Lets talk about the pro's and con's. The why's and why not. I know what it's going to cost so lets not even discuss that and I don't want to discuss gas mileage(who cares?).

I see videos like this and can't help to think I'm wasting my time with turbo's. 355 wtq on a stock power train FTMFW! I live in south FL where all roads are straight and every other bastard down here has an F430 a 911 GT3 or a Z06.




Discuss.
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Pros:
Reliable Power
Amazing Torque

Cons:
Cost of components
Lack of rubber

 

Watch this turn into a gas mileage discussion. Can you go ahead and add that to the "things I don NOT want to discuss"?

 

With money not being a factor I can't come up with very many reasons not to do it. I've seen people spend just as much turboing a 4 cylinder miata.

 

I would do it in a heartbeat. Since you are in FL you can hit up V8 Roadsters here in Tampa.

There are no downsides really. Plenty of easily attainable parts are available in the after market. You could burn off the rubber easily, but so could the racers or yore, before there was all the electronic gizmos to keep the drivers on the track. They controlled everything with their right foot which is what you will have to do.

 

Why? Because you can.....
Why not? Not even a part of the discussion. See "why".
I will be building one myself - one day........

 

Also have to give credit and mad props to the designers of the sub frame.
It can even be used in a "normal" Miata with the benefit of changing the oil pan without having to remove the engine or dropping sub frame.

 

I think money is the only con to doing it, so if that's not an issue that's the way to go. If I ever wanted more power than I can make on a stock unopened block I would go V8 all the way.

 

I like turbos!

 

Why not? Because you just spent plenty of money on getting your motor built no more than 3 months ago and our still using a 2250.

 

What the heck is a 2250? lol It's a 2554.
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I have been contemplating an LSx swap. The biggest problem that I keep running up against is the amount of rubber one can stuff under the stock fenders. My list comes down to:

Pros-
-Able to track it/drive it aggressively without much worry. If I trash a couple panels or whatever, it's a Miata, and they're easy to come by. If I wrap it around a tree or send it into a wall, most of the investment is in parts that can be swapped to a new shell.
-Familiarity with the chassis.
-Awesome and amazingly fun project.

Cons-
-Traction.
-As I priced out the various parts/components, the bill started to get really high. This isn't to say that it can't be done for significantly less, but I'd want a REALLY sweet suspension to match the power, seriously upgraded brakes, etc. I'd also want a fresh crate motor, not a used pullout, same with the trans and rear. Anyway, add up the nickels and dimes and see where it lands. Then estimate the performance, and look at what similar performers are selling for.

Basically for me it comes down to whether having a cool project and a cool toy (albeit with its limitations) at the end of it is better than buying a used car of similar performance and going from there. I'm on the fence.

 

IMO, tweaking the **** out of a 1.6/1.8L with a turbo and what not, and living its life on the edge per se, seems like a worse idea then dropping in a V8 without ever changing anything on the motor. I mean the LS1 wouldn't be even working as hard as it would be in an Camaro or whatever they came in. Therefore you'd be putting less stress on the motor as opposed to more stress with a turbo BP. Seems like a no brainer especially now with the swap kits and the subframe and what. I'd rather V8 than turbo a Miata. To sum it up...DO IT NOW!

 

I was seriously considering an LS1 swap for a while but eventually decided it was just beyond my abilites at the time. Here's a link to a very nice, thorough build thread that ultimately convinced me to just do a turbo: Nathan's LS1 Miata

 

That car is local and the owner is really nice guy. Riding in that car was an absolute blast!!! The Kenne Bell supercharged 5.0 Miata we have here is nothing to miss either.

That being said, if something bad happens to my engine down the road, the next project is an LS swap.

 

Why:

Stock engine LS1 vs. Highly modified B6/BP

Why not:

89" wheelbase
Lack of torsional rigidity unless you weld in a cage
Highly modified B6 and BP are probably in the top 95% of reliable modified engines
No cutting of sheet metal


I wouldn't do it except for the wow factor. On the track a high-revving turbo 4-cylinder (not necessarily a BP) would be faster.

 

A Miata with a v8 swap is no longer an under dog. A turbo Miata is.

For the price of that swap, you could keep your turbo Miata and buy a race car. I'd be willing to bet that a slow race car will give you a much bigger rush than a v8 swapped street Miata - unless that swapped Miata was driven like a race car.

The pushrod sound doesn't fit a Miata's look.

 

I have always planned on turbo'ing my car, but I have been reading alot about the infamous el es juan swap. it would be a fun swap and I would love the texas size tq, and it's very un-natural for a Miata to make that kind of noise. I think if you can make or know someone to help make the sub-frames the cons list get pretty small IMO. traction will of course be an issue, but if you leave the motor stock it shouldn't be horrible except in 1st. you might check into a truck 5.3 to keep cost down, then the only big ticket items should be the trans and axles.

I just don't think I can pull the trigger on one for my car though, it's the village bicycle...

 

I have about $17k in mine including every nut, bolt, wheel, tire, and suspension.

My car makes enough power...its kind of tough to drive sometimes. I can't imagine what an SBC would be like...probably unnecessary. Actually, my loud pedal is pretty much unnecessary right now too.

 

Its weird hearing a v8 engine noise coming from a miata.

V8s have their place, and I have a special place for them in my heart, but I get a completely different rush driving my car to red line then my friends mustang.
Yes there's no replacement for displacement, but if I ever wanted more power I would swap in a 2.4l out of something before I put in a V8. Sure it would be a lot harder, but the reward to me is greater because it retains the essence of the car.