Owner's Ceramic Metallic LS6-Swapped Mazda MX-5 (NC) Build

Mazda MX-5 NC

Mazda MX-5 Mk3 (NC)

Ceramic Metallic + Built LS6 NC

Read the full write-up at Ceramic Metallic + Built LS6 NC ↗

LS6-swapped 2008 Mazda MX-5 (NC) in Ceramic Metallic

The owner, MarbleGT, has run this NC Miata since new and after retiring it from daily duty decided on a full repaint and an LS6 V8 swap instead of a planned mild NA build. The car was sent to American Body Works in Lewisville, TX for a respray in Mazda's Ceramic Metallic and a full engine build, with work still in progress at the time of the supplied posts.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine: LS6 V8 with FAST injectors and intake, 228R camshaft, 114 LSA, ported heads
Suspension: Tein Flex Z coilovers with EDFC, 9k/7k spring rates
Sway bars: RX8 R3 sway bars front and rear
Wheels: 17x9.5 +45 Wedsport TC105x and 17x8 RS+m
Paint: Mazda Ceramic Metallic respray
Body: Mazda OEM front air dam, side skirts, rear skirt and hardtop, plus JetStream Type II spoiler
Interior: 2014 GT door cards, RevLimiter gauges, Lotus Elise Probax seats with RiokuRob mounts

Parts used

Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 1

LS6 V8 engine
Swapped in as the new powerplant, built with FAST injectors and intake, 228R camshaft at 114 LSA, and ported heads

Suspension & Steering 2

Tein Flex Z coilovers with EDFCTein
Fitted with 9k front/7k rear spring rates
In the shops
Coilover, flex-z, Tein ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £1,608.00 GBP
Coilover, flex-z, Tein ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £1,703.75 GBP
Coilover, flex-z, Tein ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £1,421.00 GBP
RX8 R3 sway bars
Fitted front and rear
In the shops
Sway Bars ↗Flyin' Miata· $399.00 USD
Sway Bars ↗Flyin' Miata· $369.00 USD
Sway Bars ↗Flyin' Miata· $369.00 USD

Body & Trim 3

JetStream Type II spoilerJetStream
Added as part of the exterior refresh
Mazda AP side skirtsMazda
Fitted as part of the minimal cosmetic changes
In the shops
Side Skirts, black, OEM ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £570.76 GBP
Mazda OE Air Filter (2006-2015) ↗Flyin' Miata· $44.99 USD
Genuine Mazda Clutch Release Bearing ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £59.95 GBP
Custom NA tail lights
Hand-made by stretching an NA lens onto an NC frame, one of only a few sets made

Interior 1

Lotus Elise Probax seats
Fitted using RiokuRob mounts
In the shops
Bolt crank pulley Lotus elise ↗Motaclan Limited· £8.52 GBP
Carpet Buttons (Lotus Exige/Elise) ↗Techno Toy Tuning· $45.00 USD
Carpet Button Bases (Lotus Elise/Exige) ↗Techno Toy Tuning· $45.00 USD

Photos

24 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Ceramic Metallic + Built LS6 NC. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

MarbleGT · 2018-11-20T15:10:19-0500 11this post at Ceramic Metallic + Built LS6 NC ↗

MarbleGT · 2018-11-20T15:15:44-0500 9this post at Ceramic Metallic + Built LS6 NC ↗

MarbleGT · 2018-12-03T17:57:13-0500 2this post at Ceramic Metallic + Built LS6 NC ↗

MarbleGT · 2018-12-26T12:35:09-0500 2this post at Ceramic Metallic + Built LS6 NC ↗

How it was done

Starting condition

The owner bought the NC new in April 2008 and used it as a daily driver for seven years, keeping it clean and garaged. By the time it came off daily duty it had about 150,000 miles and typical cosmetic wear, but was otherwise sound. Plans for a front clip respray and a built NA engine evolved into a far larger project.

Paint and body

The car was dropped off at American Body Works in Lewisville, TX in August 2018 for a full teardown and respray in Mazda's Ceramic Metallic, a colour the owner felt was distinctive without being flashy. Cosmetic changes were kept minimal: a shaved front emblem, Mazda AP side skirts, a JetStream Type II spoiler, and colour matched striker plates.

Mechanical work

The original idea of a built NA 2.5 was dropped in favour of an LS6 V8 swap. By late December 2018 the engine build was described as basically complete, with FAST injectors and intake, a 228R camshaft, 114 LSA and ported heads, pending only a colour matched intake. The tuner expected potential for around 500 wheel horsepower, though the owner anticipated more realistic output in the mid-400s.

Progress so far

At the time of the supplied posts the build was still underway, with a return from American Body Works anticipated around March 2019. Wheel choice was finalised as Wedsport TC105x over Advans for fitment and weight reasons. A roll bar and a minimal front splitter were still undecided additions.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Ceramic Metallic + Built LS6 NC ↗