Yea I'll be curious how long until I get the itch to start changing things lol. So much work is going into the finishing touches right now. I originally built this car 2009 to 2015 with my dad. When it was finished it was like OEM it was super clean and seamless. Over the years tweaking, breaking and fixing and modding the polish wore off a little bit lol. This refresh I'm feeling like its getting back to that level of polish again and it has me pretty excited.

This engine is meant to be a nice everyday driver, and still really quick. Someday the plan was to throw the solid roller motor in here too. I do kind of regret not having the heads ported, but I kept telling myself just to wait for the big engine if I really want it faster. Always good to consider optimizing outside of the engine to get some free power though! If the powerband and engine response gives me the experience I'm looking for I won't be too concerned about overall power figures. Ever since I built this thing I've been chasing more high rpm power without having to go obscenely large with the cam. I want it to drive like a sports car and not a muscle car.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/dynamomet...o-results.html

Bigger exhaust will be tough to swallow, although I know the engine wants it. I have a beautiful dual 2.5" stainless exhaust that my dad hand built for me years ago. It doesn't drone and it sounds fantastic. I've considered maybe a big 4" single/oval Y pipe dumped in the middle if I do any race events where it really matters. Would drop a TON of weight, and I imagine free up some horsepower. Ideally, a titanium system with some nice oval sections for clearance out to the bumper would be the forever system. Lemme just hit the lotto first lol.

The intake tract I got something planned with my buddy when I finalize on intake manifold choice. Love/hate with the sheet metal intake. It makes SO MUCH DAMN NOISE it is the loudest thing on the car. You can hear it over the exhaust. It amplifies noise like a speaker box. I've used my strut brace to dampen it some, but it is still makes a very unappealing noise.

I'm considering the BTR Trinity if the Holley intake performs like I want. The Trinity should just barely fit, but I will lose my strut tower brace. Other option is an MSD, but I honestly don't want the added torque, the fitment is really tough in this engine bay, I'd have to redo my throttle cable, I don't think my TB and water pump can co-exist, and the cost of a ported and modded MSD is more than I want to spend lol. A few things against it.

A better intake duct like this has been in the plans for many years with my friend from engineering school. He works with composites so when we finalize this it'll either get a mold made, or overlay in carbon. If I swap intakes we'll need to tweak the design a bit so it is on the backburner until then.





I also spent some time teaching myself how to design headers in Solidworks haha. I have the "best" available headers for the FD swap with these 1 7/8" headers with a merge collector spike. They're ok. Nothing special, nothing bad. These are 2" primary tri-y with somewhat equalish length primaries. I took some very rough measurements in the car just to give myself some major keep-out zones. I've always been told that 2" primaries would not fit and I'm just not believing it to be true haha. I will be getting a 3d printer at some point, and printing some header primaries to test fit sounds like a fun project. I stopped messing around with this when it started getting serious enough that I truly needed to know how I was doing with clearance. My plan would be to use craftcloud to 3d print the merges in stainless, and weld in the simple tubes and bends in between.

I follow Concept841 on instagram. I need to hear one of those vettes in person. It would be killer to get that type of high pitched exotic sound out of my FD.

 

Try one of the stick on heat shields they sell for intakes. I bet if you cut it and slap it on the bottom of your plenum, it could kill some of the noise. You already have it, I don't think the Trinity is worth swapping too cost wise. I would just work with what you have, at least until you hit a wall with it. As far as exhaust, you are going up a lot with it, but you can crutch it with the cam. I have done it before, basically specs end up like a big split abd almost no overlap, but if you get it right, will make great power still. I would just keep working what you have for now, I think you got a good base combo and really fun car.

One big thing, and I hate to say it because you already spent the $$$, but I would highly recommend you mount the TSP rockers on a shaft. Either the Comp BSR or I think BTR has a shaft kit for LS7, but that one single thing will make that motor last I affirm believer in that the head is the problem, not valves or guides and tying them altogether will make it last as much as it can.

 

Love these simple, clean builds!

If you get serious about a trinity, i will make you a killer deal on one.. can take a 103 to 112TB and it's ported!

 

Ohhh, I'll shoot you a message! I specifically need the Trinity with the downward angled throttle body or I have no chance of it fitting.

 

Yup, not without a cowl hood. Tried to run it on the RX7 I am building for a friend and it hit the hood around the TB area.

 

I finally gave in and got an aftermarket hood for my car. I don't prefer it vs stock, but I do need the hood vents, and my car is in relatively nice shape I don't want to hack up the factory hood webbing (and still might not fit the intake I want to run). I saw a twin turbo build very recently using my same hood (VIS scoot style hood) that fit the BTR Trinity, but only with the downward angled flange. I was very surprised I did not know it would fit. BTR said they could build me either versions still. I keep trying to look around on 2nd hand market and it is very slim out there.

If all this intake, hood etc becomes my long term solution I'm going to paint it white. It becomes a lot more subtle when paint matched.

This gains at least an inch of hood clearance.

 

I had to cut a fair amount of hood webbing to get the LSXR to clear in my Miata. No way an MSD would clear.

I totally understand not wanting to butcher an FD hood …. NA Miatas are not that special.

 

The one I am working on also has a aftermarket hood and it still doesn't clear. The only thing with the downward angle manifold is it would no allow you to run that radiator/intake setup. Or atleast, not easily.

