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Thread: Donkey the NC Engine swapped NA from V8R

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    STAR Sponsor Unk577's Avatar
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    Donkey the NC Engine swapped NA from V8R

    Donkey is a MZR swapped NA test/track car that Steve from V8Roadsters built using spare parts laying around the shop along with a old Spec Miata rolling chassis.

    Donkey's first time in public was in 2015 at Miatas@MLRS where Austin Cabot from The Slip Angle Show and Track Tuned had the opportunity to take it out on track

    Since then Donkey has been rebuilt several times upgrading everything along the way.

    V8 ROADSTERS NC SWAPPED NA MIATA

    Words and Photos by Austin Cabot

    So you just read the title and I know what you're thinking. Before you ask - the answer is "NO" - this swap is not a kit. At least not yet. If there is enough interest in it, the guys over at V8 Roadsters may offer one, but currently there are no plans.

    With that out of the way, lets take a little look at what this unique combination of car and motor is and how it came to be. And yes...I even got to drive it...on Laguna Seca - but more on that below.



    http://www.V8Roadsters.com is a company that many may already be familiar with. They produce kits that allow GM LS based motors to be installed into the first three generations of Miati (That's the plural form of Miata, right?). As you can imagine, swapping motors out of miatas means that you're left with a lot of stock miata motors lying around. If you have a bunch of motors around, and a few chassis lying around, the wheels start turning and you just might end up with something like we have here.

    It feels kinda of like a test car. Maybe we should be wearing helmets painted to look like crash test dummies.

    Surprisingly, nobody really knows this car exists, and V8 Roadsters didn't really push it too much at the Miatas at Mazda Raceway event I got to see it at. If you were walking through the paddock, you'd just see another caged, appliance white Miata without a top. You might notice that somebody put an NC shift knob on it and it's got the 6 speed shift pattern, so maybe it's got the NB 6 speed trans in it. Nothing unusual there.



    The hood was even popped most days while in the paddock, and people would just walk by, seeing another black valve cover in the engine bay. The car really is just that simple and unassuming. And that's exactly why I love it.

    The guys at V8 Roadsters are calling this car the "Donkey" as it's going to be a test mule for a few others things they have going on. It's made exclusively with parts that Steve and Shandelle had lying around the shop. Motor, trans, ecu, brakes, wheels, tires, etc - everything was waiting around to be put together into an amazingly simple but effective car.



    The chassis is an early 1990 model chassis, with a production date from 1989. This was also one of the first spec miatas built as well - looking at the cage, you can tell. It's extra beefy with a lot of bars that would be considered too much extra weight for a spec miata these days. It's also on the original iteration of the spec miata suspension, the specs of which escape me at the moment.

    I've always said Miatas are greater than the sum of their parts. This one is no different. It's much greater than the sum of its parts.

    The car features V8 Roadsters Wilwood kits front and rear. The brakes are a little overkill for the car in its current state, as Shandelle told me. Driving it at Laguna Seca, I found this to be true. The car stops really well, up until the point that you're locking up the tires...which is really easy to do. But, when you have the parts lying around however, why not put them on? In the cabin, there is a valve to adjust brake bias. There is also a provision to lock the rear pressure to use as a parking brake. Clever.



    The motor, trans, and ECU are all out of a 124,000 mile NC that received a new heart of American Iron (Or Aluminum...). The guys at V8 Roadsters estimate the car makes around 170hp after a tune. It might not sound like a lot, but in a car that weighs this little, it moves pretty good. It features the 6 speed trans instead of the standard 5 speed. The gearing is short, but not too short. The 6 speed in the NC feels much better than the 6 speed trans the NB Miatas came with. I found it very enjoyable to roll through the gears in. The car itself felt quick during my first laps around Laguna Seca ever. The rear end is still the NA miata rear end and according to Shandelle, not much was needed to get everything to fit, aside from a custom V8 roadsters subframe.



    The whole package rolls on 15x9 949 6uls wrapped in 5 year old Hoosiers (again, left over parts from around the shop). During my time on track, the tires actually didn't feel too bad. The whole package felt fairly balanced and the power suited the car very well. Imagine an NA Miata with more power, or an NC Miata with less weight and you've got the general idea. The classic Spec Miata suspension was actually better than I though it would be. I was expecting something similar to the Spec Miatas I've driven in the past but the whole package proved itself to be better. I've always said Miatas are greater than the sum of their parts. This one is no different. It's much greater than the sum of its parts. As you can see in photos, those parts are pretty scarce. The build is simple and clean. It's not over the top, and it just works.



    I love all the setup notes scribbled on the car. The guys did it to make things easier for them, but I kind of like the feel it gives the car. It feels kind of like a test car. Maybe we should be wearing helmets painted to look like crash test dummies. If we were crash test dummies, the interior wouldn't be a bad place to be. No airbags, but 5 point harnesses and bucket seats.



