UPDATES - PLEASE READ: #1 It passed its MOT! #2 Safety of hitting your head on the bar. Evzen and Kuba make a very valid point that there are incidents where people have hit their heads on the rollbar in freak accidents and it's why I would never recommend a rollcage for a road car. I recommend assessing this to you and where you sit in your seat but also to research and install rollbar padding (non-helmet as apparently FIA helmet style is very hard!) In my instance personally, my head (even when I fling myself around) doesn't reach the rollbar behind me, there's enough headrest most of the way up my head that I can't bend my head around a corner so to speak. BUT someone in a forum said that they were of this belief and found they hit their head against all odds with a rear-end collision. I'm not qualified in crash safety but it would appear to be advisable to put as much foam as possible around a rollbar in case this happens. Don't buy the foam designed for race helmets as it's actually too firm for the human head and has a similar effect. #2 Seatbelt retention - Grant from FC Fabrications has watched the video and is already working on a new seatbelt guide that should (in theory) be able to replace the already flawed, grippy ones on the sides of the seats. We found on the phone that if I took the belt out of the plastic guides it retracted with full vim. The belts like one or the other, not both currently. So fix should be there soon but this has gone a little quiet... #3 Final thing to note, the plastic wind deflector only goes 80% of the way up, so doesn't click in place anymore. Not an issue until you're at 70mph where it (over time) slowly makes its way down to about 45 degrees. Otherwise, as someone with no qualifications in car safety and despite the rollbar headbutting dangers (really more applicable to prior MX-5 model retrofits) I'm still glad I have many inches of rollover protection above my head now rather than below. Thanks for watching and thank you for bringing up the perfectly solid counterargument guys. #4 Thank you for the fantastic reception, I'll be sure to do more MX-5 content soon!
@@sayanpal9491 I never had mine sorted actually, I didn't hear back from the guys at GC Fabrications but then after a while I also totally forgot and just got on with it. I did try a new seat belt guide from Australia which worked better (with silicon spray on the belt). It was much better but never how it used to be and when the silicon spray wore off it'd snag a bit more.
@@petrolpoodle : Thank you for the update. I will call GC Fabrications to confirm. I finally bought an NC MX5 last week. Your reviews of the car have definitely been a driving factor! Do you still have the car?
Great video Jimmy. I think doing the odd one of these, updating us on your own car owning experience, keeps you relatable. Or you could just start a garage and have lots of amazing project cars🤭
Thanks a lot Chris that's really don't advice. I hadn't thought it that way! I've got a small list of things I intend to do so I'll keep them coming between the car reviews!
Great video. I have exact same little buzz box, 2011 and it's THE best car I've had...Period! Not the most powerful, but oodles of fun. A car that you really can have dancing with average skills. I've been considering the very same roll bar and it was great to see the requirements and niggles. Thanks
When you see an accident like that first hand, it really reminds you how important something like this is! It's great to see more content on your MX-5 as well, have you got any more mods planned?
Thanks very much pal! I have indeed, this year I intend to at least do the backbox, upgrade the anti-rollbars and I'm tempted to swap out the headunit for a better one too. I've considered going for the BBR 180 package but it's a lot of dough that I've got to bank for!
@@Ryan123Jake you read my mind! I've been talking about this all week! I'm very close to doing it actually. I really recommend Car Thoughts channel, he's recently done an exhaust video where everyone sent their clips in so you can hear what sounds best!
@@petrolpoodle Haha awesome! I'm going to be trying to do it myself in the next month or 2, so that was my motive behind it!😂 Yeah I've watched them, they're cool for sure! Just thought watching you install one too would be really helpful to get an idea of what to do, but also how you chose your one - I'm still unsure of the best one that's loud and deep, but not too loud and one that won't drone at cruising speeds!
Hey Rob! Thanks so much, I really appreciate that! And what a great motor, I've always loved the soft tops, yet never driven one! I've got more MX-5 content coming, so do subscribe if you'd like to see more. Thanks for watching!
Really good video Jimmy! Completely agree about the roll bars - I love mx5s but have often wondered why no one flags that you'd need to be shorter than even the seats to drive these safely. Good to know you can relatively affordably correct this design flaw.
This was a great video for anyone that has second thoughts of buying this great car but has safety concerns. Had a friend who rolled over with an Alfa spider and barely made it and had to spend 6 months in hospital... Smart w roll bar in combo w lowering the seats. I see that the bar is slightly curved in plan which makes it stronger. The more curved and pushed out it will start to act also as a side impact protection system. Perhaps there is some further development to be done?
To what do I owe this pleasure! Thank you so much, I think you guys have done a great job of explaining that on the site already, I think the flaw was more with myself skim reading first time I looked! Very happy with the product!
@@petrolpoodle Thanks Jimmy! You have fair point, Mazda had 3 NC seat (rail) options during the years - the non height adjustable and the side coded (left, right) height adjustable ones. This needs to be considered, when deciding which adapters are needed for the lowering.
Dude, thanks for the tip off on this....I am vertically challenged and therefore may not be such an issue for me personally. The key here is that the factory units should work in the event of a rollover!
Thank you so much, Dave, I really appreciate that! If you haven't seen my full review, give it a little look! I've had mine coming up a year and it's the best car I've ever had. It doesn't matter if I've literally stepped out of a Lotus Exige 410 Sport, a Caterham 310 S, A 306bhp Megane RS250 or a more luxurious Z4, I've always come back to my MX-5 immediately loving the strengths it still has. Couldn't recommend one more, if your budget can stretch to it, I'd get a 2009 facelift onwards! Sport Tech is the easiest way to get all the trim and features you'd ever want!
@@petrolpoodle I’ve had mine since august. It’s a 2008 soft top. Buying it marked 10 years since owning my first mx5. A 1990 mk1 import. Until I bought my NC it was the best car I have ever owned and the 10 years between the mk1 and mk3 was a sad time I of motoring. Even with owning a mk4 supra, Cherokee Sr8 and tricked out 182 clip cup. The mx5s have been the best cars I’ve had by far and feel I will always have one from now on. PS - cage is on order! I’m not messing about after seeing that footage!
@@fruitysupra1 wow! Now that's a testament!! I feel the same! I just struggle to find anything with the tactility of the MX-5! Amazing news on the purchase pal! That made my evening to know that even one person bought one because of the video! A heads up is that the delivery time is quite a long time, I may have bought mine last year at the height of track days returning or something but it was 2 months or so whilst mine was actually in a queue to be built. I reckon you'll have less time but best thing is to call GC Fabrications directly and have a chat with Grant, he's a fantastic guy and he'll keep you updated as to your delivery estimation. Happy modding!
@@fruitysupra1 Snap. Same story with me. The mk3 is not quite as pure as my mk1 was but I love it. Its got the same fun factor, great handling, and refinement.
@@andrewherring6095 couldn’t agree more. Living in the countryside with what have been claimed as one of the most done country roads in the Uk as part of my commute I couldn’t picture a better car to do the journey in!
What i did when I lowered the driver's seat with the Jass brackets, I removed the seat belt guide so the belt slid better and fitted over my shoulder better.
Ooooo this is interesting, did you take the plastic bits off the shoulder of the seats themselves or was it where the belt comes out of? I took the belts out of the plastic shoulder guides and found it slides with absolute ease but it concerned me too much that if the seatbelt were to slip down the side of the seat, I'd have nothing holding me in the car above the shoulder haha
@@petrolpoodle i took the plastic bits off completely, and just left the metal base (to fill the screw holes). The line from the belt retractor to my shoulder is much better. I do have to reach further back to get the belt to put it on though; that's only downfall. I'd be interested to know how it works for you with the roll bar.
Like your videos in generally, but especially the small details like the seat lowering kit that I didn't know existed. Also what is the fast road set up you refer to, and what are the benefits?
Hey Buzzman, Thanks so much for the kind words! Essentially compared to just getting your tracking done on a normal car, the MX-5 has clever multi-link suspension (or whatever term my tired brain is unable to remember at this moment) where there are many, many factors they can tweak to the suspension. People refer to it as getting a proper alignment. A good MX-5 specialist (look up your local one if you're interested) will be able to choose a fast road alignment which means it's not so aggressive that you'd only want it on a track but it'd also be far better suited to track driving and fast B road driving than the standard alignment. It's remarkable what a difference it makes, the whole car feels so much more alive and connected, much quicker steering and it feels like there's less body roll but that might be a bit of the placebo effect. A very good spend of the money on whatever car has suspension that can take advantage of it (y)
Good video and yes, fabulous car!! Re the seatbelts "Coloured in light" has a video showing the Mazda update recommending newer (lower friction) runners at the top of the seats. Re negs, another Brit (he says "righty tightly, lefty loosey) pointed out that behind the front and rear bumpers, rust grows. You need to unbolt the actual bumper from the chassis to eliminate it. Thanks for the roll bar reminder, it's a winner, what were Mazda thinking??
Thanks so much, Eric! I've bought less frictiony and more open belt guides for the seats and sadly it hasn't made the difference I'd hoped for. Definitely easier to adjust and they don't twist and get stuck like they used to, but £90 was quite costly haha And good to know re: the rust, I'll be rustproofing it next year I think!
Really interesting and very thought provoking. Definately something to plan for in the future when funds allow. Looks great too. Thanks for the upload.
I assume in a roll over you will likely drop out of your seat and the belt even under tension wont hold you completely in the seat, meaning your head might hit the ground in an overrall accident still, regardless of the rollbar being higher when the car isnt upside down.
The tension did work well enough when I did emergency stops, it really did hold me in place. The fact the lap belt is also clicked in quite tight would probably help too. The guy in the S2000 remained in during his rollover, but I'm no expert. I just wanted to bring to everyone's attention that the standard rollbars sit under head height - which is utterly mad in my opinion.
