[portfolio_slideshow id=41606] Welcome to Part Six of Project Thunderbolt, our LS Miata swapfest. In this update, we’re ready to mate the Chevrolet Performance LS376/525 engine with the Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed for good. But before we could join them in mechanical matrimony, we needed a clutch that combines excellent holding power with great drivability. Summit
There is a lot happening in this episode of our LS Miata swap. First, we installed the Chevrolet Performance CTS-V Accessory Drive System on our LS3. This impressive kit includes everything needed to add power steering, an alternator, water pump, and air conditioning. The CTS-V kit fit in our tight engine bay with room to
Supersizing applies to engines as well as French fries. Our friends at Auto Revolution prove the point with these videos showcasing the build and dyno results for an awesome 448-cubic-inch small block Ford. Pass the ketchup—er, motor oil, please. The engine was built by Peter Guy of Peter Guy Racing engines in Fresno, CA. Originally
[portfolio_slideshow id=40863] Let’s jump right in and see what’s happening in this episode of our Miata makeover: We welded thick reinforcement braces in the engine bay. These braces are designed to add strength and support back to the firewall area we modified to fit our LS3. We mounted a 3.42-geared Getrag Cadillac CTS-V differential in
The first-generation (1966-77) Ford Bronco has been a popular off-road vehicle since its introduction. However its successor, the 1978-96 full-size Bronco, outsold it by a large margin. Designed to directly compete with the Chevy Blazer, the big Bronco was roomy, comfortable, and could be loaded with creature comforts—exactly what the market wanted and the first-gen
You already know we’ve chosen the powerful and compact LS3 for this build, but which LS3? We went right to the top and got the LS376/525 crate engine. It’s the most powerful production-based crate engine in the Chevrolet Performance portfolio: 6.2 liters, 525 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 489 ft.-lbs. of torque at 4,400 rpm.
In part one of Project Thunderbolt, we laid out the plans to stuff a GM LS3 V8 in to a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata. In this update we’re finishing the teardown of our 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata’s chassis. We’ll do the same to our stock Miata four-cylinder drivetrain by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable pieces.
[portfolio_slideshow id=38154] Light car + big engine = silly go-fast fun. Back in the 1940s and ‘50s it was Ford flathead, Olds, and Caddy V8s in Model As. Pontiac stuffed a 389 in a mid-size Tempest and ushered in the musclecar era with the 1964 GTO. Carroll Shelby’s 427-powered Cobras terrorized the competition (and probably
[portfolio_slideshow id=36308] Marc Sorger is a diehard racer. At age 13, he and his dad built a 1957 Chevy with a tunnel-rammed 301 small block and 5.13 gears (“I won a bunch of races and money with that car,” Marc recalled). He is licensed in NHRA’s Motorcycle, Super Street, Super Gas, Super Comp, Top Dragster,
[portfolio_slideshow id=35291] For the third year running, Trick Flow Specialties is building the engine that will be part of the prize package awarded to the IHRA’s Summit Racing SuperSeries Top Class Champion. Trick Flow’s first two engines—a 565 cubic inch big block Chevy in 2012 and a 598 cubic inch 460 Ford in 2013—each made
Stay Connected