Here’s How Much It Costs to LS-swap a Mazda Miata
LS swapping a Mazda Miata can add some serious power and a great sound, but it’s not for the faint of heart (or wallet).
The Mazda Miata is one of the most fun and versatile cars you can buy, but it’s far from the most powerful. You could turbocharge or even supercharge its small four-cylinder engine, but there’s a limit its potential.
That’s where engine swaps come into play. Out of the box, an LS1 engine can triple the Miata’s stock power output and completely change the character of the car. Before you start thinking that dropping a 5.7-liter V8 into a tiny car is crazy, take a look at Flyin’ Miata, a company whose entire reason for being is swapping big engines into small Mazdas and selling parts for people that choose to do the work themselves.
Paying Flyin’ Miata to do the work for you will cost at least $50,000 plus the cost of a Miata. The car will need to be in good shape to handle the power, so count on dropping a decent amount of money on the initial purchase.
That’s a bunch of money, but how deep into the bank account will you have to dig to do the work yourself? Let’s take a look at what’s involved in LS swapping a Mazda Miata.
It’s Not a Walk In the Park
As Autoevolution lays out, swapping the engine is a lot more involved than just dropping in an LS and hitting the road. Clayton from Slightly Mad Customs told the site that people often underestimate the effort and money required to get the job done. “There’s a lot of people that get into this build expecting to be all done for $5,000 to $10,000,” he said, and added that people “end up much closer to $20,000.”
How did he get to that number? First, a used LS1 can be had for around $3,000, either from eBay or another sales site, like our sister brand Racing Junk.
Add another $2,500-plus for a transmission, $500 or so for a clutch assembly, $500 for a driveshaft, and hundreds more in parts to make everything work together. Clayton’s Miata is running an 8.8-inch rear axle, which he said will cost around $1,700 all-in, and a limited-slip differential will cost an additional $700.
All of that is before any work has been done to the cooling system, ECU, and fuel system, and excludes the cost of installation if you’re not doing the work yourself.
Clayton’s total stacked up to around $16,000, which unfortunately isn’t all that unreasonable. You can find cheaper engines and cheaper cars, but jamming a V8 into a Mazda Miata can be dangerous if budget takes a front seat over build quality.
Photos: Flyin’ Miata