Picked up the car.

[xelasnave]

Well to be correct I took delivery ..Pick it up I dont think so... I am not Strongmanmike:D

The car is great the steering wheel is right in front of you and the foot pedals are located on the floor. Everything is where I like it..it is as if I designed the lay out..got it up to 140 but then ran out of driveway;)

I knocked out of place one of the coffee cup holders:eyepop: honestly a sports car with cup holders??? The brochure for the new one suggests their target market are complete wank...s.. it was concerning that the optional extras were things like bluetooth and phone chargers...no beefy suspension or a hot chip...anyways their target market..I am it:lol:

So I rang the guy who sold the one I was going to test drive and told him in an effort to see if I liked the 2 ltr I bought one today but am still testing it but I think I will order a new one...did his head in..but guess what you only have to put down $1000 and wait 12 weeks.. .he admitted maybe 14 weeks:D ...so I am thinking lay down a grand and when it arrives offer to step aside so someone who wants it now can buy it... I know if I was offerred that deal I would take it..and there must be unacceptable waiting lists all over that will see golk paying to get it now.


I got it home but now I am bored:P I might buy another $4 pocket watch.

Alex

[Hans Tucker]

Cup Holders ... Millennials sports car? Even my beloved but yet to own Honda Civic Type R has the damn things.

[xelasnave]

I cant believe it..no ash trays that I can see.
Alex

[Hans Tucker]

Butt Suckers never use them anyway .. they just ditch them out the window without a care.

[xelasnave]

Such a waste all that unsmoked stuff just thrown away.

What I took for the alarm switchy on and offy thingy did not seem to work..one of them..so I see a little switch and figure the dead battery must be in there..but pulled and out came a key... Neat idea.

Alex

[xelasnave]

So I took it for a drive around the route that I bought it for.

I did not go fast but just enjoyed the scenery...the Clarence River is up a bit so a decent rain will bring flooding I expect...drove up "the cutting" a beautiful drive and down the other side and crossed The Rocky River approaching Tabulam from the West.And crossed the Clarence again via the new bridge.

I wanted to have a coffee at the cafe but there were cars and trucks everywhere such that there was not a parking spot close enough for me to walk into the cafe.. so back home.

It did not rain while I was out but I left the top up because if I put it down the rain would dump on me for sure.

I must say that it does not feel "sporty" although I think it will handle very well when I get used to driving it a little more " sporty".

Overall I am very happy that I bought this car because it was done for no other reason than I felt like buying it.

Tomorrow I may drive to Tenterfield as the road there is very demanding and Tenterfield is a nice place to visit..if my feet were ok I would go see the falls as they should be raging with all the rain.

Thanks for listening.

Alex

[leon]

Alex take care my friend it is red ya know, they do go faster:eyepop:
Leon :thumbsup:

[glend]

Great news Alex. I agree red sports cars do go faster, even sitting in the garage. They are also stopped by the police more often (speaking from experience). As to cup holders, some brands never had cup holders, French cars are an example, because they are expected to stop for an appropriate coffee.

I hope you have that shelter up because the rain is everywhere this week. :thumbsup:

[Startrek]

Alex,
Great news
Enjoy the new car and the smell that comes with it , doesn’t all last that long.....
Also don’t lose the key , a replacement key these days costs as much as the damn car
Im hoping this crap weather clears soon so we can see some of your images captured from that big beast of a rig in your Obs

Best always
Martin

[taminga16]

Alex, ash trays are now an added accessory and they look like and awkward coffee cup withe a flip lid and fit perfectly into the 'Cup holders', ridiculous.
P.S. would I be correct in thinking that your new car is a Mazda?
Greg.

[xelasnave]

Thanks to all..just to clear up what I finally purchased here is another photo.
Alex

[taminga16]

Lovely Alex,
I have a 2009 model, it is my second and I love it.
Greg.
P.S. The image was taken in the Caldera of Mount Franklin in Central Victoria.

[xelasnave]

Nice
Alex

[The_bluester]

Nice, I have always had a soft spot for the MX5, the early NB in particular (Or an early NA before things got tight financially and odd things like a fully functioning oil pressure gauge disappeared) I am from the Colin Chapman "Add lightness" mold when it comes to sports cars so the early ones appeal most to me. I would be happy without power steering even, though I am old enough to like aircon even in a ragtop.

[xelasnave]

I became interested in them only four years ago when I was offered an early model for only $3500 and how I wish I had bought it, but I had no where to keep it in Sydney.

