what is the cheapest way to get a rear end in a miata that will hold 225whp?
 

I'm having a really tough time finding a solution aside from just buying a swap 01+ car...which is my best option but hard to find one at a salvage auction and be sure it has an lsd.

I have a 1.6 btw.

The standard 1.8 open dif will handle that much power and is considerably cheaper than an LSD. But if you have to have LSD, then the 1.8 is the way to go. You can get a total package inlcuding drive shaft, axles, and pumpkin from planetmiata for around $1000 I think. They pop up in the classifieds occasionally. I've seen them for about $700 a couple times. But the best way is to find one in a junkyard and hope they don't know what it's worth.

I bought a 1.8 driveline (diff, half shafts, drive shaft) for under $500 shipped to ATL from TX. Just picked up an rx7 clutch lsd for $100 which will drop in to the 1.8 diff. That's about the cheapest. Add another $250 to replace the lsd disks/plates.

Dude, where'd you buy the disks/plates for $50? Mine were like $200 shipped from Mazdaspeed.

That was supposed to be $250. fixed. sorry.

yeah, I'll just hold out for the swap car, or a salvage yard find.

can you drop the rx7 diff into the miata open diff ring? What years and model of rx7?

Yes. 84-88 for the clutch type (what you want). If it's first gen, make sure it is "large axle" to fit the Miata.
Pdf file on the rx7 diff swap

Yes, it's been talked about ad naseum, especially on the Miata forum, so go over there and search and read Randy's pages here: http://members.aol.com/solomiata/MiataCSP.html

Long story short, you can drop any '86-'91 RX-7 diff. internals into any '94-'05 Miata diff. housing.

:inout:as long as it's not a turbo rear :bigtu:

Yeah, I meant to add that...thanks :)

I got the whole rear suspension off a 95M miata for 400. Yes, I got lucky:) I kept the axles, Torsen, Driveshaft and sold everything else.

Since when is a driveshaft, def and axles labeled as suspension parts?

I ended up paying $400 for a type-2 swap open diff, with a loose torsen.

not bad at all!

FYI, a call to Mazda (800-222-5500) with the VIN will tell you if the car came with an LSD. Now whether somebody already harvested it or not....

or I could just look at them.

FYI, he started this post over a year ago and just mentioned a couple posts up that he ended up buying a Type-2 Torsen for $400.

^Exactly. Danimal, while using the search function, don't forget to check out the date. Dredging up a year old post for no reason takes you back to NOOB status.

ok so here's my deal, there's an 88 anniversary edition rx-7 sitting in my friends garage. the engine doesn't work but everything else works. should i buy it for 500 bucks and use anything on it to build a solid foundation for my 97 miata? i'm planning on turbo later and probably want somewhere around 250hp. any suggestions or should i buy the rx7 and fix up the engine ($? for that)...decisions decisions....any help welcome