Honda V6 Miata in the Aug 2014 issue

One little picture and blurb is all we get?!?! I must know more! One of my favorite engines and my favorite chassis! I've seen a few done into S2000's, but into the Miata... now that's pretty beans-budget friendly and quite enticing since I'll be looking for a project to start in the spring. Mini TEc/Superfastmini's, if you're registered here, or if you could be directed here, I'd love to hear the nitty gritty of the conversion, shoot a few ideas in your direction, and see what it would take to convert a Miata to a J-powered monster!

I've heard about an e30 with a J power transplant.

Yeah, that little blurb got me all excited. 300 hp. V6 sounds perfect.

300 hp. That's so cute! I think my car makes that at idle

I somehow managed to miss seeing this car at the Mitty - I only heard about it the next day. I've been thinking a V6 would work well in the Catfish for some reason. We're seeing a few different V6 swaps these days. I'm still trying to decide if they're the best of all worlds or the worst. I need a chance to really crawl all over one.

I would like to see people start trying to use the Hyundai V6. Matches Nismo 370Z quarter mile times in a heavier car and is easily one of the best sounding V6s plus i'm sure it's relatively inexpensive and it's american made.

kanaric wrote: I would like to see people start trying to use the Hyundai V6. Matches Nismo 370Z quarter mile times in a heavier car and is easily one of the best sounding V6s plus i'm sure it's relatively inexpensive and it's american made.

This... that engine sounds like sex mixed with a huge pile of bacon smothered in cheese on the side.

Once the swaps are in production, we plan on doing more. But yeah, looked great. Plus it's a bit easier on the wallet than some alternatives.

Keith Tanner wrote: 300 hp. That's so cute! I think my car makes that at idle I somehow managed to miss seeing this car at the Mitty - I only heard about it the next day. I've been thinking a V6 would work well in the Catfish for some reason. We're seeing a few different V6 swaps these days. I'm still trying to decide if they're the best of all worlds or the worst. I need a chance to really crawl all over one.

There would need to be a compelling reason for me to consider a V6 in place of any number of GM V8s. Being a Honda wouldn't be enough.

ZOO wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: 300 hp. That's so cute! I think my car makes that at idle I somehow managed to miss seeing this car at the Mitty - I only heard about it the next day. I've been thinking a V6 would work well in the Catfish for some reason. We're seeing a few different V6 swaps these days. I'm still trying to decide if they're the best of all worlds or the worst. I need a chance to really crawl all over one.

There would need to be a compelling reason for me to consider a V6 in place of any number of GM V8s. Being a Honda wouldn't be enough.

How about the fact that it's 1/6 the cost of the cheapest LS1 swap you could cobble together?

Does anyone know anything about this swap? What trans does it use? What rear end? You should be able to keep most of the fuel system with nothing more than a pump upgrade, that's useful.

One of the big things I like about the LS swaps - and one of the reasons why they're hard to do for $1000, as the internet seems to believe should be possible - is that the whole drivetrain gets changed and it's totally understressed. You can hammer on a 450 hp V8 in ways that should cause concern with a 300 hp four cylinder because of that big burly T56 and the Getrag rear. I know the K series swap uses a Miata trans and rear, but given the power levels that's reasonable.

The price of the engine is a pretty minor factor in the total price of a swap. There are obvious outliers - Iron Dukes and Ferrari mills pretty much bracketing the field - but overall it's not a big factor. The cost of the trans and rear, halfshafts, the subframe, cooling upgrades, the amount of effort required to physically stuff the engine in there, that's what costs.

I'd be interested in knowing how they adapt to the trans and what trans they used as well.

kanaric wrote: I would like to see people start trying to use the Hyundai V6. Matches Nismo 370Z quarter mile times in a heavier car and is easily one of the best sounding V6s plus i'm sure it's relatively inexpensive and it's american made.

Which cars use the Hyundai V6 and is it available in a manual for rear drive configuration?

stroker wrote:

kanaric wrote: I would like to see people start trying to use the Hyundai V6. Matches Nismo 370Z quarter mile times in a heavier car and is easily one of the best sounding V6s plus i'm sure it's relatively inexpensive and it's american made.

Which cars use the Hyundai V6 and is it available in a manual for rear drive configuration?

This.

Please.

Genesis?

bravenrace wrote: I'd be interested in knowing how they adapt to the trans and what trans they used as well.

I believe Mini Tec said the best candidate is a CL-S donor, implying that you use the entire Honda drivetrain.

How they adapt it, I have no idea.

I got the impression that it was $3000 for their kit + cost for a donor, which seems...optimistic. I checked their site yesterday, they don't have anything up there related to a Miata swap.

Looks like this is the placeholder for the site: http://www.superfastmiatas.com/

CL had a few Honda Odyssey with bad transmissions. Grab engine and scrap the rest.

Pull-a-Part had one last week from Goodwill marked as bad transmission.

210-240hp with creamy V6 tq on the cheap.

calteg wrote:

bravenrace wrote: I'd be interested in knowing how they adapt to the trans and what trans they used as well.

I believe Mini Tec said the best candidate is a CL-S donor, implying that you use the entire Honda drivetrain. How they adapt it, I have no idea. I got the impression that it was $3000 for their kit + cost for a donor, which seems...optimistic. I checked their site yesterday, they don't have anything up there related to a Miata swap.

The CL is FWD, the Miata RWD. What am I missing?

In reply to Strike_Zero:

The later TL-S had around 300hp from basically the same mill. My '03 TL-S had 260hp and I agree it was a silky smooth, wonderful sounding engine.

bravenrace wrote:

calteg wrote:

bravenrace wrote: I'd be interested in knowing how they adapt to the trans and what trans they used as well.

I believe Mini Tec said the best candidate is a CL-S donor, implying that you use the entire Honda drivetrain. How they adapt it, I have no idea. I got the impression that it was $3000 for their kit + cost for a donor, which seems...optimistic. I checked their site yesterday, they don't have anything up there related to a Miata swap.

The CL is FWD, the Miata RWD. What am I missing?

Nothing.

The Miata motor was FWD first, too.

I think they suggested the CL-S due to the fact you could get a manual transmission ECU.

In reply to Strike_Zero:

You can in the TL-S as well in certain years, although they are very hard to find.

My buddies are doing Ecotec swaps into Miatas. They tell me its the way to go for budget friendly power.

Swank Force One wrote:

bravenrace wrote:

calteg wrote:

bravenrace wrote: I'd be interested in knowing how they adapt to the trans and what trans they used as well.

I believe Mini Tec said the best candidate is a CL-S donor, implying that you use the entire Honda drivetrain. How they adapt it, I have no idea. I got the impression that it was $3000 for their kit + cost for a donor, which seems...optimistic. I checked their site yesterday, they don't have anything up there related to a Miata swap.

The CL is FWD, the Miata RWD. What am I missing?

Nothing. The Miata motor was FWD first, too.

I understand that. But calteg indicated that they may use the Honda engine and transaxle. I'd like to know how that would work.

Zomby Woof wrote: My buddies are doing Ecotec swaps into Miatas. They tell me its the way to go for budget friendly power.

What advantage does that have over a turbo on a miata engine?