Stuey - MK Indy Fireblade
This is my MK Indy Fireblade which I bought last year and can honestly say it puts a smile on my face the minute she starts.
Remember to check out our other sections in the CAR SCENE
More images in the slider above
Hi everyone my name is Stuart but everyone calls me Stuey!
@midland_kit_car_owners_group.
I lived in Canada for a couple of years as a professional ski instructor, another big passion of mine.(nice big trucks and muscle cars out there) but returned to the UK and have been in Incident operations on the roads for the last 11 years which is a job I love. I’m a Brummie born and bred but live in Worcestershire so still not far from there. As you can see from the pics I venture into the city and am always looking out for some good photo opportunities.
I live with my partner, Becky who has no interest in cars at all but knows how much of a nut I am about them and says it’s quite sweet that I go all giddy when I see a nice car but she just doesn’t get it and 2 step daughters, one if which is my co-pilot some days and isn’t happy unless we’re going fast rather than slow. (obviously within the law!)
This is my MK Indy Fireblade which I bought last year and can honestly say it puts a smile on my face the minute she starts. The sound of a bike engine kicking into life and revving really does get you all giggly. You’ll know what I mean if you’re a petrol head!! Official figures on the blade is 123bhp but with a few mods and tuning she’s now pushing out just short of 140bhp and with the car only weighing 450kgs trust me it gets your attention and also upsets a few supercars in the six figure region. It’s latest victim was a Ferrari F12. Yes even I was in shock that I kept up and put it in its place but god it felt good! The owner of the F12 would however disagree. 1-0 to the garage built go-kart!!
As you can see from the pics it's not a car you can use everyday and it's tucked away in the winter but when the nice weather comes it's great to take her out for a blast and a photo shoot .
I’ve always loved cars from an early age, dad was a high speed test driver with MG for years and he would always bring different types of prototypes and competitor cars home and we’d go out in them. Things like MG Roadster V8, Impreza’s, Evo’s, S2000’s and lots of MG models but with something a bit special under the bonnet. My first car was a hand me down Mini Mayfair then with dad being at MG I was put on the employee family scheme so I was very lucky to get a brand new car every 9 months starting with a Metro Knightsbridge right up to several MG ZR’s and TF’s until sadly they went under. Then I bought a Golf GT TDI, Civic Type S then finally after promising myself one for a while I treated myself to a Porsche Boxster. Loved it but discovered very quickly that any issues you had when you bought parts because they had the name Porsche on them the price quadrupled. For example £320 for 12 nuts because Porsche was written on them. Alternatives sourced thank god!
Anyway I got that out of my system so that went in less than 12mths. Shortly after one of my best friends Scott sadly lost his dad to cancer and he was left with a beautiful MGB classic car. Being a member of the MG club to keep his dad's legacy going he invited me to be his co-pilot on a rally they had arranged. I can honestly say it was a day that I will long remember and Scott said. “Stuey you have to get something and join a club, you would love it”. I’d made my mind up but I needed something cheap but exciting as it would be a second car. I started my research looking at Caterham’s and Westfields but they were very expensive for a decent one then discovered MK Indy. The one thing with Kit Cars is it can be a minefield and you have to remember the majority of these have been put together in someone’s garage so you really have to be sure you’re getting something solid. MK Indy were really helpful and the MK Indy owners page and also the BEC owners Group on Facebook (those boys have some serious bits of kit and know there stuff and a really great bunch of lads).They gave me lots of buying tips and so did other owners and they also invited me to their track day at Blyton Park. This helped me a lot as I couldn’t decide between a car engine and a bike engine. The first ride out was in an MK with a Ford Zetec and the second had a GSXR 1000 bike engine. My mind was made up there and then. To put it into perspective the Zetec compared to the GSXR was like putting a British BullDog against a greyhound in a sprint race!
Although my mind had been made up I was in no rush so the search for the right car started. I was approached by a friend who knew I was looking. His work colleague had an MK and had previously built several kit cars so I knew it would be solid. He had bought the MK and carried out a major upgrade over the winter. I arranged to go and take a look at it and that’s where I met Mark Haynes. He had a wealth of knowledge and could see how excited I was when I saw the car. He really didn’t want to sell it and he basically said if I wanted it she was mine but he wouldn’t sell to anybody else. Happily Mark now has a new toy, a VX220 Westfield which is a beast. Several weeks later I collected Five Ball. The first time I drove her I had to stop at Scott's house on the way home as the adrenaline was pumping and I was shaking with excitement like a kid on Christmas morning, sweaty palms, the lot!!
