Total MX-5 – July 2019

70 | TOTAL MX-5 |^ Summer 2019

Although it’s not his daily driver, Simon Fox gets out in his mk1 as often as he can. And he’s on a mission to make it go quicker

THE TOTAL MX-5 FLEET: OUR CARS

If it sounds like we’re passionate about MX-5, it’s because we’re as crazy about them as you are. And just like

you, we actually own the cars we write about. Here’s what we’ve been up to. Photographs: Simon Fox

DECISIONS, DECISIONS...

M10 FVE has had a couple of
mechanical upgrades to make it
more fun to drive and to
prepare it for more power.
Plans for increased power
have progressed, although I
can’t decide if I want an easy
240bhp from a TD04 turbo or

175–190bhp via individual

throttle bodies. The former is

comparatively a doddle, but the

latter costs about the same and

involves a lot more work for a

lot less power. ITBs stay faithful

• and enhance – the MX’s
  driving characteristics, and by
  porting and polishing the
  cylinder head and fitting high-
  lift camshafts, the driving
  experience is a bit more
  interesting, plus they make a
  ridiculously wonderful sound
  when they’re on-cam.
  I use my car for pleasure only,
  usually taking it out of an
  evening after the children are in
  bed or before anyone is up on a
  weekend morning. A turbo
  makes more sense as a relaxed
  daily driver – albeit with a lot

of power – and the ITBs make

sense as an occasional fun car.

The 190bhp (ish) figure would

involve bottom end engine

work, but in my head if I’m

throwing a few grand at a

relatively inexpensive car, I may

as well make the power figure

as high as possible, and since it’s

already on 140bhp at the fly, I’m

struggling to justify the cost for

a 35bhp gain. We’ll see, but I’m

currently swaying towards ITBs.

Either way the car needs

other upgrades to take the

power. I already have the plug-

and-play ECU and uprated

brakes (although I am going to

want even beefier brakes, more

about which soon), but upon

noticing a slight oil leak from

the gearbox, it seemed a good

time to check that and change

the clutch for an uprated unit,

essential for more power. And

since the gearbox will be out,

why not do something about

that open differential that’s

been spoiling the driving

experience for me?

One thing that had been

bugging me about my UK-spec

1.8 is I didn’t do my research

properly before buying – it

One’s half the weight of the other

[ OUR CARS ]

MK1 1.8

Run by: Simon Fox

Owned since: January 2017

Total mileage: 128,343

Latest costs: £350 (diff)