Miata talk...

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Today I was looking for some Redline synthetic gear oil, the only dealer in the valley that had any in stock was Flyin' Miata in GJ. They do mostly mail-order work and hardly any local sales. I ran to the shop to pickup 6 quarts and while I was there getting them, we started chatting and I commented that they did some pretty cool stuff. Guy asks me if I wanted a tour of the shop, how could I turn that down!? Even if it's a Miata, I'm still a car guy. :D

The tour was nice, they have a HUGE building with a lot of parts on hand, an area where they disassemble and part out Miatas, install their custom parts on customers cars, an R&D area, dynometer, etc. He was showing me their shop vehicles, including a couple supercharged and a couple turbocharged Miatas. Then he pops the hood on this blue car... it had a Thunderbird emblem on the hood... :ugh: ... and an LS1 under the hood!!! :freak:

After walking thru the shop he asked if I'd like to go for a ride... again, I couldn't turn it down. He said I could pick the car of my choice! I choose the car that had their turbo kit with an upgraded larger turbo, bigger injectors, etc. That car makes a verified 300+ horsepower at the rear wheels, on a 4 cyl with stock internals!! It was amazing, the car planted the tires quite well, it went from a rolling start to 80 MPH in no time... started to break the tires loose in 1st gear, but had no problem with traction after that. Even with the slight tires breaking loose, it skittered a bit but kept going.

The car also has aftermarket coilovers and could corner like MAD! He mentioned that the street stuff was nothing compared what it could do on the track. He said with the turbo and coilovers, the car would leave a Porsche in the dust. They are having a track day next weekend, he invited me down for a ride, but sadly I'll be in UT. :-\

Those guys were really great, took the time out of their day to show me around even though I wasn't going to buy anything other than oil. Very cool people and fun to see what they do for a living. After that ride, I considered owning a Miata... that turbo kit was simply amazing. It would give cars that cost 10x more a run for their money. :hickey:
 

Kiel

Formerly WJ ZUK
There was show on tv where they had a kit to put a 302 in a miata. Then a thuderbird rear axle. Pretty sweet like you said even though it was a miata;) Maybe if you murdered it out like doms bug you might be ok
 

gijohn40

too poor to wheel... :(
Location
Layton, Utah
stacy david (sp?) when he had GEARZ on espn did a show on a miata where they took and added a big block and everything including a roll bar,,, it was sweet... just can't remember what size the engine was... it was suppose to be able to keep up with a cobra from the early years....
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
The cool thing about those turbo-charged Miata's was that they maintained the factory F/R weight balance, and therefore kept their killer handling in the curves and turns. The LS1 being an all aluminum block changes the Front/Rear weight balance by 1%, compared to the cast iron 4 cyl! So with the LS1 you get brute torque and horsepower and maintain incredible road racing characteristics. Anyone can stuff a brute of a motor in a car and make it haul-ass going straight... that was the issue with the 302 swaps, the block and heads are cast iron and much heavier than the original motor. These Mazdas these guys were building cars that haul ass in the straights and the curves!

I wouldn't mind a total sleeper that could carve thru a canyon while making a BMW/Porsche looking dumb, then picking on LS powered Corvettes and Camaros in the straight-aways. :greg: I'm pretty sure the car I rode in was faster than my old 400 Horse '71 SS Camaro. :ugh:
 

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
stacy david (sp?) when he had GEARZ on espn did a show on a miata where they took and added a big block and everything including a roll bar,,, it was sweet... just can't remember what size the engine was... it was suppose to be able to keep up with a cobra from the early years....
It was a ford 302, you and WJZUK are talking about the same show...so not a big block ;)
 

Milner

formerly "rckcrlr"
The FM guys know what they are doing!!
That is EXACTLY why we sold it....To easy to spend $$ and make a really fast, fun little car out them. Kinda like driving a street legal shifter cart with an extra seat:D They are one of the best handling/balanced cars out of the gate. Especially in the price range. Maybe one day I'll pick up a gen2. When we don't need a car seat anymore.
Sounds like you had a fun little drive!!

A 5.0/302 with aluminum heads does not through the balance off too bad either. But there is some serious unibody work that needs to been done to get either v8 in there. Why bother when you can get 300 hp out of the 4cyl:D
 
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