WOW! Drove a MSP... [long]

[cyomega]

First of all, I'm not sure if this belongs in this forum or in the MSP one, but please read on...

I went to the Mazda RevItUp competition last week, and after competition my friend and I decided to test drive a few cars. First up, obviously was the MSP. My first reaction when I got in was 'Wow... nice shift knob...'

That was an extreme understatement.

I absolutely LOVED the way the car felt to drive... the shifter was so tight, the clutch feel was incredible... basically the whole experience was Mazda bliss.

When I got back in my P5 to go home, I immediately missed the MSP. I thought to myself: "Ok, same engine, same (basically) chassis, how can I get my P5 to feel somewhat like the MSP?" Mind you, I'm not worried about the turbo aspect just yet, that will come after warranty is up, what I'm mainly interested in is getting that 'feel' in the clutch and shifter.

Now, I did some research and some serious thinking, and I've determined that the only way to accomplish that feel is to do these things:

1) Get a short shifter
It's blatantly obvious that the MSP has a VERY short throw, and I've all but decided on the Kartboy + bushings.

2) Get a tougher clutch (perhaps flywheel?)
I've never had the privilege to drive a car with a modified drivetrain, so I have no idea how, say, a 6-puck clutch would feel as far as the pedal goes. My friend has the ACT extreme clutch in his 3000GT and has told me that there is a very narrow engagement point, almost like the clutch pedal is an on/off switch of sorts. It seemed like the MSP had something similar, perhaps not as extreme as this, so what I'm wondering is what clutch to consider to achieve that pedal feel. Note that I plan to (once I get the P5 paid off and can save some cash) aim for ~200whp, so I'd like to get a clutch that will handle that.

All in all, my only immediate goals are to achieve a 'sportier' feel while shifting, so before I get suggestions like "Hey, screw the shifter for now and save up for an FM turbo!", please understand that I'm not ready or financially capable right now of doing that. I just kind of need something to 'hold me off' until then.

Thanks
-cy

 

[MazdaProbeGT]

ACT and STS

I have a short throw in my probe and I absolutely love it.

As for a clutch, don't, i repeat, don't get a 6 puck for a daily driven car. You will not like it. Instead, opt for the ACT HDSS - heavy duty street setup... which is capable of handling 3-400 whp without slipping. I run an ACT in my probe with an 80 shot, and it holds, no sweat. And it's easy to engage smoothly. I love my act.

I'm jealous. I really want to drive an MSP.

 

[Stealth5]

yessir, short throw rocks, i wouldnt know because of my lame auto, but all my friends cars have them and theyre blasts to drive

 

[jaje]

i second the ACT HDSS clutch kit as for a daily driver b/c it does little to make the car harder to drive on the street (from dead stop)

i'd also consider the chromoly mazdaspeed flywheel 14lbs ~$130 is a good idea and will make noticeable gains across the whole rpm range without making the engine easier to stall and ruining the harmonic balancing on the crankshaft (flywheel and pulley are part of a balanced system and if you reduce the weight significantly in one you can reduce the life of the engine)

i'd also consider some 8.5mm wires $40 as they can make the engine more responsive (meaning little power made but better combustion)