Miata 4 cyl in an first gen 7?
07-08-03, 01:31 AM
#1
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Miata 4 cyl in an first gen 7?
Has anyone ever put the Miata motor in an SA or FB? I know that this particular engine is pretty much underpowered and all in factory specs, but I think it would be unique to see it under the hood of a first gen. Keep in mind that there are some pretty sick s/c and turbo kits for that motor. How's the reliability of the Miata powerplant?
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07-08-03, 01:56 AM
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Meh, it could work, but remember the RX-7 was a high end sportscar, even back in the day, and a Miata is a medium level roadster.
That sort of swap, rotary vs. piston debate aside, seems akin to transplanting a Honda CRX engine into an Acura NSX, if you get my meaning.
That said, you're absolutely right about the S/C kits.
That sort of swap, rotary vs. piston debate aside, seems akin to transplanting a Honda CRX engine into an Acura NSX, if you get my meaning.
That said, you're absolutely right about the S/C kits.
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07-08-03, 12:24 PM
#11
I'm thinking that it shouldn't be kept that way.
Mazda has the machines to make rotary engines.
Mazda has the machines to make miatas.
So why not have it as a factory option? I'm sure the custom mounts wouldn't be *that* hard for a big company like mazda to professionally fabricate. I mean hell, if someone on this forum can have a RoToyota, mazda can throw rotary engines in it's other cars as options!
Think about it. The Mazda6, the Protogé5, the Miata, all with different rotary rotary options to suit the cars.
It would definitely lead to more of a proliferation of the rotary engine and knowledge about it. Sorta like "hey, Mazda trusts it enough to put it in all it's good cars... I guess it doesn't suck as much as it did in the 70s"
More rotaries = more rotary capable mechanics + more readily available, cheaper rotary parts!
Jon
Mazda has the machines to make rotary engines.
Mazda has the machines to make miatas.
So why not have it as a factory option? I'm sure the custom mounts wouldn't be *that* hard for a big company like mazda to professionally fabricate. I mean hell, if someone on this forum can have a RoToyota, mazda can throw rotary engines in it's other cars as options!
Think about it. The Mazda6, the Protogé5, the Miata, all with different rotary rotary options to suit the cars.
It would definitely lead to more of a proliferation of the rotary engine and knowledge about it. Sorta like "hey, Mazda trusts it enough to put it in all it's good cars... I guess it doesn't suck as much as it did in the 70s"
More rotaries = more rotary capable mechanics + more readily available, cheaper rotary parts!
Jon
07-08-03, 01:11 PM
#13
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MX5's were designed as they were so that everyone can drive them ... if Mazda had put a rotary in the MX5 with a decent power output they would have had MX5's in hedges/ditches/tree's all over the shop. + people would have stayed away as people don't like somthing different (somthing they can't understand too)
Plus the mx5 is meant to be like an old british sports car (Elan) and they weren't about power and 0-60 times.
Mazda got the MX5 spot on in my book and if you didn't like the MX5 you could have bought an rx7.
Yet another reson for Mazda not to put a rotary in the mx5 ... it would have hurt sales of the RX7 which is a niche market at best
Plus the mx5 is meant to be like an old british sports car (Elan) and they weren't about power and 0-60 times.
Mazda got the MX5 spot on in my book and if you didn't like the MX5 you could have bought an rx7.
Yet another reson for Mazda not to put a rotary in the mx5 ... it would have hurt sales of the RX7 which is a niche market at best
07-08-03, 02:51 PM
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The optional engin is an awsom idea 
Ok to the "Old British Sports Car" Remark, that they wern't built for 0-60, 1/4 Times...
Can you say XKE with the V12?????
That is an old british sports car, convertable even that could easaly beat just about any thning when tuned properly.
But I get your drift...you mean MGs and Triumphs and the like.
I just thought I would plug the Jag.
Ok to the "Old British Sports Car" Remark, that they wern't built for 0-60, 1/4 Times...
Can you say XKE with the V12?????
That is an old british sports car, convertable even that could easaly beat just about any thning when tuned properly.
But I get your drift...you mean MGs and Triumphs and the like.
I just thought I would plug the Jag.
Last edited by anthrax; 07-08-03 at 03:10 PM.
07-08-03, 07:19 PM
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it was my understanding that the head of mazda recently made a statement to reporters saying that he wanted to do a high end rotory sports car, a low end rotory sports car, and a rotory roadster ( in the near future ). If i also remember correctly this subject (rotory miata) was aproached in the "other rotory" forum on this site.
My $.02
My $.02
07-09-03, 09:04 PM
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They barely got the FDs to pass emissions and it cost a fortune to do it, hence part of the reason for a $30,000 sportscar. The MX-5 was supposed to be an entry level fun tossable car. To continue the rotary in the States in the Miata would have meant another bag of tricks to pass tougher emission laws and an even more expensive engine than before. Would you pay $32,000 for a base Miata with a NA 13B? Until the side-port renesis, emissons was one of the sundry reasons rotaries were not here for sale in a mass production car. I can hardly wait for the first RX-8 to hit the boneyard. No emissions tech looking under the hood will know what's supposed to be there or not for a 1stgen, so just slap allyacrap on the junkyard renesis mill and stick a 100 shot to it for 300 HP of fun....
07-11-03, 12:00 PM
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mazda has said that they will make a convertable RX-8 ala the convertable Gen II of a decade ago...i have heard rummors about a rotary powerd miata (they used a miata to test the renisis engine before production) but mazda i think is going to wait to see if they sell as many RX-8s as they hope
07-11-03, 12:07 PM
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the rotary wouldnt be suitable for the miata. the inline 4 wouldnt be good for the rex. It just wouldn't feel right. i love my rex and i love my dads miata, but they are two different machines. i wouldnt mix the two. they have a diiferent feel when you drive them. The powerplants they are equiped with are the right ones for the cars. the rex is more down to business while the miata is more a fun car. i dont think it'd be a good swap.
07-11-03, 12:29 PM
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The Rex is fun too... Both are just fun cars, IMO....
And hell, I'll put a rotary engine in anything
Someday, when I'm not a student, I promise to swap engines between an RX-7 and an MX-5 for fun!
And hell, I'll put a rotary engine in anything
Someday, when I'm not a student, I promise to swap engines between an RX-7 and an MX-5 for fun!