Engine out, a tidy up and general progress 1

The Bullet gearbox adapter kit has been ordered and is en-route from Australia.  There’s plenty to be going on with in the meantime, however, and have got the old engine out, along with much of the dash and interior to allow access to the wiring. I’ve also received the Toyota […]

Engine progress

I’ve had the engine on the stand for a week or so now, and I’m making okay progress considering I work for myself and am a single dad with a 5 year old with me half the time. So far I’ve taken off most of the top end in terms […]

Gearbox time

So I now have a 1UZ engine, a big V8 lump that revs to 6100rpm and produces peak power at 5000rpm (using the stock ECU), and it’s replacing a revvier 1800 inline 4 that hit the rev limiter at over 7200rpm. In my 2002 MX5 Sport, it is a 6 […]

That’s a lot of engine!

After trawling websites, calling breakers, looking at donor cars and generally becoming aufait with the entire UK supply of 1UZ engines, I found a chap in Banbury who sells 1UZ engines as “kit engines” which have been extracted from the donor cars complete with ECU, wiring, all sensors, pulleys, pumps, […]

The Engine 1

There have been quite a few V8 MX5 projects in the last few years. There’s been the well documented video series from Tom’s Turbo Garage with his Project Thunderbolt, not to mention the well established Flyin’ Miata and Monster Miata who both provide kits and parts to install the LS or […]

The MX5 is dead. Long live the MX5.

A few weeks ago, after making progress behind a rather quick Audi TT, I found the MX5 suddenly starting to lose power at the top end, which rapidly descended into a misfire and culminated with the engine dying just as I pulled onto the drive. An unexpectedly full oil catch-tank […]

Time for a change? 2

Kickingtyres hasn’t been receiving the attention it deserves from me for some time now. Some of you know already that, after being diagnosed with early stage arthritis in my wrist, I’m giving up motorcycles as riding for more than a couple of hours results in a hand that goes numb […]

Dakar rider numbers are out

The rider numbers are out for the 2014 Dakar. British riders to watch for are: 18 : Sam Sunderland 99 : Jay Paul 153: Jamie Smith http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2014/us/rider/rider-list-bikes.html  

ATRC 2014 dates

Provisional dates for the 2014 ATRC series have been released.   The calendar will be updated shortly to include these as well as any other relevant events such as the Hellas.   What are we looking forward to in particular?  The Pikes Peak event was fantastic last year, however the […]