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2 hours ago, MBS206 said:

So I was thinking on your part about MX5 being better as a daily.

What do you find better about it as a daily, and what's your normal commute like?

1. The MX5 is small, light and fun to throw around at low speeds

2. Fuel economy is great

3. There's more than enough room for my day bag, and enough room in the boot for some shopping 

4. I like looking at it

My daily commute takes about 10 minutes of suburban streets, mostly 50kph, with about 6 roundabouts and minimal traffic

Whilst the SS is a big comfy cruiser, that's all it is, and the fuel economy is about 3 times as much as the MX5's around town

People just don't understand how good MX5's actually are and how fun they are to drive, park, manuever. You feel like you have got some fun cheat code, while everyone else is sitting in their luxobargeSUV like normies who missed the point of living.

It really is that noticable.

As long as you/your stuff fit, and you're comfortable (they are), a MX5 is the best car on earth to daily around.

  • Like 2

II know what u are saying

after 9 years of hibernating my stock engined  110,00km gtt I got it registered 2 weeks ago. Took it for a drive a couple of days ago and some fresh bp fuel, I just couldn’t stop grinning and dreaming of when I will start my build thread.

its just such a primal man feeling many forget to enjoy

I wish u so much enjoyment with your little racer mate

I can totally get why you like it for that sort of commute.

I was thinking BoganDore because it's such a lazy drive, for things like stop start traffic.

 

I used to do over an hour in stop start shit from one side of Bris to the next, twice a day. My choice of car was larger displacement, with an auto. Basically for torque in low rpm/very low speed, and no clutch pedal. But loved a fun manual for the weekends, which the partner has (plus had the LandCruiser too for other fun drives).

I now have an EV as a work car, and I tell ya what, ultimate daily driver, especially if youre out of energy, like I often am after work. I don't even need to touch the brake pedal :P

 

That said, I'm presently rebuilding the Liberty GTB to get it setup for weekend drives and track abuse! So small high revving turbo engine with 6 speed cog swapper!

 

But for your style of commute, I'd probably take the MX5 too!

 

For those choices, I'm ignoring fuel economy. Because I know how atrocious V8 daily life is for fuel from when I used to daily a manual SS, ha ha. Hence why I know I love the daily rumble of a V8 :P

45 minutes ago, MBS206 said:

I can totally get why you like it for that sort of commute.

I was thinking BoganDore because it's such a lazy drive, for things like stop start traffic.

 

I used to do over an hour in stop start shit from one side of Bris to the next, twice a day. My choice of car was larger displacement, with an auto. Basically for torque in low rpm/very low speed, and no clutch pedal. But loved a fun manual for the weekends, which the partner has (plus had the LandCruiser too for other fun drives).

I now have an EV as a work car, and I tell ya what, ultimate daily driver, especially if youre out of energy, like I often am after work. I don't even need to touch the brake pedal :P

 

That said, I'm presently rebuilding the Liberty GTB to get it setup for weekend drives and track abuse! So small high revving turbo engine with 6 speed cog swapper!

 

But for your style of commute, I'd probably take the MX5 too!

 

For those choices, I'm ignoring fuel economy. Because I know how atrocious V8 daily life is for fuel from when I used to daily a manual SS, ha ha. Hence why I know I love the daily rumble of a V8 :P

 

I find I am using the MX5 for everything except long overnight cruises with Jackie, or, if picking up the kids to go somewhere, the SS has so much more room inside, and is much more comfortable if your going to be doing Hwy driving for 6-8 hours

And the MX5 isn't bad in stop go traffic for a manual transmission car, whilst the clutch kit has been upgraded from stock, it is still light, and also not having a stupidly light flywheel in it helps as well, I've spent alot of time sitting on the M5, M4 and M7 stuck in traffic when plodding around the Greater Sydney Region in it

Another benefit is MX5's are not really a car that gets stolen, you can pretty much park it anywhere, and it will still be there when you return

  • 3 weeks later...

MX5 goes into MX5 Mania tomorrow for the "camed 2.5 big block" swap 🤪

A week later than expected, but they found a lower Km engine than the first one and needed time for it to be pulled and inspected 

I did take it for its last spin with the 2.0 today, great day for top down driving, drove it to Altitude 1148 to lunch with Jackie

Took the long way home down Bulli Pass, then home via the Nasho, lots of traffic, but typical for a weekend/public holiday, I had to time some sections to get "free air" for some of the twisties though, but a nice little cruise none the less, the car is handling great, and it sound awesome when I'm up it

Looking forward to seeing the difference that 0.5 ltrs and some cams make

images(39).jpeg.59be33744db55310386facd3f6805630.jpeg

  • Like 1

0.5L sounds like nothing. But when it's a 25% increase in displacement, to a newer engine platform, and getting some speedy bits, it should be good!

