Total MX-5 – July 2019

34 | TOTAL MX-5 |^ Summer 2019

[ MONGOLIA RALLY ]

we might escape the 1.0-litre engine restriction that’s in

the rally regs.

After much negotiation we got the go-ahead from the

rally organisers and began our search for an MX-5. With a

budget of £500 we found one fine specimen that had had

six ‘careful’ previous owners, 105,000 on the clock and

electric windows. SOLD! We got the car back to our rally

HQ and made a list of things to be done in general in

addition to the rally modifications. It has to be said

the car wasn’t concours. The main issues

focused around the rear suspension and

the brakes. Both rear

springs had

broken,

the camber had been played with and the both rear shock

absorbers leaked. Furthermore, the nearside brakes

needed attention: we discovered that when they locked on

one day. We made a point of using the car regularly to

expose any underlying faults.

We were very lucky to have been given the full use of

the engineering workshops at Harper Adams University

(in Edgmond, near Newport) where Alan and I both

studied. We put new springs and dampers on the rear, new

brake pads all-round and two nearside calipers. We also

did a full service. As preparation for the rally we made our

own sump-guard and rear skid plate from 4mm-thick steel

plate, to save money. However, we found that in the hotter

countries our sump-guard did a very effective job of

sealing off the bottom of the engine bay –

this meant any latent heat in the

engine bay

Clockwise from top

left: Realising that it’s

not all going to fit...;

Alan fitting new

suspension in the uni

workshop; Mazda

Bonto in Hungary

donated some rear

suspension units; the

moment our daring

duo realised they

needed replacement

rear suspension units

Main image: It may

not look like MX-5

country, but the car

coped well