An MX-6 For Racing?

[YodaGeek]

Hi,

I don’t know very much about the MX-6 but it’s very attractive to me and it seems like it can be had for cheap, so I was wondering, does it have very much race potential? Can it do like a 13 or 14 second ¼ mile? I don’t need anything super fast. If so, how much would it cost to get it up to this speed?

Thanks.

[Arnolds97]

You definitely need to start with a 93-95 with an OBD 1 Computer. It will respond to Mods better. I have a 94 KLO3 and with just a few mods: Unorthodox Racing Underdrive pulley, Cat Back, DIY Ported manifold (just clean up the Throttle Body entrance and about 5 inches into the ports), K&N, it was competitive stock with 5.0 Stangs and Early 4.6s at stoplights. The Stagn owners would Freak. I believe it would run a 15.0-14.9 or so. I never did officially ran it but I own a 97 Mustang GT now and with 175k on my old MX6 it can still hold its own with the Stang but getting beat after about 70mph. Old Age!

If you want to go fast it will do it with-

Engine: Need the KLZE motor at 200hp stock. Headers + 10hp, U/D Pulley + 7hp, CAtback, just go with 2.5 tubing and a Dynomax and a nice tip Cheap and sound good. K&N, Extrude Hone the manifold + 10hp.

You can go Turbo or supercharger too. These engines are very strong. they are said to be able to handle up to 400hp before you need to do some modding to the rods and pistons.

If you use a power to weight ratio like this -
Weight divided by horsepower which will yield how many pounds per horsepower your motor has to move.
You can get a close idea of what it can do. Of course tires and Trans type can skew this but it is a pretty good benchmark.

Example - My Mustang with about 235hp (Flywheel) ran a 14.7 on streets and it has shift kit (Auto) and 3.73 gears. It weighs 3300 lbs. Divide 3300 by 235 = 14lbs of car for ever HP.
If you have 227hp as with the modded KLZE in a MX6 -
2800lbs divided by 227 = 12.33 lbs of car per HP. I am thinking with the above set up you would be in the low 14-high 13's. A Vette weighs at about 3500lbs and with 350hp they run a low 13. 10lbs per HP. Since your power to weight is in the middle between my Stang and a Vette then a a Low 14 - high 13 would be a close guess?


There have been a few turbo'ed with modest boost that run in the low 13's. www.Probetalk.com is good place to get more info.

[YodaGeek]

Finally, someone replied! Thank you! So, the MX-6 does have potentional to be a pretty fast car? Also, how much would I probably be spending to get it to low 13's-14's? Thanks.

[Arnolds97]

Originally Posted by YodaGeek

Finally, someone replied! Thank you! So, the MX-6 does have potentional to be a pretty fast car? Also, how much would I probably be spending to get it to low 13's-14's? Thanks.

You could go cheap. Do your own DIY port & polish work and get the KLZE Cams. The KLZE intake ports just flow better. The valve are the same size. Go bigger on the intakes Gasket match them and just glass smooth exhaust ports. That would yield a good gain. All rodders know that power is in the heads on any car. Cams about 200.00 used, Port work by a Dremel Tool @ 70.00 and bits about 25.00. Send to machine shop to break them down 50.00. After you finish hacking on them need to hot tank clean them and re-assemble back at the machine shop 200.00? Gaskets and other hardware to install about 150.00. 700.00 total? This will give you big gains though. Probably 40+hp. At least as as much as a 200hp KLZE & probably more. You could go JDM KLZE complete however for about 800.00 - 1000.00. because it is not a Honda the JDM's for the MX6 are cheap.

Headers and shit are not cheap. Like 400.00 for headers. Pulleys are 180.00. Chip will cost about 350.00. No aftermarket manifold but you can get them Extrude honed for about 400.00.

3000.00 and you are a pretty fast car. On slicks and open headers it would do deep into the low 13's. Of course you could go Turbo at 3000.00 and go faster. It would be a good idea to also beef up the Clutch and the Motor mounts after doing this stuff too. Add 300.00- 400 for that stuff.

[YodaGeek]

Awesome, thanks!

[mx3man]

Originally Posted by Arnolds97

KLZE motor at 200hp stock. Headers + 10hp, U/D Pulley + 7hp, CAtback, just go with 2.5 tubing and a Dynomax and a nice tip Cheap and sound good. K&N, Extrude Hone the manifold + 10hp.

Those are some very generous gains... I would say maybe 15-20hp gain at most.

Originally Posted by Arnolds97

You can go Turbo or supercharger too. These engines are very strong. they are said to be able to handle up to 400hp before you need to do some modding to the rods and pistons.

Ahhh... beyond 250whp and I would seriously consider upgrading internals unless you're going for a few runs and wanna rebuild it again. The high compression ratio kills its high boost capabilities. On stock internals the most Ive seen on a ZE is about 5-7psi pushing about 250whp.

Not just that but the transmission will be dead at 400hp. They're weak.