The later 2013 model nc mx5s have improved seatbelt guides that supposedly retract the seatbelts properly. You could get that fitted if it bothers you, direct fit.
Thank you that's a great shout! I didn't know that was a thing! I know the NC2 has better belt guides than the NC1 and so therefore thought I had the best available. I'm now going to Google the hell out of these, thank you!
@@petrolpoodle Glad to be of help, here is an example: mx5mania.com.au/products/seat-belt-guide-replacements-revision-nc My 2010 NC has the old version shown on that page
Excellent video - thinking of this as the next move for my MX5 summer / AutoSolo / Sprint car but like yourself, I'm keen to keep as much of the factory functionality as possible (Bose Amp, rear speakers, retaining clip for the roof and the roof control box)... I'm happy doing the bolting and cutting myself though - any idea where one could source the box section you've used to cover the GC Fabs bar? Also wondering if the box section would foul on a race-style harness if it was wrapped around the GC Harness bar?
Hey Huw, The crossbar was actually repurposed from the previous mk3 MX-5 he fitted the rollbar to. He takes an old one out each time, then drills the holes correctly (I think), sprays it the same colour as the bar etc in preparation for the next rollbar installation. So you could definitely use your own one. Also, Phil has raced a serious level for decades and trains aspiring drivers here in the UK; he's got his very own belts for sale that work with this whole setup. They're not UK road legal but would be track complaint I believe. His email is in the description if you're interested 😊
I just discovered your channel and I really like your presentations. You should have more subscribers, you do a really good job with production as well. Love the MX5 content. I am looking at shedding my BMW and jumping in the NC3 pool. It would be helpful if you told us what year yours is, as the NC3 had many changes over the years.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! My MX-5 here is the 2009 NC2 facelift. In 2009 they were still selling the last of the NC1 so be sure to check if you look at that age group. The next facelift was incredibly small to the NC3 so don't worry about the real differences from then on.
Great video Jimmy, very informative and I'm sure for those contemplating similar mods useful to get an understanding of how much it will all cost and how easy it is to do. Keep it up! 👏
@@petrolpoodle I was driving round buttertubs pass approx 60mph, a deer ran out I swerved lost the back slid into a ditch and that flipped it over my arms flew out of the window as the car rolled onto them. That was 2 years ago and still have back problems because of it. Luckily I was 24 back then so healed pretty well. Recent subscriber here love the videos man, can see how much effort you put in.
@@johnennis4586 oh my god mate, that's horrendous and so easily just happens out of the blue too. Really glad to hear you made it out and sorry to hear about the back still. And thanks so much mate, that really means a lot - so many people have zero idea how much effort goes in! My next video is going to be an absolute beast, I drove 5 hours for 2 hot hatches both rarer than a LaFerrari! I hope you enjoy that one and the future vids.
@@petrolpoodle thanks for the kind words, now thats the content i love, struggling to think of what them hatches could be. Old metros? Don't know. I'll be tuning in to find out though. Thanks again for your work dude
Thanks pal! Yep when the roof is down it's all normal! Car drives happily like it did before, only thing is the wind deflector only goes about 60 degrees up instead of all the way. Still operates fine under 80mph!
@@petrolpoodle Thank you for the reply! Just to be clear, since my wording wasn't great... The latch on the roof locks into another latch or something behind the wind blocker. A build I saw online showed a lot of modification had to be done to add that back in. Is this still the case? Thank you 💯
@@awlatmg ahhhhh I see! Now that's interesting, I didn't note that being done, next time it's going down I'll watch and take a look for you! I'll let you know tomorrow good sir!
Thanks very much mate, That's a fair point actually. I'm very soon going to film my 1 year owner update video and I'll get plenty of B roll in of the rollover bar for ya. Subscribe and you won't miss it *wink wink
I think the mod provides an issue that is possibly as dangerous a risk as the roll bar height. As you said, if the seatbelts don't retract, then that is a big problem, and I believe an MOT failure. Great vid....
Hey DG, Thanks for the comments! The seatbelts do retract still, they only take a mild tug from one finger and they slide still, it's just there's ever so slightly too much friction for them to automatically retract. I'm going to chase up the GC Fabrications guy on the seatbelt fix as he went quiet after. He may have just forgotten and moved on. (not the same guy in the video who's fitting it!) MOT - It passed! Wahoo!
Thanks for video and info 👍. I'm 6,2 and been thinking about the seat lowering since getting my NC a month or so ago. Its good to know approx costs of that and the roll bar.
I'm 99 percent sure that they still do. I just sadly sold my lovely car a week ago so can't test but I'm pretty certain it did. I also bought better seatbelt guides which did help but not completely fix it
Just come across the channel and subscribed. Interested to see what backbox you go for. Standard definitely doesn't provide a sense of theatre. I don't need more power, but I'd like the excitement of a decent sound when hooning on back roads! Problem is, I like tone over volume, and I haven't got silly money to spend which limits the options. JapSpeed is £200, but no reviews or sound clips, and the vids I've seen fitted to other makes/models sounds over loud, tinny, harsh. Essentially, just nasty. Cobalt which is favoured by many MX5 owners is discontinued...through Moss Europe...no longer available. IL Motorsports backbox has a lovely tone, but is over £600! So I'm staying sock for now, and enjoying the drive but not the soundtrack.
Thanks so much mate, I really appreciate it! Funnily enough I've got a video coming very shortly of probably the cheapest backbox you can buy for about £186, it's quite an entertaining review! Not my own car but I shan't spoil too much! The other weird position I find myself in right now is having the MX-5 as my *only* car and now I'm doing 2 hour trips on the motorway quite regularly. I'm starting to appreciate the balance of refinement when you're not in the mood for a hoon haha! I'm going to buy a daily this summer though and after that, a backbox for my MX-5 toy will absolutely be on the cards! My gut, like yours, is that the best money spent on a backbox sits around £400 to £600 so that you don't end up hating it but so it adds enough drama at the correct revs.
Very helpful video bud. 👍 Though one thing to note, the NC is notorious for the seatbelts refusing to retract. Got an NC1 that's the same, and always has been. Seems to just be one of those things.
Thank you very much! I appreciate that! And yeah the NC 2 like mine has better seatbelt guides and didn't used to have an issue until I put the rollbar in. But it's still worth it in my opinion, I have found better seatbelt guides from Australia and whilst they don't fully fix the problem, the belt no longer folds on itself and gets stuck.
I did add a better belt guide (sent from Australia!) which certainly stops the seatbelts folding and getting stuck like they used to but the belts still don't fully retract by themselves. They do lock in place with a tug though, so I just make sure it's tight-ish before I go!
Thank you pal and it all operates perfectly as it should. The only change was that the wind deflector could no longer clip in place at 90 degrees anymore, so I had to cable tie mine to the bar to keep it up.
I'm older (72), shorter (5'8") and drive less exuberantly. Obviously your new rollbar is seriously heavy-duty but would you suggest replacing the standard one in every case?
Hi Paul, Thanks so much for watching! That's a really interesting question you know! My first disclaimer is I'm learning about car safety at the same speed as everyone else, I'm not qualified in any way but purely on my logic I'll answer. Would I be right in saying then that your head doesn't go above the standard seats at all? I personally feel safer on every journey and love the look. It handles better but the seatbelts are slightly annoying (by the way, GC Fabrications are now working on a fix for the seatbelts! It seems they retract happily with a minor adjustment). I'm truly torn but if the seatbelts can retain their full safety I'd say it's an improvement over all and if £750ish makes no difference to your life, go for it! One last thing to consider is the little plastic wind deflector doesn't go all the way up (about 85 percent of the way up) so a little more wind comes into the cabin. At very high speeds the deflector slowly creeps back down. I think your chances are super super low and if you're well under the standard rollbar I'm sure you'd be okay, so if the rollbar seems like an inconvenience and expense you could do without, I wouldn't be scared into making the purchase. If it makes no difference to you then it's a happy extra insurance in my opinion. Speaking of which, perhaps call Adrian Flux and get yourself a quote on the modded version and see what that comes to. Thanks again for watching, Paul
Thank you for your reply. Yes, my head is definitely lower than the rollbar, and likely lower than the top of the headrestraint. I have replaced the plastic wind-deflector with a clear, glass panel which is taller than the plastic panel, so that would need to change. I am unlikely to add the better rollbar. Thank you for a thought-provoking video.
Hi Did your guy make the rectangular bracket to reinstall all the parts like amp and speakers? I’ve just ordered one of these bars and after speaking to Grant he’s on a new version of the bar now that includes brackets for attaching your old piece of section one cut away from the ‘style’ bar . How does the roof lock in the open position on yours? Cheers
I believe he made that little bracket, his contact details are in the description so the best bit is to have a chat :) The roof has continued to operate fully normally :)
Hey pal, Sorry for missing this comment, I put new seatbelt guides in which allow the belt to move more freely - they're not perfect yet sadly, perhaps another bit of silicone spray will help but they definitely move better than before. The guy who was working on seatbelt guides (not the type I ended up buying but I would assume an identical design really) is the same guy (Grant) who created the rollbar itself at GC Fabrications. Phil Brough is the fantastic guy who put it in for me, he sells his own harness which would be safer for track use but I'm unsure if it'd pass an MOT. Worth checking with him (email in the bio) if you're interested still. All in all, glad I did it despite the slightly annoying belts. They're pretty crap from factory anyway, there are videos already of people having bad retraction with the stock hoops sadly
Hahaha oh bud you definitely need to! The seating position is so much better a couple of inches lower! You can email Phil (in my description) for tips perhaps?
