FAQ
I’ve owned my white mk1 MX5 for almost 5 years now - waaaaaaaaaaay longer than any other car I’ve owned. What I’ve enjoyed more than anything has been treating it like a permanent project - continually improving and modifying. The pinnacle of this process was swapping the engine to a V6. My car has been featured twice in Retro Classics Magazine.
The sad reality is that I don’t actually drive it much at all, and don’t see this changing anytime soon. While the insurance and tax is very cheap, I only drive it about once a month and when I work out how much every drive costs me, it doesn’t make much sense. It’s not really about the money if I’m honest… I’ve achieved what I wanted to with the car, done a couple of track days, documented the engine swap in a series of videos, and it’s time to let her go.
- 1990 mk1 MX5 - UK car, imported to Ireland about 20 years ago.
- Mileage is 84,586 on the car, but only 69k on the V6 engine.
- Extensive service history for the last 10 years.
- NCT until 26/04/2022
- Tax until 04/2021 (€56/year)
- Insurance costs me €295 with all mods declared with Autoline (Allianz)
Body/Chassis/Top
The car was resprayed in the original colour about 15 years ago. The paint has held up fairly well, but there’s little stone chips here and there - it's an honest car, but not in showroom condition. I’ve had 2 sets of rust repairs done - the sills and the rear arches. The bottom of the front arches was also starting to rust, so I swapped them with a used set in good condition and had them had them resprayed.
The Rocketeer kit comes with a new subframe for the front, and it seemed a shame to attach the tired old wishbones to a shiny new subframe. So I bought a full set of reconditioned wishbones (stripped and powdercoated), reconditioned rear subframe, and reconditioned anti-roll bars, along with rezinced bolts, to bring everything up to the same level. While I was at it, I got new ARB drop links, and upgraded ALL the suspension bushings, engine mounts and diff mounts to Mazdaspeed ones - these are a more rigid rubber, not a polybush, so no harshness or squeaking.
To firm up the chassis, I added frame rail reinforcements and a butterfly brace that joins the 2 rails together. These are pretty beefy and are made from a thick gauge stainless steel. Another benefit of these rails is that they can be used for jack stand locations when working on the car - it’s not recommended to use the standard rails as they deform easily.
I added a brake-stopper in the engine bay. This is basically a bracket that supports the brake master cylinder from flexing with the firewall as you apply pressure. Gives better brake feel also. I installed bonnet lifters as well, for easy opening of the bonnet and more access when working on the engine.
There is a fibreglass ducktail spoiler installed on the bootlid. It’s held on with adhesive, not rivets, so it could probably be removed if you wanted to. I also added a front splitter, which is flexible black plastic - a copy of the Mazda RS one.
The vinyl roofs that come on mk1 MX5’s don’t age well. The rear screen is plastic and gets cloudy and can crack, and the vinyl itself cracks around the windows. I swapped the soft top with a mohair one from a mk2. Apart from looking better and being more hard wearing, it has the added benefit of a heated glass screen, so no more fogged up plastic.
Interior
The interior is in great condition, and the leather seats have no rips and are in excellent knick. The seats were sourced from a mk2 Phoenix limited edition, and I’ve matched the brown leather on the centre armrest and added some padding also (the stock armrest is hard black plastic and not comfortable). I also put in some brown carpet floor mats to match the seats - these are from one of the mk1 limited editions, and prices have gone a bit crazy for parts like this recently.
The steering wheel is a MOMO Futura - part of their heritage series and no longer made. In great condition and paired with a NRG slim hub adaptor and NRG quick release. If you park up in a dodgy area, just take the wheel off and even if someone breaks in, they won’t be stealing the car!
Although the mk1 interior has it’s own simplistic charm, it’s a little plastic fantastic. I’ve added some aluminium and chrome touches to add some highlights, including the Jass Performance gearknob, HVAC controls, vent rings, kick plates, and the stereo fits well with this theme also.
