First RWD, MX5??

I

i11matic1795

Member
Hey guys,

I'm hoping to get myself my first RWD car next year since my insurance seems to be quite cheap then (I'm 18), I want an MX5 at the moment, and have always liked them, but don't really want to have to go for the 1.6 due to insurance, I was wondering whether anybody had any other ideas? I want a Japanese car really.

Thanks,

Paddy
 
You want an MX5, but you dont want a 1.6, despite them being really no better than the 1.8. Ok then.
 
having driven both 1.6 and 1,8 and owning a 1.6 id say they are both slow as fuck and other than certain things not fitting each other there is no real difference in performance if you get a pre 94 mk1. not sure on the lower hp later editions though.

1,8 has better bracing, brakes and diff options. but you can fit all of them to the 1.6 so if you cant get insured on the 1.8 the 1.6 will work just as well. so... just get a 1.6 ;)
 
EDIT: STAVROS is the mx5 guru, i have had my 1.6 upto 77mph :rolleyes: and sideways at santa pod with no issues at all. go 1.6 cheaper insurance and see if you can get cheap 1.8 brakes and diff etc
 
Last edited:
Stavros said:
You want an MX5, but you dont want a 1.6, despite them being really no better than the 1.8. Ok then.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the helpful information..

Jites said:
having driven both 1.6 and 1,8 and owning a 1.6 id say they are both slow as fuck and other than certain things not fitting each other there is no real difference in performance if you get a pre 94 mk1. not sure on the lower hp later editions though.

1,8 has better bracing, brakes and diff options. but you can fit all of them to the 1.6 so if you cant get insured on the 1.8 the 1.6 will work just as well. so... just get a 1.6 ;)
Click to expand...

I'd imagine it would be a pre-94 MK1, so they're pretty interchangeable part wise? I expected they would be, so that's ideal!
 
just watch when your getting parts. do research and with a welded diff, lock spacers and a set of coilovers youll have a drift car. none of the 1.8 stuff is needed on the 1.6 but its nice to have like the bracing
 
Jites said:
just watch when your getting parts. do research and with a welded diff, lock spacers and a set of coilovers youll have a drift car. none of the 1.8 stuff is needed on the 1.6 but its nice to have like the bracing
Click to expand...

Cheers, I will do! How is it to drive a locked diff daily? That's probably been asked thousands of times I know. I drive 2/3 miles to work every day and I live up north so get a fair amount of rain and cold weather haha!
 
i11matic1795 said:
Cheers, I will do! How is it to drive a locked diff daily? That's probably been asked thousands of times I know. I drive 2/3 miles to work every day and I live up north so get a fair amount of rain and cold weather haha!
Click to expand...

thats a can of worms lol, i only test drove car with a locked diff and only felt it when parking and setting off, apart from that didnt notice it. a lot of people are for them and same against.

as long as your not going around roundabouts in 2nd gear with heavy foot you will be ok
 
If you can afford an mx5 and want to get into drifting just do it and don't look back. They're nice cheap simple cars with loads of cheap easy to get replacement parts, and they drift well!
 
DtheBUK said:
If you can afford an mx5 and want to get into drifting just do it and don't look back. They're nice cheap simple cars with loads of cheap easy to get replacement parts, and they drift well!
Click to expand...

Milton said:
Its what I did :-)
Click to expand...


I wish I could just do it now! Was offered a decent looking 5 last night from somebody on here! The car I have now I could probably get between £1500 and £2000 for, so that would get me a decent 5 and part of my insurance, but really I need to wait for my two years NCB, with one year insurance is above £1500 which I can't really bring myself to pay, especially when I'll be losing the few months of my 2nd years NCB I've got.

Milton said:
thats a can of worms lol, i only test drove car with a locked diff and only felt it when parking and setting off, apart from that didnt notice it. a lot of people are for them and same against.

as long as your not going around roundabouts in 2nd gear with heavy foot you will be ok
Click to expand...

Yeah I should be fine I think, I sometimes do fire it into roundabouts a little much, but I know I'd be a lot more careful in a RWD, especially one with a locked diff!
 
decent MX5 = £800 ready to go. rest on insurance.

a welded diff is fine, personally not like them for just running about to the shops or whatever but it makes drifting 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 x better
 
Jites said:
decent MX5 = £800 ready to go. rest on insurance.

a welded diff is fine, personally not like them for just running about to the shops or whatever but it makes drifting 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 x better
Click to expand...

Yeah £800-£1000 is about the range I was looking at, I can't see it being enjoyable driving to work with a welded diff, but weekends would be more fun. Problem is that it would probably be less than 1 weekend a month that I'd get the chance to have a bit of fun, so would it be worth running a welded diff every day for that?
 
i11matic1795 said:
Yeah £800-£1000 is about the range I was looking at, I can't see it being enjoyable driving to work with a welded diff, but weekends would be more fun. Problem is that it would probably be less than 1 weekend a month that I'd get the chance to have a bit of fun, so would it be worth running a welded diff every day for that?
Click to expand...

i have an LSD so it locks up and acts like its welded (not as quickly as one) and oncce i had it sideways it was amazing and would be worth anything in the weeks before, it even made getting in trouble with the mrs that morning because we had to bump start the car in the rain and making her late for work.

Stavros on here drives his with welders all day long (i belive) and said he only notices it for first 5 mins a start of journey getting off his drive and the last 5 mins parking at work and the same on way home
 
Milton said:
i have an LSD so it locks up and acts like its welded (not as quickly as one) and oncce i had it sideways it was amazing and would be worth anything in the weeks before, it even made getting in trouble with the mrs that morning because we had to bump start the car in the rain and making her late for work.

Stavros on here drives his with welders all day long (i belive) and said he only notices it for first 5 mins a start of journey getting off his drive and the last 5 mins parking at work and the same on way home
Click to expand...

Hmm, I did think that an LSD sounded like the better option, although I would be tempted to try a welded diff for a few days to see how it is parking etc, parking can be pretty tight at work and home, but hopefully it wouldn't cause too much trouble.
 
i11matic1795 said:
Hmm, I did think that an LSD sounded like the better option, although I would be tempted to try a welded diff for a few days to see how it is parking etc, parking can be pretty tight at work and home, but hopefully it wouldn't cause too much trouble.
Click to expand...

im gonna be fitting my welded diff soon, mine is matte black with purple so it turns heads so why not make it skipp to lol. some people call it mxgay so why not embrass it lol
 
witht eh cheaper lowend coilovers the welder is a bit more noticable, otherwise its like driving any other rwd car in my eyes.
they do say the 1.6 diff is a tad weak for welding but at beginner level it should be fine.
only option is either a 1.8 welded diff or a torsen but they both involve spending money on something else and changing the prop to suit i believe.
 
bell said:
witht eh cheaper lowend coilovers the welder is a bit more noticable, otherwise its like driving any other rwd car in my eyes.
they do say the 1.6 diff is a tad weak for welding but at beginner level it should be fine.
only option is either a 1.8 welded diff or a torsen but they both involve spending money on something else and changing the prop to suit i believe.
Click to expand...

I think I'd be firing a decent pair of coilovers on it, I wouldn't trust eBay specials etc. Ideally I would want a 1.8 diff down the line, but probably wouldn't have the money straight away so the 1.6 would have to do.

How much is it to get a diff welded? I don't know anybody who can weld haha.
 
MX5's rock, ive got a 1.6 pretty close to standard, some 400 year old koni's on there, a strut brace and a cone filter (didnt add any of them myself) it slides all day long for fun with the standard diff. They might be slow but they feel faster than allot of cars when your flying along country roads in them thats for sure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top