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Go Back   Madabout Kitcars Forum > Mad Build Area > Tribute Automotive Builds

Tribute Automotive Builds Discuss your Tribute kit build

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  #161  
Old 4th August 2014, 12:40
WorldClassAccident WorldClassAccident is offline
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Mine has 205 on 5.5" wire rims if that helps
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  #162  
Old 4th August 2014, 13:41
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y cymro y cymro is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fatbloke View Post
A little advice please ladies and gentlemen.
The websites I have found suggest a 225 for the 8" and a 245 for the 9" but the people in the trade suggest a 205 for the 8's and a 225 for the 9's. I want to try and put as wide a piece of rubber as I can get on to these rims but obviously it needs to be safe.

Anyone got any ideas? BTW these are 15" diameter, not sure if that makes a difference.
This will help: http://www.tyresizecalculator.com/ty...dth-calculator

Looks like your requirements are bang on.
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  #163  
Old 4th August 2014, 16:14
landmannnn landmannnn is offline
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and then all you have to worry about is what profile to go for..
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  #164  
Old 4th August 2014, 17:56
Peepsy Peepsy is offline
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Default Front Arches

Quote:
Originally Posted by fatbloke View Post
Anyone considered putting wider wheel arches on the front of their MX? Just wondered if it might help the proportions a bit.
Sorry I missed your question before. This is my Mk2 with wider front arches. They do give a better proportion .
regards
Peepsy

[IMG][/IMG]
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  #165  
Old 4th August 2014, 20:04
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y cymro y cymro is offline
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Nice looking car


Last edited by y cymro; 4th August 2014 at 20:08..
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  #166  
Old 4th August 2014, 21:33
Peepsy Peepsy is offline
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Hi Nice to see another mk2 , yours looks very similar donor in silver. What is the colour code for your of you mx5 ? And what colour is she going to be.
nice job so far
Peepsy
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  #167  
Old 6th August 2014, 11:55
fatbloke fatbloke is offline
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Thanks for the tyre advice. Choice are limited on the profile because of the 15" wheels and I really want the same tyres front and back, for the look and just because I don't like odd tyres on a car (all part of my OCD). I think I will end up with the Goodrich T/A's which have a 60 profile so should fill the arches quite well.

Not sure what colour code the original MX was but it will end up red. I fancy the purple/red of some of the early Ferraris but might end up with the bright red with some white stripes across the car rather than lengthwise.

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  #168  
Old 26th September 2014, 13:20
fatbloke fatbloke is offline
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Tonight I will mainly be fitting new wheels and tyres - taken a while as I ran out of dosh. I'll post up some pictures, assuming I get them on before the light runs out. Woop! Woop!
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  #169  
Old 28th September 2014, 19:58
fatbloke fatbloke is offline
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Well I wanted big rubber and I got big rubber. Just need to make them fit inside the wheel arches now.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]
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  #170  
Old 17th October 2014, 20:58
fatbloke fatbloke is offline
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Felt the last pictures didn't do the car justice so here's some better ones.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]
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  #171  
Old 20th October 2014, 20:35
fatbloke fatbloke is offline
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Wooop, woop. My car passed it's MOT today. Insurance and tax in the next couple of days, suspension realignment on Saturday and do some miles to see what falls off.
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  #172  
Old 21st October 2014, 21:40
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That is some serious rubber! Enjoy your first drive, it's worth all that effort. I bet you will get some looks!
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  #173  
Old 24th October 2014, 08:22
fatbloke fatbloke is offline
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So I take my car out on public roads for the first time and stop at a local garage for fuel. A lorry driver hangs out of his cab and says "Is than an MX5?". How different do I have to make the bloody thing so that it doesn't look like and MX?
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  #174  
Old 24th October 2014, 10:39
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Mister Towed Mister Towed is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fatbloke View Post
How different do I have to make the bloody thing so that it doesn't look like and MX?
If you're looking for an honest answer and no offence meant, to me there are four aspects that give your car away as an MX5 as it stands, none of which couldn't be fixed with varying levels of difficulty:

1/ That hard top. It's unique to the MX5 and once the eye takes its shape in, the brain of anyone who's ever seen one fitted to an MX5 will instantly make the id;

2/ The wheels. Tyres that wide weren't available in the sixties, not even for racing cars, so wheels were necessarily narrower in those days. Fat wheels and tyres just shout 'MODERN' in an Ali G accent, which is fine if you only want onlookers under the age of 17 to appreciate your sick ride;

3/ The interior. Although the MX5 dash was designed to look retro it's still too modern and immediately marks the car out as a Mazda, especially in a convertible where everyone can see it in all its black plastic glory. The seats are also clearly a 90's design;

4/ The colour. Presumably it's still in grey primer which rather hints at 'bodykit on a budget';

So, what can you do to stop it looking like an MX5 in a party frock?

