Marco's '95GS - Budget restoration, then LPG conversion?

[solo_ryder]

5 Lug ftw, those SSR's are awesome

[DeadMaker]

Thanks all! I'm kinda keeping this semi-tame, I don't want to get into exploding gearbox territory. I've changed the wastegate spring to 9psi, which is working out more like 7.5psi in reality. The car feels really quick at this power level, I'm struggling to put it to the ground so I'm quite settled!

XYZ coilovers are now fitted, very impressed so far. Ride quality is really quite comfortable for coilovers (on soft). Need to get them setup decently, but it will have to wait for now as I'm changing to 16" rims soon. Could go lower but fat tyre/alloy/ offset combo puts things a bit close for now, plus bottomed out the metal skid plate a few times already! It looks well at this height, it's amazing what a few cm can do to the look of the car.

Few shots up in Portrush for a day trip:




Future plans:
16s alloy change - need more sidewall...for traction and the comfort will do no harm either.
Finally fit rear end wytbishop poly bushing and derust/paint everything that goes with it.
Tweak coilovers/alignment etc.
Tackle rust/paint issues :/
Turbo seals are dying, china turbo does not like launch control.

Damn this is a GREAT car!!!Who would like to sell mx3 and getting what??
And how much money you will have to spend to buy an equal sport car like this one!!

[weede_klze]

5strud so you can install p&p 282mm brakes from Mazda 6 with calipers like people does in 323 v6

[Josh]

5strud so you can install p&p 282mm brakes from Mazda 6 with calipers like people does in 323 v6

+1 on that!

[Nd4SpdSe]

I love it, reminds me a lot of my car!

[marcdh]

Thanks everyone

And that's no coincidence Nd4SpdSe, your car was a inspiration for the big wing look.

[marcdh]

So this project lives on for now. I had started transferring things out of this car - carpc, coilovers, 5stud, sub, sub wiring etc etc so had to put it all back in after finding out my new purchase was scrap.

Finally the SSR Type Cs are fitted. I need to roll my arches a little, I had to camber out the rear to tuck the tyres under as it is. Some pics from Japfest:

[Nd4SpdSe]

http://www.marcharrington.com/mx3/japfe ... 2/mx4w.jpg

Love it!

[Mooneggs]

well done sir... your car looks amazing.

I really wish I could get a set of those plastic headlight covers!!

[weede_klze]

SO HOT!

[marcdh]

Thanks

Mark, I got those on ebay for very little, and there were two sets in one week :/ pity I didn't know you were looking... next time


So I've been doing a bit of rust attacking. I hate the stuff so much. Came out ok, paint match could be better, and so could my blending, but it beats bubbly rust

Before:


AfteR:


Before:



After:

[Josh]

Looks really good! Rust is a pain good work

[marcdh]

Thanks Josh. Yea rust is such a pain with these cars. I envy the likes of lotus elises with their FG bodywork.

So not a very exciting update but they can't all be!

I'm running about 9psi of boost now according to megasquirt. I was having alot of missfiring antagonising a skyline in 3rd and 4th gears. When full boost kicked in - about 3500rpm it would studder and splutter. AFRs were fine and spark seemed fine other than this area. I tried putting in 97ron petrol to no avail.

I put in new plugs, the old looked a bit glazed - too hot Still no difference. Recalibrated the TPS as I noticed partial throttle was smoother. Finally I decided to take off some timing. I took off 5 degrees around the missfiring section of the map. Went for a 4th gear pull and it was MUCH better.

So looks like I need to refine my spark maps. The extra few lbs of boost over my dyno tuned level seems to have pushed the ignition into detonation territory. Hard to hear what's really going on over the wastegate dumping though. Even with crudely whacking 5 degrees off the trouble area the car pulls like a train

[WhiteFinish]

Wow... you keep amazing me Marco !!
What happend to the ZE ?
Would you have some more pictures of the relocating of the fusebox and powersteering ?
and of course... whatsup with the ITB?!!??

Thanks ZE is out of action for now. The head gasket finally went a week after the dyno. ITBs were lovely, it was more an engineering project than what I really wanted my car to have. I'm not sure what to do with them now. Yea I'm sure I've some more pics. The fusebox is just in the lower section now and the wires rerouted. Powersteering similar, just used copper hose to reroute it, but the pics will show it better when I dig them out.

Found the pictures ?

[marcdh]

Nope but I know they're somewhere... too many hard drives!

I got a mention on an online car blog Yes I know my velcro number plate is wonky...

I won’t talk much about the convoy as you all know what they consist of, although I will say the journey was made sweeter with the addition of a TVR Sagaris and a quite unusual Mazda MX3 V6 Turbo!

http://www.freshfix.net/events/rms-10-y ... -bash.html