When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi everybody, I've been lurking for a week or so reading and learning. I've still a long way to go before I even think about spending money on turbo parts. I'm from Falmouth, Cornwall.
I bought my first MX5 / Miata from a guy I work with a couple of months ago, it's been off the road for 5 years and was being consumed by a hedge when I went to look at it and took a chance at £150! It's a 1998 1.8 Harvard.
As you can imagine it's in a bit of a state. My original plan was to sell it or break it but having been out of the car tuning scene for a number of years there was something about it that compelled me to have a crack at it and see if it could be saved. My daily driver is a 3.5 ton 7.5 meter long Iveco truck which isn't ideally suited to narrow Cornish back lanes so the idea of actually being able to fit in a normal parking space is also a big plus! So I've take the leap. initially the plan will be to get the car solid and useable and working as it should, although I must admit I've went a bit trigger happy with the buy it now button on eBay for styling parts. The parts list so far is so...
4 x Toyo T1R tyres
9J et0 Rota deep dish wheels
Purple eBay coilovers (watched a review which seemed not as bad as you would imagine)
Inner and outer sill repair panels.
New clutch master and slave
Full service kit Inc belts
Lots of rust converter, paint and waxoil
Rocket Bunny style arches
So quite a mess! but apart from a few rotten nuts it actually turned out to be incredibly solid underneath, most of the crud was actually dirt on waxoil on paint flaking off. The metal underneath wasn't even pitted for the most part. So I've been focusing on the floor and getting it roadworthy. I had a full day on the ramp yesterday, the clutch now works, got the coilovers fitted and all the de rusting under the car done and ready for waxoyl.
Anyway! I'm glad to be here, I'm looking to start collecting parts for the turbo conversion some time in the new year so I should have ample time to learn from you guys and make a solid plan! Looking forward to getting to know you guys.
I'll have to read up I think. I assumed because et0 is effectively the center line of the wheel it would have a better balance. Admittedly though I'm most deffinitely an amateur. Any particular reason less poke makes so much difference? Just for the record the wheels and suspension are kinda temporary anyway, I need the car on the road and they were all cheap but should sell for what I paid for it when the time comes.
Yeah the rust looked 10 times worse than it actually was except for a few bolt heads on the front end where the heads had totally rotted away leaving only the colars. I was amazed I was able to get them apart as easily as I did being so degraded. I have yet to successfully remove the front bumper though, it's as if it's welded on everything is so seized and rounded off. Also forgot to mention the crash damage, the power steering cooling pipework was missing, I'm guessing as a result of the accident, so it's got a bypass on it at the moment...
Last edited by PirateBarHooker; 11-03-2019 at 11:49 AM.
Hi.
Nice job on the rust !
I've just joined up here, looking to turbo in the near future.
Originally from Looe, but now in Wales, near New Quay lol. Roads even better than Cornwall
Small world! I bet the roads are better up there, they're all clogged up with holiday makers here most of the time.
Small update, car is now mechanically and structurally road worthy. Should be doing paint and bodywork in a month or two, I paint boats for workbut I've never repainted a car in full so really looking forward to that part. Once it's all shiny and awesome looking I'll be turning my attention to the engine bay. I've been reading into superchargers and am heavily leaning toward a used kit, I think a supercharger would probably suit the type of road I'll be driving on a bit better than a turbo not to mention the sound! But for now I have to wait and keep reading.
It was wire brushing and scraping for the most part but the front end had been submerged in a large muddy puddle so there were alot of nuts and bolts that were severely corroded, a couple of them you just destroy with your hands. But overall I was lucky as most of the parts like suspension arms etc were still solid as a rock because of previous owners diligence making sure the cavities were regularly treated with unknown substance before it was laid up. Once the loose rust was off I painted it all in a rust converter twice, sprayed some parts with black paint and then a upol waxoyl type spray but less prone to getting washed off. Embrace the sticky **** my man.
2 big bits of welding were the rear sills. Local garage welded it up, I bought 2 outer sills and 2 inner sills.
11-02-2019, 07:46 AM
Hello from the UK. Total novice inbound!
0
