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Miata Rear end?
Posted: December 5th, 2006, 10:33 pm
by Gottagofaster
would it be possible to use a miata rear end engine/tranny to convert the mx-3 to a RWD set up?
I was lookiing at my dads miata and....well the possibilites woould be sweet....a RWD mx-3 would be bada$$
Posted: December 6th, 2006, 1:38 am
by Limegreen mx-3
Unless u have time and lots of money than no, its not worth it for the avg. person owning a MAZDA MX-3. but the miata 1.8BP can be converted to a fwd BP i have done the convertion several times but it take's money and time to. several guys here have done a awd mx-3.
Posted: December 7th, 2006, 3:03 am
by Josh
oh, only two have done AWD swaps, and one is only half way completed. mins the only working setup

lol
what sux about the Miata rear end, is if you were to swap it into an MX3 it makes it alot harder to install. as the suspension is completely different. its easer to use the rear end out of a AWD Protege, 323, 323 GTR, and there are a few others. but by using the AWD platform rear ends its a hell of alot easier to install, way less time and money to be involved. and you can still utalize your stock strut towers where with the MX5 rear end you would have to relocate them.
the other obstical is the tunnel, as you would have to swap the front end to something else, like a Miata Front end or Protege A arms, as the MX3 uses that damb crossmember that is rite in the middle of the tunnel, and it would need to be removed. so it gets pretty involved.
Posted: December 7th, 2006, 8:19 am
by projectmx
hey mine is more than halfway done... just need a couple more engine parts and a drive shaft and i'm done
josh is right though as far as a full rear end using and AWD one from a 323 or protege is a much better idea than trying to mock up the miata one. Although compltetely doable the RWD swap is going to be pretty difficult but the front end will be the hardest trying to mount the engine 90 degrees from the stock mounting... but it would be awesome to do... only attempt this if you have a lot of time and patience and a car you can drive till that one is done
Posted: December 8th, 2006, 2:40 am
by lowflyinmx3
it would be difficult but i think alot of people here really want to see a rwd burnout from a mx 3. that would be sweet.
Posted: December 9th, 2006, 2:39 am
by Boris
the cheapest route for acquiring an rwd mx3 would prolly be buying that one off ebay. That thing is so close to being done, and is pretty damn cheap too.
Posted: December 9th, 2006, 8:29 am
by Yoda
lowflyinmx3 wrote:it would be difficult but i think alot of people here really want to see a rwd burnout from a mx 3. that would be sweet.
Not necessarily. I have modified a G25 for a V-6 with a solid spool. In place of the jackshaft off the right side of the tranny I have a mitsubishi right angle gearbox and a dummy shaft and block off plate in the left side. This tranny will send 99% of the power of a K series V-6 rearward only without having to turn the engine. This combined with the Protege AWD modifed to take a Tribute pumpkin everything from the tranny back should be able to take 250-280ft/lb torque as a daily driver. This is the easest way to modify a FWD to RWD with the least amount of fabrication. The same thing could also be done with a 4 cyl just as easily. One of those projects I started and never finished. (I checked with a friend at the local DMV. Here it is technically illegal to make this conversion and if the car was sent to inspection it could be impounded and scrapped.) I maybe selling this set-up in the spring to a drift racer to test.
Posted: December 29th, 2006, 11:42 pm
by nolig2278
Yoda wrote:lowflyinmx3 wrote:it would be difficult but i think alot of people here really want to see a rwd burnout from a mx 3. that would be sweet.
Not necessarily. I have modified a G25 for a V-6 with a solid spool. In place of the jackshaft off the right side of the tranny I have a mitsubishi right angle gearbox and a dummy shaft and block off plate in the left side. This tranny will send 99% of the power of a K series V-6 rearward only without having to turn the engine. This combined with the Protege AWD modifed to take a Tribute pumpkin everything from the tranny back should be able to take 250-280ft/lb torque as a daily driver. This is the easest way to modify a FWD to RWD with the least amount of fabrication. The same thing could also be done with a 4 cyl just as easily. One of those projects I started and never finished. (I checked with a friend at the local DMV. Here it is technically illegal to make this conversion and if the car was sent to inspection it could be impounded and scrapped.) I maybe selling this set-up in the spring to a drift racer to test.
Any pictures of this setup?
Thanks