 

I'm reallllll close! I got super busy with life/work commitments, and have a vacation this week that takes me through Christmas, but I plan to get this thing on the road for real before new years.

My last wiring that needed to be done was for my clutch switch and rev limiter activations. Oh darn, have to test the 2step in the garage before tucking all the wiring away I have a lower rev limiter and a higher rev limiter programmed off my clutch switch. The lower is for launch control, and the higher is for no lift shifting.

So, my first test (which actually was successful), sent this thing to 7800 rpm in a flash LOL. I had forgotten I programmed a .225 second activation window for the no lift shift limiter...just enough time to grab the next gear. The engine revs so damn fast! I guess it's the titanium rods, and this big open plenum intake with a straight shot to the valve. I also don't think I've ever heard a full throttle rev to redline in any of my cars...so not sure I have a fair comparison hahaha. Not usually something I'm trying to do.

It sounds wicked. I can't wait to hear this thing screaming on the road at 7800 rpm and banging gears lol. My poor mom was just chillin in the garage with me reading her book and I sent this thing to outer space haha


Here is the successful test. I never got to play around with this before. The no lift shifting and flexfuel additions were implemented on the test drive I blew it up " class="post_inline_image" loading="lazy" />


Also wrapped up installation of a massive Improved Racing oil cooler so I'll finally feel able to take this thing out for some open track day sessions. I never had a cooler on the car before. I also never had an oil temp gauge hahaha. I'll be adding a small chin spoiler to scoop some air from the bottom side when the car is moving.

 

That adapter looks nice, does it have a thermostat inside?
I just have a strait thru with no thermostat and no temp sensor.
Improved racing, is that you or do they sell this?

Thanks
Christian

 

just saw the web address on the cooler, sorry

/C

 

No problem! Not my parts, but the guy also has an LS rx7 swap so I love buying from him.

The low profile oil cooler adapters are awesome. This one has a thermostat opening at 212*F. I went for the highest temp one because this cooler is so large I imagine on casual driving days if it opened at 180*F it would never get hot enough to boil off the moisture in the oil.

 

Ah, that was you that posted in the FB group. haha

 

Your cam specs look pretty spot on for what you're going for—smooth idle but focused on higher rpm. For springs, I’d recommend something like the PAC 1208s or BTR .660s; I’ve used PACs in the past, and they’ve been reliable without breaking the budget. They’ll work with the stock lifters and the taller LS7 installed height without overloading the valvetrain. As for the Holley Sniper low pro, I think it’ll pair well with your setup since it’s better for higher rpm, but you’ll probably lose a little low-end compared to the stock LS7 intake. I’d stick with the stock intake for now and swap later if needed—no sense in fighting hood clearance right away.

 

Breaking news, LS7's are awesome. More at 11.


My old man was wheeling in the video and took it out to 7300. I've run it a handful of pulls out to 7k+ rpm too. Both of us seat of the pants shifted it above 7k. Really happy with the powerband and the car feels relentlessly fast right now for something that also stops and turns.

My buddy owns a rotary shop and a dyno. I'm working on setting a date with him to get some numbers and see what this torque curve looks like.

Rolling into it I've spun all through 2nd gear on 275 wide slicks. A shame the low pro intake killed all the torque.

 

Love it. Love the wheels too. My buddy has the same ones. (i think)

 

Thanks man! The wheels are Wedsport TC105X's. My wife surprised me with them actually. Then I blew up the engine right after so they have next to no miles on them lol. I'm still feeling out these old slicks to see if they're going to come back to life. They feel a little hard, but I haven't heat cycled them yet haha.

 

That's badass! That's a keeper.. I think his are the Mazda Motorsports Volk wheels. Very similar design.

 

I had a fun day at the dyno yesterday! And then I got popped for a very bad speeding ticket on my first drive home with the car in ~3 years. Oh the highs and lows lol. A few seconds in third gear was all it took. Welcome home

I'll post up a dyno results thread but just wanted to close the loop here. I'm ecstatic with the car. The power figure it put up is shocking. First pull was over 600whp SAE on 91 octane. The shop owner's rotary FD did 655whp on a local dynojet, and 650whp on his dynocom. Even if it is not real (the car is very fast...) I'm thrilled with the shape of the curve. I have over a decade of experience with this platform and LS swaps, and the journey I have been on to get a proper sports car power curve in this mazda has been trying. Intake manifolds are very tough to fit, which led me to running a stock LS3 intake on my last combo (rod modded, larger TB all that jazz), but you simply cannot fight against the long intake runners.

It peaked power at ~7000 rpm and holds flat to 7500 and will pull to 7800 without even beginning to show signs of running out of breath. With a 234 intake lobe and a super smooth idle. The thing is a rocket ship. I bought a dragy so I'll be able to verify performance figures when I'm not worried about losing my license lol. With only what I've seen from C6Z results, I was hoping to achieve a 6.5 second 60-130. With low 600's wheel if it isn't pushing toward a 5.9 I'll tear up the dyno sheets I will have two shifts in a 60-130 so that may be sub optimal. I think it'll be obvious real quick though if its making the power or not.

 

Awesome job spanks! Just awesome! I bet it’s a rip to drive.