 

Compared to stock cams for the 2.5L, are these new cams mainly more lift, or more duration too (shifting the torque curve into higher RPM)?

1 hour ago, MBS206 said:

0.5L sounds like nothing. But when it's a 25% increase in displacement, to a newer engine platform, and getting some speedy bits, it should be good!

 

Compared to stock cams for the 2.5L, are these new cams mainly more lift, or more duration too (shifting the torque curve into higher RPM)?

It's basically the same platform, hence why everything bolts to everything else

Kelford camshafts were recommended by Mania after they asked me what I want the car for, I said "I'll thrash it around daily and maybe take it to the track for fun" 🤣

Factory NC 2.0L cam specs:

- Adv. Dur. 256 /256

- Dur @ .050 205 /190

- Lift 9.42mm/8.13mm

Kelfordspecs_960x.thumb.jpg.9198ed56fcc899d8443f3f88949ca62b.jpg

So, as I know nothing about cam specs, all I can say is the numbers are different and it should get a little bit of lope....🤣

  • Haha 1

Oh, oops, yeah, I'm getting the cams in the 2.5 replaced, so the above factory 2.0 cam specs don't mean 5hit, but, after alot of googling it seems the factory 2.5 cams don't like to rev

So, yeah, there is that 🤣

Picked up up the MX5, WOW, what a difference 0.5 litres and some little cams make

Car pulls great, way way better than the 2.0, and whilst the car is only making around 5 kw more up top, the added torque down low and the midrange is a huge difference, I was actually shocked at how much of a difference it made, the car also sounds better I think

Win Win

Well worth the effort and coin

I also may be lucky with getting a OEM detachable hard top for it, one of the guys at MX5 Mania knows a guy, who knows a guy, that is selling a OEM detachable hard top for a NC, I've been on the hunt for one since I picked the car up, but with no luck, fingers are crossed 

  • Like 3

Oh yeah, I know someone who just could have bought one with a 2.5 in it and a PRHT...

Also, is it too late to say that people also usually throw a cam in there while they're pulling the engine out so that there's more power up top to go with the displacement?
 

Please subscribe to my build by proxy thread for future updates.

1 hour ago, Kinkstaah said:

Oh yeah, I know someone who just could have bought one with a 2.5 in it and a PRHT...

Also, is it too late to say that people also usually throw a cam in there while they're pulling the engine out so that there's more power up top to go with the displacement?
 

Please subscribe to my build by proxy thread for future updates.

He put a cam in, but by the looks of it kept the torque curve where it is, but gave it more lift. IMO a smart choice for a daily driver.

Oh. Usually people do put a cam in to move the power back to resemble the OEM power curve of the 2.0, so you get more power more everywhere.

Still a good example of how no replacement for displacement, and power under the curve, and under foot responsiveness and all that truly matter more than peak HP..

5 hours ago, Kinkstaah said:

Oh yeah, I know someone who just could have bought one with a 2.5 in it and a PRHT...

Also, is it too late to say that people also usually throw a cam in there while they're pulling the engine out so that there's more power up top to go with the displacement?
 

Please subscribe to my build by proxy thread for future updates.

I really dislike the look of them with a PRHT, hence me trying to find a detachable hard top 

It does have more power everywhere 

Whilst is only makes 125kw, that is at around 6500 rpm, to get the 120kw in the 2.0 that was at 7250 rpm

Basically 30 torques everywhere through the power band

I just got back from a run to Goulburn and back, Hwy fuel economy hasn't changed

OK, slight problems with the cams, they weren't actually installed, LOL and Fark at the same time......

After looking at the curve, and, talking to MX5 Mania on the phone, and talking to the tuner, and then everyone talking to each other, and then looking at the quote, which had the cams included, and then looking at the work done, and the final bill for what work and parts I actually paid for and what was actually done, i.e. no bill for the cams or their installation, the cams were apparently missed during installation,  and hence no bill for them.....fark

I really should have looked at the itemised bill when I picked the car up,  and probably checked on it more when at the shop during installation 

They did apologise profusely for missing it on the initial quote they sent, and asked if I wanted to go ahead with the cams anyway, which I did when the engine was out, and the car was in the shop for a week, now, not so much 

In the end though, the car goes so much better than it did before and I'm happy with the work that did get done

As for the money that would have gone on the cams, well that will get redirected to the detachable hard top budget, and/or beer...

Mark is still slightly jaded though, as you would expect 

  • Haha 1

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