I’m back (And I could use your help Rx8club)
05-17-2017, 07:22 PM
#1
I’m back (And I could use your help Rx8club)
It was only a matter of time before I found my way back here. Most of everyone probably won’t remember me, but that’s to be expected after being absent for so long.
There are a few reasons why I’ve returned however none of them are because I own yet another Rx8.
The first reason why I’m here is because I hope to be making a build thread in the very near future. My plans are to build a “turn-key” NC Miata with a Renesis heart transplant. The car would retain as much factory equipment from the NC and Rx8 as possible, with a from the factory appearance when complete. I am not the first person to attempt this hurdle, nor will I likely be the last. There have even been a few threads, some of which that have included a high degree of details but slowly died with no conclusion or the author/owner went a different route at the end of the day. This is not my goal. This will be a somewhat simple swap (theoretically speaking) as I have no plans to put a roll cage, no plans to gut the car out and put bucket seats and or other “nice to have” features. This is going to be an example of what a NC Miata with a Renesis might have looked like inside and under the hood should Mazda have put them into production. This will hopefully simplify things as it will hopefully require less CNC design and fabrication to make 100% custom parts specifically for this application. Remember, I am attempting to make a proper “DIY-how to NC Renesis-Miata” thread to be posted both on Rx8club.com and Miata.net, and some of the labor and updates to be recorded and posted to YouTube.
The second reason why I’m here is because I need your help Rx8club. I am currently working on sourcing a 2006-2008 NC Miata (most preferably 2006 MY) to be the recipient of the transplant, but I am hoping to get support and assistance from members here in making this happen. I want to see this project through till the end and I also want to complete this in a reasonable amount of time. Multiple years for a build isn’t something I would want to watch and wait for, and I imagine neither do most people.
Without sugar-coating or beating around the bush, the form of help that I hope to receive would be in the form of Rx8 parts I would need. I don’t want your money; while it would help make the build happen, getting the parts I need to move forward with the build to me is more helpful than money. Parts like an Rx8 front subframe, a non-DSC PCM with an ABS module from the same vehicle, a gauge cluster from a MT Rx8, and the list goes on. Obviously in many cases some items are worth a fair amount of money, and let’s be clear I will be putting money of my own into the build as well. But any and all help is greatly appreciated and I hope to repay you all by giving you what so many of you have been hoping to see come true.
The third and final reason why I am picking an NC Miata that will hopefully be a 2006 MY is because of the final product I aim to produce. The vehicle will have all OEM functions and emissions equipment. It will have an engine and computer from a Rx8 the same model year or newer. It will have a catalytic converter, and meet OEM emissions specifications. I plan on towing it to a referee here in the state of California and making it street legal. I not only want to do a rotary swap NC, but I want it to be compliant to meet the requirements established by the state of California to be certified for road use. Yes, I basically want to make a Rotary Miata factory functioning kind of unicorn.
Even if I don't receive any support comma this is still something I've always wanted to do and will pursue regardless. My love for rotary engines started way back in 2010 when I was first introduced to the world of rotary engines after test-driving and RX8. I'm open for conversation and discussion in regards to my plans and I'm looking forward to any advice input or knowledge to anyone may have. I know there are people out there who share the same level of passion for cars in all different types and I hope that when I do undergo this endeavor that I can help provide the answers and knowledge that so many people have been waiting to see and hear. I hope that I will be able to update you all in the near future once this build has begun.
There are a few reasons why I’ve returned however none of them are because I own yet another Rx8.
The first reason why I’m here is because I hope to be making a build thread in the very near future. My plans are to build a “turn-key” NC Miata with a Renesis heart transplant. The car would retain as much factory equipment from the NC and Rx8 as possible, with a from the factory appearance when complete. I am not the first person to attempt this hurdle, nor will I likely be the last. There have even been a few threads, some of which that have included a high degree of details but slowly died with no conclusion or the author/owner went a different route at the end of the day. This is not my goal. This will be a somewhat simple swap (theoretically speaking) as I have no plans to put a roll cage, no plans to gut the car out and put bucket seats and or other “nice to have” features. This is going to be an example of what a NC Miata with a Renesis might have looked like inside and under the hood should Mazda have put them into production. This will hopefully simplify things as it will hopefully require less CNC design and fabrication to make 100% custom parts specifically for this application. Remember, I am attempting to make a proper “DIY-how to NC Renesis-Miata” thread to be posted both on Rx8club.com and Miata.net, and some of the labor and updates to be recorded and posted to YouTube.
The second reason why I’m here is because I need your help Rx8club. I am currently working on sourcing a 2006-2008 NC Miata (most preferably 2006 MY) to be the recipient of the transplant, but I am hoping to get support and assistance from members here in making this happen. I want to see this project through till the end and I also want to complete this in a reasonable amount of time. Multiple years for a build isn’t something I would want to watch and wait for, and I imagine neither do most people.
Without sugar-coating or beating around the bush, the form of help that I hope to receive would be in the form of Rx8 parts I would need. I don’t want your money; while it would help make the build happen, getting the parts I need to move forward with the build to me is more helpful than money. Parts like an Rx8 front subframe, a non-DSC PCM with an ABS module from the same vehicle, a gauge cluster from a MT Rx8, and the list goes on. Obviously in many cases some items are worth a fair amount of money, and let’s be clear I will be putting money of my own into the build as well. But any and all help is greatly appreciated and I hope to repay you all by giving you what so many of you have been hoping to see come true.