I also have an MX5 NC 2013 PRHT. I am very interested in the "Roll Bar for the PRHT" I think it may work l. My concern is! I am 6 ft tall and currently have the drivers seat all the way back with some angle on the seat. Is there any loss of reward travel on the drivers seat or reduced angle for the seat back, after the instillation of the "PRHT Roll Bar"? Hope to hear Stay Safe
Hi Marc, Sounds like you've got a fantastic car, I love the final face-lift! It does indeed lose a little bit of rear-ward travel, but only a click or two. What I'd recommend is putting your seat forward two clicks maximum and seeing a) if you can do it comfortably at all but also imagine that your legs are 1.5 inches lower if your knees touch the steering column. If you live anywhere near Tunbridge Wells or Hastings you're welcome to sit in mine and see if it works for you
Nope, there's the absolute tiniest contact as it goes past but it's like it literally brushes it rather than hits it. Had mine on for a year and no issues
Pre facelift s2000 have snappy suspension.. rip s2000. Since your seat belt doesn't retract anymore I recommend recaro SPG and a 4 point harness .. perfect excuse
It was a real shame, he'd recently had all the suspension upgraded to decent stuff to mitigate that behaviour. He'd also done 5 track days in it so he knew its limits very well. Just unlucky that when he hit standing water at speed, it threw the weight about hard, then to remain on the road he had to steer into the spin! So unlucky. And I keep thinking about some new epic seats! Don't tempt me 😂! I have seen new seatbelt guides that should help, I'll be trying those out first as it's much cheaper. Seats could be awesome though!
@@petrolpoodle wow even w all those mods it spun out. Proper unfortunate. But it was a slippery day tho. Luckily he was able to walk away w whiplash... Beautiful colour on the s2000 as well... Rare cars nowadays
I may have misunderstood your question but I'm not sure as I didn't do the install myself. If I can answer your question by looking around the car now, let me know what you mean and I'll take a look for you. Sorry!
@@petrolpoodle hello there sorry for my poor use of text just wanted to know the cost of the install. Price of the bar is £350ect but I wanted to know the total cost of the full installation of the bar including the plastic trimming. I wouldn’t need the seats done as did it my self
@@megajohntopunishenslave427 no problem at all! At the end of the video I run through the costs with Phil Brough and I have the link to his email address I believe in the description. So he could give you an exact quote. I sadly can't remember what I'd have spent by the time I minus the seat lowering brackets and install. I reckon about £300 to 400 if I had to guess but definitely watch the end with the pricing and grab a calculator ☺
You don't need a roll bar. I have been driving Miata's since 2003 as a daily driver only and I've never had a rollover, never had a roll bar. Had commutes on canyon highways with twisty roads to city freeways. I've slipped around on ice, and hydroplaned in heavy rain (aside from a truck backing into my car parked in a parking lot) I've never had an accident. The only thing in my opinion that is being overlooked is speed and staying on the road. Its very simple - you keep your speed down unlike that rollover in the video and you be mindful of your tires staying on the road so they don't clip an edge or cause you to loose traction on the shoulder. Unlike that roll over in the video obviously not managing speed on a wet road.
Whilst I know what you mean and agree to a great extent you are using yourself, a sample of one, as data for the entire population. Go on TH-cam and look up rollover videos and dashcam footage will show you people driving on the motorway/highway who are smashed into by others at fault and end of rolling over. You might be right in assuming YOU will never crash but I was crashed into and I literally couldn't avoid it. Seen enough rollovers on TH-cam that I'd rather spend under 1 thousand dollars to keep my head in tact just in case. Thanks for watching and many more good Miata years to you sir
@@petrolpoodle That's why I mentioned speed. Others - not just myself can't be mindful of it and prevent needing one. I pushed the car to limits I felt were almost unsafe on many occasions. My record alone for myself proves you can avoid needing to spend money on one if you are careful. It makes the car heavier and can lessen the 'fun' factor. If you are going to track the car the roll bar is probably required.
@@ZacharySound true but the car is heavier by literally 11 pounds/5 kilos. Also it adds rigidity and stiffness so the handling could well be argued a plus.
Sorry for the late reply, I accidentally switched my notifications off - I thought things had gone a little too quiet haha! Yes it does but you'll want the specific one that GC Fabrications make for your soft top, it's actually a safer and stronger bar. Because there're no motors in the way it can be mounted to the rear of the car too for greater solidity!
I believe I would, once I sit normally in the car I'm quite a bit lower than the bar. I haven't tried with a helmet on mind you, but I think I would now
Hey Rob, I drove from Catsfield to Cooden Beach in Bexhill, so ticked off the nice roads between and back! They're no Welsh B-roads but were good enough fun!
@@petrolpoodle hi thanks for that. I have recently bought a 2012 Z4 2.8i s and I love it as it has plenty of performance,economic and great fun especially in sport mode. I do agree that the 19inch wheels and the 30 profile tyres make the ride interesting as it skips and crashes on our great roads. I used to use the road from Cooksbride to Ditchling as part my daily circuit but the frost has made it really like a farm track. I live in Brighton and now with the lockdown I have to content myself with views from the windows as it’s such a unique and good looking car.
@@robbeazley4694 What a brilliant choice! I love them, I think they're incredibly good looking cars. Also it's great that the interior design is unique to the Z4. All other BMWs of the time and since seem to share an almost identical design language or shared parts. The Z4 seems special in that regard. It's a shame about the crashy ride bouncing about but that's what the aftermarket is for! Just making it exactly how you like it over time. I hope you're able to get out there and enjoy it again soon!
Hey Charles, Embarrassingly I can't remember now that it's been 2 years but at the end of the video I think I list off all the costs, so grab a calculator and add them up 😂
Somebody will watch this video and get a proper roll cage fitted to their MX5 or similar and one day have an accident and owe their life to Petrol Poodle and the manufacturer of the roll cage.
Thank you so much, David! Hoping that no one ever has to use their rollbar, it's my hope too that it makes a difference. I'm chuffed that another David (First to comment I think) has immediately bought himself one! It's worked!
I'm afraid I never fully fixed it, I did buy some Australian aftermarket seatbelt guides that were far better, I'd top it up with silicon spray here and there - which also helped. It was never completely gone but it was far better than the stage it was in this video. Overall though, once you'd tightened it and clunked your belt actually in, it was tight and would tighten in emergency stops.
@@petrolpoodle your videos are great btw really high production value it’s convinced me to look for an NC MX5 after selling my Golf GTI although I am tall so finger crossed 🤞
@@AK_0000 thanks so much mate, I hugely appreciate that! And absolutely go for it pal they're great fun! Depending on your budget, check out my latest video on the 986 Boxster because it feels like an MX-5 for taller people if you've got more cash ready for running costs! Absolutely loved it
Yeah I have to admit I'm bordering on too tall for it really! If I put in thinner racing seats I'd have extra headroom again :) And definitely, I'm thinking I'll take it out on track in 2022!
In all honesty from a drivers point of view, if seatbelts do mot retract properly, as they are meant to, keeping the driver secure in his / her seat, then technically they should be outlawed by British Government and DVLA.
I totally agree. I've installed some new seatbelt guides which stop the belt from folding like they did before, it's definitely improved it but it's not how it used to be. I've done an emergency stop since this and the belt still locks properly, it just requires a tiny bit more friction to get it to go back then by itself
The real bar is a better look than the style bars, in any case. I never liked those silvery false-security hoops. The style bars, when removed and stripped of their silvery covers, look relatively weak. I knew somebody who was killed in a rollover, in an MGB. If you drive near the limit, real bars are a good idea.
Oh my god, I'm so sorry to hear, that's horrible. I luckily now don't drive near the limit as the crash I had shook me up, I just enjoy it with the roof down and for how it drives :)
I fitted some aftermarket guides and it definitely doesn't sit so slack now. It's much better but not perfect how it was before. Overall, I'd still have the extra head protection if you're tall but I will put the disclaimer that I'm not qualified in crash safety 😂
Seems like you are now at risk in a much more likely accident scenario, like a rear end collision, to bang your head against a steel tube. I think this is the answer ro your question about why the factory one is lower. Good video though and it looks like a solid piece of kit, just meant for a track car where you'd wear a helmet.
Thank you for the comment, I appreciate the balance of kindness too as others talking about the new safety standards seem to just have a right go hahaha. Since publishing this video I actually tried to see if I could find a way (whilst seatbelted) to make my head actually contact the bar at all. And even throwing myself about I never got close. So from a rear end collision point of view, it's absolutely fine. Perhaps in a wild rollover there'd be a version of events where my head might hit it - but it would have saved me hitting the road in the first place compared to the standard bar, so I'd take my chances with that.
@@petrolpoodle @Petrol Poodle From the video it looked like the B4560 in South Wales, thought it was a bit far for you to venture though. Glad the driver was okay, shows how suddenly and badly things can go wrong.
@@jordanb97 haha oh my god, sorry I'm thinking of my own crash! What an idiot! You're completely right! That's where the S2000 crash was! Very impressed. You know it well then, remarkable because almost anywhere on that stretch you'd come off the road, spin a bit and feel silly. But that little bump sent it toppling in seconds. It was the most horrible experience of my life, I thought he was going to be dead when I arrived. I've never felt gratitude like leaving the hospital with him the same day stood upright!
@@petrolpoodle That's okay, it's an awesome road. Used it to commute to work for 2-3 years straight so I got pretty familiar with it. 😂 Haven't been there in a while though due to a change in job and with the Covid restrictions unfortunately. I know exactly what you mean, it's an open area with plenty of run off. There again with the drop offs further up the road, it could've been even worse. Lesson to us all not to push it too hard on public roads. Stay safe and keep up the good work, I especially enjoyed the E86 Vs E89 and the Clio 182 videos. 😂
@@jordanb97 Oh my god, what an amazing commute! I can imagine it was tempting to play on that road daily! It stands out in my mind as one of my favourites! And completely, it made me reign in the fast driving for sure, it was such an eye opener! Thanks so much for watching the videos, glad you enjoy them! Stay safe and I'll see you on the next one!
