Can anyone comment on the quality of HKS products?
I’m considering the HKS Legamax (among others) for my ND 1.5
http://www.hkseurope.com/2015-mazda-mx5-legamax-premium-exhaust.html
Very good systems and highly proved their worth from the MK 1’s, i have two MK 1’s running HKS s/steel systems, i guess 20 odd years olsd and still going strong.
M-m
I hear that for Japan, they represent the “cheaper” end of the market, compared to Fujitsubo and RS*R, et al. Any stainless steel system can suffer manufacturing defects, such as seperating pressed joints or cracked welds. Like any imported system, the warranty is going to be limited. A few years back, the MOT inspector noticed a slight leak on my 15 year old Mongoose exhaust. I took the car over to them (fairly close to me); I had long lost the receipt, the supplying dealer had bitten the dusts years earlier. Mongoose took a look, agreed it was one of theirs, and diagnosed a slight loosening of the pressed end plate on the mid-silencer, swapped it out with no quibbles. I’m not sure a Japanese exhaust achieves anything better than a UK system, besides a brand name.
Goodwin racing and BBR are also options at the moment too, the challenge is hearing one fitted to an ND 1.5, there’s a good video of the HKS one, Mark Booth on Miata.net has good video of the Goodwin ones as fitted to the ND 2.0, it’s difficult to know what the variation will be fitted to a 1.5.
IL Motorsport are listing a sports exhaust for the ND:
http://www.ilmotorsport.com/shop/article_detail.php5?aid=5812&oid=2186&depth=3&page=0&count=1&PHPSESSID=0bbba18cfcaa296870493ea3640ad789
It appears to be the same as the sports exhaust Bastuck afre making for Mazda dealers
http://www.bastuck.de/content.php?id=1119
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0zSFPfVgPw
Then there is the Fox system, also German, who have a couple of different options:
http://www.fox-sportauspuff.de/index.php?language=en&cName=car-mazda-mx5-c-1_223_234
to fit both the 1500 and 2000cc versions. DC Performance is the UK dealer, but in the EU, there is no need to use a distributor like this.
Bastuck must be high quality if Mazda are using them.
Some interesting options there, the Bastuck Mazda listed one requires cutting the mid pipe to fit rather than bolt on to the flange, and it’s pretty expensive too.
Roddisons Motorsport 0114 244 5300 S9 1US have created a number of exhaust items
for the MK4, including a very purposeful single exit tail pipe rear box.
Moreover they are UK based.
HKS Europe hasn’t yet announced the EU list prices (HKS products circumventing the official distributor won’t have a warranty), but Rev9’s price for the Legalis back box is $849 plus shipping and duty; so £750 plus US shipping. HKS Europe. ILM’s price is £553, plus shipping, which won’t be that much; a set of wheels shipped to me from Italy was under £30 in shipping
I have one of these on order from Hendy Performance ( official stockist ) and I’ll post more details when it arrives.
See further updates below.
Please do, do you have the 1.5 or 2.0?
2.0 sport
Delivery was quoted for early January and I got a bit of discount for placing an advanced order.
It arrived today so here are some out of the box pictures.
http://imgur.com/a/wMjrH
Weight is 9.2 Kg exactly as published. I’ll get the comparable stock weight when I change it.
The tail trims are a sort of black chrome effect, presumably stainless steel but I’m not certain. The only parts that do not seem to be SS are the mounting wires, they are shiny but possibly nickel plated as tested with a magnet they behave like ordinary steel. Weld quality is nothing to write home about ( see detail image) but OK for an exhaust pipe.
Let me know if that imgur album link doesn’t work.
I may not get around to fitting it for a few days but I’ll try to do a before and after video if I can figure out youtube.
Now fitted!
Here is a youtube link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL4Z0myvXns
A very quiet system often quieter than the standard one. I haven’t done any serious driving miles yet so I don’t really know how it will perform on the road.
Thanks for the updates, will be interested to see how the tone develops after a thousand miles or so.
Currently it’s likely I will pick up a Good Win Super Street in the US, I have a business trip scheduled in a couple of months.
At last managed to get out for a decent run with the HKS box and the top down. For me its a good compromise between a rumbling fairly bass sound and an excessively loud one. With the top down its very enjoyable and although there is a hint of drone at about 65mph it goes away ( or is drowned by wind noise) at higher speeds. With the roof up it has a reassuring note and responds a little to throttle position, really just a deeper tone than the standard.
I am about to trade in my MX-5 so I have put the standard rear box back. Had the HKS box on for about 3000 miles and always enjoyed the sounds when pressing on a bit combined with the civilised burble when in traffic and in built up areas. If you are interested in getting one of these keep an eye on Ebay over then next week or two because that’s probably where it will end up.