Your 270bhp Winter Upgrade

[Dommo]

With my swap to rotary powered noise, fire and little in the way of forward motion, I've realised I've got enough parts left over for someone to use as a decent winter upgrade... even if you're not currently endowed with a mighty MX-5 engine.

 

Summary: Collection of parts for a project to turbocharge an MX-5 engine, and even swapping to an MX-5 engine.

 

I'm fitting the 340bhp bits to the MX-5 I've picked up but not reusing the Westfield specific bits, so I'm exploring the idea of putting them together as a package rather than selling them individually.

 

Theoretically, there's a decent set of parts here to swap to the MX-5 engine, even from a current carb'd effort. Not all the parts, of course, but a fair amount of them.

 

For those already blessed with an MX-5 engine and aftermarket ECU

Manifold and downpipe for 1.8 engine, subaru turbo fitment:

That was as received, so the downpipe has now been finished as opposed to tack welded there. It's 2.75" in diameter which coupled to a 2" silencer (internal, not external of course) flowed plenty well enough to support a TD04-13T turbo, but just in case you've got your eyes on more noise, or power, I've got a 2.75" Simpsons silencer that mounts straight to it as well.

 

To cool things back down, there's a Radtec radiator and intercooler combo, which has been nothing short of magic for me. Intake temps colder than when I had throttle bodies, and rock solid coolant temps even on the hottest of days (hottest of UK days).

 

With fan and fan switch for good measure.

 

£700

 

For those blessed with MX-5 engine and standard ECU

Sounds like you'll need an ECU.

MSLabs MS2 Plug and Play ECU, for a 1996-1997 loom but it's not difficult to swap the wires around if you have a different year loom. They tend to use the same basic feeds just in different places.

 

Edit: Forgot to add - also have a map for a TD04-13T turbo and RX-8 injectors, so there's an expense spared. Obviously would still be worth a check on the rolling road but won't require a full mapping session if you go down that route.

 

£300

 

For those yet to be blessed with an MX-5 engine

You'll need an MX-5 engine, and things to bolt it to. I've got a few, so can mix and match between a Mk1 1.8 to a Mk2.5 1.8, just depends on the needs really.

There's also an MX-5 5 speed gearbox, engine mounts, unicorn sump (winged, baffled and crucially doesn't leak), oil cooler and coolant reroute kit to make the plumbing really, really simple.

 

£700

 

You'll still need a turbo and injectors (RX-8 yellows is a straight swap) to get to 270bhp, and then I'd recommend you stick around 250bhp or lower, so this is only most of what you need for an awesome winter upgrade. That's false advertising a bit, sorry, I knew that when I wrote the title but I only broke the rule in a specific way, so that's ok.

 

Sarcasm aside, I doubt there's a cheaper way of making a decent level of power and keeping a decent level of driveability. Stick to a TD04 turbo unless you're entirely track focussed and slightly mad and you've got yourself something to keep you very entertained during Lockdown II... inside the garage and out of it.

[Dommo]

Post updated - forgot to mention that I've got a map that can go with the ECU which would save a few hundred in mapping 👍

[DMc]

Hi mate, which of the mx5 geabox's do you have?

[Dommo]

The Mk1 5 speed, won't bolt up to an Ecoboost I'm afraid.

[DMc]

no problem pal thanks 

[Dommo]

Pre-weekend bump for some incredibly cheap power