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So after being on here for a while, messaging a few guys about some Miatas and generally just wanting to buy one but not, I decided to go out and grab one.

Basically, I was involved in a car accident that wrote my 200sx off and because I didn't have insurance, just lost the car. It's sitting in my garage at the moment, so I might be going an SR20 swap soon



I picked it up for $1000, down from $4700. Basically, it has rust and engine problems and an open diff and in general is a fixer-upperer.
A few days after i picked it up, it started to run on two cylinders. Because the car has absolutely no "pick-up" at all, I figured the engine had finally given up and just died. I held hope and checked the spark plugs... Change them out and it's running just a little bit better!! (at least all four cylinders are going now)



You can almost see the crack on the old one. Basically the white insulation on the old spark plugs had begun to crack and fall off :\

Next on the list is a new clutch. I'm going to hold out on spending money on this car because I badly want to do the SR20 conversion.

I'll be going into my engineer in due time to find out what he wants to see and to determine if this is a plausible swap.

thousand bucks?!?!?!?... lol... that's awesome.

Miatas are left hand drive, so you must have a mx5 or a roadster ;)


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Saw this on carsales? and thought it was a low asking price but you got it for a steal!

haha sorry mx5

Yeah $4700 to $1000. To be honest, there is a bit of work to be done.

I have a new clutch in the mail with new rear main seal, spigot and a machined flywheel.

Will have to put a new head gasket in unfortunately... Depends how long I want to keep this engine for. Seriously considering putting the SR20 in with the 200sx 5sp gearbox, custom prop shaft and ford 9" diff but i haven't done any research to see if it'll all fit up. very curious to see if it's a possibility or if there's better alternatives.

Someone may know the answer to this; when accelerating, there is absolutely no "pull". It just revs out.
I'm changing the clutch as a "shotgun" change but we're worried it could be compression or fuel related (leaning out). Any thoughts?

lol... you've come from a 200sx to an mx5..

that "revs out but no pull" is how they are..


you say there is alot of work to do, but not really..

I bought a complete spare 1.6 engine for $400.. including clutch.

Gearboxes are even less.

Do a compression test.
Mx5s are far more likely to run rich then lean
The 7" Mazda diff from a 1.8 is the one you want forget a 9" on a car this small. The is no need and handling will go backwards unless your clever.


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sailaholic wrote:Do a compression test.
Mx5s are far more likely to run rich then lean
The 7" Mazda diff from a 1.8 is the one you want forget a 9" on a car this small. The is no need and handling will go backwards unless your clever.

I'm waiting for my mate to borrow the compression test kit from his work. I'll post results once I get it!

Thanks! I'm really unsure on what diff to use. The ford 9" is so popular i figured it'd just be the way to go. I know there would be a bit of modification to make it fit (custom prop shaft, cvs, diff well) but i figured it would be the best to hold the power. I wonder if the viscous LSD in the 200sx would fix?

Also, just got off the phone with my engineer. He's keen to try work through an action plan to get the car engineered with the SR20 and all associated work

I have a lot of research to do, though. It's just annoying that a lot of the results are american and that they're all saying to go LSx


The leaning out I'm curious about. A friend of mine started going crazy that it could be the fuel pump, that the injectors have crapped it, etc. and I just think ".... it's a 20 year old fuel filter..."
So we'll see what we come up with. Any suggestions?

TTT wrote:lol... you've come from a 200sx to an mx5..

that "revs out but no pull" is how they are..


you say there is alot of work to do, but not really..

I bought a complete spare 1.6 engine for $400.. including clutch.

Gearboxes are even less.

That's what my friend said; going from a 2L turbo running 13.7 psi boost is a massive difference but I'm going by the feel of the car without biased. It goes alright at low RPM, then as you start to rev out it's just revving which to me indicated clutch, however it feels different to when my RB25DE skylines clutch went.
It also will not go past 110km/h at all what so ever. Which to me indicates a problem most likely fuel, AFR or clutch... I should be picking up a new clutch from MX5 mania tomorrow ($450!!!! ) so on Saturday we'll see if there's a drastic improvement.

The 1.6L needs a new head gasket which is slightly annoying; they're a bitch of a job. I honestly consider that "a lot of work" because i'm crazily not bothered to do it at all.
Clutch change is easy... head gasket... urgh -.-

Apart from mechanical, it requires a new front and rear bumper, rust repair above the windscreen, passenger side of windscreen and under the passengers feet somewhere (haven't bothered figuring out where yet).
Then I might as well respray it all because my friend has an air compressor and spray kit... and i get insanely bored most weekends.

If the SR20 idea falls through, you need to introduce me to your engine/gearbox hookup ;)

Viscous diff ... Hope it's better then the Mazda one. 7inch Mazda diff with a Torsen center is 900 bucks for the centre and housing.
Probably 1200 with the half shafts and hubs. It will handle what most sr20s will throw it it. Shares the internals with the rx7.

Been a few sr20 swaps done have a look at the blue time attack one here.

Not an easy swap I believe due to the oil pan issues.

You will also have to work out how to mount your gearbox. Mx5 run a ladder frame between the diff and gearbox so there's no gearbox cross member.


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Oh... Have you checked the timing? I'd start there.


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mate if you are looking to replace the engine with an SR20 eventually or even another mx5 motor, dump the radiator fluid, hose it all out, fill with deminerialised water, smash a bottle of SEAL-UP in to it, then top up and bleed off properly.

Headgasket problem fixed.

When you do the conversion, get new radiator and hoses too.

If it won't go over 110 then there must be some bigger problems.

Save yourself a lot of hassle and chat to Ivan from http://www.miatasr20.com/ their kit has been very well engineered.

Sorry all.. have been trying to get time to write a reply to thank you for the advice but I haven't had a chance with work.

I'm still keen on the SR20 idea. I've had some thinking and my list now consists of:
Fuel pump
Diff
engine/gb mounts
rear-facing sump
Prop shaft
Exhaust
FMIC
ECU
Engine loom
Tuning
Engineering

Unfortunately this will all bring me to the 12k mark at an absolute maximum. I'm going to try buy the parts over time, but things like the exhaust and ECU are a little difficult to do on the cheap. The idea is to keep on saving money, and gradually chip away as I find second hand parts prop up cheap.

I also have to look at new suspension, wheels and brakes. I'll probably go the MX5 NB8B brakes and master cylinder, BC or HSD coilovers, and haven't decided on the wheels.
Part of me is going for Diamond Racing wheels, another part wants Shakotans even though they are "fake wheels".

New roll bar is also another option thing I have to consider. I'm also considering an underbody brace (the one from mx5mania most likely).

Soooo yeah that's the progress on the plans.

Got my insurance claims in for the car accident and it looks like I will have to sell the S14 parts to help pay for the damages; so no more SR20 swap for me

wait so you didn't even have 3rd party property on it? damn. Hope thats the first mod you've done with the mx5!