Joined the group today. Just saying hello. First off I want to say I usually like to drive V8 Mustangs, but of late this past several years have forced me to drive something more economical since gas prices are rediculously high- making driving a V8 out of reach for me. I am currently driving a 89 Mazda 323 which has served me well these past 5 years. It has had minimal upkeep done on it, which is something I couldn't say with my old Mustangs. Anyway if all goes well this year, I'd like to get a '95-97 MX-6 V6 to bring back some fun in driving. These cars are now in my price range. What I'm wondering is this. I drove in the mid 90s a MX-6 Mystere which is what got me interested in these cars. His was fully decked out with all the options including wood grained dash panels, leather seats, automatic, sunroof, and so on. I am aware the Mystere cars were more isolatedto Canada then the U.S. What makes a Mystere a Mystere over the other models like a LS? I see they were available even back in '93. What else can you tell me about these cars? I will be car shopping in the future, and would like more info on the LS and Mystere models. I will only be shopping for the V6. Also is it true the V6 has a redline of between 7 and 7.5 grand? I'd also like to get an exhaust upgrade with 2.5" pipes, high flow cat, headers, and Flowmaster muffler. Is this overkill? Will it kill the bottom end too much? Also are 225/35/18 tires good for this car and do they fit no problem? I am having difficulty finding headers for a 96-97 V6. Pacesetter headers only go to '95 and stop there. Why don't their headers fit on a 96-97. I am aware Hotshot makes headers for a 96-97, but I'm told those headers are of poor quality. What other options do I have for 96-97? Also I see Borla has a cat back exhaust system, but no info on what the pipe size is. If I wanted to go 2.5", would I have to go custom at that point? Also how many miles/ kilometers do you get from a tank of gas? I average only 400 km per tank on my 323, so the MX-6 V6 should at least be similar.

When I get a MX-6, my 323 will be sold off with the funds for upgrades. Thanx for the replies. [/align]

 

Hey there. First of all I say join MX6.com . I'm there with the same screen name and we have tons of info specific to these cars.


As far as i know the few differences between the Mystere(only called that with the V6) and the USDM MX6 include the guages and the day time driving lights.

There are several exhausts available and 2.5" is the only size available. The headers all fit from 93-95 because 96-97 cars have 2 "pre cats" and 2 secondary o2 sensors.

You can bolt headers on no problem but it eliminates the pre cats and has no bungs for the secondary o2's. Welding some in will not fix the resulting codes since they compare the exhaust before and after to determine if the pre cats are working.

The secondary o2's can be left disconnected as they have nothing to do with engine management. O2 simulators can be added to eliminate the codes if you get them(some dont).

Red line is 7k and fuel cut off is 7200. HP for the 93-95 cars is 164160 TQ. The 96 cars like mine are rated at 160 HP and 160 TQ. Thats because of the change to OBD 2 and the extra cats. MY car dynoed at 163 WHP and 151 WTQ stock with K&N drop in filter and a broken exhaust.

97 cars were rated at 170 HP and 160 TQ because of upgraded EFI.

I can tell you they are light for there class. About 2675 LB for my 96 LS. Thats about what a new Civic weighs and a lot less than most mid sized FWD sport coupes. And about half a ton les than a new stang lol.

They have great handling and ride and respectable torque at all RPM's over 1K.

Look through the faq's section on MX6.com to find out what to look for. Check to see if the VRIS system works. It costs a lot of power if it's not working but is easy to fix.

 

Ok. The 97 sounds like the one to get, but the only headers out there are Hot Shot ones which Im told are not very good. I still may go for a 94 or 95. That said if I decided to replace my exhaust, I noticed two options available here. Pacesetter has headers and cat backs. Borla has cat backs. The Pacesetter I think uses 2.5" pipes, while the Borla uses 2" pipes. Im told its because Borla wants to keep the torque up using smaller pipes. But my thought is that its not much of an upgrade from stock, since that too I think uses 2" pipes. Do you really lose a lot of low end going 2.5" pipes? What are people noticing and what do most prefer to go with? I could just get a set of headers, a high flow cat, and a turbo muffler and leaves the stock exhaust in. Any thoughts on using Flowmaster mufflers in these cars?

 

Like I said I believe all the available cat backs are 2 1/2". I have the pace setter cat back with no name ebay headers. The sound from inside is just fine but can sound a little raspy to others.

I noticed no loss in torque but I drove with open headers for almost a year lol.

Dont wory about the headers not fitting 96-97 cars. I dont know any one who has had any problems besides the cel light.

I also wouldnt pick a 97 over the others or avoid the 96. 6 to 10 HP dosnt matter much after you start modding and the OBD 2 cars can be a pain to get gains on with out FI.
So it really comes down to the individual car your budget and tastes.


Like I said check out mx6.com amd do a lot of reading. There are tons of small things that I just couldnt list on a thread that can affect your choices.

Like the choice of headers the pace setters are cheap are said to make the best improvement in HP. However they are steel where the others are stainless they are known tohave the least attractive sound also.

 

Interesting as I thought the autoparts guy said the Borlas were 2". Would Borla be a better option if it is indeed 2 1/2"? I'm also on MX6 and I cannot seem to find the info that would be what I'm looking for.

As for the Pacesetter headers, I was going to get the coated ones so they don't rust away so quickly. What other headers do you recommend? It would have to be someone I can have access to here in Canada. Again Hotshot seems to be of poor quality and they aren't available up here anyway. What other cat backs are available?

 

Our stock V6 exhaust is 2". I suppose I could be wrong but That'll be on MX6.com somwhere.

The info is spread out and somtines buried in long threads.

I will post a few links but I really cant tell you everything you will need to know.

Heres one of my favorite upgrades lol This guy is pretty smart if you ask me
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-oth...grade-how.html

Heres the 2G faq section. Just start at the top and keep reading.
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-faq-general/

Ah! and try this one.
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-oth...t-threads.html