The Bogan

If you can get access to a guillo (or dremel), and a break press (I've used home made folders out of timber and a few hinges), and a dremel for notching, there is about $10 of alloy and some time involved with making one I've made a few things like this, start with a cardboard template, measure twice, cut once I typically then sand the edges, hit it with wax and grease remover, then wrinkle coat it, you can also add pinch weld to make it prettier As for fittings, plastic push clips work Use the saved money to buy tools Or, make a cardboard templates and get your local metal fabrication joint to knock it out When I was a young lad I was a sheet metal worker, we had heaps of people walking into the shop with small templates people wanted transfered onto steel or alloy, usually paid for in beer >$300 = "Jebus"

And send some oil samples for testing? 🤔.....nope, I'll just keep using until it throws a leg out of bed

I've done a couple of oil changes on a 30 year old petrol Victa that the outlaws use to own, over the 15 years that we have had it I have ever only used whatever engine oil that was on hand, 5w30 to Castrol Edge 10w60 From my findings, of 2 oil changes in it over 15 years, where the outlaws never changed its oil, the first was when we inherited it, to the last, a couple of years ago, the mower doesn't care, as long as it has oil it is happy As for blowby, just stick something thick in it and mow the lawn, or, use a thinner oil and just tell yourself it's a 2 stroke and clean the plug when required, the spark plug in the Victa was last changed 10 odd years ago, and still fires up now after a couple of goes on the cord, if it doesn't start, a quick hit with some wet and dry to clean the spark plug gets it running again I really need to get it some new blades though, the ones on it have been resharpened to the point that they are about half their size and are not really throwing the grass as well as they should As for the carby on it, it has never been touched, although I do run 98 in as well, for all of horsetorques

Should I bring up corner weighing your car where wheel gap means nothing I borrowed some scales from work one day to try and play with it, I even loaded up the drivers seat with 80kg, IIRC no fender gap was the same after trying to balance the weight over the front and rear In the end my head hurt and I just used a tape measure to even up my once "corner weighted" car 🤪

My only regret with the NC MX5 was no space for a spare, even a space saver doesn't fit in I do have a couple of those puncture repair spray cans, but if I get a large puncture, or sidewall damage, I'm screwed until a tilt tray turns up I'm thinking I might get one of those 4WD style of puncture repair kits that have that rope stuff and glue, whilst it will kill any hope of saving a tyre, it might help getting me out from some backwoods road far enough to find a actual tyre shop if the first can of tyre fix doesn't work I'm keen to see how your new toy pans out Uncle Duncan, I'll be moving to the Highlands next year, you'll need to shout out if your heading to Wakefield, whilst I've lost my balls for happy laps, I still love watching those that can

The MX5 is a way better daily than the SS The only real reason to keep the SS is when we go away and pick up the kids, or for extended road trips where we need the extra room for all of Jackies luggagesesezzzz and make up bag, and the 20 pairs of shoes she might need for 7 days away from home, it also has a tow bar which is handy for when we hire box trailers Also I'm to old to be a traffic light hero, plus I like my licence to much, there is also the issue of having 3 NSW police officers in the immediate family who would never stop giving me 5hit if I got done being stupid

Gave the MX5 a detail and checked over everything, only know issue were the discs, which had a lip on both the front and rear, I was going to replace them when I got the new calipers, but forgot, so ordered some new ones today

