MX-3.com

Hey everyone! My name's Jesse. A few weeks ago I had a quick look in the classified ads around here and found a guy selling a 1994 mx-3 with a ZE swap. He and I have been talking, and I want the car more and more every day. Unfortunately, it needs a bunch of work to get going properly. In order to reach its full potential, it needs the K8 ecu swapped out for a more fitting module. I don't know which one as of yet as I haven't been able to see the car yet to decide if it's a curved or straight neck. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's a KL31/36 if it's a curved neck and a USDM probe if it's a straight neck? That's just what I've been reading. Either way, I have some great hook-ups with a local JDM importer from Bonsai Rides who is always on the lookout for parts for me. Great prices too!

Anyway, here are my current rides:

A 1998 Lexus GS400 which is my current daily driver. It's all stock, and I love every little bit of it

And my summer toy/wallet-muncher:

A 1982 Yamaha XS400. Since this picture's been taken, it's been modded out the bum with K&N-style intakes, high-comp Seca pistons, a lighter XS360 crankshaft, megacycle cam, stiffer valve springs, rebel shocks, clubman bars, custom flat-seat, upgraded braking system, lower ratio final drive, and free from all unnecessary mass. Oh, and it's still kick-only so my right leg is jacked...

Now onto the question part of my post: I'm hoping to eventually do a TT setup on the mx-3 but wanted to run a few ideas past you. Assuming that money isn't an issue and I have a junkyard full of parts at my disposal, I want to turn the engine to be longitudinally mounted. Of course, doing so would mean I have to relocate and refab pretty much everything. So I'm wondering about doing a drivetrain swap using a 1994-ish mx-5 frame (to get the engine mount location, hydraulics, transmission, and rear-drive platform that I need). The reason I want a longitudinal engine is because I can go for relative symmetry on a TT setup and everything will be much easier to reach if I'm doing all of my own work.
So to sum it up, I'd be using a mx-5 frame and fitting the mx-3 body on it with a KLZE motor and inter-cooled twin turbos. My question, is the wheelbase the same on the mx-3 and any year mx-5? What else am I overlooking?

Of course, that'd be a winter project that'd happen a while down the road when I've gotten bored of the N/A setup and want something more "Frankenstein's monster"-like.

Looking forward to your responses

JARichmond wrote:Now onto the question part of my post: I'm hoping to eventually do a TT setup on the mx-3 but wanted to run a few ideas past you. Assuming that money isn't an issue and I have a junkyard full of parts at my disposal, I want to turn the engine to be longitudinally mounted. Of course, doing so would mean I have to relocate and refab pretty much everything. So I'm wondering about doing a drivetrain swap using a 1994-ish mx-5 frame (to get the engine mount location, hydraulics, transmission, and rear-drive platform that I need). The reason I want a longitudinal engine is because I can go for relative symmetry on a TT setup and everything will be much easier to reach if I'm doing all of my own work.
So to sum it up, I'd be using a mx-5 frame and fitting the mx-3 body on it with a KLZE motor and inter-cooled twin turbos. My question, is the wheelbase the same on the mx-3 and any year mx-5?

JARichmond wrote:What else am I overlooking?

The cost, complexity and that more likely you're in way over your head.

Main issues:
- TT setup has never been done in an Mx-3, but it has been done on a 323 and Probe on the transverse motor. It isn't really necessary and complicated for no reason for what turbo's are available.
- Transversly mounting a KL, been done several times, but never in an Mx-3, or in any Mazda really. See TehBrookzorz for his on his Celica project
- RWD Mx-3 projects typically never/barely get off the ground, but really never ever get completed. With all the reinforcements, it's usually an ugly and heavy hack job.

There have been a couple KL Miata's

http://www.miata.net/motm/2007/snell.html


There are a couple of AWD mx-3's done. There was a awful rotary mx-3 RWD project that turned to balls.

I would doubt you'd ever complete such a project. I would be interested in seeing you strengthen the engine's internals over 9000, turbo it, then overcome it's inherent oiling issues

http://www.sccaforums.com/Forums/tabid/ ... fault.aspx


that's snell's car shown this year

Thanks for the responses, and I admire the work snell did to his mx-5. I get that it'll be a real challenge to get it to work (even in theory) but I take it as a challenge to overcome, and I never said it'd be done in a weekend. Honestly, I only want the RWD platform in order to get the transverse engine configuration to make sense. The Chrysler Intrepid is an example of a transverse FWD car that simply doesn't work, and that's why the RWD layout interests me. That and all of my other toys are RWD, so why not stay with the trend. On the bright side, I've had 4 years of experience as a mechanic and am finishing up my studies as an automotive engineer. Not only do I believe I have the knowledge and foresight to attempt such a project, but I have a massive support group including a fellow pushing 25+psi on a twin-turbo 4.6L mustang. He's my go-to-guy on turbo plumbing, especially lubrication. I'm relieved to know that the KLZE supports transverse mounting, as I think that was the part I was most worried about.
Again, thanks for the responses

SuperK wrote:There have been a couple KL Miata's

There are a couple of AWD mx-3's done.

1 KL Miata, and 1 AWD MX-3 that actually made it on the road, but that's a tad difference because it's a 4cyl that uses AWD components from a 323 that share the same platform.

Other completed projects over the years, but a small list considering

http://www.offroadvw.net/bajawes/V6_baj ... E_cars.htm

KLZE's doesn't support longitudinal mounting, people just make it work. It's not rocket science, it's just the motor is designed for a specific layout and the issues usually comes with placement and space in the engine bay; functionality of the motor doesn't change unless you plan on putting on funky angles. Mind you, I could see G-Forces affecting the oil pickup differently since the pan is lenghtwise and under hard acceleration or braking, it may be more prone to not being able to pick up oil, but that's not something that had been noted or documented in any of the few cases done.

There's plenty of people that have come, claiming experience and the easy of availability of parts (no joke) but none had even delivered a start of such a project, but talk, no action. Don't take it personally, it just happens way to often for me to take such claims seriously. I'll believe it when I see it. It took a while for Cody to get his KL mounted to a RWD trans, it took alot of research and work and testing, especially since he's doing it himself.

The big, big problem is that your basically buiding a RWD car. There's no compatible or bolt-on application from a FWD Mx-3. Plus not only does the car have to deal with the torque of the motor on the rear of the car, but also the custom work you'll have to do to the whole rear subframe/axle, including designing your own suspension system, to make it work. You'll be adding a lot of weight with everything and you need to do, plus the reinforcements to the chassis. Here's an F20 Civic that uses Nissan S13 parts for it's RWD conversion, expect such an undertaking:
http://bcr32.com/f20c-civic-seisaku.html

The Inprepid doesn't work in many ways, I would make no comparison to that.

SuperK wrote:http://www.sccaforums.com/Forums/tabid/ ... fault.aspx
that's snell's car shown this year

ITB's are gone?!