Project MX-5

[Secret Chimp]

Those RX-7 seats will look great. The RX-8s would have looked anachronistic.

[Onslaught]

I got the seats. Well, I paid for them anyway and will get them. That's one more thing down and a shit ton more to go.

[Onslaught]

Seats are here and look great. Better then I'd hope for being used. Must have had new leather put on them because no way this is 20 year old leather.

I've spend almost $2K on tools for the shop this past month. I'm still not even where I need to start stuff. Tools cost too much damn money.

[Onslaught]

This will take care of the wanting to keep it NA but needing around 160bhp. And it should help offset some of the weight increase with the parts I was going to add to strengthen then chassis.


This will no longer be project MX-5. Now it's officially project RX-5.

[Rupert]

Rad!

[Secret Chimp]

Does that require any flibertijibbery with engine mounts or transmission/driveshaft junk?

[Onslaught]

I was looking around on the RX-7 sites and found that many guys with 1989-91 S5 non turbo cars ran 1.8 Miata transmissions in their cars. You can put the MX-5 trans on a 89-91 RX bell housing with just a few small modifications. This way I can use a stock Miata transmission and keep the stock drive shaft and PPF. And Fly'n Miata makes a special subframe for putting V8's into an MX-5. But you can order one without motor mounts brackets welded in place for jobs other then V8's. This will make the job MUCH better because I won't have to cut up the stock one like people did years ago.

So, This motor is one the way and should be here next week.
A guys is selling a nice 5 speed off a 1.8 at a house near my brothers for $200 on the other side of NC.
And I'll get the subframe in sometime after all that and see how things fit before I go too far.

[Secret Chimp]

Awesome, I didn't know rotary swaps were that straightforward. I've only ever seen some hack job show up here and there, most people just go turbo or do V8 swaps...

[Onslaught]

Awesome, I didn't know rotary swaps were that straightforward. I've only ever seen some hack job show up here and there, most people just go turbo or do V8 swaps...

I don't know if I'd call it "straightforward." Nothing like this will be easy and I know I'll run into some things that will kick my ass a little. I think the problem is people want turbo rotary motors. And that makes for more problems.
I just wanted around 150-180 hp. And this motor will give me just that without having to change as many parts. Or putting huge tires and stuff like that on it.

[Rich]

That is so awesome.

[2o6]

I'm jealous. Awesome.

[68_427]

Saweeeet

[mzziaz]

Don't molest the Miata!

[Secret Chimp]

Don't molest the Miata!

This is a perfectly awesome molestation.

[Onslaught]

Don't molest the Miata!

It won't look any different from the outside then other Miata's. Perhaps a little larger poo shoot out the back and an oil cooler in front of the A/C condenser. Other then that you wouldn't know until I crank it up.

[Rupert]

I'm not real worried about people modifying their Miatas. It's not like there are only 500 of them.

[AutobahnSHO]

Miata is Guinnes book of records "best selling 2 seat sportscar". Ever. They're counting all the different model years combined though.

[MX793]

It won't look any different from the outside then other Miata's. Perhaps a little larger poo shoot out the back and an oil cooler in front of the A/C condenser. Other then that you wouldn't know until I crank it up.

Change to a sidepipe.  One that belches fire.

[Onslaught]

I'm not real worried about people modifying their Miatas. It's not like there are only 500 of them.

You don't see many that are stock and in really nice shape however. Or not near as many as you did.

[280Z Turbo]

I'm not real worried about people modifying their Miatas. It's not like there are only 500 of them.

Miata is Guinnes book of records "best selling 2 seat sportscar". Ever. They're counting all the different model years combined though.

+1

There are still lots of them. Even with the Spec Miata crowd punting them into each other.

[Onslaught]

Before


After



I had a few hours to screw around today so I got to work taking some of the "stuff" off the old 13B. I've got to get an engine stand and some tools to take the clutch and flywheel off before I see how things are on the inside. Perhaps next weekend I'll have the time. I've got to say that taking a rotary apart is kind of easy. The only problem was trying to keep the 20 year old vacuum lines from disintegrating when removing them. I was going to replace them all anyway, but it be nice to have them as a reference for later.
Sorry for the crappy looking pictures. But I'm not using a nice camera when my hands are covered in oil, gas and dirt. I'm thinking about buying a camera just for the shop so I can take pictures of all of this and not worry about what happens to my good ones.

[Secret Chimp]

Are you planning on modifying the engine at all or just refreshing with new apex seals or whatever the hell you do when you take a rotary apart?

[Onslaught]

I'm not sure but I'm thinking just a rebuild of all the seals and stuff like that and keeping the motor stock for the most part. You can port the engine but I wouldn't do that unless I was making a track day car. I like a cool sounding engine as much as the next guy but this will be my weekend fun car from now on. And driving around hearing "BRAP BRAP BRAP BRAP BRAP" would probably get old after a few months.

Racing Beat makes aluminum front, rear and intermediate side housings and light weight rotors. However unless you're making some kind of bass ass motor I just can't see spending the money for the weight loss. I'm not one to give a crap about blowing cash. But at close to $8K to get that stuff even I can't see it.

Perhaps I'll upgrade the ignition and fuel systems and the exhaust and intake the best I can and call it a day. I could also go with a better ECU but I'm not made up my mind about that one either.

[r0tor]

Look into a street port template if your tearing the motor apart... No brap from a street port


This is pure awesome BTW

[Onslaught]

Look into a street port template if your tearing the motor apart... No brap from a street port


This is pure awesome BTW

Yea, I know a mild street port isn't too bad. I know a guy who's doing one on his 12A right now. Kind of like hearing it in person sometime.

[CALL_911]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat

Dude, that is SO cool. Keep us updated please.

[Cookie Monster]

This is the most awesome thing that has ever happened in this forum.

[CALL_911]

This is the most awesome thing that has ever happened in this forum.

Easily.

[r0tor]

Get a street port template from racing beat while you have that open.  Won't take too long and you will get some nice gains.  No brap either.

[Onslaught]

I can't make my mod up on if I should come up with a way to put A/C on this thing or not. I'd have to make lines and stuff seeing that nothing will line up with a different motor and compressor. And I'm already taking the smog pump and power steering off and putting the manual rack like in a Type R Miata in it. So it would save me so weight by not having A/C.

That said, I hate extreme heat. So on real hot days I wouldn't get near the thing without A/C.  And Miata's can fog up in the winter if you don't turn the A/C on with the heater and run it that way for a few minutes until the moisture out of the air.


As for porting, I'm probably going to buy new housings anyway seeing that these have 90k on them. So I'll practice a port on these and see how it looks before I try on brand new stuff.