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I find it interesting that the MX5 was effectively a copy of the Lotus Elan and that it has now been turned into a copy of the Lotus Seven!

Nice seeing an Indy on your channel, I'm building a Locost with an NA Volvo 5 cylinder, just for the noiiiise.

Can't see myself ever owning one of these even though looks like so much fun! Glad there ARE people mad enough.

I owned a Westfield Seight (3.9 V8) for a few years in my early 20's and i maintain to this day that it taught me to drive properly. Heal and toe was a must as there just wasn't enough grip to spin up the engine if you didn't rev match, instead the rear wheels would under rotate which basically feels like pulling the handbrake on while slowling down for a bend. Like i said, it taught me to drive!!! Kit cars and the like, for me anyway, are what most people think a supercar should be like. But unilike a supercar they are actually genuinely fast on pretty much all roads and cheap enough that you're not terrified of damaging them and happy to have a go at maintaining them and modifiying them yourself. I'll never bother with a supercar but i will have another kit car.

this is just an epic idea for the old rusted mx5 s everyone has a mate that bought a mint mx just for it to be a lemon in discuise and i think this is a rather good alternative of restoring it and paying the same money as a full resto on one of those

So glad you covered the MK, they are a great company to deal with. I have a 1997 Sylva Striker with a CBR900RR (the original kit that morphed in to the Raw and MK ) and have just rewired it. I contacted the guys at MK and I soon had a loom and new dashboard with some great advice and fast delivery.

"I am not a number - I am a free man!"

I was getting fuel in a petrol station in Perth, Scotland. A boy tuned up in what looked like and Atom but it was a car based on an MX5. Looked amazing. I love this idea, many MX5 are beyond economical repair and to be able to repurpose the mechanicals is great.

JayEmm On Friends could be a third channel where you talk about the popular 90s sitcom

The gear shift is normally fantastic . If not - it’ll need a rebuild kit thrown at it . Very cheap and very easy ! Couple of waffle spring washers and a shift pivot bush and it’ll be back to glorious All done from inside the car

Hi James For me this is one of my favorite vids you have made . I built a Westfield a few years ago here in Western Australia & have currently a NC MX5 . I naturally watch a lot of utubes on the MX5 & am horrified how much they rot on salty roads ! Again well done .

I've purchased my mx5 2.5 and currently waiting until new year to start building. Exciting times!

As a Mk Indy RX5 owner, I love it and completely different experience to an MX5, Hella fun and gets the attention better 😂😉

Thanks J, good to see the options for old Mx5's. This MK looked a lot of fun! 🙏

What a joy to watch! Having had a classic red 1.8 mk1 MK5 with a stainless steel straight pipe to the block I can confidently say I am adding one of these to my xmas card list. Thanks as always :)

Great video, in the long process of building a Dax Rush with mazda running gear and this has given me a real motivation boost. I'm sure it won't be the only time I'll watch it too 😍

15 k bargain hope people support the company , race series would help .

Wow!. A road legal oversized Go-Cart!. The build is equivalent to a "Case swap" for PC builders. The difference being the suspension system (at rear) and a nice light chassis!.Good one!.

Hi James, many thanks again for a fun and delightful car review, however surely the big selling point apart from the price on a MK with MX5 kit is if the donor car is 2005 or newer its engine is Euro-6 which means it's ULEZ compliant unlike all its competitors, which in turn means we can actually drive it in our cities and towns without being financially penalized..

Great video. It’s never a car I would want to own personally but I think you wonderfully explained why some would - and should; cost vs. the Caterham being the most telling.

There was a kitcar like this for sale quite locally to me. Only the engine was a 210hp 1.9TDI. Looked cool as heck.

Hi James I think this is a great kit for the mx5 because let's face it the wee mx5 likes to rust a lot and this could well be a great solution for some owners👍 Love your video's as specially when it's not always super car's. No27 has probably still got heartburn from that pizza 🤣🤣🤣🥵

For those who want a more practical alternative to this MK for their rusting old MX5 could be the Rickman Ranger. It has a very similar wheelbase and track so all the mechanical parts would fit, as would all of the interior! The Rickman gives all year practicality with a galvanized chassis and a fiberglass body! It is a bit of an ugly box but very well put together! They were based on the MK1/2 Escort but weight even less when all the mechanicals were transferred over in effectively a re-shelling!

I built an MK Indy back in 2008 - great guys, great car - I have sadly since sold the car but endless memories were made - glad to see they are still going

Very cool car and video. Thank you for showcasing it. After the Felipe Masa incident definitely would get one with full cage and screen.

the best mx5 ive ever seen.

This is cool. One of these with a k20 would be nuts :)

I'll just like this vid 30 second s in. I'm sold all ready

Got excited for a second as this would be perfect for my old Mk1 rotting in the garage

Holier than mother Theresa's Swiss cheese collection. Bravo. Even JC couldn't come up with that one.

