CAR OF THE MONTH
@BUILTBYKYLE

Hey guys my name is Kyle. I'm a 24 year old youtuber/Mechanic and I go by Built By Kyle online and everywhere! I run a Mx5 performance shop in north Brisbane and am constantly tinkering with cars trying to push the boundaries of car building.

What got me into cars was my best friend inviting me to a car meet when I was 16. Once I hit that shopping center car park and saw a RWB Porsche and a mk4 supra I was SOLD.

THE VISION

The inspiration for the build was always RWB Porsche styling mixed with my own flavour. I knew I always wanted a widebody car and that I wanted to be the one to build it. It had to be unique, something that no one had ever done before, something so crazy, you can't stop but look and wonder, what even is that car?

A lot of people tell me that the mx5 side of the car gets lost in the build, and that’s exactly what I was going for. Something so unique that it leaves you questions what make and model the car even is.

THE JOURNEY

2020 - I found the car on the mx5 club of QLD's forum. It was posted by an 84 year old lady who had owned it since new. She had it listed asking for a smash repairer because she had hit a kangaroo. So I emailed her asking if she would sell it to which she said no. A few weeks later she emailed me back asking if I still wanted to buy it. I agreed to her price and drove 4 hours to Hervey bay to get it. I drove it back top down with my hair blowing in the wind just like it should be. I got it home and the next day I ripped the engine out. I then embarked on the 2 year journey built from start to finish. Every nut and bolt from the chassis that could be removed and replaced was, every part that I could get new and upgrade, I did.

The car got a full open door respray, custom work wheels, custom fastback roof, full interior makeover with gauges, brides, wheel, knob, shifter, hand brake, LEDs, suede roof liner, mats, the full works.

I finished the car in April 2022 and unveiled it at world time attack challenge. The car was well received and I continued to take it to events around Brisbane after WTAC. I drove it a total of 1,300kms before I got pulled over by a highway police. The car got taken off the road and pitted majorly for the track width of the car. legal increase is 12.5mm per side, and I had increased it 200mm lol.

The car then got pushed into the garage, covered until I had enough funds to return the car in a version 2 form. The engine ripped out and put in my drift car Sabrina so I could progress my driver skill level with some more power. This quickly became not enough, I wanted more, I wanted ruby.

I made the split decision to rebuild the car and dedicate an entire month to redo everything. I closed my shop, stopped working and focused only on the rebuild.

I changed the front bumper, side skirts, added bash bars, a hydro handbrake, subframes, bushes, upper and lower arms, tires, rims, rack ends and track rods. we ended up wrapping it white and did a old JDM inspired flame livery on it and I seriously could not love the car more in its version 2 form.

It's everything I've ever wanted the car to be.

THE MOD LIST

ENGINE + DRIVETRAIN:

Turbocharged 1.8L Mazda mx-5 engine

INDUCTION/EXHAUST:

3 inch dump
Custom 3inch back system
Kraken manifold
Gt2560r Garrett turbo

COOLING:

Coolant reroute
Oil cooler
Custom IC piping with a front dam bar routed intake

FUELING:

1000cc injectors
e85 tuned

INTERIOR:

Bride seats
NRG wheel
NRG shifter
Short shifter
Suede roof liner
LED footwell lights
JDM floor mats
5 different gauges
Custom centre console delete

EXTERIOR:

Custom fastback roof
200mm widebody kit
4 kits into 1
Wrapped in a white livery

SUSPENSION/HANDLING/

BRAKES:

DOD upper, middle and lower arms
Poly bushes
Big brake kit

WHEELS & TYRES:

Work equip 01 rears 15x10 with 195/55
Work cr01 fronts 15x8 with 205/50

MEMORY LANE

Greatest memory with the car, well I have 2:

When I unveiled it at WTAc then proposed to my now wife it was super cool and super special. That unveiling was watched live by over 3 million people and made the news which was just unreal haha.

Second being the first time I got to drift the car in its 2nd form. That night was just perfect. the stars aligned and it was just the best freaking night ever!

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Next…. man I'm just going to drive it. I missed out on so much enjoyment and driving as it got taken off the road so quick. Some people are lucky and drive around never touched by police but I got taken down very quickly. So I'm just going to enjoy the car and drive as much as I can. Maybe a 13b in the future…

Thank you to everyone that's supported the youtube channel and the car. It means the world! Special thanks to my sponsors: Mx5 Mania, Destroy or die, ANM wraps, Vinyl wrapping australia, GETNRG, the prisma lab.