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09-24-2013, 12:19 PM
#1
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New to board
Been thinking about a V-8 Miata ever since I saw the Stacy Banshee project. I am sure that it stirred many folks. Just sold a 2012 5.0 Mustang and miss rowing through the gears and hearing the V-8. Thought it would be nice to get another toy that will put a grin on my face. I am at the point in life where I am not sure of doing the project myself and would have one built or buy a pre- owned one. I am just startng out and not sure what years might be best or what power I should go with. Had thought about staying with the Ford as they are cheaper and not sure how much power I want. Would like around 300 which should be easy and would make it a tad faster then my last Mustang. I would think given the light weight of the Miata compared to the Mustang which was around 3650 lb and 412 Crank HP that with 300 HP the Miata should be quicker.
Now the learning begins......
Now the learning begins......
09-25-2013, 08:57 AM
#3
Jim Stainer
I'm going to bet old Chuck is not as old as he thinks he is! Glad to have you on board and hope you find some good info here.
You for sure have GREAT taste in cars! I may be able to give you a bit of a feel to compare what you are looking at. A friend of mine has a 2013 GT Mustang that is a wonderful car and I have autocrossed with him a couple times this summer. We have lots of Miatas in our club and I have a pretty good feel for what a V8 Miata will do against your former mustang.
Most V8 Miatas end up between 2400 and 2600 lbs depending on the drive train, if you keep AC, etc. Based on the numbers you have given the power to weight ratio of your Mustang was 8.9 to 1. A 300 hp Miata at 2500 lbs is 8.3 to 1. Not a huge difference and I suspect a 300 hp Miata would just keep pace with the Mustang going straight. However in a situation like an autocross most of our 4 banger Miatas catch my friends stang in the corners and leave her in the dust. And he is an excellent driver so it’s not that.
So both cars are fun for sure just in a different way. The Miata is far more agile and a blast to whip around but the Mustang is a proper muscle car and very fun just because of what it is.
Now since you mentioned putting a grin on your face let me mention one more little thing to plant a seed in your mind. There is no question 300 hp makes a 4 cyl Miata come to life and a blast to drive. But 400 hp in the Miata puts in you Cobra territory and that makes a fun car absolutely breathtaking! I did a little compairson of my car to a Cobra that as a Ford guy you will find interesting. Jim and Jenna build diary, Miata LS1 Conversion: Is Jenna really a modern day Cobra?
The power to weight ratio on mine is 6.1 to 1 and even though I rarely unleash all that there is just something about knowing there is nothing that can touch me, and that if I have a mind to I can break the back end loose at 100, that makes it an absolute thrill to putt down the road to work in. It truly never fails to put a grin on my face!
Well that was long winded as usual and I really just wanted to say welcome aboard!
You for sure have GREAT taste in cars! I may be able to give you a bit of a feel to compare what you are looking at. A friend of mine has a 2013 GT Mustang that is a wonderful car and I have autocrossed with him a couple times this summer. We have lots of Miatas in our club and I have a pretty good feel for what a V8 Miata will do against your former mustang.
Most V8 Miatas end up between 2400 and 2600 lbs depending on the drive train, if you keep AC, etc. Based on the numbers you have given the power to weight ratio of your Mustang was 8.9 to 1. A 300 hp Miata at 2500 lbs is 8.3 to 1. Not a huge difference and I suspect a 300 hp Miata would just keep pace with the Mustang going straight. However in a situation like an autocross most of our 4 banger Miatas catch my friends stang in the corners and leave her in the dust. And he is an excellent driver so it’s not that.
So both cars are fun for sure just in a different way. The Miata is far more agile and a blast to whip around but the Mustang is a proper muscle car and very fun just because of what it is.
Now since you mentioned putting a grin on your face let me mention one more little thing to plant a seed in your mind. There is no question 300 hp makes a 4 cyl Miata come to life and a blast to drive. But 400 hp in the Miata puts in you Cobra territory and that makes a fun car absolutely breathtaking! I did a little compairson of my car to a Cobra that as a Ford guy you will find interesting. Jim and Jenna build diary, Miata LS1 Conversion: Is Jenna really a modern day Cobra?
The power to weight ratio on mine is 6.1 to 1 and even though I rarely unleash all that there is just something about knowing there is nothing that can touch me, and that if I have a mind to I can break the back end loose at 100, that makes it an absolute thrill to putt down the road to work in. It truly never fails to put a grin on my face!
Well that was long winded as usual and I really just wanted to say welcome aboard!
Last edited by charchri4; 09-25-2013 at 09:04 AM.
