

You're right, it's not the M45, mine is the superior MP45 from a Cooper S Works. This means it has teflon tips on the blades (which hold more boost than the Jackson one) and a smaller pulley (which generates more boost than the Jackson one)

so it hasnt been tuned then ? how do you know there is no detonation ?

I never said it was not tuned. Again you are making sniping comment with no information. I have tuned it using a base map from the company that sold the MegaSquirt unit who have many years experience building ECUs for turbo'd and supercharged MX5s (Reverant on MX5nutz). I have then fine tuned the map using TunerStudio with a fellow member on here who has been running a supercharged mk1 for a couple of years. So yes, it is tuned, and has proven itself on both the track and NCT centre (for clean emissions). Tuning has been carried out both on the road and on the track.

I will ask you once more to please not post unless you're interested in buying. If you have questions, please send them to me by private message. Much appreciated. I will not be responding to any other sniping comments.

Ho. Ho Ho.....peace and goodwill to all men !!!!

Charged ,Give the man a chance ,he is giving a price with or without charger ,have a look at the car ,if you are interested , offer a price ,if not, leave it alone, fair is fair .Just like you this man sounds like he knows his stuff.
Happy Christmas all,
Brian.

I've decided to sell the supercharger parts separately, as the market is too small for a modified MX (and I chose the WRONG time of year to sell ).

The car is now for sale without supercharger, on stock 14" wheels and without hard top for €2200. Still includes:
- MazdaSpeed exhaust manifold
- MazdaSpeed short shifter
- MazdaSpeed leather gearknob
- Braided brake hoses
- Mocal oil cooler
- Nardi steering wheel
- Polished cam cover

The body is in excellent condition. Well worth a look if you're thinking of buying an MX5

Looks like this now (without the yellow fog lights)

Car sold.

Wow, that was quick..well done!

Great to hear that you moved the car on, hope your happy with the price ,is the new owner a club member?
Brian

Hi! Do you have that megasquirt ECU for sale?