Hi guys, I’m torn between either buying an NC or an NB. NC’s at the moment seem to be at the cheapest although I can’t find as much mod support for them, there doesn’t seem to be as many guides and parts to buy for performance.
For NC owners what do you guys use as references when replacing bolt-on parts? Turboing, etc. I don’t have much experience working on cars and want an MX5 I can turbo as a side project.
I’ve found an 1.8l NB, 6 speed manual with torsen LSD for 4000+. A bit pricey and outside of my budget but I do prefer the look of the NBs and there seems to be way more tutorials and parts I can buy to upgrade.
Before any of that check for front chassis rot on the NB and if that’s something you want to take on. NCs have other rot issues plus through in a sometimes fragile motor (the BP in the NB is robust).
If you want the 300hp, fit a V6 out of a terminally rusted S-Type into the NB; Jag S-Types suffer catastrophic rot on the sills. It will probably be more reliable than an ancient 20 year old MZR engine that’s ran low on oil one too many times.
Yea I think the BP 1.8 seems to be the most preferable, and I am aware about the front chassis rot that they suffer from but the one in question doesn’t have any at all and was kept in a garage and out of the wet, thankfully. The condition it’s in is really good, I almost feel like I’d be desecrating it if it fell into my hands lol.
I’m not really fond of the NC’s to be honest but they are the cheapest. I’ve never worked on a car before so the intention was to buy a cheap MX5 that I could play about with.
I was initially going to buy one and buy bolt-on parts, and if I wanted more out of it after having developed some experience I was going to build a new block with forged internals.
I’ve considered engine swaps and they are enticing, the only reason I don’t want to do this for now is from the lack of experience I have. Although I’d probably end up going down that route in the future.
I think that for your budget all you’re going to get is trouble. You may find an NB or NC that looks great up top but it’ll be rotten underneath. To get a decent rot free NB or NC you’ll have to be prepared to pay £7 or £8k at least.
You’ll most likely spend a lot more than another 2k to get one strong enough to take the extra horses you’re think of putting through it.
Have a re think, save more and spend wisely.
The 2k 1.8 model is basically the bottom of the range. If the £4k NB is as good as you say it, the extra £2k is money well spent.
You could buy a cheap NC and sink £2k just sorting out the issues in a 15 year old car. The parts are all a bit more money than the NB. You can’t do much with the 1.8 MZR. It is less powerful than the original 1.8 Mk1, in a heavier car. And if there is something wrong with the engine, you will find getting a replacement 1.8 is very very difficult, because they are comparatively rare.
The NB-FL is a good base. It will have the big brake kit already; sure that can be improved, but there are an unbelievable number of options. The Fuji diff might be a bit suspect, but here is another advantage of the NB; many parts are backward compatible. Suspension, differentials, gearboxes, cooling systems. The BP engine is generally robust; the ones in the late Mk1s early Mk2s might be prone to a bit of oil consumption due to sticking oil rings, but that was soon sorted. And even with that, I’ve never heard of a BP putting a conrod through the side except in the most big power modifications (400hp if you have the funds) And, as you have noticed, there is a wide range of tuning options, suiting a wide range of pockets.
Hi, I have a NC with no experience of the NB therefore can’t give you any useful advice. However there is a garage in Maidstone Kent ( where I bought my beautiful Scarlett ) Who sells only MX’s and he is always happy to give advice.
Would that be maidstone autocentre wateringbury? He’s been there many years and always has loads of them. I test drive a really nice nc2 there last year but ended up getting a lower mileage newer car for less, but it was a lovely car.
I’ve tried waiting but my patience is wearing thin and I just want something I can crack on with and have fun in.