The stereo head unit is a Panasonic CQ-VX5500D. It’s a glorious double-DIN unit with level meters for the left and right channels. The CD and radio works fine, but the Minidisc does not (who cares). I added an external bluetooth unit, so you can answer calls and stream music. The door speakers have been upgraded to Alpine units. To be honest, it’s mainly for looks, especially with the top down, as you can’t hear much over the wind noise and exhaust note. I added a wind breaker from a mk2, which helps a little, but being at one with the outside is what the MX5 is all about.
The clock faces have been upgraded to a Porsche-style one from RevLimiter. This also allowed me to change it to kilometers, as the stock ones were in miles. Note: the odometer is still in miles.
More important than the engine swap, I added a 3D printed cup holder
Electric windows, no air con, manual side mirrors.
(note: I've added HVAC stainless knobs since this photo)
Wheels
The wheels are like new. They are a very rare and incredibly light Japanese wheel called SSR Type X (SSF Forged) Racing Wheels.
I've added spigot rings so that they fit the MX5 centre bore perfectly. Finished with steel "tuner" wheel nuts as they look cleaner and give you added security.
The previous owner of the wheels had them professionally refurbished at the cost of €500+ , painted in beautiful Arancio Pergusa Bronze/Gold color - a truly unique look. I painted the valve colours the same colour to match the wheels.
- size: 15x7
- Offset: +35
- PCD 4x100 and 4x114.3
- weight 5.2kg
Tyres are Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R 205/50/r15. There is plenty of life on tires around 4mm tread depth on two and 6 mm on the other two. These wheels generally go for well over €1000 when in typical 'used' condition and with good tyres, but mine are immaculate.
Engine & Driveline
The car originally had a 1.6L engine with 115bhp. It now has a Jaguar AJV6 3.0 engine with 260bhp.
When I first converted the car to V6, I had the car mapped by TDR Performance (Joe Power). Joe had advised that although the engine was making good power, it had some minor issues with big end bearings and valve stem oil seals. Instead of opening the engine and replacing those parts, I decided to source a replacement engine with lower mileage and a guarantee.
The engine was sourced from the UK and shipped directly to Joe, so that he could check it out with a scope to confirm it was healthy before installing in the car. It had 68k miles on it when I bought it, and I’ve only put about 1000 miles on it since.
Although the engine has VVT, early versions of the Rocketeer kit didn’t support it, but it still makes lots of power without this. If you want VVT support, Rocketeer sell a newer ECU & loom - I never felt the need.
It’s cooled by a Mishimoto aluminium radiator, with a much greater capacity than the original Mazda part, and a Spal electric fan.
The gearbox hasn’t changed, but the clutch was uprated with the one that came with the Rocketeer kit. I swapped out the open diff with a torsen LSD from a mk2, which also required changing the halfshafts with beefier units.
Brakes & Suspension
With more power, you need more brakes. There are 3 sizes of brakes on mk1 & mk2 brakes. The 1.6 has the smallest discs & pads, so I upgraded to the largest size, from a mk2.5 sport. This required changing the calipers, new discs and pads. The calipers were used, so I rebuilt them with a service kit including new seals and pistons.
I’ve installed MeisterR ZetaCRD suspension. They are designed for road and track use with focus on ride compliance.
Digressive damping with MeisterR CRD (Close Ratio Damping) technology, the ZetaCRD provides great ride quality over uneven road surfaces and superb control during occasional track use.
32-stage damping adjustments (Compression and Rebound Combined)
- Digressive damping with CRD (Close Ratio Damping) technology.
- Independent ride height and springs pre-load adjustment.
- Bump Stop and Rubber Boot included.
- 1 year limited warranty.
Spring Rate and Information:
- Front Top Mount: Aluminium with Rubber Bush
- Front Spring Rate: 6 kg/mm
- Rear Top Mount: “Exclusive” Aluminium with Rubber Bush
- Rear Spring Rate: 5 kg/mm
I added a damper adjustment extension cable on one side, as you can’t access the strut top on the passenger side rear (due to the petrol filler pipe). I coated all shocks with MeisterR anti-rust coat spray to prevent the aluminium threads from corroding.
Bad points
It’s common for the window regulators to slow down over time. The driver’s side one is now very slow. I checked the cables were in good knick and greased up the rails, but it might need a new motor if you can’t live with the slow windows.
