Rotary Miata: Connecting the Front to the Rear

Ed
Update by Ed Higginbotham to the Mazda Rotary Miata project car
Jul 6, 2016

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Once the engine and transmission could fit well in our project rotary Miata, it was time to connect the front to the rear. The transmission was sourced from a Mazda RX-7 Turbo II and we were using a Miata differential, so a custom length driveshaft was in order. Luckily, we were working in the shop belonging to machining guru, Steve Eckerich. Steve took measurements multiple times and then cut and welded a driveshaft to the exact length we needed. If you don’t have a Steve Eckerich on hand, your friendly local driveshaft shop can help you with this.

The combination of the Turbo II transmission and Miata rear end also meant that the Miata’s traditional power plant frame would no longer fit. Instead we created rear mounts for the transmission and braced the differential with a large steel cross which bolts to the subframe. This cross holds the differential solidly in place, acts as a rear subframe brace and makes the removal and installation of the differential much less of a headache.

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