Blasphemy-Burn the Witch!

[Old-Bugga]

I know this will get me in trouble however.........

You know how we all have speedster replicas. These replicas are, in the majority based on old VW Beetles. Now, if the everage new Speedster, factory built, is now coming in around £19 to £25k, then..........

I can't help looking at second hand Mazda MX-5's and thinking.......why does nobody make a fibreglass kit to re-body/cloathe the MX-5 running gear. Surely you'd end up with more modern mechanicals, a hood that shouldn't leak, and, best of all......... a HEATER!!!!!!

What does everyone else think?

[impmad2000]

My wife has an MX5 and I love it. It is brilliant as it is. It is not quick, just fun. Exactly what is required on todays roads. There is no need to change it (skipping quickly over the small detail of front engine, rear wheel drive)

[MdR]

......why does nobody make a fibreglass kit to re-body/cloathe the MX-5 running gear. Surely you'd end up with more modern mechanicals, a hood that shouldn't leak, and, best of all......... a HEATER!!!!!!

Because you'd end up with a re-bodied MX5....
Personally I don't like the water aspect, but mostly I think that the orginal speedster was at least kinda close to the VW Beetle in design. Flat 4 aircooled motor, swing axle, torsion bar, transaxle & drum brakes. There's a fair bit of heritage there that the non german, front engined, disc braked Japanese car can't match.
There is the small matter of the Beetle floorpan/chassis being easily 'adjusted' to the speedster's wheelbase too.

[Luke]

erm, I'm no Speedster expert but surely an MX5 has the engine at the wrong end?

[Gary71]

MX5 has the engine at the wrong end

Change the valve timing to make the engine run backwards, put the body tub on back to front, make it front drive, can't see the problem

[Bazaar]

what about early toyota mr2s, this must be a better choice, and some of them were good for 150mph, "scary"

[Old-Bugga]

No....no......I didn't mean for a speedster kit, I just meant in general as a mule for a kit car, surely it's got so much going for it. For not a lot you could put together a really praticle everyday kit car.

There are a few re body kits that turn MR2's into Ferrari lookalikes but....I've seen nothing for MX-5's

[Gary71]

There is some company in Australia that lengthens the wheelbase and puts a Lexus LS400 V8 in them...

I considered it for my old MX5 I had a few years ago when it went over 250000 miles... Sold it to a mate in the end, the sills were rusting!

Great little car, hairdresser tag only applies when driven like one

[Lightweight_911]

There is a company in New Zealand that's just announced an MG TF replica based on the MX5 'chassis'/mechanicals.

[Old-Bugga]

Aha.....over in the USA they call it the MX-5 the Miata.









and last but not least!

[impmad2000]

I occasionally see a BMW Z3'a-like. MX5 underneath, nose and rear lights from a Z3, would fool the casual glance. Also at one the Kit car shows, I did see a company selling the MX5 running gear as a kit to go with a Fisher Fury or something very similar.

[MdR]

No....no......I didn't mean for a speedster kit, I just meant in general as a mule for a kit car

Ah ha! That makes much more sense.