10-20-2013, 04:21 PM
#4
V8 Miata Follower
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Rick/Jim,
Thanks for the welcome. Been away awhile due to family issues. Jim, I read the Jenna article and thanks. I appreciate the information on the power of the Miata and I had as well tried to figure the power to weight. As to age, I am old enough that I do not want to do the project myself as it would drag on till I was too old to appreciate the car or afraid to use it. That is a double edge sword as if I do not do it myself then I can not be sure of how it was built. That is a delimma. I am in no hurry as I have other interests but will continue to pursue this and see what surfaces....I do again appreciate the article and although there were 260 Cobras with the 427 most had the 260 or 289. Given that, a Miata should keep up with most of the Cobras on the road especially if you are using modern tires. Have always loved the Cobra as I remember when they hit the road(that should let you know that I am older) and although I could not bring myself to pay for an original, I would love to pursue the Miata..
Thanks for the welcome. Been away awhile due to family issues. Jim, I read the Jenna article and thanks. I appreciate the information on the power of the Miata and I had as well tried to figure the power to weight. As to age, I am old enough that I do not want to do the project myself as it would drag on till I was too old to appreciate the car or afraid to use it. That is a double edge sword as if I do not do it myself then I can not be sure of how it was built. That is a delimma. I am in no hurry as I have other interests but will continue to pursue this and see what surfaces....I do again appreciate the article and although there were 260 Cobras with the 427 most had the 260 or 289. Given that, a Miata should keep up with most of the Cobras on the road especially if you are using modern tires. Have always loved the Cobra as I remember when they hit the road(that should let you know that I am older) and although I could not bring myself to pay for an original, I would love to pursue the Miata..
10-21-2013, 08:47 AM
#5
Jim Stainer
Ha, yeah I get that Chuck. Building one is no small task and there is no shame in buying one already built that's for sure. The good news is it's way cheaper to buy one than build one. If a guy breaks even when he sells a build he is very lucky and most do not. I've never quite understood that because there is nothing on the road that has more bang for the buck than a V8 Miata. It will kill anything under 60 grand on the road and they don't depreciate like high dollar sports cars do.
I watched the classifieds here and around the web for a couple of years looking for V8 conversions before I built mine. I decided to build one rather than buy one only because the car fell in my lap. It was my sons car who is in the Navy and had no way to fix the dead motor in it. Anyway there is usually a car or 2 for sale at any given time and many of the builders did build threads so you can see how it was all done. Really if someone used a V8R kit for a GM car or a Monster Miata Kit for a Ford car there really isn't very much major they can mess up. That is the beauty of the kit. All the suspension geometry and mounting points are done for you and everything welded up right. Sure a guy can be sloppy with the little stuff but with a good foundation that is the kind of stuff that would be easy for you to clean up. If a guy did it without a kit then you really have to watch for good craftsmanship in the build. Every once in a while you see one come up for sale on ebay or whatever that is nearly done or needs some work that might be a good fit for you.
As far as evaluating the build it’s really not that hard. Any reputable shop can do it and really as long as they know to pay close attention to the conversion aspects of it any experienced mechanic can spot short cuts. Also there are experienced guys that have built these cars all over the country and surly there would be someone fairly near any car you find that could take a look at it for you. I have bought several cars long distance sight unseen and that 150 bucks to have a shop or trusted friend look at the car is the best money you will ever spend on it!
I wrote a post to a youngin over the weekend that has some info that might be good back ground for you. It covers cost and power levels pretty well and I think would be useful for you. MX-5 Miata Forum - View Single Post - 13b rotary swap?
Don't skip the video at the end. It's dumb but you will smile. I wish you the very best in your pursuit Chuck and keep us informed on how it's going.
I watched the classifieds here and around the web for a couple of years looking for V8 conversions before I built mine. I decided to build one rather than buy one only because the car fell in my lap. It was my sons car who is in the Navy and had no way to fix the dead motor in it. Anyway there is usually a car or 2 for sale at any given time and many of the builders did build threads so you can see how it was all done. Really if someone used a V8R kit for a GM car or a Monster Miata Kit for a Ford car there really isn't very much major they can mess up. That is the beauty of the kit. All the suspension geometry and mounting points are done for you and everything welded up right. Sure a guy can be sloppy with the little stuff but with a good foundation that is the kind of stuff that would be easy for you to clean up. If a guy did it without a kit then you really have to watch for good craftsmanship in the build. Every once in a while you see one come up for sale on ebay or whatever that is nearly done or needs some work that might be a good fit for you.
As far as evaluating the build it’s really not that hard. Any reputable shop can do it and really as long as they know to pay close attention to the conversion aspects of it any experienced mechanic can spot short cuts. Also there are experienced guys that have built these cars all over the country and surly there would be someone fairly near any car you find that could take a look at it for you. I have bought several cars long distance sight unseen and that 150 bucks to have a shop or trusted friend look at the car is the best money you will ever spend on it!
I wrote a post to a youngin over the weekend that has some info that might be good back ground for you. It covers cost and power levels pretty well and I think would be useful for you. MX-5 Miata Forum - View Single Post - 13b rotary swap?
Don't skip the video at the end. It's dumb but you will smile. I wish you the very best in your pursuit Chuck and keep us informed on how it's going.
Last edited by charchri4; 10-21-2013 at 09:25 AM.
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