I cant remember the year model but it was "the" one that I expect in fifty years will be worth a million and the one I purchased maybe $3500..It boasted one of the most rigid sub frames second only to Porches...I cant remember which year unfortunately but when I do I may hunt one down..now probably $15000:D

This one I bought is not what I think of when you say sports car...my favourite sports car is the Caterham .. not necessarily the top model either, which has a power to weight ratio better than the Bugatti top model...but a 1500 cc would make me happy...although I cant do manual these days so there is no point thinking of one as there is no way I could have one with auto..just not right.

So the car sat out in the rain all night so I dont know what to expect but my feet are so crook I cant get out to look..I am going to stop my meds for some relief as the pain is a little too much.

Alex

[LewisM]

Alex, please be aware of these little boogers and aging.

No word of a lie, here in Canberra there is a well known transgender personality (formerly on the TV) that drives an older MX5. She is shall we say in the older generation, tallish (when wearing heels) and absolutely positively struggles getting in and out of it, especially using her walking stick. She literally drops down into it, legs akimbo out the side. It's painful to watch (and she rudely refuses any offer of help)

I see her very frequently as she goes to the same local IGA as we do. It is awfully inconvenient for her yet she persists with it (and can't drive it well - always screaming it into gear because she thinks you need high revs before engaging it in reverse - ah well, its a good attention getting response anyway).

[xelasnave]

In order to not attract attention I am going to wear this:D ( see photo herewith)

I have no trouble getting in or out which given my condition is a big surprise...clearly it was meant to be..I dont think either my walker or wheel chair will fit in the boot so I am limited to days where I only need a walking stick...I would go look at the car using my wheel chair but the ground is so mushy I dont think I will bother.
Alex

[LewisM]

Oh, the KFC Dunce hat :P

[xelasnave]

OR...this

Alex

[JA]

Have fun and enjoy your new car Alex

Best
JA

[xelasnave]

Thanks JA.

Well I just had to look and see if the car leaked so with extreme difficulty dragged myself out there to be rewarded with peace of mind...no leaks...that flimsy little top surprises me as I felt it would be no match for the rain last night..70 mm...

So very happy.

Hopefully we get the little rag car port up tomorrow and fit some brackets on the track and posts of the roll off to make things more secure.

Alex

[JA]

Convertibles are wonderful, but with rag top versions keep the top clean and avoid dirt / moss / lichen buildup issues. Oh and there's the other thing, that once happened to one of mine .... Watch where you park them: they're apparently very easy to open with a knife.

Best
JA

[xelasnave]

I kept my little Hyundai because the mx5 is just so impractical...I just now drove into Tabulam and talked my daughter into helping me out given I cant walk. I can find spots on my feet to use the pedals thankfully...but as I was getting out noticed a button " sport" so later I am going to press that button and see what that is about.

Happily my filter draws were at the post office..the ones I got from my favourite astronomy shop..Bintel.. these are the last things but assembly may not happen until my feet and hands become operative. With the weather who cares...
Alex

[JA]

Hi Alex,

I'm sure it's like many autos that have such a button: the transmission will hold the gear to a higher engine speed (RPM) than usual, giving you that little bit of extra acceleration in the lower gear. It may not be a specific hard limit as what is usual can change with adaptive/fuzzy logic control of the transmission as it learns the driver's driving style.

Best
JA

[The_bluester]

It is a Japanese ragtop not an old British one, it will be fine. We had an MG Midget at one point and the roof (Which was new when we put it on the road) more sort of divided the water between inside and outside the car rather than keeping it out. It leaked both ways, water in and oil out.

[xelasnave]

Thanks JA...Is that all? You can do that with the stick.

I was hoping for a different chip output sortta thing..telling the injectors ( it does have injectors I guess) to give it more fuel...

Anyways my feet are so bad I dont think I should drive the good spots on my feet earlier dont seem too good anymore. But I would like to go down to the river as I bet the bridge will be under...just to see if I called it.

So I will have to sit and take it easy..I am just so lucky I can see the mountains today..life is just so unbelievably fantastic.
Now the chooks have gathered at my window to keep me company..how good is that.
Alex

[JA]

You can certainly do that "with the stick" if it's a manual, but your's is an auto yes? Although it does depend on how yours implements the driver initiated gear selection and how long it holds it in gear. usually the "sport" button on an auto simply raises the upshift point maybe in concert with the fuzzy/adaptive logic in the transmission control.

Best is to try it and see if the shift point changes with the car in AUTO & Drive with the SPORT mode OFF and then ON.



