There is no perfect car. Regardless of how good a machine is when it is released, there will always be enthusiasts looking to modify and improve. This even holds true for one of our all-time favorites, the Mazda MX-5 Miata.
Most of us can agree that Mazda’s little sports car is about as close to p…
hmmm, a k series honda mated to a cheap, common, and awesome RWD transmission? nom nom nom
Every damn time I think I'm over Honda, something like this happens. Every time.
quick ebay search shows k24s at $1k or less all day. Probably could snag one for less than $500.
Does anyone make a rear-sump oil pan for the k series? (off to google I go).
Joe Gearin wrote: There is no perfect...
Right there I knew: magazine article. You guys talk weird.
In reply to Robbie. Thanks for the love everyone! No need to source your own pan for this swap, we provide you with the closest thing to a rear sump K series pan, which is included in the swap kit. You can see pics at kmiata.com
Is keeping power steering an option?
There is nothing cheap about this swap all said and done even if you can find k24's cheap, pretty sure you could do an LFX for example on the same budget and both would end up running you 10-15k
It is AWESOME however and so cool to see how many different ways you can build on the miata chassis
The S52 in my 318ti is dieing a sad and slow death. I wonder how much work it would be to put a K in there.... hmmm...
In reply to KMiata :
Would this be difficult to replicate in a classic Opel?
I was thinking about doing a Miata engine, transmission, diff, etc into the Spitfire. Maybe I should stick a K-series instead of the Miata motor...
In reply to 93EXCivic :
It's mostly a cost/hp issue. If you're happy with 150-180hp then all the Miata bits play nice fairly cheaply. If you look at the bits to make the K-motor work it's quite a lot more expensive, but you can also get 250hp without stressing the system and 400+ if you have snail room and even more budget. Design considerations aside, the extra displscement is your friend.
mazdeuce - Seth said:In reply to 93EXCivic :
It's mostly a cost/hp issue. If you're happy with 150-180hp then all the Miata bits play nice fairly cheaply. If you look at the bits to make the K-motor work it's quite a lot more expensive, but you can also get 250hp without stressing the system and 400+ if you have snail room and even more budget. Design considerations aside, the extra displscement is your friend.
I mean 150-180bhp would be plenty in a Spitfire but I like Honda motors better then the Miata motor in terms of character.
buzzboy said:The S52 in my 318ti is dieing a sad and slow death. I wonder how much work it would be to put a K in there.... hmmm...
The KMiata guys were working on - and I think now have kits to put BMW ZF transmissions behind the K in a Miata. The next step is putting a K in a BMW using their transmission adaptor kits. I have evil thoughts about doing the same to my 318ti.
Jaynen said:There is nothing cheap about this swap all said and done even if you can find k24's cheap, pretty sure you could do an LFX for example on the same budget and both would end up running you 10-15k
It is AWESOME however and so cool to see how many different ways you can build on the miata chassis
You can do a K swap for more like $8k. That's a very different number than $15k.
I'd personally love to build a monster K-swapped Exocet. But I don't have $25k lying around to do it how I'd want to.
collinskl1 said:buzzboy said:The S52 in my 318ti is dieing a sad and slow death. I wonder how much work it would be to put a K in there.... hmmm...
The KMiata guys were working on - and I think now have kits to put BMW ZF transmissions behind the K in a Miata. The next step is putting a K in a BMW using their transmission adaptor kits. I have evil thoughts about doing the same to my 318ti.
Yup, kit is out to install BMW ZF and Getrag 5- and 6-speeds in a Miata behind Honda K-series and Mazda BP-series engines. So, in theory, you could use part of the kit to install a K in front of a BMW trans in a BMW. Also, theoretically, you could use the kit to mount the BMW trans in a Miata, then toss out the bellhousing/flywheel adapters and bolt, say, an S54 to that trans in the Miata.
z31maniac said:Jaynen said:There is nothing cheap about this swap all said and done even if you can find k24's cheap, pretty sure you could do an LFX for example on the same budget and both would end up running you 10-15k
It is AWESOME however and so cool to see how many different ways you can build on the miata chassis
You can do a K swap for more like $8k. That's a very different number than $15k.
I'd personally love to build a monster K-swapped Exocet. But I don't have $25k lying around to do it how I'd want to.
Most the time I see posts like this they are by people who have not done the swaps or know the work involved and its more theoretical costs vs what people who have done the swaps actually end up spending. I see the Kmiata swap kit as 6k+ engine and it has no engine management that I can see listed as a part of the kit and thats not counting any supporting mods you need to do, the rest of the exhaust, the clutch, any rebuild work you need to do to the used engine when you get it. Not saying you don't know just saying I take posts like yours regarding swaps with a grain of salt. Everyone here for example loves to talk about 20k or sub 20k exocet and then most people who have built them put far more than that into it
Yes and no. It all depends on your resourcefulness and the amount of trick stuff you want on it. Looking at KMiata's site, I think that close to $8k is doable, although $9k is more comfortable. As for engine management, they offer a reflash, or Hondata chips are pretty inexpensive.
But I get your point. Builder cars are not unlike factory ones in that most people can't resist the siren call of more nice stuff. Thus you have guys wondering why they can't get their money back out of their $60k Factory Five roadster.
NickD said: Also, theoretically, you could use the kit to mount the BMW trans in a Miata, then toss out the bellhousing/flywheel adapters and bolt, say, an S54 to that trans in the Miata.
There was an M Edition Miata. Maybe I can sell this tired S52 to somebody who wants to build one. I shall call it the ///iata
Is the s52 too tall for a miata?
It's amazing how hard it is to find info about BMW engine size. The BMW is a pretty short engine with how far over it's tilted. Then again, I found out just how short the B6 is when I tried to put a volvo redblock in place of one.
I can tell you from personal experience that an engine swap is going to cost time and money on a sliding scale. The easier it is (mounts, adapters, etc.) the more money it costs. I swapped an engine with similar architecture from the same manufacturer and did it as cheap as possible but it took a way more time. I've also heard similar from others and have been told "take what you think it will cost, and double it". I'm sure it can be done for 8k, especially with the craftiness of people here, but I'm sure it will take much longer to do between hunting out a good deal on parts and fab time.
yupididit said:Is the s52 too tall for a miata?
Not sure, but I know you can fit a Nissan RB in a Miata. Friend sent me a few years ago of an NB1 he encountered with an RB25DET under the hood. The owner admitted it was a bit of a pig in the corners but was terrifying in boost.
Not a miata but an m50 fits nicely in an rx7...
Slightly off topic, anyone know what those wheels are?
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