I have to admit it's more aesthetically pleasing stock! A friend of mine is 5 ft 9 I think and he fits nicely under his stock style bars. Sightly jealous in a way! 😂
I'm thinking about one of them, where I live is winding roads and fell land and the wife says I drive like a complete tit when nobody is around bless her, she also thinks we have won a competition for a new Aldi store 10-minute trolly dash all you can carry for free, only problem is we need to go round a race track to get near the back entrance of the shop that isn't there
Hahahaha this did very much make me chuckle. I had the same thought process about the rollbar and my girlfriend's safety, she said she felt unsafe in the car, too exposed etc and I then had the profound realisation that it might be my choice for me to take risks (leaving the stock bar in and another risk of driving like a tool) and it's one thing me paying the price, but it would be horrendous for her to pay the price if I messed up one day or we were unlucky at the hands of someone else. So I've since stopped driving like a moron (but still enjoy driving hard when the conditions are right of course) and I feel much better for having the lower seats and higher rollbar. When the Landrover Discovery pulled out on us and we had it drive up the front right of the car, it was a reminder of how fragile you immediately are when it goes tits up! I'd definitely recommend it for peace of mind and an extra layer of safety! Thanks for watching and good luck with the Aldi shopping challenge hahaha
@@petrolpoodle My wife practices being miserable I love her to bits but as an old git you live with life's problems easier, she says she doesn't like the car but it's obvious she does but that is my worry the wife's safety that's why Ive been thinking about one (roll bar)
@@lorrynortheastguy4787 go for it matey, you'll never regret taking the step to make you both safer. You'd only ever regret the other way round. Also, I love the slightly racecar feel and genuinely I feel so much safer in the car now each day
I've changed the seatbelt guides to some aftermarket ones designed for the NC1 crap design and it has definitely improved it. It doesn't go slack anymore, I just have to feed it back in by hand after I get out the car. Hope this helps
tl;dr rollbar without helmet is not safe for street use. "As an EMS volunteer who gets to see all too many MVAs, I can tell you that the forces on a body in a crash are unimaginable by somebody simply sitting in a seat and trying to guess where their head will impact a roll bar. Roll bars are not "perfectly safe" on the street. And the padding--even assuming you're using the real stuff and not "foam"--are intended to pad a helmet, not a skull. An even greater danger, in some situations, can be the cross bar that typically is at about shoulderblade height, behind the seat. If you get rear-ended hard and your seat breaks loose from its rails, you can easily break your back/neck against that bar. A PCA Club Racer was killed at Lime Rock that way several years ago, when he spun and hit a tire wall going backward fast. that's why many PCA regions mandate a seatback support plate fastened to the rollbar, which is what I have with a fully padded DAS rollbar."
Hi Evzen, This is extremely valuable to know as I'd never considered the idea of the seat coming loose. I kinda thought my body/seat wouldn't physically allow for my head to come into contact with the bar, but that's something I hadn't accounted for. I'm going to look to cover the bar in lots of soft padding, would you know where best to search or what materials I should look for? Thanks again! PS. I think I'll do an update video and pin a comment on this video with this advice!
Some good-ish news is that I've just tried sitting in the car in my usual driving position and I'd have to be extremely unlucky and have my body come upwards by a few inches and then backwards a few inches before there would be contact. The rollbar is quite high and far back in that respect. However, I am still looking into the padding now as I'd much rather it were softer for peace of mind and added 'just in case'. Thanks again!
You are right about the forces in a crash. I had a seatbelt on & had a crash in a mazda RX2 Capella & afterward you could see the bruise imprint of the rear view mirror in my left eye socket. the car was a write off.
Unless you plan on driving like an idiot on slippery wet roads, if you're only going to do one mod, the most essential ones for MX5s are: Mk1: Front strut brace to reduce the shakes. Mk2/2.5: Strap on the soft top so you can put the roof up and down without hurting your back. Mk3: 1.5" extension on clutch pedal. Mk4: Coilovers. The second most important one for all marks is forced induction.
Great shout on the mod list! I haven't actually heard anyone talk about the clutch pedal before, is that simply to shorten how far you need to depress the clutch for it to be fully depressed essentially? My biting point is right at the bottom of the pedal, just interested how it would be affected? And having had someone crash into me when it wasn't my fault and I was just going sensibly under 30mph, I've now felt the need for greater car safety. I'd look up rollover compilations, it's amazing how easy it is to roll a car without driving like a loon in the rain. Thanks for watching and thanks for the mod tips above 👍
I suppose no one has ever been in a rollover that wasn't their fault? So as long as the driver knows how to drive, it's physically impossible to roll when someone else crashes into you
Regarding the MX5 roll over the driver was at fault 100% in conditions with a standing water slow down people do this all the time and there's a price to pay nothing wrong with the safety of the MX5 it's poor driving. you could have got hurt in any vehicle
Definitely agree that the driver was at fault for hitting the standing water (and too quickly). But you can't say 'nothing wrong' with the safety when the rollbar sits below the average head. If you or a loved one smashed their head into the ground in a rollover you wouldn't be standing by that statement hahaha. The same aged Z4, Boxster, CLK and TT all have rollbars that are thicker and well above the head of even the tallest driver, that's more the point that it's a poor bit of safety design. It'd be like having passenger airbags that only deploy halfway and don't stop you smashing your face on the wheel haha. Other than the tiny rollbars it's got decent dual-stage airbags and decent structural safety, much better than older MX-5s
Yeah it's a real shame isn't it, I feel like the MX-5s have been designed around Japan and they totally underestimate how wet/road salty the UK can be!
The Mazda designers did the loops because now you can’t see out your rear view mirror - which wouldn’t pass the equivalent version of a manufacturers IVA test. Sorry not for me, too ostentatious, and rear visibility; non existent.
That's understandable about the rear visibility test and it not passing an IVA equivalent. However, rear visibility is certainly not non-existent - it's absolutely fine, it's better than my 2010 Honda Civic was! And it's better than a van which has none at all and plenty get by.
Hahaha it's definitely been a fight! With the seat reclined just the right amount on the new lower brackets and higher rollbar, it's doable now. But yeah, overall I could do with a slightly larger interior hahaha!
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
UPDATES - PLEASE READ:
#1 It passed its MOT!
#2 Safety of hitting your head on the bar. Evzen and Kuba make a very valid point that there are incidents where people have hit their heads on the rollbar in freak accidents and it's why I would never recommend a rollcage for a road car. I recommend assessing this to you and where you sit in your seat but also to research and install rollbar padding (non-helmet as apparently FIA helmet style is very hard!)
In my instance personally, my head (even when I fling myself around) doesn't reach the rollbar behind me, there's enough headrest most of the way up my head that I can't bend my head around a corner so to speak.
BUT someone in a forum said that they were of this belief and found they hit their head against all odds with a rear-end collision. I'm not qualified in crash safety but it would appear to be advisable to put as much foam as possible around a rollbar in case this happens. Don't buy the foam designed for race helmets as it's actually too firm for the human head and has a similar effect.
#2 Seatbelt retention - Grant from FC Fabrications has watched the video and is already working on a new seatbelt guide that should (in theory) be able to replace the already flawed, grippy ones on the sides of the seats. We found on the phone that if I took the belt out of the plastic guides it retracted with full vim. The belts like one or the other, not both currently.
So fix should be there soon but this has gone a little quiet...
#3 Final thing to note, the plastic wind deflector only goes 80% of the way up, so doesn't click in place anymore. Not an issue until you're at 70mph where it (over time) slowly makes its way down to about 45 degrees.
Otherwise, as someone with no qualifications in car safety and despite the rollbar headbutting dangers (really more applicable to prior MX-5 model retrofits) I'm still glad I have many inches of rollover protection above my head now rather than below.
Thanks for watching and thank you for bringing up the perfectly solid counterargument guys.
#4 Thank you for the fantastic reception, I'll be sure to do more MX-5 content soon!
Pin this comment.
@@AdhamHossam165 thank you, I actually thought I had already!
@@petrolpoodle : Did the seatbelt is issue is sorted at the end? Any idea if their latest roll bars won't have this issue?
@@sayanpal9491 I never had mine sorted actually, I didn't hear back from the guys at GC Fabrications but then after a while I also totally forgot and just got on with it. I did try a new seat belt guide from Australia which worked better (with silicon spray on the belt). It was much better but never how it used to be and when the silicon spray wore off it'd snag a bit more.
@@petrolpoodle : Thank you for the update. I will call GC Fabrications to confirm. I finally bought an NC MX5 last week. Your reviews of the car have definitely been a driving factor! Do you still have the car?
Great video Jimmy. I think doing the odd one of these, updating us on your own car owning experience, keeps you relatable. Or you could just start a garage and have lots of amazing project cars🤭
Thanks a lot Chris that's really don't advice. I hadn't thought it that way!
I've got a small list of things I intend to do so I'll keep them coming between the car reviews!
The more modifying videos you do the better Imo.
Great video.
I have exact same little buzz box, 2011 and it's THE best car I've had...Period!
Not the most powerful, but oodles of fun. A car that you really can have dancing with average skills.
I've been considering the very same roll bar and it was great to see the requirements and niggles.
Thanks
When you see an accident like that first hand, it really reminds you how important something like this is! It's great to see more content on your MX-5 as well, have you got any more mods planned?
can confirm, would watch you modify your mx5 :D
Thanks very much pal!
I have indeed, this year I intend to at least do the backbox, upgrade the anti-rollbars and I'm tempted to swap out the headunit for a better one too.
I've considered going for the BBR 180 package but it's a lot of dough that I've got to bank for!
@@petrolpoodle It'd be awesome if you did a video of the back box install! And also maybe discuss how your chose which exhaust to go with
@@Ryan123Jake you read my mind! I've been talking about this all week! I'm very close to doing it actually.
