Ford V8-Powered 1994 Mazda Miata Up For Auction

The Mazda Miata is one of the purest driving sports cars one can buy, thanks largely to its light weight and nimble handling. However, one thing that Miata isn’t known for is producing a ton of power, as historically speaking, its four-cylinder engines don’t have much to offer in that regard. While many Mazda Miata owners choose to modify their existing powerplants, others have instead swapped V8s in them - many of which made by Ford - and that’s also true of this 1994 Mazda Miata that’s currently up for auction.

This 1994 Mazda Miata is up for grabs over at Hagerty with some extensive modifications, which include the addition of a new Sierra soft top with a glass rear window, a hood scoop, new Chaste White paint, and a set of 14-inch Enkei RPF1 aluminum wheels wrapped with 195/60R14 General AltiMAX tires. Inside the cabin, one will find fixed-back Kirkey aluminum racing seats with black cloth covers and five-point harnesses, JEGS instrumentation, an OMP racing steering wheel, and a harness bar.

The real story here lies under the hood, however, where one will find a heavily-fortified Ford 302 cubic-inch V8, which features an Edelbrock carb mounted to a Weiand single-plane intake manifold, Lightweight Speedway aluminum heads, a DeatschWerks fuel pump and lines, and a stainless steel exhaust.

It's mounted to a Tremec T5 five-speed manual transmission that's been treated to an upgraded clutch and flywheel, along with a Getrag limited-slip rear differential with beefier axles. As for the suspension in this Mazda Miata, it too has received upgrades including adjustable coilovers with Koni shocks, a V8 Roadsters tubular subframe assembly, frame stiffening rails, and Supermiata bushings.

Along with this Mazda Miata, we spotted another version of that same sports car - a 1999 model - with Ford V8 power last year, and even a 1982 Volvo wagon with a 5.0L V8 underhood this past August, proving that this particular powerplant remains a popular swap candidate for many.