Honda vs GM engine choice question for Exocet build.
Thread Starter
V8 Miata Noob
Joined: Apr 2026
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Honda vs GM engine choice question for Exocet build.
This may belong under "anything goes" if so, Mod's please move, sorry.
Soooo I'm looking at V6's I'm aware this is a V8 forum for miata's but I figure there's a lot of knowledge concerning the swaps into a miata that is relevant here, so I'm asking. Please don't hate, I just don't "need" or "want" the torque and weight (or expense possibly) from a v8 swap...So I'm looking at the Honda J37A4 or GM LFX 3.6L? Why one over the other? Honestly the lack of a iron or steel sleeves in the Honda J series concerns me, I know it seems to have proven it's self, but it just bothers me, maybe it shouldn't though and maybe there's way more support for that engine over the GM unit? On paper it seems to me like the GM engine is better? But paper and numbers don't always tell the whole story right... so asking...
I also don't know what I'd do for a transmission with the J series engine but I know there's kit's for both engines, I also know it shouldn't be hard to source with a manual transmission already setup in front engine RWD configuration for the GM engine. So far as I understand it, I can just get a V6 Camaro with a manual transmission that came with the LFX... preferably a whole wrecked junkyard car and just pull everything I need drive train wise out of it. For the J series the engine should be easy enough, not sure what I'd need far as an adapter plate and what transmission to go with it though. Either way I go, I'll likely keep the engines NA... been there done that with a AWD turbo 4cyl (DSM) loved it, never had any big issues with it, ran great made good power and all the fun sounds... but for this I just, don't want to go that route. (So what the potential of the stock internals are and able to be boosted to isn't very relevant to the decision in this case.)
The Honda J series 37 looks like if you can find the A4 version to make just a hair over 300hp new, the GM LFX 3.6L from 2012-2015 Camaro's looks like it makes a claimed flywheel 335hp, and going that route I can likely find a manual transmission more easily than I presume adapting something to work with the Honda engine.
Soooo I'm looking at V6's I'm aware this is a V8 forum for miata's but I figure there's a lot of knowledge concerning the swaps into a miata that is relevant here, so I'm asking. Please don't hate, I just don't "need" or "want" the torque and weight (or expense possibly) from a v8 swap...So I'm looking at the Honda J37A4 or GM LFX 3.6L? Why one over the other? Honestly the lack of a iron or steel sleeves in the Honda J series concerns me, I know it seems to have proven it's self, but it just bothers me, maybe it shouldn't though and maybe there's way more support for that engine over the GM unit? On paper it seems to me like the GM engine is better? But paper and numbers don't always tell the whole story right... so asking...
I also don't know what I'd do for a transmission with the J series engine but I know there's kit's for both engines, I also know it shouldn't be hard to source with a manual transmission already setup in front engine RWD configuration for the GM engine. So far as I understand it, I can just get a V6 Camaro with a manual transmission that came with the LFX... preferably a whole wrecked junkyard car and just pull everything I need drive train wise out of it. For the J series the engine should be easy enough, not sure what I'd need far as an adapter plate and what transmission to go with it though. Either way I go, I'll likely keep the engines NA... been there done that with a AWD turbo 4cyl (DSM) loved it, never had any big issues with it, ran great made good power and all the fun sounds... but for this I just, don't want to go that route. (So what the potential of the stock internals are and able to be boosted to isn't very relevant to the decision in this case.)
The Honda J series 37 looks like if you can find the A4 version to make just a hair over 300hp new, the GM LFX 3.6L from 2012-2015 Camaro's looks like it makes a claimed flywheel 335hp, and going that route I can likely find a manual transmission more easily than I presume adapting something to work with the Honda engine.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
777
General Motors V8 Discussion
10
Jan 14, 2015 09:03 PM
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
