Phil Is Back! So What's Next?

After a year MIA, my beloved MX-5 is back in action. So what's next?

28 Sep 2017

After months of being nothing more than a driveway ornament, Phil is back on the road, complete with a new heart. I really couldn’t be happier, and judging by the positive comments on Instagram, enthusiastic waves from you guys on the road and questions on the channel and website, so are you. Which is awesome, because Phil really is the car of the people - attainable, relatable, easy to wrench on and fun to drive. Hell, three of us in the Car Throttle office drive MX-5s, so we really are practising what we preach.

Getting back to what I said just now about ‘questions on the YouTube channel and CT site’, the most FAQs are ‘when will we be seeing Phil on YouTube?’ and ‘when are you doing the V6 conversion?’

The first question I can answer very easily. We’ll be filming Phil next week, ready for release in the next two or so weeks. Exactly what we’ll film, I’m unsure, so if you have any suggestions, or if there’s anything you’d like to know more about, then fill the comments section to breaking point. I’ll read everything!

Regarding the V6 conversion - the Rocketeer kit, which owner Bruce tells me is now producing +40hp and more torque - is in the pipeline, but there’s no time limit on that.

My priority now is not to break Phil again, and there are areas of rust - on the A-pillars, for example - that need to be tracked down, arrested and given the death penalty.

The paintwork is also terrible, and I’d like new engine mount bushings, suspension polybushes and body braces to tighten things up a little (a lot). Phil rides nicely on H&R coilovers, but sounds like a double-decker bus over potholes; I should probably also spend a day tightening body panels and replacing missing nuts and bolts from previous ‘repairs’ over the years.

Anyway, that’s a small update for you guys on what’s going on next. As always, keep the love for Phil coming. He thrives off the attention. And rust…

Until the next update, here’s the latest Phil video, which shows the new engine being installed with the help of my buddy Gareth (everyone needs a Gareth).