Three Years To Two Hundred

It made 202 bhp, naturally aspirated, from a 1.8. We built that engine here, from a bare block up.

Forged bottom end, high compression head, high lift cams, throttle bodies. Then a manifold and a full exhaust made on the bench, hard line fuel plumbing front to back, and a harness built for this car. Here is what went on it, and how we got there.

The parts laid out on the bench before assembly, the crank alongside the boxed Wiseco pistons and bearings — Where it starts. Everything out of its box, measured and laid out before a single part went in.

The full package on the bench, crank, boxed Wiseco pistons, the Boundary pump, damper, head gasket and inlet manifold — Where it starts. Everything out of its box, measured and laid out before a single part went in.

The Build List

Everything that went on the car.

Bottom end

Wiseco forged pistons, 84mm, 10.5:1
Standard connecting rods
ACL Race Series bearings
Mazda thrust bearings
ATI Super Damper
Boundary Stage 2 high flow oil pump

Cylinder head

Cat Cams Hot Street camshafts, 278/278, 9.95mm lift
Cat Cams valve springs
Maruha shim under bucket followers
Kent Cams custom ground shims

Induction and fuelling

Jenvey throttle bodies
Fuel pressure regulator
FOJI Raceworks bespoke hard line fuel system, AN6

Engine management

Ecumaster EMU Black ECU
Ecumaster ADU dash, 7 inch
GPS to CAN module
FOJI Raceworks engine and dash harnesses

Exhaust

FOJI Raceworks tubular manifold
FOJI Raceworks full system, 2.5 inch stainless with a 3 inch exit
Centre and rear silencers, offset

Chassis and drivetrain

BC Racing DS coilovers, 10kg front and 7kg rear
Reinforced Torsen differential
Energy Suspension differential bushes
Full brake line kit
Bias valve

Cooling and plumbing

AN8 water line set
Coolant reroute
FOJI Raceworks modified cam cover
Hummelink catch can
Vacuum manifold

The Bottom End

The block was bored out to 84mm for forged Wiseco pistons at 10.5:1, and the whole rotating assembly went out to be balanced, lightened and machined. The crank is the factory one and the rods are standard. Bearing clearances were measured and the piston ring gaps were set before a single part went in for good.

The crank, pistons, bearings and boxed parts laid out on the bench before assembly — Everything measured and laid out first, and the block bored to take it.

The bare block on the stand, bores freshly machined and the main saddles clean — Everything measured and laid out first, and the block bored to take it.

Then it went together. ACL bearings, Mazda thrust bearings, the crank in and torqued, the pistons in the bores, and an ATI damper on the nose.

The head gasket held up over the block before the head goes back on — The gasket, and the pistons it was going down onto.

Looking down on the block deck with the forged pistons fitted, valve pockets visible in the crowns — The gasket, and the pistons it was going down onto.

The Head, And The Cams

The head came apart completely and was cleaned back, and the valves were re cut. New stem seals, Cat Cams springs, and a 60 thousandths skim to raise the compression, which is where a naturally aspirated engine finds its power.

The cams are Cat Cams Hot Street, 278 both sides, 9.95mm of lift. Cams that size do not drop in. The head was clearanced so the lobes could spin freely, every shim was measured, and sixteen Kent Cams shims were custom ground to sit under the Maruha followers.

The refurbished cylinder head off the engine, combustion chambers cleaned and valves re seated — The head cleaned and re seated, and the long block it went onto.

The engine roughly assembled on the stand, head on and timing gear fitted with no cam cover yet — The head cleaned and re seated, and the long block it went onto.

The Throttle Bodies

The bodies are Jenveys. They were built up and fitted to the head, the linkage set, the fuel rail plumbed and the throttle cable made to suit. A bracket was made for the air temperature sensor to sit under the bodies.

The finished engine on its stand, painted green with the bodies and trumpets on — Linkage set across all four, which is what decides how the pedal feels, and the engine finished with them on.

The Manifold

The manifold is bespoke, built here by hand on a CNC machined flange.

Tacked up in a fixture, then every joint TIG welded and back purged. Purging is the step most often skipped, because from the outside you cannot tell.

The system behind it was made on the car, section by section. 2.5 inch stainless the length of the car, opening out to a 3 inch exit.

The manifold runners tacked up and held in a fixture on the bench during fabrication — Tacked up in a fixture so nothing moves, then welded.

