Project Thunderbolt LS Miata (Part 13): Testing 1,2,3!
It’s been a while since we’ve had an update on Tom Tharp’s Project Thunderbolt LS3 Miata build. Since finishing the car back in June, Tharp has been racking up the […]
Project Thunderbolt LS3 Miata (Part 12): It’s Done!
Project Thunderbolt lives. Over a span of nine months, Tom Tharp of Tom’s Turbo Garage built an LS3 V8-powered Mazdaspeed Miata. Think of it as a modern interpretation of great […]
Project Thunderbolt LS3 Miata (Part 11): The Last Installs, First Start and Drive
In this episode, you’ll see the most thrilling, yet nerve wracking moments a car guy will ever experience—the first start and drive of a newly built car. But we had […]
Project Thunderbolt LS3 Miata Part 10: More Suspension, More Wiring, More Everything
In this action-packed update, we finished up the bulk of our electrical work by finding a home for all of the wires that run into the cabin. Included in this bird’s […]
Project Thunderbolt LS3 Miata (Part 9): Suspension, Driveline & Wiring
We’ve turned the hustle knob up to 11 to get Project Thunderbolt on the road before the next ice age. First on this episode’s task list are the suspension’s rear […]
Project Thunderbolt LS Miata, Part 8: Reassembly Begins!
Up to this point you’ve seen me tear down, tear apart, strip, cut, beat, weld, and paint my Miata to prepare the car for its new Chevrolet Performance LS3/T56 Magnum […]
Project Thunderbolt LS Miata (Part 7): Noise and Heat Insulation
There’s a long list of benefits that come from jamming a big engine into a little car: the speed, the sound, the terrified wife, and so on. But a big […]
Project Thunderbolt LS Miata (Part 6): Clutch Install and Final Test Fit
Welcome to Part Six of Project Thunderbolt, our LS Miata swapfest. In this update, we’re ready to mate the Chevrolet Performance LS376/525 engine with the Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed for […]
Project Thunderbolt LS3 V8 Miata (Part 5): Engine Goodies, Cooling, and More
There is a lot happening in this episode of our LS Miata swap. First, we installed the Chevrolet Performance CTS-V Accessory Drive System on our LS3. This impressive kit includes […]