I have a build folder full of previous images and upgrades and I’ve also added a few myself but they are small ones as I’m still learning about the mechanical sides but that is one reason why I bought it so I can learn.
Spec as follows:
- 893 Fully Carbed Honda Fireblade engine
- Pipercross PX600 Twin Dellorto Air filter plus 2 large air intake hoses
- Yoshimura chrome Oval exhaust (extremely loud-125 decibels)
- Diff changed to 3.38 diff which gives higher top end and slightly less insane acceleration but all hell still breaks loose over 8000 RPM!
- 15” Team Dynamic alloys
- Custom made colour matching Luke Harnesses
- Original rare Westfield bucket seats
- Sequential gearbox (no reverse but I just get out and pull or push with one hand it’s that light)
- Tuned and mapped by Dan @Page Motorsport to 138BHP
- 0-60 less than 4 secs but not an exact time.
- Upgraded LED headlights
- Carbon wheel arches and carbon wrap on side panels
- 280mm OMP quick release steering wheel
I’m planning at some point to have a full cage fitted as it's safer but not in any rush. Possibly a wrap too as the car is showing a few cosmetic cracks in the fibreglass now. I was fed up of getting bugs and grit in the face (it also bloody hurts) so I bought a matching helmet and fitted an iridium visor which gets a few looks. The car and the driver certainly get some attention and the kids love it and wave to which they get a wave back. They normally hear me before they see me. I love talking to people about the car and often get stopped. I have time for anybody that wants a chat, especially those that share the same passion as I do so if you see me stop and say hi.
I am also co-founder of Midlands Kit Car Owners Club along with Mark Haynes who sold me the car. We’ve become good mates and he always helps me out along with Matt Taylor who is also a member of the group. We have just started this on Facebook and have just over 300 members and it’s growing all the time so if you’re local then please look for us and apply to join. The one thing I love about the motoring world is you make a lot of friends without ever meeting them but they will always assist where they can. It’s a great community to be part of.
We also have an Instagram page @midland_kit_car_owners_group. We have a great bunch, we arrange get togethers although during the pandemic it has been limited but we do have our first official meeting at @pagemotorsport pagemotorsport.com with the owner Dan Page who is a great guy and really knows his stuff. Dan has a wealth of knowledge and will tailor to your needs. Kit cars are just a small part of what he does. He is big on BMW’s so if anybody wants more horsepower out of theirs go and see him. We are working on some bigger plans for the future with Dan including regular meets and power runs on his dyno so watch this space.
There is also a great meet for all types of cars at Wheels on Wednesday in Worcestershire who host evenings get-togethers on you’ve guessed it… Wednesday. They also do Sunday morning breakfast meets so come along. I also love to visit @caffeineandmachine in Stratford-upon-Avon which is a must for any petrol head.
The dream for me would be a Ferrari 458. I’ve been lucky enough to experience one of these and the beauty of them really does take your breath away. When you’re in one to me you’re in the presence of not just a car but also years of luxury supercar production and racing heritage. For an all round Ferrari you can't beat them. I’ve also been very lucky to go in numerous Porsches. The scariest was a GT3. They are Insane, Lamborghini, Jag SVR, Nissan GTR and Mercedes GT so yes I’ve been a lucky lad.
Thanks for taking the time to read my vlog and thank you to Stance Auto Magazine for reaching out to me and complementing my MK. I really didn’t think I’d be asked to do one of these so many thanks. Stay safe out there and who knows maybe we’ll meet someday at one of many meets!
Laters
StanceAuto Mag Group members receive 10% discount on new QUOTES join us TODAY
If you would like your Car and Story or Your Business Featured like this, Please
Email: CARLA, SHANNON, ANDZ or ADMIN, they would love to hear from you.
Our site contains links to third party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies, practices and/or content of these web sites. Their use is at your own risk.