TIG welding a manifold joint on the bench, torch in hand and welding mask down — Tacked up in a fixture so nothing moves, then welded.

The finished four into one tubular manifold clamped on the bench in front of a FOJI Raceworks banner, heat tinted runners sweeping into the collector — The finished manifold.

The other side of the finished manifold, showing the runner routing into the collector — The finished manifold.

Into The Car

When the car arrived, the engine went in.

The four throttle bodies and trumpets in the engine bay, billet fuel rail above them and the green rocker cover behind — In the car, bodies and all.

Looking straight down into the bay, all four throttle bodies and trumpets in a row — In the car, bodies and all.

The Loom

The car runs an Ecumaster EMU Black with a seven inch ADU dash, so the standard loom came apart and a bespoke harness was built for it. The starting point was our own pinout sheet for the chassis.

The engine side was made up and re pinned and the injection loom modified with it. The front harness was extended, the lights rewired with relays, and the diagnostic box moved through the wing. Inside, everything the car no longer needed was cut out and terminated, and the hazards, fog and heater fan went onto a switch panel welded into the dash.

The Ecumaster EMU Black ECU and the ADU advanced display unit, boxed on the bench with the flying lead harness — The EMU Black and the ADU dash before any of it had a wire on it, and the bay they ended up running.

The finished bay the harness was built for, throttle bodies and manifold in place — The EMU Black and the ADU dash before any of it had a wire on it, and the bay they ended up running.

Underneath

While the engine was out the rest of the car was brought up to the same standard. The differential is a Torsen. It came out, was stripped and blasted, had its casing welded and plated to reinforce it, and went back together on fresh Energy Suspension bushes. The brakes came off and went back on with a full new line kit and a bias valve. The fuel system was made from scratch here. Bespoke hard lines were bent and run along the underside.

Suspension is BC Racing DS coilovers, 10kg front and 7kg rear. And of course our lovely exhaust.

The finished stainless system seen from underneath the car on the ramp, running the length of the floor — The system on the car, front to back.

The rear of the underside on the ramp, the stainless system running back past the differential to the silencer — The system on the car, front to back.

First Start, And Running In

Fluids in, base timing set, and it started. Then it was cycled through loads until it idled, the bodies were balanced so all four cylinders breathe evenly, and the spark scatter, cold start, idle and throttle position were all set up properly rather than left near enough.

A fresh engine gets its first oil service almost immediately. Radiator flushed, new plugs, new oil and coolant, heat cycled, then every system checked again before the fuel and ignition tables were built up on the road and the break in procedure started. It got a second run in oil after that, and a third change once the running in was done.

The finished engine bay looking down, throttle bodies with their filters on, manifold coloured from heat and everything clipped up — In the car and finished.

Looking down into the bay past the roll cage, throttle bodies and manifold in the car — In the car and finished.

The Dyno

The car went on the rolling road in December 2025. Pre prep, a full tune, then a post dyno session setting up the dash, the safety limits and the rest of the checks. The rolling road is rented and off site. The tuning is ours.

It made 202 bhp. That is a naturally aspirated 1.8 doing it on compression, cams and air, with no boost anywhere.

The green Mk2 strapped down on the rolling road with the bonnet up — Dyno day. The rolling road is rented and off site, the tuning is ours.

The rolling road screen showing the power run traces stacked up over the session — Dyno day. The rolling road is rented and off site, the tuning is ours.

Ready For Track

The last visit was April 2026. The full exhaust was made and fitted, an oil change done, the balance and idle screw reset, the last few leaks chased down and the undertrays refitted. Then a health check over the whole car and a look back over the tune, so it went out ready rather than nearly ready.

Three years, spread over a lot of separate visits.

Moxie outside, front three quarter, the shark mouth nose art along the front wing and arch — Finished, and not remotely trying to look standard. The name is on the back of it.

The rear of the car with the hard top on, MOXIE lettered across the rear quarter — Finished, and not remotely trying to look standard. The name is on the back of it.

Out And Being Used

Mark took it to Miatas At Summertime this year and came away with best NB in show. Then he took it to the Nürburgring.

It is being enjoyed the way it should be.

Moxie on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, turning in past a marker board with armco and green banking behind — The Nordschleife, doing what it was built to do.

Moxie seen from behind on the Nordschleife, going away up a rising left hand corner — The Nordschleife, doing what it was built to do.