Properly cooling our MX-5 under all conditions is a priority for all of us. While the stock Mazda radiator on the NA or NB (NBFL) is sufficient for normal driving, it may not be enough for spirited driving or track driving. And when the plastic top and bottom get old and brittle, they start forming cracks and that’s a disaster waiting to happen.
SkidNation or competition for similar price – how to tell which radiator is better?
You can tell the cheap, low quality radiators by small details, like using plastic “butterfly” drain valve at the bottom. We don’t use these as we want for you to enjoy our product for years to come. We have a sturdy metal drain plug with a rubber O-ring gasket that will last for many more coolant changes than plastic, where the thread is damaged with each use. The O-ring can be easily replaced if necessary.
With our custom fully aluminium TIG welded performance radiator you not only gain more coolant volume (cooling capacity), but also improved reliability, better heat dissipation and higher efficiency. It features a two row 40 mm thick brazed core and comes with a 1.1 bar pressure cap to increase the boiling point by a notch. Aluminium construction also removes the risk of breaking or cracking of the plastic radiator parts, which is a common problem on stock radiators.
Why “only” 40 mm thick? Isn’t thicker better? Well, core dimensions are just part of the equation – in order to cool the circulating water, you also need air flow through it. And the thicker the core, the harder it is to push/pull air through it. Our choice of 40 mm thickness strikes a good balance, which means it works well at lower speeds and provides great cooling capacity for both N/A and forced induction cars.
Want even more cooling capacity for a car with serious horsepower? Check out our 50 mm core radiator.
The radiator is a direct replacement with no mods needed. Radiator fits cars with manual transmission only. You can use the original cooling fans, or get our dual fan shroud for more cooling power.
The aluminium drain plug has a rubber seal, so it should be tightened by hand only to finger tight.
If you’d like to protect your engine even more by fixing the uneven cooling of the factory setup, check out our legendary coolant reroute kit as well.
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Davide Marcoppido (verified owner) –
The radiator itself is great, as well as Skidnation’s service.
In order to fit it properly, I had to trim a piece of the bottom bracket (driver side) and use it without the OEM rubber bushings on ’01 NB-FL, European market, LHD.
Norbert Kaveczki (verified owner) –
This replaced my OEM radiator without an issue on my 04 NBFL 1.8 VVT with AC. There was no need for any modification. For a first timer, the replacement went smoothly.
IOANNIS CHALKIADAKIS (verified owner) –
Very nice Radiator, solved my overheating when traveling on the highway with the AC on, also looks very nice! N/A NBFL 1,8 VVT