alfadriver wrote:
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:
alfadriver wrote:
peter wrote:
Moar info please? The only V6 Miata I know of has the brakes on the other side...
Que?
You've never seen this one before?
What the eff is that?!?!?!
There's been talk of using the Suzuki V6 since it's very similar to the KL, but already RWD.
That's a Lincoln V6 with it's manual 5 speed shoehorned into a Miata. http://www.miata.net/news/v6.html
Done here.
Nice car, I drove it once, to a car show at the EPA.
I believe that car has an FD RX7 transmission.
MG Bryan wrote:
I believe that car has an FD RX7 transmission.
No, I'm quite certain it was the original 5 speed from an LS. We did it here, in house.
I know it doesn't make that much logical sense. There are quite a few enthusiests at the EPA- couple of drag racers, some autocrossers.
Couple of aborted Challenge attempts, too.
There was one challenge car that actually displaed at the car show, as well. 
A couple of times.
(the same year the V6 Miata went, I took a DB7, and a buddy took a Harley Hauler to show- we got "invited" as an OEM, and GM has brought some interesting wheels as well)
alfadriver wrote:
MG Bryan wrote:
I believe that car has an FD RX7 transmission.
No, I'm quite certain it was the original 5 speed from an LS. We did it here, in house.
And yet everything I've read about it mentions the RX7 transmission. 
alfadriver wrote:
MG Bryan wrote:
I believe that car has an FD RX7 transmission.
No, I'm quite certain it was the original 5 speed from an LS. We did it here, in house.
The link you posted says it was an RX7 trans. 
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:
alfadriver wrote:
MG Bryan wrote:
I believe that car has an FD RX7 transmission.
No, I'm quite certain it was the original 5 speed from an LS. We did it here, in house.
The link you posted says it was an RX7 trans.
And having driven a manual transmission equipped LS, the ratios that were spec'd in that Getrag really would suck in a sports car.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:
The link you posted says it was an RX7 trans.
Yes, I do understand that.
But if you also look at the pictures, they clouded out the Lincoln part, as well.
And I also understand that the ratios would suck for a sports car. The point of the project was to show that the powertrain would easily go in, and would give Mazda more volume for the platform.
But it never got outside of Advanced Powertrain.
For some reason, I had a bunch of the spare part of it under my desk. Until I got tired of it cluttering things up, and I also had to move. No idea why they gave them to me....
ugh- I googled lincoln V6 sports car. this is all I got. 
Keith
MegaDork
3/30/12 12:24 p.m.
That does look conspicuously like an FD differential carrier though. So that article isn't completely wrong.
Keith
MegaDork
3/30/12 1:03 p.m.
Anybody know where that car is now?
You don't see a lot of V6 Miatas because it's not much more work to put in a V8. Heck, with the available swap kits, it's less work now. And they don't give any external hints such as a big hood scoop.
Probably this-
Most of the cars we've worked on end up this way. Seems sad, yes, but just part of the fact that no prototypes can ever be sold anymore.
As for the FD rear- since that's a simple bolt in, it makes more sense. This was still a project on a tight budget.
Not that it matters anymore, but it's not the only time a Ford V6 made it's way into a Mazda RWD platform- back in the mid 90's, I know an early Duratec prototype was put into a real FD. Again, to see if there was a way that a Ford product of some type can be made.
It's really a shame that we never came up with anything- I know that I'm FAR, FAR from the only one who suggested a Miata based car. Mostly Lincoln or Mercury ideas, since the Ford brand had the Mustang. Alas, now that's pretty academic.
Woody wrote:
Found my weekend project... Thank you.
