I compete in sprint events in an NC Sport 2.0. Standard class so no mods allowed. I rarely do track days but I have done a couple, Brands and Lydden, this summer. The car is excellent as it is. Not a single oil problem throughout the season. That car for sale above looks the bizness though. A year ago I’d have snapped it up.
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Four years ago I was given a 2k NBFL SV-T which turned out to have a 1.8vvt engine, since tested with 138hp on a rolling road, six speed box, no MX5 has overdrive, and limited slip differential and Bilstein non adjustable shocks, incredibly, to green eared me, all as standard when it left the factory.
Since I have sorted out the rust, PSE so not cheap, it has been kept standard and well serviced;- including doing the water pump, cambelt and anciliaries, fitted fresh brake pads annually and fitted non standard 50 profile, over original 45 profile, Michelin PS3’s which are good for at least 20,000 miles, and a non mandatory fire extinguisher.
I have done a couple of trackdays at Castle Combe, and competed in over a dozen hillclimbs and sprints and driven well over 40,000 miles, daily use and on tours that have included a liesurely John O’Groats to Lands End in 15 hours followed immediately by a 200 mile drive home to make it 1000 miles in 24 hours, my six foot frame was sufficiently comfortable to have gladly gone straight on to drive 1000 miles more.
When the original exhaust got a bit ropey I went for a stainless system with no baffles in the back box from a local exhaust specialist, sounds nice but no discernable improvement in performance.
At 100k the spigot bearing started getting noisey so I had it changed along with everything else twixt engine and gearbox, including the oil seals and clutch slave cylinder in the hope these will not need attention for another 20 years 100k miles.
I am way past wanting to improve the performance, but if I did supercharging and turbo options are readily available similarly upgrades for suspension and and brakes are also available by the dozen.
These cars, which ever model you choose are so versatile it beggars belief.
Have fun which ever model you choose.
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I have a NB track car used for hillclimbs and sprints. My suggestion is buy something that’s already had the work done to it as it’ll be much cheaper that way. The more track focused the car the less you’ll want to use it on the road - I generally only drive mine to events. Other thoughts are the Mk2 rusts very badly (Mk1s also but less) so you’ll need to check them carefully for rust - MK2s at the front rails especially. Last thought is your budget as stated won’t stretch to things like S2Ks, but MX5s are fairly low powered as standard. So have a think what you want to do / if the MX5’s power is enough or if you’d be better with a different (more powerful as standard) car altogether. I love my MX5 but I’m probably doing 30 mph less over the finish line at Shelsley Walsh than some of the much more owerful cars in my class (I recall asking an somone with 210 BHP in a very light car and they were well over 100 MPH crossing the finish line - I’m less than 80).
Edit - I chose an NB as as a basis for my sprint car in part as they’re stiffer than an NA, more powerful as standard, most have ABS, and a lot have bigger brakes as standard. Mine is a JDM NBFL RS Equipment, so has / had 160 PS as standard compared to the circa 140 of the UK cars plus the bigger brakes and a mechanical LSD (later UK NBs use a different LSD that have a poor reputation).
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I bought a Clio 197 F1Team sport. Was ok, but at a track day I had a go of an NB and although slower it was much more enjoyable to drive so I sold the Clio and bought a 2.0 NC. If you go to an open pit track day you are likely to be one of the slowest cars there without any mods but it’s a nice day out and good fun.
Not sure where you live but we found Brands to be pretty busy, Snetterton is a lot nicer. If you get one, do something with the brakes before you go. you wouldnt want to find you need new pads after an hour or so. Ive done discs and pads, exhaust box, and fitted GAZ shocks which are adjustable without taking the wheels off so can drive there soft and change when you arrive. A mate of mine has done a Clio as a proper track car but it’s a horrible car to drive on the road, so I have refrained from doing too much as I still want to use my NC on the road every now and again.
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Thankyou for your input, your example gives a great example of how reliable these cars are.
Comfort has never been an area I tend to focus on, but I am very impressed with your experience driving the length of the country with the capacity to do it all again. Great stuff.
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That’s a good point about buying one with the work done. Its so easy to get carried away looking at various hop up parts, when in reality sometimes the cost is heavily discounted when these parts are fitted.
Think i have accepted the fact they are not the most powerful thing out there, but it sounds like the fun is in the corners anyway.
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Is there a common upgrade for the brakes that owners choose to do?
2002 S-VT comes with bigger brakes than normal up to that point in production, I have found the completely standard set ups more than adequate for ten laps at Castle Combe or even two laps of the Nurburgring. Different pads and discs are available would definitely recommend looking for an NB with the OEM big brakes. Not sure what the deal is with the later NC models which have little / no carry over from the NB.
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I fiited RX8 front discs and calipers with Mintex pads. It was a major improvement as the original front brakes juddered when hot on track.
The right pads are crucial too, i found EBC pads to be useless on track, wiping out a set of Yellowstuff pads in a morning at Snetterton.
Ferodo D2500 were my go-to pads on other cars, but they’re not available for RX8 calipers, the Mintex pads are a close second though.
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I bought Pagid discs from Euro carparts 106.63, and Roddison front and rear pads form BOFI racing 97.50 per set.
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