The third and final reason why I am picking an NC Miata that will hopefully be a 2006 MY is because of the final product I aim to produce. The vehicle will have all OEM functions and emissions equipment. It will have an engine and computer from a Rx8 the same model year or newer. It will have a catalytic converter, and meet OEM emissions specifications. I plan on towing it to a referee here in the state of California and making it street legal. I not only want to do a rotary swap NC, but I want it to be compliant to meet the requirements established by the state of California to be certified for road use. Yes, I basically want to make a Rotary Miata factory functioning kind of unicorn.
Even if I don't receive any support comma this is still something I've always wanted to do and will pursue regardless. My love for rotary engines started way back in 2010 when I was first introduced to the world of rotary engines after test-driving and RX8. I'm open for conversation and discussion in regards to my plans and I'm looking forward to any advice input or knowledge to anyone may have. I know there are people out there who share the same level of passion for cars in all different types and I hope that when I do undergo this endeavor that I can help provide the answers and knowledge that so many people have been waiting to see and hear. I hope that I will be able to update you all in the near future once this build has begun.
05-17-2017, 08:57 PM
#3
That would be ideal however I would probably spend a significant amount of money getting one with a good motor that would more than likely have to rebuild and spend a significant amount of money on top of that before installing into the Miata. By keeping the costs down and only getting the essential components required then I can purchase a low compression engine and rebuild it and the end of day cost is likely to be cheaper. Not to mention by purchasing a whole donor car I would be required to transfer the title into my name and pay sales tax based on the sale price of the car, if the car is not operational I would spend a fair amount of money getting it transported back to my house, and then once I'm done if it is not a rolling chassis I would then have to find a way to dispose of the chassis and that would cost money as well. A decent majority of the necessary components are typically items that are not in high demand as they are components that don't usually go bad. The parts that will cost the most money are the front subframe due to the likely cost of shipping, the engine and transmission, the differential, and other components that typically fail due to wear and tear.
05-17-2017, 10:49 PM
#4
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Donor car is gonna be your best bet. Take what you need from it, part the rest out and (sigh) as much as I hate to say it, scrap the frame, you could damn near get your money back..
05-17-2017, 11:37 PM
#5
kevin@rotaryresurrection
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step 1: find cheap donor car
step 2: pay cash to donor car owner without concern for title or tag status
step 3: tow home donor car
step 4: disassemble donor car
step 5: look on craigslist for the "will haul away your junk" ads, call poster, arrange pickup of donor car shell (if for some reason no such persons exist on your side of the country like they do here, substitute 'call nearest junkyard" instead)
step 6: profit
step 2: pay cash to donor car owner without concern for title or tag status
step 3: tow home donor car
step 4: disassemble donor car
step 5: look on craigslist for the "will haul away your junk" ads, call poster, arrange pickup of donor car shell (if for some reason no such persons exist on your side of the country like they do here, substitute 'call nearest junkyard" instead)
step 6: profit
05-18-2017, 10:44 AM
#6
RotaryResurrection, good to see you still on here!
I was considering that as an option for the donor car. Anything i can salvage for resell ill keep as well to hopefully help recoup some money to reapply elsewhere as needed for the build.
The biggest problem i have been running into is finding the NC miata that would be an ideal candidate. There are plenty of NCs out there, but to be more clear one that is high mileage or has engine/transmission issues that brings the cost down significantly. Tbh i dont want to spend 7k on a perfectly good NC that im just going to frankenstein anyways. Trying to keep costs as low as i possibly can to allow myself a good budget for a motor rebuild and minor custom fab work.
I was considering that as an option for the donor car. Anything i can salvage for resell ill keep as well to hopefully help recoup some money to reapply elsewhere as needed for the build.
The biggest problem i have been running into is finding the NC miata that would be an ideal candidate. There are plenty of NCs out there, but to be more clear one that is high mileage or has engine/transmission issues that brings the cost down significantly. Tbh i dont want to spend 7k on a perfectly good NC that im just going to frankenstein anyways. Trying to keep costs as low as i possibly can to allow myself a good budget for a motor rebuild and minor custom fab work.
06-20-2017, 02:07 AM
#7
Registered
That would be a really cool project/conversion.
I would also buy the donor car(s)...and have deep pockets along with it. I have never seen an engine conversion on any vehicle of any kind that ended up being cheap - if done right cause of course there's a million ways to do a hack job and swing it. This is why so many people abandon their project. Too many hidden costs and the amount of time it takes becomes overwhelming.
Good luck. I would really like to see a project like this being completed. It would be really cool.
I would also buy the donor car(s)...and have deep pockets along with it. I have never seen an engine conversion on any vehicle of any kind that ended up being cheap - if done right cause of course there's a million ways to do a hack job and swing it. This is why so many people abandon their project. Too many hidden costs and the amount of time it takes becomes overwhelming.
Good luck. I would really like to see a project like this being completed. It would be really cool.