If you want to see an example of this phenomenon, look for road test reviews of the Studebaker Golden Hawk. In 1956, when Studebaker decided to drop the 352 c.i. Packard V-8 into the Hawk, they got incredible acceleration, albeit with really bad handling. -
@VDCdriver–I remember reading these road tests about the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk and the supercharged 1957 and 1958 models with the lighter Studebaker engines. The same problem occurred with the 1953 and 1954 Studebaker coupes when hot rodders replaced the Studebaker V-8 engine which displaced about 232 cubic inches with a more powerful V-8 from a Cadillac. The Studillacs as some called them were powerful for the times, but were evil handling buckets. In fact, the Studebaker V-8 was too heavy for the 1953 frame and there were problems with the frame sagging and causing the doors not to close properly. Studebaker went to a heavier gauge steel for the frame in its 1954 models. This did make the car more rigid. At that time, the small block Chevrolet engines hadn’t come on the market. These 1953 Studebaker coupes became the Hawks starting in 1956. The Studebaker sedans in 1953 were different cars than the coupes of that year. Very few of the body parts were interchangeable. There were, for all practical purposes, two different Studebakers. The sedans were shortened in 1959 and became the Studebaker Larks.
@VDCdriver, weight distribution is not as bad as 70/30. The Miata puts the engine mostly behind the front axle and the LS engines are pretty light. I’ve read that it gives about 55/45 weight distribution. That adds a bit of understeer needed with so much power. Traction suffers a bit but Hey, its a V8 Miata! Supercharger or turbo kits add weight to the front compromising the Miata’s 50/50 distribution as well.
I think my mind is made up, it’s a go. Now just to find the pieces parts and space.
I think @acemaster said it best
The only rule for measuring success is how fast you went and how big the smile on your face. Any talk of money or cost is irrelevant.
how about a rotory out of an rx7 or 8???
"Carroll Shelby stuffed a lot of side oiler 427s into AC Cobra bodies...."
He put a lot of 289 engines in the AC body, but he never put a 427 in one. The 427 Cobra was a custom built body specifically for the 427, only 522 were ever built. The 427 Cobra weighed in at 50 lbs less than the 289 AC Cobra.
I’ve long had a sort of opposite dream. A 1964 1/2 Mustang body with a manual transmission Corolla front wheel drive power train and suspension. The Corolla had enough engine power for my needs, and I like the mpg and ride quality. The Mustang ride wasn’t that good as I recall. Swayed a bit on turns. And tended to spin out what with the rear wheel drive. But the 1964 1/2 Mustang body has a much more pleasing appearance than the Corolla ever has.
What about a hot 6-cyl? You can find a 2005 or so 350Z engine and gear box that will have 300 HP. The power to weight ratio will be very close to a 2005 Corvette. If you insist on a V8, a 4.3L from a Lexus 430 will give you the same horsepower, but 65 ft-lbs more torque.
Many of my friends say that a Miata is a girls car
They just don't know what they are talking about.If a Miata with a V8 and a manual transmission is a girly-car, don’t you want to meet her? It could be Danica Patrick or Melonie Troxel or Ashley Force.
Problem with the DOHC V6 and V8 engines is they’re BIG. OHV V8s are heavy, but comparatively compact.
While on the Shelby Cobra trivia, the original AC Cobra was fitted with the 260 ci Ford V-8. As best I can recall Shelby bought them at near scrap iron price because Ford was replacing that engine with the 289ci version. A friend in the early 60s heard of the Cobra and cobbled up leftover pieces of Austin Healeys and installed a Ford 260 ci in it. Like the Cobra the shift lever took some getting used to but the V-8 was lighter and shorter than the straight 6. It handled well.
But as for the 427 “AC” Cobra, all Shelby Cobras are called AC Cobras.
And about that Miata V-8. If it is not a financial burden build it. When finished there will be more to show for the time and money than the vast majority of people who spend their weekends in casinos.
@acemaster
Oh, I absolutely agree. But when one adds a v8 to a Miata, by essentially rebuilding the car to make it, for all practical purposes, a different car, that’s fine. Just recognize you have a different car and the speed freak in you is just being satisfied. I can’t pretend it’s still a Miata any more then I can pretend a Daytona Ford Taurus is really a Taurus…and to me, it’s a waste of money thinking you are making a v8 Miata. You are putting a v8 in a Miata…and making a different car.
@RodKnox
" . . . the vast majority of people who spend their weekends in casinos."
Huh . . . ?!
Most of the people I know, and have known, in the past, only rarely went to casinos
@dagosa, well, you’ve got to call it something, and according to the title and registration it’s still going to be a Miata.
I’m trying to think of a good name for a Ford V8 Miata. Miabra? Cobrata? Mustiata? Miata hadda V8?
LOL
@db4690–I can’t speak for Rod, but my interpretation of what he said is that the majority of the public that spends their weekends in casinos are the poorer for it. Not that the majority of the public goes to casinos, but that the majority of those who do go to casinos are–ultimately–losers. And, I agree with that opinion.
Take the case of a former classmate from high school.
We had jobs that paid us similar amounts, although I believe that his salary was a bit higher than mine. Our pensions are similar, but–again–his benefits are slightly higher than mine.
I own my own 2200 sq ft home on 2/3 of an acre, I pay cash for my new cars when I buy them, I pay my credit cards off–in full–each month, and I have accumulated a comfortable portfolio through saving & investing on a steady basis over my working years.
By contrast, he lives in a tiny apartment, in a dodgy neighborhood, leases his car, has only a few hundred dollars in the bank, runs constant large balances on his credit cards, and always seems to be running short of cash.
The only significant difference between our backgrounds is that he goes to Atlantic City at least 3 weekends per month, while I avoid that place like the plague.
Gambling is indeed an addiction, as this guy can’t seem to get that monkey off of his back, and I constantly hear him say that, “This time, I’m going to hit it BIG at the casino”. And, of course, after each casino excursion, he comes home with less money than he left home with. All-in-all, it is a very sad situation that I actually saw beginning while he was in his 20s.
So…while building a V-8-powered Miata would not be my cup of tea, I do agree that the OP will undoubtedly wind up spending less money on that project than the typical gambler loses in casinos.
If you just want a car to show off, that’s a curiosity and will go fast in a straight line, go ahead. If you want to retain most of the handling characteristics of the Miata and make a sleeper, I’d consider either adding a turbo instead or finding a smaller, lighter, aluminum-block V6 (possibly with a supercharger or turbo) to shoehorn in there. Maybe one from a wrecked supercharged Buick…
Many of my friends say that a Miata is a girls car
Your friends are idiots.
and that any hetero guy shouldn't have one,
Check that. Your friends are bigoted idiots.
but most of them are car people.
Owning a car and sticking a K&N filter sticker on it doesn’t make you a “car person.” Real car people appreciate cars for their merits, not for their perceived gender or sexuality.
I bet al the Miata haters have fart cans and ground effects doo-dads on their Corollas. Ooh … Manly
Back in the days of the 240Z, 260Z, and 280Z, the thing to do when the head warped on the straight 6 was to shoe horn in a small block GM V8. I cannot remember whether the existing transmission was used, a GM transmission, or a TurboHydramatic. Word was that the transplant made a lot of straight ahead acceleration yet did not affect the handling that much. Probably a little attention to the roll bars and maybe the addition of an antiroll bar helped in that department.
Anyway, if you still have the inkling, take on the project. Post back your experiences, especially the inevitable snags. Also give us a driver’s assessment. Maybe we will see an article in Hot Rod featuring your Miata with this transplant.
BTW, have you checked the periodical index of subjects for a similar article?