Hello from Northern IL!
 

Hey all, here's the obligatory new guy post! I'm not currently a Miata owner, nor have I ever been, but I'm looking forward to starting an LS1 swap in a few months. I'm getting married next month, so now is not the ideal time to start a project. We'll just say I'm in the "research and development" stage... or maybe just research :laugh:. It looks like I've come to the right place.

Though I've never owned a Miata, let alone V8 swapped one, I'm not a stranger to either. My old boss races Miata spec and I've worked on his car a fair amount over the last few years. I've done quite a few V8 swaps, but they've all been in S10's up to this point. I love the satisfaction of a garage-built project hitting the road/track, and I can't wait to get started on one of these swaps. My plan is a LS1 or LS6 and a T56, and I will keep it fuel injected. I will likely only do a cam swap, and leave the motor alone other than that (famous last words, I know).

My latest build is a 94 S10 that I've owned since 2001, and it was my father's before that. I pulled the 4.3 with the intention of dropping in a throttle body injected 5.7, and ended up doing a frame-off rebuild. I built a pretty nasty carbed 383 and put a built 4L60 behind it. It was fun for a few years, but then I decided to go the LS route. I picked up a 5.3, a 4L60e, and made a stand alone harness. The truck was far more streetable, though not nearly as powerful. I fixed that problem by modifying a Procharger kit from a Silverado to fit under the hood of the S10. I just finished it up about a week ago, and am still working on getting the tune dialed in using HPtuners with the help of a good friend. Here's a build video I threw together after the 383 swap. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSiJIOxnYsg

And here's the same truck as it sits now, with the Procharged 5.3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glW7IDzLVYs

Looking forward to starting an LS1 Miata project, and this seems like an awesome forum!

Hey welcome and congrats on your upcoming wedding! I pays to marry well in V8 Miata world... Thanks for the post yes I think you will find a lot of support and friends here.

Good luck on the project, congratulations on the marriage, and welcome to v8miata.net. I said the same thing about my engine plans, just a cam.. Then I ended up tearing it down and rebuilding it top to bottom. Oh well.

Thanks for the welcome and the wedding well-wishes! Fortunately, this girl has been by my side for many projects and is used to it. We even built her a 350 powered S10 a few years back. She will have no choice but to learn how to drive stick for this one! And really... just a cam! :biggthumpup:

What about springs, lifters and pushrods? Might as well do a trunion upgrade while you're in there. ;)

You're right... and then it just makes sense that the heads would need to be ported or replaced with some nice CNC'd units! And, of course, you can't strangle a nice top end with a stock intake manifold! But heck, if you get a better manifold you CAN'T put a stock throttle body on it! At that point, you've got some serious flow potential and there's really no reason not to boost it. AHHHHH!

LOL what fun to be on the slipper slope!

Welcome from the other end of Illinois

Thanks stng, I have some family down that way in Anna. West of you if you're in Marion, I think? It's hard to believe that northern IL and southern IL are the same state when you visit them both. The weather, scenery/landscape, and general attitudes are completely different. (I'm a social studies teacher, so I tend to be a geography nerd sometimes!)

Yes I would have to agree, completely different cultures....don't be a stranger if/when you ever come to visit family, I am 20 minutes from Anna.

^^ and he's got a heck of a build going on that's worth the trip alone to see!

I'd love to come check out that build some time. I will certainly drop you a line next time a weekend in soIL is in order!

Welcome to the forum and good luck keeping the motor stockish. I can't wait to be your bad influence:)