MX-5 Lanes car

[FM155]

After a couple of other basket cases that I got out of before I was fully committed, I got this one online and got it inspected by a mate on his lift. It had some minor damage which was sorted by another mate at his workshop and I drove it home yesterday. Got a hardtop off ebay. Mk2 1.8s with LSD
Enough waffle, some pics..
As Bought






Rear end getting sorted


And home..

 

[PhilM]

Smart wee motor

Enjoy

Phil

 

[ka88]

Looks great! Seen a very similar lanes mx5 down at David cousins garage there.

Enjoy

 

[peter wilson]

Looking good Fergus. Bet it's a bit different from the 155s

 

[FM155]

Just a bit !! Been driving it a bit over the weekend since I got home trying to get used to RWD again after 25 odd years away from it. I need a bit more dialing in tbh but I was looking out through the side windows the morning after I picked it up because the tyres are a bit shot. They've actually scrubbed in ok now but they're getting replaced by some R1R's. Getting a sumpguard and diff guard made up for it too and it needs an exhaust too although I might weld it up in the short term.

Needs more power though..

 

[G N K]

I need to own one of these at some stage.

 

[DavyC]

Oh aye, that'll do the job! I envy those rear wheel arch curves... ours are long gone.

Let me know if you want any sump guard / diff guard pics / dimensions.

 

[FM155]

Aye Davy that would be great, took a quick look under it on Saturday there with @PeteMoore and all the mounting points look straightforward enough. Wouldn't mind seeing what some of the others are like.

 

[ka88]

Oh aye, that'll do the job! I envy those rear wheel arch curves... ours are long gone.

Let me know if you want any sump guard / diff guard pics / dimensions.

If you wouldn't mind sending me those too Davy that would be great

 

[DavyC]

Certainly Kyle, was about to post pics here last night but they weren't great, so will take some more today.

 

[zafturbo]

I need to own one of these at some stage.

I have one ready to go rallying if your serious.fully finished with everything done.

 

[G N K]

I have one ready to go rallying if your serious.fully finished with everything done.

Cheers but not my main priority at them minute

 

[zafturbo]

Cheers but not my main priority at them minute

Nor mine lol.

 

[simy]

What's the story with the Alfas in the background? Any threads up?

 

[FM155]

Got a few 155's..
Bought the first one in '98 and I've had it ever since being off the road since 2004 with a slooooow resto due to me working away all the time. It's a 2.0 8V and as far as I can understand from the owners club it's the oldest surviving (sort of) 155 in the UK. Not that it really matters because I like it cos of what I did with it..



This was it at the Nurburgring when I was working in Berlin in 2001/2002. I used to drive back from Berlin home for every big holiday which was nearly 1200 miles each way..
It had some rust in the rear arches so I got good second hand rear quarters and repaired the inners..










The others are a black V6, the Q4 which are also off the road awaiting work. And I use a 2.0 16V as a daily driver in england..
The Q4 is effectively a delta integrale in a different shell...




I also have a 1974 1.3 Marina Coupe that was my first car with my brother. We re-shelled it in the mid to late 80's and I'm gradually gathering the bits I need to finally build it into the car I wanted it to be when we first had it..

No real threads, posted in another thread a while back..

 

[DavyC]

Here's a few pics of our sump and diff guards.. Probably a bit over kill compared to some but have taken some abuse at the same time.

Sump Guard.
... .. (large photo's are a pain in the hole!.. ffs).... give me a minute..

 

[lynnsy]

Looking good! Hows the torsen treating you? I had mines at the alltrack last week. First decent run since I put in the Kevlar clutch. These wee cars are the best crack ever for the money & power lol

 

[FM155]

Seems ok tbh. hopefully get a proper run out at the springfling to see what the craic is. Tyres arrived yesterday so hopefully get them on tomorrow. Got a few other jobs to get done before i can get out there properly.
Keep eyeing up proper exhaust manifolds because the rear box is frigged. (man logic) but a mani and system will cost as much as the car did ffs..
And cams
and coilovers

probably end up with feck all, weld up the current box, slap a guard or two on it and cut the dung out of it...

 

[DavyC]

Hope the pics work now..

Sump Guard.

Welded on two lugs where the front of the wishbones attach to subframe.

110120144033

Got a guy to alloy mig the below bits together.

Trimmed and fitted and down a few lanes.

It seemed a bit overkill at the time but glad it extends towards the front and curls upwards, protects the power steering pipes and saves the plastic under tray too.

It comes back about as far as the gearbox drain bung

And more or less rests on the removable cross brace.

 

[DavyC]

Diff Guard.

Measured up and marked a piece of flat alloy, and got a local place to put a few bends in it.

it just replaces the original tubular frame. The 6 mounting points aren't in a perfect plane, tho they're not far away, so just tightened things up, and after a few tests it soon 'settles' into shape.

After about a years rallying the trailing edge had been bent / buffed / straightened to the point of cracking, so got the same boy to weld a few off cuts across the back end.

The only downside to the diff guard is that it makes a pretty good baler, and has scooped up a the odd piece of dry grass (like that found along a lot of old lanes) and then set it on fire!.. should really be fitted with a fire extinguisher and a good poking stick.

 

[DavyC]

Seems ok tbh. hopefully get a proper run out at the springfling to see what the craic is. Tyres arrived yesterday so hopefully get them on tomorrow. Got a few other jobs to get done before i can get out there properly.
Keep eyeing up proper exhaust manifolds because the rear box is frigged. (man logic) but a mani and system will cost as much as the car did ffs..
And cams
and coilovers

probably end up with feck all, weld up the current box, slap a guard or two on it and cut the dung out of it...

Did you go for R1R's Fergus?.. I was considering splashing out on a second set ourselves here, but near boked when I seen they've shot up in price a bit... bastids!

They have pretty good manifolds as standard (think the US got shafted with a cast one). I've made my own 2" (sensible diameter for our hp), straight through effort, repackable silencer included. Rough as feck looking, but tried to follow the science when making it, sounds great (to me anyway) and weighs a good bit less than the original. Cheap way to do it if you've the mig and a free day.

 

[FM155]

Those guards look the biz. The diff guard looks a bit similar to one I saw under one of the woodsides cars.
Yeah R1R's, mine were 64 each delivered. Was checking that they still have their e marks when they arrived lol.
Might have a dig at an exhaust myself, got a mig and some spare tube..

 

[PeteMoore]

Those guards look the biz. The diff guard looks a bit similar to one I saw under one of the woodsides cars.
Yeah R1R's, mine were 64 each delivered. Was checking that they still have their e marks when they arrived lol.
Might have a dig at an exhaust myself, got a mig and some spare tube..

I'll do you an aluminium exhaust whilst you get let loose with a hole cutter

 

[FM155]

Yep, that was good craic,
Took a while getting back into driving RWD properly because driving around on the roads is nothing like doing the lanes.
No hydro handbrake yet and could have done with it in a few places, Made a few silly mistakes that cost us 45 secs of penalties but main point was to get out there and find out what needs done to the car. Job jobbed.

 

[Liam Shaw]

@FM155 @DavyC Whats the wear like on the R1R's? I know there a good bit more expensive that your average road tire but if they last twice as long they'd maybe be worth a punt. I seem to be averaging about 3 events per back pair and the fronts seem to do all year.

£60 each with MW Tyres in Ballyclare as of february