Help me brainstorm... The easy path to a V8 Miata

The trick is how you value time. If you're paying someone else, they'd better be good. That's why the FM-build V8 cars demand such a premium in the market, they're not hack jobs. Home builders may be very skilled or they may be...less skilled. And if you're a decent builder and problem solver who wants to pay attention to details, you can build something really good by spending a lot of time and relatively little money. As noted, these people tend to win the Challenge.

It's the guys who are cheap but aren't willing/able to put in the skill and time to compensate that give home builds a bad name.

Keith Tanner said:

And if you're a decent builder and problem solver who wants to pay attention to details, you can build something really good by spending a lot of time and relatively little money. As noted, these people tend to win the Challenge

Or come in 2nd or 3rd 

Tend to...do well at the Challenge?

It MAY be possible that this is a 2 step process. 

Like Gregg Voth, I may need to try it first to learn how to build a V8 car, then try again to build one really well. 

Ive EASILY got the parts and ability to build a Challenge car V8 Miata with what I've got, then perhaps build a better one later (with a little higher budget)

SVreX said:

It MAY be possible that this is a 2 step process. 

Like Gregg Voth, I may need to try it first to learn how to build a V8 car, then try again to build one really well. 

Ive EASILY got the parts and ability to build a Challenge car V8 Miata with what I've got, then perhaps build a better one later (with a little higher budget)

This could kill two birds.  You being challenge competitor who didn’t run this year, doing your r&d on challenge car for future reference 

i could see the thought process of “wow this piece works great, i’ll make another now” or “hey this part i can do better next time” being a great way to build two, or go back a second time around and refine the first after using it for a challenge car.  

Ours undergo constant refinement. There's always a better way to do something!

I have a shade setting on the welding helmet that sets my vision to "Denial".

It is a very important setting because if I had to directly view the reality of the petty stuff like hose clamps, hoses, pumps, bearings, cans of spray paint, cutting wheels ect ect ect, I would not be able to enjoy the project as much as I do.

There was no way that I was going to be driving a V8 Miata with less than perfect brakes. So, total system rebuild with new calipers, pads and MC. $$$$

I like the wheels to go round...so new bearings all around.

I like wheels to stay attached, so new ball joints.

Course this thing is going to need some real rubber so I don't totally die to death.

And $o on....

In reply to Keith Tanner :

As a TR7 owner who has looked at the Rover v8 and LS... I'd run away screaming from the Rover at this point as long as costs are similar. Still planning to do a TR7 Spider v8 with LS power. Someday. 

I have a Buick 215 fully disassembled that SVRex is welcome to for scrap value. 

In reply to NOHOME :

Challenge math. Don't try to be all "engineer" on us!  

I think a cheap challenge budget v8 miata would be great as a PACO lift off roadster candidate for rallycross/offroad hoonage

Greg Smith said:

In reply to Keith Tanner :

As a TR7 owner who has looked at the Rover v8 and LS... I'd run away screaming from the Rover at this point as long as costs are similar. Still planning to do a TR7 Spider v8 with LS power. Someday. 

I have a Buick 215 fully disassembled that SVRex is welcome to for scrap value. 

And I have a Buick 215 under the stairs in my shop, but I still put the LS in the MGB. The Land Rover might get it someday...

Even if you have the skills, and inclination to do the work yourself, an involved build requires a great deal of patience... and that's difficult sometimes because life happens.  My NA was apart for 14 months for a simple VVT 1.8 swap... it took that long because I wanted it the way I wanted it, lots of delays saving and scrounging for parts, and because I couldn't spend 60 hours on it every weekend.  It was frustrating, but I stuck with it, and am very happy with the results.  Of course the car is nowhere near finished...  

Because you can do iterations is why I would probably use the nv3500 transmission. You can put it together and get it running and driving, then upgrade whenever you get the better transmission later. The only $ you would be wasting is the transmission itself, which you can probably recoup, the crossmember you are going to have to make anyway, and the driveshaft, which you can probably mitigate with an extra long slip yoke from speedway that you can cut down.

Put it together, work out the bugs, and refine it when you get the better transmission.