Hi!
I'm just about to buy myself a Miata for racing purposes. The car is a Mazda MX-5 2002 1.9i 16V with hardtop, has run about 125 000km. Got ABS but dunno if it has LSD, fit it later?

Anyway, here is a video of the racing/track I'll be doing:
I'm racing in a class limiting me to approx 7 pounds/bhp. Therefore I should have 250-290bhp, depending on how much weight I can get rid of.

Is the 2002 model a good choice for this exact purpose? Planning to rid the car of all excess weight, get a turbo, suspension, clutch, areodynamics etc.

I will apologize if there is a tread about this exact car model and this racing purpose.

 

The 2002 will be a great choice.

It is a 1.8L engine.

 

German rounding of 1839

All 1.8 NB sold in Europe should have had Torsens/Togichi Fuji.

Read up on as much as possible on Savingtons experiences about getting Turbo Miata survive successfully on track. You will of course run shorter sprints and not 3h enduro.
* "Some" other reading https://www.miataturbo.net/race-prep...y-track-52179/
* Emilios list is a good place to start https://www.miataturbo.net/race-prep...e7/#post806314


Build it right and you can come and visit some races at modsport.se, 1000kg min weight (with driver) for 1839cc turbo in class Mod2. We would gladly see visits from some more Norwegians.

There are "locals" you can ask for tips as well (I know he has been running at Rudskogen at least).
https://www.miataturbo.net/race-prep...3/#post1095672

 

cool seeing a fellow norwegian here i like your plan. are you attending the trackday this saturday? (29th march).

if you are turboing it, there are a few of us near Lillestrøm that have tested pretty much everything on these cars we might just have a few good ideas if you need them.

Harald

 

You should hook up with hf-mx5t, his car is badass.

 

Can't send PMs yet so posting the car here(if that's allowed)
Is this a good price? I will most likely buy it unseen, would that be too risky? It's not ever going to be road legal(only for track)
He can hold it of for a week so I'm kinda in a hurry atm

Mazda MX-5 1.9i 16V Hardtop, 2. Hand as Cabriolet / Roadster in Donaueschingen

 

I would shoot for a 6speed with the larger sport brakes instead. Worth close to a €1K premium (you should be able to find some for €4.5K).

 

Is it that important with a 6speed? I've read it's not very important, why is it an advantage? :P
Also, I'm going to fit it with racingbreaks so I don't need sport brakes on the car now

Edit: so maybe a Mazda MX-5 1.9i 16V 10th Anniversary with torsen LSD and 6 gears would be better for racing?

 

The 6 speed is supposed to be able to handle more torque than the 5-speed as long as you don't get a temperamental one (no way to know), although with some experiences people have with them, I'm not compelled to fully believe that...

Even if you aren't going to use the oem calipers/rotors, the 01+ Sport brake package has a different (more desireable) brake booster/master cylinder, so there is some benefit to starting off with that package even if you're going to swap out most of the hardware in the system. Plus, the sport brakes have more value so you can sell them to recoup some costs.

-Ryan

 

Ok I understand, thanks!

Looks like I'm going to buy a MX-5 1.9i 16V 10th Anniversary with torsen LSD and 6 gears. Got a decent price and the torsen seems important in racing. It is in good condition and has decent milage.
Planning on saying yes to this car tonight so if this is a retarded purchase someone please tell me asap!

 

How are you not getting bashed for not looking up such basic information on mt.net. Have you all gone soft? Where is hustler?

 

Because noob is building racecar?

And on the right side of the pond :P

 

Two solid point right there!

Well it may look like I am now the proud owner of a 10th Anniversary edition mx-5!

Planning on flying down to Germany and drive it back home next week, hope it works ;p

 

It's a Scandinavian invasion. We are helpless to repel them.

I always give foreigners the benefit of the doubt, especially if English is their second language. Even more so if they are going racing. It isn't the same as the semi-illiterate D-student who stopped playing video games just long enough to whip out the smart phone mommy bought him and make a post on the forum.

Besides, arrogant Americans have already earned the rest of us a bad reputation in many parts of the world. By that I mean both the tourists and the governmental people. The truth is most of us would individually bust our asses to help somebody out if they really needed it, but most parts of the world don't see us that way.

 

In a class that all about power/weigth restriction, wouldnt it make sense to build the lightest car possible which has that power/weight ratio?
I would think an NA would be better than a BBW NB to start with.

 

Well it's not all about power/weight restriction...some good handling would probably be just as useful
It's 100kg heavier right? When I remove AC and other things that the NB model got and the NA don't, what will the difference be? And isn't the chassi/frame for the NB somewhat stiffer? I'm really just guessing here...

 

The NB is stiffer and has a slightly better front suspension geometry and a better flowing cylinder head. And a stronger six speed trans if you get the right one.

 

The right one? Any way to know when buying?

 

I'd find the earliest (lightest) clean NA shell and go from there. Add NB subframes for the geometry and trackwidth if necessary. After you've added a cage, frame rails,hardtop and stitch-weld the thing, you're pretty close stiffness-wise.

The MSM tranny is arguably stronger, but how many of those are in scrapyards in Norway?

 

A better starting point than a 10AE is hard to imagine. 6sp, 3.636, reasonably light (the cage makes the later reinforcements moot).
A 01 Sport would give VVT and different brakes (better ABS too), but also more weight.

Depending on how much the turbo etc adds you should be able to reach sub ton without driver easily (mine have no steel removed and is at 960kg with cage, but 5sp).
A NA tub might enable 20-30kg lighter. But that can be the next tub, if you feel it's worth the effort.

It's just a question of what's "optimal" and what can get you out there with a lower effort. There will always be opportunities to build the next one and give it some time and the NCs will be the must haves, just the tire size...