Start with the ZE swap and the bolt ons like above and you should be in the low to mid 14s whihc is quick enough to stir the pot

[shawnwilliams]

Originally Posted by mx3man

Those are some very generous gains... I would say maybe 15-20hp gain at most.



Ahhh... beyond 250whp and I would seriously consider upgrading internals unless you're going for a few runs and wanna rebuild it again. The high compression ratio kills its high boost capabilities. On stock internals the most Ive seen on a ZE is about 5-7psi pushing about 250whp.

Not just that but the transmission will be dead at 400hp. They're weak.

Start with the ZE swap and the bolt ons like above and you should be in the low to mid 14s whihc is quick enough to stir the pot

Actually there proven dyno gains, b/c of compression with the 2.5 adjusting intake and exhaust creates big numbers on this car. It funny b/c the 2.0 here is like 120hp and in europe it 180. the difference is air. Mazda USA lowers the airflow for better gas milege back then.

[YodaGeek]

Okay, thanks guys. Sorry for the super late reply but I've been away from a computer a while. I've been looking at some other cars such as the:

- Ford Probe
- Infiniti G20
- Datsun 240Z
- Nissan 200SX SE-R

How do you think this car would compare to those? Which do you think is suited best more me (Looking for something that is reliable, gets 20+ MPG, and is fairly quick off the start from 0-70ish.)?

Thank you so much!

[Arnolds97]

Originally Posted by YodaGeek

Okay, thanks guys. Sorry for the super late reply but I've been away from a computer a while. I've been looking at some other cars such as the:

- Ford Probe
- Infiniti G20
- Datsun 240Z
- Nissan 200SX SE-R

How do you think this car would compare to those? Which do you think is suited best more me (Looking for something that is reliable, gets 20+ MPG, and is fairly quick off the start from 0-70ish.)?

Thank you so much!

Probe GT - Same Engine /Chassis. Close but weighs about 200lbs more and the Body integrity is not near the MX6. I have ran many and beat every one. Including one with Mods.
Infiniti - MX6 blows it away.
Datsun 240Z - Great but hard to find and pricey. I believe performance would still be below the MX6. Old tech versus new.
Nissan 200SX - I kicked one those cars ars's with a Modified Contour that was slightly faster than the SVT. My Mazda stock could beat the Contour so again the nod goes to MX6 LS 5spd.

[YodaGeek]

Awesome! Thanks for the reply. Quick question, what year and model is your MX-6 (I believe you mentioned it's the MX-6 LS 5 Speed but is is the 6 Cyl or 4 Cyl)? Is it stock? Also, were these kills from a stop or a roll?

One more thing, since this is my daily driver I would like good gas mileage and the 6 Cyl gas mileage is only so-so. I know it would definately be better for racing but do you think the 4 Cyl has potential too? Thank you!

Edit: Also, how would a MX-6 compare to an MX-3?

[shawnwilliams]

the 4 cylinder has tonnes of potential, but it will kill you in $ to get it better than the V6, Compared to the mx-3 is basically the same car with the v6 the 4 cylinder has a 1.8 though, but is obviosuly a smaller light car, so the mx-3v6 prob will be faster than the mx-6v6, but a mx-3 is kindof a chicks car though, id stay with mx-6 or a probe, probe hasa larger aftermarket but less luxury.

[Arnolds97]

Ran a MX3. Beat it pretty good. There are MX3 Swaps that puts the 2.5 out of the MX6 LS in those though. KLZE 200hp in a MX3, nice! This will take it from being a Girly Car. The engines are atually the same size dimensionally so they go in pretty easily. I can't remember where the site was but I am sure you could Google it.

I actually own 2 now. Both LS V6 5spd. My old Green one has 173k on it and still runs pretty good. Needs some new bushings in the suspension and various other little things but is driven Daily by my son. I did some mods to it. He like it allot and so I bought him another with 84k. I did the Underdrive Pulley, Cat Back deleting the resinator and adding Dynomax at the back with an El Cheapo 3" Stainless resinated tip from Advance Auto. It sounds really good. DIY port & polished the manifold. You cannot get into them very far but after going about 6" in the runners and cleaning up the throttle body inlet I really got a nice SOTP gain. Of course I did the K&N too. With these minor mods I could hang and outrun stock 5.0 Mustangs and the early 4.6 GT's at the stop light drags. This used to freak these guys out! Gas mileage was 22mpg around town and about 27 highway.You call that bad? I own a 4.6 Stang now and I avg. 20mpg. Of course before I deleted the Cats and did underdrive pulleys it was about 18. That can hurt! IF you go 4 banger go turbo.

[SoCalLove]

Thanks!

[MytoyMx6]

i love my MX6 but the only good thing about a MX3 is it is lighter then both an MX6 and Probe. also i think MX6's are heavier then probes are you talking about a probe with all the options, Leather seats, and a stereo system compaired to a MX6 with no options, no power anything and nothing else in it?

[Arnolds97]

The Probe is heavier. The hatchback Glass and just American Engineering of the Body. If you look at them side by side and the amount of Sheet Metal in both you can see why.