Hi all, I am looking to get the above turbo conversion done, but my main concern is not the ÂŁ5K outlay, but the running costs afterwards. My insurance on my 1.8 MX-5 SE 2015 is already close to ÂŁ1000/yr and the car reports MPG of 36.3.
Can anybody who has had to work done give any more information on how much their insurance was following the work, plus increases to CO2 emissions (and therefore higher road tax bracket) plus any change to MPG. This is my daily/only car so I am putting some serious miles down yearly so it could be cripplingly expensive to undergo the conversion. Peter at BRR was very patient with me but didn’t have all the info for this, and I won’t make a rash decision without considering all factors.
I’ve been looking recently at reviews of bbr conversions for my NC. Personally I don’t get the £5k outlay for the turbo conv. If I ever do bite the bullet then I’d save the money and at the most go for either the 225 or 200 packages. It appears from what I’ve read that these won’t dramatically alter fuel consumption and create a much more fun drive able car which if your doing high miles is an important consideration… Maybe a chat with wolveswill may help as he has a very heavily moded 225 NC. He posts occasionally here and a lot on mx5 nutz?
Also interested in a turbo conversion. But the outlay if 5k for me having a 2006 car is just too much.
I got in contact with Skuzzle motorsport who said they were proceeding forward with a turbo conversion significantly cheaper. Of course this will have no where near the R&D into it as the bbr car and will undoubtedly be in a slightly lower league. But if it ends up being half the price of bbr or a DIY kit for less than 2k as indicated in some posts I’ll be biting his hand off.
There was a 1.8 turbo NC on his Facebook page, but I can’t for the life of me remember how it ended up.
Thanks for the thoughts and replies. I’ll repost this on the other forums then and see what else comes up. Would be useful to hear from somebody with the full BBR conversion
The 5k price on the BBR website doesn’t include VAT so it’s actually 6k you pay for the stage 1. None of the advertised mods and parts on BBR’s website include VAT
The price of the BBR conversion doesn’t just include the turbo, you get a new manifold, downpipe, intercooler, Bosch temp sensor and high flow fuel injectors, a new switchable engine management system and a load of other bits and pieces too. Go for the stage two and on top of all that it includes a new ACT clutch, exhaust/silencer, air filter and iridium plugs. Comparing the price of BBR’s conversion to a turbo only package isn’t comparing apples to apples. They can also finish the job with custom brakes and suspension. I’ve spent around £10K (including VAT) on mine, but I’ve got a 307 BHP / 245 ft/lb torque supercar for that. I would have to spend a lot more for this much fun or dump all creature comforts and get a Caterham.
I totally agree with you, my insurance was only 107 pounds extra and as for my fuel, if I drive it sensible I do even more miles per gallon, but that does happen that often lol
Thanks for your insights. Unfortunately the “best” quote on insurance for me currently is Adrian flux but at £1500 a year (vs about £1000 for my stock 1.8l) I really cannot justify the expense all told. I will however try out the other insurers mentioned here and see if there’s a big difference.