OP and Pats, what are your majors and where are you going to school?

I was one of the poor saps who wished my miata was turboed, but I finally gave in and made the excuse that I'm a mechanical engineer who wants to go into automotive engineering, so I should have some hands-on experience with forced induction. That was my rationale. I'm at the University of Maine, by the way.

 

why not just sell all the turbo stuff off it, drive it N/A, and then a year from now blammo, swap?

 

I'll take that 150 pounds for rock solid reliability. If it was about an unreliable turd I'd suggest a rotary. Availability of engine, performance parts, cost, close ratio T56 6-speed.

 

ME is my major. I go to Mississippi State University. This is my third year. Getting hard. Like right now I'm studying for two test tomorrow. I'm turboing my miata over the christmas holidays or I'm gonna sell it. It will be boosted no matter what.

 

Thats the spirit! My excuse (while in the middle of tech school) was that I needed a project to keep me sane out side of the school/work/comute routine. Weak, I know.

I am going to Gateway Technical College (Kenosha, WI), for Criminal Justice. I originally planned on going there for one semester and transferring out since I never took my ACT/SATs in high school( Gateway lets you get in with placement tests) but I may stay there for two years and then go from there.

Oh god I could never go back to stock. I wouldn't make it a whole year before selling it lol.

Thanks for the input guys, I think I am going to start saving and keep the car as is until I can at least buy an engine/trans. It wouldn't make sense to part half of it out if I would still have to wait at least half a year for the rest of the parts.

Pipefather, I love the idea of a smaller v8, even turbo, but I like the idea of having a kit that is ready to slap in together. Basically I am lazy.

 

so you automatically assumed that the rover engine is an unreliable turd without any data. comparing it to a rotary? come on now. The later 4.6 engines that came in the range rover have taken 500 hp without much sweat, on stock internals. With the close-ratio Tremec T5 it makes for a hell of a combo in a miata.

 

I base my opinion on the one sitting in my driveway. The Rover and specifically the engine in it is a turd.

Go for the LSx swap, sounds like great fun.

 

I've never met an American V8 that didn't sound like great fun.

 

me wants 6.0L GTO motor

 

i think ls2 is a good chioce, a little more expensive but no crazy like an ls7, 400hp 400tq, relatively new with lower mileage, and probably an easier to work with oil pan design

 

Well I didn't right off want to call the 4.6 Rover engine a turd, but It IS English, no offense to anyone from England... I don't trust English motor made by a Ford owned company.. While I haven't heard TERRIBLE things about them, they're not exactly on part with an SBC. I base MY opinion off the 425,000 mile motor sitting in my driveway still pulling strong. Factory built 1976 4 bolt Chevy 350 which has been installed in 5 vehicles not counting what GM delivered with it. Cylinder heads have never been off, only replaced the cam because it went flat. My brothers old coworker bought the truck it came in, totaled it, swapped into his sedan, then wagon, then sold it to us. After installing it and a slipping 700R4 into a 4000# 74 Cutlass, 2.3x rear ratio w/open differential it ran a 15.0@93mph. Crappy afterburner headers (99$ from jegs), MSD HEI Dist, 6al, and a home built proform Holley 600 vacuum secondary carb.

The rotary comment was uncalled for I admit.

 

Tut, tut. It is an American V8 made originally by Buick. Rover bought it whole, dies and all, and developed it for 35 years. It is the most popular choice of V8 for any sports car IN THE WORLD.

But, I digress. If the OP wants to do an LS1, he can go ahead. I will now stop threadcrapping.

 

So I pulled up to tech last night and a goofy sounding red NB drives past, obviously not a stock engine, and I read his plates say "MIATA V8". What are the odds. I talked to him for a while after tech, IIRC it was a Ford 351w, carbureted. Claimed 11.5. Thats half the reason of why I want a LS1, practically effortless 11 second passes.. I just thought it was funny that I ran into him given the ls1/turbo debate.

 

Nobody can tell you what you want. If you want a V8 miata go for it. Only thing I can say is keep your current setup working till you are actually ready to do the swap.

 

If I were you and I could afford to throw a lsx in my na, I would do it without thinking twice.

 

I wish you wouldn't have started this thread. It really got me thinking and now all my plans are on hold because I can't decide which way to go.

 

Are you Hustler's brother?

 

I think I made up my mind.. So its time to bust out the piggy bank and start saving.

 

Start a paypal donation. I'll give you a dollar.

 

Genious!

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