MK Sportscars RX5-140 Build

[MK Sportscars USA]

46 minutes ago, MV8 said:

Usually it is whatever they are connected to that fails and blows or damages these components while away from home. These things are easily accessible on the miata, but I admire your optimism.

(11) 6mm allen head bolts to remove the bulkhead panel.  All easily accessible.  

I am an optimist, but I've also never had one of these components fail in all my years of car ownership.  Probably shouldn't say that out loud....

 

 

[JohnCh]

11 minutes ago, MK Sportscars USA said:

Just checked.... 13 lbs  of left over wire, plus probably another pound or two of stuff I've tossed.  

 

That's a big chunk of weight to jettison.

 

5 minutes ago, MK Sportscars USA said:

I am an optimist, but I've also never had one of these components fail in all my years of car ownership.  Probably shouldn't say that out loud....

 

Yeah, you just screwed yourself

 

[MK Sportscars USA]

Been plugging away here!  

 

Received the chassis harness and ECU from across the pond and started getting everything wired.  (MK harness, ME360 ECU and engine harness)

This car will use the OEM steering controls from the miata - wipers, horn, lights etc.  

We are also using the MK gauge set for this car, which conveniently integrates indicators for high beams, blinkers, alternator failure, and oil pressure. We will have one stand alone indicator for the CEL.  

This also necessitated the implementation of a speed sensor on the rear axle.  I tacked some small sections of flat bar on the inner axle stub shaft to provide the signal needed.  They say you should glue them on, but that doesn't seem like a reasonable attachment method IMO.  

Added a real oil pressure sensor, additional water temp sensor, and a new bosch knock sensor.  

 

The OEM mazda clocks can be used if preferred, even with the aftermarket harnesses.  

 

We decided to reuse the hazard switch from the miata - as the double pole switch makes the job clean and simple with no parasitic draw.  A single pole switch will leave the battery powered to the flasher, which doesn't draw much current - but 0 seems a lot better. 

 

The only wiring left at this point is the dashboard - which will have it's own harness so that it can easily be removed from the car should the need arise for future modifications.  

 

A few pics attached for your pleasure....

 

 

 

 

[MV8]

The horn opening should point down so rain or water from a pressure washer is less likely to enter and ruin it or freeze.

[MK Sportscars USA]

Lots of progress made on the car.  

Been going fairly smoothly - still waiting on an exhaust header from MK which has prevented finishing the bodywork - but it's finally in route!

 

All electrical is finished, all gauges and sensors work.  I briefly started the engine over the weekend, using a basemap for the ME360 ECU.   No issues there fortunately.    

 

Body has been trimmed and dry fit - not too bad though, a small cutoff wheel and a bandfile make the job pretty simple.   

 

Interior panels are drilled for final assembly.  

 

Rear fenders and boot bin fitted.  Fuel fill assembly completed.  

 

She's getting pretty close! 

 

Windshield and wipers / squirter will be the next step of the build.  

 

Any questions, let me know!

 

 

 

 

 

[MK Sportscars USA]

Plenty of progress has been made over the past few weeks.  

 

Headers arrived and installed.  

This car will have a carbon muffler, the stainless is just for testing.  Of course carbon looks nice, but the biggest advantage is the fact that it won't burn you like the stainless will - I made that mistake after the first test drive... And still have the mark to prove it!

 

The car has now been successfully tuned, and has about 50 miles on her.  I used Alex Hickson over at Digitune in the UK (Obviously a remote tune)  First time using him and it was a very pleasant experience.  Look forward to working with him more down the road.  

 

I'm pleasantly surprised how peppy she it, it's a nice balance of power for such a light chassis.   My personal car is pushing a lot more power, this was the car I was most anxious to "feel" for comparison.  She's no slouch!     

 

Seems like it took forever to get the protective coating off the rotors, just so hard to build heat in the brakes.  But they are working great now.  

 

The only puzzler was that the car would continue to run for 2-3 seconds after shutting her down - but only intermittently, and only after a longer drive. 

Turns out that if you cut off the ignition while the cooling fan was on, it would turn into a generator as it spun down - keeping the ECU and coils alive.  Slapped a 50A diode in there and the mystery is solved.  

 

Still have a few odds and ends to finish up here, and a few parts coming in on the next container from MK (Seats, muffler, rear bulkhead, etc) she's quite close to being complete.