I agree. Having more power doesn’t automatically mean you need bigger brakes.
The philosophy behind their engine choice was that they wanted to keep the existing transmission.
Back in the MX5 owning family again after a gap and now a newly minted member of this club. We had an S reg Mk 2 and then a 57 reg Mk3 a few years ago.
However, I have suffered a second mid life crisis (the first was building our own house but that is another story) and signed up for a turnkey Rocketeer conversion. I drove Bruce and Tom’s demonstrator Mk1 last weekend and have to say it was a complete hoot. Despite the extra power, the car didn’t feel overpowered or handle any differently at the speeds we were driving. Perhaps there are interesting differences nearer the outer limits shall we say?
The noise is the thing that really sold it. Yes it is expensive if like me you are not confident or competent enough to do it yourself from the kit of parts and a self sourced secondhand engine. You could get a Rocketeer for around £10k (or less if you already have the donor car) if you do the work yourself. Mine will end up in high teens by the time we add in the MX5 itself and the blueprinted secondhand engine.
So I’ve paid the £1k deposit, bought the MX5 (a low mileage 2005 1.8i Icon) and am waiting for a date to take it over to Farnham for the transplant. I will keep you all posted and once it’s done I will get to the Kent meets when I can.
Congratulations. Exciting times ahead.
Can I ask about the demonstrator you drove - was it the final version with their production parts (custom manifolds etc)? I know they’ve had a prototype demonstrator running on throttle bodies for quite a while, which has been enthusiastically reviewed, but I’m eager to hear impressions of the final product.
Whilst logic and common sense are frequently trumped by wide-eyed enthusiasm, and I should know having once spent around £13k restoring/upgrading/modifying an old MGB GT, I have to ask is it really worth spending that kind of money on a Mk1 MX5? Each to their own of course but how does the Rocketeer compare with a full Monty BBR set up? All that power seems a little pointless for normal driving so unless the car was going to be used on track days I would have thought it’s money wasted. Like I said, I’m not immune to the urge to spend money on cars that will never be recouped when sold; I’m just curious to know what people’s motivation is to go for this particular upgrade.
From memory it was still the individual throttle bodies. However the carbon fibre plenums (plena?) were in boxes nearby.
The car is still having tweaks done to its ECU to further improve low speed part throttle running but to be honest there was nothing a delicate right foot and some mechanical appreciation couldn’t solve.
I tend to agree about spending this amount on a Mk1 not least because of their age and price. I’ve gone for a late Mk2 as they are both younger and cheaper.
As to whether BBR turbo etc is cheaper, yes it is without a shadow of a doubt. The V6 is however quite different in power delI very and I’m a sucker for the noise. No, it’s not rational but then soft top sports cars in the UK aren’t!
A distant neighbour has an immaculate Stag, and one sunny day a couple of years ago we briefly tried each other’s cars. I was so impressed by the V8 burble and amazing torque, and he was impressed by how the NC was so much more nippy and agile.
On balance though, we were both happy to stick with our own cars…
good on you. Would love to see it when it’s done. Let us know when you are taking it to a Kent meet up. I will be there.
Great stuff, so thats 3 of us on here that have signed up…Andys car will be the first to be completed. Mine is due to be started on in the New Year. It will be interesting to meet and and compare…I seem to remember that Andys car is a Mark 2, mine is a Mark 1 so we should have an interesting range of cars to look at. I thought that the engineering quality of the components is first class, so am confident that the finished product with plenums and final Mgmt config will be great.
It will be great meet up in due course to compare and contrast. I’m hoping to go the Goodwood meeting on 29 April. However should be driving it before then around Kent
Talking to Tom at Rocketeer it seems my car should be sorted in February.
That gives time for me to put the new battery in (sigh), sort a couple of little surface rust patches on inside of boot lid and potter round the countryside when we get some decent weather.
Look forward to hearing from ernie100 and Andy on progress of your two conversions.
Hi yep looking forward to catching up. Fom my perspective I expect that wont have anything to report until the second half of Feb, but will keep you appraised. Andy …how is yours coming along?
Hello everyone,
I am also one of the future happy owners of what I believe is the 1st LHD kit, that I should receive turn key in february if all goes well. I took the opportunity to fit a 4 pot wilwood upgrade combined with larger rotors on the back, to complete the rest of the chassis optimizations already in the car.
happy to present it once I go and collect it to bring it back to Paris area in “La France”
cheers
JFA
Update on delivery. Seems the next batch of parts is not yet with Rocketeer so my February date is now sometime later.
I suppose the good news is that I can get all the non engine, non exhaust areas sorted at leisure.
Patience is going to have to be a virtue
The March edition of Total MX5 will have a review of the Rocketeer car apparently. Magazine on sale 22nd March.
Hi All,
I’m another prospective Rocketeer !
I was literally hours away from pushing the button on a turnkey BBR Turbo install when I somehow chanced on the YouTube test drive of the Rocketeer (these dark winter nights are dangerous !)
Needless to say, I’m now on the list for kit delivery in April and have found a 46k mile V6 that is going to be given the once over by West Riding Independent who build race engines for historic Jags as well as more modern ones.
I’m in North Yorkshire so too far to get to see Tom in person so this will all be done ‘virtually’ !
I’ve got a 3.6 Torsen LSD ready go in (mine is a Mk1 1.8) and I’m hopeful that I can do the conversion myself.
Looking forward to exchanging advice and information between us all and hoepfully meeting up at some OC event ?
Rupert
So if the next batch of kits of parts is arriving April, hopefully my turnkey project will be April/May. Just in time for summer he said hopefully…
Yes, Tom has told me April for the next batch but not which end of April ! I want mine ready for the annual Le Mans pilgrimage in June !
Wedding anniversary end of May so it would be good to have the car ready for that and a trip somewhere.
Fingers Crossed !
Lets keep in touch as things progress
Does anyone know if the guys from Rocketeer will be at the Spring National, and if so, whether they’ll have a car with a final production version of their conversion at the event?
I sent this question to them via their website but I didn’t receive a response.
Otherwise, will any members on here be at the event with their converted cars? Be great to see and hear one in the metal !