Review on 🚘 Mishimoto MMRAD-MIA-99 Performance Aluminum Radiator for Mazda MX-5 Miata (1999-2005) by Matt Venable

TL;DR : Fan shroud needs modification to fit radiator, relatively painless installation with minor A/C relocation, Mishimoto radiator cap is crap 4/5 stars otherwise works fine, could be retrofitted in summer as outside temps rise Long version: I have in my '04 MSM installed a Mishimoto radiator after the stock radiator started leaking along the top seal.I chose the Koyo mainly because of my budget at the time and the need to get the car up and running asap.(Thanks Prime! ) The heatsink itself is solid metal, looks fantastic , and comes with plenty of padding to prevent damage (Mishimoto fan ears are seriously weak power) some minor mods The pins on the heatsink keep the shroud about 1 inch from the heatsink - not good for drawing air through the fins. I used a step drill to drill wider holes in the fan shroud so the heatsink pins fit in the holes and the shroud is much closer to the heatsink. Once the cooler was flush I used Home Depot styrofoam caulk to seal the gaps on all sides and washers between the fan shroud and the mounting screws to hold them in place. Once the fan shroud was installed on the heatsink, I used heavy-duty 2.5 inch thick double-sided tape to attach foam to both sides of the heatsink to improve airflow by sealing the installed system. AIR CONDITIONING PROBLEMS: The radiator cannot be installed without first moving the A/C cooler (located in front of the radiator). main cooler) about 0.5 inches forward. I removed the thick rubber pads holding the AC heatsink in place and replaced them with thin neoprene pads. This tilts the entire unit slightly forward, allowing for hassle-free installation of the cooler. I installed a new radiator, hooked everything up, filled in coolant, burst open the system. The car started, went for a test drive, after a couple of minutes white smoke began to creep out from under the hood and that wonderful smell of evaporated antifreeze. RADIATOR CAP PROBLEMS: The radiator cap that came with the radiator is junk and leaking. Like a madman. I replaced it with an original radiator cap from the original radiator once the system had cooled and the leaks stopped immediately. Basically, I'm happy with the decision. I've been using the radiator for about two months now and everything still works perfectly. Later this year, after a few months of summer driving, I'll provide an update to report on how it's handling warmer ambient temperatures.