I agree, but, I am coming to asking myself "should I do it", especially for what I want the car for, as I'm not building a race car, or something that runs 10's in the quarter, in the end how much "power" do I actually need for a "reliable" fun street car, that will only see local streets and country cruises As for the Commodore, and all cars really, and whilst I like the cars I've owned for multiple reasons, and enjoy cruising around in them, I have no real emotional attachments to them, I see them as a toy to play with, or a fun conveyance to get me somewhere In saying this, like everyone knows, I cannot leave any bits that I feel need improvements, but I'm also looking at what I "don't need to do" for a street car, like more power than what is required for the street, big brake kits, body kits, or things that give minimal gains like a aftermarket CAI or ITB's that "bolt straight on" but only give a few hsprs up top for alot of coin......(yes, ITB's do "sound" epic and I admit I was looking into them for a while) Although I am still looking for a detachable hard top for it, it needs to be NC specific though, as NA-NB mount differently, and not alot of the OEM NC ones came into OZ, so far I have not found one available in OZ, there are new aftermarket options available, but, I may need to use poly for the rear screen and sort out something for the rear demister, but I really really want a old OEM one, as for how much a new OEM one costs, let's just say "alot" I haven't checked stock availability of these, or what the shipping is, but yeah...... https://www.garage5.net/softhard-top/mazda-mx5-nc-hard-top-genuine-detachable-optional-extra If anyone has one laying around, of any colour, feel free to send me a msg, I pick up and pay cash now....

If I had more skill and aptitude I might be one of those people who do big builds over long periods of time, for one thing I would save alot of money from labour costs But I don't have the skills or aptitude, so I work out my "cunning plan" and "pay cash now" for what I want If I lived in 'Merica, where it was legal to do, dropping in a LS would be simplistic and relatively cheap thing do for all the parts required, but, here in OZ, where all the parts are at a premium, and there are alot of power train and drive train parts required, it is in no way cost, logistically or a legally viable enterprise But as previously stated, a bolt on turbo in OZ, whilst costly and legally possible with enough coin and engineering, it again isn't a financially viable option for a daily run around Whilst I am spending a fair bit of coin on the MX5, it is all basically bolt on OEM parts for a quick turn around, and logistically simple for legalities like rego and insurance, plus, I get to keep all of the OEM reliability Will it have a big dyno number, nope, not that much hsprs added up top really, but it will be much better than now due to a heap more torque and hsprs under the curve when it comes to plodding around town and sitting on the Hwy I'll leave the big hsprs builds for the guys who are happy to negate reliability, or are happy to keep fixing their cars, or leaving them sit in a garage and only bringing them out for the occasional cruise I'm currently trying to justify to myself keeping the Commodore, it only comes out once a month, maybe, and whilst it is well sorted and there is nothing else I need to do to it for what I want it for, I keep thinking to myself "would I really miss it", as I kind of think I enjoy going on long cruises in the MX5 more than the Commodore now I also have no appetite for going to the drags or running around a race track, nowadays I enjoy just cruising around Edit: Maybe I'm just getting old....

The daughter has already stated, after having a practice thrash in it, that the MX5 is not to be sold but given to her I asked if she wanted the commodore as well, she said "no thankyou" 🤣

Just booked in for the 2.5 swap at the end of the month, also added some cams because..... "while we're in there" The 2.5 motor is inspected and has around 50K km on it

3 in their mid 20's, just need the last one to leave home.........his mum on the other hand never wants her "little boy" to move out so she can still play mum I understand that she enjoys being a mum, but.....I did offer to replace him with a puppy if he moves out....that didn't go as well as I expected 🙄, and I haven't brought it up again, she is at least talking to me again 🤣

Try uploading with the "add files" clicky box thingie on a mobile Maybe the photo has too many mb, send the pic in a message to your self, messages resize the images down, then try and attach the resized image

OK, but only if your paying, I take bank transfers or cash

Just sent a query to MX5 Mania about a 2.5 swap Asking about sourcing a low km 2009+ engine (the newer the better) that fits the bill, also what kind of testing and inspections are done, plus what supporting mods they recommend for a NA build, like the benefits of cams and stuff As I'm a lazy no talent MOFO, it will be drive in-drive out jobbie And going of used engine prices, I should be able to sell my 2.0 long motor for about the same cost as a newer 2.5, which is nice, plus the 2009+ 2.5 engines have better internals, as in better bearings, forged crank and rods, and much more efficient top end than the 2.0 From my understanding, the added top end power, bolt on tuned 2.0 to bolt on tuned 2.5, is only a 10% gain, it has heaps more kw and torque everywhere under the curve, and you don't need to rev the shit out of it to get it on the boil If a "tweeked" 2.5 swap gave me the same "pull" in the mid range that the K24 with the header and tune that the Euro Accord has in it does I would be more than happy with the swap, and anything more on top would be cream Do the young kids still say YOLO......