That would be great but would require 2 concurrent/ selectable ECU maps/programs. Possible yes, but I doubt it.

Best
JA

PS: Come to think of it and in trying to give the fullest possible answer, one can cheat the ECU (not a good idea unless you understand every possibility) by telling it has a different intake air temperature than what it really has. This trick could be done with an appropriately placed resistor switched in and out of circuit. I doubt a car company would ever consider such a modification, but I'm sure some enthusiasts might try. It's not really recommended unless you know the cars fuel/air, power and thermal limits and can measure them to understand the changes. I wouldn't do it, but if I had a car I liked I might consider having the ECU remapped (chipped), but who knows: your insurance may vary. Undertake such at own risk

[xelasnave]

It is auto and you move the stick to the left to control gear change from what I can tell.
Thank you very much for explaining things.
Maybe I should get a turbo and a nitrous kit:P
Alex

[The_bluester]

I would not ever bother with the old "Fool it with resistors" stuff. That really only had a place a couple of decades ago when aftermarket ECU's were rare and prohibitively expensive and factory ones were mysterious black boxes. A semi factory hotted up model (The Australian built Nissan Skyline GTS2) had an "interceptor" add on module to modify inputs and/or outputs to make it run properly with the far wilder camshaft they fitted to that car than the factory one as even for SVD, modifying the factory ECU was a no-no in 1989. Now with an half reasonable aftermarket ECU they would make more power, produce lower emissions and be nicer to drive!

Modern cars don't leave a whole lot on the plate as far as easy gains for a retune to be worthwhile, not run of the mill petrol models anyway.

Alex, if it is anything like MX5's of old, the top half of the rev range is where it will sing! A friend had a nice NB at once point and reckoned for an enthusiastic drive on a twisty road it really wanted to be between 4 and 6 thousand RPM to keep it awake.

[xelasnave]

I dont think my car is in the mood of earlier models...but thats ok once I get used to it I am sure it will have more power than I need or can manage.
Heck my little Hyundai is a handfull ...cause I am old ..I dont feel it etc but it would be reasonable to conclude I wont have the reaction times that I would say when racing bikes...
But a high reving unit is my idea of a sports car...but this new car is suitable for my age I feel.
Alex

[JA]

^As soon as you drop the top you'll gain 20km/h+ as well as all the engine and exhaust note. It's the vibe of the thing Alex:thumbsup:

Best
JA

[taminga16]

Alex,
I drove an Auto when they were first released and seem to recall that there were 'Paddle Shifts' on the steering wheel which provided a lot more flexibility.
If you are not sure image the steering wheel and someone will lead you through it and if you are looking for a little more 'push in the back' and a sporty sound a good start would be a quality sports muffler.
Greg.
P.S. When I purchased my first MX-5 an older (than I) gentleman told me 'To get used to smiling more often and be prepared to spend more on Sunscreen'. Enjoy.

[xelasnave]

I was going to try it after lunch but the Sun is fast disappearing.
Alex



I have it all worked out..they put something in the manual..so helpful.
Alex

I looked closely at the colour it is metalic after all...
So drove into Tabulam and back with the top down..I dont know why its a big deal it felt no different and you really could not see unless you really looked around.
But very easy to put up and down ... All good.
Alex

[xelasnave]

I must read the manual.

I went to Tabby for a great lunch at the cafe and on the way back decided to switch the "sport" switch... Well worth the money as it seemed to take on a whole new personality... It was noticable well before the gear change so I cant see that is just holding the gear change longer...to me it felt like the diff ratio was moved way down ..I doubt that but only because I dont know how they could achieve that effect... but it was like changing sprokets on my race bikes as I remember things...when you put on the smallest sprocket at the front it became a wheel standing monster.

Had the top down and was able to wear my Panama hat as it is rather protected with the top down...thank goodness my feet are even a little more better today as I was able to do some tidy up around the observatory...we just cut the annex off and there is stuff..good stuff..laying under it...but still so much to do as the tractor left huge ruts in the ground that need filling...half a bucket at a time is all I can manage but in time it will get done.
So all on balance is good...except for those dumb kids of mine who profess open minds but will not look at the science or other side of their position.
Open mind does not mean to believe anything I thought but to weigh all arguments...seems not..

Anyways stuff them its not as if one cant find the truth if you look for it...

Alex

[The_bluester]

The trick with modern cars and electronic throttles is that they can fiddle with the throttle response to suit different driving "Modes" Even my deisel work car does it, put it in the most sporting mode (In an oiler AWD wagon!) and it holds gears longer, kicks down more enthusiastically but also shows significantly sharper throttle response.

