Owner's 2000 Mazda MX-5 (NB) 1.8i project
My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB
Read the full write-up at My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB ↗
A 2000 Mazda MX-5 NB 1.8i refreshed and upgraded from low-mileage original
The owner bought a very low-mileage, long-garaged NB Mk2 MX-5 and has been gradually sorting worn rubber, brakes and suspension while keeping it usable on the road. The thread tracks brake and tyre renewal, cosmetic engine bay tidying, a full suspension and roll bar upgrade, and ongoing interior and reliability fixes, with more chassis and cooling work still planned.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Brake hoses
- HEL Performance braided brake hoses all round
- Brake pads
- Full set of Rodders brake pads
- Tyres
- Yokohama Advan AD08-RS
- Air intake
- Universal cone filter with DIY bracket
- Number plate bracket
- Square offset plate with JASS Performance bracket
- Engine mounts
- Duraflex fast road engine mounts
- Door bushes
- Delrin door bushes
- Diff mount
- SuperPro polyurethane diff mount void fillers
- Headlight bulbs
- Philips bulbs replacing original units
- Exhaust
- Stainless mid-pipe with mx5parts rear box
- Clutch line
- Single braided line from master to slave cylinder
- Suspension
- New wishbones, poly bushes, MeisterR coilovers
- Anti-roll bars
- Whiteline ARBs with adjustable droplinks and brace blocks
- Rear roll bar
- GC Fabrications rear rollbar
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 2
- Duraflex fast road engine mountsDuraflex
Fitted to stiffen the drivetrain feel
In the shops
41.2mm Fast Road Inlet Valve ↗
Triumph Special Tuning (TST)· £21.67 GBP
Piper Fast Road Red Camshaft for 6 Cylinder Models ↗
TRGB· £241.95 GBP - Silicon crossover pipe elbow
Replaced stock crossover pipe, removing need for the DIY filter bracket
Fuel & Ignition 2
- Universal cone air filter
Fitted with a DIY bracket to replace standard airbox for better induction noise
In the shops
K&N Air Filter Blanking Plate (Universal) ↗Angloparts· €0.00 EUR
Universal Oil Filter Housing with Twin In/Out ↗
C Bradley Motorsport· £65.90 GBP - Evap canister removal
Removed as part of engine bay tidying
In the shops
EVAP Canister Fuel Vapor Emission Filter (L28E 280Z/280ZX) ↗
Z Car Depot· $29.99 USD
Gearbox & Drivetrain 2
- SuperPro polyurethane diff mount void fillersSuperPro
Fitted to firm up diff mounting
In the shops
Rear Differential Mount Bushing Kit (Superpro) ↗
Moss Miata· $129.99 USD
Rear Differential Housing Mount Insert Bushing Kit (Superpro) ↗Moss Miata· $59.99 USD
Complete Polyurethane Bushing Kit ↗
Flyin' Miata· $399.99 USD - Braided clutch line
Single line fitted direct from master to slave cylinder
In the shops
HEL Performance Braided Clutch Line – Mazda MX-5 NA/NB (CCK045) ↗
MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £34.95 GBPHEL Performance Braided Flexible Clutch Line – Mazda MX-5 NC (CCK059) ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £29.95 GBPHEL Performance Braided Flexible Clutch Line – Mazda MX-5 NA/NB (CCK034) ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £29.95 GBP
Suspension & Steering 4
- Replacement wishbones
All new wishbones fitted to address perished original bushes
- MeisterR coiloversMeisterR
Fitted to replace worn original shocks and springs, later adjusted for ride height and camber
In the shops
MeisterR ClubRace Coilovers ↗Moss Miata· $1,576.95 USD
ZetaRace Coilovers (MeisterR) ↗Moss Miata· $1,661.99 USDPerformance Coilover Kit, Sportive, MeisterR ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £657.50 GBP - Whiteline anti-roll barsWhiteline
Fitted with adjustable droplinks and brace blocks for handling
In the shops
Anti-Roll Bar Set, Whiteline ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £954.25 GBP
Rear Sway Bar (Whiteline) ↗Moss Miata· $181.75 USD
Whiteline Sway Bar Bushings ↗Moss Miata· $26.75 USD - GC Fabrications rear rollbarGC Fabrications
Fitted for chassis stiffness, despite fitment clashing with ABS sensor grommets
In the shops
GRP4 Fabrications Felgeneinsatz Laser für Capri-Laser-Felge ↗
Timms24 Classic Ford Parts – Capri Mk1 catalogue· €4.80 EUR
GRP4 Fabrications Engine Mount "World Cup Clubman" for Ford Escort ↗Timms24 Classic Ford Parts – Capri Mk1 catalogue· €459.90 EUR
GRP4 Fabrications Ford Escort Motorträger World Cup, extra verstärkt ↗Timms24 Classic Ford Parts – Capri Mk1 catalogue· €558.90 EUR
Brakes 2
- HEL Performance braided brake hosesHEL Performance
Fitted all round for improved pedal feel
In the shops
Billet Aluminum Brake Button by Jass Performance ↗Moss Miata· $34.99 USD
Parking Brake Boot by Jass Performance - Black/Red ↗Moss Miata· $48.75 USD
Hawk Performance Ceramic Front Brake Pads (Fiat 124 Spider) ↗
MiataSpeed· $140.99 USD - Rodders brake padsRodders
Full set fitted for braking performance
Wheels & Tyres 1
- Yokohama Advan AD08-RS tyresYokohama