Nah, turbo's are problematic with a NC daily, packaging, heat, and the engine would require a proper build to be reliable, so lots of dollars on making a reliable daily not reliable for a daily Whilst NA life has much less power, it is much simpler and basically stress free, on the engine, drive train, and me, remembering that this is a daily I might see if I can grab a new 2009+ long motor from Mazda, if they still have them, if not they are going for around $1k ish at wreckers, I would get the wrecker motor rebuilt if I couldn't find a new motor, but a 4 pot is cheapish to do a basic lowish power higher reving rebuild on

MX5 ran like a dream, hwy driving it is as quiet as stock with the roof down, only the typical roof down wind noise, it is louder when on it, but not obnoxious or tinny/raspy, I put that down to the big resonator and rear box All over, a good outcome I have heard......... you can basically drop a 2.5 (big block... LOL) MZR long motor from a 2009+ Mazda 3 or 6 straight in it........a bit more hsprs, but a big chunk more torque, fairly cheap too as the wreckers are full of them I'm thinking of trying to find a low km one and giving it a refresh and some cams.....maybe, all my auxiliaries and headers from the 2.0 will bolt straight on Does it need it, nope, but when has that, or common sense, ever got in my way.....🥳

Nope, see photo from NASA

Removed crusty old mid pipe of the MX5 and took out the O2 sensor, fitted new fancy pants mid pipe, looked for O2 bung on new pipe to fit the O2, nope, looked for a O2 bung on the header, nope.........dropped showbags, headed upstairs and had a beer............ then took new midpipe to exhaust shop to weld in a O2 bung Got back and put it together.......broke the donut gasket..........back to exhaust shop for new gaskets, got back and finally fitted it all up and took it for a test drive........discovered a rattle at certain RPM, back up on the stands and found the larger midpipe was slightly touching a under body brace.......as the brace is about 16 gauge sheet steel I clearanced it with a breaker bar and some semi-controlled aggression, re-tested it with a quick drive.....hooray, no rattles, no codes, job done and it sounds great so far I will be taking it for around a 400km run tomorrow and will see how it sounds when on the Hwy doing 110 on cruise, hopefully drone will not be a issue But what a 5hit fight, normally I just get a custom exhaust made and fitted, but, this time I grabbed the bolt on parts and rolled around under the car on stands to do it all myself, idiot.....I'm getting to old for this 5hit Note to self: next time just pay cash for a professional to build my exhaust, like I normally do......

Boot had my gym bag and my big travel bag bag in it, and with a MX5 there's no more room left, so the passenger seat was the only place left to fit the parts And yes, I could have moved stuff, but as the top was down...."because convenience"

Possibly the headlight switch has shorted out Pull the switch and test the terminals

Took a spin out to Dural to find some "missing" parts for the the MX5, it's a Racing Beat mid pipe and bolts straight to the GWR ceramic coated headers and Racining Beat muffler, this now finishes the full exhaust on the "match box car"

I'll guestimate alot more than anyone thinks, dependant on the donor car used There's a Starlet on the youtubes that used a EVO as a donor car for parts......

Question: on a stock 32 when the lights are turned on at the dash switch do they turn themselves off when the ignition is off Assumption: possibly someone wired them so the lights come on/off with the ignition as a simple hack because they always drove with the headlights on....maybe With most modern cars the lights go out when the ignition is switched off and a door is opened, or after some time, some older cars do this, some don't I personally always drive with my headlights on, day or night, that is a possible hack that I have considered for my MX5 which beeps at me every time I get out the car because I forgot to turn off the headlights, unlike my VX SS where the lights come on and off with the ignition