Excellent video 📹

That shot down the bonnet to the cabin looks amazing.

I am absolutely in!!! Never knew about these kind of kit cars, that are based on MX5. If this can be made road legal in continental Europe, there is one MX-5 getting rustier (un)fortunately everyday on my driveway, that might get a new future... :P

I was scouring the web less than a year ago for something exactly like this, very exciting to see!

I'd love to see this compared to the MEV exocet

Get a set of ITBs or even better a supercharger on it and that would be insane. There's always the route of turbo as well (I've got a turbo MX5 myself) but I don't think turbo would suit something like this, unless it was a really small turbo with zero lag.

"Sexy, no. Practical yes." That's what I have on my Tinder profile.

Good to see a non caterham review of a 7. I'm building something similar myself, a heavily modified locost chassis with a SLK230 kompressor engine and drivetrain

That is such great fun! Kind of thing I'd like to have done myself.

Very nice...I'd have to have a complete under tray though...Ha !!

Awesome video and I have no idea how you got the sound of you speaking so good, even with a front windscreen I could see that even being a problem I have wanted a 7 type car since I was 14 when I helped someone build a Westfield, for me they is no question that this car makes so much sense for a person such as me.. Not a fan of the dash setup so I would need to change that, the bonnets also not something I am in love with and I would love the look of the old front suspension.. I know the inboard setup is better but it's just the look of the old way I like.. all things I know MK would help out with. Oh and a nice ITB setup also 👌

Great, thanks James, I'm now looking to see what options I have stateside for a Miata-based kit car.

Not sure if it applies on your side of the pond, but in the US, NB cars only came with open and Torsen diffs. The Torsen has some unique characteristics, but they don't seem to wear out over time. Early NA's were available with a viscous diff, which was more about snow traction than lap times, and these did wear out pretty quickly.

I actually love the sunglasses!

You were having a blast !

Looks like you had fun with the car

James, pure B genius. As a Caterham fan, the only thing that urks me is the Japanese element. But that is just me being a stubborn olde git. Another top video. Thanks James.

I’ve got one of these… but built in 2000 with a motorbike engine. No reverse gear but it’s frequently hilarious.

That RX-5 looks like huge fun to drive. Nice video James.

If I keep my ND long enough, maybe it'll one day turn into one of these 🤣😎

Was expecting Wankel power but still satisfied. Looks like a great drive!

James, I'd like to see you review the Westfield V8, if you can find one... 👍👍

Grateful for your work here, watching from Toronto, Canada, eh?

That's very appealing, especially if a windscreen of some sort is available! On balance, for an old fossil like me, a used Scion FR-S/ Toyota 86/ BTZ makes more sense but it's still fun to think about.

Cracking little car and obviously brings the fun back into driving 👍🏻

Would it be possible to review their new Type-R engined option?

We have EXOCET in my country that is a lighter weight version of this. I would love to get one, but I like the form of the NA more.

Cracking video James like always, very enjoyable! I'm so glad to see another kit car brand on the channel, please please please more videos of other kit car brands 🙏 On my channel we have a 1991 Pilgrim Sumo Mk2 (1.6L 🤫) and a 2008 Westfield SEi (2.0L) but, unfortunately, you'd have to travel to Portugal (if you fancied doing a review on them 😅) Wishing you all the best, big fan of your work and hopefully I'll be investing in some better equipment to improve my own content! Your adventures are truly fun and inspirational! 😊👍

That's awesome. Great video James.

Pop a bobble hat on when it's cold... and on 7 style cars, don't forget the late Marlin Sportster.

Damn JayEmm looking fresh in this video

Much better value then a Caterham. You can pick them up second hand on Ebay for under £10k.

Great insight to what you get for your bucks, looking at getting one , looking at this and a GBS Zero at this moment.

You do know it's possible to both: 1) love cars and combustion engines 2) be concerned about the environment and want to do something about it (be "green")

Around here it's been raining for days, that's where these open top + zero protection cars are less appealing.

This is actually really cool!! Now if only there was a kit for an mr2 spyder to turn it into a mid engine 70s looking go cart…