    The interior is just a simple affair with a few gauges and a personal steering wheel. The interior mirrors the whole theme of the car - Pretty much a tub, with a suspension, motor, trans, ecu, seat, shift knob, and gauges with some brakes, wheels, and tires bolted to it. It's tremendous fun and I want on.



    Currently, the V8 Roadster guys are trying to get their subframe approved for SCCA club racing. For many racing classes where you can swap engines from the same manufacturer as the chassis into the car, this would be a great, affordable solution that would still be fun at your normal open track day weekend as well. With a little aero and some decent suspension and tires, this combination could be build to a price point and run lap times that are very, very respectable.

    We should have a video of this car on Laguna Seca ready in the coming days now that I'm not traveling. If you would like to see a kit for this swap put into production, let us know in the comments.

    A big "Thank You" to Shandelle, Steve, and all the guys at V8 Roadsters. Shortly after posting this I was told that today marks their "Official" 8th Birthday. Happy Birthday!

    http://www.tracktuned.com/feed/2015/...apped-na-miata
    Last edited by Unk577; 08-11-2016 at 08:32 PM.

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    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift NCGreasemonkey's Avatar
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    V-8's site still has not listed this as a swap kit option. Will it ever?

    Just asking because I like the idea. I want a V-8 Roadster but the golden egg has not dropped out my arse yet. If this package would be available the price point might be closer to do-able in my budget. Expecting a second NA soon for another build as long as health and life stay on course.

    Shandelle sent his business card with my rails order. Like their style and practice. Nice to work with them!

    Thanks,
    Rick
    ... Rick

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    Quote Originally Posted by NCGreasemonkey View Post
    V-8's site still has not listed this as a swap kit option. Will it ever?
    This car is literally the result of parts that were laying around the shop. Steve had several pull outs from NC's he had built. We are racing this car in SCCA and rules require engine to be from the same manufacturer for our class.

    As far as offering it as a swap kit, I don't know if there is plan to do so but I'll get a definitive answer for you

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    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    Very interesting! Thanks for sharing!

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    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here! modernbeat's Avatar
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    Did I miss any photos of how they did the exhaust or the PPF? Or if/what they did with the rear diff? Not much detail there other than "look at this cool thing".
    Jason McDaniel

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    Trans is mounted on a crossmember similar to our other conversions and the exhaust was rerouted on the passenger side of the car.

    And to confirm this isn't going to be offered as a kit.

    A couple of videos of the original build and the stock tired motor

    Laguna



    Our local test track The FIRM doing some testing on our X-Lite control arms

    Last edited by Unk577; 08-11-2016 at 07:31 PM.

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    Admin / Pit Boss / Miataholic Phatmiata's Avatar
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    Fixed your link and youtube videos

    BTW This car is a beast

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    Thanks Randy. Donkey is a lil beast. The setup in the videos was a tired stock motor that was maybe making 135-140whp. The last motor put down 197whp and we left some on the table. We're anxious to see what the newest motor will do.

    Today we made some changes at the rear of Donkey with the tubular rear subframe and the new X-Lite rear upper control arms

    Attached Images Attached Images

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    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power druz's Avatar
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    Are you guys bringing it back to Laguna this year?

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    Not this year. We will be running it at Watkins Glen for the NASA nationals the weekend before. Maybe next year.

    You need to come this way to Miatapalooza

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    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift NCGreasemonkey's Avatar
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    NCNA.jpg

    Was I the only one that nutted?
    Last edited by NCGreasemonkey; 08-13-2016 at 03:40 PM.
    ... Rick

    Quote Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
    ...and don't be like an NCGreasemonkey.
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    Not at all. I love a clean garage too!


    No todo que es oro brilla.

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    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift NCGreasemonkey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AgentOrange View Post
    Not at all. I love a clean garage too!
    There with my thoughts! Shock-Top for both?
    ... Rick

    Quote Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
    ...and don't be like an NCGreasemonkey.
    For the thread on Noir click below
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    Getting everything buttoned up and hope to be on the dyno this week.

    Almost 30yrs old, Donkey had some flex in the firewall. Now we have a firm pedal that's easier to modulate
    image.jpg

    Up front we are running a tubular subframe, X-Lite upper and lower control arms, 11.75" Pro series brakes, V8R Ohlins TTX,
    image.jpg

    In the rear we are running our new tubular subframe, X-Lite upper rear control arm, Pro series lower control arm, 11.75" Pro series brakes, V8R Ohlins TTX
    image.jpg

    One of the last pieces from the original build is the exhuast. We will be updating it soon to take advantage of the Good-Win Max Power 1.8" header
    image.jpg

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    Finally got around to putting the splitter on the front to clean up the aero. Still have to cut the ducting for the radiator. It will get put to use next weekend at Gridlife South @Road Atlanta
    image_56.jpg

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