The brake pads were sourced from a company in the UK (Rodders) that supplies pads for track use. As a result, they can squeak when you apply a low level of pressure at slow speeds (ie. stopping at a traffic lights). Once you understand what pressure makes them squeak, you can avoid it, or just get used to it. You could change the pads for more road orientated ones if it really annoyed you, but there is loads of life left on them so that would be a bit of a waste.
There’s a little too much idle droop at the moment. When you pull it out of gear (eg. coming to a stop at traffic lights), the revs drop to around 500rpm and then recover to the regular idle. In rare occasions, it can stall. This is normally caused by an idle air control valve not working 100% - I’ve ordered a replacement and will try to get this sorted before the sale.
There is a very small oil leak. Not seeing a drop in any of the fluid levels, so it must be very slow. Not sure of the source, but if you’re used to classics, you’ll know that leaks are part of the ownership experience
Why you want an MX5
I don’t need to go over how they handle or how back to basics they are. You already know all about that. Other benefits of owning an MX5 include the massive following, which brings with it amazing community & support, and the aftermarket. I’d argue that the MX5 is like the Classic Mini of today - there are more aftermarket modifications available than any other car on the road, and new stuff coming out all the time. If you want to keep it stock, Mazda OEM parts are available for almost everything - and recently started a heritage service offering parts you couldn’t get.
They are reliable, cheap to maintain, cheap to run and fantastic to own. The Rocketeer hasn’t really changed this formula. The S-Type engine is easy to get parts for, plenty of aftermarket options. Servicing is still easy with easy access to the sump plug and oil filter. The aluminium engine is actually a tad (only a few kg) lighter than the iron block Mazda unit, so the handling is unchanged.
What this car is, and is not
I built this as a road car. One that you can drive on poor surfaces and over speedbumps. One that gives near-stock levels of road comfort. The MeisterR suspension is perfect for this, as it can be adjusted to be quite soft. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a lightweight convertible that is low to the ground, but it’s not livable, not hardcore.
If you wanted to use this as a track car, I’d recommend some alterations. Most importantly, to protect the engine from oil starvation under high lateral loads, Rocketeer sell an uprated oil sump with baffles to prevent starvation. I’d also recommend getting thicker anti-roll bars - if you know MX5’s, you know they like to roll. I like this characteristic and it’s never too pronounced on the road, but it’s not suited to track use.
Support
Bruce from Rocketeer is a very helpful guy and I’ve reached out to him by email and WhatsApp many times to ask questions. On the ECU side, Motorsport Electronics have shown how fantastic customer support works, and have never charged me a penny even though the guarantee has long expired. They can also put you in touch with tuners that can help you remotely. There’s also a great Facebook group for people who own or are building Rocketeer kits. If you’re not on Facebook, there is a forum as well, but it’s not as active as the FB group.
Price
Pricing this car will not be easy. Prices of MX5’s are increasing wildly at the moment, especially the early ones. Mine was manufactured in May 1990, so it’s a fairly early one, and importantly for Ireland, now in the classic tax bracket (€56 per year). I’ve seen mk1’s in the same condition as mine going for €5-10k. There’s even a 1993 one going for €12k on donedeal at the moment - https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-mx-5-1-6i-convertible-original-irish-car/26153625
For those that don’t want a self-build, you can bring your MX5 to Rocketeer and they’ll convert it to V6 for around €20k. Note, this is only an engine swap - it would not include any modifications to the diff, brakes, suspension, interior, etc. so would end up costing closer to €30k with the car to bring it up to the spec of mine.
Before creating this ad, I decided to create a spreadsheet to find out how much I’ve spent on the car since 2016. Without counting labour costs, I’ve spent over €20k (including the car). I’m pricing it at €13k, as I believe this is a very reasonable price. If you are interested, but want it at a cheaper price, I might be able to work out a deal where I remove some of the mods to get the price down a little. I also have some goodies I never got around to fitting sitting on the shelf, so could do a deal on these if the buyer is interested.
Test drives
As this is a heavily modified car, your insurance might not cover you on a test drive. If you are concerned about this, I can drive and give you a PAX lap of Celbridge.
Some videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LezJ9M1x5oo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MwBkw8WoGM
