199x Mialvo LeMons/Challenge/something

Here begins the story of the Mazda Mialvo.

A year ago I got a notion to start a winter project of building an engine for fun with hopes of putting it in something. I thought long and hard about my favorite transmissions I've used: ZF320, Toploader and M40. Seems like the cheapest engine bolting to one of those three is the Volvo B18. I bought the engine and trans and that's when the project stagnated.

My porcupine, BMW 332ti, fits Volvo bits in the trunk quite well. The astute eye will notice these are two different engines. I cracked the first block removing an oil galley plug and had to buy another.

I brought my B18 home and tore it apart... in my bedroom. The pros of being a bachelor. The fan is ejecting the smell of engine from my room.

And where is this drivetrain going? Into an NA Miata of course! I found this NA locally with no engine, no title, a 4.11 Torsen and a set of coilovers. He's selling it to me for 400$ of which I can sell a few things to help out the budget.

The final goal for this project is still a bit fuzzy. Right now, it looks like I can do it under the challenge budget. I'm planning to do ITBs right now but if they become too expensive I might resort to putting Mikuni HSR 45s on there. If the budget looks good I'm hoping to make it to the challenge next year. Otherwise my goal is Lemons/WRL/AER legal endurance car as well as keeping it fully street legal.

As far as aesthetics... Miatas were supposed to leave the factory as hatchbacks right?

You mention "no title" as well as the desire to keep the car street legal.
How are you combining these two conflicting things?

I'd like to hear more on the 332ti. It looks very nice.

Well that's lateral thinking way outside the box. B18 where the BP was!!

Also want more details on the E36ti, I assume you've dropped in a some version of M52 as was sold in other parts of the world as we only got the M42 here. That is assuming you are in the US.

332 would denote it's probably the S52 engine from the e36 M3

I can apply for a lost title and should get one in 30 days. No rush there as I don't see this engine being built in a rush. The car is clean but hasn't been on the road in a few years and the owner lost the title.

The compact left the factory with an M44 automatic. Now it's got an S52, zf320, big brakes and Vader seats from a 98 M3 as well as a 2.93LSD from an 87 325es. I'll take no credit for the build. I bought it swapped and have only done the maintenance for it.

I finally get to start working on this thing. A friend the block over is letting me put it in his yard(if only he knew) so I'm hoping to pick the car up in a few days. Going to go pick up the differential today and hopefully the other half of the two sets of wheels on the car.

Between the car, drivetrain and some engine rebuild bits(seals, bearings, hot cam) I'm still less than 1000$ in and I have up to 450$ to sell so budget is looking good. The only "big" items left to buy will be carb/intake and exhaust.

Sounds interesting. I'll look forward to watching how this one develops.

Went to pick up the diff in my BMW compact. The seller said that it might not fit. Didn't realize I was getting the PPF attached to it

ANYthing will fit if you want it to bad enough

I think Volva is a better/funnier name for the project

We have a bit of a thing going with car names. One of our LeMons cars is a Mercedes powered Toyota called the Toyocedes and the Geo powered Berkely is the Berketro. First half is the car, second is the engine. I don't make the rules, I only follow them.

Your on turbobricks too? Or am I just having deja vu. I eagerly await your build, I recall someone from California putting a b230 into a Miata as well with a t5 and I whole heartedly approve of both his and your build! Sad thing you can probably make easier power with the antiquated b18 than you can the bp

Also posting this on the TB forums yes. I don't see it making huge power, but I'd like to see 100+ wheel. A B18 can't spin like a BP without a lot of money so I'll never touch those power numbers but my torque curve will be a lot broader and flatter.

Car has been moved to my neighbors house. The key wasn't in the ignition and the PO didn't know where it was so we had a bit of fun loading the dolly with the wheel locked. The drive was thankfully uneventful. Time to start cleaning and pulling stuff apart to be sold. Today's journey

I guess if I can put a Volvo body ON my Miata you can put a Volvo engine IN your Miata.

buzzboy wrote: Also posting this on the TB forums yes. I don't see it making huge power, but I'd like to see 100+ wheel. A B18 can't spin like a BP without a lot of money so I'll never touch those power numbers but my torque curve will be a lot broader and flatter.

If you try, you can get 180 at the crank. Start saving up for side-draft Webers.

That would blow my challenge/LeMons budget straight out the window. I'm hoping for stock 1.6 HP but with a fatter torque curve. It does have a pretty hefty cam going in though so it will make some power up top.

I know this isn't grassroots, but why not save the money, the time, and the frustration, and just buy a 1.6? If stock hp is your goal, I'm not understanding why the Volvo powerplant.

lnlogauge wrote: I know this isn't grassroots,

And your question is answered. Doing it for the uniqueness and the fun.

Farewell miata parts. Gotta make room for Mialvo parts

This thing is so easy to work on. So much room to get to everything and it's all very logically laid out.

Must have missed this before, but following now.

I fought with this stupid dash for an hour and a half. Mazda had hidden a nut way up by the windshield that eluded me until the googles. HVAC is all stripped out and now I can start modifying my dash and cleaning up the firewall.

Also today I took some measurements for the location of my engine. The BP's mounts are further back along the block than the B18's mounts. I have to squeeze 15" of engine into a 10.5" space. So it's either make mounts to push the engine forward or relieve the firewall or a bit of both. I'm worried to push the engine too far forward because of how far forward that would put my shifter, although it's long enough and I could add a bit more bend if necessary.

volvoclearinghouse wrote: Must have missed this before, but following now.

You had that NA for a while. We could have had twins!

Dash cutting day!

Since before I owned the car I have had a vision of what I wanted the dash to look like. I've never liked cars without a dash of some sort. Also I wanted to make a grab handle for the passenger similar to what I've seen in dune buggies in the past.

Thank you Mazda for not painting the dash brace. I cut off some of the unneeded brackets and hit it with some rust converter.

The brace and the dash were painted with a truck bedliner. This will cut down on glare and make everything a consistent color.

I left the switches and vents in place to look stock(ha?) and cover up the holes that would be there otherwise.

With the dash back in the car you can see my sweet drift stitches holding the cracked dash together. All that's left to do on the dash now will be to create a gauge panel, a cover panel for the right side of the dash and to make the grab handle for the passenger.

After some more measuring it's looking like I'll need to make a remote shifter. I don't think it will be possible to get the engine far enough forward to clear the firewall while letting me reach the shifter. I guess it's time to get a seat so I can attach it and start working on ergonomics.

Mostly I've been cleaning. Oh joy. However I did take out the awesome roll bar the PO installed

I'm also digging the PPF grounding point

And we have the first seat for test fit and hopefully install(not the couch, the thing on the couch). I wish I'd gone an inch smaller, but I'd like drivers bigger than my 145lbs frame to fit in it