LSX Oddity: LS1 into a ’72 MGB

[CJ Hungus]

Thanks for posting that over here, Hungus. I was going to stop in today to show the current pictures. It's still not finished, but it's getting pretty close. From the outside, all it needs is a bit of adjustment to the ride height (did that last night when I stuffed in some stiffer springs) and the last pieces of side trim plus the emblems and mirrors.

The Cummins isn't anything exotic. Its main job is to tow a two-car race trailer and cart car parts around. Just your standard 2010 Dodge 2500 short bed. It's got a soft tonneau cover, air bags in the rear, a Go Rhino push bar with a couple of Hella 4000 driving lights and a Banks intake.

No problem, I know you don't make it here much and I really like how it turned out and the guys here enjoy unique projects like this. What made you decide to use an LS engine?

 

[svensk]

The car looks great with the fender flares. I'm a fan of an LS engine in anything.

 

[onac255]

Thanks for posting that over here, Hungus. I was going to stop in today to show the current pictures. It's still not finished, but it's getting pretty close. From the outside, all it needs is a bit of adjustment to the ride height (did that last night when I stuffed in some stiffer springs) and the last pieces of side trim plus the emblems and mirrors.

The Cummins isn't anything exotic. Its main job is to tow a two-car race trailer and cart car parts around. Just your standard 2010 Dodge 2500 short bed. It's got a soft tonneau cover, air bags in the rear, a Go Rhino push bar with a couple of Hella 4000 driving lights and a Banks intake.

Nice truck.

 

[Keith Tanner]

No problem, I know you don't make it here much and I really like how it turned out and the guys here enjoy unique projects like this. What made you decide to use an LS engine?

Packaging, ironically. Lots of people stuff the Rover V8s in these cars, and as we've seen the factory started doing that nearly 40 years ago. But I had the chance to drive one, and it was just a bit weedy. Lots of noise and drama, but I think a stock 1.6 Miata would have killed it in a drag race. I even have one of those engines set aside to put in the Land Rover someday.

So when I bought the car, I was going to use a 302. Then we started stuffing the LS engines into Miatas at work, and I saw just how amazingly compact they are. It's a modern engine, everything is squashed into a 2x2x2 cube. No problematic distributors, fuel pumps, etc sticking out to be a pain and a nice low intake manifold. So I changed allegiances. Of course, that meant I ended up modifying pretty much the entire rest of the car. The Ford version probably would have been up and running a couple of years ago, but I don't think it would have turned out as well.

More truck-related news: my Miata rally car now runs an L33 (aka Vortec 5300) engine. Yeah, that's stretching the connection a bit.

 

[DV2000NJ]

This turned out absolutely fantastic, Kieth.

It took me a while to realize that you were the same Kieth from Flyin Miata, and I must say, I'm a fan of what you do.

EDIT: I also just noticed this thing rockin' the Daisys.

 

[PenguinLTZ]

Well done, sir!

 

[CJ Hungus]

No problem, I know you don't make it here much and I really like how it turned out and the guys here enjoy unique projects like this. What made you decide to use an LS engine?

Packaging, ironically. Lots of people stuff the Rover V8s in these cars, and as we've seen the factory started doing that nearly 40 years ago. But I had the chance to drive one, and it was just a bit weedy. Lots of noise and drama, but I think a stock 1.6 Miata would have killed it in a drag race. I even have one of those engines set aside to put in the Land Rover someday.

So when I bought the car, I was going to use a 302. Then we started stuffing the LS engines into Miatas at work, and I saw just how amazingly compact they are. It's a modern engine, everything is squashed into a 2x2x2 cube. No problematic distributors, fuel pumps, etc sticking out to be a pain and a nice low intake manifold. So I changed allegiances. Of course, that meant I ended up modifying pretty much the entire rest of the car. The Ford version probably would have been up and running a couple of years ago, but I don't think it would have turned out as well.

More truck-related news: my Miata rally car now runs an L33 (aka Vortec 5300) engine. Yeah, that's stretching the connection a bit.

It turned out really good. We have a few Miata guys on this site. Feel free to share your Miata builds. That L33 miata must haul the mail. What is done to the 5.3? How much power is it making?

 

[Keith Tanner]

I'll start a new thread with the Miata build. Probably this weekend, it'll take a while to tell that story. It's a long one that also starts with a bare shell.

 

[Zembonez]

I'll start a new thread with the Miata build. Probably this weekend, it'll take a while to tell that story. It's a long one that also starts with a bare shell.

We would love to see that!