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 control arms, which needed a thorough restoration and some stiffer bushings to help reign in our newfound LS horsepower.

We installed the refreshed rear control arms and the remaining driveline components, then plumbed the brake and fuel lines. Then it was time for the job that practically every car guy dreads: wiring. More specifically, wiring the LS3 engine and then adapting the engine to our Miata’s electrical system. Thankfully, Chevrolet Performance and Summit Racing made that job as easy as possible.

The right parts make all the difference in the world.

painting control arms for an ls swap mazda miata project
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After cleaning up the stock Miata front and rear control arms we were left with a fair amount of surface rust. After scraping and scuffing off the loose rust, we used POR-15 Rust Preventative Paint in Semi-Gloss Black (POI-45404) to keep the iron oxide at bay permanently.

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Keywords
Miata LS Swap, Project Thunderbolt
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Author: Alan Rebescher

Editor, author, PR man—Alan Rebescher has done it all in a 37 year career in the high performance industry. He has written and photographed many feature stories and tech articles for Summit Racing and various magazines including Hot Rod, Car Craft, and Popular Hot Rodding, and edited Summit Racing’s Street & Strip magazine in the 1990s. His garage is currently occupied by a a 1996 Mustang GT ragtop.