Detailed Destroyer

A Meguiar's trained mobile car detailer by trade, Steve Gosbee takes real pride in his work; you only need look at his brilliant Mazda MX-5 to recognise that this guy is seriously into cars and accepts nothing less than perfection. What's more, Steve doesn't really believe in creating a car that's no good for day-to-day use - and that's why residents out near Sydney's Penrith area are used to seeing him driving from job to job in his show winning Mazda. And where does all the car grooming equipment go you ask? Well, Steve has a custom 5 x 3 trailer that's colour coded to the Mazda and rides on the same polished rims. Talk about a class act!

Now a Mazda MX-5 (Miata) is a somewhat unusual work vehicle for a mobile car detailer; normally we're talking some commercial van with a sporty set of stripes and some sign writing. Steve's decision to get into a MX-5 was brought about by a bad run of luck with a modified Ford Laser TX3 4WD turbo; the damn thing smashed so many gearboxes it got beyond a joke. The MX-5 shaped up as a good alternative - it is similar in size, uses the familiar B6 engine and offers a RWD chassis. That last point was important to Steve because, as he points out, it's easier to upgrade the driveline of a rear-wheel-drive car than it is something with all four wheels working.

Steve checked out some 30 second-hand Mazda MX-5s before selecting the '91 example you see here; Steve is very particular. And once in the garage, it wasn't long before the mods started flowing - "coming from a modified turbocar, I couldn't leave it with its standard 1.6-litre atmo engine..."

The first upgrade - and it's a biggun - was the fitment of an AVO Stage 3 turbo kit, which comprises a '280hp' Garrett turbo, exhaust manifold, turbo dump pipe, bar-and-plate front-mount intercooler and a micro-fueller arrangement. Needless to say, the turbo kit gave the Mazda a whole lot more torque and top-end power - a proven 125kW ATW on 10 psi boost.

The only other changes in this first bout were a 2 ½-inch mandrel exhaust (now using a JUN rear muffler), K&N pod filter, a 4-puck clutch and upgrade pressure plate and a sexy set of 17 x 7 AME polished rims clad in lo-pro rubber.

Not entirely content with the micro-fueller set-up - which is really only a budget solution - Steve made the switch to a high resolution version of the MiataLink programmable ECU. The new ECU meant a bigger set of injectors could be controlled - a set of 370cc units from a Familia GTR - while the factory airflow meter could be flicked. The big upshot, though, was the engine could be tuned for a bit more boost...

A larger Garrett T25/28 hybrid turbocharger was bolted to the AVO manifold and was set to pump in about 17 psi boost. Steve says the only real weakness in the MX-5 1.6-litre motor is the stock rod bolts, so these have been replaced with tougher ARP products. With this done, power has been bolstered to a very creditable 177kW at the wheels while running 17 psi and Optimax. These days, though, you can count on a few more extra kilowatts thanks to a bit of headwork. And, yep, this MX-5 is a swift mover. Its best quarter mile time to date is a 13.08 seconds - but that was achieved at a stage before the hybrid turbo went on!

The only necessary driveline upgrades have been the switch to a Mazda Series 5 NA RX-7 rear-end teamed with a MazdaSport 4.11:1 Torsen LSD. Sprouting from the diff is a pair of MX-5 1.8-litre half shafts. The clutch arrangement, meanwhile, has progressed from the earlier fitted 4-puck unit to a 9-inch full-facer and upgrade pressure plate from GavSport. A couple of popped 1.6 gearboxes also saw Steve move up to a double synchro 'box from a later 1.8 MX-5.

Keen to enjoy the newfound go of the '5, Steve hit the local racetrack and discovered a couple of inadequacies. First, the standard radiator (obscured by the big front-mount intercooler) was pretty marginal so it got cut apart to fit a PWR core. Second, the brakes needed a substantial beef up; this situation has been fixed by bolting on a pair of 330mm DBA slotted and drilled discs and PBR 4-pot calipers, plus a pair of 280mm DBA slotted and drilled discs at the rear. Other brake enhancements include stainless lines, Motul 5.1 fluid and EBC Green Stuff pads. The suspension, too, got in line for a tweakin' - fully adjustable Koni struts set about 1 ½-inches lower than standard.

Okay, so that's the mechanicals out of the way...

The '91 MX-5 interior was the next part of the car that Steve caught up with. The seats were trimmed black and grey two-tone, the centre console and instrument binnacle were painted to match, a polished roll bar went in behind the seats, and a Momo steering wheel and gearknob and an AutoMeter boost gauge were slipped in. Since our photo shoot, though, Steve has gone another step with a quality blue leather trim - very nice!

Externally, it's obvious the car is kept immaculate and beautifully detailed. That factory-new look has meant installing new glass and rubbers and the paintwork has been redone; after an initial spray with a blue pearl, Steve has moved to PPG Marina Blue with a lilac pearl. A body kit was also added to give the car a bit more aggression - a genuine RE kit comprising front and rear bumpers and side skirts. Any, yep, those early AME 17s are still in service; it pays to get the wheels you want first time 'round! The tyres fitted during our shoot were 205//40 17 Falkens, but the current tyres are 205/40 17 Avon ZZ2s.

Of course, the under-bonnet visuals are spot-on as well - polished and detailed to perfection by none other than Steve. You're not surprised are you?

Steve certainly doesn't stand still with mods - uh-uh. Also since our photo shoot he's swapped from a TurboSmart boost bleed to a TurboSmart e-Boost controller, plus he's updated to a TurboSmart Type 3 blow-off valve. The sound system has also come in for a sub-woofer, while a set of clear indicator lights and shining TurboSmart and GavSport stickers have found their way into the picture.

Testament to Steve's taste and vehicle presentation, his fine little creation has grabbed two trophies in just two car shows - Best Convertible at the 2003 Sydney Small Car Sunday and Kandos Street Machine Nationals. Understandably, Steve gets satisfaction from the fact that many of the other show vehicles arrive at the venues on the back of trailers; his car arrives towing a trailer.

So you see - you can have a your cake and eat it too!

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