MX-5 OC Forum

Hi 

Just joined this great forum as I am in the market to purchase my first MX5. I have always fancied one but have been involved with Triumphs for most of my life. By chance a few weeks ago I got a ride in my first MX5 a mk116i, that happened to be turboed. I was really astounded at the performance of the car, gobsmacked that you could get that sort of performance from a 1600cc engine. I am probably stuck in the past playing with old OHV engines, but this experience has given me a real incentive to get my own car. I can't afford to go out and buy a bolt on kit, and have decided to go Turbo rather than Supercharge. I will go megasquirt for engine management, can anyone advise me on what turbo i should be looking out for and the other parts required such as manifold etc. I was originally looking for a UK Mk1 18i but after posting in the Buying advice section and getting some great information,  I may go for a 16 Eunos. Also as I use my no claims on another car I will probably insure the mazda on a classic car policy which means it will have to be twenty years old so that is going to limit the choice of car as well.I want to start looking out for the right turbo and other parts as the auto jumble season is getting underway, so any advice would be really appreciated.

Quickest and most painless route might be the latest BBR conversion, but it's also an expensive way of achieving the result. However it works absolutely brilliantly, judging from my drive of the demo car.

John

Good luck with stumbling over a Flyin' Miata or Bell Engineering turbo at an Auto Jumble....

Actually, thats pretty much your choice; a kit from Flyin' Miata, or Bell Engineering (BEGI). Greddy are no more, Chinese turbos on ebay are ok if you like welding, HKS I don't think do anything for the 1.6. According to reports elsewhere, The new BBR turbo is  a rebadged BEGI kit, with a markup.

The cheapest reliable kit would seem to be the so-called BEGI Shanghai; their normal kit, incorporating a Chinese made turbo to keep costs down. From what I understand, Corky Bell has spent some time selecting and testing various turbos, to ensure they are as reliable as the ones he has used previously (rather than the pot luck Ebay efforts).

AT:

The new BBR turbo is a rebadged BEGI kit, with a markup.

That's highly interesting. Things so often aren't quite what they seem. I'd been considering the BBR kit for my car but was put off by the cost. I shall investigate BEGI. Thanks.

John

Vitesse:

Also as I use my no claims on another car I will probably insure the mazda on a classic car policy which means it will have to be twenty years old so that is going to limit the choice of car as well.

My 97 mk1 is on classic insurance with Admiral - as far as age goes, underwriters class cars over 10 as "classic". ie, change your insurance.

ps Welcome

See http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?p=4897123#post4897123

"Stephanie Turner" is a BEGI employee.

Very intersting I should find this, drove their demo which is stunning and have my car booked in. I am local to BBR so will be seeing what they have to say about this!

mikegale:

Very intersting I should find this, drove their demo which is stunning and have my car booked in. I am local to BBR so will be seeing what they have to say about this!

The complete BBR package is no doubt unique to them, with at heart, a BEGI system. I think their electronics are different.

Well as always made a plonker of myself again from reading to much into posts on the net! Finally had chance to see BBR on Monday, very busy at work. Unhappy about reading this I went to cancel my order which BBR were very good about, when they asked why and I explained about this post they laughed! I’ll try and keep a long story short to help correctly inform MX5 owners/members.


The post on an American site is correct they did indeed purchase this BEGI kit as requested by a customer and installed this kit for him as they no longer have their own manifolds and at this time parts for the 1.6. A long time ago BBR sent their 1.6 manifold pattern to an MX5 owners club member who’s friend owned a foundry to try and get a lower quantity than 50 made at a reasonable price, their pattern has since disappeared.

On 1.6 MX5’s BBR use a BEGI manifold as they have seen many manifolds and believe this is the best of the shelf available (they’d like to use another but it’s to long and requires cutting of the chassis leg), they still have and use their own 1.8 manifolds. The turbo used is a Garret GT25 to their own spec and ported/modified in house, the BBR heat shields and air box covers, pipe work, intercooler are all fabricated in Brackley for BBR. Electronics package etc, are all BBR items (hardly a BEGI conversion). They then took the time to show me a BEGI heat shield and air box and BBR items, this is when I could clearly see the difference in a BBR conversion. They were very open with me and would happily sell me a BEGI conversion at the price on the BEGI site as they have a good relationship with them. When we priced a BEGI conversion to the same spec as the BBR anniversary conversion with larger size intercooler, air box, ceramic coating etc and then added injectors, ecu, map sensor, fitting and mapping time, the price difference was negligible. Needless to say after looking at the quality of another company’s turbo conversion, I have kept my order and will have a BBR turbo MX5 which I’m really looking forward to next month.


Whilst at BBR there were two other MX5’s ready for collection with BBR anniversary turbo conversions installed a really nice blue MK2 which must be a member on here by the sticker in the window? and a very low wide arched MK1, both installations looked very tidy. I really wanted to have another go in BBR’s MK1 demo but this was boxed in with other cars. Neil was fine tuning their MK3 1.8 supercharged car at the time so let me have a go, I have never been so fast in an MX5 (with him driving) 250BHP from a 1.8!  I feel I owe them this post; they have spent a huge amount of time with me, before I originally placed my order and on Monday (whilst they were very busy) again! They are not a big company now, but extremely knowledgeable, what they do, they do very well and do not have the time to correct misleading information on the net.


Mike