151: CBR1000 x Miata - A Match Made in Heaven?

Many car enthusiasts have fantasised about a lightweight car with a motorcycle engine swap. After all, what’s not to like about a high-revving, lightweight engine that produces great power and sounds incredible, right?

Reed Stormzand from the YouTube channel Reed Make Car tells us that while the combo can be awesome, it definitely hasn’t been all plain sailing.

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In this episode of Tuned In, Reed shares his journey into the automotive world, detailing his self-taught welding and fabrication skills as well as his day job at ZZ Performance.

We discuss his Cadillac ATS-V drag car, ZZ Performance’s involvement in pushing the platform forward, and their pursuit of the ¼-mile world record.

We also cover his CBR1000-swapped Miata, which started out naturally aspirated but is now turbocharged. Reed talks about the challenges of the swap, the intricacies of using a motorcycle engine in a car, and how he learned to tune—first on the stock Miata engine and now on the CBR1000 setup.

Reed never set out to become a YouTube car builder, but he’s built a solid following, and viewers clearly love his projects. His self-taught background, hard work, and willingness to learn by doing stand out as key takeaways. If you want to learn something, just start doing it.

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package: https://hpcdmy.co/podvip

Follow Reed here: 

Youtube: @ReedMakeCar

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
3:35 How did you develop an interest in cars?
6:21 Can you talk to us about pulse TIG welding?
7:30 What does your day to day look like at ZZ performance look like?
11:21 Cadillac ATSV platform and chasing 1/4 mile world record.
22:03 Are there any limitations with HP tuners that are holding you back?
23:17 What boost are you running and how much power does the car make?
25:05 Do you set up your suspension and alignment for when the car is squatting?
28:39 How did the Miata with a motorcycle engine project come about?
31:18 Was there ever any other engines considered from the automotive world?
33:08 Is the gearbox strong enough and what are the challenges of running it in a car? 
37:32 Is a motorcycle engine swap more complex?
40:24 What have you done with wiring and engine management?
43:16 Have you fitted a bigger set of injectors for fueling?
44:58 How are you controlling timing with the piggyback computer?
45:46 How much power did the bike engine make N/A and turbocharged? 
46:29 Where are the limits of this engine's internal components?
46:48 Clutch and gear shifting
49:39 How do you go about tuning this platform when you don’t know the engine's limitations?
52:38 How is the driving experience with the motorbike engine compared to stock?
53:29 What’s the next step? FA20 BRZ
56:19 Let's wrap up the Miata, Are you doing the tuning?
58:35 Tell us a little bit more about your plans for the BRZ build?
1:06:56 Final 3 questions