Turbo LSx Miata
 

so whose going to be the first to build the first turbo LSx Miata?? there are so many universal kits out there for remote on mount LSx engines... who has the deep pockets?

thought id throw it out there and see if i got any bites...

I'm thinking of building another. I'll definitely go LSx powerplant, and I'd consider turbo. But, if I want to stuff a turbo(s) I'd probably start with a tubular front clip. There is just not much space in the compartment after a v8 goes in.

thats where the remote mount turbos come into play ;) they sit back where the mufflers go and route cooler boost to the front into the engine!

www.ststurbo.com check out that sts turbo system... corvettes have been doing it for years due to the lack of space aswell!

Once you've driven an STS car, you'll never want to again. Lots of lag......

Also- The corvette has a TON of space in the back corner of the fenders for a set of twins. I'm pretty sure the factory designed the engine bay to have room for twins :)

A guy with the screen name mikef85 (on miataturbo.net) started this project, his location said Houston, so maybe someone knows him. You can clearly see the twin wastegates poking out of the front. It was an LS1 IIRC.

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Very cool!!

That is my new background picture!

can someone email me the pic? that sites blocked out here on our ship... pretty lame!
meganc@lha4.navy.mil
Thanks

Not cool. I got ya covered!

awesome, i aprreciate it!

No problem!

You guys talking about little space for turbos, I've not even got a V8 swapped in yet, but was thinking about something along these lines for someday later:

http://www.airpowersystems.com/ls1/ls2/gto_3_4_rear.jpg

its beautiful! lol

i'm considering a single front mounted MP T70 on my LSx frankenstein engine

I really don't see that fitting where it has to. The turbo on the drivers side will be where the pedals are. It may fit however if the headers were turned around...

-Jason

It's a No Brainer, No Turbo - You guys DO realize that it's easily attainable with an LSX to make 700 HP naturally aspirated, No Turbo, No Blower, No Nitrous with a stroker. No large tube plumbing / routing to worry about, inter-cooler placement, excessive heat generation, turbo lag, reliability issues.

700 HP clean, NA ALL consuming no more space your LSX Miata uses right now. Yes it costs money, just like turbos, inter-coolers, boost controls, internal mods. And yes we've personally built several of these motors, they're great. Go 700 HP NA and if you MUST, add a 200 HP shot Nitrous Kit, if a 900 HP Miata doesn't do it for you, I don't know what will.

If I just absolutely couldn't live without BOOST, I'd damn sure go centrifugal super-charger before considering turbo anything. Check out any supercharged Vette, you can see it'd be much easier to fit in our limited Miata engine bay.

This Skyline GTR picture is one of the tightest turbo installs I've seen, way more room than a miata, also a picture of my kid's Twin-turbo, Intercooled LS2 Stroker (1015 RWHP @ 11 PSI Boost, 18 PSI capable) pretty compact installs, both, but Miata possible, not to me - My Two Cents.

Agreed, that's why I said "something along those lines". There are obvious clearance issues with that exact setup.

I'm sure that everyone realizes the potential of n/a or all motor V8s, otherwise there'd be no reason for this forum to exist. And sure, it's great to do it n/a or maybe even supercharged, but speaking personally, I enjoy the feel, performance, and the sounds of turbos, especially with a V8. I think it boils down to personal preference and what we want out of our own cars. If everyone did what one person suggested or stayed within believed limits, there would be absolutely no variety, nothing interesting or new to look at, and not a lot of fun being had. And there's no rule that says a turbo or turbos must be in the engine bay.

"People can have the Model T in any color - so long as it's black."

Not advocating Medocrity Rotor Nut, just serious V8 work experienced based on Reality.

By the Way, please show me a 700 HP NA small block Ford V8, Lexus, Rover or other affordable V8 without a Blower, Turbo, Nitrous or After-burner, JATO assist. You can have the Lag, the Whine, the Heat and the Failures, no thanks.

We ALL Love Dreaming, Dreaming is Great, but sooner or later you wake up. I agree with personal preferences too, somebody always has to make mistakes & lose for their to be a Winner:)

Is that read NA real or a photoshop? :eek:

So anyone who wants to build a turbo LSx (or other V8) Miata doesn't have realistic goals? That's really the way your post reads.

It makes me wonder what happened back when someone pointed at an LS and said, "I'm putting that into my Miata." I bet anyone around him said: "It will never fit right" or "That's a waste of money" or "Something's always going to break" or "It'll never handle well" or "You're dreaming." And just look how that dream turned out...

Look, I'm not trying to argue with you or doubt your experience and skills, but the fact is it's been done a few times already with great success and it'll keep happening as long as someone aspires to have it. V8 swapped Miatas are toys, some people just want to turn it up to 11 in their own way.

i'll take a 550rpm idle, silent exhaust, 600lbs-ft of torque turbo LS any day of the week.

realistically, a 700hp NA LS motor is not going to be happy idling at 550rpm like a 200ish duration cammed 9:1 compression motor will. idling in traffic with a small cam and moderate compression is going to generate a lot less heat than a big cam + high compression engine idling at twice the rpm.

personally, i dont want any attention payed to my miata at all, loud exhaust, atmo BOV's, etc are all out of the question. lower compression, smallish cam, single exhaust, re-circ bov should net me a nice quiet ride.

if someone knows how to make a 700hp NA engine drive as smooth and as quiet as a bone stock 5.3, by all means, let us know.

your really not going to find a streetable 700hp NA engine... where as my buddys APS TT GTO has 780wheel hp and its as tame as any Stock GTO... thats only at 14lbs of boost :)

Your spectulations are laughable I'm not talking about conjecture, magazine articles or the opinion of a buddy's buddy, I'm talking Real World. 650-700 HP NA Corvettes, Cadillac CTS-Vs and Camaros, Firebirds and GTOs are common place in Phoenix and the Valley.

And when we DO Turbo or Super-charge motors we build, it's to attain 1000+ HP and YES we do drive these on the street, not for groceries or to work granted, but for anytime Fun.

BACK on Earth, it ALL comes back to just WHAT you can really fit in a Miata now doesn't it? Have a Great Week-end we're off to the Car Show!

So how much of a pain in the ass is it to swap an ls1 into a miata? are the newer years easier to drop one into? just wanna know how much work thisll be if i ever decide to go that route for some more power!

its really not a pain in the ass if you have all the parts and a kit, just expensive!