I really recommend Car Thoughts channel, he's recently done an exhaust video where everyone sent their clips in so you can hear what sounds best!
@@petrolpoodle Haha awesome! I'm going to be trying to do it myself in the next month or 2, so that was my motive behind it!😂 Yeah I've watched them, they're cool for sure! Just thought watching you install one too would be really helpful to get an idea of what to do, but also how you chose your one - I'm still unsure of the best one that's loud and deep, but not too loud and one that won't drone at cruising speeds!
Good honest straight-talking video. I liked it A LOT. I have a 2009 NCFL 2.0 Sport (soft top). All the best, Rob
Hey Rob!
Thanks so much, I really appreciate that!
And what a great motor, I've always loved the soft tops, yet never driven one!
I've got more MX-5 content coming, so do subscribe if you'd like to see more.
Thanks for watching!
Really good video Jimmy! Completely agree about the roll bars - I love mx5s but have often wondered why no one flags that you'd need to be shorter than even the seats to drive these safely. Good to know you can relatively affordably correct this design flaw.
Thanks a lot TAG, I've always wondered why there aren't enough people bothered by this. Seems a lot of people are thinking about it now though!
The only time "more room for things to go bad" has ever been desireable.
This was a great video for anyone that has second thoughts of buying this great car but has safety concerns. Had a friend who rolled over with an Alfa spider and barely made it and had to spend 6 months in hospital...
Smart w roll bar in combo w lowering the seats. I see that the bar is slightly curved in plan which makes it stronger. The more curved and pushed out it will start to act also as a side impact protection system. Perhaps there is some further development to be done?
Good and informative review Jimmy! The feedback on the lowering adapters is appreciated too. Thanks!
To what do I owe this pleasure! Thank you so much, I think you guys have done a great job of explaining that on the site already, I think the flaw was more with myself skim reading first time I looked!
Very happy with the product!
@@petrolpoodle Thanks Jimmy! You have fair point, Mazda had 3 NC seat (rail) options during the years - the non height adjustable and the side coded (left, right) height adjustable ones. This needs to be considered, when deciding which adapters are needed for the lowering.
Dude, thanks for the tip off on this....I am vertically challenged and therefore may not be such an issue for me personally. The key here is that the factory units should work in the event of a rollover!
I found this really useful, I’ve got the exact same car on an 09 plate in stormy blue. Many thanks for the video.
Hey Andy! Thanks so much! Be sure to read my pinned comment on the thoughts and updates since the video went live 😊
You’ve just helped me make my mind up on my next NC purchase. Thanks!
Thank you so much, Dave, I really appreciate that!
If you haven't seen my full review, give it a little look!
I've had mine coming up a year and it's the best car I've ever had. It doesn't matter if I've literally stepped out of a Lotus Exige 410 Sport, a Caterham 310 S, A 306bhp Megane RS250 or a more luxurious Z4, I've always come back to my MX-5 immediately loving the strengths it still has.
Couldn't recommend one more, if your budget can stretch to it, I'd get a 2009 facelift onwards! Sport Tech is the easiest way to get all the trim and features you'd ever want!
@@petrolpoodle I’ve had mine since august. It’s a 2008 soft top. Buying it marked 10 years since owning my first mx5. A 1990 mk1 import. Until I bought my NC it was the best car I have ever owned and the 10 years between the mk1 and mk3 was a sad time I of motoring. Even with owning a mk4 supra, Cherokee Sr8 and tricked out 182 clip cup. The mx5s have been the best cars I’ve had by far and feel I will always have one from now on.
PS - cage is on order! I’m not messing about after seeing that footage!
@@fruitysupra1 wow! Now that's a testament!! I feel the same! I just struggle to find anything with the tactility of the MX-5!
Amazing news on the purchase pal! That made my evening to know that even one person bought one because of the video!
A heads up is that the delivery time is quite a long time, I may have bought mine last year at the height of track days returning or something but it was 2 months or so whilst mine was actually in a queue to be built.
I reckon you'll have less time but best thing is to call GC Fabrications directly and have a chat with Grant, he's a fantastic guy and he'll keep you updated as to your delivery estimation.
Happy modding!
@@fruitysupra1 Snap. Same story with me. The mk3 is not quite as pure as my mk1 was but I love it. Its got the same fun factor, great handling, and refinement.
@@andrewherring6095 couldn’t agree more. Living in the countryside with what have been claimed as one of the most done country roads in the Uk as part of my commute I couldn’t picture a better car to do the journey in!
What i did when I lowered the driver's seat with the Jass brackets, I removed the seat belt guide so the belt slid better and fitted over my shoulder better.
Ooooo this is interesting, did you take the plastic bits off the shoulder of the seats themselves or was it where the belt comes out of?
I took the belts out of the plastic shoulder guides and found it slides with absolute ease but it concerned me too much that if the seatbelt were to slip down the side of the seat, I'd have nothing holding me in the car above the shoulder haha
@@petrolpoodle i took the plastic bits off completely, and just left the metal base (to fill the screw holes). The line from the belt retractor to my shoulder is much better. I do have to reach further back to get the belt to put it on though; that's only downfall. I'd be interested to know how it works for you with the roll bar.
I'm 5ft 7 wife 5ft 3 and we're late 50s so not sure we need this but stana lift for getting out would be helpful lol
Like your videos in generally, but especially the small details like the seat lowering kit that I didn't know existed. Also what is the fast road set up you refer to, and what are the benefits?
Hey Buzzman,
Thanks so much for the kind words!
Essentially compared to just getting your tracking done on a normal car, the MX-5 has clever multi-link suspension (or whatever term my tired brain is unable to remember at this moment) where there are many, many factors they can tweak to the suspension. People refer to it as getting a proper alignment. A good MX-5 specialist (look up your local one if you're interested) will be able to choose a fast road alignment which means it's not so aggressive that you'd only want it on a track but it'd also be far better suited to track driving and fast B road driving than the standard alignment. It's remarkable what a difference it makes, the whole car feels so much more alive and connected, much quicker steering and it feels like there's less body roll but that might be a bit of the placebo effect.
A very good spend of the money on whatever car has suspension that can take advantage of it (y)
Good video and yes, fabulous car!!
Re the seatbelts "Coloured in light" has a video showing the Mazda update recommending newer (lower friction) runners at the top of the seats.
Re negs, another Brit (he says "righty tightly, lefty loosey) pointed out that behind the front and rear bumpers, rust grows. You need to unbolt the actual bumper from the chassis to eliminate it.
Thanks for the roll bar reminder, it's a winner, what were Mazda thinking??
Thanks so much, Eric!
I've bought less frictiony and more open belt guides for the seats and sadly it hasn't made the difference I'd hoped for.
Definitely easier to adjust and they don't twist and get stuck like they used to, but £90 was quite costly haha
And good to know re: the rust, I'll be rustproofing it next year I think!
Was looking forward to this, own the same car and I needed a tutorial for that. Keep it up with this great Mk3 content!
Thanks so much, David, I really appreciate that!
I've got a few ideas of what I'll film next actually, exciting times!
Really interesting and very thought provoking. Definately something to plan for in the future when funds allow. Looks great too. Thanks for the upload.
Thanks so much John, I really appreciate it!
I thought it might be niche but I'm so glad it's been received well!
I assume in a roll over you will likely drop out of your seat and the belt even under tension wont hold you completely in the seat, meaning your head might hit the ground in an overrall accident still, regardless of the rollbar being higher when the car isnt upside down.
The tension did work well enough when I did emergency stops, it really did hold me in place. The fact the lap belt is also clicked in quite tight would probably help too. The guy in the S2000 remained in during his rollover, but I'm no expert. I just wanted to bring to everyone's attention that the standard rollbars sit under head height - which is utterly mad in my opinion.
The later 2013 model nc mx5s have improved seatbelt guides that supposedly retract the seatbelts properly. You could get that fitted if it bothers you, direct fit.
Thank you that's a great shout! I didn't know that was a thing! I know the NC2 has better belt guides than the NC1 and so therefore thought I had the best available.
I'm now going to Google the hell out of these, thank you!
@@petrolpoodle Glad to be of help, here is an example:
mx5mania.com.au/products/seat-belt-guide-replacements-revision-nc
My 2010 NC has the old version shown on that page
Excellent video - thinking of this as the next move for my MX5 summer / AutoSolo / Sprint car but like yourself, I'm keen to keep as much of the factory functionality as possible (Bose Amp, rear speakers, retaining clip for the roof and the roof control box)... I'm happy doing the bolting and cutting myself though - any idea where one could source the box section you've used to cover the GC Fabs bar? Also wondering if the box section would foul on a race-style harness if it was wrapped around the GC Harness bar?
Hey Huw,
The crossbar was actually repurposed from the previous mk3 MX-5 he fitted the rollbar to. He takes an old one out each time, then drills the holes correctly (I think), sprays it the same colour as the bar etc in preparation for the next rollbar installation.
So you could definitely use your own one.
Also, Phil has raced a serious level for decades and trains aspiring drivers here in the UK; he's got his very own belts for sale that work with this whole setup. They're not UK road legal but would be track complaint I believe.
His email is in the description if you're interested 😊
I just discovered your channel and I really like your presentations. You should have more subscribers, you do a really good job with production as well. Love the MX5 content. I am looking at shedding my BMW and jumping in the NC3 pool. It would be helpful if you told us what year yours is, as the NC3 had many changes over the years.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
My MX-5 here is the 2009 NC2 facelift. In 2009 they were still selling the last of the NC1 so be sure to check if you look at that age group. The next facelift was incredibly small to the NC3 so don't worry about the real differences from then on.
Yeah my standard MX5 mk3 has a lazy driver's side seat belt, so uncool having to feed it back.
