This is why people in our town don't make fun of Miatas.

Keith, thanks for the great comments, especially about the fords. I would do a ford if the block and the head were both aluminum. I know I will probably get crucified for asking this since I'm sure its common knowledge, but is the LS motor all aluminum? I'd like to get your comments on costs of the different engines also.

Keith wrote: We do beef up the structure of the car as part of these builds - there are strong frame rail reinforcements running the length of the car, the front subframe is stiffer than the original and we'll usually bolt on some "Frog Arms", a front unibody stiffener that I view as similar to seam-welding the frame horns. On Elvis, I can usually tell while driving if someone has left the rear subframe brace off the car after working on it, although that comes through on road imperfections as opposed to power application. Usually, though, the people that claim the "spirit" of the Miata is gone with the V8 haven't driven one that's been well set up I always figured that would be the case as well, but I became a very firm believer in the converted cars quite quickly.

Thanks for mentioning that. Chassis flex was pretty evident in my FM2 NA, I can only imagine how bad it would be with 300+ ft/lbs cranking on it. Are the longituninal frame rail reinforcements you mention the standard FM SS rail caps, or something different?

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

John Brown wrote: Ford jumped the shark when they stopped building the 5.0L

Yet still outsold the Camaro every year including 2009.

I would certainly hope it out sold the 'maro last year, seeing how it was only on sale for eight months. That would have been a bit of an embarrassment otherwise.

The car versions of the LS engines are all-aluminum. There are some iron block variants in trucks that are cheaper and heavier. There's a very high level of parts interchange, so if you put the right oil pan, intake and accessory drive on the iron engine it'll fit anywhere the aluminum one does.

The frame rail caps aren't the FM ones, but they're, umm, "heavily inspired by". I think they're a bit thicker and they have mounting points for the transmission mounting crossmember - which helps out as well by closing the box on the transmission tunnel.

I just missed out on a L33 - LSX all alum 5.3 from an avalache for $500... that would have given us 4 in the family..

AutoXR wrote: I just missed out on a L33 - LSX all alum 5.3 from an avalache for $500... that would have given us 4 in the family..

That is a particularly nice version. There are some build threads/videos of folks running absolutely crazy levels of boost on the aluminum truck motors.

Well crap, there goes my plans for an Opel Kadett. Killer work, Keith. I'd have to sell the house to afford the speeding tickets (and reckless driving, laying drag, excessive display of speed, super-speeder....) tickets I couls get in an LS miata. might be worth it though...

Capt Slow wrote:

Type Q wrote:

wlkelley3 wrote:

nderwater wrote: <hyjack Why is nobody selling a simple tube frame and fiberglass body which drops directly on top of this?? </hyjack

I want to take this and set a classic sportcar body on it. Something like a MGB GT or Opel GT, something like that. Classic looks with modern touch.

I would love to bolt that into something super light that looks like a late 50's early 60's sports racer. I am thinking a body along the lines of a Lotus 11 or a '59 Ferrari 246 S Dino. Put an adequate cage in it for track days. Basically a Locost with curves,

Yea I would really dig the classic look too, maybe something along the lines of the lotus elan....

What about a MG Midget? How hard would it be to put a Miata under-pinnings on a Midget?

As mentioned before, modern cars are much wider than the older ones. I have a miata rear under my midget, and I had to narrow it quite a bit- dont' recall now, but at least 6 inches. It can be done, but it will be a pain in the rooskie. My engine is 4age though.