Miata Powered 1972 Triumph Spitfire
#1
Miata Powered 1972 Triumph Spitfire
Hey guys, I did a quick search but didn't find much. I have an old 1972 triumph spitfire that im just itching to take apart and put in a new engine so I can have a little more fun with it. I looked at all of the different swaps they've done with them and right now im between rotary power and miata power and leaning towards the miata. I'd switch in the whole drivetrain, engine, transmission, diff with rear end(shortened of course) because its a bit wide, and a custom drive shaft. I just wanted to know if you guys had any ideas or thoughts on what I should do, right now its choking in the 60 horsepower range. My grandma can run faster than that.
#6
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I wanted to put a newer engine such as a BP miata engine into a pre '70 triumph spitfire for quite some time now. Wanna know what I'd swap in there if it was my car?
1st I'd get a 1.8 and keep it N/A...I'd go high comp pistons, '99 head with lots of head work, lighten as much rotating mass as possible, and of course balance everything.
I'd also run an ITB setup. Maybe shoot for like 170 whp?
Pretty much this youtube car, but lighter and smaller cause spitfire:
1st I'd get a 1.8 and keep it N/A...I'd go high comp pistons, '99 head with lots of head work, lighten as much rotating mass as possible, and of course balance everything.
I'd also run an ITB setup. Maybe shoot for like 170 whp?
Pretty much this youtube car, but lighter and smaller cause spitfire:
#9
that 1.8 looks nice but it would probably be pretty bone stock until I save up some more money (ah the life of a broke student) anyway, I didn't see the miata swapped spit on the grm forums, only a rotory, do you have a link for it by chance? I need to do as much research as possible, this is gonna be one heck of a project.
#13
Hey, guys I'm in school and I'm broke. I want to take the motor out of a miata, which from reading is the new version of the spitfire and better in every way. I then want to transplant everything to the spitfire, so I guess I want a spitfire body on the miata. I wont have the money to even purchase the miata until I'm out of school in 2016. Even then I will have my student loans to pay for and probably wont have the cash to do this until 2020. I know this is 10 years from now but I feel that my goals will be the same when I'm 30. I've never even driven a miata so I have no idea if I will even like this car after I'm done with it. I feel like spending 5k and 500hrs of labor is a fair trade off for that 40hp. Anyways just figured I would post on this board because you guys look like nice gentleman that will entertain me with jibber jabber while I'm in Psychology class. Tootles...
Is this about the gist of it?
Is this about the gist of it?
#19
The rear needs to be about 8" narrower to work under the Spitfire. I had a GT6 with a 302 in it (bought it that way, total Frankenstein job). Car had a solid axle/4 link in it when I bought it and I decided it needed a decent IRS instead. Bought a Miata rear suspension/diff and did a bunch of measuring. Sold the car after I figured out I could barely get in with no cage and a helmet, and the car wasn't going to see a track without a cage.
To use the rear suspension you'll have to build structure to attach it to as the Spitfire is much different. You'll also probably have to widen the trans tunnel and modify the frame rails as the Triumph gearbox is much smaller than a Miata box and barely fits in between the rails.
It's not a project to go into without a ton of cash or significant fabrication skills.
To use the rear suspension you'll have to build structure to attach it to as the Spitfire is much different. You'll also probably have to widen the trans tunnel and modify the frame rails as the Triumph gearbox is much smaller than a Miata box and barely fits in between the rails.
It's not a project to go into without a ton of cash or significant fabrication skills.
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