Great video Jimmy, very informative and I'm sure for those contemplating similar mods useful to get an understanding of how much it will all cost and how easy it is to do. Keep it up! 👏
Thanks Sam, I appreciate you watching the video when you don't even have an MX-5! What a supporter!
Had a NB without a roll bar. Rolled it 2 broken arms, rollbar and nets are a must
Oh my god I'm so sorry to hear, really glad to hear you made it out alive and able to walk!
Only if you don't mind me asking, how did it happen?
@@petrolpoodle I was driving round buttertubs pass approx 60mph, a deer ran out I swerved lost the back slid into a ditch and that flipped it over my arms flew out of the window as the car rolled onto them. That was 2 years ago and still have back problems because of it. Luckily I was 24 back then so healed pretty well.
Recent subscriber here love the videos man, can see how much effort you put in.
@@johnennis4586 oh my god mate, that's horrendous and so easily just happens out of the blue too. Really glad to hear you made it out and sorry to hear about the back still.
And thanks so much mate, that really means a lot - so many people have zero idea how much effort goes in!
My next video is going to be an absolute beast, I drove 5 hours for 2 hot hatches both rarer than a LaFerrari!
I hope you enjoy that one and the future vids.
@@petrolpoodle thanks for the kind words, now thats the content i love, struggling to think of what them hatches could be. Old metros? Don't know. I'll be tuning in to find out though.
Thanks again for your work dude
Great video! Very little info out there for this PRHT roll bar. When the roof is down, does it still lock in place?
Thanks pal! Yep when the roof is down it's all normal! Car drives happily like it did before, only thing is the wind deflector only goes about 60 degrees up instead of all the way. Still operates fine under 80mph!
@@petrolpoodle Thank you for the reply! Just to be clear, since my wording wasn't great... The latch on the roof locks into another latch or something behind the wind blocker. A build I saw online showed a lot of modification had to be done to add that back in. Is this still the case? Thank you 💯
@@awlatmg ahhhhh I see! Now that's interesting, I didn't note that being done, next time it's going down I'll watch and take a look for you! I'll let you know tomorrow good sir!
Great video. I’d like to get a roll bar at some point, going to look at lowering the seat for sure 🙌🏼
Thanks very much :)
And definitely do, it's such a cheap modification but makes such a difference, no matter what height you are!
I recognize those brackets, Jass! Excellent bits. Great video as usual.
Thanks so much John! They're great aren't they, little cheap mod that make a decent difference!
Great video, would have liked to have seen the final result from all angles to be fair though.
Thanks very much mate,
That's a fair point actually. I'm very soon going to film my 1 year owner update video and I'll get plenty of B roll in of the rollover bar for ya. Subscribe and you won't miss it *wink wink
Great content, really helpful 👍🏼
This was always going to be my first mod for the car as it’ll go on the odd track day here and there.
I think the mod provides an issue that is possibly as dangerous a risk as the roll bar height. As you said, if the seatbelts don't retract, then that is a big problem, and I believe an MOT failure. Great vid....
Hey DG,
Thanks for the comments!
The seatbelts do retract still, they only take a mild tug from one finger and they slide still, it's just there's ever so slightly too much friction for them to automatically retract. I'm going to chase up the GC Fabrications guy on the seatbelt fix as he went quiet after. He may have just forgotten and moved on. (not the same guy in the video who's fitting it!)
MOT - It passed! Wahoo!
Great video mate, all the info needed and nicely put together!
Thank you so much pal!
Does GC do the roll bar install? If not who does? Great video by the way.
I'm afraid they don't, the details of my installer are in the description I believe :)
Great video! Love the editing
Thanks for video and info 👍. I'm 6,2 and been thinking about the seat lowering since getting my NC a month or so ago. Its good to know approx costs of that and the roll bar.
Thank you kindly!
Glad to help and definitely do these!
I love your car and the roll bar looks really good
Thank you very much pal!
The seat belt thing is definitely a safety issue. Have you tested them to see if they lock up as they should in a hard stop?
I'm 99 percent sure that they still do. I just sadly sold my lovely car a week ago so can't test but I'm pretty certain it did. I also bought better seatbelt guides which did help but not completely fix it
Just come across the channel and subscribed. Interested to see what backbox you go for. Standard definitely doesn't provide a sense of theatre. I don't need more power, but I'd like the excitement of a decent sound when hooning on back roads!
Problem is, I like tone over volume, and I haven't got silly money to spend which limits the options.
JapSpeed is £200, but no reviews or sound clips, and the vids I've seen fitted to other makes/models sounds over loud, tinny, harsh. Essentially, just nasty.
Cobalt which is favoured by many MX5 owners is discontinued...through Moss Europe...no longer available.
IL Motorsports backbox has a lovely tone, but is over £600!
So I'm staying sock for now, and enjoying the drive but not the soundtrack.
Thanks so much mate, I really appreciate it!
Funnily enough I've got a video coming very shortly of probably the cheapest backbox you can buy for about £186, it's quite an entertaining review! Not my own car but I shan't spoil too much!
The other weird position I find myself in right now is having the MX-5 as my *only* car and now I'm doing 2 hour trips on the motorway quite regularly. I'm starting to appreciate the balance of refinement when you're not in the mood for a hoon haha!
I'm going to buy a daily this summer though and after that, a backbox for my MX-5 toy will absolutely be on the cards!
My gut, like yours, is that the best money spent on a backbox sits around £400 to £600 so that you don't end up hating it but so it adds enough drama at the correct revs.
enjoyable content which is hard to come by nowadays
Thanks so much, I really appreciate that! I hope to see you on the next video!
@@petrolpoodle your nc videos are great
Very helpful video bud. 👍 Though one thing to note, the NC is notorious for the seatbelts refusing to retract. Got an NC1 that's the same, and always has been. Seems to just be one of those things.
Thank you very much! I appreciate that!
And yeah the NC 2 like mine has better seatbelt guides and didn't used to have an issue until I put the rollbar in. But it's still worth it in my opinion, I have found better seatbelt guides from Australia and whilst they don't fully fix the problem, the belt no longer folds on itself and gets stuck.
I have the same sluggish return seat belts. 2006 hardtop.
I did add a better belt guide (sent from Australia!) which certainly stops the seatbelts folding and getting stuck like they used to but the belts still don't fully retract by themselves. They do lock in place with a tug though, so I just make sure it's tight-ish before I go!
Hi do this role bar have any effect on the opening and closing of the PRHT roof.
Thanks great video
Thank you pal and it all operates perfectly as it should.
The only change was that the wind deflector could no longer clip in place at 90 degrees anymore, so I had to cable tie mine to the bar to keep it up.
I'm older (72), shorter (5'8") and drive less exuberantly. Obviously your new rollbar is seriously heavy-duty but would you suggest replacing the standard one in every case?
Hi Paul,
Thanks so much for watching!
That's a really interesting question you know! My first disclaimer is I'm learning about car safety at the same speed as everyone else, I'm not qualified in any way but purely on my logic I'll answer. Would I be right in saying then that your head doesn't go above the standard seats at all?
I personally feel safer on every journey and love the look. It handles better but the seatbelts are slightly annoying (by the way, GC Fabrications are now working on a fix for the seatbelts! It seems they retract happily with a minor adjustment).
I'm truly torn but if the seatbelts can retain their full safety I'd say it's an improvement over all and if £750ish makes no difference to your life, go for it!
One last thing to consider is the little plastic wind deflector doesn't go all the way up (about 85 percent of the way up) so a little more wind comes into the cabin. At very high speeds the deflector slowly creeps back down.
I think your chances are super super low and if you're well under the standard rollbar I'm sure you'd be okay, so if the rollbar seems like an inconvenience and expense you could do without, I wouldn't be scared into making the purchase. If it makes no difference to you then it's a happy extra insurance in my opinion. Speaking of which, perhaps call Adrian Flux and get yourself a quote on the modded version and see what that comes to.
Thanks again for watching, Paul
Thank you for your reply. Yes, my head is definitely lower than the rollbar, and likely lower than the top of the headrestraint. I have replaced the plastic wind-deflector with a clear, glass panel which is taller than the plastic panel, so that would need to change. I am unlikely to add the better rollbar. Thank you for a thought-provoking video.
Hi
Did your guy make the rectangular bracket to reinstall all the parts like amp and speakers?
I’ve just ordered one of these bars and after speaking to Grant he’s on a new version of the bar now that includes brackets for attaching your old piece of section one cut away from the ‘style’ bar .
How does the roof lock in the open position on yours?
Cheers
I believe he made that little bracket, his contact details are in the description so the best bit is to have a chat :)
The roof has continued to operate fully normally :)
Just noticed that you have noted a fix for that issue......Is that the same guy at the same garage north on Londinium?
Hey pal,
Sorry for missing this comment, I put new seatbelt guides in which allow the belt to move more freely - they're not perfect yet sadly, perhaps another bit of silicone spray will help but they definitely move better than before.
The guy who was working on seatbelt guides (not the type I ended up buying but I would assume an identical design really) is the same guy (Grant) who created the rollbar itself at GC Fabrications.
Phil Brough is the fantastic guy who put it in for me, he sells his own harness which would be safer for track use but I'm unsure if it'd pass an MOT. Worth checking with him (email in the bio) if you're interested still.
All in all, glad I did it despite the slightly annoying belts. They're pretty crap from factory anyway, there are videos already of people having bad retraction with the stock hoops sadly
Great videos Jimmy, good job
Sorry for missing this one, big thanks, Nigel! Another one coming soon!
Have a set of height adjustable brackets sat collecting dust I'm dying to get them fitted but terrified of taking it on 😄😄😄😄
Hahaha oh bud you definitely need to! The seating position is so much better a couple of inches lower! You can email Phil (in my description) for tips perhaps?
I did it to mine. So much better. I now sit in the car, not on it.
Can't wait to get them fitted!
