************* - Why go crazy with custom fabrication? 99.9% of the time it's not worth the effort, nor the cost of materials.If you want a high mpg car - get a VX. For looks - just drive the Miata as is.

Tell me, do you already have expertise and tooling/capabilities in machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, automotive technology, if you do, eventually you might get it done - it will not be cost effective and likely fall short of fuel economy and performance, but you'd have it.

Otherwise, it will sit in your garage bay for a few years, and after spending a couple vocations and too many weekends working on it, you'll gladly call a scrapper take it away.

Ross

LS1 Miata!

Gear that sucker down like the vette is and you'll have one hell of a car! Probably fast idle that thing down the freeway.

Couldn't the honda engine be rebuilt so that it spins the other way?

The cam profile determines the direction of spin, but then the oil pump would also have to be reworked and the distributor reworked and the timing belt would have to be rerouted because the water pump runs off it and running it backwards would put the water pump and tensioner on the loaded side of the timing belt. It doesn't seem worth it to me.

Maybe a little triumph or MG motor could work.

It could. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ &
TimeTimeTimeTimeTimeTimeTimeTimeTimeTimeTimeTimeTi me

just out of curiosity.. do you think the cam would need a regrind entirely? the sequence of intake and exhaust would need to change,.. I think. Anyway, it's an expensive idea.

In addition to the 2.0 and 2.2 liter S2000 motors, newer Honda motors spin the 'right' way. Take a look at the L, R and K series motors. I would like to see a K23A1 in a Miata... A J35A3 might be interesting too. ^_^

Yes- you could probably get away with leaving all the intake or exhaust lobes alone and then grind off the other set and build up new lobes in the right spot. I say "you", but building up and grinding new lobes on a cam would definitely not be a job for a shadetree mechanic.

I like the gear idea. it is rear wheel drive so it has to have a differential. I changed out the gears in my truck (for power) I went from 3.55s to 4.10s I wonder why not go the other way. make sure you don't go too far but still you could get more out of it with different gears.

that seems to be the most cost effective way to do it. I mean we talk a big game but who here is really going to rebuild a motor to rotate a different way or even do a motor swap at all. I know there are a few but personally, I would be more apt to do a gear swap and call it a day. I just got my garage back (sold the truck) and I wouldn't want to give it up to a project that may take years.

a miata with a later larger displacement recent vtec-e motor (whatever they call them now) would be wonderful. lots of torque, and great gas milage. interesting idea.... you could only do it in some swap friendly states, i think. a 50-60 mpg miata would be sweet.