miata project

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Apr 25, 2003 | 05:45 PM

#16

Mark_02DX

whatever

Joined: Mar 2003

Posts: 490

From: cyberspace, where else?

Quote:

Originally posted by carguycw

Tigers are cool little cars, although I've read that they're a handful to drive- combine 60's British suspension, an ~80" wheelbase (shorter than a Miata or Porsche 911), and big American V-8 torque, and you've got a recipe for handling that's sometimes exciting for the wrong reasons. I'd still like to drive one though.

Also, one of the most amusing factoids about the car... Sunbeam was almost bankrupt when the Tiger was being designed, so they based the Tiger on the existing Alpine sports car, but they didn't quite have the dough to produce tooling for a redesigned firewall to clear part of the V-8. Their solution? Since the car was intended for limited production anyways, they had the biggest, strongest guy in the factory get into the engine bay of each Tiger with an 8-pound sledgehammer and "massage" the firewall into the correct shape before the engine was installed! Therefore, every Tiger features a great big factory-original dent in the firewall.

I know this is a sidetrack, but I just love that story.

He claims it does wheelies.

Apr 25, 2003 | 07:11 PM

#17

kc5zom

Certified Sick Individual

Joined: Mar 2002

Posts: 1,141

From: Houston, TX.

Quote:

Originally posted by carguycw

Actually, a truck powertrain isn't all bad. The late-model Explorer engine actually came with the best heads of any factory 5.0, although I'm not sure if they're iron or aluminum. However, you WILL need to get a T-5 tranny from a Mustang; do NOT go automatic, the Ford AOD automatic is a power-sucking piece of crap.

Actually, if you're interested in using EFI (a necessity to meet emissions standards in many areas) you can buy a stand-alone, plug-in 5.0 EFI wiring harness. They're intended for the street rod market and include wiring for all the engine sensors; just add an ECU and plug it in to a 12V battery and you're good to go. Although I've never actually priced one, I've been told that these harnesses are quite reasonably priced.

That much power he may want the AOD just to keep the wheels on the ground.

I actually meant he would want the whole powertrain, not just a motor, from the donor vehicle and finding a 5.0L with tranny for a Mustang will be more difficult than finding a 5.0L engine from a truck. I hear too many bad things about Ford aluminum heads (and have experienced, just not on the 5.0L) that if the heads on the Explorer were aluminum I would run. Ford aluminum heads have this wonderful ability to warp.

And anyone putting a 5.0L in a Miata is violating enough emissions laws already. There are stand-alone EFI kits available but the parts for a carb setup have much higher availability and a good flow carb will let him have a very basic, easy to repair, engine setup good for gobs of power easy.