This is sick man!
Good value.
Good vid. Thank you. Safety thinking.
Did you have to declare to insurance company and did anything change policy price wise?
I did declare and I think it added literally about £3 a year hahaha!
I also have an MX5 NC 2013 PRHT. I am very interested in the "Roll Bar for the PRHT" I think it may work l.
My concern is! I am 6 ft tall and currently have the drivers seat all the way back with some angle on the seat. Is there any loss of reward travel on the drivers seat or reduced angle for the seat back, after the instillation of the "PRHT Roll Bar"?
Hope to hear Stay Safe
Hi Marc,
Sounds like you've got a fantastic car, I love the final face-lift!
It does indeed lose a little bit of rear-ward travel, but only a click or two.
What I'd recommend is putting your seat forward two clicks maximum and seeing a) if you can do it comfortably at all but also imagine that your legs are 1.5 inches lower if your knees touch the steering column.
If you live anywhere near Tunbridge Wells or Hastings you're welcome to sit in mine and see if it works for you
@@petrolpoodle thank you but I live in Montreal
@@6892lemieuxHi Marc did you end up going ahead with this and if so what’s your opinion on leg room changes?
Life tip, get that car on coilovers. It will lower it to your liking and SUBSTANTIALLY increase the handling!
Subscribe for the next video pal and you *may* see my thoughts..... ;)
Pretensions for belts?
What a stunning gentleman x
Would Mazda still service the modded version like the OEM version like usual?
Absolutely! It'd only be warranty that would be affected but of course the car is way too old for that! ☺
Does the PRHT latch interfere with bar at all when raising or retracting top?
Nope, there's the absolute tiniest contact as it goes past but it's like it literally brushes it rather than hits it. Had mine on for a year and no issues
how could these bars work in a case of a rear end accident?
does anybody have any suggestions?
I want to buy the car but thinking about it’s safety
These are to protect you from a rollover.
Pre facelift s2000 have snappy suspension.. rip s2000.
Since your seat belt doesn't retract anymore I recommend recaro SPG and a 4 point harness .. perfect excuse
It was a real shame, he'd recently had all the suspension upgraded to decent stuff to mitigate that behaviour.
He'd also done 5 track days in it so he knew its limits very well. Just unlucky that when he hit standing water at speed, it threw the weight about hard, then to remain on the road he had to steer into the spin! So unlucky.
And I keep thinking about some new epic seats! Don't tempt me 😂!
I have seen new seatbelt guides that should help, I'll be trying those out first as it's much cheaper. Seats could be awesome though!
@@petrolpoodle wow even w all those mods it spun out. Proper unfortunate. But it was a slippery day tho. Luckily he was able to walk away w whiplash...
Beautiful colour on the s2000 as well... Rare cars nowadays
Strong. Not for me but great info.
When dropping It down dose the locking latch clip the bar like the Cybul role bar
I may have misunderstood your question but I'm not sure as I didn't do the install myself. If I can answer your question by looking around the car now, let me know what you mean and I'll take a look for you. Sorry!
@@petrolpoodle hello there sorry for my poor use of text just wanted to know the cost of the install. Price of the bar is £350ect but I wanted to know the total cost of the full installation of the bar including the plastic trimming.
I wouldn’t need the seats done as did it my self
@@megajohntopunishenslave427 no problem at all!
At the end of the video I run through the costs with Phil Brough and I have the link to his email address I believe in the description. So he could give you an exact quote.
I sadly can't remember what I'd have spent by the time I minus the seat lowering brackets and install. I reckon about £300 to 400 if I had to guess but definitely watch the end with the pricing and grab a calculator ☺
I just bought an NC Miata. I got it instead of continuing to ride inherently more dangerous motorcycles.
😂 That's quite a step up in safety! Congrats though and welcome!
You don't need a roll bar. I have been driving Miata's since 2003 as a daily driver only and I've never had a rollover, never had a roll bar. Had commutes on canyon highways with twisty roads to city freeways. I've slipped around on ice, and hydroplaned in heavy rain (aside from a truck backing into my car parked in a parking lot) I've never had an accident. The only thing in my opinion that is being overlooked is speed and staying on the road. Its very simple - you keep your speed down unlike that rollover in the video and you be mindful of your tires staying on the road so they don't clip an edge or cause you to loose traction on the shoulder. Unlike that roll over in the video obviously not managing speed on a wet road.
Whilst I know what you mean and agree to a great extent you are using yourself, a sample of one, as data for the entire population.
Go on TH-cam and look up rollover videos and dashcam footage will show you people driving on the motorway/highway who are smashed into by others at fault and end of rolling over.
You might be right in assuming YOU will never crash but I was crashed into and I literally couldn't avoid it. Seen enough rollovers on TH-cam that I'd rather spend under 1 thousand dollars to keep my head in tact just in case.
Thanks for watching and many more good Miata years to you sir
@@petrolpoodle That's why I mentioned speed. Others - not just myself can't be mindful of it and prevent needing one. I pushed the car to limits I felt were almost unsafe on many occasions. My record alone for myself proves you can avoid needing to spend money on one if you are careful. It makes the car heavier and can lessen the 'fun' factor. If you are going to track the car the roll bar is probably required.
@@ZacharySound true but the car is heavier by literally 11 pounds/5 kilos. Also it adds rigidity and stiffness so the handling could well be argued a plus.
@@petrolpoodlehow much did the roll bar increase your insurance?
..because you did declare it, right?
Did the car that rolled have a roll bar?
Because……
Do you happen to know if this roll bar works for the soft top too? I have a 2006 one
Sorry for the late reply, I accidentally switched my notifications off - I thought things had gone a little too quiet haha!
Yes it does but you'll want the specific one that GC Fabrications make for your soft top, it's actually a safer and stronger bar. Because there're no motors in the way it can be mounted to the rear of the car too for greater solidity!
Anyone know where to get this done in New Zealand?
Do you pass the broomstick test with a helmet on?
I believe I would, once I sit normally in the car I'm quite a bit lower than the bar. I haven't tried with a helmet on mind you, but I think I would now
thanks great content
Where about sin East Sussex was the Z4 video filmed.
Hey Rob,
I drove from Catsfield to Cooden Beach in Bexhill, so ticked off the nice roads between and back! They're no Welsh B-roads but were good enough fun!
@@petrolpoodle hi thanks for that. I have recently bought a 2012 Z4 2.8i s and I love it as it has plenty of performance,economic and great fun especially in sport mode. I do agree that the 19inch wheels and the 30 profile tyres make the ride interesting as it skips and crashes on our great roads. I used to use the road from Cooksbride to Ditchling as part my daily circuit
but the frost has made it really like a farm track. I live in Brighton and now with the lockdown I have to content myself with views from the windows as it’s such a unique and good looking car.
@@robbeazley4694 What a brilliant choice! I love them, I think they're incredibly good looking cars. Also it's great that the interior design is unique to the Z4. All other BMWs of the time and since seem to share an almost identical design language or shared parts. The Z4 seems special in that regard. It's a shame about the crashy ride bouncing about but that's what the aftermarket is for! Just making it exactly how you like it over time.
I hope you're able to get out there and enjoy it again soon!
What was total cost? Thanks!
Hey Charles,
Embarrassingly I can't remember now that it's been 2 years but at the end of the video I think I list off all the costs, so grab a calculator and add them up 😂
Somebody will watch this video and get a proper roll cage fitted to their MX5 or similar and one day have an accident and owe their life to Petrol Poodle and the manufacturer of the roll cage.
Thank you so much, David!
Hoping that no one ever has to use their rollbar, it's my hope too that it makes a difference. I'm chuffed that another David (First to comment I think) has immediately bought himself one! It's worked!
Did you ever fix the seat belt problem ?
I'm afraid I never fully fixed it, I did buy some Australian aftermarket seatbelt guides that were far better, I'd top it up with silicon spray here and there - which also helped. It was never completely gone but it was far better than the stage it was in this video.
Overall though, once you'd tightened it and clunked your belt actually in, it was tight and would tighten in emergency stops.
@@petrolpoodle interesting I wonder why they went like that in the first place. Did you ever do suspension mods in the end ?
@@petrolpoodle your videos are great btw really high production value it’s convinced me to look for an NC MX5 after selling my Golf GTI although I am tall so finger crossed 🤞
@@AK_0000 thanks so much mate, I hugely appreciate that! And absolutely go for it pal they're great fun! Depending on your budget, check out my latest video on the 986 Boxster because it feels like an MX-5 for taller people if you've got more cash ready for running costs! Absolutely loved it
@@AK_0000 I didn't actually, always planned to but life got in the way! 😂
Does the roof still go up
It sure does! It's designed to fit 👍
It's a great video.
Thank you very much :)
You need a bigger car, but Miata is fun car!
And if you want to race, than close the lid!
Yeah I have to admit I'm bordering on too tall for it really! If I put in thinner racing seats I'd have extra headroom again :)
And definitely, I'm thinking I'll take it out on track in 2022!
In all honesty from a drivers point of view, if seatbelts do mot retract properly, as they are meant to, keeping the driver secure in his / her seat, then technically they should be outlawed by British Government and DVLA.
I totally agree. I've installed some new seatbelt guides which stop the belt from folding like they did before, it's definitely improved it but it's not how it used to be.
I've done an emergency stop since this and the belt still locks properly, it just requires a tiny bit more friction to get it to go back then by itself
The real bar is a better look than the style bars, in any case. I never liked those silvery false-security hoops. The style bars, when removed and stripped of their silvery covers, look relatively weak. I knew somebody who was killed in a rollover, in an MGB. If you drive near the limit, real bars are a good idea.
Oh my god, I'm so sorry to hear, that's horrible. I luckily now don't drive near the limit as the crash I had shook me up, I just enjoy it with the roof down and for how it drives :)
Nice vid.