MK's are something that over the last few Weeks I seem to have become a little obsessed with :D I have owned loads of 300BHP Turbocharged hot-hatches over the Years and simply got fed up of paying a fortune to drive too and from work and everyone wanting to steal my car so in 2017 bought myself a nice daily driver (Non Sporty) and got into Motorbikes which gave me the best of both worlds. Currently I have a 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa which I got brand new in May this Year, I was really close to taking a break from bikes earlier this year having owned the majority of bikes which I wanted to own but promised myself the new Gen 3 Hayabusa when the came out so bought one. I am a fair weather rider and now Winter is here the bike is parked up in the garage and I am already looking for the next replacement... Now I am questioning what I want to do next season and if keeping that bike is something I want to do or should I go for something totally different? I have considered buying a modern-ish hot hatch as a second car such as a Civic Type R FK2 or MK3 Focus RS etc but the way I see it is that both cars are just breathed on versions of the cooking models and offer so much practicality that other than the additional performance over my daily driver they are not that much different and would I on days off get that special feeling taking one of those out for a drive like I do on the Motorbike? Probably not. Where-as something like an MK Indy bridges that gap and offers a totally unique driving and ownership experience that would make each journey a special one on days off, They are every impractical but then that is the idea and I think because I enjoy tinkering and doing my own servicing etc and there is an array of options and upgrades it would keep me entertained. I have been in a classic Pinto powered Robin Hood and also a GBS Zero with a Zetec on Throttle Bodies a few years ago and enjoyed the experience. My only concern would be that the standard RX-5 just wouldn't offer me enough performance, Having owned a couple of Suzuki Hayabusa's now I find it hard to be impressed by most performance cars when I compare the stats. However I do think that the RX-5 with the Turbo conversion or a Honda K20 powered RX-5 would tick all the right boxes.

I could build that... be tough to drive in February though.

That sounds like a lot of fun!

'screen' - Think you'd find that if the aeroscreen was set right, and the seats lowered as much as poss, then for folks of average height they wouldn't get 'battered' by the wind at all. In fact, a 'proper' screen will likely give way more buffeting as the wind whips round it - unless there's side doors. That seating position must ( i assume) also be the reason you mentioned feeling chilly when it was 16 degrees!!

A plus sized man in a Caterham. Have I time travelled? Is this Top Gear season one?

300 hours, that is a lot of time unless you really have no commitments and love building things. Caterham still makes much more sense to me. Plenty about from £12k and any extra efforts will add and hold value.

You wore those glasses because you were trying to look like Matt Farah with Wolverine hair.

Bloody expensive but good stuff!

If I could buy a rusted mx5 and turn it into something, I'm not sure if I'd want to turn it into one of these or the alfa romeo f1 car replica.

I am reminded of when I drove a Radical on the road and every stone chip was blasted right at my head..

I would rather have this or a Westfield over a Caterham. Both have more modern suspension, are cheaper to buy and have less aluminium to steel interfaces to corrode.

What a good idea! I wonder if they come with left-hand drive. I have a 2001 NB that is a little tired. I'd need a windscreen and heater. I am getting old.

Cool car! You should get your hands on one of the other MX5 kit cars, I think they're called Exocus or something

Built one years ago pre sva drove it to MOT garage got it registered sold it straight away wondered if I’d survive a minor crash side or front ? Errrr NO hence got rid quickly

I had an MX5, didn't scratch the itch. I was driving past a local garage, and there was this green thing sticking, I stopped to investigate, it was a Westfield, the salesman took the engine cover off, that was it, my knees went from under me, I had a test drive, I chopped in the MX5 for the Westfield, back to basics, road, seat, arse, how hard can it be????

Hard facts are this: MX5's handle great, don't break down and rust like hell (well, the sills do) and I remember many on the nutz forum being broken for parts. Here is a genuine alternative. Ok, so it won't be a daily but at least the roof won't leak... ;o)

Now this is a Miata I'd buy. Provided I can fit in 🤣

1st Miata Like! Oh wait

Excellent video... Great fun car.. Needs a screen!

Loved the sunglasses comment 😎

I've long wanted to do a Lotus 7 of some sort with a supercharged flat 6 out of a Honda Goldwing/F6C Valkyrie.

Nice Caterham.

So a dorkmobile rots away and gets reborn into a Lotus Caterham 7 with more muscle under the hood? that is pretty awesome lol, also the advantage of it keeping the wiring is that someone who knows how to work on an MX5 can work on this, so you dont get charged super large labor to get it fixed given if its custom, they now have to reverse engineer the wiring, and then figure out what went wrong with it in the first place, which is a huge problem with LS swaps in general, as no two people do them the same way, which ends up complicating the messure and you would have been better off just leaving the 350 in there and putting a new carb on it in the first bleeding place lol

Mine isn't better, but I do have a Tiger Cat E1 sat in my garage ready to sell - 2ltr Pinto, Sierra based kit car. Videos on my channel, but I'm far from a KZfaqr!

Reminds me of the Misuoka Zero 1 which is basically this with a vin

Awesome car in every way

God when you said you’ve gone green I thought you was going to talk about electric cars lol

Well after owning 5 mx5's i guess this is my next step. I have debated over the seven car brands for sometime ie westfield, caterham, gbs, mk but think MK is swaying me.

The sound surprised me! No MX5 has ever sounded that good 😂But for a third the price of a Caterham……..why wouldn’t you? It’s even likely to be extremely reliable 😂

Now this is decent unlike that other recycled Mx5, the Exocet - a true monstrosity.

Interesting… The car looks pretty tight, apart from the gearstick travel.

11:20 seats- if those are MKs own seats then they have produced a seat that looks very similar to Tillet seats... which themselves are kind of a development of the old lotus elise seats.

Please can someone give Jay a Radical? Pretty please?