Sell the hard top. Stick with a soft top and think about modifying the shape. Look at loads of pictures of early convertible Ferrari's and identify design cues that could be included - the shape of the rear window for example - and have a top made or modified by a trimmer to look the part.

Wheels. Very personal thing, wheel choice, but what happened to these beauties?



Fit them with narrower, high profile tyres and three-eared spinners and they'll say sixties style icon not max power overmodded modern.

Replace the interior completely. Ditch all the black plastic, fit period looking seats, make a flat-panel dash with no centre console (my plan for a future 250swb project is to use the donor's instruments but house them behind holes cut in a flat panel with thin perspex between, think Fiat Coupe), hide the heater controls, fit an old fashioned handbrake where you can't quite reach it, strip everything out of the doors leaving them skeletal, make perspex side screens to replace the leccie windows, etc, etc, you get the idea.

Once all that's done spray it in Rosso Barchetta (fantastic choice imho) and enjoy the fact that sweaty truckers will no longer be shouting 'Oy, you in the Mazda'...
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  #175  
Old 24th October 2014, 11:03
Danny_HUFC Danny_HUFC is offline
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but what about the doors..........?!
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  #176  
Old 24th October 2014, 11:51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danny_HUFC View Post
but what about the doors..........?!
Fill them in and hop over the side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LoL

Last edited by froggyman; 24th October 2014 at 11:51.. Reason: spelling
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  #177  
Old 24th October 2014, 11:51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danny_HUFC View Post
but what about the doors..........?!
Good point, fit some classic door handles while you're about it and maybe add some roundels and advertising stickers to break up the shape of the doors.
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  #178  
Old 24th October 2014, 13:10
fatbloke fatbloke is offline
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I have worried about the roof but I don't like the proportions with a soft top. Maybe I'll speak with Chris about the LM mods I originally considered.

On the wheels and tyres, these are more 70's to my eye and my kids (15 and 20) hate them as the modern style is for stretch tyres on wide wheels. I couldn't find anyone who was prepared to make adapters for the wire wheels and trust me I tried. These will be appearing on an internet auction site near you shortly.

The interior is next. although don't tell the wife. Not sure what to do with the door handles, I'll have to see what is possible.
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  #179  
Old 24th October 2014, 14:04
WorldClassAccident WorldClassAccident is offline
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I struggles with how to 'lose' the BMW on my design.

The wire wheels were a big difference along with the higher profile tyres. I had Olsen Engineering make some hub adapters for the Z3.

The door handles were replaced with dainty little ones from an Fiat Barchetta.

The roof - I was lucky and the Z3 soft top looks okay and I don't have a hard top for it.

This photo shows the wheels and handles. It also shows how the standard BMW door is noticeable against the new nose and tail but it doesn't really show unless you really look at it.

The interior is the hardest bit. I didn;t want to lose the creature comforts like electric windows, roof, heated seats, air conditioning etc and I also couldn't afford to rip out and replace the entire dash so I stripped out what plastic I could and had new door cards made up and leather stuck over bits of the dash. It works better than this photo shows I think.

After all that I too have been asked if it is an MX5. You get a real puzzled look when you reply "No, it is a BMW"


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  #180  
Old 24th October 2014, 14:55
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Paul L Paul L is offline
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fatbloke - Belated congratulations on the MOT.

I'd agree with Mr T that the primer is the main give away.

If you are saving up for a professional paint job, why not give it a “temporary” coat of paint.

I posted these photos of a hand painted car on my own build thread.

Total cost = £35 including the brushes!





A slightly left field suggestion would be to paint the hard top in a completely different colour.

E.g. Body work in red and hard top in black.

That way your lorry driving friend may think you have put an MX5 top on a Ferrari roadster to keep the rain out.

Good luck, Paul.
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