Thanks very much pal!
Really cool but that seat belt thing is an absolute deal breaker
I fitted some aftermarket guides and it definitely doesn't sit so slack now. It's much better but not perfect how it was before. Overall, I'd still have the extra head protection if you're tall but I will put the disclaimer that I'm not qualified in crash safety 😂
Seems like you are now at risk in a much more likely accident scenario, like a rear end collision, to bang your head against a steel tube. I think this is the answer ro your question about why the factory one is lower.
Good video though and it looks like a solid piece of kit, just meant for a track car where you'd wear a helmet.
Thank you for the comment, I appreciate the balance of kindness too as others talking about the new safety standards seem to just have a right go hahaha.
Since publishing this video I actually tried to see if I could find a way (whilst seatbelted) to make my head actually contact the bar at all. And even throwing myself about I never got close. So from a rear end collision point of view, it's absolutely fine.
Perhaps in a wild rollover there'd be a version of events where my head might hit it - but it would have saved me hitting the road in the first place compared to the standard bar, so I'd take my chances with that.
What road did the accident happen on?
Hi Jordan,
It was in Newquay in Cornwall, not far from the Kwikfit garage as I limped the car there for them to check it over!
How come?
@@petrolpoodle @Petrol Poodle From the video it looked like the B4560 in South Wales, thought it was a bit far for you to venture though.
Glad the driver was okay, shows how suddenly and badly things can go wrong.
@@jordanb97 haha oh my god, sorry I'm thinking of my own crash! What an idiot!
You're completely right! That's where the S2000 crash was! Very impressed. You know it well then, remarkable because almost anywhere on that stretch you'd come off the road, spin a bit and feel silly. But that little bump sent it toppling in seconds.
It was the most horrible experience of my life, I thought he was going to be dead when I arrived. I've never felt gratitude like leaving the hospital with him the same day stood upright!
@@petrolpoodle That's okay, it's an awesome road. Used it to commute to work for 2-3 years straight so I got pretty familiar with it. 😂
Haven't been there in a while though due to a change in job and with the Covid restrictions unfortunately.
I know exactly what you mean, it's an open area with plenty of run off. There again with the drop offs further up the road, it could've been even worse.
Lesson to us all not to push it too hard on public roads.
Stay safe and keep up the good work, I especially enjoyed the E86 Vs E89 and the Clio 182 videos. 😂
@@jordanb97 Oh my god, what an amazing commute! I can imagine it was tempting to play on that road daily! It stands out in my mind as one of my favourites!
And completely, it made me reign in the fast driving for sure, it was such an eye opener!
Thanks so much for watching the videos, glad you enjoy them!
Stay safe and I'll see you on the next one!
Still prefer the style bar look, I'm NOT a fast driver tho'.
I have to admit it's more aesthetically pleasing stock! A friend of mine is 5 ft 9 I think and he fits nicely under his stock style bars. Sightly jealous in a way! 😂
I'm thinking about one of them, where I live is winding roads and fell land and the wife says I drive like a complete tit when nobody is around bless her, she also thinks we have won a competition for a new Aldi store 10-minute trolly dash all you can carry for free, only problem is we need to go round a race track to get near the back entrance of the shop that isn't there
Hahahaha this did very much make me chuckle.
I had the same thought process about the rollbar and my girlfriend's safety, she said she felt unsafe in the car, too exposed etc and I then had the profound realisation that it might be my choice for me to take risks (leaving the stock bar in and another risk of driving like a tool) and it's one thing me paying the price, but it would be horrendous for her to pay the price if I messed up one day or we were unlucky at the hands of someone else.
So I've since stopped driving like a moron (but still enjoy driving hard when the conditions are right of course) and I feel much better for having the lower seats and higher rollbar.
When the Landrover Discovery pulled out on us and we had it drive up the front right of the car, it was a reminder of how fragile you immediately are when it goes tits up!
I'd definitely recommend it for peace of mind and an extra layer of safety!
Thanks for watching and good luck with the Aldi shopping challenge hahaha
@@petrolpoodle My wife practices being miserable I love her to bits but as an old git you live with life's problems easier, she says she doesn't like the car but it's obvious she does but that is my worry the wife's safety that's why Ive been thinking about one (roll bar)
@@lorrynortheastguy4787 go for it matey, you'll never regret taking the step to make you both safer. You'd only ever regret the other way round.
Also, I love the slightly racecar feel and genuinely I feel so much safer in the car now each day
Seat belt not working properly is a deal breaker for me
I've changed the seatbelt guides to some aftermarket ones designed for the NC1 crap design and it has definitely improved it. It doesn't go slack anymore, I just have to feed it back in by hand after I get out the car. Hope this helps
Colum
tl;dr rollbar without helmet is not safe for street use.
"As an EMS volunteer who gets to see all too many MVAs, I can tell you that the forces on a body in a crash are unimaginable by somebody simply sitting in a seat and trying to guess where their head will impact a roll bar. Roll bars are not "perfectly safe" on the street. And the padding--even assuming you're using the real stuff and not "foam"--are intended to pad a helmet, not a skull.
An even greater danger, in some situations, can be the cross bar that typically is at about shoulderblade height, behind the seat. If you get rear-ended hard and your seat breaks loose from its rails, you can easily break your back/neck against that bar. A PCA Club Racer was killed at Lime Rock that way several years ago, when he spun and hit a tire wall going backward fast. that's why many PCA regions mandate a seatback support plate fastened to the rollbar, which is what I have with a fully padded DAS rollbar."
Hi Evzen,
This is extremely valuable to know as I'd never considered the idea of the seat coming loose. I kinda thought my body/seat wouldn't physically allow for my head to come into contact with the bar, but that's something I hadn't accounted for.
I'm going to look to cover the bar in lots of soft padding, would you know where best to search or what materials I should look for?
Thanks again!
PS. I think I'll do an update video and pin a comment on this video with this advice!
Some good-ish news is that I've just tried sitting in the car in my usual driving position and I'd have to be extremely unlucky and have my body come upwards by a few inches and then backwards a few inches before there would be contact. The rollbar is quite high and far back in that respect.
However, I am still looking into the padding now as I'd much rather it were softer for peace of mind and added 'just in case'.
Thanks again!
You are right about the forces in a crash. I had a seatbelt on & had a crash in a mazda RX2 Capella & afterward you could see the bruise imprint of the rear view mirror in my left eye socket. the car was a write off.
Unless you plan on driving like an idiot on slippery wet roads, if you're only going to do one mod, the most essential ones for MX5s are:
Mk1: Front strut brace to reduce the shakes.
Mk2/2.5: Strap on the soft top so you can put the roof up and down without hurting your back.
Mk3: 1.5" extension on clutch pedal.
Mk4: Coilovers.
The second most important one for all marks is forced induction.
Great shout on the mod list! I haven't actually heard anyone talk about the clutch pedal before, is that simply to shorten how far you need to depress the clutch for it to be fully depressed essentially? My biting point is right at the bottom of the pedal, just interested how it would be affected?
And having had someone crash into me when it wasn't my fault and I was just going sensibly under 30mph, I've now felt the need for greater car safety. I'd look up rollover compilations, it's amazing how easy it is to roll a car without driving like a loon in the rain.
Thanks for watching and thanks for the mod tips above 👍
@@petrolpoodle Clutch pedal is further away than brake and accelerator so you need to sit at an angle. The extension solves that.
@@demon1954 Bloody hell, now you mention it, that's so true! Hahaha Thanks mate, great shout
@@petrolpoodle Just bought a 3.75 which doesn’t seem to have the same issue.
@@demon1954 That's very interesting! Do you think it's a stock revision from Mazda or your particular one has already had the clutch pedal adjusted?
Seats belts is annoying 😏
Still gets on my wick today haha I borrowed a Civic recently when moving and couldn't believe how much working belts meant to me hahaha
Dont drive at stupid speeds in the wet and you wont roll. Duh!
Exactly. This is hype for a video.
I suppose no one has ever been in a rollover that wasn't their fault? So as long as the driver knows how to drive, it's physically impossible to roll when someone else crashes into you
Regarding the MX5 roll over the driver was at fault 100% in conditions with a standing water slow down people do this all the time and there's a price to pay nothing wrong with the safety of the MX5 it's poor driving. you could have got hurt in any vehicle
Definitely agree that the driver was at fault for hitting the standing water (and too quickly). But you can't say 'nothing wrong' with the safety when the rollbar sits below the average head. If you or a loved one smashed their head into the ground in a rollover you wouldn't be standing by that statement hahaha. The same aged Z4, Boxster, CLK and TT all have rollbars that are thicker and well above the head of even the tallest driver, that's more the point that it's a poor bit of safety design. It'd be like having passenger airbags that only deploy halfway and don't stop you smashing your face on the wheel haha.
Other than the tiny rollbars it's got decent dual-stage airbags and decent structural safety, much better than older MX-5s
I love my Mx-5 NC but it has so many potential water leak points. I don't understand why the engineering was this stupid.
Yeah it's a real shame isn't it, I feel like the MX-5s have been designed around Japan and they totally underestimate how wet/road salty the UK can be!
The Mazda designers did the loops because now you can’t see out your rear view mirror - which wouldn’t pass the equivalent version of a manufacturers IVA test. Sorry not for me, too ostentatious, and rear visibility; non existent.
That's understandable about the rear visibility test and it not passing an IVA equivalent. However, rear visibility is certainly not non-existent - it's absolutely fine, it's better than my 2010 Honda Civic was! And it's better than a van which has none at all and plenty get by.
Sir, you are too tall for a Miata
Hahaha it's definitely been a fight! With the seat reclined just the right amount on the new lower brackets and higher rollbar, it's doable now. But yeah, overall I could do with a slightly larger interior hahaha!
Nothing interesting here!
Fair enough!