7 hours later and my coilovers are 50% installed

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
06/16/2019 at 10:59 • Filed to: None

I spent most of the day yesterday trying to install coilovers on my Miata. Since the coilovers I already had were installed in the old Miata, this first involved removing them from the old car. I would then have to remove the suspension from the new car, put in the coilovers on the new car, and put the stock suspension in the old car so that I could still roll it around. Unfortunately my “simple task” of changing the bump stops and cleaning the shock bodies ended up taking like 3+ hours on its own. I got them looking good as new though, with much work using a wire wheel on a drill to get out all of the caked on dirt/grime and rust. The new bump stops are much shorter as well so we shall see how those feel once the job is done.

For now, I just have the front of the new car fully assembled and the old car is sitting in jack stands with no suspension connected. I ran out of time in the shop so I had to leave the other car overnight. I’ll be back today to get the rear coils on the new car, set my height properly (the main reason for thoroughly cleaning the shocks), and then throw the other car back together. Ideally that should take less time since it’s just bolting stuff together.

I did meet another Miata owner at the shop though. He had quite the interesting engine build in there!

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He’s building it as a really cool autox car but is working out some expected kinks. Looking forward to seeing and hearing it more!

DISCUSSION (12)

Nick Has an Exocet > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/16/2019 at 12:03

I’ve looked into a lot of Miata swaps. The JV6 is interesting but it has "quirks". It didn't really live up to my quality expectations. Most swaps that use the stock transmission end up cutting up the housing and oil pans/exhausts are almost always too low for comfort.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Nick Has an Exocet
06/16/2019 at 12:30

Yeah I didn't get a chance to look too closely at what all that build was about. Sounded very nice though for sure! I assume most swaps require creative hacking to make it work and surely that will incur issues. Im sure he will be needing that shop to do a lot of work to make it reliable while racing. My first thought whenever I see something like that and they talk about racing it, I just wonder how many hours of operation it can get without breaking something.

Nick Has an Exocet > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/16/2019 at 14:45

Yeah, a lot of them are just about how many compromises you’re willing to live with. I am tempted to do an Ecotec swap but that’s one that requires hacking up the transmission a bit. I’ve also heard that everyday drivability suffers a bit from NVH issues. There’s a guy from the Bay Area with a LF X V6 in his Exocet. He’s done a great job on that build, but it required swapping the entire driveline down and through the rear end.

His Stigness > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/16/2019 at 15:52

The most annoying thing about that engine swap is he could absolutely make it smog legal with absolutely no effort. But it’s much cooler for them not. Like the PCV breather vent. Why? Does that add any power? Nope! You’ve already got the oil separated, so just pipe the damn gas back into the intake where it can be burned.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > His Stigness
06/16/2019 at 19:58

I don't think he wants to make any attempt to be carb legal lol. I tend to meet many of those people in Socal

His Stigness > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/16/2019 at 22:31

It’s clear he doesn’t. But it’s so damn easy. Customers that DO tell me that all the time.

But I'm glad you meet them and I don't. I'd have a hard not telling them that essentially, they're an asshole.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/17/2019 at 13:01

I really want to get a Miata and do an LFX swap. That is the best power to weight ratio swap I have found and easily keep the same feel as the I4

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CaptDale - is secretly British
06/17/2019 at 13:10

The NB1 like he has really is the best platform for swaps in general. It has more stiffness than any of the NAs and none of the VVT complexities and other junk of the NB2. Plus since they are generally the cheapest miata, its a win win.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/17/2019 at 13:18

I’ll do it eventually. Not really wanting to drop $12k for a Miata with a nice V6 yet. I think that will be a reward for myself some point down the road.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CaptDale - is secretly British
06/17/2019 at 13:35

That guy had said he spent $10k all in and its around 80k on the chassis and like 15k on the swap so far with near perfect original paint. But either way, yeah its a ton of money really. Worth it? Probably! But its enough to have to plan for at least.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/17/2019 at 13:37

Yeah if I got a decent $4k Miata and then got all the bits I need for the swap I would be pushing $11-12k. THis doesn’t include the bigger brakes, rollbar, and seats that I would want either .

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CaptDale - is secretly British
06/17/2019 at 13:42

Of course it doesnt, bringing the total up so much higher at the end lol. I know from my own stock power Miata its easily $2k in parts for all of the “other stuff” that is completely necessary to make a 20+ year old convertible safe and worth using on a track. It would certainly be more for something with so much sunk cost in it already, that you wouldnt put a cheapo seat or cheap wheels on.