I have fitted an electronic throttle setup in my race car and have plans for multiple selectable throttle maps. Being a turbo car with power delivery best described as "Sudden" it will be handy if it rains to be able to switch to a throttle mapping that significantly softens the power delivery. Nowadays they don't so much map throttle opening as map torque delivery, you can have the pedal held in one position and have the actual throttle plate more or less dancing the samba though the rev range to deliver what you are asking for.

[xelasnave]

Thanks for taking your time to explain all that ...I feel better for knowing all that as it really seemed that what I was experiencing was certainly more than "holding" the gears...As I said I should read the manual..it is unforgivable that I have not even now but what happens is I forget to bring it with me into the house and getting there and back is such a pain and so I get inside and say ...damn it I forgot the manual well next time:D

Anyways much happier knowing the "sport" switch is there as in normal mode it felt like my little Hyundai would clean it up.

And very happy with the top...it is so easy you dont have to grit your teeth to put it up or down...just like opening or closing a door....And I can not believe how easy I find it getting in or out..I sit straight down or stand straight up no problem with my walking stick and just lift my legs ( with my hands) in or out.

At first I was not really liking its look as to me it seemed more sedan like than sports car but now I actually like its appearance..even the metal flake paint looks nice.

I am debating if I should go to Bunnings tomorrow and which car to take..I only noticed the tyres on the Hyundai are at the wear limit so probably best not to drive it but I have this fear of placing a decent car in any public parking lot cause there is a big risk of all sorts of damage particularly with folk dragging stuff around on those trolleys...I could leave it until Tuesday but then I will have more places to go than I will be able to cope with endurance wise...plus its blood tests and cancer dictors.. But I need another tarp and forty meters of 15 amp extension lead and maybe an additional roof for the car port which I forgot first time around.

Hang it I will take the Hyundai...even down to the wear marker there is a surprising amount of tread...I will look again as my earlier inspection was very casual.
Alex



How about a photo of your race car.
Alex

[The_bluester]

Unfortunately it is in the middle of what turned out to be a major redevelopment so I have not driven it in 6 years, 2022 will be the one! The last two years I have started the final push to put it back on the track (I normally do club level sprints and hillclimb) but when COVID lockdowns hit I sat on it over the last two years. I was just replacing an electronic dash that turned out to be a dud, but then it snowballed into a full electronic refresh including the entire wiring loom, dash, ECU, power control module, new fuel system (The only remaining bit from before is the fuel tank) new turbo, pedal box to delete the brake booster and facilitate the drive by wire etc..

[xelasnave]

Wow. Looks great. Thanks for putting up the photo.
And I wish you all the best getting back on the track..there really isnt anything to compare to racing.
Alex

[Nikolas]

I joined this thread late, Alex that is one of my favourite cars, sporty enough without being outright dangerous. Congrats and drive safe!

[The_bluester]

Yeah. I seem to be the odd one out in a lot of ways in that I don't think a car needs a bazillion HP and tyres the size of median strips to be a sports car. One of the best I could think of was the now well aged S15 200SX/Silvia. Around 1200kg, about 200HP, not very big tyres so you you really want to go and have some fun you don't have to go at a stupid pace to enjoy the car.

If there was not an edict from my wife that four seats are required I reckon an MX5 would be nice. Or if I really felt like brewing my own, a GT-Z, which is a mid engined ICV (Basically a kit car) based off the mechanicals of a 1.5L Hyundai Getz! When the car is comfortably under 1000KG, 1.5L will provide plenty of fun.

[xelasnave]

This is what I would like.
I like the bare bones approach and light weight.
Mind you I am very happy with the MX5 more so now then when I picked it up..I sortta didnt like it..but now I could not live without it...it is a great old mans car.
Alex

[The_bluester]

Yeah, a 7 of some description would be great fun.

[croweater]

My son has a Silvia. It has a knob on the dash to crank up the turbo. It is a little rocket! I was shocked at the pickup. Great little car.
Richard

[The_bluester]

The Australian delivered ones were detuned by about 50HP from the Japanese version by a brass olive inside one of the boost control lines to restrict airflow that would otherwise increase the boost level. I was tempted to try my sisters S15 at Japanese spec boost but common sense overtook me.

Still one of the most enjoyable cars to drive on a twisting road I have ever driven, I didn't buy it when she sold because I hated the driving position. Silly me as it is worth more than triple what she sold it for now because you just can not find unmodified ones any more and it was exceedingly clean, very low KM and completely unmodified.