Replaced hardened Michelins for better grip
In the shops
Yokohama ADVAN A052 Tyre ↗Retroford (Gloucester)· £0.00 GBP
Yokohama ADVAN HF TYPE-D A008 Tyre ↗Retroford (Gloucester)· £0.00 GBP
Yokohama Advan HF A008 185/60/13 Tyre ↗West Wales Rally Spares· £105.60
Body & Trim 2
- JASS Performance number plate bracketJASS Performance
Fitted with a square offset plate to replace the standard plinth
In the shops
Offset License Plate Bracket by Jass Performance ↗Moss Miata· $36.99 USD
Hardtop Brackets by Jass Performance ↗Moss Miata· $86.67 USD
Fire Extinguisher Bracket by Jass Performance ↗Moss Miata· $45.75 USD - Delrin door bushes
Fitted as part of rubber refresh
In the shops
Cobalt Delrin Replacement Door Bushings ↗Moss Miata· $25.99 USD
Bush Set, door bushings, Delrin, Cobalt ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £32.26 GBP
Interior 1
- Faux suede trim and gear gaiter
Retrimmed dash cowl and sewed a new gear gaiter for a lifted interior look
In the shops
Gaiter, gear lever, suede, cork/tan ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £68.00 GBP
Gaiter, gear lever, suede, cork/tan ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £64.50 GBP
Gaiter, gear lever, suede, cork/tan ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £51.00 GBP
Electrical 1
- Philips headlight bulbsPhilips
Replaced old orange-tinted bulbs for brighter light
In the shops
Xenon Headlight Bulbs ↗TRGB· £5.45 GBP
BPF Headlight Bulb (RHD) ↗TRGB· £4.95 GBPHeadlight Bulb 40/45 Watts ↗
bpnorthwest.com· $4.94 USD
Other 1
- Stainless steel mid-pipe and mx5parts rear boxmx5parts
Replaced exhaust from downpipe back
Photos
28 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
mazdachris · 2021-09-17T05:05:56-0400 8this post at My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB ↗
mazdachris · 2021-09-17T05:14:52-0400 6this post at My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB ↗
mazdachris · 2022-06-17T10:55:44-0400 2this post at My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB ↗
mazdachris · 2023-03-15T07:47:45-0400 3this post at My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB ↗
mazdachris · 2023-05-16T16:21:19-0400 8this post at My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB ↗
mazdachris · 2023-05-16T16:28:55-0400 1this post at My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
The owner bought a locally found Mk2 MX-5 that had been off the road for years due to a previous owner's health issue, leaving it with just over 19,000 miles. Apart from a small sill repair and a repainted front bumper, the car was largely original and in excellent condition, though corrosion and perished rubber were present around the rear subframe and suspension.
Brakes and tyres
To restore usable performance after standing, the owner fitted new front calipers, HEL braided brake hoses, Rodders pads, and refreshed brake and clutch fluid. Worn-compound Michelin tyres were swapped for Yokohama Advan AD08-RS tyres.
Engine bay and exhaust tidying
A cheap universal cone filter on a homemade bracket replaced the standard airbox for better induction noise. Later the crossover pipe was swapped for a silicon elbow, the cam cover painted, bolts replaced, an evap cannister removed, and the exhaust changed to a stainless mid-pipe with an mx5parts rear box.
Suspension and drivetrain refresh
Early changes included Duraflex engine mounts, Delrin door bushes and SuperPro diff mount fillers. A failing clutch slave cylinder was rebuilt and fitted with a braided line. After a trackday exposed understeer and flexing original bushes, the owner fitted new wishbones, poly bushes, MeisterR coilovers, Whiteline ARBs and a GC Fabrications rear roll bar, then adjusted ride height and alignment.
Interior and electrical work
The owner retrimmed the dash cowl and gear gaiter in faux suede and fitted a bucket seat on the driver's side, though it was later removed for comfort. A fuel pump connector found badly crimped was re-soldered and heat shrinked after a breakdown, and rear ABS sensors were unplugged during roll bar fitting due to a clearance clash.
Progress so far
The car has been used for events including a long trip to Le Mans and a trackday at Brands Hatch, performing well despite remaining weaknesses in brake feel and firewall flex. Planned future work includes a master cylinder stopper, new pads, silicone hoses, an alloy radiator, chassis braces, and new wheels and tyres.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at My Latest Project - 2000 1.8i NB ↗
Worth knowing
- A sticking clutch slave cylinder can be the cause of persistently poor pedal feel and black fluid, worth checking before repeated fluid changes.
- Fitting a rear roll bar on an NB can clash with the ABS sensor grommet mounting, so test fit before assuming an easy install.
- Refresh perished rubber bushes and mounts before investing in coilovers so the new suspension works as intended.